Patent Grant
11445777
The present invention relates to methods, devices, and systems for improved protective clothing such as helmets and protective headgear, including improvements in helmet liners and/or inserts to enhance wearer comfort and reduce the deleterious effects of impacts between the wearer and other players and/or objects. In various embodiments, improved helmet liners and fitting techniques are disclosed that can enhance athletic performance by reducing acceleration and/or dispersing impact forces on the helmet. Various designs include modular, semi-custom or customized components that can be assembled and/or integrated within a standard, customized and/or retrofitted helmet, providing for integrated and/or modular use in all types of wearer activities (i.e., sports, military, equestrian, etc.).
Helmets and other protective clothing and related structures typically incorporate impact absorbing structures to desirably prevent and/or reduce the effect of collisions between the wearer and other stationary and/or moving objects. For example, an athletic helmet typically protects a skull and various other anatomical regions of the wearer from collisions with the ground, equipment, other players and/or other stationary and/or moving objects, while body pads and/or other protective clothing seeks to protect other anatomical regions. Helmets are typically designed with the primary goal of preventing traumatic skull fractures and other blunt trauma, while body pads and ballistic armors are primarily designed to cushion blows to other anatomical regions and/or prevent/resist body penetration by high velocity objects such as bullets and/or shell fragments.
A helmet or other protective headgear will typically include a hard or semi-hard, rounded shell with cushioning inside the shell, and typically also includes a retention system to maintain the helmet in contact with the wearer's head. When another object collides with the helmet, the rounded shape of the helmet desirably deflects at least some of the force tangentially, while the hard or semi-hard shell desirably protects against object penetration and/or distributes some amount of the impact forces over a wider area of the head. The impact absorbing structures between the helmet and the wearer's head (which typically contact both the inner surface of the helmet shell and an outer surface of the wearer's head) then transmit this impact force (at varying levels) to the wearer's head, which typically includes some level of deformation of the impact absorbing structures (as the impact forces are transferred therethrough) as well as potentially allowing direct contact between the hard shell and the head for extremely high impact forces.
A wide variety of impact absorbing structures have been utilized in protective garments and helmets over the millennia, including natural materials such as leathers, animal furs, fabrics and plant fibers. Impact absorbing structures have also commonly incorporated flexible membranes, bladders, balloons, bags, sacks and/or other structures containing air, other gases and/or fluids. In more recent decades, the advent of advanced polymers and foaming technologies has given rise to the use of artificial materials such as polymer foams as preferred cushion materials, with a wide variety of such materials to choose from, including ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, polyurethane (PU) foam, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) foam, lightweight foamed EVA, EVA-bound blends and a variety of proprietary foam blends and/or biodegradable foams, as well as open and/or closed cell configurations thereof.
The proper functioning of an item of protective headgear is often dependent upon the proper sizing and “fit” of the headgear to the wearer's head. A well-made but poorly fitting helmet will often not effectively protect the wearer's head from trauma and the effects of intense physical contact, as the proper sizing and fitting of a helmet to the wearer's head are typically necessary to optimize the helmet's ability to absorb and/or significantly ameliorate impacts. For example, a helmet that is too large for a wearer's head allows the user's head to move within the helmet, allowing the user's head to contact sides of the helmet during impact. Another major consideration in protective headgear is wearer comfort—if the helmet is uncomfortable or painful to wear, this discomfort may distract the user's attention (potentially leading to more severe impacts) and/or may cause the user to remove or displace the helmet prior to the moment of impact. Moreover, a helmet that is too small for the wearer's head may be uncomfortable or painful for the wearer to wear. While custom-made headgear can often be particularized and sized to an individual wearer's unique anatomy (with customization often accompanied by a hefty price tag), a less expensive mass-produced and distributed type of headgear will often be manufactured in a few standard sizes, with the closest available standard size selected for an individual wearer.
