IMPACT ABSORBING HELMET

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an impact absorbing helmet design that uses springs oriented in the opposite direction of relative movement between the head and the helmet to absorb linear and rotational impacts. These springs will increase the total amount of work being done by the helmet and increase the time of impact, reducing the acceleration experienced by the brain when compared to current helmets on the market. The helmet is constructed and arranged to effectively absorb rotational forces on the head because of a rotationally independent inner lining and outer shell attached by springs.

Description

BACKGROUND

The current contact sport helmet technology has been focused on improving the game's original design of the helmets. The original football helmets consisted of a sturdy outer shell made of leather with some form of internal padding. Over the years there have been improvements made to the materials used in this design, including inner linings with pneumatic systems and other devices to improve safety. This design, however, has limitations that are still leaving players heavily exposed to the risk of concussions and brain damage associated with contact to the head. Current foam has a certain percentage of its thickness that it will compress-this bottomed out distance is achieved after a collision of around 5.5 m/s which is much lower than the average football collision. This means that due to conservation of momentum, the head, neck, and brain still experience a large acceleration from impact. According to experts, in order to create a concussion free football helmet, there would need to be 15 inches of foam covering the outer shell. Also, foam provides limited protection for rotational impacts which is crucial because rotational acceleration of the brain is a leading cause of concussions, CTE, and all types of TBI.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure addresses both optimizing displacement and absorbing rotational impacts by removing the padding from the helmet to increase the space available for displacement. The design uses springs oriented in the opposite direction of relative movement between the head and the helmet to absorb linear and rotational impacts. These springs will increase the total amount of work being done by the helmet and increase the time of impact, reducing the acceleration experienced by the brain when compared to current helmets on the market. The helmet is constructed and arranged to effectively absorb rotational forces on the head because of a rotationally independent inner lining and outer shell attached by springs. When a force causing rotational acceleration is applied to the helmet shell, the shell will begin to rotate relative to the head causing tension on the springs oriented opposite of rotation. This spring displacement will create additional work being done to absorb rotational impacts. The present disclosure is constructed and arranged for reducing the risks of concussions for all helmets used for impact absorption.

The inner lining is made to compress lightly around the head to stabilize the orientation of the helmet and provide a comfortable fit. The head-spring interfaces are connected directly to the inner lining in the front, top, sides, top back, and bottom back of the head. These interfaces are intended to transfer the point load caused by the springs across a large area of the head. The 22 springs are connected to the outer shell and a corner of each head-spring interface. There are only 22 because the bottom front corner of each side interface is connected to a jaw pad opposed to springs. The springs in our design are oriented in a way similar to how a trampoline would be secured with all springs connected to the same interface (the trampoline) acting in opposite directions to stabilize the interfaces. When a force is applied, the springs displace in tension as the head moves towards the outer shell (the ground). When a linear force is applied to the outer shell, the helmet shell will begin to move towards the interface making the springs displace in tension resulting in work being done by the helmet. Since there is no additional padding in between the outer shell and the head, the head can move the entire distance between the inner lining and the outer shell with a safety system stopping the head from impacting the shell. For rotational forces applied to the outside of the helmet, the outer shell will begin to rotate relative to the head. When this happens the springs oriented in the opposite direction of this rotation will displace in tension as the other springs will go into slack. This displacement works to absorb rotational forces as they are transferred to the head. With more room available for motion, we believe we will be able to increase the time of impact, reducing the force transferred to the head and increasing the overall work being done by the helmet for both linear and rotational forces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing features may be more fully understood from the following description of the drawings. Various aspects of at least one embodiment are discussed below with reference to the accompanying figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles disclosed herein. Since it is often impractical or impossible to illustrate and describe every possible embodiment, the provided figures depict one or more exemplary embodiments. The figures are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification but are not intended as a definition of the limits of any embodiment. Accordingly, the figures are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Like numbers in the figures denote like elements. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every figure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the impact absorbing helmet in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a back perspective view of the impact absorbing helmet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the of the impact absorbing helmet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the head spring interface with springs according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the head spring interface with springs according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary linear force absorption diagram of one head spring interface with springs in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is an exemplary rotational force absorption diagram of one head spring interface with springs in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a front view of another embodiment of the impact absorbing helmet including a broken spring indicator;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the impact absorbing helmet of FIG. 8

FIG. 10A is one embodiment of a spring limiter design according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 B is another embodiment of a spring limiter design according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 11A is a schematic side view of the impact absorbing helmet according to the present disclosure at rest; and

