Patent Grant
8191179
The present invention relates to a hockey helmet having an outer shell made of two different materials.
Hockey helmets that are commercialized today generally have outer shells that are made of solid plastic. Generally, the plastic outer shell extends all the way to the edges of the helmet and may contacts with the head of the player, despite the presence of an inner liner. Even if the shell is designed so as to not touch the head, it may still come into contact with a portion of the head of the player when the helmet shifts during an impact. As a result, in case of an impact, the outer shell can press against a portion of the head and cause injury, for example by cutting such portion of the head.
It can therefore be appreciated that there is a need in the industry for a hockey helmet that is more comfortable to wear, that has a reduced risk of cutting or otherwise injuring the player.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention covers a hockey helmet for receiving a head of a player. The head has a crown region (CR) left and right side regions (LS, RS), a top region (TR), left and right ears (LE, RE), a back region (BR) and an occipital region (OC). The helmet comprises an outer shell made of first and second materials having respective first and second flexibilities. The outer shell comprises a front portion for at least partially facing the crown region (CR) of the head, a top portion for at least partially facing the top region (TR) of the head, a back portion for at least partially facing the back region (BR) of the head, an occipital portion for at least partially facing the occipital region (OC) of the head, and left and right portions for at least partially facing the left and right side regions (LS, RS) of the head, the left and right portions comprising respective left and right projections that extend downwardly in front of the respective left and right ears (LE, RE) and left and right sections located above and behind the respective left and right ears (LE, RE); wherein one of the occipital portion, left and right projections and left and right sections is made of the second material and wherein the second flexibility is greater from the first flexibility.
The invention also provides a hockey helmet comprising an outer shell made of first and second materials having respective first and second flexibilities. The outer shell comprises (a) a front portion for at least partially facing the crown region (CR) of the head; (b) a top portion for at least partially facing the top region (TR) of the head; (c) a back portion for at least partially facing the back region (BR) of the head; (d) an occipital portion for at least partially facing the occipital region (OC) of the head; and (c) left and right portions for at least partially facing the left and right side regions (LS, RS) of the head, the left and right portions comprising respective left and right projections extending downwardly in front of the respective left and right ears (LE, RE) and left and right sections located above and behind the respective left and right ears (LE, RE); wherein one of the occipital portion, left and right projections and left and right sections is partially made of the second material and wherein the second flexibility is greater from the first flexibility.
The invention further provides a hockey helmet comprising an outer shell made of first and second materials having respective first and second flexibilities, the outer shell comprising: (a) a front portion for at least partially facing the crown region (CR) of the head, the front portion having a front edge portion; (b) a top portion for at least partially facing the top region (TR) of the head; (c) a back portion for at least partially facing the back region (BR) of the head; (d) an occipital portion for at least partially facing the occipital region (OC) of the head, the occipital portion having a rear edge portion; and (e) left and right portions for at least partially facing the left and right side regions (LS, RS) of the head, the left and right portions comprising respective left and right projections extending downwardly in front of the respective left and right ears (LE, RE) and left and right sections located above and behind the respective left and right ears (LE, RE), the left and right sections having respective left and right edge portions; wherein one of the front edge portion, rear edge portion, left and right projections and left and right edge portions is partially made of the second material and wherein the second flexibility is greater from the first flexibility.
A detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is provided herein below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of examples. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and are an aid for understanding. They are not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention.
It should be clearly understood that like reference numerals are intended to identify the same structural elements, parts, portions or surfaces consistently throughout the several drawing figures, as such elements, parts, portions or surfaces may be further described or explained by the entire written specifications, of which this detailed description is an integral part. In describing the embodiments, specific terminology is resorted to for the sake of clarity but the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is understood that each specific term comprises all equivalents.
Referring to
The outer shell 12 optionally comprises a front shell 16 and a rear shell 18, which can move one with relation to the other so as to adjust the size of the head receiving cavity of the helmet 10. Left and right locking mechanisms may retain the front and rear shells 16, 18 in the position selected by the player. Any suitable type of locking mechanisms such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,776 or U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,075 of Bauer Nike Hockey Inc. issued on Sep. 28, 1999 can be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. In this non-limiting example, a player who puts on the helmet 10 and realizes that it is too large or too small, does not need to remove the helmet 10 to adjust it. The player must simply release the locking mechanisms and expand or contract the size of the helmet 10 by displacing the front and the rear shells 16, 18 of the helmet in relation to each other in the appropriate direction.
