Patent Application
20240057706
The present invention relates to personal protective equipment, more particularly, protective headgear.
While there are numerous articles of personal protective equipment that are disposable, such as masks, eyewear, gloves, and the like, disposable headgear providing protection to the wearer's cranium have not been developed.
As can be seen, there is a need for a disposable protective helmet.
In one aspect of the present invention a protective headgear is disclosed. The protective headgear includes a top panel formed with a plurality of ribbed pads disposed in a spaced apart relation and enclosed by an inner layer and an outer layer of a fabric material. A side panel is formed by a circumferential pad dimensioned to encircle a wearer's cranium. The circumferential pad enclosed by a first layer and a second layer of the fabric material joined by a peripheral seam. The top panel is joined by a circumferential seam with an upper edge of the side panel.
In some embodiments, the fabric material is a non-woven fabric.
In some embodiments, the side panel includes a temporal pad portion downwardly protruding anterior of an ear cutout. An occipital pad portion extends around the posterior end of the protective headgear. A frontal pad portion is dimensioned to extend across an anterior end of the protective headgear.
In some embodiments, a chinstrap is joined with a lower end of the side panel and is dimensioned to extend beneath a chin of the wearer to retain the protective headgear on the wearer's cranium.
In some embodiments, the top panel includes a plurality of longitudinal seams interposed between each of the plurality of ribbed pads. The longitudinal seams retain the plurality of ribbed pads in the spaced apart relation in the top panel.
In other aspects of the invention, a method of forming a protective headgear is disclosed. The method includes forming an inner layer and an outer layer of a top panel. The inner layer and the outer layer are substantially circular panels of a fabric material. A plurality of ribbed pads are formed having a length greater than a width of each of the plurality of ribbed pads. The plurality of ribbed pads are positioned between the inner layer and the outer layer. The inner layer and the outer layer are joined to contain the plurality of ribbed pads within the top panel to retain each of the plurality of ribbed pads in a spaced apart relation. A first layer and a second layer of a side panel are formed from the fabric material. A circumferential pad dimensioned to encircle a wearer's cranium is also formed. The circumferential pad is positioned between the first layer and the second layer of the side panel. The first layer and the second layer of the side panel are joined along a peripheral seam to contain the circumferential pad within the first layer and the second layer of the side panel. The top panel and the second panel are then joined via a circumferential seam.
In some embodiments, the fabric material is a non-woven fabric.
In some embodiments, the joining is via one or more of a stitch, an adhesive, a thermal, and a sonic weld.
In some embodiments the method includes forming a temporal pad at an anterior end of the circumferential pad. An occipital pad may be formed at the posterior end of the circumferential pad. The occipital pad has a height dimensioned to cover the nape of the neck of the wearer. A frontal pad may be formed at an anterior portion of the circumferential pad.
In some embodiments, the method includes joining opposed terminal ends of the circumferential pad. A reflective material may be attached to join the opposed terminal ends of the side panel.
In some embodiments, the method includes attaching a chinstrap with opposed sides of the circumferential pad.
In some embodiments, the inner layer and the outer layer of the top panel are substantially identical. Likewise, the first layer and a second layer of the side panel may be substantially identical.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide a disposable protective headgear. The disposable protective headgear is an apparatus to be used as a protective helmet. The disposable configured to provide basic minimum head protection and is a disposable. Preferably the disposable protective headgear is made with anti-microbial and biodegradable materials.
As seen in reference to the drawings, the disposable helmet 10 may include a side panel 12, a top panel 14, a retaining strap 16, and an optional sunshade 18. The top panel 14 may be formed with a fabric material, preferably a non-woven material, that retains a plurality of ribbed pads 20 disposed in a spaced apart relation about the top panel 14. The plurality of ribbed pads 20 may be formed of an expandable polyethylene material. In the embodiment shown, the plurality of spaced apart ribbed pads 20 are surrounded by a non-woven fabric material joined along a longitudinal seam 22, via a stitch, an adhesive, or a thermal, or a sonic weld. The top panel 14 is dimensioned to generally cover the crown of the wearer's cranium.
