Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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INFLATABLE BAF~LED LINER FOR PROTECTrVE HEADGEAR
AND OTHER PROTECTI~IE EQUIPMENT
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to protective equlpment, and, more
particularly to liners for protective headgear and other protective equipment.
There have been many kinds of inflated liners for head protection
5 ' helmets with pre-formed chambers or compartments interconnected by small airpassages. In some instances foam plastic pads of cornbinations of densities havebeen enclosed within the compartments to assist in attenuating the force of an
impact to the helmet when worn.
In other designs, means to regulate the flow of air between the
10 - chambers hav~ been employed, such as, the size of the intercommunicatin~ orfice,
valves and plastic plugs with filters.
The above concepts are shown and described in U. S. Patents: to
Nichols 2,664,567; to Simpson 3,039,109; to Cade 3,600,714; to Morgan 3,609,764;to Dunning 3,761,959; to L,arcer 3,787,8g3; to Rovani 4,023,213; to Gyory
15 4,038,700; to Schultz 3,287,613; and to Gooding 4,375,108.
The prior art types of shock-absorbing headgear ir~latable liners
with multiple compartment~ have been only partially effective. The types with
layers of resilient foam plastic within the comparlments do not distribute the force
of an ~mpact to the helmet over a very large area of the head of the wearer. The20 ~pes with only air within the multiple compartments have of necessity been very
large compartments so as not to "bottom-out, " i. e. instantaneously be completely
compressed, to thereby transmit a large portion of the force of tlle impact to the
head of the wearer. The types with valves or inserts wi~h filLcrs to control theflow of air through the intercommllllicnting air ch.Lnnels llilve bcen quite
25 complicated for manufacturing.
The unique construction of this invention provides an inflatable liner
with a thin profile to attenuate the force of an impact over as iarge an area aspossible and the longest period of time with streng~th, durability and reliability to
a high degree, together with inexpensiveness of construction~
30 SUMl\IARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an inflatable impact attenuating liner
for protective headgear consisting of a plurality of pre-formed cornpartments w~t~h
~y ~'t
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1 ' co-acting 4aff~ements which regulate the outward flow of air to adjacent
' compartment~ through interaction of integral prot~usions at the entrance3 of
', interco~municating ai~ channels in re6ponse to a sudden compress10n of a
;i compartment. ,.
Another object of the invention i~ to provide alternate bafnement
, means to control the nOw of air from an air compartment in response to a
' sudden compression of the compartment.
A furth~r object of this invention is to provide a means whereby
two liners having di,fferent co-acting bafnements may be stacked one atop the
10 other to attain optimum attenuation of an impact force to the p~otective helmet
' in which the liners are used.
', BRIEF DESCRIPTrON OF THE DRAWINGS
; Other objects, feature3 and advantages of the invention will be
, readily apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment~ !
15, thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like
reference numerals are used to indicate ~ike components in the various views:
FIG. 1 is a top plan of the protective helmet incorporating
, the liner of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the protective helmet
20 with the chin cup~strap removed.
FIG. 3 i9 an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along
line 3-3 of Fig. i illustrating the preferred embodiments incorporated in the
liner of the invention.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional vie v taken along
25 line 4-4 of Fig. l showing the preferred form of the liner assembled ~n tho outer
; shell.
FIG. 5 is a bottom plan of the protective helmet with the
liner of the invention assembled therein.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along
30 ' line 6-6 of Fig. 2 showing si~ing cushions and the liner assembled in the
' protective helmet.
FIG. 7 is a top plan of a typical trapazoidal shaped air
compartment with outer and inner bafflements.
.;
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FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of
Fig. 7 showing an air compartment with outar and inner bafflements and their
relationships to each other and to the interCOmm~iCatLng air channels to adjacent
air compartments.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of
Fig. 7 showing the relationship of the outer bafflement, convoluted inner
bafflement, the pre-formed air compartment and the bottom panel of the air
compartment.
FIG. lOis a top plan of the multi-air compartments with
bafflements and integral inte~rcommunicating air channels of the liner with
preferred embodiments of this invention.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11
of Ng. 10 æhowing the baf~lements.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of an
intercommunicating air channel taken along line 12-12 of Fig. 10.
