Patent Application
20050015856
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to adjustable pad sets for protective helmets and, more particularly, to audio headband accommodating pad sets.
2. Background of the Invention
Various forms of pad sets for protective helmets are known in the prior art. These pad sets are designed to provide comfort while maintaining helmet shell stability and adding supplemental impact protection at a given compression. In order to meet these various requirements, helmets may be “fitted” by selecting pads for a particular individual or size range. Thus, in the field, a wearer is relegated to a single issued pad set having limited flexibility in terms of alternate configurations, locations and thicknesses of the pads.
When using night vision goggles, it may be beneficial to shift the helmet aft. If shifting occurs without proper thickness adjustment or compression accommodation, stability may be jeopardized or hot spots may occur. Attempting to wear the helmet with an audio headband or other equipment may also result in hot spots. Ideally, the issued pad set would incorporate location adjustment with integral thickness matching to facilitate field-based re-configurations to maintain stability and compression without requiring outside tools, pads or other supplies.
Accordingly, it would be desirable and highly advantageous to have adjustable pad set for a protective helmet that overcomes the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.
The problems stated above, as well as other related problems of the prior art, are solved by the present invention, an adjustable pad set for a protective helmet.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adjustable pad set for a protective helmet. The adjustable pad set includes a plurality of internal pads of various thicknesses. A plurality of pad retaining/locating devices each have a pocket for receiving at least one of the plurality of internal pads so as to form an individual pad of the adjustable pad set. At least one fastener for each of the plurality of pad retaining/locating devices respectively secures each of the plurality of pad retaining/locating devices to a selected location within the protective helmet.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a protective helmet capable of being worn with an audio headset having a headband. The protective helmet includes a padded shell having a re-locatable pad to provide a headband receiving zone. A fastener secures the re-locatable pad outside the headband receiving zone so that during headband use the re-locatable pad has an arcuate-shaped edge co-linear with a crown section of the headband and a spherical section extending away from the arcuate-shaped edge.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention is directed to an adjustable pad set for a protective helmet. Each of the pads of the adjustable pad set is adjustable with respect to both location and thickness. By providing the capability to vary the location and thickness of each of the pads, numerous combinations for arranging the pads of the adjustable pad set are available to provide an optimized and individualized fit for a given user.
It is to be appreciated that the present invention advantageously provides an integral sizing system within the pads themselves. That is, adjustments to the overall thickness of a particular pad are made within the pad itself by removing or adding foam or other suitable material that make up the internal pads described below. In this way, a nominal compression of the foam (or other suitable material) can be obtained for maximum stability and comfort. In contrast, most prior art pad systems require users to add additional separate spacers or else remove a pad and replace that pad with one that is either thicker or thinner.
Each pad in an adjustable pad set according to the present invention includes one or more internal pads 110 of various thicknesses and a pad retaining/locating device 120 having a pocket 130 adapted to receive the one or more internal pads 110.
The internal pads 110 may be formed from, but not limited to, the following materials: a viscoelastic foam (e.g., Confor®); polyurethane foam (e.g., per MIL-PFR-26514); and so forth. It is preferable that the material(s) that forms the internal pads 110 have at least one and preferably more than one of the following properties: waterproof or, at the least, water resistant; mildew and fungus resistant; durable; washable; and reversible.
The pad retaining/locating devices 120 may be formed from, but not limited to, the following fabrics and/or other materials: looped knit nylon. It is preferable that the material(s) that forms the pad retaining/locating devices 120 have at least one and preferably more than one of the following properties: waterproof or, at the least, water resistant; mildew and fungus resistant; durable; washable; and reversible.
The pad retaining/locating devices 120 may include one or more fasteners 122 (or portions thereof) for securing the pad retaining/locating devices 120 to a selected location within the protective helmet. The one or more fasteners 122 may be hook and pile fasteners and/or some other type of fastener(s).
The pad retaining/locating devices 120 may include one or more other fasteners 132 for keeping the pockets 130 closed to retain the one or more internal pads 110 within the pockets 130. The one or more other fasteners 132 may be disposed at an opening 199 of a pocket 130 for retaining the pocket 130 closed. The one or more other fasteners 132 may be hook and pile fasteners and/or some other type of fastener(s).
The opening 199 provided on each pocket 130 is used for adding the internal pads 110 to the pocket 130 and for removing internal pads 110 from the pocket 130. Preferably although not necessarily, the opening 199 is disposed on an edge of the pocket 130, as shown in
As in the embodiment of
Thus, the pads of the adjustable pad set 300 are arranged in a pattern so that at least two pads 350, 355 are disposed to allow the headband 390 of the audio headset to pass there between. The location of the at least two pads 350, 355 correspond to the crown portion of a wearer's head. By separating the at least two pads 350, 355 to allow the headband 390 to pass there between, the present invention advantageously maintains a consistent offset between the helmet shell and the user's head, with or without the headband 390 in place. Without this feature, the use of a headband such as headband 390 would cause the helmet to sit higher on the user's head when the headband 390 is in place and would cause the helmet to sit lower on the user's head when the headband is not being used. Thus, without the feature (i.e., as in the prior art), an inconsistent offset of the helmet results when a user switches from using a headband to not using a headband. Moreover, in the former case, a pressure point may be felt on the user's head when the headband is used with prior art pad sets, a problem obviated by the pad set of the present invention shown and described with respect to
The pads are preferably, but not necessarily, of different shapes and sizes corresponding to different areas of a wearer's head. Such areas include, but are not limited to, a crown area, a brow area, a dome area, side areas, and so forth. The use of different shapes and sizes further adds to the optimized and individualized fit of the pad set for a given wearer, along with the capability of varying the location and thickness of each of the pads. This allows a wearer to employ a thicker and/or wider pad at the forehead area, if needed, to compensate for additional weight imparted on the front of the helmet due to the coupling of a Night Vision Device (NVD) thereto. However, the pads may be of the same size and overall shape to facilitate interchangeability of the pads with respect to different locations within the helmet. Preferably, pads 310 and 325 are of the same size and pads 305, 315, 320, and 330 are of the same size.
The pad pockets 480, 482 may be arranged to provide a similar “underlying arrangement” as the pattern shown in
It is to be appreciated that crown pads 450, 455 may also be disposed in a pad pocket as well. Such a pad pocket is preferably but not necessarily circular or oval in shape. Moreover, such a pad pocket may be sized and adapted to enclose the crown pads 450, 455 while still allowing the headband 390 of the audio headset to pass in between the crown pads 450, 455. Such a pad pocket may have apertures for allowing the headband 390 to pass there through or may have allow the headband 390 to rest in between the pad pocket and the helmet shell (or in between the pad pocket and the head of the wearer) while further allowing the crown pads 450, 455 to lie adjacent to the headband 390.
While the illustrative embodiment is shown and described with respect to pads that correspond to the crown portion of the helmet, other pads such as those described here above may also be utilized to protect other areas of the wearer's head.
Moreover, while only one pad (first re-locatable pad 520) and only one fastener (first fastener 550) are shown in
The protective helmet 500 includes a padded shell 510. The padded shell 510 includes a first re-locatable pad 520 and a second re-locatable pad (not shown). The first re-locatable pad 520 and the second re-locatable pad can be considered to provide a headband receiving zone 590 when arranged as described below.
During headband use, the first re-locatable pad 520 and the second re-locatable pad both have an arcuate-shaped edge 501 and a spherical section 502 extending away from the arcuate-shaped edge 501.
The protective helmet 500 further includes a first fastener 550 and second fastener (not shown) to respectively secure the first re-locatable pad 520 and the second re-locatable pad outside the headband receiving zone 590 during headband use such that the arcuate-shaped edges 501 of the first re-locatable pad 520 and the second re-locatable pad are respectively co-linear with a crown section of the headband and, further, such that spherical sections 502 of the first re-locatable pad 520 and the second re-locatable pad, in addition to respectively extending away from the arcuate-shaped edges 501, also respectively extend away from the headband 599.
It is to be appreciated that in the case the audio headset is not used (and, thus, the headband is not present) the first re-locatable pad 520 and the second re-locatable pad may be placed within the headband receiving zone such that the first fastener 550 and the second fastener are positionable so as to secure the first re-locatable pad 520 and the second re-locatable pad such that the arcuate-shaped edge 501 of the first re-locatable pad 520 is adjacent the arcuate-shaped edge 501 of the second re-locatable pad.
Although the illustrative embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one of ordinary skill in the related art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
