Patent Application
20240122278
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This invention deals with a safety bracing system to prevent neck and spinal injuries. Neck and spine protection apparatii takes many forms and there is considerable prior art with regard to such devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,756 that issued Aug. 20, 2002, to Hoop deals with an apparatus for protecting the neck and spine of a user using coverall protection apparatii.
Weaver, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,123 that issued Dec. 6, 2005, deals with a football training aid which includes a device that detachably connects a football player's helmet to the player's shoulder pads. This system will not allow the player's head to drop forward and thus interferes with the player's capability to play the game.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,968,576 that issued Nov. 29, 2005, to McNeil, et al. discloses a helmet shock absorbing device mounted to the side of the shoulder pads of a wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,155,747 that issued Jan. 2, 2007, to Baker deals with a head stabilizing system in which the head is stabilized against severe forward and backward acceleration using a cable and restraint system.
A protective helmet with cervical spine protection device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,181,281 that issued to Nagely et. al. on May 22, 2012. The device deals with at least one strut member associated with a helmet and a harness assembly.
Davis, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,816 that issued Dec. 10, 1996, deals with a head and neck protective apparatus. A helmet is connected to shoulder pads by rear and side attachments.
A combination helmet and shoulder pad for minimizing cervical injuries is disclosed In U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,368 that issued Dec. 28, 1999, to Phillips.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,561,217 that issued Oct. 22, 2013, to Nagely, et al. deals with a protective helmet with cervical spine protection and brain protection via a locking assembly associated with a strut member which does not allow a force to move the helmet.
Ghajar, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,834,394 that issued Sep. 16, 2014, deals with an apparatus for reducing brain and cervical spine injury using a headpiece that is supported by a harness and a telescoping member.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,603,404 that issued Mar. 28, 2017, to Pocatko deals with a helmet system having a restraint feature for deterring neck injuries. The helmet has an attachment member at the rear of the helmet and a tether coupled to the attachment member.
David Metts et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 11,045,710 that issued Jun. 29, 2021, deals with a non-Newtonian material for the prevention of mild traumatic brain injury in an athletic helmet incorporating non-Newtonian fluid shock absorbing structures.
U.S. Pat. Reissue 48,718, that issued Sep. 7, 2021, to Pocatko, deals with a helmet system that has a restraint feature for deterring neck injuries. The device uses a non-detachable member at the rear of the helmet that is fixed to shoulder pads.
Huang, in U.S. Pat. No. 11,298,040 that issued Apr. 12, 2022, deals with a device for reducing traumatic brain injury using linkage elements from a helmet to shoulder pads.
Hetzler, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 10,905,185 that issued Feb. 2, 2021, deals with a stress mitigation system using a connector to the back of a helmet which terminates in a track on which the terminus end slides horizontally on the track.
None of the prior art references deal with the instant invention that utilizes a shaft on the back of a helmet which shaft inserts into a receiver in which the shaft can slide vertically and horizontally to provide side to side vision yet prevent traumatic forward and backward stress on the wearer's head.
Thus, what is disclosed and claimed herein is a control device for a safety helmet. The control device comprises a first component and a second component. The first component is a slidable helmet shaft, and the second component is a vest with an elongated receiver for the first component. The first component comprises a module attachable to a rear edge of a safety helmet. The module has an elongated shaft and a stop washer. The shaft is slidable horizontally and vertically within the elongated receiver.
The second component is capable of covering, the shoulders, upper back and chest of a wearer. The second component has a neck opening and three fastening devices for holding the second component in place on the wearer. In one embodiment, the fastening devices comprise an upper tab and receiver for the tab, in a second embodiment, a chest belt, and in a third embodiment, a back belt. The shaft is slidable horizontally and vertically within the elongated receiver.
Also contemplated within the scope of this invention is a combination of a control device as set forth just above and a fillable set of packs. The fillable packs can provide impact protection beneath the second component. The packs are formed of front packs and rear packs being attached to each other by a strap, the packs having a liquid/gas inlet port and a liquid/gas outlet port.
It should also be noted that contemplated within the scope of this invention is the system of this invention built into shoulder pads for sports use wherein the pads can also be the fillable set of packs.
Also contemplated within the scope of this invention is the use of fillable packs in place of the protective pads normally found in athletic equipment, wherein the control device is built into the fillable packs.
Further contemplated within the scope of this invention is a sub-vest that is built into shoulder pads to be used without additional shoulder pads that contains an elongated receiver of this invention built right into the sub-vest.
Turning now to
The second component 6 is shown in
The vest 7 can have three fastening devices that can be used to hold the vest 7 in place, namely, an upper tab 8 and receiver 9 for the tab 8 which is in the front 10 of the vest 7 (See FIG. 3), a chest belt 11 (see
It should be noted that the specific construction of the elongated shaft 3 and the elongated receiver 4 is such that the elongated shaft 3 can slide vertically in the elongated receiver 4 or can slide horizontally in the elongated receiver 4. The length of the elongated shaft 3 is such that the elongated shaft 3 cannot move out of the elongated receiver 4 unless the helmet 1 is removed.
By this method, the control device allows for backward and forward movement of the player's head, but does not allow aggressive movement in these directions, thus, preventing serious head injury.
Moreover, the allowable movement in a horizontal direction allows the player the latitude to move his or her head in either direction horizontally, thus giving the player unrestricted movement and view. In football, this would be especially needful for a quarterback or receivers.
The elongated shaft module and the elongated receiver are manufactured from plastic such as polypropylene, polyethylene, urethane and like polymers.
It is contemplated within the scope of this invention to utilize fillable packs in combination with the control device of this invention (see
The fillable packs 13 consist of at least two liquid or gas leakproof sacks that are attached to each other by a strap 15 or similar device that allows the fillable packs 13 to drape over the shoulder of a player. Thereafter, the fillable packs 13 are covered by the control device as described just Supra. The fillable packs 13 are held together by the strap 15.
In yet another embodiment of this invention it is contemplated that the fillable packs 13 can be part of the shoulder pads and not a separate component of the assembly. (See
The Figure shows fillable packs 13 and 13 connected together by a stiff bar 18 on which is mounted a control device of this invention.
The packs have fill ports 16 and outlet ports 17 which allow the packs to be filled with a liquid, for example, cooling water, or heating water. The packs can also be filled with cooled gas, for example helium, or air, or heated gas or air.
Turning now to
Shown is the sub-vest 19 and the elongated receiver 4 built into the sub-vest 19. The Sub-vest 19 has a front fastening device which can be fastened by any convenient means such as Velcro®, laces, or buttons 20. In addition, the sub-vest 19 has an extended tab 21 (shown in phantom) that inserts into a pocket 22 (shown in phantom) to hold the sub-vest 19 in place. By this means, the sub-vest 19 is easily put into place and easily removed.