FIG. 13 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a
*
recess for attachment of a VELCRO disc taken along line 13 13 of Fig. 10.
FIG. 14 is a greatly enlarged partial cross-sectional view
taken along the center-line of the intercommunicating air cha~nel bet veen t~vo
adjacent air compartments of the liner of the invention showing the "at-rest"
relationship of the air compartment bafflements to the intercommunicating air
channel.
. ..; .
FIG. 15 is the æame cross-sectional view as Fig. 14 but
showing the relationship of the air compartment bafflements to the
25 intercommunicating air channel when the protective helmet i~ properly fitted to a
person's head.
FIG. 16 19 the same cross-sectional vlew as l~i~. 15 but
showing the relationship of the air compartment bafnements to the intercommunicating
air channel when the wearer's head decelerates into the liner at the time of an impact,
FIG. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the
centerline of a typical air compartment with intercommunicating air channels to
adjacent air compartments illustrating modified construction of the outer and inner
baf~lements.
,,~ * Trade Mark
.
1 FIG. 18 is a plan of a t~ypical trapezoidal shaped air
compartment with another modified construction of the inner bafflement.
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectlonal view taken along line 19-19
; of Fig. 18.
FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 20-20
of Fig. 18.
FIG. 21 is a fragmentary front elevation view of a front
lower right hand air compartment as it might be assembled in a helmet
illustrating a means for stacking two lndepeDdent liners.
FIG. 22 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line
; 22-22 of Fig. 21 with a second independent liner stacked in front of the liner shown in Fig. 21.
DESCR PTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
.
Referring to Figs. 1-22, reference numeral 5 indicates generally
a football helmet of the type which has a liner that incorporates the improvements
.
of the invention. The helmet includes a shell 6 composed of a high impact-
resistant plastic resin such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadine-styrene) or
polycarbonate. It has a front edge bumper 14 of a resilient rnaterial as symthetic
rubber or polyurethane and a neck bumper 15 of similar material secured to the
back edge. Ear holes 8 and 9 are provided on the sides of the heknet, a liner
inflation valve hoie 10 and ventilati holes 11 are in the crown portion.
To assist in fitting a helmet with the liner of this invention, sizing
cushions 20-26 of a resilient foam plastic are positioned between the inside of the
outer shell and the liner. The sizing cushion3 are attached to the outer shell with
releasible fabric fastening strips commercially sold under the trade name VELCROas disclosed in prior U. S. Patent Nos. 2, 717, 437, 3, 009, 235, 3, 083, 737 and
3,154,837. The sizing cushions would have recesses to accommodatc the VELCRO
18 so that the sizing cushions would fit in surface-to-surface contact with the inslde
sllrface of the outer shell and the liner would flt in surface-to-surIace contact with
the inner surfaces of the sizing cushions. In a similar way of mounting, a larger
sizing cushion would be used at the front of the helmet for the forehead area of the
wearer and another large sizing cushion would be used at the back of the helmet
for the occiput of the wearer. The combination of sizing cushions and proper
inflation of the liner will provide a vely wide range of sizes and shapes of heads
of wearers of the helmet.
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;, 5
1 ~, Generally indicate~ by reference numeral 30 is the liner of the
invention. The liner consists of a plurality of pre-forlned air compartments
witl. co-acting baMements and have intercommunicating air channels 50 between
; ~he air compartments. As shown in Fig. 10 there is a flat sheet 31 of flexible5 polyurethane and a second formed sheet of polyurethane with air compartments
~; 33-47 of the desired size and configuration with integrally formed
intercomrnunicating air channels generally indicated by rèference numeral 50.
At the center of the ly~er is a hexagon shaped thermoformed air compartment 33
in the top panel 32 and an in~lating valve means 100 heat bonded at the center of
10; the bottom panel 31. There are three sets-of-~vo air compartments 34/36,
40/42, 44/46 arranged angulately to three sides of the central hexagon-shape'~
air compartment 33 and three set-of-two air compartments 35/37, 41/43, 45/47
arranged angulately in a mirror image to the opposite three sides of the hexagon, shaped air compartment 33. The outermost air compartments 36 and 37 have
15 clearance openings 38 and 39 respectively for the ears of the wearer. Recesses
generally indicated by reference numeral 19 provide for VELCRO 18 discs for
releasable attachment of the liner 30 to the sizing cushions.
