Patent landscapes › Sports & games

Is a football helmet patented?

Short answer: specific designs of a football helmet have been patented many times, but "a football helmet" as a general idea is not what is protected. What matters is the exact combination of features in your version.

What our index shows
  • 137 US and WO patent publications since 2000 have a title matching “football helmet” or a close variant (our index of 9.7 million patent families; one publication per family).
  • Among the 102 best keyword matches we examined, 39 were published in 2020 or later, and the earliest was published in 2000.
  • Most frequent assignees in those matches: RIDDELL (12), KRANOS IP CORP (8), BAKER MICHAEL (3), WILSON SPORTING GOODS (3).
  • Most common patent classes (CPC subclasses): A42B (93), A63B (33), A42C (6), Y10T (3).

Counts come from keyword matching on titles and abstracts, so they are indicative, not a legal count. Some matches are different products that share a word.

14 real patent publications related to a football helmet

  1. Energy divertiging football helmet US-2024090610-A1 2024 · BAKER MICHAEL
    An energy diverting football helmet is disclosed. The helmet contains the shell having an inside and an outside, padding positioned against the inside of the shell. There is also a face mask attached to the front of the football h…
    View on Google Patents
  2. Energy diverting football helmet US-11812811-B2 2023 · BAKER MICHAEL
    An energy diverting football helmet is disclosed. The helmet contains the shell having an inside and an outside, padding positioned against the inside of the shell. There is also a face mask attached to the front of the football h…
    View on Google Patents
  3. Football helmet shell US-11291264-B2 2022 · SCHUTT SPORTS IP LLC
    A plastic football helmet has a shell with a left earflap in a left side region and a right earflap in a right side region, each ear flap having a non-circular ear hole, and an offset area defined on a top edge by a top banked por…
    View on Google Patents
  4. Face mask for football helmet and football helmet including the same US-2022248795-A1 2022 · KIM KUNWOO
    Disclosed is a helmet including an outer shell configured to surround a wearer's head and having an open front, a face mask mounted on the outer shell and located on a frontal opening of the outer shell to protect a front of a…
    View on Google Patents
  5. Safer football helmet US-2021282491-A1 2021 · GALLO ROBERT V
    A safer football helmet including a soft shell not covering an underlying rigid shell, and thereby tending to minimize otherwise-injurious radial forces acting upon the head on contact. Preferably, the soft shell is a fabric-cover…
    View on Google Patents
  6. Football helmet having exceptional impact performance US-10813403-B2 2020 · KRANOS IP CORP
    A NOCSAE-certified football helmet having a plastic shell, internal padding attached to an inner surface of the shell, and a face guard attached to the shell, is configured and designed to have a Predictive Concussion Incidence be…
    View on Google Patents
  7. Football helmet having three energy absorbing layers US-10542788-B2 2020 · SAFER SPORTS LLC
    A football helmet is disclosed that includes a shell constructed of fiber reinforced epoxy resin, a thin resilient outer liner adjacent the inner shell surface, a thicker resilient middle liner and a thin resilient inner liner. Th…
    View on Google Patents
  8. Football helmet US-10349696-B2 2019 · OGATA KENNETH K
    A helmet having an inner shell with a first projection and a second projection, an outer shell, and at least one shock absorption system. Each shock absorption system comprises a first recess disposed in the first projection, a se…
    View on Google Patents
  9. Modular football helmet apparatus and system US-10426212-B1 2019 · RATLIFF DANA
    Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a modular helmet apparatus and system comprised of a removable outer shell disposed on an inner frame. The disclosed football helmet provides for enhanced energy diffusion through …
    View on Google Patents
  10. Magnetic football helmet to reduce concussion injuries US-9687037-B1 2017 · UNIV VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH
    Helmets which harness magnetic forces to reduce the force of impact collisions to helmets during contact sports, thus reducing the likelihood that athletes sustain a physical injury such as a traumatic brain injury and/or a neck i…
    View on Google Patents
  11. Video camera housing for football helmet US-9154676-B1 2015 · KRANOS IP CORP
    Football helmet with video system has a rigid shell with front and back portions. An impact absorbing pad assembly and underlying comfort liner assembly are removably attached in the shell. A face guard of connected bars has a cen…
    View on Google Patents
  12. Spider web protective inserts for a football helmet or the like US-8782819-B1 2014 · CULPEPPER THOMAS C
    A protective component for use within a protective helmet such as a football helmet that includes one or more spider web-like structures formed from a fine but strong polymeric fiber, preferably artificial spider web silk. The one…
    View on Google Patents
  13. Protective sports helmet with energy-absorbing padding and a facemask with force-distributing shock absorbers US-2011209272-A1 2011 · DRAKE CARL
    A protective helmet having a layer of foam covering the hard shell of the helmet configured such that the foam absorbs shock from an impact thereby decreasing the amount of force translated to the head, neck, or spine of the weare…
    View on Google Patents
  14. Miniature Football Helmet With built-in Insulated Beverage Holder US-2009057325-A1 2009 · TULLIO THOMAS VICTOR
    Invention is a novelty device where a molded polycarbonate miniature football helmet body with a hole in top and bracketry beneath hole for maintaining beverage container; replica facemask, chin strap, buckle-snaps, foam padding, …
    View on Google Patents

What this means for your idea

Because patents cover specific combinations of features, the useful question is not “has a football helmet been patented?” but “has my combination of features been described before?” Sports equipment patents tend to cover the grip, impact absorption, training feedback, and how gear is adjusted.

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Guides that help with this

First-look landscape. Not exhaustive. Not legal advice. This page lists keyword-matched publications from a limited database; it does not say whether any product is or isn't covered by a patent, whether a patent is still in force, or whether your idea is patentable. Consult a registered patent attorney or agent.