Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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HELMET
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to helmets and more particularly, relates to
helmets to
protect the head of the user when undertaking an activity posing a danger to
the user's head.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The use of helmets when participating in an activity has grown enormously over
the
years. Originally used only in relatively violent sports such as football,
their use in other
activities has increased as medical science has established the dangers for
head injuries in
many activities. Helmets are now worn in a wide range of sporting activities
such as
playing hockey, skiing, skating, and the like. They are also widely used in
other recreational
activities such as bicycling, inline skating, skateboarding, etc.
The design of helmets has also evolved substantially and many helmets are
designed
for a specific activity. Original designs normally consisted simply of a hard
outer shell with
some inner cushioning material. This is still the basic design which is
utilized for many
different types of helmets.
The prime purpose of the helmet is to protect the head of the wearer should it
come in
contact with a hard surface. As the design of helmets has progressed,
differing materials
have been utilized in order to provide the maximum impact resistance. This is
generally
accomplished by using different density foams and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in helmet
designs
which can be adapted for many different purposes and/or activities. Some
activities require
special design considerations. Thus, for example, the popularity of renting
bicycles from
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one station and dropping them off at another station has increased in many
urban areas. One
problem with this arrangement is that the bicycle riders generally are not
using any helmets
for protection. As it is highly inconvenient to continually carry a helmet,
most people opt to
not utilize any head protection. Since rental helmets are not considered
desirable for health
reasons, it would be desirable to provide a helmet structure which is compact
and portable.
Helmets according to the present invention can be designed in many different
ways.
Some of the helmets will have a hard outer shell in a conventional manner
while others will
have a soft outer shell to enhance portability such that they can be easily
carried around by
the user.
Other helmets need to be designed to reduce the impact or in other words,
provide for
controlled deceleration of the head. Recent evidence has raised the
possibility that
concussions can lead to other medical problems later in life and particularly
some forms of
dementia. These frequently occur in high impact sports such as football and
hockey.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a helmet
comprising a plurality of layers, at least one of the layers comprising a
plurality of beads, the
beads being encased within a liner, and a second layer selected from the group
consisting of
a hard layer and a soft layer.
In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a helmet which comprises
beads contained within a liner and an air bladder. This helmet will have a
soft outer shell
and is collapsible rendering it ideal for uses where the helmet is desirably
portable.
In a second embodiment, there is provided a soft outer shell along with the
use of
beads. Again, this design is relatively collapsible and suitable for
portability.
In a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided a hard outer shell
with an
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interior comprising beads and an air bladder.
In a fourth embodiment of the invention, there is provided a hard outer shell
with
encased beads forming the cushioning layer.
In a still further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a
helmet
which has a hard shell with a layer of encased beads within. However, over the
hard shell,
there is a further layer of beads with a soft outer shell.
In a still further embodiment, there is provided a hard outer shell with an
interior
honeycomb design.
A variation of the above will include a soft outer shell and a honeycomb
design.
In a still further embodiment, there is provided a hard shell having an
interior
honeycomb design. However, exteriorly of the hard shell there is provided a
honeycomb
design and a soft outer shell.
In a further embodiment, there is provided a hard shell having an interior
formed of
encased beads and an air bladder. Exteriorly of the hard shell, there are
provided both an air
bladder and encased beads and a soft outer shell.
In the instance wherein the helmet uses a hard outer shell, such structures
are well
known in the art and many different designs are available. It suffices to say
that the hard
outer shell may be formed of any suitable material and may have any suitable
design. The
nature of the hard shell and the design will partially be dictated by the
activity for which it is
designed. The use of pellets or beads in some of the embodiments of the
present invention
will entail the use of a plurality of pieces of particulate matter which are
encased in a holder
or liner. The beads may be formed of many different materials and may be of a
plastic
material such as a polypropylene. However, other materials which can be
engineered to
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have particular properties could also be utilized in the practice of the
present invention.
The shape of the beads can be varied. Thus, circular beads or beads having an
irregular configuration with a plurality of flat surfaces can be utilized in
certain situations.
The overall thickness of the layer of the beads can vary and would depend on
the
desired protection.
In the case of the air bladder, any conventional air bladder might be
utilized.
Preferably, the valve arrangement is one which would permit the user to blow
into the same
or alternatively, to utilize an inflation device. Also, the valve arrangement
is preferably one
wherein air is prevented from entering the valve to the air bladder following
deflation. This
will permit the helmet to be collapsible and to stay in a collapsed state. One
may use
separate dedicated valves or alternatively a honeycomb layer comprising a
closed cell
configuration, the closed cell frequently having a second material therein.
Honeycomb
structures are known per se and many different materials could be utilized.
The present invention utilizes different elements of the helmet to reduce the
forces of
impact to the human head and brain. These different mechanisms can be designed
to
absorb, dissipate and divert forces directed to the head.
The liner used to encase the beads, as aforementioned, can be formed of many
different materials. In broader terms, the liner may be made either of an
expandable or
relatively rigid material. The expandable material may be, for example, a knit
type material.
The use of different materials can control the compaction of the beads. Thus,
in the case of
an expandable material, the beads are forced to move and thus supply a
controlled
compaction. In the case of a more rigid material, one may use a denser bead
structure and
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thereby provide atharder cushion. The horizontal and vertical walls forming
the liner can be
made from a variety of material which, as aforementioned, in the case of a
softer material
will deform more easily and expand to absorb shock.
