U.S. patent application number 11/498801 was filed with the patent office on 2008-02-07 for protective shell construction and method.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sport Maska Inc.. Invention is credited to Garnet Alexander, Guillaume Belanger, Leif Skottheim.
Application Number | 20080028499 11/498801 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39027666 |
Filed Date | 2008-02-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080028499 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Skottheim; Leif ; et
al. |
February 7, 2008 |
Protective shell construction and method
Abstract
A shell for protective equipment having a rigid outer layer
defining an outer surface suitable for directly receiving a surface
finish thereon, an inner layer having a higher impact resistance
than the outer layer, and an intermediate layer sandwiched between
the outer and inner layers, the intermediate layer forming a bond
with the inner and outer layers. Also, there is provided a
protective element comprising rigid inner and outer layer, and an
intermediate layer sandwiched between the outer and inner layers,
the intermediate later absorbing part of an energy produced upon an
impact on the outer surface of the outer layer. Further, there is
provided a method of manufacturing a shell for protective
equipment.
Inventors: |
Skottheim; Leif; (Malung,
SE) ; Alexander; Garnet; (Beaconsfield, CA) ;
Belanger; Guillaume; (Montreal, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OGILVY RENAULT LLP
1981 MCGILL COLLEGE AVENUE, SUITE 1600
MONTREAL
QC
H3A2Y3
US
|
Assignee: |
Sport Maska Inc.
|
Family ID: |
39027666 |
Appl. No.: |
11/498801 |
Filed: |
August 4, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/414 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42C 2/00 20130101; A42B
3/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/414 |
International
Class: |
A42B 3/00 20060101
A42B003/00 |
Claims
1. A shell for protective equipment comprising: a rigid outer layer
defining an outer surface suitable for directly receiving a surface
finish thereon; an inner layer having a higher impact resistance
than the outer layer; and an intermediate layer sandwiched between
the outer and inner layers, the intermediate layer forming a bond
with the inner and outer layers.
2. The protective shell according to claim 1, wherein the
intermediate layer is more flexible than the inner and outer
layers.
3. The protective shell according to claim 1, wherein the outer
layer includes a thermoplastic material.
4. The protective shell according to claim 1, wherein the inner
layer includes at least one of polyethylene fibers, vinylon fibers,
fiberglass, carbon fibers, aramid fibers and basalt fibers.
5. The protective shell according to claim 1, wherein the
intermediate layer includes a polymer film.
6. The protective shell according to claim 5, wherein the polymer
film is one of a polyamide copolymer and an urethane blend
copolymer.
7. A protective element comprising: a rigid outer layer defining an
aesthetic outer surface; an inner layer having a higher impact
resistance than the outer layer; and an intermediate layer
sandwiched between the outer and inner layers, the intermediate
layer absorbing part of an energy produced upon an impact on the
outer surface of the outer layer.
8. The protective element according to claim 7, further comprising
a padding layer connected to at least portions the inner layer
opposite of the intermediate layer.
9. The protective element according to claim 7, wherein the outer
layer includes a thermoplastic material.
10. The protective element according to claim 7, wherein the inner
layer includes at least one of polyethylene fibers, vinylon fibers,
fiberglass, carbon fibers, aramid fibers and basalt fibers.
11. The protective shell according to claim 7, wherein the
intermediate layer includes a polymer film.
12. The protective shell according to claim 11, wherein the polymer
film is one of a polyamide copolymer and an urethane blend
copolymer.
13. The protective shell according to claim 7 wherein the
intermediate layer forms a bond with the inner and outer
layers.
14. A method of manufacturing a shell for protective equipment, the
method comprising: preforming a rigid outer layer to a desired
shape of the shell; bonding an intermediate layer to the outer
layer, the outer layer including a material adapted to bond with a
selected curable material; placing the outer and intermediate
layers in a female support having the desired shape of the shell,
the outer layer lying against the support; placing a layer of fiber
material over the intermediate layer; providing the selected
curable material in contact with the layer of fiber material; and
applying pressure on the curable material and layer of fiber
material to flow the curable material within the layer of fiber
material, cure the curable material and bond the curable material
with the intermediate layer.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the steps of
preforming the rigid outer layer and bonding the intermediate layer
to the outer layer are performed simultaneously.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the steps of
preforming the rigid outer layer and bonding the intermediate layer
are performed through a vacuum molding process.