FIG. 11 B is a schematic side view of the impact absorbing helmet according to the present disclosure during impact.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure includes examples and references of exemplary embodiments for the purposes of disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of the devices, systems and methods disclosed herein. Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings but are not limited in application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Any references to examples, embodiments, components, elements or acts of the device herein referred to in the singular may also embrace embodiments including a plurality, and any references in plural to any embodiment, component, element, or act herein may also embrace embodiments including only a singularity (and/or unitary structure). References in the singular or plural form or unitary or separate components are not intended to limit the presently disclosed device, its components, acts, elements or how they are connected unless expressly stated. The use herein of “including,” “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The use of the term “mucus” refers to any upload for imprinting on a product and includes, but is not limited to, numerals, graphic, representation, text, and photographs, or any other personalization/customization. References to “or” may be construed as inclusive so that any terms described using “or” may indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms. It will be understood to one of skill in the art that the devices, methods and systems are capable of implementation in other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1,2 and 3 the embodiments disclosed herein relate to an impact helmet assembly having an outer shell 12, an elastic inner lining 14, a head spring interface assembly 16 and a plurality of springs 20. This helmet contains a plurality of springs 20, constructed and arranged so that as an impact occurs on the helmet outer shell 12, resulting in the shell 12 moving towards the user's head, the plurality of springs 20, at the area of impact, displace in tension. The plurality of springs 20 are comprised of any elastic material constructed and arranged to act as a spring. The head spring interface assembly 16 provides absorption and transference of force to the head to add protection from brain injury for the user. This design uses the majority of the space between the head and the helmet outer shell 12 for spring displacement to optimize the work done by the helmet and limit acceleration experienced by the brain.

The helmet may also include a thin elastic inner lining 14 that fits tight around the head similar to a skull cap. The inner lining 14 can be used to connect a plurality of headspring interface assemblies 16. These plurality of head spring interface assemblies 16 are comprised of a stronger material than the inner lining 14, which covers the most common impact areas on the head. Each head spring interface assembly 16 connects multiple springs to the helmet outer shell to stabilize the helmet in the correct place at rest, in motion, and at impact. The head spring interface assembly 16 also transfers the spring load over a larger portion of the head, thus reducing the impact felt to the user. The plurality of springs 20 are oriented in a way that an impact applied above the interface on the outer shell applies tension across the interface from the head moving towards the shell. This results in the springs slowing the relative motion of the head towards the helmet shell. In the present design there are four springs attached to the interface on the top of the head that are attached at four opposite corners of the helmet near the bottom of the shell. However, more or less springs may be utilized depending upon the size and shape of the helmet and desired outcome, as would be known to those of skill in the art. When the shell moves in a downward motion from an impact, the springs displace in tension in the area between the top of head and the shell to stabilize the head and absorb the impact. The present disclosure is comprised of a plurality of head spring interface assemblies 16 in multiple common impact areas, as shown in the Figures. However, it is also contemplated that the springs may be attached in alternate manners to the lining in the common impact areas, provided that the springs displace in tension.

The inner lining 14 may comprise a light elastic material similar to a skull cap. This is designed to fit securely to the user's head to provide consistent alignment and prevent slipping while providing a comfortable feel. The inner lining 14 may also act as attachment points for the head-spring interfaces 116, 118 and 120 as shown in FIG. 5. The attachment points are oriented so that the majority of the inner lining is secured to the interface, with certain exceptions, for example at the corners, which may be attached directly to the springs to allow for increased range of motion at the spring connections. Alternately, the attachment points for the head-spring interfaces may be attached to the helmet through a lining or other material that has a different construction provided proper alignment is achieved along with anti-slippage.

As shown in the drawings and described herein, in an exemplary embodiment the head-spring interface assembly 16 is used to transfer the spring load over a large section of the head. This design contains multiple interfaces located at the front, two at the top, back, and both sides. In one exemplary embodiment, the plurality of head spring interface assemblies 16 are comprised of head spring interfaces 116, 118, 120,122, 124 and 126.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the head spring interface connects at least four springs 20, one at each corner, that connect to the inside of the helmet with the springs oriented to displace in tension when an impact occurs to the area they are protecting. Other designs with greater or fewer springs and interfaces, or designs where the springs are attached directly to the liner 14, are also contemplated as would be known to those of skill in the art.