In many applications, helmets will have soft foam pads and/or inflatable liners on one or more interior surfaces that are designed to contact a wearer's head, bridging the gap between the inner helmet surface and the outer head surface and desirably providing a comfortable fit as well as helping protect the wearers' head from impact and/or injury. However, many existing designs and methodologies for selecting and sizing helmets and related interior pads/liners are cumbersome and generally ineffective in accommodating the unique shape and size of every wearer's head. Moreover, many helmet manufacturers may choose to use inexpensive and/or outdated protective technologies in the interior pads and liners, which in certain instances can greatly reduce the effectiveness of the helmet system and potentially lead to increased incidence and/or severity of injuries. In addition, conventional methods for selecting a helmet for a wearer may result in inaccurate sizing of the helmet for the wearer, allowing some movement of the wearer's head within the helmet and/or increased tightness of the helmet on the wearer's head. Accordingly, it may be desirable to maintain a number of different sizes of helmets and fitting elements, like liners and spacers, to accommodate a range of head sizes. However, maintaining an inventory of all of these differently sized elements can cause an undue burden, e.g., on a retail store or an equipment manager for a sports team.
Many football helmets are manufactured with inflatable comfort liners that may be sometimes combined with soft foam and/or other materials in an effort to help attenuate impact forces incident to the helmet. These inflatable liners can have a plurality of separate inflatable cells, with these cells adjacently arranged into a general shape inside the helmet, often with interconnect air passageways and the inflatable cells often include a separate valve-controlled inflation tube that may extend out the back or side of the helmet. To “fit” the helmet, the wearer or an assistant (often referred to as the “sizer”) may increase or decrease the pressure of air or other fluid/gas within the inflatable comfort liner to desirably increase and/or decrease the size of the cells, while seeking to improve the wearer's fit, comfort and protection. Unfortunately, inflatable liners and related technology often function sub-optimally, in that the inflatable cells are prone to leakage, damage and are highly sensitive to environmental temperatures (i.e., they commonly inflate and/or deflate due to temperature fluctuations and/or air pressure changes). Inflatable cells also require an increased frequency of adjustment (or “spot checks”) to maintain proper sizing in-between pressurization/depressurization cycles; they suffer from a lack of uniform inflation, where some portions of the inflatable comfort liner may be over-inflated and other portions under-inflated; and the inflatable cells are generally positioned on-top of the helmet, extending over the crown, notably causing a lift effect. Such negative characteristics of the inflatable comfort liners can adversely affect the fit of the helmet and reduce or eliminate any protection the helmet presumes to provide.
Conventional methods for sizing inflatable helmet liners to a wearer are generally cumbersome because the inflatable comfort liners of the helmet are typically integrated within the helmet, which requires the Sizer to undertake a number of steps to attain an optimal fitting of the helmet. For example, one conventional helmet sizing method requires that the Sizer (1) wrap a flexible or cloth measuring tape approximately 1″ above the wearer's eyebrows to measure the circumference of the wearer's head; (2) record the measurement, and compare the measurement to the helmet manufacturer's circumference chart to select the proper size, and if the measurement falls between helmet sizes, the smaller sized helmet should be sized first; (3) put the helmet into position on the wearer's head and properly inflate one or more air liner(s) inside the helmet (with such inflation occasionally requiring application of some lubrication); (4) moving the helmet on the wearer's head to test multi-axial movement of the helmet (to verify how tightly the helmet is fit and determine if independent helmet movement or slippage is allowed); (5) and then repetition of this process if unwanted movement is observed. The Sizer will then again repeat this process for each air liner in the helmet, and will also need to verify that the helmet's front edge is positioned a desired distance above the wearer's eyebrows to allow for proper visibility. This process must occur before each use of the helmet, and must also be repeated a number of times during the athletic activity, including after significant exertion by the wearer occurs, after each significant impact to the helmet, and after each time that the environmental air temperature and/or pressure changes significantly. In addition to the large number and frequency of these checks, manufacturers, retailers and equipment managers are often forced to stock a large number of helmet components and fitting elements, and are often obligated to use a wide variety of charts and inventory software to keep track of the large number of helmet sizing options to accommodate a range of head sizes. This causes an undue burden to all involved parties, including a need for maintaining an inventory of many differently sized helmets and/or elements as well as forcing equipment managers to carefully follow instructions and inspection checklists.
