Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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HOCKEY HELMET COMPRISING AN INFLATABLE BLADDER
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a hockey helmet witri an inflatable bladder
designed
to improve the fit of the helmet on the head of the wearer.
Background of the invention
German Utility Model GM 77 29 063 issued on December 29, 1977 relates to a
protective helmet. The helmet comprises a shell, an insulating layer, a soft
lining and
inflatable air cushions located between the insulating layer and lining, these
air
cushions being connected with each other by air tubes. The helmet also
comprises a
bellows, a check valve and an actuation element.
U.S. Patent No. 5,083,320 issued to Halstead on January 28, 1992 relai:es to a
protective helmet with a self contained air pump. The helmet comprises a liner
having
a plurality of inflatable air compartments, the air compartments being
interconnected
by a number of air channels. The helmet also comprises an air pump.
PCT Application WO 93/01732 published on Febri.~ary 4, 1993 relates to a
helmet
retention system comprising an air bladder that is inflatable by a pump.
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Against this background, there is a need in the industry for a helmet that
provides a
better fitting on the head of the wearer.
Summary of the invention
As embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention provides a
hockey
helmet for receiving a head of a wearer. The head has a crown region, left and
right
temple regions, left and right side regions and an occipital region. The
hockey helmet
comprises a front portion facing the crown region and the left and right
temple regions
1 o of the head and a rear portion facing left and right side regions and the
occipital
region of the head. The hockey helmet also comprises an inflatable bladder
mounted
on its rear portion and adjacent to the occipital region of the head. The
inflatable
bladder applies pressure on the occipital region of the head for urging tree
front
portion of the hockey helmet towards the crown region of the head when the
helmet is
placed on the head.
The use of an inflatable bladder that is located adjacent the occipital region
of the
head improves the fit of the helmet on the head of the wearer by urging the
helmet
against the crown region of the head.
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In a non-limiting example of implementation, the helmet also includes a pump
for
inflating the bladder. Alternatively, the bladder may be designed to be
inflated by an
external pump that is separate from the helmet.
Brief description of the drawings
A detailed description of the embodiments of the presf;nt invention is
provided herein
below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
to
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a head of a wearer;
Figure 2 is a right side elevational view of the head of the wearer of Figure
l;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a hockey helmet constructed in accordance
with an
embodiment of the invention;
Figure 4 is a right side elevational view of the hockey lhelmet of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the hockey helmet of Figure 3;
Figure 6 is a more detailed. exploded perspective view of the hockey helmet of
Figure
3;
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Figure 7 is a perspective view of a rear padding section and a pump cover of
the
hockey helmet of Figure 3; and
Figure 8 is an elevation view of an inflatable bladder with a pump of the
hockey
s helmet of Figure 3.
In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of
examples. It
is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for
the
purpose of illustration and are an aid for understanding. They are not
intended to be a
1o definition of the limits of the invention.
Detailed description of the embodiments of the invention
Figures l and 2 illustrate a head of a wearer. The head comprises a crown
region CR,
15 left and right temple regions LT, RT, left and right side regions LS, RS
and an
occipital region OC. Left and right side regions LS, RS are approximately
located
above the ears of the wearer. Occipital region OC substantially corresponds to
the
region under the occipital protuberance of the head.
2o Shown in Figures 3 to 8 is a hockey helmet 10 having a front portion 18 and
a rear
portion 20 interconnected together. Front and rear portions 18, 20 comprise
respective
front shell 22 and rear shell 24. Front shell 22 and rear shell 24 may be made
of a
relatively rigid material, such as NYLON, polycarbonate materials,
thermoplastics, or
thermosetting resins or any other suitable material. Front shell 22 includes a
plurality
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of ventilation apertures 26. Ventilation apertures 26 provide the added
comfort of
allowing air to circulate around the head of the wearer.
The front shell 22 and rear shell 24 overlay respective :front and rear inner
pads 28 and
30. Both front and rear inner pads 28, 30 are integrally formed. The front and
rear
inner pads 28,30 have three-dimensional configurations that match the three-
dimensional configurations of the respective front and rear shells 22, 24, and
are
attached to the inner surfaces of the front and rear shells 22, 24 by any
suitable means,
such as adhesives or mechanical fasteners. In this fashion, the front and rear
shells
to 22, 24 can mechanically interlock with the respective front and rear inner
pads 28, 30.
Alternatively, the front and rear inner pads 28,30 may be made of separate
components applied at specific locations of the inner surfaces of the front
and rear
shells 22, 24 and attached to the front and rear shells 2:Z, 24 in any
suitable way.
Front and rear inner pad;> 28, 30 are made of shock absorbing material such as
expanded polypropylene (FPP). Other materials can also be used without
departing
from the spirit of the invention. Rear inner pad 30 comprises a top portion
30T
extending over the top of tl~e head of the v~earer. The inner surface of front
inner pad
28 is covered with a front comfort Liner 32 and the inner surface of rear
inner pad 30
2o is covered with a rear comi:ort liner 34 and a top comfort liner 36. Front
comfort liner
32 and rear and top comfort liners 34, 36 entirely cover the inner surfaces of
front and
rear inner pads 28, 30 respectively. Rear comfort liner 34 comprises an
occipital
portion 340C, a left side portion 34LS and a right side portion 34RS (see Fig.
7).