Within each air compartment are an outer bafflement generally
indicated by reference numeral 60 in Fig. 8 and an inner bafflement 70. The
20 outer bafflements are thermoformed of resilient foam cross-linked polyethylene.
They are dimensioned and trimIned so that the outside surface 61 is in surface-
,' to-surface contact with the inner surface 142 of panel 42 with small protrusions
65 at the entrances to the corresponding intercommunicating air channels 50.
The small protruslons 65 are compressed to the proper thickness during the
25 thermoforming operation and sized to width and length during the trimming
operation so that they will match the size of the intercommunicnting air ch ulnels
50. The inner bafflements generally indicated by reference numeral 70 are
thermoformed of the same material as the outer bafflements 60 and have
convolutions which are generally parallel to the conbour of thè outer bafnement.30 The reference numeral 48 in Fig. I0 genérally indicates the top plan of the
;i apexes of the convolutions of the various inner bafflements which apex surfaces
' are in surface-to-surface contact with the inner surfaces of the outer
bafflements. With all outer baMements and inner bafflements properly
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positioned within the corresponding air compartments in panel 32, the second aircompartment panel 31 is positioned and the two panels are dielectrically heat
bonded together in the area generally indicated by reference numeral 55 around
each air compartment, leaving o~ly the intercommunicating air channels 50
S unbonded. The outside contour of the assembled liner is steel rule die cut to
size. The relationship of the bafflements to the intercommunicating air channels50 is the same in all air compartments. All air compartments are innated
through the single valve means 100. Wher. assembled in the outer shell 6, the
inflation valve means 100 is positioned in the hole 10 in the crown section. This
10 permits the liner to be inflated as desired from the outside of the helmet.
The method whereby the outer baMements 60 and inner
bafflements 70 co-act to control the flow of air through the intercornmunicatingair channels 50 is more readily understood by the ex~lan tions of Figs 14, 15
and 16 which illustrate the relationship of these components "at-rest, " io e. with
15 the liner partially inflated prior to the helmet being positioned on the wearer's
: head, when properly innated and positioned on a wearer's head, and upon an
impact respectively. Referring now to Fig. 14, the greatly enlarged cross-
! sectional view is tal;en along the centerline of the intercommunicating air channel50 between adjacent air compartments to illustrate the relationship of the air
20 compartment, the inner bafflement 70, and the outer baffle;nent 60 with integral
protrusion 65 to the intercommunicating air channel 50. When properly inflated
the air pressure within all of the air compartments will be the same and all of the
surfaces will be slightly convex. The outer surface 61 of the outer baMement 60
will be in surface-to-surface contact with the inner surface 142 of the air
25 compartment and the surface 63 of the outer bafflement 60 will be in surface-to-
surface contact with the inner surface 131 of panel 31 of the air compartment.
The protrusions 65 on the outer bafflement G0 will bo at thc cntr-ance~ of tho
intercommunicating air ch~mnels 50. The apex surface of the convolutions of
the ir,ner bafflement 70 will be in surface-to-surface contact with the inner
30 surface 62 of the outer bafflement with the apex surfaces of the reverse
convolutions in surface-to-surface contact with the inner surface 131 of panel 31
of the air compartrnent. The peripheral edge surface 74 of the inner bafflement 70
will be in surface-to-surface contact with the inner surface 62 of the outer
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bafflement 60.
With the helmet properly fitted to the head of a wearer as
. illustrated in Fig. 15, the outside surface of the wearer's head 105 compresses
the air compartments so that the outer panel 32 of the air compartment and the
5 outer baMement 60 are now slightly concave. The pressure within all air
compartments will be the same with but slight pressure of the protrusion 65
against the end of the intercommunicating air channel 50~ The inner bafflement
70 is compressed slightly with the resultant radially outward edgewise movement
of the peripheral surface 74 against the inner surface 62 of the sidewall of the10 outer bafflement 60 whose surface 63 has been pressed more ffrmly against theinner surface 131 of panel 31. As a result, the protrusion 65 of the outer
bafflement 60 is pressed more firmly against the end of the intercommunicating
air channel 50 thereby creating a greater resistance to the flow of air through the
channel at the time of impact to the helmet.
