Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PATENT 1: HEAD GUARD
HELMET FOR EVERYDAY MOTORIZED VEHICLE USE (FOR ALL AGES)
Abstract
The invention provides protective headwear (helmet) for persons of all ages,
for everyday
motorized vehicle use, hence persons operating or as passengers in a motorized
vehicle.
The helmet is to be worn when in a motorized vehicle and is to provide head
protection in
the event of a collision. The head protection is provided by the composites of
the outer
shell and inner lining of the helmet. Based on a combination of the racing car
and the
motorcycle helmet designs, the shell of the helmet is hard enough to resist
penetration by a
sharp object, and upon impact, the inner lining, that is energy absorbing,
absorbs most of
the force of the head's movement against the inner surface of the helmet, and
in doing so,
reduce the head movement and bring the head to a stop.
The idea for this invention has its roots in the racing car helmet and the
motorcycle helmet
and as such may include components of either or both helmet designs. However,
with the
objective of being suitable for everyday motorized vehicle use, the components
of the new
motorized vehicle helmet may extend to include, or be replaced by any
component or
combination of components that can achieve the overall objective of providing
head
protection for everyday motorized vehicle use that is comfortable, lightweight
and
adjustable.
Understanding that protective head gear can enhance head protection in any
motorized
vessel where a collision could occur, the vision is that the use of this
helmet will not be
limited to motorized vehicles but will extend to all vessels wherein there is
a real likelihood
of a head injury in the event of a collision, such as in buses, trains,
passenger airplanes and
helicopters.
Specification
General character of the Motorized Vehicle Helmet
This invention relates to head safety for operators or passengers of a
motorized vehicle for
everyday use and is to be available to persons of all ages.
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Background information
There is a big but not yet identified need for everyday motorized vehicle
protective headwear:
Of the 1.5 million Americans who sustain a traumatic brain injury (TB))
annually, 20% are the
result of motor vehicle-traffic crashes.'
The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that TB) caused by motor vehicle
crashes will
become the third leading cause of the global burden of disease by 2020.2
Direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity of TBI
totalled an estimated $60
billion in the United States in 2000.3
References in Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA) level one course 2009:
1. Langlois JA, Rutland-Brown W, Thomas KE. Traumatic brain injury in the
United States: emergency
department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Atlanta (GA): Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention,
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; 2004.
2. World Health Organization (1996), The global burden of disease: A
comprehensive assessment of
mortality and disability from diseases, injuries and risk factors in 1990 and
projected to 2020. In Murray
CJL & Lopez AD (eds.), Global burden of disease and injuries series. Harvard
University Press, Boston.
3. Source: Finkelstein E, Corsco P, Miller T and associates. The incidence
and Economic Burden of Injuries in
the United States. New York (NY): Oxford University Press; 2006.
Currently there is no protective headwear for everyday car use: The only
protective headwear
available with regards to vehicles, are construction hard hat helmets, racing
car helmets and
motorcycle helmets.
Nature of the Motorized Vehicle Helmet
The idea for this invention has its roots in the racing car helmet and the
motorcycle helmet and
is to include components of either or both helmet designs as necessary to
obtain the objective
of protective head gear that is suitable for everyday motorized vehicle use:
hence, comfortable,
lightweight and adjustable.
Components of the racing car helmet:
A racing car helmet is designed to absorb energy and distribute impact to
entire head.
Design elements of the racing car helmet that enhance protection:
= The shell of the helmet is hard enough to resist penetration by a sharp
object.
Upon impact, the shell should delaminate, allowing the helmet liner to spread
and absorb the force of the head's movement against the inner surface of the
helmet.
(Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association: http://www.vscda.org/apparel.html)
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;;--. A racing car helmet contains:
= Houses (casings)
Components of a motorcycle helmet:
A motorcycle helmet is designed to absorb energy, bring the head to a gentle
stop and
to protect against pointy objects. Design elements of the motorcycle helmet
that
enhance protection are the outer shell and the energy-absorbing inner liner:
= The outer shell contains components designed to protect against pointy
objects
and absorb energy upon impact. There are 2 kinds of outer shell composites:
o A resin/fiber composite (such as fibreglass, carbon fiber and Kevlar). In
a
crash, this helmet's shell flexes crushes and delaminates.
= A mounded thermoplastic such as ABS or polycarbonate, the same basic
stuff
used in face shields and F-16 canopies. ). In a crash, the helmet's shell
absorbs
energy as it flexes, and in doing so, is designed to:
o Protect against pointy things trying to penetrate the EPS
o Protect against abrasion
= The inner lining contains components designed to absorb most of the
energy
upon impact in the event of a collision and also to bring the head to a gentle
stop:
o The inner lining is made of expanded polystyrene or EPS (the same stuff
used in beer coolers, foam coffee cups, and packing material). In the
event of a collision, the liner's job is to bring the head to a gentle stop.
o As it crushes, EPS absorbs lots of energy at a predictable rate. EPS
actually absorbs the kinetic energy of a moving head, creating a very
small amount of heat as the foam collapses. In a crash, the inner liner
absorbs most of the energy.
