U.S. patent application number 12/477495 was filed with the patent office on 2010-12-09 for protective headwear for winter activities.
This patent application is currently assigned to HatMet.Inc.. Invention is credited to Steven K. Neid.
Application Number | 20100306904 12/477495 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43298410 |
Filed Date | 2010-12-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100306904 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Neid; Steven K. |
December 9, 2010 |
PROTECTIVE HEADWEAR FOR WINTER ACTIVITIES
Abstract
A protective headwear having shock absorptive and insulating
properties includes a head-receiving shell member adapted to
overlie the head of a wearer and an integral padding member
disposed between the at least two plies of the shell member. The
padding member is formed of a resilient shock absorbent polymeric
foam material, wherein the padding member is fully encapsulated
between the at least two plies of the shell member. The padding
member has a plurality of individual sections, with each individual
section adapted to overlie and protect one of the frontal,
parietal, temporal and occipital lobes of the brain and head of a
wearer.
Inventors: |
Neid; Steven K.; (Akron,
OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HAHN LOESER & PARKS, LLP
One GOJO Plaza, Suite 300
AKRON
OH
44311-1076
US
|
Assignee: |
HatMet.Inc.
Akron
OH
|
Family ID: |
43298410 |
Appl. No.: |
12/477495 |
Filed: |
June 3, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/414 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 1/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/414 |
International
Class: |
A42B 3/00 20060101
A42B003/00 |
Claims
1. A protective headwear having shock absorbing and insulating
properties, comprising a head-receiving shell member formed of a
flexible material and adapted to overlie and cover the head of a
wearer, said shell member comprising at least two plies, an
integral padding member disposed between the at least two plies of
the shell member, the padding member formed of a resilient shock
absorbent material, wherein the padding member is fully
encapsulated between the at least two plies of the shell member,
and wherein the padding member has a plurality of individual
sections, with each individual section adapted to overlie and
protect one of the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes
of the brain and head of a wearer.
2. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein the padding member
includes a section overlying the frontal lobe comprising a
plurality of arm members extending from a central spine type of
structure, the plurality of arm members extending over each portion
of the head overlying the frontal lobe.
3. The protective headwear of claim 2, wherein each arm member has
a cutout portion adjacent the forward end, which transitions into a
central extension that extends over the direct front portion of the
head, the cutout portions facilitating allowing the arms to conform
to the head of the wearer.
4. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein the padding member
includes a section overlying the parietal lobe comprising a
plurality of spoke members extending from a central area having a
predetermined diameter.
5. The protective headwear of claim 4, wherein each spoke has a
cutout portion between adjacent spokes and the central portion,
which facilitate allowing the spokes to conform to the head of the
wearer, while the spokes and central area extend over substantially
the entire area overlying the parietal lobe.
6. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein the padding member
includes a section overlying the occipital lobes comprising a
continuous section having a bottom, the section extending across
substantially the entire area of the occipital lobes.
7. The protective headwear of claim 6, wherein bottom is formed as
substantially straight.
8. The protective headwear of claim 6, wherein the padding member
includes sections overlying the temporal lobes comprising arm
members extending outward and forward from the section overlying
the occipital lobes.
9. The protective headwear of claim 8, wherein the dimension of the
arm members of the sections overlying the temporal lobes are in the
range of about 2 to 3 inches.
10. The protective headwear of claim 8, wherein the arm members of
the sections overlying the temporal lobes extend forwardly adjacent
a cutout section so as to wrap around the area of the head
overlying the temporal lobes on each side of the head.
11. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein the shell has a
mechanism for indicating to the user the proper orientation of the
headwear to allow it to be placed on the head such that the padding
member is properly positioned relative to the wearers head.
12. The protective headwear of claim 11, wherein the mechanism is
formed from the group consisting of indicia noting the front, sides
and/or back of the headwear, a separate member positioned on the
interior surface of shell member at the front, sides and/or back,
or combinations thereof.
13. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein the padding member
is formed of a high density poly foam material having a thickness
between about 3/16.sup.th and 7/16.sup.th inches.
14. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein said shell member
is formed of a thermal insulative textile material.
15. The protective headwear of claim 1, wherein the padding member
is formed of a high density poly foam material having a thickness
which varies with respect to the plurality of individual
sections.
