Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PROTECTIVE HELMET FOR CHILDREN IN AUTOMOBILES
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Related Application
[0001] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional
Patent
Application Serial No. 60/584,544, filed July 1, 2004.
2. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates generally to protective helmets for children in
automobiles, and relates more particularly to helmets having an impact
absorbing
structure and having apertures for ventilation to a portion of the head of the
child.
3. Description of the Related Art
[0003] The most common injury caused by motor vehicle collisions is an injury
to
the head. Automobile crashes account for between forty and fifty percent of
all head
injuries, and these crashes are also often the cause of the most severe
injuries. It has
been reported that sixty-four percent of all significant injuries sustained by
children in
an automobile crash are to the head. Infants and small cllildren often sustain
head
injury while restrained in a car seat during motor vehicle crashes. Slcull
fracture
and/or brain injuries can occur as a result of an iinpact collision between
the child's
head and the interior parts of an automobile. It is further recognized that
air bags
have not solved the problem of child safety in automobiles, and such skull
fracture
and/or brain injuries remain a sigiiificant risk for a child in an automobile.
[0004] Thus, a significant number of children suffer head injuries as a result
of
automobile accidents each year. Indeed, motor vehicle crashes are the leading
cause
of death and acquired disability in children all over the world. Previously,
there has
been no device for protecting a child's head inside an automobile. It should
be noted,
however, that no protective helmet can fully guarantee the prevention of
injury to the
head of a child, because the nature and circumstances of the forcible impact
have a
significant influence on the extent of injury to the head regardless of the
protective
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mechanism. Nevertheless, a protective helmet for children in automobiles would
be
desirable in order to decrease the likelihood and the extent of injury to the
head of a
child in an automobile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The protective helmet for children in automobiles of the present
invention
provides considerable advantages, most specifically attempts to decrease the
likelihood and the extent of injury to the head of a child in an automobile.
The
present invention also offers the advantage of providing the child a high
degree of
comfort associated with ventilation provided to the child's head through
apertures, as
well as through the gentle character of the inner impact absorbing structure
surrounding the head of the child.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawing:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a side, perspective view of a protective helmet in accordance
with
the invention, being worn by a child;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a top view of the protective helmet of FIG. 1;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1, of
several
layers which may be included within the impact absorbing structure of the
protective
helmet of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a partial, expanded side view of another embodiment of the
protective helmet of FIG. 1; and
[0010] FIG. 5 is a partial side view of a portion of another embodiment of the
protective hehnet of FIG. 1.
[0011] While the invention will be described in connection with the preferred
embodiment, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the
invention to that
embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives,
modifications,
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and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the
invention as
defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND SPECIFIC
EMBODIMENTS
[0012] Although the following detailed description contains many specific
details
for purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art will
appreciate that
many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope
of the
invention. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiment of the invention described
below
is set forth without any loss of generality to, and without iinposing
limitations upon,
the claimed invention.
[0013] The protective helmet 10 of FIG. 1 of the present invention is a safety
device that is preferably used by child passengers in automobiles. The
protective
helmet 10 should be worn upon the head 15 of a child so that the protective
helmet 10
diminishes the amount of force applied to the head 15 of the child when an
impact
force is applied to the protective hehnet 10. The helmet 10 is designed for
use by
children ages approximately 6 montlis to 14 years old, but also may be used by
older
children. The helmet 10 is designed for children to use in automobiles, which
may
include cars, trucks, vans, mobile homes, or other vehicles having at least
four wheels.
[0014] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, helmet 10 has a lower band, or lower
band
member, 20 which fits circumferentially around the head 15 of the child. The
lower
band 20 is preferably fitted in a position approximately just above the eyes
of the
child and approximately just above the ears of the child so that the child may
maintain
proper vision and hearing while wearing the protective helmet 10 in an
automobile
(not shown). The fiont portion, or front side, 11 of the protective helmet 10
is
positioned approximately just above the eyes of the child, and the back
portion, or
baclc side, 12 of the protective helmet 10 is secured around the backside of
the child's
head 15.
[0015] A crown portion, or member, or strap, 35 is attached to, or disposed
between, the front portion, or side, 21 and back portion, or side, 22 of the
lower band
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20. The crown portion, or strap, 35 offers protection for the upper, middle
part of the
head extending from a position just above the child's eyes to a position at
the back of
the cliild's head 15. The protective helmet 10 preferably includes one
longitudinal
portion , or strap, 35, but alternatively may have several longitudinal
portions. or
straps, 35 extending from the front portion 21 of the lower band 20 to the
back portion
22 of the lower band 20.
