ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 12 -- United States Patent no. 12,295,442, issued on May 13, was assigned to RAWLINGS SPORTING GOODS COMPANY INC. (St. Louis).
"Adjustable helmet shell" was invented by Mitch Hinrichsen (St. Louis), Marc Schmidt (Weldon Spring, Mo.) and Zach Runzo (Richmond Heights, Mo.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A helmet with an adjustable helmet shell is provided for use in sports including baseball and softball. The helmet shell is expandable and contractable to fit a variety of head shapes and sizes, and hairstyles. The helmet shell may be a single, molded piece or it may include a base member and a flap member. Gaps or slots may be located between flexible side portions and a fl...