Conventional methods for properly sizing a helmet to a wearer are also typically inaccurate because they only measure the circumference of the head, which identifies the largest and/or widest cross-section of the wearer's skull, and these methods typically ignore any variations in the shape and/or surface features of the wearer's head. Such inaccurate measurements often lead to improperly fitted helmets, and improperly fitted helmets can lead to increased opportunity for head injuries. More specifically, improperly fitted helmets may transmit increased forces to the wearer's head, including rotational forces that may “overpower” the wearer's cervical muscles in their neck and head, and which may cause excessive damage to the brain.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved system and methods for sizing and fitting helmets and other protective headgear for a wearer, which desirably takes into account the shape, size and anatomical variation of the wearer's skull. In various embodiments, a modular comfort liner system, associated sizing/fitting methods and associated fitting system are disclosed which incorporates features to improve and/or enhance comfort, fit, and attenuation in response to high intensity and/or repetitive impact events.
Various embodiments disclosed herein include a unique liner and helmet system, with associated methods and procedures for measuring, selecting and sizing a liner system for use in protecting the head of a wearer. In one exemplary embodiment, the helmet liner system can include a helmet and a liner; the helmet having an outer shell, an inner shell and a compressible structure disposed between the inner and outer shell; the liner having a having a plurality of segments surrounding the circumference of the wearer's head. Such plurality of segments may include a frontal segment (or front segment or front pad), an occipital segment (or back segment or back pad), a parietal segment (or midline segment or midline pad), and a temporal segment (or side segments or side pads), and/or any combination(s) thereof. At least a portion of the liner may be coupled to one or more of the inner shell, reflex layer(s) and/or outer shell to facilitate energy absorption, reduce angular motion of the wearer after impact, enhance fit and comfort.
The associated methods and procedures for measuring, selecting and sizing a liner system may improve the comfort and fit around the circumference of a wearer's head so the helmet more securely contacts the wearer's head. Sizing can include measurements of length and breadth of a head of the wearer. Different sizes of helmet can be associated with different combinations of length and breadth for head sizes and shapes. For example, different shells of the helmet, each having different sizes, can be associated with different combinations of length and breadth measurements for head size. To allow the helmet to more securely fit a wearer's head, different liners may be attached to an interior surface of the helmet, so a surface of a liner attached to the interior surface of the helmet contacts portions of a wearer's head when the helmet is worn. A suitable liner can comprise a flexible layer with at least one deformable material layer, such as foam (e.g., low resilience open cell polyurethane foam), coupled to different regions of the flexible layer. In various embodiments, the deformable material may contain two or more deformable material layers, where a first layer is configured to absorb energy after impact, and the second layer may be configured for fit. In one example, the second layer of deformable material may comprise a threshold recovery time, so the second layer of deformable material returns to its original shape after compression in at least the threshold recovery time. In various embodiments, the deformable material is coupled to regions of the flexible layer so the deformable material uniformly distributes force around the circumference of wearer's head when force is applied to the helmet. In various embodiments, the first layer and the second layer can comprise different types, arrangements and/or compositions of deformable materials, including foam materials such as polyurethane foams, high density foams, Evlon or Lux foam, high resilience foams, later rubber foams, Supreem foams, Rebond foams, memory foams, closed cell foams, open cell foams and/or dry fast foams. If desired, the first and second layers may comprise foam materials having differing densities, differing pore sizes, differing tensile strengths, differing elongation values, differing tear strengths, differing compression resistances, differing compression sets and/or differing rebound rates or recovery times.
In various embodiments, the liner may be fully integrated and/or modular. Modularity of the liner components allows the wearer to easily replace portions of the deformable material layer coupled to different regions of the liner with alternative deformable material(s) having a different thickness, one or more deformable layers and/or other different properties (e.g., liners of different size, shape and/or recovery time) to further customize a fit of the helmet for the wearer. Furthermore, the modular liner may incorporate removably detachable features. At least a portion of the liner may include individual detachable features such as elastic and/or detent tabs, hook and loop fastener systems, and/or attachment posts. In various embodiments, the liner segments can be individually installed on the inner shell and/or outer shell of a helmet or other helmet location using attachment posts that fit into a standard hole arrangement on each helmet size. Elastic or detent tabs (and/or detachable fasteners such as hook and loop fasteners) can be sewn into one or more of the liner segments and may be connected to neighboring liner segments to provide more structural integrity for the liner system and prevent slippage of the liner segments during use.
