U.S. patent application number 13/103729 was filed with the patent office on 2012-02-16 for helmet padding systems.
Invention is credited to Kerry Sheldon Harris.
Application Number | 20120036620 13/103729 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46603289 |
Filed Date | 2012-02-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120036620 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Harris; Kerry Sheldon |
February 16, 2012 |
HELMET PADDING SYSTEMS
Abstract
Padding systems for use with helmets are described. An example
padding system includes a pad body having a substantially unitary
base portion. The base portion has a first side and a second side
opposite the first side, the first side to face an inner surface of
a helmet and the second side to face the head of a person when the
helmet is worn by the person. The padding system also includes a
first plurality of raised portions distributed on the first side of
the base portion, at least some of the first raised portions
extending beyond a first surface of the first side to fill first
spaces between the inner surface of the helmet and the pad body
when the padding system is installed in the helmet and the helmet
is worn by the person. Additionally, the padding system includes a
second plurality of raised portions distributed on the second side
of the base portion, at least some of the second raised portions
extending beyond a second surface of the second side to engage the
head of the person when the helmet is worn by the person.
Inventors: |
Harris; Kerry Sheldon; (San
Antonio, TX) |
Family ID: |
46603289 |
Appl. No.: |
13/103729 |
Filed: |
May 9, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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61401510 |
Aug 16, 2010 |
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61462375 |
Feb 2, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/414 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 3/127 20130101;
F41H 1/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/414 |
International
Class: |
A42B 3/10 20060101
A42B003/10 |
Claims
1. A padding system for use in a helmet, comprising: a pad body
having a substantially unitary base portion, the base portion
having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the
first side to face an inner surface of a helmet and the second side
to face the head of a person when the helmet is worn by the person;
a first plurality of raised portions distributed on the first side
of the base portion, at least some of the first raised portions
extending beyond a first surface of the first side to fill first
spaces between the inner surface of the helmet and the pad body
when the padding system is installed in the helmet and the helmet
is worn by the person; and a second plurality of raised portions
distributed on the second side of the base portion, at least some
of the second raised portions extending beyond a second surface of
the second side to engage the head of the person when the helmet is
worn by the person.
2. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some
of the first raised portions are distributed on the first side to
fill the first spaces in regions corresponding to portions of the
helmet likely to receive an impact.
3. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some
of the second raised portions are distributed on the second side to
form second spaces between the pad body and the head of the person
when the helmet is worn by the person.
4. The padding system as defined in claim 3, wherein the second
spaces facilitate ventilation when the helmet is worn by the
person.
5. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some
of the second raised portions are distributed on the second side to
control a distribution of a weight of the helmet on the head of the
person when the helmet is worn by the person.
6. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some
of the second raised portions are deformable to facilitate
engagement with the head of the person when the helmet is worn by
the person.
7. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein the pad body
comprises channels to facilitate ventilation when the helmet is
worn by the person.
8. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one
of the first raised portions extends a different distance beyond
the first surface than another one of the first raised
portions.
9. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one
of the second raised portions extends a different distance beyond
the second surface than an another one of the second raised
portions.
10. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one
of the second raised portions comprises a first material and
another one of the second raised portions comprises a second
material different than the first material.
11. The padding system as defined in claim 10, wherein the first
material is to grip the head of the person and the second material
is to absorb moisture from the head of the person.
12. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one
of the first raised portions is made of a first material and at
least one of the second raised portions is made of a second
material different than the first material.
13. The padding system as defined in claim 12, wherein the base
portion is made of a third material different than at least one of
the first or second materials.
14. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein first raised
portions comprise an impact absorbing material.
15. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least
one of the first raised portions or the second raised portions is
thermally fused to the pad body.
16. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one
of the first raised portions or the second raised portions is
coupled via an adhesive or a mechanical fastener to the pad
body.
17. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one
of the first raised portions or the second raised portions are
integrally formed with the pad body by varying a thickness of the
pad body in a region corresponding to the at least one of the first
raised portions or the second raised portions.
18. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein base portion
has a plurality of arms extending from a central portion of the pad
body.
19. The padding system as defined in claim 18, wherein the central
portion and the arms are shaped to substantially cover the inner
surface of the helmet when the padding system is installed in the
helmet.
20. The padding system as defined in claim 19, wherein at least one
of the arms is tapered to narrow toward the central portion.
21. The padding system as defined in claim 18, wherein the
plurality of arms comprises four arms, two of the arms lying along
a first longitudinal axis and the other two arms lying along a
second longitudinal axis perpendicular to the first longitudinal
axis.
22. The padding system as defined in claim 21, wherein the two arms
lying along the first longitudinal axis are to be positioned
adjacent left and right sides of the head of the person, and
wherein the two arms lying along the second longitudinal axis are
to be positioned adjacent the front and back sides of the head of
the person.
23. The padding system as defined in claim 18, wherein at least
some of the raised portions are disposed along a longitudinal axis
of one of the arms.
24. The padding system as defined in claim 18, wherein each of the
arms includes a slot and the pad body comprises a plurality of pad
portions to slidably engage respective ones of the slots to enable
adjustment of the padding system when the padding system is
installed in the helmet.
25. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some
of the raised portions are disk-shaped or cylindrically-shaped.
26. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some
of the raised portions are disposed in respective recesses in the
pad body.
27. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein prior to
being installed in the helmet, the pad body has a substantially
flat profile.
28. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein the pad body
comprises at least one of a foam material, a vinyl material, a
urethane material, a polystyrene material, an elastomeric material,
or a polypropylene material.
29. The padding system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one
of raised portions comprises at least one of a foam material, a
vinyl material, a urethane material, a polystyrene material, an
elastomeric material, or a polypropylene material.
30. The padding system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a
fabric cover encapsulating the pad body, the fabric to wick
moisture from the head of the person when the helmet is worn by the
person.
31. A padding system for use in a helmet, comprising: a pad body
having a base portion, the base portion having a first side and a
second side opposite the first side, the first side to face an
inner surface of a helmet and the second side to face the head of a
person when the helmet is worn by the person; a first plurality of
inserts distributed on the first side of the base portion and
substantially integral with the pad body, the first inserts to
engage the inner surface of the helmet when the padding system is
installed in the helmet; and a second plurality of inserts
distributed on the second side of the base portion and
substantially integral with the pad body, the second inserts to
engage the head of the person when the helmet is worn by the
person.
32. The padding system as defined in claim 31, wherein at least one
of the inserts extends beyond a first surface of the first side or
a second surface of the second side to prevent the direct transfer
of kinetic energy between at least one area of the inner surface of
the helmet and the head of the person when the helmet is worn by
the person.
33. The padding system as defined in claim 32, wherein at least
another one of the inserts extends a different distance beyond the
first surface or the second surface than the at least one of the
inserts.
34. The padding system as defined in claim 31, wherein at least
some of the inserts are integrally formed with, heat fused to,
coupled via an adhesive to, or mechanically coupled to the pad
body.
35. The padding system as defined in claim 31, wherein at least
some of the first inserts comprise an impact absorbing
material.
36. The padding system as defined in claim 31, wherein at least
some of the second inserts comprise a moisture absorbing
material.
37. The padding system as defined in claim 31, wherein at least
some of the second inserts are deformable to facilitate engagement
with the head of the person.
38. The padding system as defined in claim 37, wherein the at least
some of the second inserts are cylindrically shaped and composed of
a foam material to facilitate engagement with the head of the
person.
39. The padding system as defined in claim 31, wherein the base
portion comprises a plurality of radially extending arms and the
inserts are distributed on the arms.
40. A padding system for use in a helmet, comprising: a pad body
having a substantially unitary base portion, the base portion
having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the
first side to face an inner surface of a helmet and the second side
to face the head of a person when the helmet is worn by the person,
the base portion defining a plurality of flexible arms separately
extending from a central portion; and a plurality of raised
portions on the pad body and distributed on the first side of the
base portion, at least some of the raised portions located on the
arms and extending beyond a first surface of the base portion to
fill spaces between the inner surface of the helmet and the pad
body when the padding system is installed in the helmet and the
helmet is worn by the person.
41. The padding system as defined in claim 40, wherein at least
some of the raised portions are distributed on the first side to
fill the spaces in regions corresponding to portions of the helmet
likely to receive an impact.
42. The padding system as defined in claim 40, wherein at least one
of the raised portions extends a different distance beyond the
first surface than another one of the raised portions.
43. The padding system as defined in claim 40, wherein at least
some of the raised portions are disk-shaped and fixed in respective
recesses in the pad body.
44. The padding system as defined in claim 40, wherein at least
some of the raised portions are formed by varying a thickness of
the pad body.
45. The padding system as defined in claim 40, wherein prior to
being installed in the helmet, the pad body has a substantially
flat profile.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 61/401,510 filed on Aug. 16,
2010, and the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/462,375, filed on Feb. 2, 2011, both of which
are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their
entireties.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] The present disclose relates generally to helmets and, more
particularly, to padding systems for use with helmets.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Helmets are generally composed of a relatively thin, hard
shell and an impact absorbing liner or suspension system. In some
known helmets, the impact absorbing liner is a foam body having a
relatively uniform thickness and a shape that conforms to the inner
surface of the helmet. Such helmets and liners may fit loosely on a
person's head. A loose fit can reduce the level of protection
provided by the helmet and can also compromise the stability of the
helmet during head and/or body movements. In some cases, if the
liner is formed to provide a tighter fit on a person's head, the
stability and the protection provided by the helmet may be improved
somewhat, but the degree of comfort provided by the helmet may be
degraded significantly. An uncomfortable helmet poses further
danger because a person wearing the helmet is more likely to remove
the helmet, thereby leaving their head completely unprotected.
[0004] Other known helmets employ a plurality of separately
positionable pads having various thicknesses. These pads may be
attached to the inner surface of the helmet in locations likely to
receive an impact. For example, pads may be located at the top,
front, back and sides of the helmet. With these helmets, the fit of
the helmet can be adjusted using pads of different thicknesses to
provide an acceptable degree of protection and comfort for the
individual wearing the helmet. However, in practice, because the
pads are separate, they may be easily removed and may not be
properly repositioned or may not be returned to the helmet and,
thus, enable safety of the helmet to be easily compromised.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 depicts a back side or helmet-side view of an example
helmet padding system.
