Helmet for impact protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9961952-B2
Application number	US-201514828051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2015
Priority date	Aug 17, 2015
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A helmet for protecting a head of a wearer, such as a hockey, lacrosse, football or other sports player. The helmet may have various features to protect the wearer's head against impacts, such as linear impacts and rotational impacts. For example, pads of the helmet may be movable relative to one another in response to an impact on the helmet. The helmet may comprise a frame comprising a plurality of frame members carrying respective ones of the pads and configured to move relative to one another in response to the impact to allow relative movement of the pads.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A helmet for protecting a head of a wearer, the helmet comprising:
a) an outer shell;
b) inner padding disposed within the outer shell, the inner padding comprising a plurality of pads configured to move relative to one another in response to an impact on the helmet; and
c) an adjustment mechanism to adjust a fit of the helmet on the wearer's head, the outer shell comprising a first shell member and a second shell member that are movable relative to one another by operating the adjustment mechanism.

2. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the inner padding comprises a frame carrying the pads.

3. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the frame is disposed between the outer shell and the pads.

4. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the frame is deformable to allow the pads to move relative to one another in response to the impact on the helmet.

5. The helmet of claim 4 , wherein the frame comprises a material having an elastic modulus of no more than 150 GPa.

6. The helmet of claim 5 , wherein the elastic modulus of the material of the frame is no more than 50 GPa.

7. The helmet of claim 4 , wherein the frame comprises a thermoplastic material.

8. The helmet of claim 4 , wherein the frame comprises nylon or polycarbonate.

9. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the inner padding comprises connectors connecting the frame to the outer shell and deformable to allow the pads to move relative to one another in response to the impact on the helmet.

10. The helmet of claim 9 , wherein the connectors are stretchable to allow the pads to move relative to one another in response to the impact on the helmet.

11. The helmet of claim 10 , wherein each connector comprises an elastomeric material.

12. The helmet of claim 11 , wherein the elastomeric material is rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer.

13. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein a given one of the pads is omnidirectionally movable relative to another one of the pads in response to the impact.

14. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the frame is thinner than a given one of the pads.

15. The helmet of claim 14 , wherein a ratio of a thickness of the frame over a thickness of the given one of the pads is no more than 0.5.

16. The helmet of claim 15 , wherein the ratio of the thickness of the frame over the thickness of the given one of the pads is no more than 0.3.

17. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the frame comprises a plurality of frame members carrying respective ones of the pads and configured to move relative to one another in response to the impact on the helmet.

18. The helmet of claim 17 , wherein the frame members are arranged into a network.

19. The helmet of claim 18 , wherein the respective ones of the pads are attached at nodes of the network.

20. The helmet of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of frame members comprises:
a plurality of pad supports to which the respective ones of the pads are attached; and
a plurality of links interconnecting the pad supports.

21. The helmet of claim 20 , wherein each link is elongated.

22. The helmet of claim 20 , wherein given ones of the links are curved.

23. The helmet of claim 20 , wherein each pad support is located where respective ones of the links intersect.

24. The helmet of claim 23 , wherein the pad support comprises an enlargement where the respective ones of the links intersect.

25. The helmet of claim 23 , wherein the respective ones of the links comprise at least three of the links.

26. The helmet of claim 17 , wherein a front one of the frame members extends in a front part of the helmet and carries front ones of the pads and a rear one of the frame members extends in a rear part of the helmet and carries rear ones of the pads.

27. The helmet of claim 26 , wherein at least one of the front one of the frame members and the rear one of the frame members comprises a plurality of openings.

28. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the frame is connected to the outer shell.

29. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the frame is connected to a remainder of the helmet in a lower edge region of the helmet.

30. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the frame is unconnected to a remainder of the helmet from an apex of the frame downwardly for at least one-quarter of a height of the frame.

31. The helmet of claim 30 , wherein the frame is unconnected to the remainder of the helmet from the apex of the frame downwardly for at least half of the height of the frame.

32. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein a range of motion of a first one of the pads relative to a second one of the pads in response to the impact on the helmet corresponds to at least 1% of a length of the helmet.

33. The helmet of claim 32 , wherein the range of motion of the first one of the pads relative to the second one of the pads in response to the impact on the helmet corresponds to at least 5% of the length of the helmet.

34. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein a range of motion of a first one of the pads relative to a second one of the pads in response to the impact on the helmet corresponds to at least 0.5% of a width of the helmet.

35. The helmet of claim 33 , wherein the range of motion of the first one of the pads relative to the second one of the pads in response to the impact on the helmet corresponds to at least 1.5% of the width of the helmet.

36. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein a range of motion of a first one of the pads relative to a second one of the pads in response to the impact on the helmet is at least 2.5 mm.

37. The helmet of claim 36 , wherein the range of motion of the first one of the pads relative to the second one of the pads in response to the impact on the helmet is at least 5 mm.

38. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pads includes at least three pads.

39. The helmet of claim 38 , wherein the plurality of pads includes at least five pads.

40. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein, when the adjustment mechanism is operated to set a maximal size of the helmet, a maximal gap between adjacent ones of the pads is no more than 20 mm.

41. The helmet of claim 40 , wherein the maximal gap between the adjacent ones of the pads is no more than 10 mm.

42. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein a given one of the pads comprises a polymeric cellular material.

43. The helmet of claim 42 , wherein the polymeric cellular material comprises foam.

44. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein a given one of the pads comprises elastomeric material.

45. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein a first one of the pads comprises a first material and a second one of the pads comprises a second material different from the first material.

46. The helmet of claim 45 , wherein the first material is denser than the second material.

47. The helmet of claim 45 , wherein the first material is stiffer than the second material.

48. The helmet of claim 45 , wherein a third one of the pads comprises a third material different from the first material and the second material.

49. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the pads are a

Assignees

• Bauer Hockey Corp
• Bauer Hockey Llc

Inventors

• Durocher Jacques

Classifications

• A42B3/127 Primary

  with removable or adjustable pads · CPC title