17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the layer of fiber
material is preformed before being applied over the intermediate
layer.
18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the pressure is
applied by inflating a bladder complementary to the support to
press the bladder against the layer of fiber material.
19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising heating
the curable material while applying the pressure.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the pressure and heat
are applied by inflating a bladder complementary to the support to
press the bladder against the layer of fiber material, the bladder
being inflated by flowing pressurized hot water therein.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to safety equipment, more
particularly to sports helmets and masks.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Helmets having a shell completely made of fiber reinforced
materials, including for example carbon fibers or fiberglass, are
known and generally provide high impact resistance. However these
materials generally have a coarse surface finish, and as such at
least the outer surface of the shell needs to be sanded or
otherwise treated to smooth the coarse surface before a finish such
as paint can be applied thereto, thus increasing the time and cost
involved in the manufacture of the helmet.
[0003] Helmets having a shell completely made of thermoplastic
material are also known and generally provide an aesthetic surface
necessitating little or no preparation before application of a
surface finish such as paint. However, since thermoplastic
materials have a generally lower impact resistance than the fiber
reinforced materials described above, the thickness of
thermoplastic helmets has to be significantly increased to obtain
an equivalent resistance, thus increasing the bulk and weight of
the helmet.
[0004] As such, it is known, for example through U.S. Pat. No.
6,468,644 issued Oct. 22, 2002 to Hong et al. and incorporated
herein by reference, to provide a helmet having an outer layer of
thermoplastic material in contact with an inner layer of fiber
reinforced plastic. However, adhesion between the inner and outer
layers is generally not optimal and can be improved.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0005] It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide
an improved protective shell construction which can be used for
example in hockey helmets and hockey goaltender's masks.
[0006] Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there
is provided a shell for protective equipment comprising a rigid
outer layer defining an outer surface suitable for directly
receiving a surface finish thereon, an inner layer having a higher
impact resistance than the outer layer, and an intermediate layer
sandwiched between the outer and inner layers, the intermediate
layer forming a bond with the inner and outer layers.
[0007] In a particular embodiment, the shell is a goaltender's mask
shell. Other applications for the shell include, but are not
limited to, other portions of a goaltender's helmet such as a back
plate, as well as other types of hockey helmets, baseball helmets
and lacrosse helmets.
[0008] Also in accordance with the present invention, there is
provided a protective element comprising a rigid outer layer
defining an aesthetic outer surface, an inner layer having a higher
impact resistance than the outer layer, and an intermediate layer
sandwiched between the outer and inner layers, the intermediate
layer absorbing part of an energy produced upon an impact on the
outer surface of the outer layer.
[0009] Further in accordance with the present invention, there is
provided a method of manufacturing a shell for protective
equipment, the method comprising preforming a rigid outer layer to
a desired shape of the shell, bonding an intermediate layer to the
outer layer, the intermediate layer including a material adapted to
bond with a selected curable material, placing the outer and
intermediate layers in a female support having the desired shape of
the shell, the outer layer lying against the support, placing a
layer of fiber material over the intermediate layer, providing the
selected curable material in contact with the layer of fiber
material, and applying pressure on the curable material and layer
of fiber material to flow the curable material within the layer of
fiber material, cure the curable material and bond the curable
material with the intermediate layer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings,
showing by way of illustration a particular embodiment of the
present invention and in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shell of a goaltender's
mask in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present
invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a section of the shell
of FIG. 1 combined with a padding layer;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a step of the manufacture of
the shell of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of another step of the
manufacture of the shell of FIG. 1; and
[0015] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a further step of the
manufacture of the shell of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS
[0016] Referring now to FIG. 1, a hockey goaltender's mask shell is
generally shown at 10. The mask shell 10 is usually connected to a
padding layer 12 (see FIG. 2) extending along at least portions of
an inner surface 14 of the shell 10. The shell 10 defines the front
part of a goaltender's helmet (not shown). A back plate (not shown)
covering the back of the head of the wearer is usually elastically
connected to the shell 10 to complete the helmet.