Racing car and motorcycle helmets are not suitable for everyday car use as
they are designed
for optimal speed, are bulky and are not designed for everyday comfort. The
car helmet is to
comprise components from either or both the racing car helmet and the
motorcycle helmet
that provide the best head protection in the event of a collision, yet the
design is to take into
consideration everyday use, and as such, will be: comfortable, adjustable and
lightweight.
Specification of Motorized Vehicle Helmet for everyday use
Inventive idea:
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A light weight motorized vehicle helmet to provide optimal head protection for
all individuals
seated in a motorized vehicle. Motorized vehicle helmets to be available for
all age groups from
infants to adults. Currently, there are no helmets for persons operating or
seated in a
motorized vehicle for the purpose of everyday driving/transportation.
Statistics on deaths and on the long term life impact of brain injuries
resulting from car
accidents are high:
= The major cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is road traffic
accidents. Source (World
Health Organization (WHO) 1996)
= The WHO currently rates road traffic accidents as the seventh leading
cause of the
global burden of disease, and projects that it will rise to be the third most
significant
cause by the year 2020. Source (WHO 1996)
= Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of traumatic brain
injury (TBI).
Source: http://www.braininjury.com/injured.html July 28 2010
Children are much more at risk than adults when it comes to injury through
fracture and
deformation of the skull, both of which can injure the brain: "Recent studies
show that
children's skulls are only 1/8 as strong as that of adults."
Source: http://www.braininjury.com/injured.html July 28 2010
The medical field no longer upholds a long held principle known as the
"Kennard Principle", that
held that the neuroplasticity a child's brain exhibits as it evolves, would
allow it to work around
or adapt to organic brain damage, and as such, equivalent brain damage to a
child and an adult
would result in less problems in the child than in the adult. Many recent
studies have proven
the Kennard principle to be wrong, for the outcome for children suffering TBI
has proven to be
far worse that the outcome for an equally injured adult (ibid). In short, the
frontal lobes involve
executive thinking, and the development of these lobes in a child continues
until the age of
about 16. Disturbances in the development of these lobes, for instance as
could be caused
through TBI, can cause subtle but profound problems. Changes in this area of
the brain affect
the executive functions and as such affect basically what it is to be human
(ibid)
In the study entitled "Cognitive Indicators of Vocational Outcome After Severe
Traumatic Brain
Injury (TBI) in Childhood" it was noted that falls and motor vehicle related
accidents account for
over 70% of injuries of pre-school children, and often produced diffused
closed brain injuries
were mostly the frontal areas of the brain are damaged."
Source: http://www.braininjury.co/children.html July 28 1010
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Advantage of using motorized vehicle helmet (disadvantages resulting from
death or TBI are
reduced/overcome)
= A significant reduction in deaths
= A significant reduction in hospital costs
= A significant reduction in cost of rehabilitation following TBI resulting
from a
motor vehicle accident
= A significant reduction in cost relating to the long-term care of those
with severe
TBI following a motor vehicle accident
= A significant reduction in TBI motor vehicle related additional costs
such as loss
of wages when family has to look after person with TBI, or loss of wages due
to
decline in mental health (depression) following death of loved one due to
motor
vehicle accident, or severe impairment, counselling for family members
(bereavement, coping).
Full description:
Helmet to be adjustable to properly fit individual head, or helmet can come in
different sizes.
In event of car accident, car helmet to:
= Absorb impact
= provide cushioning
= Reduce movement of the brain within the skull to reduce the possibility
of various brain
injuries: diffuse axonal injury, concussion, contusion, coup-contrecoup.
o Diffuse axonal injury: extensive tearing of nerve tissue throughout the
brain.
o Concussion: trauma to the brain from an impact or a sudden momentum or
movement change. The blood vessels in the brain may stretch and cranial nerves
may be damaged.
o Contusion: bruise (bleeding) on the brain.
o Coup-contrecoup injury: contusions that are both at the site of the
impact and
on the complete opposite side of the brain. Coup-contrecoup occurs when the
force impacting the head is not only great enough to cause a contusion at the
site of impact, but also able to move the brain and cause it to slam to the
opposite side of the skull which causes the additional contusions.
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Car helmet to be designed for optimal comfort:
= Ideally no under strap needed or, is optional
= Made of material that is lightweight
= Attractive: Not bulky & comes in a variety of colors
Claims
As more research and trials are needed to determine the best composites for
the new
helmet designed for everyday motorized vehicle use, the outer shell and inner
lining are not
limited to the components of the racing car and/or the motorcycle helmet
designs, but may
include any composite(s) found to enhance the complete protection of the head
when in a
motorized vehicle.
Understanding that protective head gear can enhance head protection in any
structure
where a collision could occur, the vision is that the use of this helmet will
not be limited to
motorized vehicles but will extend to all vessels wherein there is a real
likelihood of a head
injury in the event of a collision, such as in busses, trains, passenger
airplanes and
helicopters.