The air bladder may be utilized with walls of varying degrees of elasticity
from soft
to rigid to contain air at different pressures.
As previously mentioned, one may have a combination inlet/outlet valve or
alternatively, separate valves. In either case, the inflation valve or portion
thereof would
open to admit air and close automatically to hold the air or other gas within
the bladder.
The outlet valve can open when activated manually but would close
automatically
when the manual pressure is released. The outlet valve may also function as a
pressure
safety valve to release air when pressure reaches a given point. It will open
automatically
and then close once the excess air pressure has been released. Naturally, a
separate pressure
safety valve may be provided.
As utilized herein, the word "layers" will include all layers wherein a first
material
will lie adjacent to a second material. The orientation of the layers can be
any desired and
will include both horizontal, vertical and diagonal layers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Having thus generally described the invention, reference will be made to the
accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments thereof, in which:
Figure 1A is a perspective view of a helmet structure according to one
embodiment
of the present invention;
Figure 1B is a partial cutaway view thereof;
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Figure 1C is an enlargement of a portion of the cutaway view of Figure 1B;
Figure 1D is a cross-sectional view thereof;
Figure 2A is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a helmet according
to the
present invention;
Figure 2B is a partial cutaway view thereof;
Figure 3 is a partial sectional view thereof;
Figure 2D is a longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof;
Figure 3A is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a helmet according
to the
present invention;
Figure 3B is a partial cutaway view thereof;
Figure 3C is a further partial cutaway view;
Figure 3D is a longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof;
Figure 4A is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a helmet according
to the
present invention;
Figure 4B is a partial cutaway view thereof;
Figure 4C is a further cutaway view thereof;
Figure 4D is a longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof;
Figure 5A is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a helmet
according to
the present invention;
Figure 5B is a partial cutaway view thereof;
Figure 5C is a longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof;
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Figure 6A is a side elevational view of a further embodiment of a helmet
according
to the present invention;
Figure 6B is a partial cutaway view thereof;
Figure 6C is a longitudinal sectional view thereof;
Figure 7A is a front elevational view of a further embodiment of a helmet
according
to the present invention;
Figure 7B is a cross-sectional view thereof;
Figure 8A is a front elevational view of a further embodiment of a helmet
according
to the present invention;
Figure 8B is a cross-sectional view thereof;
Figure 9A is a front elevational view of a further embodiment of a helmet
according
to the present invention;
Figure 9B is a cross-sectional view thereof;
Figure 10A is a front elevational view of a further embodiment of a helmet
according
to the present invention;
Figure 10B is a partial cutaway view thereof; and
Figure 10C is an enlarged view of a portion of the cutaway view of Figure 10B.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by reference characters
thereto, there
is illustrated in Figure 1 a first embodiment of the helmet according to the
present invention.
The helmet is generally designated by reference numeral 10 and has a rigid
outer shell 12.
Mounted interiorly of rigid outer shell 12 is an air bladder 14 with a valve
20 for
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inflation/deflation. Surrounding air bladder 14 is a soft liner 18 containing
a plurality of
beads or pellets 16.
In the embodiment of Figure 2, helmet 24 has a soft outer shell 26. An inner
liner 28
contains beads or pellets 30.
Turning to Figure 3, a helmet 34 has a hard outer shell 36. Mounted interiorly
of
hard outer shell 36 is an air bladder 38 which is equipped with an
inflation/deflation
valve 40. An inner liner 42 extends about air bladder 38 and contains a
plurality of beads
44.
The embodiment of Figure 4 illustrates a helmet 48 having a hard outer shell
50.
Interiorly of hard outer shell 50 is an inner liner 52 containing beads 54.
Turning to the embodiment of Figure 5, helmet 56 includes a hard shell 58. On
the
inner side of hard shell 58, there is an air bladder 60 with an
inflation/deflation valve 62.
Extending about air bladder 60 is an inner soft liner 64 containing a
plurality of beads 66.
On the outer side of hard shell 58, there is provided an air bladder 68
surrounded by a soft
outer liner 70 containing beads 72. Finally, there is provided a soft cover
shell 73.
In the embodiment of Figure 6, there is provided a helmet 73 having a hard
shell 74
with an inner soft liner 76 containing beads 78. On the exterior of hard shell
74, there is
provided an outer soft liner 80 containing beads 82. An outer soft shell 84 is
utilized.
The embodiment of Figure 7 illustrates a helmet generally designated by
reference
numeral 86. Helmet 86 has an inner honeycomb structure 88 and a hard outer
shell 90.
Honeycomb structure 88 consists of a plurality of separated cells which will
crush as
required. If so desired, the cells of honeycomb structure 88 may include
interiorly thereof a
further substance which may be of a shock absorbing nature.
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In the embodiment of Figure 8, helmet 94 has a honeycomb structure 96 and a
soft
outer shell 98.
A helmet 104 is illustrated in Figure 9 and which helmet is comprised of a
hard
shell 106 having an interior honeycomb structure 108. Exteriorly of hard shell
106, there is
provided an exterior honeycomb structure 110 and a soft shell 112.
In Figure 10, there is illustrated a helmet generally designated by reference
numeral 116 has an interior air bladder 118 (valve not shown) surrounded by a
liner
containing beads 120. A hard shell 121 surrounds this structure. Exteriorly of
hard
shell 121, there is provided an exterior air bladder 122 and a liner 124 to
encase beads 126.
This arrangement is covered by a soft outer shell 128.