In various embodiments, a liner of a helmet can include various optimal features, such as an occipital contact region and/or a frontal contact region that increases a surface area of the liner contacting the wearer's head while reducing movement of the wearer's head between a front surface of the helmet and a rear surface of the helmet. For example, the occipital contact region can comprise a deformable material coupled to a region of the liner's flexible material that is coupled to a portion of a helmet shell positioned proximate to a rear of a wearer's head. In various embodiments, the occipital contact region could be a piece of the deformable material separate from pieces of deformable material coupled to other regions of the flexible layer of the liner. In other embodiments, the occipital contact region may have a wedge shape in various embodiments. Various mechanisms may be used to secure the occipital contact region to the liner or between the liner and a wearer's head in different embodiments.
The following description of technology is merely exemplary in nature of the subject matter, manufacture and use of one or more inventions, and is not intended to limit the scope, application, or uses of any specific invention claimed in this application or in such other applications as may be filed claiming priority to this application, or patents issuing therefrom. Regarding the methods disclosed, the order of the steps presented is exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps can be different in various embodiments. Except where otherwise expressly indicated, all numerical quantities in this description indicating numerical values are to be understood as describing the broadest scope of the technology disclosed herein.
A helmet for protecting a wearer's head is disclosed. In various embodiments, the helmet will include an outer shell comprising one of a series of outer helmet shells (i.e., manufactured in a series of standard sizes and/or shapes) with at least one impact absorbing layer positioned inside of the shell (i.e., between the outer shell and the wearer's skull). A modular impact liner system and associated components are also desirably disposed within the helmet shell, and in various embodiments components of the modular impact liner system are positioned between the impact absorbing layer and the wearer's skull. In various embodiments, the impact liner system includes a variety of components of differing sizes, shapes and/or configurations, which desirably can be “mixed and matched” in various combinations to create an impact liner construct that matches or substantially matches various external anatomical features of the wearer's head. By creating a structure that matches or substantially matches the wearer's head, the disclosed system and methods can optimize the fit of a standardized helmet shell to the wearer's unique anatomy, thereby improving wearer comfort and enhancing performance of the impact absorbing and/or other protective features of the helmet.
In various embodiments, the combination of the disclosed impact absorbing structures with the modular impact liner systems described herein can decrease impact forces, such as linear and angular acceleration. The impact absorbing structures and modular impact liner system can comprise a composite, multi-layered system that reduces the peak impact loading, rotational acceleration, rotational strain rate and/or rotational strain that can result in a concussion or other brain injury. In a properly equipped and fitted helmet, the disclosed technology offers greater injury protection, performance, and personal comfort than existing protective systems. In various embodiments disclosed herein, use of a modular impact liner system and associated impact absorbing structures within a football helmet can provide up to a 50% or greater reduction in peak impact and/or rotational impact force(s) transferred to a wearer's skull, which can greatly reduce acceleration to the brain from an impact.
In various alternative embodiments, the disclosed modular impact liner systems and associated components could potentially be utilized and/or retrofitted into standard and/or customized helmets and/or helmet shells, including, but not limited to, helmets currently available from such manufacturers as Riddell, Schutt, Rawlings, Xenith, and SG Helmets, if desired. In such a case, the various components of the modular impact liner system could be positioned underneath the helmet and/or existing padding provided within the helmet, or some or all of the existing materials could be removed and replaced with various modular components, with or without associated impact absorbing structures. In certain embodiments, the modular impact liner system could include thin hybrid components and/or layers which could be positioned underneath the helmet and any padding provided within the helmet.
The various components of the modular impact liner system can be removably inserted into the helmet, can be permanently affixed to the helmet and/or can be removably or permanently affixed to one or more impact absorbing system components positioned within the helmet (which themselves may be permanent and/or removably affixed to the inner helmet surface and/or other portions of the helmet.
