Football helmet with components additively manufactured to manage impact forces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11167198-B2
Application number	US-201916691436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2019
Priority date	Nov 21, 2018
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to a multi-step method with a number of processes and sub-processes that interact to allow for the selection, design and/or manufacture of a protective sports helmet for a specific player, or a recreational sports helmet for a specific person wearing the helmet. Once the desired protective sports helmet or recreational sports helmet is selected, information is collected from the individual player or wearer regarding the shape of his/her head and information about the impacts he/she has received while participating in the sport or activity. The collected information is processed to develop a bespoke energy attenuation assembly for use in the protective helmet. The energy attenuation assembly includes at least one energy attenuation member with a unique structural makeup and/or chemical composition. The energy attenuation assembly is purposely engineered to improve comfort and fit, as well as how the helmet responds when an impact or series of impacts are received by the helmet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A football helmet comprising:
a shell configured to receive a head of a wearer of the football helmet, the shell including:
a crown portion defining an upper region of the shell;
a front portion extending generally forwardly and downwardly from the crown portion;
a rear portion extending generally rearwardly and downwardly from the crown portion; and
left and right side portions extending generally laterally and downwardly from the crown portion; and

an energy attenuation assembly removably positioned within the shell, wherein a first energy attenuation member of the energy attenuation assembly has both an energy management region and a fitting region, wherein:
(A) the energy management region includes a plurality of lattice cells that are a first lattice cell type and are manufactured using an additive manufacturing process, and
wherein the energy management region: (i) is positioned between the shell and the fitting region, (ii) is configured to absorb a majority of energy transmitted through the shell from an impact to the shell and (iii) has different energy absorption properties than energy absorption properties of the fitting region; and

(B) the fitting region includes a plurality of lattice cells that are a second lattice cell type that is different from the first lattice cell type, and
wherein the fitting region is positioned between the energy management region and the wearer's head when the helmet is worn by the wearer; and

wherein compression of the energy attenuation assembly exerts a pre-impact pressure of 1 to 10 pounds per square inch on the wearer's head when the helmet is worn by the wearer.

2. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the fitting region of the first energy attenuation member is formed using said additive manufacturing process.

3. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the first energy attenuation member has an original thickness in an uncompressed state occurring when the helmet is not being worn by the wearer, and
wherein when the helmet is worn by the wearer, the original thickness is reduced by 1% to 15% due to compression of an extent of the fitting region.

4. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the first energy attenuation member includes: (i) at least three different lattice cells and (ii) two different lattice densities.

5. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the first energy attenuation member further includes: (i) an exterior closed skin that is substantially smooth and configured to be positioned between the fitting region and the wearer's head when the helmet is worn by the wearer and (ii) an interior open skin that has openings formed there through, is positioned between the fitting region and the energy management region, and is integrally formed with both the fitting region and the energy management region.

6. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the first energy attenuation member further includes an exterior open skin that (i) is integrally formed with the energy management region and (ii) is positioned between the energy management region and an inner surface of the shell.

7. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the first lattice cell type is a surface-based lattice cell type and the second lattice cell type is a strut-based lattice cell type.

8. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the first lattice cell type is a first strut-based lattice cell type and the second lattice cell type is a second strut-based lattice cell type that is different than the first lattice cell type.

9. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the energy attenuation assembly includes a second energy attenuation member, wherein the first energy attenuation member is made from a first material and the second energy attenuation member is made from a second material, wherein the first material is different from the second material.

10. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the energy attenuation assembly includes a second energy attenuation member that is positioned inward and adjacent to one of the left and right side portions of the shell, wherein:
(i) the first energy attenuation member has an original thickness in an uncompressed state, and wherein compressing the first energy attenuation member to 25% of its original thickness requires a first force;
(ii) the second energy attenuation member has an original thickness in the uncompressed state, and wherein compressing the second energy attenuation member to 25% of its original thickness requires a second force; and
wherein the second force is less than the first force.

11. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the energy attenuation assembly includes a second energy attenuation member, wherein the first energy attenuation member has a first overall density that is between 3 and 17 pounds per cubic foot and the second energy attenuation member has a second overall density that is between 3 and 7 pounds per cubic foot.

12. A football helmet comprising:
a shell configured to receive a head of a wearer of the football helmet, the shell including:
a crown portion defining an upper region of the shell;
a front portion extending generally forwardly and downwardly from the crown portion;
a rear portion extending generally rearwardly and downwardly from the crown portion; and
a pair of side portions extending generally laterally and downwardly from opposed sides of the crown portion; and

an energy attenuation assembly positioned within the shell, the energy attenuation assembly including:
(A) a front energy attenuation member that is positioned adjacent the front portion of the shell, wherein the front energy attenuation member: (i) is manufactured using an additive manufacturing process with a plurality of lattice cells that include a first lattice cell type, (ii) has an original thickness of the front energy attenuation member in an uncompressed state, and (iii) requires a first force to compress the front energy attenuation member to 80% of the original thickness;
(B) a side energy attenuation member that is positioned adjacent one of the side portions of the shell, wherein the side energy attenuation member: (i) is manufactured using the additive manufacturing process with a plurality of lattice cells that include a second lattice cell type that differs from the first lattice cell type of the front energy attenuation member, (ii) has an original thickness of the side energy attenuation member in an uncompressed state, and (iii) requires a second force to compress the side energy attenuation member to 80% of the original thickness; and
wherein the first force is at least 10% greater than the second force.

13. The football helmet of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of lattice cells within the front energy attenuation member further includes a second lattice cell type;
wherein when the helmet is worn by the wearer, (i) the second lattice cell type is positioned between the first lattice cell type and the wearer's head; and (ii) the first lattice cell type is positioned between the shell and the second lattice cell type.

14. The football helmet of claim 13 , wherein the first lattice cell type is a surface-based lattice cell type and the second lattice cell type is a strut-based lattice cell type.

15. The football helmet of claim 12 , wherein the second lattice cell type within the side energy attenuation is a strut-based lattice cell type.

16. The football helmet of claim 12 , wherein the energy attenuation assembly further comprising a crown energy attenuation member, wherein the crown energy attenuation member includes at least a strut-based latt

Assignees

• Riddell

Inventors

• Bologna Vittorio
• GILLOGLY Murphy
• Ide Thad M

Classifications

• A42B3/065

  Corrugated or ribbed shells · CPC title

• A42B3/067

  with damage indication means · CPC title

• G06F2113/10

  Additive manufacturing, e.g. three-dimensional [3D] printing · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• A42C2/007

  Manufacturing custom-sized helmets · CPC title