[0016] To each side, or edge, 36 of the longitudinal portion, or strap, 35, a
plurality
of lateral portions, or members, or straps 25, 30 are attached to, or disposed
between,
the longitudinal strap 35 and a side portion 23 of the lower band 20 at a
position on
the lower band 20 approximately just above the ears of the child. The front
lateral
strap 25 is attached to the longitudinal strap 35 and the lower band 20 toward
the front
side 11 of the protective helmet 10. The back lateral strap 30 is attached to
the
longitudinal strap 35 and the lower band 20 toward the baclc side 12 of the
protective
helmet 10. The lateral portions 25, 30 may be separate parts glued or heat
sealed to
the longitudinal strap 35 and lower band 20, or may alternatively be forined
integrally
with longitudinal band 35 and lower band 20. The protective helmet 10 could
include
as few as two lateral portions 25 and 30, but alternatively may have more than
two
lateral straps, such as straps 30, 25, and 32 to provide additional protection
to the
child, or it may have only one lateral portion, or strap, 32 which would be
disposed
intermediate the front and back sides 11, 12 of the helmet 10.
[0017] Several apertures, or openings, 45 pass through those portions of the
protective helmet 10 located directly above the head 15 of the child to
provide
ventilation to the head 15 of the child. The apertures 45 may be located in
between
each of the straps 25, 30, 32, 35 above the lower band 20. The apertures 45
allow air
inside the autoinobile access to the head 15 of the child. The size of the
apertures 45
is dependent upon the relative width "W" (FIG. 1) of the lower band 20 and the
relative width "W"' (FIG. 2) of the straps 25, 30, 32, 35 of the helmet 10.
That is, the
greater the width W of the lower band 20 and the greater the width W' of the
straps
25, 30, 32, 35, the smaller the space remaining for apertures 45. Therefore,
the width
W of the lower band 20, and the width W' of the longitudinal portion, or
strap, 35 and
the lateral portions, or straps, 25, 30, 32, are selected to optimize the
comfort or
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ventilation provided by the apertures 45 for allowing air to access the
child's head 15,
while also optimizing the safety provided by the protective helmet 10.
Alternatively,
apertures 45 could be provided by forming openings, or apertures, in the
straps 25, 32,
30, 35 themselves. Alternatively, the top of the helmet 10 located above lower
band
20 may be formed of a single piece of material, such as those which will be
hereinafter described, which covers the top of the child's head 15. The straps
25, 32,
30, and 35 merge into a single sheet, or wall, of material having a generally
semi-
spherical configuration corresponding to the top of the child's head 15
disposed above
lower band 20. Apertures 45 may then be formed in the wall to provide the
desired
ventilation.
[0018] In the preferred embodiment, the width W of the lower band 20, and the
width W' of the longitudinal strap 35, and the lateral straps 25, 30 are
several inches,
for example approximately 1 or 2 inches, thus establishing apertures 45 that
allow a
sufficient amount of air to access the head 15 of the child. The apertures 45
provide
greater comfort for the child, especially when sleeping in the automobile,
because of
the ventilation provided by the apertures 45, and because the apertures 45
provide for
a lightweight protective helmet 10.
[0019] With reference to FIG. 3, it is seen that a strap 35, 30, 32, and 25,
as well as
lower band 20 may be fonned of several layers of the same or differing
materials.
The layered construction shown in FIG. 3 may be used for the lower band 20,
the
longitudinal strap 35, and the lateral straps 25, 30, 32. FIG. 3 shows for
illustrative
purposes the construction of longitudinal strap 35. A body, or reinforcement,
55 has
lower surface, or layer, or substrate 56, and an outer or upper surface, or
layer, or
substrate 57, and the body 55 is positioned between an inner or lower impact
absorbing structure 50 and an outer or upper impact absorbing structure 60.
[0020] An outer surface 51 of the inner impact absorbing structure 50
underlies the
inner surface 56 of the body 55, and is attached to the inner surface 56 of
the body 55.