16. A protective headwear having shock absorbing and insulating
properties, comprising a head-receiving shell member formed of a
flexible material and adapted to overlie and cover the head of a
wearer, at least one padding member formed of a resilient shock
absorbent material, wherein the padding member has a plurality of
individual sections, with each individual section adapted to
overlie and protect one of the frontal, parietal, temporal and
occipital lobes of the brain and head of a wearer.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to protective hat having shock
absorptive, insulating and skull conforming properties for use in
winter or cold environments, which includes a head-receiving fabric
member with foam padding adapted to overlie and protect, in varying
proportions, the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal and
occipital lobe of the head of a wearer.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A physical impact to the head of a person may cause serious
injury or death. To reduce the probability of such consequences,
protective gear, such as a helmet, is often used in activities that
are associated with an increased level of risk for a head injury.
Numerous kinds of protective headwear have been designed for
various uses, such as helmets for use in certain sporting or other
activities such as motorcycle helmets, football helmets, baseball
helmets, bicycling helmets and the like. Such headwear, for
example, is formed to have a hard, rigid shell which protects the
wearer against impacts that may be incurred in such activities or
sports. Although providing protection in such activities, such
helmets are not suitable for use in some activities. Helmets
similar to motorcycle helmets have also been used for activities
such as skiing, but as they are hard, rigid structures, and are
perceived as uncomfortable and/or cumbersome to wear. In other
activities conducted in winter or cold environments, such as ice
skating, people may not wear such helmets, as they are perceived as
unfashionable. Additionally, such rigid helmets pose problems to
users relating to storage or handling when not in use, as they
cannot be placed into a pocket or the like, as other winter hats
may be. When snow skiing, snowboarding or ice skating for example,
it is many times the case that the person may wish to remove a hat
used for keeping warm, and generally are able to position the hat
into a pocket of a coat or the like until they wish to resume
wearing the hat. Helmets also generally cannot be stored in
backpacks or the like which are often used to store gear during
skiing, snowboarding, ice skating or other winter activities. At
the same time, a typical winter hat does not provide any protection
to the head of the wearer in relation to impacts from falling or
the like, which may typically occur when skiing or snowboarding for
example. It would therefore be desirable to provide winter headwear
that provides thermal insulation to the wearer for keeping warm,
but also provides some protection for sensitive areas of the
head.
[0003] Other attempts have been made to provide protective headwear
for children or infants, hemophiliacs and seizure prone and
cerebral palsy patients, who are prone to impacts on the head, but
such headwear are not suitable for older aged people to use in
activities such as skiing, snowboarding, ice skating or the like.
Additionally, for elderly or impaired adults at risk for falls or
slips, particularly in cold weather conditions, there is no current
option for day to day use to mitigate the possibility of traumatic
brain injury. There is therefore a need for protective headwear for
use in winter or cold environments that is shaped to the head of a
wearer, comfortable to wear, and easy and cost-effective to
manufacture, and that may be used by children, adolescents and
adults.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0004] The invention relates to a protective headwear for use in a
cold environment having shock absorptive and thermal insulating
properties, which includes a head-receiving member formed of a
soft, thermal insulative textile material, and at least one padding
member integrated into the head-receiving member which is adapted
to overlie and protect at least in whole or in part the cranium or
skull overlying the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes
of the brain of the wearer. The head-receiving member may be formed
of a fabric or knit material as used in typical winter hats, and
includes at least one padding member formed of a resilient shock
absorbent polymeric foam material, wherein the textile fabric
material is constructed and arranged to fully enclose and
encapsulate the at least one padding member, so that the headwear
has a conventional appearance and surface texture on its interior
and exterior surfaces. The at least one padding member is comprised
of high density cross link polyethylene foam that has thermal
insulative characteristics as well as shock absorbing
characteristics. The thickness of the at least one padding member
is about 1/8 to about 3/8 inch, but the thickness may be varied if
desired. The at least one padding member is formed to have
extension portions which overlay the frontal, parietal, temporal
and occipital lobes of the brain when worn on the head. The padding
layer may have spaced holes or channels therethrough distributed
over the surface of the member to facilitate some ventilation to
the head. The at least one padding member is secured in position
with the fabric or knit material to maintain the proper position in
association with the portions of the cranium or skull when
correctly positioned on the head. The at least one padding member
has a configuration which is anatomically mapped to provide pad
sections and designs which confirm to the portions of the cranium
associated with different areas of the brain. The headwear may have
indicia or other suitable structure to direct the user to put it on
in the proper orientation for proper positioning of the at least
one padding member. The arrangement of the at least one padding
member provides thermal insulative characteristics, while being
conformed in use to the head of the wearer, and providing enhanced
impact protection.
[0005] These and other aspects and advantages will become more
apparent after careful consideration is given to the following
description of an example of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the
present invention and, together with the description, serve to
explain the principles of the invention. Unless specifically noted,
the drawings referred to in this description should be understood
as not being drawn to scale.
