Protection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12446635-B2
Application number	US-202318388640-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2023
Priority date	May 12, 2021
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A protection device worn on a human body and protects a head of the human body includes a base portion attachable to the human body, and a protection unit having a honeycomb structure or a bellows structure, held by the base portion, and being reversibly switchable between a folded orientation in which the protection unit is folded and an unfolded orientation in which the protection unit is unfolded from the folded orientation and thus the protection unit covers the head of the human body, the protection unit being provided with a fixed end fixed to the base portion and a free end not fixed to the base portion, the protection unit is folded in a state where the free end is close to the fixed end, and the protection unit is unfolded around the head while the free end separates from the fixed end.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A protection device, comprising:
a base portion attachable to a human body; and
a protection unit, including:
a fixed end fixed to the base portion, a free end, and a drive portion; and
a bellows structure fixed to the fixed end and the free end, and coupled to the drive portion;

a lock portion configured to selectively lock the protection unit in a folded orientation; and
a trigger portion engaged to the lock portion and configured to unlock the lock portion by releasing the lock portion from the trigger portion to cause the protection unit to be unfolded by the elastic force of the drive portion,
wherein in the folded orientation, the bellows structure of the protection unit is folded in a state where the free end is adjacent to the fixed end, and the drive portion is compressed toward the fixed end, the free end being elastically biased with the elastic force of the drive portion toward the fixed end, and
wherein in the unfolded orientation, the protection unit is unfolded around the head of the human body with a corrugated shape while the free end moves from the fixed end by the elastic force of the drive portion, at a time of switching from the folded orientation to the unfolded orientation based on that the trigger portion releases the lock portion.

2. The protection device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect a state of the human body or a state around the human body; and
a control unit configured to acquire a detection result by the detection unit and control the trigger portion to release the protection unit locked by the lock portion when the detection result satisfies a predetermined condition.

3. The protection device according to claim 2 , wherein the detection unit includes at least one sensing unit selected from an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a positioning device, a camera, a radar, a Laser Detection and Ranging system (LIDAR), and a three-dimensional scanner.

4. The protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive portion is configured to cause the protection unit to unfold by driving the free end of the protection unit in the folded orientation and thus moving the free end from the fixed end.

5. The protection device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect a state of the human body or a state around the human body; and
a control unit configured to acquire a detection result by the detection unit and control the drive portion to cause the drive portion to operate when the detection result satisfies a predetermined condition.

6. The protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the free end of the protection unit rotates about a straight line at a predetermined position as a rotation center to reversibly change an orientation thereof between the folded orientation before activation and the unfolded orientation after activation.

7. The protection device according to claim 6 , wherein
the protection unit is formed of a buffer material having a buffering function, and the buffer material has a bellows shape in which a rib is attached to a crest portion of the buffer material, and
the rib is bridged between guide rails disposed on left and right side surfaces of the base portion and provided with grooves, and left and right end portions of the rib are slidably attached to the grooves.

8. The protection device according to claim 6 , wherein the base portion is an enclosure that surrounds the head of the human body in a U-shape in a plan view and the protection unit is formed in the U-shape in the plan view.

9. The protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the base portion is used in a state where a lower surface thereof is in contact with shoulders of the human body and the base portion is disposed around a neck of the human body.

10. The protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the protection unit is formed of a buffer material having a buffering function, and the buffer material also covers a face of the human body when the protection unit is activated and brought into the unfolded orientation.

11. The protection device according to claim 10 , wherein the buffer material is the drive portion.

12. The protection device according to claim 1 , further comprising a fixing portion configured to fix the base portion to the human body.

13. The protection device according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover portion configured to cover at least a surface of the protection unit that is located on a side of the head, when the protection unit is brought into the unfolded orientation.

14. A protection device, comprising:
a base portion attachable to a human body;
an drive portion;
a protection unit having a bellows structure, held by the base portion, and being switchable between a folded orientation in which the protection unit is folded and an unfolded orientation in which the protection unit is unfolded from the folded orientation by an elastic force of the drive portion elastically biased to the unfolded orientation and thus the protection unit covers the head of the human body, the protection unit being provided with a fixed end fixed to the base portion and a free end not fixed to the base portion;
a lock portion configured to lock the protection unit in a folded orientation against the elastic force of the drive portion;
a trigger portion engaged to the lock portion and configured to selectively unlock the protection unit locked by the lock portion by releasing the lock portion from the trigger portion to cause the protection unit to be unfolded by the elastic force of the drive portion,
the protection unit being folded in a state where the free end is adjacent to the fixed end in the folded orientation and elastically biased with the elastic force to the unfolded orientation, and
the protection unit being unfolded upward to form a gutter shape while the free end, as a whole, moves from the fixed end by the elastic force biased to the unfolded orientation, at a time of switching from the folded orientation to the unfolded orientation based on that the lock portion is released from the trigger portion.

15. The protection device according to claim 14 , further comprising a restriction portion including one end connected to a side of the free end of the protection unit and the other end connected to the base portion, the restriction portion being configured to restrict a moving distance of the free end.

16. The protection device according to claim 14 , further comprising the drive portion configured to cause the protection unit to unfold by driving the free end of the protection unit in the folded orientation and thus moving the free end from the fixed end,
wherein the drive portion is a spring, and one end thereof is connected to the base portion and the other end thereof is connected to a side of the free end of the protection unit.

17. The protection device according to claim 14 , further comprising a cover portion configured to cover at least a surface of the protection unit that is located on a side of the head, when the protection unit is brought into the unfolded orientation,
wherein the cover portion is formed of a non-stretchable material and functions as a restriction portion.

18. The protection device according to claim 14 ,
wherein the protection unit is formed of a buffer material having a buffering function, and the buffer material has a bellows shape in which a rib is attached to a crest portion of the buffer material, and
wherein the buffer portion is the driv

Assignees

• Daicel Corp

Inventors

• Ukita Shinichiro
• Nakai Shunji
• Yamazaki Masayuki

Classifications

• A42B3/322 Primary

  Collapsible helmets · CPC title

• A41D13/015 Primary

  with shock-absorbing means (A41D13/05 takes precedence) · CPC title