Disclosed herein are various embodiments of helmets incorporating a variety of modular impact liner components and systems for helmets and other headgear, including various systems and methods for selecting, sizing and fitting a helmet for an individual wearer. In various embodiments, helmets with modular impact liner systems can further include energy management structures for a helmet such as impact absorbing structures and/or buckling structures. In various embodiments disclosed herein, the impact liner system is described for use with a protective sport helmet such as a football helmet, although various other embodiments could be utilized with protective headgear for other sports such as lacrosse, hockey, multi-sport, cycling, whitewater, climbing, softball and/or baseball helmets. Various embodiments could be utilized for safety helmets, such as industrial or construction helmets, and also for a variety of security and/or military uses such as for military helmet shells including the US Army Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH), the US Marine Corp Lightweight Helmet (MLH), the Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH), the Personal Armor System for Ground Troops (PASGT) helmet, and/or any other ballistic and/or non-ballistic helmet shells.
In the disclosed embodiment, the outer helmet shell 20 can comprise a semi-rigid, flexible or semi-flexible layer which can desirably flex and/or deform to varying degrees from an impacting force, with the inner shell 40 comprising a relatively rigid cap structure. However, in alternative embodiments, the outer helmet shell and/or inner shell could comprise one or more relatively rigid components, sheets and/or plates, or could comprise a layered construct of one or more flexible and/or semi-flexible components, as desired. In between the inner shell/wearer and the outer shell, various impact absorbing materials, impact absorbing structures (IAS) and/or combinations of impact absorbing materials and impact absorbing structures may be placed to increase comfort for the wearer and reduce or ameliorate the transmission of impact forces to the wearer's anatomy. Hereinafter, these impact absorbing material and structures are collectively referred to as one or more reflex layers 30 (also referred to as “an IAS array”).
As best seen in
In at least one exemplary modular liner system, the helmet assembly could include a plurality of liner components, such as the various components previously described. If desired, the system may further include a series of similarly shaped liner components (corresponding to each of the described pad assemblies) having different pad thicknesses in some or all of the pads, such as a series of three midline pad assembly components having differing thicknesses (i.e. the system could have three different “copies” of the midline pad assembly as selectable components, including a “small” first midline pad assembly having pads with a thickness of 0.375 inches, a “medium” midline pad assembly including pads having a thickness of 0.500 inches and a “large” midline pad assembly with pads having a thickness of 0.625 inches). In one exemplary embodiment, the modular liner system could include three different thickness versions for each liner component, leading to a modular liner system comprising a total of 15 liner components, which can be mixed and/or matched to accommodate virtually any size and/or shape of head.
The rear baseplate 110, a lower ridge plate 115 and a rear mounting plate 120 can be manufactured from various substantially rigid and/or rigid materials. Such materials may be polymers (e.g., polycarbonate) and/or metals (e.g. stainless steel) that allow the comfort pads to be affixed and/or mounted using a variety of attachment methods, such as push tabs, snap fit buttons, hook and loop fasteners, magnetic fasteners, and/or any combination thereof.
In various embodiments, the components of the inner modular impact liner system 50 will desirably comprise relatively deformable, flexible and/or semi-flexible materials, especially those materials in close proximity to and/or in contact with the wearer's head. Such components can comprise flexible and/or semi-flexible materials, fabrics and/or deformable foams such as polyurethane foams and/or memory foams. In various embodiments, some components may comprise less-flexible and/or rigid materials, such as attachment pins and/or connecting/support plates. In one exemplary embodiment, the comfort pads within the liner system may have at least one deformable material that may be configured for comfort and dissipation of impact forces. Alternatively, the comfort pads may have two or more deformable materials that are configured for comfort and dissipation of impact forces. For example, one deformable pad may comprise a first and a second deformable material. The first deformable material may be a memory foam, which is a polyurethane, viscoelastic foam that may rebound after compression, as well as may have heat reactive characteristics (e.g., it absorbs heat and softens once it gets warmed). The second deformable material may be a polyurethane foam, which may be configured to have compressive strength to absorb and/or dissipate impact forces. Such polyurethane foam also may contain other characteristics, including a lower weight reduction, comfort, moisture and heat resistance, sound/vibration absorption, and/or durability. The at least one deformable material thickness may range from 0.00625 in. to 1 in. Furthermore, all comfort pads may be encapsulated with a mesh material to facilitate breathability, moisture evaporation and/or wicking of heat and/or sweat.
