U.S. patent application number 11/616538 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-03 for protective article.
Invention is credited to Li-Hua Yen.
Application Number | 20080155734 11/616538 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39581891 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080155734 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yen; Li-Hua |
July 3, 2008 |
PROTECTIVE ARTICLE
Abstract
A protective article includes a press molded body including a
core of a foam material and a rigid shell of a plastic material
molded over the core to thereby enclose intimately the core. The
foam material is selected from expanded polystyrene, expanded
polypropylene, expanded polyethylene, and ethylene-vinyl acetate
copolymer. The plastic material is selected from
acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyethylene
terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene.
Inventors: |
Yen; Li-Hua; (Taichung
Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCNEES WALLACE & NURICK LLC
100 PINE STREET, P.O. BOX 1166
HARRISBURG
PA
17108-1166
US
|
Family ID: |
39581891 |
Appl. No.: |
11/616538 |
Filed: |
December 27, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/411 ;
2/455 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 3/066 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/411 ;
2/455 |
International
Class: |
A41D 13/015 20060101
A41D013/015; A41D 13/00 20060101 A41D013/00 |
Claims
1. A protective article comprising: a press molded body including a
core of a foam material and a rigid shell of a plastic material
molded over said core to thereby enclose intimately said core.
2. The protective article of claim 1, wherein said foam material is
selected from the group consisting of expanded polystyrene,
expanded polypropylene, expanded polyethylene, and ethylene-vinyl
acetate copolymer.
3. The protective article of claim 1, wherein said plastic material
is selected from the group consisting of
acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyethylene
terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene.
4. A bicycle helmet comprising: a press molded body including a
core of a foam material and a rigid shell of a plastic material
molded over said core to thereby enclose intimately said core.
5. The bicycle helmet of claim 4, wherein said press molded body is
formed with a plurality of vent holes.
6. The bicycle helmet of claim 4, wherein said foam material is
selected from the group consisting of expanded polystyrene,
expanded polypropylene, expanded polyethylene, and ethylene-vinyl
acetate copolymer.
7. The bicycle helmet of claim 4, wherein said plastic material is
selected from the group consisting of
acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyethylene
terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene.
8. The bicycle helmet of claim 4, wherein said press molded body
defines an accommodating space, said rigid shell having an inner
wall confining a top side of said accommodating space, said bicycle
helmet further comprising a plurality of cushioning pads attached
to said inner wall of said rigid shell.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a protective article, more
particularly to a protective article including a core of a foam
material and a rigid shell molded over the core.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional bicycle helmet 1
that includes a rigid shell 12 and a foam material 11 attached to
an inner surface of the rigid shell 12 using an adhesive. The
conventional bicycle helmet 1 is disadvantageous in that the foam
material 11 tends to peel from the rigid shell 12 due to aging and
deterioration of the adhesive after a period of use. In addition,
the foam material 11 of the bicycle helmet 1 thus formed cannot be
enclosed by the rigid shell 12, and has portions 113 that are
exposed from the shell 12.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a
protective article that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks
associated with the prior art.
[0006] According to this invention, there is provided a protective
article that comprises: a press molded body including a core of a
foam material and a rigid shell of a plastic material molded over
the core to thereby enclose intimately the core.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional bicycle
helmet;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the conventional bicycle
helmet;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of
a protective article according to this invention;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment;
and
[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view to illustrate an inner
structure of the preferred embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0013] FIGS. 3 to 5 illustrate the preferred embodiment of a
protective article 2 according to this invention. In this preferred
embodiment, the protective article 2 is in the form of a bicycle
helmet.
[0014] The protective article 2 includes a press molded body
including a core 21 of a foam material and a rigid shell 22 of a
plastic material molded over the core 21 to thereby enclose
intimately the core 21.
[0015] Preferably, the foam material is selected from the group
consisting of expanded polystyrene, expanded polypropylene,
expanded polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and
expanded polyolefin.
[0016] Preferably, the plastic material is selected from the group
consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer,
polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene,
polystyrene, and engineering plastics.
[0017] The press molded body is formed with a plurality of vent
holes 20, and defines an accommodating space 201 in fluid
communication with the vent holes 20. The rigid shell 22 has an
inner wall 225 confining a top side of the accommodating space 201.
A plurality of cushioning pads 24 are attached to the inner wall
225 of the rigid shell 22. The rigid shell 22 further has an outer
wall 221 that is formed with a plurality of protrusions 222 and a
decorative pattern 23 thereon for providing an attractive
appearance.
[0018] Formation of the protective article 2 can be carried out by
preparing the core 21 of the foam material having a predetermined
shape in accordance with the intended application, placing the core
21 on a support (not shown), extruding a viscous melt of the
plastic material over the core 21 using an extruder (not shown),
enclosing the core 21 covered with the viscous melt in a mold (not
shown) and removing the support therefrom at the same time so as to
form the press molded body of the protective article 2. During
press molding, the viscous melt (which has a melting temperature
from 180 to 220.degree. C. based on the plastic material used)
completely fills the cavity in the mold, completely wraps around
the core 21, and is subsequently cooled down to form a closed
shell. In addition to the bicycle helmet, the protective article 2
can also be applied to other products, such as toys.
[0019] By molding over the core 21 with the plastic material to
form the rigid shell 22 of the protective article 2 of this
invention, the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art
can be eliminated.
[0020] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what is considered the most practical and preferred
embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretations and equivalent arrangements.
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