Alternatively, helmet 10 may comprise a non-adjustable one-piece shell covering a one-piece inner pad and a one-piece comfort liner. In another possible variant, the helmet 10 may comprise separate front and rear shells connected to one another in any suitable way but not adjustable one relative to the other.
As shown in
The front inner pad 15a and temple inner pads 15e have three-dimensional configurations that match the three-dimensional configurations of the front shell 16 and are attached to the inner surfaces of the front shell 16 by any suitable means such glue, stitches, tacks, staples or rivets. Similarly, rear central inner pad 15d and right and left side inner pads 15b, 15c have three-dimensional configurations that match the three-dimensional configurations of the rear shells 18 and are attached to respective inner surfaces of the rear shells 18 by any suitable means, such as glue, stitches, tacks, staples or rivets.
The helmet 10 also comprises a front comfort liner 17a affixed on the inner surface of the front inner pad 15a, right and left side comfort liners 17b, 17c, affixed on the inner surface of the respective right and left side inner pads 15b, 15c, a central rear comfort liner 17d affixed on the inner surface of the top inner pad 15d and temple comfort liners 17e affixed on the inner surface of the respective temple inner pads 15e. The comfort liners 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d, 17e may be made of soft materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Other materials can also be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. The comfort liners 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d, 17e may be affixed on the inner surface of the respective inner pads 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d, 15e by any suitable means, such as glue, stitches, tacks, staples or rivets.
The hockey helmet 10 may comprise left and right ear loops and a chin strap adapted to be attached to ear loops so that when it is secured beneath the chin of the player, the helmet 10 is maintained onto the head of the player. If desired, the helmet 10 may be provided with left and right ear covers 19 for protecting the ears of the player.
It is to be understood that any configuration of the inner pads and comfort liners may be used, the arrangement shown here being only an exemplary one. For example, the helmet 10 may comprise a single unitary inner pad and a single unitary comfort liner or any other number of inner pads and comfort liners of any suitable dimensions.
The helmet 10 may comprise a plurality of ventilation apertures 52 that provide the added comfort of allowing air to circulate around the head of the player.
Referring to
At the periphery of the outer shell 12, there is an edge 30, which roughly surrounds the bottom of the helmet and is defined by a front edge portion 32, a rear edge portion 34, a left side edge portion 36 and a right side edge portion 38. The left and right portions 26, 28 of the outer shell 12 comprise respective left and right projections 46, 48 projecting downwardly in front of respective left and right ears LE, RE and respective left and right sections 56, 58 located above and behind the respective left and right ears LE, RE. The left and right side edge portions 36, 38 include a portion of left and right sections 56, 58.
A substantial part of the outer shell 12 is made of a first, relatively rigid, material, such as NYLON, polycarbonate materials, thermoplastics, or thermosetting resins, reinforced thermoplastics, or reinforced thermosetting resins, polyethylene, polypropylene or any other suitable material.
Moreover, at least a portion of the outer shell 12 is made of a second flexible material characterized by higher flexibility. Here most of the outer shell 12 is made of the first, relatively rigid, material and thus the protective properties of the helmet are maintained. However, where it is desirable, the second material provides regions of flexibility (see the regions of the outer shell 12 shown with diagonal lines). The regions of flexibility in the outer shell 12 need not to extend continuously. It is therefore possible for the outer shell 12 to include two-layered areas where a certain surface of the outer shell 12 has the first material and the other surface, the second material.
In a non-limiting embodiment, regions of flexibility are located along the edge 30 of the outer shell 12. As shown in
Here, every portion of the outer shell 12 adjacent to the edge 30 is made of the second flexible material. Since the regions adjacent to the edge 30 are the regions most likely to come into contact with a portion of the head, having regions of flexibility thereabouts is particularly for comfort and injury avoidance. Furthermore, because the left and right projections 46, 48 are made of the second flexible material, that permits a certain bending of the left and right projections 46, 48. Thus, the outer shell 12 can deform in the left and right projections 46, 48 to accommodate different head/facial structures. It is not, however, necessary for the entire left and right projection 46, 48, to be made of the second flexible material. Indeed, left and right projections 46, 48 may optionally be made of both the first and second materials.