In various embodiments, shear responsive materials may be incorporated into various components of the outer helmet, reflex layer, inner helmet and/or liner components, including materials that stiffen and/or harden in response to impact forces such as PORON XRD urethane (commercially available from Rogers Corporation of Rogers, CT, USA). Such materials may allow for flexibility and/or softness of various structures under normal wear and/or use, with alterations in the stiffness or other material properties occurring in the material in response to an impact and/or other external or internal factor. In at least one exemplary embodiment, a Poron XRD foam can be incorporated into one or more layers of the comfort pads or liner segments described herein. If desired, other strain hardening and/or impact-hardening materials may be incorporated therein, including D30 (commercially available from Design Blue Ltd of Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom), PORON XRD and/or DEFLEXION silicon-based impact protection textile (commercially available from Dow Corning Corporation of Corning, N.Y., USA).
In addition to the back and front pad assemblies 100 and 200, the front/back liner assembly 65 includes a front/back strap 260 which connects the back-pad assembly 100 to the front pad assembly 200.
As best seen in the exploded view of
While a left-side jaw pad assembly is depicted in the embodiment depicted in
In an initial step of the procedure, different sizes of a helmet can be associated 600 with different pairs of length and breadth measurements for various head sizes. For example, a helmet system can include different shells having different sizes and/or shapes, and different shells could be associated 600 with different combinations of length measurements and breadth measurements of head sizes. As a specific example, a helmet may include one of three shells (A, B and C), each having different dimensions, so each shell is associated 600 with a range of length measurements of head size and breadth measurements of head size. In the preceding example, three ranges of length measurements and breadth measurements are maintained, with a different size shell associated 600 with each of the three ranges, which in various embodiments may or may not include a potential size overlap between ranges (i.e., one measured head size might be accommodated by two different sizes of helmet and/or insert combinations).
To particularize a helmet design to more securely fit a wearer's head, a plurality of different liners may be attached to an interior surface of the shell, so a surface of a liner attached to the interior surface of the shell can contact many portions of a wearer's head when the helmet is worn. An appropriate liner component can comprise a flexible layer with a deformable material, such as foam (e.g., low resilience open cell polyurethane foam), coupled to different regions of the flexible layer. In various embodiments, the deformable material can have at least a threshold recovery time, so the deformable material returns to its original shape after compression in at least the threshold recovery time. The deformable material can include one or more surfaces that contact the wearer's head when the helmet is worn. In various embodiments, the deformable material may be coupled to regions of the flexible layer so the deformable material uniformly distributes force around the wearer's head when force is applied to the helmet.
In various embodiments, different liner configurations could include modular components having different thicknesses, distributions and/or shapes of the deformable material(s), allowing a variety of different liner assemblies to be constructed and attached to an interior surface of a shell to maximize and/or optimize an amount of the helmet and/or liner in contact with a wearer's head. In some embodiments, liners having different thicknesses and configurations of the deformable material could also be associated 610 with different combinations of length and/or breadth measurements (see
When sizing a helmet for a wearer's head using various of the techniques described herein, a length and a breadth of the wearer's head can be determined 620.