Upon an impact to the outer shell 6 as illustrated in Fig. 16, there
will be an additional compression of the sidewalls of the outer bafflement 60
pressing the surface 63 more firmly against the iImer surface 131 of panel 31.
There will be additional compression of the air compartment panel 32 and both
the outer 60 and imler 70 bafflements with resultant outward edgewise movement
20 of the peripneral surface 74 thereby pressing the protrusion 65 more firmly against
the end of the intercommunicating air channel 50 thus controlling the rate of flow
of air from the air compartment opposite the site of the impact. Inasmuch as allcomponents of the liner are resilient, there will always be a flow of air through
the intercommunicating air channels from the compartments with the greatest
25 internal pressure toward the air compartments with the less internal pressure.
However, the rate of flow will be regulatcd by thc afore describod co-actlng
bafflements with integral air ch,mnol cn~nE~in~ protl~lxions. 'l`hus the force of an
impact is attenuated ,md distril)uted over a very largo arca of the he.~3 of thewearer and the time to complete deceleration in the givcn distance is greatly
30 increased through the embodiments of the co-acting bafflements 60 a nd 70 within
the air compartments and interaction of the protrusions 65 with tlle associated
intercommunicating air channels S0.
Illustrated in Fig. 16 are modifications which will enhance the
control of the outward ilow of air from an air compartment upon impact. The
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1, outer bafflement 60 and inner baf~lement 70 are pre-molded to more precifie
' configurations and dlmensions to eiect a more efficient control of the rate of
~low of air through the ~ntercommunicating air channel 50. The side walls of
the outer bafflement are tapered with the edge portion 66 thin~er than the main
S ;' portion so that it will flex edgewise more easily. ~rhe inner baf1ement 70 has
the outer walls of the convolutions tapered as shown with the peripheral edge
portion 74 being thinner than the main portion 90 as to exert a greater localized
edgewise pressure at the end of the intercommunicating air channel 50 when the
' pre-formed air compartment is compressed toward the outer shell.
10, Figs. 17, 18 and 19 illustrate another modified set of bafflements
that could be used for special applications. This type of bafflement would be
; very inexpensive and could be used in combination with other bafflements when
~ two liners are arranged in a tier. In some instances it may be desirable to use
- ' two liners with air compartments with different outer and inner bafflement15 configurations to accomplish attenuation of impact forces of various degrees., hl some applications it may be desirable to have the bafflements within the
pre-formed air compartments of the liner next to the outer shell quite fir~n to
thereby respond to a very high ~nass - high velocity impact at the onset and have
bafflements within the liner next to the wearer's head somewhat softer to thereby
20 further atteruate and redistribute the force of the impact over a much greater
area of the head and in a longer period of time. The two liners could be readilystacked or tiered as illustrated in Figs. 21 and 22 using releasable VELCR0 18.
Matching recesses 19 to accommodate the VELCR0 18 would be provided in the
' innermost surface of the liner adjacent the shell and on the outermost surface of
25; the inner liner.
The above described linors by their unique constrllction lcnd
themselves to be adapted to be used in evory concoivable kind of protective
headgear ~Lnd other protective equipment where there is a need for maximum
attenuation of the force of an impact utilizing a light weight structure.
30 ~ It may be used with inexpensive resilient foarn plastic fiizing pads
in helmets to roduce the number of different outer shells to fit a greater span of
head sizes.
It may be used in body protective pads to reduce bulkiness and
weight of solid foam pads and increase protection for the area where used.
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While the construction of the liner afore-descrlbed has particular
application to football helmets, it is by no means limited thereto and helmets
and other protective cquipment incorporating the claimed design of the liner
may be advantageously used in all kinds of activities ~,vhere it is desirable to5 prevent injury by an impact.