[0017] The shell 10 includes a top portion 16 formed to cover a top
and front part of the head of the wearer, a bottom portion 18
adapted to cover the jaw and throat of the wearer, and side
portions 20 interconnecting the top and bottom portions 16, 18. The
top, bottom and side portions 16, 18, 20 frame a window 22, which
is usually covered by a wire cage (not shown) such as to protect
the face of the wearer while minimizing visual obstruction. A
plurality of holes 24 may be defined through the shell 10 to
provide ventilation and/or to receive various attachment members
such as straps therein. Such a goaltender's helmet configuration is
known and will not be further detailed therein.
[0018] Although the present invention will be described herein as
being applied to a goaltender's mask, it is understood that the
described shell structure can be applied to any other adequate type
of protective element including, but not limited to, a back plate
of a goaltender's helmet, other types of hockey helmets, baseball
helmets and lacrosse helmets.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 2, the shell 10 according to a particular
embodiment of the present invention is composed of an outer layer
26, an intermediate layer 28 and an inner layer 30, which are in
superposed relationship. In the parts of the mask where the padding
layer 12 is present, the padding layer 12 is connected along the
inner surface 14 of the shell 10 defined by the inner layer 30.
[0020] The outer layer 26 is resistant and defines an aesthetic
outer surface 32 of the shell 10, i.e. a surface suitable for
application of a surface finish thereon such as paint, ink,
varnish, etc. without substantial preparation of the surface, and
preferably with no preparation of the surface at all. In a
particular embodiment, the outer layer 26 is made of a suitable
rigid thermoplastic such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene).
Other suitable rigid thermoplastics include, for example,
polyethylene, polypropylene and polycarbonate. As such, the outer
surface 32 of the shell 10, defined by the outer layer 26,
necessitates no or minimal preparation before the application of,
for example, team colors and/or a team logo.
[0021] The inner layer 30 has a higher impact resistance than the
outer layer 26 and is made of a high resistance material such as,
for example, a composite including carbon fibers in an epoxy resin
matrix. Alternate materials for the inner layer 30 include fiber
reinforced plastics or composites including polyethylene fibers,
vinylon fibers, fiberglass, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, basalt
fibers, and combinations thereof.
[0022] The intermediate layer 28 is substantially thinner than the
outer and inner layers 26, 30 but still forms a distinct layer of
the shell 10. In a particular embodiment, the intermediate layer 28
is a film a few millimeters thick. The intermediate layer 28 is
made of a material adapted to form a chemical bond with the resin
of the inner layer 30 such as to provide an improved adhesion
between the outer and inner layers 26, 30, i.e. an increased bond
strength when compared to the adhesion of the outer and inner
layers 26, 30 in direct contact with one another. Appropriate
materials for the intermediate layer 28 include polymer films such
as polyamide copolymers or urethane blend copolymers, which form a
bond with epoxy resin contained in a particular embodiment of the
inner layer 30.
[0023] In a particular embodiment, the intermediate layer 28 has a
Young's modulus which is substantially lower than that of the outer
and inner layers 26, 30, i.e. the intermediate layer 28 is
substantially more flexible than the outer and inner layers 26, 30.
Because of this flexibility, the intermediate layer 28 is deformed
upon an impact received on the outer surface 32 of the outer layer
26, and as such acts as a dampener absorbing part of the impact
energy through that deformation.
