System and method for forming a protective helmet for a customer's head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11889883-B2
Application number	US-202217892292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2022
Priority date	Jan 18, 2013
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

A custom-fitted helmet and a method of making the same can comprise, at a first location, obtaining head data for a customer's head comprising a length, a width, and at least one head contour. With at least one processor, generating a computerized three-dimensional (3D) headform matching the customer's head length, width, and head contour from the head data. The 3D headform can be compared to a helmet safety standard. At a second location different from the first location, a custom-fitted helmet based on the 3D headform can be formed, wherein the custom-fitted helmet satisfies the safety standard and comprises an inner surface comprising a topography that conforms to the length, width, and at least one contour of the customer's head. The first location can be a home or a store. Obtaining the head data from photographic images of a deformable interface member disposed on the customer's head.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A protective sports helmet to be worn by a player while playing a sports activity, the protective sports helmet comprising:
a helmet shell configured to receive a head of the player; and
an energy attenuation layer removably positioned within the helmet shell, wherein the energy attenuation layer includes:
(i) an outer surface that resides adjacent to an inner surface of the helmet shell,
(ii) an inner surface that resides adjacent to an outer surface of a player's head when the protective sports helmet is worn by the player, and
(iii) wherein said outer surface and said inner surface define a thickness of the energy attenuation layer that is configured to ensure that when the protective sports helmet is worn by the player, the player's head does not extend through an extent of a helmet safety standard associated with the helmet shell.

2. The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein the extent of the helmet safety standard associated with the helmet shell is a certified surface.

3. The protective sports helmet of claim 2 , wherein the certified surface is modeled as either: (i) a 3D surface, (ii) a point cloud, (iii) a data array, or (iv) a polygonal mesh.

4. The protective sports helmet of claim 3 , wherein the certified surface is generated based on analyzing data collected from a plurality of player's using an electronic handheld device.

5. The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein the energy attenuation layer includes a lattice structure formed using a three dimensional printer.

6. The protective sports helmet of claim 5 , wherein the inner surface of the energy attenuation layer has a topography that conforms to information derived from data collected from a player's head using an electronic device.

7. The protective sports helmet of claim 1 , wherein a computer determines whether the player's head does not extend through the extent of the helmet safety standard associated with the helmet shell.

8. The protective sports helmet of claim 7 , wherein the computer determines whether the player's head does not extend through the extent of the helmet safety standard associated with the helmet shell based on a comparison between electronic head data obtained from the player's head using a handheld device and a computerized helmet safety standard.

9. The protective sports helmet of claim 8 , wherein the electronic head data obtained from the player's head is modeled as either: (i) a 3D surface, (ii) a point cloud, (iii) a data array, or (iv) a polygonal mesh.

10. A multi-step method of manufacturing a protective sports helmet to be worn by a player while playing a sports activity, the multi-step method comprising the steps of:
obtaining head data from a player using an electronic handheld device;
processing the head data to create a computerized model of the player's head, wherein said computerized model of the player's head includes a brow region;
providing a computerized helmet model including a brow portion; and
aligning the brow region of the computerized model of the player's head with an extent of the brow portion of the computerized helmet model.

11. The multi-step method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of rotating the computerized model of the player's head until an extent of a crown portion of the computerized model of the player's head is aligned with a crown region of the computerized helmet model.

12. The multi-step method of claim 10 , wherein the step of obtaining head data from a player using the electronic handheld device further includes:
providing a deformable interface member that has a thickness;
placing the deformable interface member over an extent of the player's head; and
capturing images of the deformable interface member that is positioned over the extent of the player's head.

13. The multi-step method of claim 10 , wherein the step of obtaining head data from a player using the electronic handheld device includes using a software program installed on the electronic handheld device that guides a person through a process of collecting the head data from the player.

14. The multi-step method of claim 10 , wherein the step of obtaining head data from a player using the electronic handheld device includes using a mechanical measurement device that includes contact probes that make contact with the player's head.

15. The multi-step method of claim 10 , wherein when the computerized model of the player's head does not extend through an extent of a helmet safety standard associated with the computerized helmet model, further comprising the step of selecting a physical helmet shell that corresponds to the computerized helmet model.

16. The multi-step method of claim 10 , further comprising a step of using a three dimensional printer to form a physical energy attenuation layer based upon the computerized model of the player's head.

17. The multi-step method of claim 10 , further comprising a step of forming a physical energy attenuation layer from a plurality of separately formed reconfigurable padding components based upon the computerized model of the player's head and the computerized helmet model.

18. The multi-step method of claim 17 , wherein the physical energy attenuation layer includes an inner surface with a topography that conforms to a surface that is derived from the computerized model of the player's head.

19. A multi-step method of manufacturing a protective sports helmet to be worn by a player while playing a sports activity, the multi-step method comprising the steps of:
obtaining images of a player's head using an electronic handheld device;
processing the images to create a computerized model of the player's head;
providing a plurality of computerized helmet models; and
selecting a computerized helmet model from the plurality of computerized helmet models based in part upon a comparison between the computerized model of the player's head and at least one computerized helmet model contained in the plurality of computerized helmet models.

20. The multi-step method of claim 19 , further comprising the steps of aligning a brow region of the computerized model of the player's head with an extent of a brow portion of the selected computerized helmet model.

21. The multi-step method of claim 19 , further comprising the step of moving the computerized model of the player's head until a crown region of the computerized model of the player's head is aligned with a crown portion of the selected computerized helmet model.

22. The multi-step method of claim 19 , wherein the step of selecting the computerized helmet model from the plurality of computerized helmet models based in part upon the comparison between the computerized model of the player's head and the at least one computerized helmet model contained in the plurality of computerized helmet models includes the step of finding the smallest size computerized helmet model whose safety standard is satisfied when the computerized model of the player's head is positioned within said safety standard.

23. The multi-step method of claim 22 , wherein said safety standard is satisfied when said computerized model of the player's head does not extend through an extent of said safety standard.

24. The protective sports helmet of claim 23 , wherein the extent of said safety standard is modeled as either: (i) a 3D surface, (ii) a point cloud, (iii) a data array, or (iv) a polygonal mesh.

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Assignees

• Bell Sports Inc

Inventors

• Pietrzak Christopher T
• Lowe Michael W

Classifications

• A42C2/007 Primary

  Manufacturing custom-sized helmets · CPC title

• A41H3/04

  Making patterns by modelling on the human body · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• G05B19/4099

  Surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing · CPC title