Based on the determined length and breadth of the wearer's head, a helmet size can be selected 630 (i.e., helmet component size A, B or C in
Once the helmet shell has been selected, the measured length and breadth of the wearer's head can be utilized to select one or more liner components 640 for assembly into a modular liner assembly and attachment to the interior surface of the previously selected shell. For example, a liner associated 600 with a range of length measurements and breadth measurements, sized and configured to accommodate the determined length and breadth of the wearer's head, can be selected 640 (i.e., a 6.6″ width and 7.6″ length of the wearer's head corresponds to liner components FB=0.500 and S=0.375 in Helmet Component “A” of
In various embodiments, if a measurement intersection lands on a line between helmet models (see
In one embodiment, where a modular liner system is used, selecting a liner for a wearer comprises selecting sizes for each liner segment of the modular liner system. As illustrated in
In various embodiments, a deformable material coupled to one or more regions of the individual selected modular liner component may be replaced and/or substituted with other types of alternative deformable materials, which could allow different regions of the selected liner component to incorporate different thicknesses, shapes and/or distributions of the deformable material or different material properties. Modifying the thickness, distribution, composition and/or other properties of the deformable material in different regions of the selected liner could allow additional customization of the sizing and/or performance of the helmet for a particular wearer, desirably also improving fit and comfort of the helmet for the wearer as well as potentially improving helmet safety and protection. For example, a set of thicknesses of the deformable material could be provided for different regions of a liner, allowing selection of a thickness from the set of varying thicknesses to couple to a region of the flexible layer of the liner. In some embodiments, different sets of thicknesses of the deformable material could be associated with different regions of the liner. For example, three sets of thicknesses of the deformable material could be associated with a given region and/or modular liner component, which could then be coupled to an upper portion of the interior surface of the shell, while three different sets of thicknesses could be associated with another region of the liner coupled to a side portion of the interior surface of the shell. In some embodiments, different thicknesses could also be associated with regions of the liner coupled to a front portion and/or a rear portion of the interior surface of the shell. Alternatively, thickness of the deformable region for each region of the layer could be selected from among a set of thicknesses common to each region. Deformable material coupled to regions of the liner may be modified with alternative deformable material to modify characteristics other than thickness in some embodiments. For example, deformable material coupled to regions of the liner may be replaced with alternative deformable material having a different stiffness than the deformable material. As an example, the deformable material may become stiffer in colder temperature and less stiff in warmer temperatures, so deformable material coupled to different regions of the liner may be replaced with alternative deformable material having different characteristics to offset changes in stiffness caused by temperature.
In another embodiment, different sizes of helmet shells could be associated with different combinations of length measurements and breadth measurements of head size, where a helmet shell has an interior surface determined by a combination of a length measurement and a breadth measurement of head size. A set of liner types could be configured to be inserted into the interior surface of the helmet shell. Each liner type could comprise a plurality of sections of deformable material coupled to different regions of a flexible layer. For example, a liner type having thicker sections of deformable material coupled to regions on sides of the flexible layer relative to thicknesses of deformable material coupled to regions on a front or a rear of the flexible layer. As another example, another liner type could have thicker sections of deformable material coupled to regions on a front or a rear of the flexible layer relative to thicknesses of deformable material coupled to regions on sides of the flexible layer.
In various embodiments, a method of sizing a helmet or other head protector for a wearer could comprise measuring a length and a breadth of the wearer's head, and then comparing the measurements to a list, chart and/or other reference to determine an appropriate helmet shell and/or other helmet accessories (i.e., an inner shell and/or reflex layer components) selected based on the combination of the length and the breadth of the wearer's head. Additionally, a liner type could be selected from the set of liner types based on the length and breadth of the wearer's head, such that inserting the selected liner type into the interior surface of the determined helmet shell provides the wearer with a close fit that uniformly distributes pressure around the wearer's head (or provides other pressure distributions) in a desired manner. If a smaller liner type is required to fit into a larger shell size, the flexible layer(s) of the liner type could possibly be stretched to increase spacing between the sections of deformable material less than a threshold amount, which provides a similar fit as when the flexible layer of the liner type is not stretched. Using different helmet shells and a set of liner types from which a helmet shell and a liner type is determined from a length and a breadth of a wearer's head allows close fitting of a helmet to a wide range of head shapes and sizes without a significant number of different liner types and helmet shell sizes.
Optimizing Occipital Pad Features
In various embodiments, a modular liner assembly of a protective helmet could optionally include a liner element that provides an occipital contact region with the wearer's head, which desirably increases a surface area of the liner contacting the wearer's head while further desirably reducing movement of the wearer's head between a front surface of the helmet and a rear surface of the helmet. An occipital contact region may be coupled to a liner of a helmet (or other helmet component) using a variety of mechanisms.
In various embodiments, an occipital contact region can have a wedge or other shape (see
In various exemplary embodiments, a wedge pad assembly 90 can comprise an occipital wedge pad assembly (see
Additionally, the occipital contact region could have one or more or a variety of different angles relative to the shell and/or to the wearer's head. In a similar manner, the occipital contact region could be formed from deformable materials that are different from the deformable materials forming and/or coupled to the liner. If desired, the occipital contact region could have a thickness or thicknesses in one or more portions that differ from thicknesses of other deformable material coupled to the liner.