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a protective headwear
according to an example of the invention; and
[0008] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a padding member used in the
protective headwear of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The invention provides a protective headwear for use in a
cold environment having shock absorptive and thermal insulating
properties, which includes a head-receiving member formed of a
soft, thermal insulative textile material, and at least one padding
member integrated into the head-receiving member which is adapted
to overlie and protect at least the frontal, parietal, temporal and
occipital lobes of the brain and head of a wearer. As seen in FIG.
1, an example of the headwear 10 is shown wherein headwear 10
comprises a substantially tubular shell 12 of flexible fabric
having closed top 14 and a bottom aperture 16 to be placed over the
head. There may be a flexible/elastic band (not shown) adjacent the
bottom aperture to facilitate maintaining the position of the
headwear 10 on the head. The configuration of the headwear 10 may
include extensions for covering the ears integral with the shell 12
or other features, such as a face mask for covering the nose, mouth
and chin if desired, depending on weather conditions for example.
The shell 12 is formed of a thermal insulative textile material.
The shell 12 may be any suitable textile material, or other
suitable soft, flexible and thermal insulative material, such as a
insulating fabric. This fabric is for example a knit acrylic,
fleece-knit polyester bunting, or other cloth material, a fleece
material, or any other suitable material for assisting in retaining
heat when worn by a user in cold environments. The shell 12 may be
formed of a flexible fabric that is substantially impermeable to
liquid water while being permeable to water vapor. These properties
may make the hat resistant to water, such as precipitation,
entering from the outside, while at the same time allowing the hat
to "breathe" by the escape of water vapor produced by the
perspiration of the wearer. This can contribute to the comfort of
the wearer of the hat. In the example shown, the shell 12 may be
formed of a tubular member, where a portion of the tube is inverted
upon itself and the formed layers are secured to one another into
the shape as shown, which will be described in more detail. In this
manner, two layers form the shell, providing face to face surfaces
on the interior of the shell 12. An insulating fabric or other
material may also be positioned in the space between the layers to
provide additional insulation if desired. In general, the material
from which the hat 10 is made may be stretchable such that is
conforms to the head of the wearer, with one or a limited number of
sizes accommodating any size head. Alternately, the headwear 10 may
be formed in different sizes to accommodate different sized heads
and users, such as children, teens and adults.
[0010] The headwear 10 of the present invention is also provided
with a unitary padding member 20 provided in between and attached
to the interior surfaces of one or both layers of shell 12, so as
to be generally hidden from view, such that the headwear 10 appears
like a typical winter hat for example. The pad member 20 may be
formed of a resilient shock absorbent polymeric foam material or
other cushioning material. In an example, the padding member 20 may
be formed of a high density poly foam material, such as a two pound
density cross link polyethylene foam (XLPE #1900) having a
thickness between about 3/16.sup.th and 7/16.sup.th inches, and in
a more particular example about 5/16.sup.th inch. In an example,
the padding member 20 has a uniform thickness throughout, or in an
alternate example, various portions of the padding member 20 may be
provided with additional thickness if desired. Such a thickness or
variable thickness allows the pad member 20 to bend and form to the
wearers head without discomfort, while providing desired shock
isolation characteristics. Forming the pad member 20 as a unitary
member provides simplified and cost-effective manufacture thereof
and also facilitates retention of the pad member 20 in a desired
position upon being attached to the shell 12. The headwear 10 also
has a mechanism for indicating to the user the proper orientation
of the headwear to allow it to be placed on the head such that the
pad member 20 is properly positioned relative to the wearers head.
The mechanism may be of any suitable type, such as indicia noting
the front, sides and/or back of the headwear 10, a member such as a
patch or the like, positioned on the interior surface (or other
portion) of shell 12 at the front, sides and/or back, or other
suitable mechanism. It should also be understood that the
configuration of the pad member 20 conforms to the head, such that
if the headwear is misaligned on the head, it will not feel right
and not be comfortable, so as to alert the user to reorient the hat
correctly. The padding member 20 could be formed of a plurality of
pads, which may be of the same or varying materials in different
orientations. Further, the at least one padding member 20 could be
positioned within the cap as in this example, solely on the inside,
or even on the outside to make it seem more helmet like, or
variations of these if desired.