The side panel 12 is joined with a peripheral edge of the top panel 14 via a circumferential seam 24 that may also be joined a stitch, an adhesive, or a thermal or sonic weld. The side panel 12 may also be formed of a first layer 12′ and a second layer 12″ formed of a fabric material, preferably a non-woven material, dimensioned to surround a circumferential pad 26 and is dimensioned to encircle the wearer's cranium. The non-woven material is formed to enclose circumferential pad 26 and is joined by a peripheral seam 28. The peripheral seam 28 may join the layers of non-woven material via a stitch, an adhesive, or a thermal or sonic weld. The side panel 12 may include lateral cutouts 30 to accommodate the side panel 12 around the ears of the wearer, defining an occipital pad portion 32, aft of the cutout 28, and a temporal pad portion 34, downwardly protruding anterior of the cutout 28. The occipital pad 32 portion 32 has a length to extend to cover a nape of the wearer's neck.
A frontal aspect of the side panel 12 has a frontal arch that extends across a forehead of the wearer define a frontal pad portion 38 which is dimensioned to terminate above the user's eyebrows or to provide an unobstructed visual field for the wearer, when worn. An optional sunshade, or visor 18 may extend across the frontal arch and protrude forwardly from the frontal arch. One or more reflective stripes 36 may be applied to the side panel 12 and/or the top panel 14.
The retaining strap 16 may be formed of fabric strip or an elastic material and is coupled with the side panel 12 proximal to the lateral cutouts 28. The retaining strap 16 may include a yoke configuration, with an attachment at a forward end to couple with a terminal end of the temporal pad portion 34 and an aft end at an anterior end of the occipital pad portion 32 of the side panel 12. The retaining strap 16 may be configured as a loop 36 that is dimensioned to extend under a chin of the wearer to retain the disposable protective headgear 10 to the cranium of the wearer. The retaining strap 16 may also include an adjustable clamp or latch 38.
The disposable protective headgear 10 is a ready to use, no maintenance, and is recommended for a single use and or repeated use left to consumer discretion. The disposable protective headgear 10 provides limited head protection that can be used for a variety of applications including, but not limited to: light sports such as scooter riding, skateboarding, bicycling, some aquatic activities, playgrounds, small children learning to walk, elderly people who are prone to fall, children with special needs, especially those with compromised mobility etc.
In the context of the present invention, the term disposable, meaning but not limiting to disposable materials, single use and or limited multiple use at the customer's discretion, based on cleanliness or wear and tear on the materials.
The disposable helmet 10 is constructed of flexible, squeezable, soft padding materials, that are suitable for folding or being rolled for practical compact handling, packaging, shipping, dispensing, or carrying purposes. Preferably, non-rigid padding materials that have anti-microbial properties and are biodegradable may be used.
A method of constructing the disposable protective headgear is shown in reference to
The top panel 14 is formed by an inner 14′ and an outer 14″ cutout of the non-woven material. The plurality of ribbed pads 20 are cut from the padding material and positioned between the inner 14′ and outer 14″ cutouts. The plurality of ribbed pads 20 are enclosed within the inner 14′ and outer 14″ cutouts with a longitudinal seam 22 which may be formed via a stitch, an adhesive, or a thermal, or sonic weld interposed between each of the plurality of ribbed pads 20. The circumferential aspect of the top panel 14 may also be joined with a seam.
Once the side panel 12 and the top panel 14 are formed, they may be joined by the circumferential seam 24. The chinstrap 16 may then be joined with the side panel 12. The optional visor 18 may also be joined with the side panel 12 or may be shipped with the disposable headgear 10 for installation by the user.
As will be appreciated in reference to
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 63/373,123, filed Aug. 22, 2022, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63373123 | Aug 2022 | US |