Similarly, an inner surface 61 of the outer impact absorbing structure 60
substantially
surrounds the outer surface 57 of the body 55, and is attached to the outer
surface 57
of the body 55. The inner surface 52 of the inner impact absorbing structure
50
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substantially covers a portion of the top of the head 15 of the child as seen
in FIG. 1.
The outer surface 62 of the outer impact absorbing structure 60 receives the
strike
from the impact force when the impact force is applied to the protective
helmet 10.
When the impact force strilces the helmet 10, both the inner impact absorbing
structure 50 and the outer iinpact absorbing structure 60 cushion the blow and
diminish the amount of force applied to the head 15 of the child when the
impact
force is applied to the outer surface 62 of the outer impact absorbing
structure 60. In
one of ma.ny possible embodiments of the invention, the body 55, the inner
impact
absorbing structure 50, and the outer impact absorbing structure 60 are glued
or heat
sealed together, or are formed integrally. Preferably body 55 is einbedded
within, and
surrounded by layers 50 and 60. Alternatively, the protective helmet 10 may
have one
single shock absorbing structure 50 or 60 throughout the entire helmet.
Alternatively,
the hehnet 10 may include the lower band 20 having: one layer 50 or 60; two
layers,
50 and 60, 50 and 55, or 60 and 55; or three layers 55, 50, and 60. The
longitudinal
and lateral straps 35, 30, 32, and 25 may have the same structure and
configurations
as the lower band 20. The thiclaiess "T" (FIG. 2) of lower band 20, as well as
the
thickness of the straps 35, 25, 32, and 30, may fall witliin a range of from
approximately 1/4" to 11/2", dependent upon the material used to construct
them. For
example, in general, with a denser foam having greater impact absorbing
characteristics, a smaller thickness T may be utilized.
[0021] The body, or reinforcement, 55 is typically made from an elastomeric
material, but otherwise may be made from any material that is firm enough to
maintain durability and reliability, but flexible enough to enable the helmet
10 to
adjust upon a child's head 15 for comfort, such a thin metallic insert member
formed
of aluminum or steel. The inner impact absorbing structure 50 and the outer
impact
absorbing structure 60 may be made from a soft or cushioned material that is
capable
of diminishing the amount of force applied by a strike to the head 15 from an
impact
force, and does not have a hard outer surface 62, but rather has a soft, or
flexible,
outer surface 62, as will be hereinafter described. In this manner, the inner
impact
absorbing structure 50 and the outer impact absorbing structure 60 are
preferably
made from an impact absorbing material, such as a latex or polyurethane foam
or
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other similar elastomeric materials, but may also be made from an air pocket
structure
or a pillow-type material, or any suitable material having the requisite
strength,
comfort, and impact absorbing characteristics to function in helmet 10. The
inner
impact absorbing structure 50 and the outer impact absorbing structure 60
serve the
purpose of reducing the likelihood of injury to the child's head 15, while
providing
comfort in the event the child desires to sleep in the automobile Since the
outer
surface of the impact absorbing structure is not hard, or non-resilient, such
as a rigid
plastic material, a child buinping against another child in the automobile,
will not hurt
the other child.
[0022] The inner impact absorbing structure 50 and outer impact absorbing
structure 60 also tend to prevent injury to other occupants of vehicle, in the
event that
another occupant of the vehicle happens to collide with the helmet 10 on the
head 15
of the child. Additionally, the iimer impact absorbing structure 50 and outer
impact
absorbing structure 60 would also tend to prevent dainage to parts inside the
vehicle
itself, to the extent that a strike by the child's head 15 to part of the
vehicle would
otherwise result in damage to the veliicle had the child not been wearing the
protective helmet 10.
[0023] As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of ear covers 40 may be provided and
each
ear cover 40 extends below the lower band 20 to cover an ear of the child. The
ear
covers 40, if utilized, may assist in securing the protective helmet 10 to the
child's
head 15. The ear covers 40 may also be formed of a protective material, such
as the
foams previously described, designed to diminish the amount of force applied
to the
ear when an impact force is applied in a direction toward that part of the
child's head
15. The ear covers 40 may also provide an entertainment function, wherein an
ear
cover 40, or both ear covers 40, may contain built-in earphones 75 or other
audio
devices, which may be used in connection with a radio, CD player, VCR player,
DVD
player, or video games located in the automobile, whether portable in
operation or
installed within the vehicle. Additionally, the earphones 75 may also be used
in
connection with cell phones, hand-held game consoles, or laptop computers. It
is
widely recognized that the use of earphones, or headphones, 75 is growing
rapidly,
and it is also believed that parents would prefer providing their children
with
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headphones, or earphones, 75 with proper head protection via helmet 10, rather
than
without any protection at all. Earphones 75 may be wireless earphones, or as
shown
in phantom lines in FIG. 1, may include a wire 76, for connecting earphone 75
to the
desired audio device.
[0024] The ear covers 40 may also include a soft padding, or may be made of
the
previously described foam materials, surrounding the audio device 75 which
absorbs
any outside interference sound that may come from outside the vehicle or from
other
passengers within the vehicle. When the outside interference sound is absorbed
by
the soft padding, the child is better able to hear the sound from the audio
device 75
with clarity. Irnportantly, the soft padding not only dampens the interference
of
outside sound not emanating from the audio device, but the soft padding also
helps
diminish the amount of force applied to the ear of the child when dealt a
strike by an
impact force.
[0025] The protective hehnet 10, as shown in FIG. 1, may also have connected
to
its bottom portion a fastener 47, such as a velcro strap or a belt to better
secure the
protective helmet 10 to the head 15 of the cliild. In the preferred
eznbodiment, the
fastener 47 extends downwardly from the ear covers 40 for wrapping around the
chin
of the child to secure the protective hehnet 10 upon the child's head 15.
Alternatively,
if no ear covers 40 are provided, fastener 47 may be directly connected to the
lower
band 20
[0026] With reference to FIG. 4, another embodiment of ear flaps 40 is
illustrated.
If ear flaps 40 are to be provided to helmet 10, the ear flaps may be
releasably secured
to the lower band 20, as by the use of snaps 80 and/or a conventional hook and
loop
fastener, such as a Velcro fastener, 81.
[0027] With reference to FIG. 5, if it is desired to provide additional
protection to
the back of the child's head 15, in a direction extending below lower band 20,
additional protection may be provided by use of a downwardly extending side
and
rear neck flap 90. Flap 90 may be formed as a separate member, or may
preferably be
formed integral with ear flap 40a, and may be secured to the lower band 20 as
by the
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snaps 80 and/or hook and loop fastener 81 previously described. Thus, as shown
in
FIG. 5, flap 90 incorporates ear flap 40a therein. Flap 90 may be formed of
the same
protective materials, such as the foams previously described.
[0028] The invention seeks not only to provide protection to a child's head
while
inside an automobile, but also to provide such a benefit in a comfortable and
functional manner. In this manner, the invention seeks to optimize the comfort
of the
device, so that the device is willingly and perhaps eagerly used by children,
and
regularly utilized by the parents of such children with confidence that their
children
will be safe and comfortable at the same time. Thus, if desired, ornamental
decals, or
stickers (not shown), may be provided so that a child may decorate his or her
hehnet
10, or alternatively a design may be incorporated into the outer surface of
the helmet.
[0029] While it is the desire and goal that the helmet of the present
invention, as
well as all helmets, prevent injuries from occurring, it should be noted that
due to the
nature of automobile accidents and other events which include forcible
impacts, no
protective equipment or helmet can universally and completely prevent all
injuries to
the head. To be sure, even while utilizing the helmet of the present
invention, the
forcible impact associated with an automobile accident or other strike to the
head may
still result in severe head and/or neck injuries, paralysis, or death to the
child wearing
the helmet.
[0030] In this manner, it should be noted that no protective helmet can fully
guarantee the prevention of injury to the head of a child, because the nature
and
circumstances of the forcible impact have a significant influence on the
extent of
injury to the head regardless of the protective effectiveness if the
protective
mechanism. Therefore, this invention does not guarantee safety of any child in
an
automobile without regard to the circtunstances surrounding the accident or
injury.
To be sure, this invention will not prevent every potential injury to any
child who uses
the invention. Rather, the benefit of this invention is to decrease the
likelihood of an
injury to the head of a child in an automobile, and if such an injury should
occur, to
lessen the extent or degree of such an injury, so that hopefully only a
minimal amount
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of harm is inflicted onto the child. Such safety considerations are matters of
extent or
degree-not absolutes.
[0031] Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should
be
understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made
hereupon
without departing from the principle and scope of the invention. Accordingly,
the
scope of the present invention should be determined by the following claims
and their
appropriate legal equivalents.