[0011] In the one-piece molded foam member 20, various impact zones
are integrated into the member 20. The impact zones are positioned
and designed to be anatomically mapped to confirm to particular
portions of the cranium associate with different areas of the
brain. The padding member 20 comprises a protective section 22
designed for the area of the head overlying the frontal lobe of the
wearer's brain. The frontal lobe is an area in the brain that is
located at the front of each cerebral hemisphere and positioned
anterior to (in front of) the parietal lobes and above and anterior
to the temporal lobes. It is separated from the parietal lobe by
the primary motor cortex, which controls voluntary movements of
specific body parts associated with the precentral gyrus. The
section 22 protects the frontal lobe by means of arm members 24
extending from a central spine type of structure 25 to extend over
each portion of the head overlying the frontal lobe. Each arm 24
has a cutout portion 26 adjacent the forward end, which transition
into a central extension 28 that extends over the direct front
portion of the head. The cutout portions facilitate allowing the
arms 24 to conform to the head of the wearer, while the arms extend
over substantially the entire area overlying the frontal lobe.
Protection of the frontal lobe of the brain is desired as the
frontal lobe contains most of the dopamine-sensitive neurons in the
cerebral cortex. The dopamine system is associated with reward,
attention, long-term memory, planning, and drive.
[0012] A section 30 of padding member 20 is designed to protect the
parietal lobe of the wearer's brain. The parietal lobe is a lobe in
the brain which is positioned above (superior to) the occipital
lobe and behind (posterior to) the frontal lobe. The section 30
protects the parietal lobe by means of spoke members 32 extending
from a central area 34 having a predetermined diameter. The
dimension of the central area 34 and spokes 32 may be in the range
of about 6 to 7 inches, such as about 6.5 inches for example. Such
dimensions are directed at the typical adult size head, but
depending on the user to which the headwear is directed, such as a
child, the dimensions could be varied to correspond to the users
head. The spoke members 32 extend over the area of the head
overlying the parietal lobe. Each spoke 32 has a cutout portion 36
between adjacent spokes 32 or the central portion 34, which
facilitate allowing the spokes 32 to conform to the head of the
wearer, while the spokes 32 extend over substantially the entire
area overlying the parietal lobe. Protection of the parietal lobe
of the brain is desired as the parietal lobe integrates sensory
information from different modalities, particularly determining
spatial sense and navigation. For example, it comprises
somatosensory cortex and the dorsal stream of the visual system.
This enables regions of the parietal cortex to map objects
perceived visually into body coordinate positions.
[0013] The padding member 20 further comprises a section 40 to
protect the occipital lobes. The occipital lobes are the smallest
of four lobes in the human cerebral cortex. Located in the rearmost
portion of the skull, the occipital lobes are part of the
forebrain. The cortical lobes are not defined by any internal
structural features, but rather by the bones of the skull that
overlie them. Thus, the occipital lobe is defined as the part of
the cerebral cortex that lies underneath the occipital bone. The
section 40 protects the occipital lobes by means of a continuous
section 42 having a substantially straight bottom 44 to extend
across substantially the entire area of the occipital lobes. As
this area of the head is particularly susceptible to impacts when
involved in activities like skiing or snowboarding, having a
continuous section facilitates protection. If desired, the section
40 could have an increased thickness. The dimension of the section
40 may be in the range of about 6 to 7 inches, such as about 6.5
inches for example. Such dimensions are directed at the typical
adult size head, but depending on the user to which the headwear is
directed, such as a child, the dimensions could be varied to
correspond to the users head. The section 40 extends over the area
of the head overlying the occipital lobes, and conforms to the
shape of the head in this region. Protection of the occipital lobes
of the brain is desired as the occipital lobes provide the visual
processing center of the human brain containing most of the
anatomical region of the visual cortex.
[0014] Sections 50 of padding member 20 are designed to protect the
temporal lobes of the wearer's brain. The temporal lobes are
regions of the cerebral cortex located beneath the Sylvian fissure
on both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. The sections
50 protect the temporal lobes by means of arm members 52 extending
outward and forward from the section 40. The dimension of the arms
52 may be in the range of about 2 to 3 inches for example. Such
dimensions are directed at the typical adult size head, but
depending on the user to which the headwear is directed, such as a
child, the dimensions could be varied to correspond to the users
head. The arm members 52 extend forwardly adjacent a cutout section
54 so as to wrap around the area of the head overlying the temporal
lobes on each side of the head. The cutout portions 54 between the
arms 52 and the section 42, facilitate allowing the arms 52 to
conform to the head of the wearer, while the arms 52 extend over
the substantially the entire area overlying the temporal lobes.
Protection of the temporal lobes of the brain is desired as the
temporal lobe is involved in auditory processing and is home to the
primary auditory cortex. It is also important for the processing of
semantics in both speech and vision. The temporal lobe contains the
hippocampus and plays a key role in the formation of long-term
memory.
