U.S. patent application number 12/653605 was filed with the patent office on 2010-07-01 for helmet.
This patent application is currently assigned to AVANTS INTERNATIONAL CORP.. Invention is credited to Sheng-Hsu Tsai.
Application Number | 20100162471 12/653605 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42283192 |
Filed Date | 2010-07-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100162471 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tsai; Sheng-Hsu |
July 1, 2010 |
Helmet
Abstract
A helmet includes a shell, a base coating layer entirely
covering an outer surface of the shell, and a decorative layer
entirely and thermally bonded to an entire outer surface of the
base coating layer. The decorative layer includes an adhesive
layer, a reflective layer that is bonded to the adhesive layer and
that has a plurality of reflective particles, and a patterned layer
that is printed on the adhesive layer. A method of forming the
helmet is also disclosed.
Inventors: |
Tsai; Sheng-Hsu; (Budai
Township, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TOWNSEND AND TOWNSEND AND CREW, LLP
TWO EMBARCADERO CENTER, EIGHTH FLOOR
SAN FRANCISCO
CA
94111-3834
US
|
Assignee: |
AVANTS INTERNATIONAL CORP.
Taipei
TW
|
Family ID: |
42283192 |
Appl. No.: |
12/653605 |
Filed: |
December 15, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/410 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 3/061 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/410 |
International
Class: |
A42B 3/00 20060101
A42B003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 30, 2008 |
TW |
097223666 |
Claims
1. A helmet comprising: a shell; a base coating layer entirely
covering an outer surface of said shell; and a decorative layer
entirely and thermally bonded to an entire outer surface of said
base coating layer, and including: an adhesive layer; a patterned
layer printed on said adhesive layer; and a reflective layer having
a plurality of reflective particles bonded to said adhesive
layer.
2. The helmet as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a release
substrate covering said reflective layer.
3. The helmet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reflective
particles include glass sands.
4. The helmet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reflective
particles include stone crystal particles.
5. The helmet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reflective
particles include metal particles.
6. A helmet comprising: a shell, a base coating layer coated on an
entire outer surface of said shell, and a decorative layer bonded
to an entire outer surface of said base coating layer, said
decorative layer including a patterned layer, an adhesive layer,
and a reflective layer, the helmet being made by a process which
includes: coating said base coating layer on the entire outer
surface of said shell; forming said decorative layer on a release
substrate; disposing said release substrate together with said
decorative layer on said base coating layer to cover entirely said
base coating layer; and thermal bonding said decorative layer to
said base coating layer.
7. The helmet of claim 6, wherein said decorative layer is formed
by: spraying said reflective particles onto said release substrate
to form said reflective layer; applying said adhesive layer to said
reflective layer; and printing said patterned layer on said
adhesive layer.
8. The helmet of claim 7, wherein said adhesive layer is applied by
spraying.
9. The helmet of claim 6, wherein said patterned layer is in
contact with said base coating layer when said decorative layer is
disposed on said base coating layer.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to Taiwanese Application
No. 097223666, filed Dec. 30, 2008, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to a helmet, more particularly to a
helmet capable of reflecting light.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] A conventional light reflective sticker that is flat and
that has a large surface area is incapable of being tightly and
entirely attached to a helmet that has a nearly spherical shape. A
helmet that has a plurality of conventional small light reflective
stickers attached thereon is unable to efficiently reflect light
from a distant vehicle, thereby being incapable of warning a driver
of the distant vehicle. Furthermore, the two types of the
aforementioned light reflective stickers may lose stickiness
thereof due to long-term exposure to sun and rain, and may be hence
detached from helmets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a helmet
that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art.
[0007] According to one aspect of this invention, there is provided
a helmet that includes a shell, a base coating layer entirely
covering an outer surface of the shell, and a decorative layer
entirely and thermally bonded to an entire outer surface of the
base coating layer. The decorative layer includes an adhesive
layer, a patterned layer that is printed on the adhesive layer, and
a reflective layer that has a plurality of reflective particles
bonded to the adhesive layer.
