US Patent 7797764 Military helmet extension and military helmet including the extension

In one embodiment of the present invention, a military helmet incorporating a neck shield extension is described. The neck shield extension is coupled to the body of the helmet using a plurality of elongated flexible straps. Accordingly, the neck extension moves upwardly whenever the wearer tilts his/her head back or to the side so that the wearer's head mobility is not hindered. The straps are comprised of a material having both a high tensile strength and tensile modulus that helps firmly hold the extension in place relative to the helmet when the extension is impacted with a ballistic projectile or other shrapnel.