In another exemplary embodiment, the occipital contact region could comprise a bladder or other structure incorporated into the liner and/or in contact with a portion of the liner's flexible material that is coupled to a portion of a helmet shell positioned proximate to a rear of a wearer's head. When the bladder is inflated with air or another fluid while a wearer is wearing the helmet, the occipital contact region could contact a rear portion of the wearer's head, which desirably increases a surface area of the liner contacting the wearer's head.
As previously noted,
In the disclosed embodiment, each segment of the modular liner component system can comprise one or more padded regions, some or all of which can be connected by a flexible material, such as a fabric. The flexible material desirably allows the liner segments to be constructed on a flat surface and then bent or otherwise manipulated to be fitted inside a curved inner shell of a helmet.
By utilizing flexible and/or stretchable connections between the various liner components and/or elements thereof, the present system greatly reduces the number of modular components necessary for accommodating a wide range of head sizes. This is because many of the liner components can be used in multiple helmet shell sizes, with the liner segments “stretched” to accommodate larger shell sizes, and the same liner segments “relaxed” and/or slightly compressed at the flexible connections to fit within the smaller helmet shell sizes. One exemplary arrangement of such components is shown in the chart of
In various embodiments, attachment of the liner segments to an inner shell of a helmet can be accomplished using mating surfaces on the various liner components. For example, various surfaces of the liner and/or helmet may include hook and loop-type fasteners. Alternatively, snap-fits, detents and/or other helmet attachment mechanisms known in the art may be utilized.
If desired, a surface of the liner segments opposite the padded regions may include one or more attachment mechanisms that can be configured to mate with the inner shell of the helmet.
In one embodiment, a plurality of attachment posts may be fixed to the liner segment components using an adhesive, or they can be mechanically attached and/or integrally formed during a molding process, etc. A tooling mechanism may be used to align the attachment posts properly for each liner. The tooling mechanism may comprise a flat board with holes corresponding to the desired positions of the attachment posts for each liner segment. The tooling mechanism may also include spacers to help align the liner segment properly with respect to the holes, where the attachment posts are to be fixed. An adhesive may be applied to the liner segment(s) and/or a base of the attachment posts, and then the attachment posts and liner segment can be fitted onto the tooling mechanism until the adhesive is sufficiently cured. In one embodiment, the holes in the inner shell of the helmet may be positioned in one or more same locations and/or orientations regardless of the size of the inner shell, so that any of the liner segments can fit within any size of the helmet shells. Alternatively, the holes maybe positioned in other locations.
Liner Assemblies and Comfort Pads
In various embodiments, including those depicted in
Although described in terms of a protective helmet that includes a rigid inner shell, a deformable outer shell, and a compressible structure therebetween, embodiments of the modular liner system can be used with other types of helmets. For example, the modular liner system may be used with a traditional helmet that has a rigid outer shell and larger padding inside it, where the liner system provides an improved fit to the head of a wearer. The modular liner system may also be used with other types of helmets and protective gear, such as bicycle helmets, baseball helmets, lacrosse helmets, and other sporting equipment, as well as nonsporting equipment like headgear designed for construction, military, or other non-sporting purposes.
The entire disclosure of each of the publications, patent documents, and other references referred to herein is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes to the same extent as if each individual source were individually denoted as being incorporated by reference.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The foregoing embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects illustrative rather than limiting on the invention described herein. The scope of the invention is thus intended to include all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the descriptions provided herein.
Many of the aspects and advantages of the present invention may be more clearly understood and appreciated by reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrating embodiments of the present invention and together with the description, disclose the principles of the invention.
Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the teachings of this invention that certain changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure herein.
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/891,271 entitled “Modular Liner System for Protective Helmets,” filed Feb. 7, 2018, which claims the priority of Patent Cooperation Treaty Application Serial No. PCT/US2017/42254, entitled “Modular Liner System for Protective Helmets,” filed Jul. 14, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/363,121 entitled “Modular Liner System for Protective Helmet,” filed Jul. 15, 2016, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/403,115, entitled “Football Helmet,” filed Oct. 1, 2016, and the disclosures of which are all incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Parent | 15891271 | Feb 2018 | US |
| Child | 16441729 | US | |
| Parent | PCT/US2017/042254 | Jul 2017 | US |
| Child | 15891271 | US |