Additionally, other regions of flexibility, made of the second material may be present elsewhere in the outer shell 12. For example, a section 50 in the top, left and right portions 20, 26, 28 of helmet 10 may include the second flexible material. Here the outer shell 12 in the section 50 is made of the first material with the second material overmolded onto this first material.
In a non-limiting embodiment, the two materials making up the outer shell 12 are overmolded together. Advantageously, overmolding techniques provide a simple, cost-efficient and quick means of mass-producing outer shell 12.
In a non-limiting embodiment, the outer shell 12 is produced in a dual-injection shell mold that includes two cavities. A molding core closes with the first cavity and the first material of outer shell 12 is injected into the mold. When the core is pulled away, the first material has formed on the core the shape it is to assume. The core, with the first material is then inserted into the second cavity and the second material is injected for overmolding where appropriate. In a non-limiting embodiment two cores are used such that both cavities can be used at the same time. In this example, the two cavities are in one wall and the two cores are mounted on a platform in a way that they can both be inserted into the cavities at the same time. While the first cavity/core combination is molding the first material, the second cavity/core is overmolding the second material on a previously-molded layer of first material. When the cores and cavities are separated, the completed outer shell (the one that had been undergoing the overmolding step) is removed and the platform pivots such that the other, semi-completed, shell inserts into the second cavity. The first cavity receives the now-empty core. This, of course, is only one way of performing the overmolding and it is to be understood that any suitable molding techniques and technologies may be used.
The molding step described above, in the non-limiting embodiment illustrated here, would have to be performed twice: once for the front shell 16 and once for the rear shell 18. This is because in the example provided, the outer shell 12 is made of two separate pieces. It is to be understood that the shell 12, can be made of any number of pieces, including only one. Here, however, the front and rear shells 16, 18 would require different molds since they are not identical.
The first and second materials are selected based on a number of factors. For the first material, characteristics determining its ability to protect the head of the player from impact may be of interest. For the second material, one concern may be the physical feel of the material. Many other characteristics such as flexibility, tensile strength, hardness, density and cost may be considered in selecting the first and second materials however, in a non-limiting embodiment, they are also selected based on their suitability for overmolding. For example, the materials may be selected for their ability to adhere to one another. In a non-limiting example, the second material has a higher melting point such that it slightly melts the surface of the first material during overmolding. It is understood that the second material must have a melting point equal or higher. Preferably the melting points of the first and second materials will be similar and in a non-limiting embodiment, the melting points of the respective materials are within 75° C. of each other. Also preferably, the two materials are selected from the same family as materials from the same family tend to be more compatible (e.g. HDPE and MDPE; HDPE and HPDE plus a polyolefin elastomer; hard TPE and soft TPE).
In a non-limiting example, the first material has a flexural modulus defined by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D790 standard as between 700 MPa and 1500 MPa. The first material may further have a hardness defined by ASTM D2240 as 60 to 75 SHORE D.
In a non-limiting example, the second material has a flexural modulus defined by the ASTM D790 standard as between 200 MPa and 650 MPa. The second material may further have a hardness defined by the ASTM D2240 standard as 40 to 55 SHORE D.
Therefore, the second material is more flexible, and may be less hard than the first material and thus have a “softer feel” than the first material. As mentioned above, the second material may also have a higher melting point than the first. In a non-limiting example, the first material may be made of high density polyethylene such as HDPE 2907 while the second material may be made of medium density polyethylene such as MDPE 50. In another non-limiting example, the first material may be made of a thermoplastic elastomer such as PEBAX™ 7233 while the second material may be made of a thermoplastic elastomer such as PEBAX™ 5533. In yet another non-limiting example, the first material may be polypropylene 7633U T14 while the second material may be polypropylene 7633U.
Other possible combination: HDPE 2907 and HPDE 2907 (50 to 70%) plus a polyolefin elastomer (30% to 50%),
It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments were provided to illustrate, not to limit, the invention, many other possible variants being readily conceivable by one skilled in the art.
While in the examples provided, the outer shell 12 is composed of only two materials, it is to be understood that any number of materials may be used with any particular molding or connecting technique. For example, the outer shell 12 may comprise three different materials put together with two overmolding steps. Alternatively, the outer shell 12 may comprise the above-described shell to which has been added additional items or material by, for example, mechanical fastening means.
In describing the embodiments, specific terminology is resorted to for the sake of clarity but the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is understood that each specific term comprises all equivalents. The above description of the embodiments should not be interpreted in a limiting manner since other variations, modifications and refinements are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.
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