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Helmet 10 also comprises two downwardly extending; sides 38 that extend along
the
sides of the wearer's face i.n front of the ears. Sides 38 provide additional
protection
to the sides of the head of the wearer, and further provide a useful location
for
connecting ear loops 40. At the base of sides 38 are apertures 42 (only left
side 38
shows aperture 42) to which ear loops 40 connects. The other end of each ear
loop 40
connects into an aperture 44 located on the base of rear shell 24. A chinstrap
46 is
adapted to be attached to each ear loops 40, so that when it is secured
beneath the chin
of the wearer, helmet 10 is maintained onto the head of the wearer. If desired
the
helmet 10 may be provided with ear covers 48 for protecting the ears of the
wearer.
The front and rear portions I8, 20 can mane one with relation to the other so
as to
adjust the size of the head receiving cavity of the helmet 10: Locking
mechanisms
retain the front and rear portions 18, 20 in the position selected by the
wearer. Any
suitable type of locking mechanisms such as the one described in U.S. Patent
5,956,776 of Bauer Nike Hockey Inc. issued on September 28, 1999 can he used
without departing from the spirit of the invention.
In operation, a wearer who puts on the helmet 10 and realizes that it is too
large or too
small, does not need to remove helmet the 10 to adjust it. The wearer must
simply
release the locking devices expand or contract the size of helmet 10 by
displacing the
front and the rear portion I. 8, 20 in relation to each other in the
appropriate direction.
Alternatively, helmet 10 may comprise a non-adjustable one-piece shell
covering a
one-piece inner pad and ;~ one-piece comfort Liner. In another possible
variant, the
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helmet 10 may comprise separate front and rear portions 18, 20 that are
connected to
one another in any suitable way but not adjustable one relative to the other.
Helmet 10 further comprises an inflatable bladder 50 mounted between rear
comfort
liner 34 and rear pad 30. Inflatable bladder 50 has an occipital chamber 500C
in fluid
communication with left and right side chambers SOLE, 50RS through respective
left
and right air channels 52L, 52R. In a possible variant, the inflatable bladder
50 may
only comprise the occipital chamber 50OC, without an,y side chambers.
to A pump 54 is connected to the inflatable bladder 50, the pump 54 being in
fluid
communication with the occipital chamber 5000 through a tube 56.
Alternatively,
the pump 54 may be connected to left or right side chambers SOLE, SORS. The
pump
54 is manually operated by pressing on a bellows 58 that forces air in the
inflatable
bladder via the tube 56 containing a one-way valve (not shown). The one-way
valve
prevents air from the inflatable bladder 50 to escape via the tube 56. The
number of
pump cycles applied to the bellows 58 determines the degree of inflation of
the
inflatable bladder 50. Inflatable bladder 50 also comprises a release valve 60
mounted
on the occipital chamber :SOOC for deflating the inflatable bladder 50. The
release
valve 60 may be mounted instead on one of the side chambers 50LS, SORB.
Helmet 10 also comprises a protective cover 62 that covers the pump 54 and
release
valve 60. Cover 62 is mounted to rear inner pad 30 and/or rear comfort liner
:34. The
cover 62 is sufficiently flexible to allow the wearer to depress the bellows
58 and
operate the release valve 60 through the cover 62. More particularly, the
cover 62 may
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be made of material suff.ciently flexible that can he easily deformed by
finger
pressure. Alternatively, the cover 62 may be made of relatively rigid
material, that
cannot be deformed by finger pressure but it includes regions that register
with the
bellows 58 and the release valve 60 that are morf; flexible. Flexibility may
be
imparted to the selected regions by reducing the thickness of the material in
those
regions, or adding structural features that increase the flexibility without
thickness
reductions. Examples of such structural features include flexure enhancing
hinges or
folds.
to When inflated, inflatable bladder 50 applies pressure upon the occipital
region OC
and the left and right side regions LS, RS of the head of the wearer. The
pa~essure
tends to urge the front portion 18 of the helmet 10 toward the crown region CR
of the
head. Moreover, the left a.nd the right side chambers SOLS, SORS of the
inflatable
bladder 50 apply pressure on the corresponding parts of the head such as to
laterally
stabilize the helmet 10. Accordingly, the occipital part of the inflatable
bladder 50
tends to urge the helmet 10 against the crown region C:R of the head.
Depending on
how tightly the head of the wearer fits in the head receiving cavity of the
helmet 10,
the pressure applied by the: occipital part of the inflatable bladder 50 may
induce a
slight movement of the hehmet 10 toward the back of the head, necessary to
seat the
2o front portion 18 of the helmet 10 against the crown region CR of the head.
At the
same time, the side chambers SOLS, SORS of the inflatable bladder 50 apply
pressure
on both side region LS, RS of the head and stabilize the helmet 10 laterally.
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The degree of pressure applied by the inflatable bladder 50 is controlled by
the
amount of air pumped in the inflatable bladder 50 by the wearer. If the amount
of
pressure is too high, air can be released by operating the release valve 60.
Refernng to Figure 8, inflatable bladder 50 comprises several affixing members
62
for affixing inflatable bladder 50 to the outer surface of rear comfort liner
34~. The
affxing members include apertures through which suitable fasteners can be
inserted.
Alternatively, adhesive, VI~LCRO or stitches may be used to secure the
inflatable
bladder 50 to the rear comfort liner 34. Inflatable bladder 50 is thus mounted
between
rear comfort liner 34 and rear inner pad 30 and can expand therebetween in
order to
apply pressure upon the occipital region OC and left arid right side regions
LS, RS of
the head.
The above description of the embodiments should not be interpreted in a
limiting
manner since other variations, modifications and refinements are possible
within the
spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is
defined in the
appended claims and their equivalents.
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