[0008] According to another aspect of this invention, there is
provided a helmet that includes a shell, a base coating layer
coated on an entire outer surface of the shell, and a decorative
layer bonded to an entire outer surface of the base coating layer.
The decorative layer includes a patterned layer, an adhesive layer,
and a reflective layer. The helmet is made by a process which
includes coating the base coating layer on the entire outer surface
of the shell, forming the decorative layer on a release substrate,
disposing the release substrate together with the decorative layer
on the base coating layer to cover entirely the base coating layer,
and thermal bonding the decorative layer to the base coating
layer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of
a helmet according to this invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary partly sectional view of the
preferred embodiment; and
[0012] FIG. 3 is the same view as FIG. 2 but illustrating that a
release substrate is removed from a reflective layer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the preferred embodiment of
a helmet 1 according to the present invention includes a shell 2, a
base coating layer 3 that entirely covers an outer surface of the
shell 2, and a decorative layer 4 that is entirely and thermally
bonded to an entire outer surface of the base coating layer 3. The
decorative layer 4 includes an adhesive layer 5, a reflective layer
6 that is bonded to the adhesive layer 5 and that includes a
plurality of reflective particles 61, and a patterned layer 40 that
is printed on the adhesive layer 5.
[0014] The shell 2 may be made from a plastic material by virtue of
injection molding or may be made from a resin-impregnated glass
fiber. The base coating layer 3 is disposed on an outer surface of
the shell 2 through a spray coating process, thereby forming a base
color of the shell 2. When the base coating layer 3 is melted by
means of heat, the decorative layer 4 can be bonded to the base
coating layer 3.
[0015] The patterned layer 40 may include a brand logo or other
patterns, and can be directly printed and mass produced. The
adhesive layer 5 is transparent, and interconnects the patterned
layer 40 and the reflective layer 6.
[0016] In this embodiment, the reflective particles 61 are tiny
glass sands. Alternatively, the reflective particles 61 could be
light reflective stone crystal particles or metal particles in
other embodiments. The reflective particles 61 are uniformly
disposed over the shell 2 such that light transmitted from any
angle to the shell 2 can be efficiently reflected by the reflective
particles 61.
[0017] The helmet 1 further includes a release substrate 7 that
covers the reflective layer 6. In this embodiment, the release
substrate 7 is made from a transparent plastic material. It should
be noted that the release substrate 7 could be made from a paper
material in other embodiments. The release substrate 7 is able to
protect the reflective layer 6 (e.g., to prevent the reflective
layer 6 from being scratched) and is removable from the reflective
layer 6. When the helmet 1 is required to be used, the release
substrate 7 is preferably removed from the reflective layer 6 so as
to expose the same (see FIG. 3). Consequently, the reflective
particles 61 can reflect light more efficiently.
[0018] A method of making the helmet 1 is described as follows.
After the shell 2 is formed, a coating is sprayed on the entire
outer surface of the shell 2 to form the base coating layer 3. The
reflective particles 61 are sprayed onto one surface of the release
substrate 7, thereby forming the reflective layer 6. An adhesive is
sprayed on the reflective layer 6 so as to form the adhesive layer
5. The patterned layer 40 is printed on one surface of the adhesive
layer 5 opposite to the reflective layer 6. The decorative layer 4
is thus formed.
[0019] Subsequently, the decorative layer 4 is disposed on the base
coating layer 3 with the patterned layer 40 being in contact with
the outer surface of the base coating layer 3. The decorative layer
4 is then transfer printed onto the outer surface of the base
coating layer 3 by virtue of a thermal bonding process using
pneumatic pressure or hydraulic pressure. The decorative layer 4 is
therefore tightly and entirely bonded to the shell 2. During
thermal bonding, the base coating layer 3 is melted, and is bonded
to the decorative layer 4.
[0020] By dint of pneumatic pressure or hydraulic pressure, the
decorative layer 4 can be tightly and entirely attached to the
shell 2 in any shape. The decorative layer 4 thermal bonded to the
base coating layer 3 can be prevented from being separated from the
shell 2. Accordingly, the reflective layer 6 can also be prevented
from being released from the shell 2.
[0021] 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
interpretation and equivalent arrangements.
* * * * *