[0024] The outer layer 26, intermediate layer 28 and inner layer 30
are assembled according to the following. First, the outer layer 26
and intermediate layer 28 are adhered to each other and preformed
to define the shape of the shell 10. Referring to FIG. 3, in a
particular embodiment, this is done by depositing a flat sheet of
thermoformable material 26' for forming the outer layer 26 over a
female vacuum mold 50 having the shape of the shell 10, then
depositing a flat film 28' for forming the intermediate layer 28
over the outer layer sheet 26'. Both sheets 26', 28' are heated
until softened and shaped in the mold 50 through a vacuum molding
process. Upon cooling, the formed sheets 26', 28' define the outer
and intermediate layers 26, 28 adhered to one another.
[0025] Alternately, the outer layer 26 can be preformed alone, and
the copolymer of the intermediate layer 28 can be mixed with a
solvent and pulverized on the preformed outer layer 26 to form the
intermediate layer 28 adhered thereto.
[0026] Referring to FIG. 4, the assembled outer and intermediate
layers 26, 28 are deposited in a female support 34 having the
desired shape of the shell 10, with the outer layer 26 in contact
with the support 34. The support 34 does not require a precise,
mold-like surface finisk as the outer layer 26 is already rigid and
self-supporting. Rather, the support 34 prevents the outer layer 26
from being deformed by the forming process of the inner layer 30
described below.
[0027] In a particular embodiment, the inner layer 30 includes a
fiber mat 36 which is malleable, and is also preshaped prior to
assembly with the outer and intermediate layers 26, 28, for example
through vacuum molding. With the outer and intermediate layers 26,
28 in the support 34, the preshaped fiber mat 36 is placed over the
intermediate layer 28.
[0028] Alternately, the pre-shaping of the fiber mat 36 can be
omitted and the fibers can be shaped directly through application
over the intermediate layer 28 if the fiber mat 36 is flexible
enough. The fiber mat 36 can be replaced by fibers having any other
adequate configuration, including several plies of fiber material
with or without resin therebetween.
[0029] Resin 37 or another adequate curable material is poured over
the fiber mat 36, the adequate quantity of resin 37 being
determined through experimentation. Alternately, one or several
plies of composite material in prepreg form, i.e. already including
resin which is minimally cured, can replace the fiber mat 35,
provided the prepreg is flexible enough to conform to the shape of
the shell 10; the separate application of the resin 37 is omitted
since resin is already provided in the prepreg.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 5, a cover 35 is installed over the
support 34, the cover 35 including an inflatable bladder 38, such
as a silicon bladder, which has a shape complementary to that of
the support 34. The bladder 38 is progressively filled such as to
apply pressure on the fiber mat 36 and resin 37 against the outer
and intermediate layers 26, 28. The pressure allows the resin 37 to
flow within the entirety of the fiber mat 36 and down through the
fibers to the intermediate layer 28. The pressure also causes the
resin 37 to cure. The resin 37 reacts with the intermediate layer
28 and forms a bond therewith, thus attaching the intermediate
layer 28 and inner layer 30 together.
[0031] In a particular embodiment, the bladder 38 is filled with
hot water at a pressure of approximately 15 psi. The heat of the
bladder 38 accelerates the cure of the resin 37, thus reducing
manufacturing time. Alternately, the bladder 38 can be filled with
air or with any other appropriate fluid. With resins that are
curable under pressure at room temperature, such as epoxy resin,
the bladder 38 can be filled with a room temperature fluid. With
resins necessitating heat to cure, the bladder 38 is filled with a
hot fluid.
[0032] When the resin 37 is cured, the cover 35 is opened, the
assembled layers 26, 28, 30 are removed from the support 34 and the
excess material is trimmed. The various holes 24 and the window 22
(shown in FIG. 1) are cut to obtain the finalized shell 10. An
appropriate surface finish, such as paint, varnish, etc., is
applied over the outer layer 26 to obtain a desired look.
[0033] The embodiments of the invention described above are
intended to be exemplary. Those skilled in the art will therefore
appreciate that the foregoing description is illustrative only, and
that various alternate configurations and modifications can be
devised without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such
alternate configurations, modifications and variances which fall
within the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *