This disclosure is related to a protective headgear having improved impact dispersing properties, and, more particularly toward an improved headgear configured to be worn in combination with a helmet or other impact resistant headgear or on a stand-alone basis.
Helmets are used for lessening the impact a person endures during a collision or similar impact event. Helmets are worn by athletes and recreationalists in activities in which an impact to the wearer's head could occur and cause injury to the wearer, such as, for example, during athletic events such as football, hockey, and the like, and during recreational events, such as riding a bicycle or motorcycle. Helmets are also worn by combat personnel, such as, for example, military personnel, and law enforcement personnel.
Helmets can absorb or disperse significant levels of impact, yet due to limitations of their composition are often unable to absorb sufficient impact energy to prohibit injury to the wearer during an impact event.
Accordingly, new methods, systems, and devices for reducing the energy impact and subsequent degree of injury to a person during an impact event are needed.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description of Illustrative Embodiments. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Disclosed herein is a protective molded gel headgear to protect a wearer during a head impact event. The molded gel headgear is shaped to approximate the outer periphery of portions of a wearer's head to provide protection. The molded gel headgear is made of an energy absorbing gel material having characteristics enabling dispersion of a portion of the energy impacting the wearer during an impact event.
According to one or more embodiments, the energy absorbing gel material comprises a plasticizer.
According to one or more embodiments, the energy absorbing gel material comprises a vegetable based plasticizer.
According to one or more embodiments, the energy absorbing gel material comprises a plasticizer, a thermoplastic elastomer, and a prepolymer.
According to one or more embodiments, the energy absorbing gel material comprises an epoxidized vegetable oil, a hydroxyl functional thermoplastic elastomer, and a prepolymer containing an isocyanate or isocyanate monomer.
According to one or more embodiments, the molded gel headgear is constructed by means of an extruding process using a mold.
According to one or more embodiments, the mold for constructing the molded gel headgear (10) defines one or more pins for forming apertures in the molded gel headgear.
According to one or more embodiments, the molded gel headgear comprises one or more spaced-apart apertures for providing ventilation to assist in cooling and heat transfer.
According to one or more embodiments, the mold for constructing the molded gel headgear defines one or more textured areas for providing a textured surface to the molded gel headgear.
According to one or more embodiments, the molded gel headgear comprises a textured surface.
According to one or more embodiments, the molded gel headgear comprises a textured surface on the outside surface thereof.
According to one or more embodiments, the mold for constructing the molded gel headgear defines a cavity that approximates the outer periphery of the portions of the head to be protected.
According to one or more embodiments, the molded gel headgear includes an elastic band around a base thereof for providing elastic engagement to the wearer's head.
According to one or more embodiments, the band is provided on the interior or exterior of the base of the molded gel headgear.
According to one or more embodiments, the band is provided on the interior of the base of the molded gel headgear.
According to one or more embodiments, the band is adhesively adhered or stitched to the molded gel headgear.
According to one or more embodiments, the molded gel headgear is positioned within a sleeve of tubular elastic fabric or material such as, for example, spandex, that encloses the molded gel headgear and forms an apparel article that also approximates the outer periphery of the portions of the wearer's head intended to be protected by the molded gel headgear.
According to one or more embodiments, a method is provided. The method includes providing the protective molded gel headgear and positioning the headgear, either by a person or the wearer, on the wearer's head.
According to one or more embodiments, the method includes providing a helmet to be worn on top of the molded gel headgear worn by the wearer.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purposes of illustration, there is shown in the drawings exemplary embodiments; however, the presently disclosed invention is not limited to the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed. In the drawings:
The presently disclosed invention is described with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed invention might also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps or elements similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies.
The one or more methods 100 may also include providing a second mold portion that defines a protrusion that generally corresponds to the cavity of the first mold portion 104. The second mold portion may be configured such that when the first and second mold portions are in closely-spaced, curing arrangement, a predefined gap or spacing is maintained between the mold portions. The second mold portion may be an aluminum or other metal mold and may also define one or more textural features for providing corresponding textural features to a finished product.
The one or more methods 100 may also include applying a gel into the cavity of the first mold portion 106. The gel may be any gel configured for absorbing impact, and may include, for example, vegetable oil based gels that will be described further herein. A predetermined amount of gel may be provided for a given mold size or desired thickness, density, and the like of a particular headgear. For example, a mold made for a larger headgear would likely require additional amounts of gel for forming the headgear.
The one or more methods 100 may include placing the first and second mold portions into closely-spaced arrangement until the gel has cured to form the protective headgear 108. The time required for curing may depend on a variety of factors, including the type of gel material employed, the amount of gel material, heating or cooling factors applied to the mold, and the like. Once cured, the headgear may be ejected from the first and second mold portions by any appropriate method.
As will be described in further detail herein, the one or more methods 100 may further include providing a film between the cavity of the first mold portion and the gel. The film may be vacuformed. The film may be any appropriately configured film and may be provided for creating a low friction surface on the headgear that also has improved structural characteristics such as resistance to tearing.
The one or more methods 100 may include providing a fabric between the second mold portion and the gel. This fabric may be any appropriately configured fabric, such as woven and non-woven and may be adhered to the gel portion in any appropriately configured way. The one or more methods may include laminating the first mold portion facing surface of the fabric with a laminate layer. The laminate may be provided for aiding in adhering the bottom facing surface of the fabric with the gel material.
The one or more methods 100 may include attaching an elastic band around the periphery of the head gear. The elastic band may be for providing a conforming fit of the headgear to the wearer's head, and may be further provided for additionally securing each of the film, laminate layer, gel, and fabric to one another to form the headgear.
The mold assembly is illustrated in
The molded gel headgear 210 may include a gel material possessing energy absorbing properties (or otherwise herein referred to as impact dispersing properties) that is formed into a mold that approximates the shape of needed area for head protection such as the forehead, temples, crown and rear/base of the skull. According to one or more embodiments, the energy absorbing molded gel is coated with a substance to reduce the tackiness/stickiness of the gel material 212. In some embodiments, the coating substance is a polyurethane film or a spray.
According to one or more embodiments, the molded gel headgear 310 may be produced by the one or more methods disclosed in
A liquid form of the precursor energy absorbing gel material 206 is poured into the aluminum molds, and then allowed to harden/cure to form the molded gel headgear 310. According to one or more embodiments, the energy absorbing molded gel may be coated with a substance to reduce the tackiness/stickiness of the gel material to form the molded gel headgear 10. In some embodiments, the coating substance is a polyurethane film or a spray. In one or more embodiments, the material may be thin film 212.
The molded gel headgear 310 is made from the energy absorbing gel material 206. According to one or more embodiments, the energy absorbing gel material includes a plasticizer. According to one or more embodiments, the energy absorbing gel material includes a vegetable based plasticizer. According to one or more embodiments, the energy absorbing gel material includes a plasticizer, a thermoplastic elastomer, and a prepolymer. According to one or more embodiments, the energy absorbing gel material includes an epoxidized vegetable oil, a hydroxyl functional thermoplastic elastomer, and a prepolymer containing an isocyanate or isocyanate monomer.
While the embodiments have been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/638,325 filed on Apr. 25, 2012, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/638,333 filed on Apr. 25, 2012, the contents of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
D58302 | Bartholomew | Jul 1921 | S |
D58303 | Bartholomew | Jul 1921 | S |
1697507 | Karger | Jul 1927 | A |
D176046 | Spreiregen | Nov 1955 | S |
D187519 | Lasting | Mar 1960 | S |
3444288 | Mead | May 1969 | A |
D299180 | Gentes | Jan 1989 | S |
4912778 | Daniels | Apr 1990 | A |
5298208 | Sibley | Mar 1994 | A |
5437064 | Hamaguchi | Aug 1995 | A |
5896587 | Gentry | Apr 1999 | A |
5940889 | Shirai | Aug 1999 | A |
5946734 | Vogan | Sep 1999 | A |
6058515 | Kitahara | May 2000 | A |
6122773 | Katz | Sep 2000 | A |
6237162 | Gill | May 2001 | B1 |
D473365 | Bias | Apr 2003 | S |
6588511 | Kriesel et al. | Jul 2003 | B1 |
D479020 | Heinrich | Aug 2003 | S |
6896065 | Kriesel et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
7028344 | Toth | Apr 2006 | B2 |
7041719 | Kriesel et al. | May 2006 | B2 |
7062795 | Skiba et al. | Jun 2006 | B2 |
7082623 | Johnson et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
D564183 | Roach et al. | Mar 2008 | S |
D565281 | Dhillon | Apr 2008 | S |
D565799 | Timms | Apr 2008 | S |
D584000 | Saluan | Dec 2008 | S |
7650648 | Roberts | Jan 2010 | B2 |
8117677 | Toth | Feb 2012 | B2 |
8225419 | Hersick et al. | Jul 2012 | B2 |
8302213 | Kriesel | Nov 2012 | B2 |
D686780 | Rodgers | Jul 2013 | S |
20040034903 | Blair | Feb 2004 | A1 |
20040040066 | Hardenbrook | Mar 2004 | A1 |
20040163162 | Benziger | Aug 2004 | A1 |
20060005291 | Bedford | Jan 2006 | A1 |
20060075544 | Kriesel et al. | Apr 2006 | A1 |
20080026658 | Kriesel | Jan 2008 | A1 |
20080028499 | Skottheim | Feb 2008 | A1 |
20090222975 | Green et al. | Sep 2009 | A1 |
20110113533 | Guillen | May 2011 | A1 |
20110179557 | Rabie | Jul 2011 | A1 |
20130007948 | Chen et al. | Jan 2013 | A1 |
Entry |
---|
Notice of Allowance dated Oct. 28, 2013 for U.S. Appl. No. 29/447,797, filed Mar. 6, 2013. |
Product weblink: www.unequal.com /dome—for DOME skull cap, Unequal Technologies, 2012; last accessed Mar. 28, 2013. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20130283505 A1 | Oct 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61638325 | Apr 2012 | US | |
61638333 | Apr 2012 | US |