[0015] The headwear 10 of the invention provides a protective hat
which comprises a head-receiving member with an integral padding
member 20 which overlies and protects certain portions of the
head/brain using a resilient shock absorbent polymeric foam
material integrated into a shell of textile fabric, so constructed
as to have the appearance of a conventional hat. The padding member
20 is configured and constructed that it readily conforms to the
head of the wearer, while providing thermal insulation and yet
adequate ventilation to the wearers head. The impact protection and
thermal insulation are provided in a configuration which is
comfortable to wear and allows for easy storage and handling like a
typical winter hat. In an example, the headwear 10 is fabricated in
a manner as hereafter described.
[0016] In an example, the headwear 10 is fabricated in a manner as
hereafter described. The thermo-protective shield or integral
padding member 20 may be die-cut from a crosslink polyethylene
foam--2#, having a thickness of 5/16.sup.th inches, and dimensions
such as 14''.times.11''.times.6.5''. A hat shell 12 may be formed
of an acrylic two-ply knit. The padding member 20 is affixed at its
center to the acrylic knit shell using commercial tacking machine.
Thereafter, the step of inverting the padding member 20 onside hat
is performed and the seam is closed. The thermo-protective shield
20 is sewn between the 2 ply acrylic-knit hat component. The step
of inverting the knit acrylic hat tube is performed and a pattern
is traced on both ends of hat tube. The step of surging the first
outer seams closed is performed and the poly-foam is tacked to the
top center of the hat, such as using a 1''.times.1'' piece of scrap
on opposite side of foam (to hold stitch through). A tacker may be
set to 1/4'' to attach the foam padding member 20. Inverting the
hat and tucking the foam pad 20 inside, followed by serge of the
inner seams to closed and tucking inside the hat fully encases the
pad member 20 in the shell 12. Thereafter, the headwear 10 may be
placed on a head form to shape the hat. The foam member 20 is then
tacked into place to prevent shifting. The equipment needed for
production is simple and cost-effective, and includes a surger,
tacker and head form. The materials needed are also cost-effective,
and include an acrylic knit unfinished hat tube (such as 8'' width
by 22'' length), a 2 lb. density cross link polyethylene foam (XLPE
#1900)--(such as 5/16'' thick), and thread (to match the hat
color). The headwear 10 combines the comfort, ease of use and
superior warmth of the typical knit hat with a modest amount of
protection against head trauma from winter recreational sports and
activities. As the materials and manufacture of the headwear 10 are
very low cost, the headwear can be used by the vast majority of
recreational winter sports enthusiasts, from children to adults,
who enjoy non-aggressive winter sports and activities. It is the
paring of convenience, functionality, and protection all in one
simple, affordable and appealing hat 10.
[0017] The headwear 10 works much better than any typical knit hat
because the padding protection shield 20 imbedded between the two
knit plies of the shell 12 also functions as a heat insulator.
Independent testing data shows that the high density poly-foam
retains 300% more heat on the scalp, which is the most significant
area of heat loss in on the human body in cold temperatures. This
high impact material also functions as a protective barrier for the
skull/brain in the event of common head trauma that typically
occurs in many falls. The headwear 10 is not intended as a
replacement for a helmet in more aggressive endeavors such as
terrain park skiing/snowboarding, downhill racing, hockey, luge, or
similar aggressive winter sports that require maximum protection
that only a much bulkier helmet can afford. The headwear 10 is
designed specifically for the 90% of winter sports enthusiasts who
ski, snowboard, skate, and/or sled ride recreationally, who, for a
wide variety of reasons prefer not to wear a large plastic helmet
as previously described. Studies show that most recreational winter
sports head trauma cases involve simple falls and not aggressive
maneuvers, and the headwear 10 provides some protection against
such trauma. The headwear 10 protects against these simple falls
that can result in significant injury and sometimes death. The
headwear 10 is designed to provide the recreational winter sports
enthusiast with a modest amount of protection and superior warmth
due to the thermal insulating properties of the padding member 20
in association with shell 12, in a very cost effective
construction. As the headwear 10 may be formed using a unitary
padding member 20 having specially designed sections, the member 20
may be inexpensively produced, such that the entire product can be
produced very inexpensively, and therefore be mass produced and
widely used. The headwear 10 has the look of a typical hat, that
may be more appealing to image-conscious people as compared to
protective helmets for example, and is more comfortable to wear and
easier to store and handle as compared to traditional helmets.
[0018] While the invention has been illustrated and described with
respect to various examples and applications, the same is to be
considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it
being understood that only illustrative embodiments thereof have
been shown and described. All changes and modifications that come
within the spirit of the invention described by the following
claims are desired to be protected. Additional features of the
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon
consideration of the description. Modifications may be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *