Patent Application
20130152281
This invention was not made as part of a federally sponsored research or development project.
The present invention relates to protection equipment for the human chin; more specifically to a chin protection system that can be attached to an existing safety helmet without any modifications to the helmet.
Injuries to the heads of children and adults due to falls and/or collisions experienced during sporting events such as bicycling, skateboarding, and rollerblading have been reduced as a result of more widespread recognition that helmets should be worn during such activities. However, helmets do little to protect the chin, mandible, and facial structures of a user during a face forward fall, which generally result in chin lacerations and possible facture of the mandible.
Safety helmets generally require a system to retain the helmet on a user's head during a violent impact. Therefore, most safety helmets incorporate retainer straps that are adjustable and are designed to connect to the helmet on one side, pass under the chin, and reattach to the helmet on the other side. The benefit of such systems is that the retainer strap is designed to be adjusted so that it fits comfortably below the chin, while not exerting uncomfortable pressure on the neck, yet is such a length that it is impossible for it to pass over the chin during an impact and allow the helmet to come off the user's head. Such systems avoid attachment at the chin because it would be possible for a chin attachment system to be dislodged from the chin during a violent impact and risk unintended removal of the helmet.
Therefore the field has needed a supplemental system that serves to protect a user's chin and adding stability to a helmet system, while not reducing the safety associated with traditional retainer straps. Further, the field has needed a supplemental system that accommodates the wide variety of helmet sizes and shapes so that it is not limited to a specific model of helmet.
A chin protection system for releasable attachment to a wide variety of helmets through the use of an elastically-deformable helmet cover, a pliable retainer, and a chin protector. The chin protection system safely attaches to a helmet without any modifications to the helmet and therefore does not impact the warranty or safety rating of the helmet. The helmet cover is designed to stretch and conform to numerous different helmet styles and manufacturers, while also serving as an attachment point for the pliable retainer. The pliable retainer provides the tensile force necessary to keep the chin protector in place throughout the range of movements common during sporting activities, as well as during an impact to the chin. The chin protection system also serves a stability system that ensure the helmet stays squarely in place on a users head during rapid head movements, such as during tricks, something lacking from a helmet's under-the-chin strap system.
Without limiting the scope of the present system, referring now to the drawings and figures:
These drawings are provided to assist in the understanding of exemplary embodiments as described in more detail below and should not be construed as unduly limiting. In particular, the relative spacing, positioning, sizing and dimensions of the various elements illustrated in the drawings are not drawn to scale and may have been exaggerated, reduced or otherwise modified for the purpose of improved clarity. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that a range of alternative configurations have been omitted simply to improve the clarity and reduce the number of drawings.
The claimed chin protection system enables a significant advance in the state of the art of facial injury prevention and is designed to not effect a helmet's accreditation by a safety organization. The chin protection system is releasably attached a helmet (100) without impacting the helmet's safety rating because it does not modify the helmet in any manner in order to secure the system to the helmet, and it does not modify the means by which the helmet is meant to be retained on a user during an impact. A generic helmet is illustrated in
Such helmets (100) are typically characterized by a rigid helmet shell (110) and a helmet ledge (120), as seen in
The chin protection system is releasably attached to the helmet (100) without any modifications to the helmet through the use of an elastically-deformable helmet cover (200), seen in
The chin protection system also includes a chin protector (300) having a protector dextral side (301) and a protector sinistral side (302), as seen in
The chin protection system also includes a pliable retainer (400) extending from the helmet cover dextral side (201) to the helmet cover sinistral side (202), as seen in
The pliable retainer (400) is connected to the helmet cover (200) with a primary retainer-to-cover connection (410) at a point between the helmet cover transverse centerline (208) and the helmet cover rear (204). In other words, the pliable retainer (400) is connected to the helmet cover (201) in the rear half of the helmet cover (200) to facilitate stability of the helmet cover (201) on the helmet (100), minimize the likelihood of the helmet cover (200) sliding around on the helmet (100), and to better align with the orientation of the chin protector (300) when installed across a user's chin. The protector dextral side (301) is adjustably connected to the retainer dextral end (401), and the protector sinistral side (302) is adjustably connected to the retainer sinistral end (402).
The pliable retainer (400) allows the chin protector (300) to be securely attached to the helmet cover (200), and thus the helmet (100), without being directly attached to either the helmet cover (200) or the helmet (300). In order for the helmet cover (200) to be easily stretched to accommodate and conform to a wide range of helmets, the material for the helmet cover (200) must be relatively lightweight and very elastic. The present chin protection system is designed to snugly fit the chin protector (300) against the chin of the user and therefore the user must adjust the length of the chin protector (300) so that it is being pulled against the user's chin by the pliable retainer (400). As such, the pliable retainer (400) provides additional helmet stability so that it remains in place during rapid head movements as would be common while performing tricks and participating in extreme sports. Attaching the chin protector (300) directly to the lightweight helmet cover (200) would not supply the necessary tension to the chin protector (300) to ensure that it stays in place during an impact and would likely cause the helmet cover (200) to undesirably move around on the helmet (100). Additionally, such an attachment methodology would result in areas of high stress within the helmet cover (200), which may lead to premature failure of the highly elastically-deformable material.
The helmet cover (200) may be made from a combination of natural and synthetic fibers such as expandable synthetic fibers including elastane and nylon. Elastane is a synthetic polymer known for its exceptional elasticity. It is stronger and more durable than rubber, consisting of a long chain polymer called polyurethane, which is produced by reacting a polyester with a diisocyanate. Elastane contains at least 85% polyurethane. The polymer is converted into a fiber using a dry spinning technique. At room temperature elastane can be stretched and expanded to twice its original dimensional size and, after removal of the tensile load, it will immediately return to its original size. Elastane is compatible with other materials, and can be spun with other types of fibers to produce unique fabrics, which have the characteristics of both fibers. Nylon is a synthetic thermoplastic fiber (Nylon melts/glazes easily at relatively low temperatures) with round, smooth and shiny filament fibers. Nylon is related chemically to the protein fibers silk and wool. These synthetic fibers and fabrics may be combined to form the stretchable portion of the helmet cover (200).
As seen in
In one particular embodiment, the pliable retainer (400) is less elastic than the helmet cover (200), and in an even further embodiment the pliable retainer (400) is at least twenty percent less elastic than the helmet cover (200). The elasticity of the pliable retainer (400) is important to ensure that the user may adjust the tension placed on the chin protector (300) while not adversely effecting the helmet cover's (200) fit and conformity to the helmet (100). Further, the location at which the pliable retainer (400) is connected to the helmet cover (200) is important to the performance of the chin protection system. In fact, in yet another embodiment is has been found that the primary retainer-to-cover connection (410) is preferably located along the helmet cover longitudinal centerline (209) further improve the stability of the helmet cover (200) and pliable retainer (400) on the helmet (100).
As seen in
Yet another embodiment incorporates a first auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection (420), seen in
With continued reference to
Just as the pliable retainer's (400) location, orientation, and connection point to the helmet cover (200), affect the stability of the chin protection system so to does the width of the pliable retainer (400). Thus, in one embodiment the pliable retainer (400) has a retainer width (403) that is at least ten percent of the unstretched helmet cover length (205). This relationship reduces the likelihood of the pliable retainer (400) twisting, while spreading out the load that is transferred to the helmet cover (200) thereby promoting the stability of the helmet cover (200) on the helmet (100) and reducing the likelihood of the helmet cover (200) migrating toward the helmet front (103) during jarring activities and rapid head movements, as would be common during extreme sports activities. In fact, in another embodiment it is preferred if the pliable retainer (400) has a retainer width (403) that is at least one inch.
Another avenue for further promoting these goals is found in yet another embodiment which introduces a setback distance that is the minimum distance between the retainer axis (404) and the helmet cover transverse centerline (208). In this embodiment a setback distance that is at least ten percent of the helmet cover length (205) further promotes the stability of the helmet cover (200) and pliable retainer (400) on the helmet (100). Even further, a further embodiment incorporates a setback distance of at least one inch.
Numerous alterations, modifications, and variations of the preferred embodiments disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art and they are all anticipated and contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of this application. For example, although specific embodiments have been described in detail, those with skill in the art will understand that the preceding embodiments and variations can be modified to incorporate various types of substitute and or additional or alternative steps, procedures, and the order for such steps and procedures. The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all methods, means, and step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or acts for performing the functions in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed.