During use, the plurality of springs 20 are oriented so that when an impact to any area of the outer shell makes the shell move towards the user's head, the plurality of springs 20 will displace in tension. For example, an impact to the front of a helmet would result in the helmet shell moving closer to the user's forehead. This causes the plurality of springs 20 attached to the front interface to displace because of the helmet moving closer to the head. This displacement absorbs and transfers force while preventing the shell from impacting the head.

Referring now to FIG. 6, in this exemplary embodiment four springs 22, 24, 26 and 28 are attached to the front interface 118 are secured to the shell behind the forehead. The bottom springs 22,24 are below the interface and the top springs 26, 28 are attached above the interface. The opposite ends of the plurality of springs 20 are attached to the outer shell 12. Each interface assembly is oriented in locations that stabilize the head relative to the helmet while allowing plurality of springs 20 to work together to protect impacts from multiple different directions. As the springs 20 displace they are doing work, reducing the force being transferred to the head. These springs can displace until just before the head impacts the outer shell to optimize the amount of displacement and therefore work.

The design disclosed herein adds protection from linear acceleration experienced by the head of the wearer. This is done by the springs displacing in tension during impact, allowing work to be done by the helmet and reducing the acceleration of the brain. The helmet at rest has the full space between the inner lining and the helmet shell preferably open with only the springs and no additional filler. In this manner, the available distance for spring and head displacement is maximized, increasing the time of impact and therefore reducing the force to the brain.

FIG. 6 is exemplary of one head spring interface assembly 118 with attached springs 22, 24, 26 and 28 as force is applied during an impact. A first force F-1 shows the force applied by the head on the head spring interface 118 as the head moves towards the helmet shell during an impact. Forces F1-2, F1-4, F1-6 and F1-8 show the forces applied to the springs caused by the spring attachment points on the shell moving away from interface 118 and allowing the springs to displace.

As an impact to the helmet causes rotational acceleration of the outer shell to occur, the springs attached to the shell displace allowing the shell to rotate relative to the head. This movement causes the springs that are in the same direction of rotation to go into slack while the springs in the opposite direction of motion to displace. Referring now to FIG. 7 four springs 22, 24, 26 and 28 are attached to the front interface 118 are secured to the shell behind the forehead. A force F2 shows a twisting motion between the user's head and the helmet shell 12. Forces F2-4 and F2-8 represent the directional forces of springs 24 and 28 that will go into slack when the head is rotating towards those springs. Forces F2-2 and 2-6 represent the springs 22 and 26 that are displacing because the head spring interface 118 is moving away as the outer shell 12 starts to rotate. This increases the time of impact, reducing the amount of rotational acceleration the head experiences, as well as the overall acceleration and force. Almost all impacts contain some component of both linear and rotational acceleration, so this design uses multiple springs attached to each head-spring interface with at least six different interfaces to be able to protect from impacts to the helmet from all different directions and locations.

This spring attachment device disclosed herein is designed to create a breakpoint at the attachment location on the head. This breakpoint is designed to not be weak and easily broken, rather it is a safety mechanism that allows the spring to release from the attachment at the head before it breaks at the shell attachment point. The subsequent force will cause the spring to travel towards the shell away from the user's head preventing injury.

The attachment point of the spring to the shell is designed to allow for adjustment of the tension of the spring, allowing proper pre-tension to be applied to multiple head shapes and sizes. Referring to FIG. 8, the broken spring indicator 30 is designed to be able to quickly and easily identify if any springs in the helmet have broken. The indicator is made to have a small, bright colored tab that will stick out of the helmet in the event a spring fails. This allows someone looking at the helmet to easily tell that the spring needs to be replaced.

The present embodiment includes a plurality of bounce reducing springs 40 constructed and arranged to prevent the impact the skull with the outer shell of the helmet. As exemplified in FIG. 9, the bounce reducing spring 40 may be positioned between the head spring interface 120 and the outer shell of the helmet.

A piece of material is be placed within or outside of the plurality of springs 20, when the plurality of springs are in a slack position, while the helmet is sitting on the head at rest. Its fully stretched length will be that of the maximum displacement of that spring before the outer shell impacts the inner lining/head. This will act as a safety device in the situation that the springs displace too much; without this material in slack the outer shell could impact the head during a high force impact increasing risk of skull and brain injury.

In one embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 10A, the non-elastic material is positioned on the outside of a spring. The non-elastic material is constructed and arranged to provide a predetermined maximum spring extension when the spring transitions from slack into tension as a result of impact. The set distance that the spring is able to displace before stopping is a distance that prevents the head from contacting the helmet regardless of the force of the impact.

In another non-limiting embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 10 B, the non-elastic material is positioned on the inside of the spring. The non-elastic material is constructed and arranged to provide a predetermined maximum spring extension when the spring transitions from slack into tension as a result of impact. The set distance that the spring is able to displace before stopping is a distance that prevents the head from contacting the helmet regardless of the force of the impact.

FIG. 11A is a side view of one exemplary embodiment of the present design. In this embodiment, the plurality of springs 20 and bouncing spring 40 are attached to the head spring interface 120 at rest. During impact, as shown in FIG. 11B, the plurality of springs 20 are in tension as the head spring interface 120 moves towards the shell of the helmet. Bouncing springs 40 are constructed and arranged to prevent the head spring interface 120 from contacting the shell of the helmet.

This aspect of the design includes springs with low elasticity attached between the outer shell and the head spring interfaces. These springs are aligned to work in the opposite direction of the primary springs. This reduces any bouncing effect that might be experienced when the primary springs return to their original position after an impact. They also are an additional aid to help stabilize the location of the head-spring interfaces relative to the outer shell. Reducing this bouncing effect can also be achieved through a spring material with a low coefficient of restitution.

While the principles of various embodiments have been described herein, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation as to the scope of the disclosure. Other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure in addition to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims.

In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” “containing,” “involving,” or “having,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items while only the terms “consisting only of” or “consisting essentially of” are to be construed in a limitative sense. References to “or” may be construed as inclusive so that any terms described using “or” may indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms.

Claims

1. An impact helmet assembly comprising: an outer shell,an inner lining,a head spring interface assembly attached to said inner lining constructed and arranged for absorption and transference of forces to the head to add protection from brain injury to a user; wherein said head spring interface assembly is further comprised of a plurality of springs and a plurality of head spring interfaces; said interface assembly connects said plurality of springs to said outer shell through a plurality of attachment points.

2. The impact helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein said plurality of springs are connected to said head spring interfaces and said outer shell oriented to displace in tension upon impact thereby reducing the force being transfer to the head.

3. The impact helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein said inner liner and said outer shell are spaced apart at a predetermined distance by said plurality of springs thereby maximizing the distance to increase the time of impact thereby reducing the force to the brain.

4. The impact helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein said plurality of springs are constructed and arranged to displace upon impact when rotational acceleration occurs, wherein said plurality of springs that are in the same direction for rotation to go into slack and said plurality of springs in the opposite direction of rotation displace.

5. The impact helmet assembly of claim 2, wherein said head spring interfaces are constructed having a breakpoint that allows said plurality of springs to release and travel towards said outer shell plurality of attachment points in the event of failure, thereby preventing an injury to the user's head.

6. The impact helmet assembly of claim 5, wherein said attachment points are further comprised of broken spring indicators that visually indicate if any of said plurality of springs have broken.

7. The impact helmet assembly of claim 6, wherein said broken spring indicators are bright colored tabs that will protrude through said outer shell in the event one of said plurality of springs has broken.

8. The impact helmet assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of bounce reducing springs positioned between said plurality of head spring interface and said outer shell constructed and arranged to further prevent the impact of the skull with said outer shell.

9. The impact helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein a non-elastic material is positioned upon said plurality of springs to provide a predetermined maximum spring extension when said plurality of springs transitions from slack into tension as a result of impact.

10. The impact helmet assembly of claim 9, wherein said non elastic material is positioned on the outside of said plurality of springs.

11. The impact assembly of claim 9, wherein said non elastic material is positioned on the inside of said plurality of springs.

12. An impact helmet assembly comprising: an outer shell,an inner lining,a plurality of springs attached to said inner lining constructed and arranged for absorption and transference of forces to the head to add protection from brain injury to a user; wherein said plurality of springs are attached to said outer shell through a plurality of attachment points.

13. The impact helmet assembly of claim 12, wherein said inner liner and said outer shell are spaced apart at a predetermined distance by said plurality of springs thereby maximizing the distance to increase the time of impact thereby reducing the force to the brain.

14. The impact helmet assembly of claim 12, wherein said plurality of springs are constructed and arranged to displace upon impact when rotational acceleration occurs, wherein said plurality of springs that are in the same direction for rotation to go into slack and said plurality of springs in the opposite direction of rotation displace.