[0006] FIG. 2 depicts a front side or head-side view of the example
helmet padding system of FIG. 1.
[0007] FIG. 3 depicts the example padding system of FIGS. 1 and 2
installed in a helmet.
[0008] FIGS. 4 and 5 depict cross-sectional views of the example
padding system of FIGS. 1 and 2 installed in the helmet of FIG.
3.
[0009] FIGS. 6 and 7 depict another example helmet padding
system.
[0010] FIG. 8 depicts the example padding system of FIGS. 6 and 7
installed in a helmet.
[0011] FIG. 9 depicts another example helmet padding system.
[0012] FIG. 10 depicts the example substantially unitary base
portion of the example helmet padding system of FIG. 9
[0013] FIGS. 11A and 11B depict the manner in which the pads of
FIG. 9 are slidably coupled to the arms of the base portion.
[0014] FIGS. 12 and 13 depict another example helmet padding
system.
[0015] FIG. 14 depicts the example padding system of FIGS. 12 and
13 having a moisture-wicking fabric cover and positioned for
installation in a helmet.
[0016] FIG. 15 shows the example padding system of FIGS. 12 and 13
installed in the helmet of FIG. 14.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] The example helmet padding systems described herein provide
improved safety, fit and comfort characteristics in comparison to
many conventional helmet liners, pads and/or suspension systems. In
general, example helmet padding systems described herein may be
made of one or more impact attenuating or absorbing materials that
have been arranged and configured to increase an amount of impact
absorbing material in contact with inner surfaces of various
helmets while at the same time improving comfort, fit and load
distribution (i.e., the distribution of weight) of the helmets on
the heads of persons wearing the helmets in comparison to many
conventional liners, pads and/or suspension systems.
[0018] Further, prior to installation in helmets, the example
helmet padding systems described herein may be configured to have a
substantially flat profile or geometry to facilitate shipping or
transport of the padding systems. For example, shipping a quantity
of padding systems or storage of a helmet padding system in a
backpack or other container or location is more efficient as a
result of such a flat, uninstalled profile or geometry.
Additionally, some known helmet padding systems that are formed to
have a substantially non-flat profile or geometry (e.g., a shape
that corresponds to the three-dimensional shape of an inner surface
of a helmet) are more difficult to ship or transport in quantity
and more difficult to store due to their susceptibility to
permanent deformation (e.g., crushing or flattening). Once
deformed, these known helmet padding systems may be very difficult,
if not impossible, to install in a helmet, may no longer provide a
comfortable fit and/or may be compromised such that they no longer
provide a sufficient degree of impact protection. Thus, the
substantially flat uninstalled profile or geometry of the example
helmet padding systems described herein also advantageously
eliminate or minimize such deformation issues and the related
performance degradation associated with these known helmet padding
systems.
[0019] The example helmet padding systems described herein may be
implemented as composite structures in which different materials of
the structures are shaped and arranged in different layers and/or
locations to provide a desired level of impact absorption or
attenuation and comfort for a particular type of helmet or
application. For example, an example helmet padding system may have
a pad body composed of an impact absorbing material and including a
substantially unitary base portion having a central portion and a
plurality of separate, flexible arms extending radially from the
central portion. Such a structure enables the pad body to assume a
substantially flat profile (with the arms extending outward and
generally parallel to each other and the central portion) when not
installed in a helmet. Also, this structure can be easily installed
in a helmet by pushing the central portion toward the top portion
of the inner surface of the helmet and conforming (bending,
curving) the flexible arms to fit the curved inner surface of the
helmet.
[0020] To increase the amount of impact absorbing material in
contact with the inner surface of a helmet without compromising fit
or comfort for the person wearing the helmet, the example helmet
padding systems described herein include a plurality of first
raised portions, such as spacers, inserts and/or integrally formed
features, distributed on a first side of the pad body that is to
face the inner surface of a helmet. The first raised portions
extend beyond (i.e., are raised or project relative to) a surface
of the first side so that when the padding system (and the pad
body) is installed in the helmet and the helmet is worn by a
person, the first raised portions fill spaces that would otherwise
exist between the padding system and the curved inner surface of
the helmet. In other words, without the first raised portions,
certain regions of the padding system would otherwise exhibit a gap
or space between the inner surface of the helmet and the padding
system. Such gaps may adversely affect the ability of the padding
system and helmet to absorb or attenuate impacts (such as blunt
force impacts), particularly in the areas of the helmet
corresponding to the gaps or spaces. Specifically, these gaps or
spaces may significantly reduce the time for which the impact
absorbing material of the padding system is able to absorb the
energy of an impact to the helmet. Thus, because the total energy
imparted to a helmet during an impact may be largely independent of
the presence and/or size of any such gaps or spaces, the reduction
of impact absorption time may result in greater peak accelerations
or forces being transferred to the absorbing material and, as a
result, the head of the person wearing the helmet. Accordingly, the
example helmet padding systems described herein may distribute the
first raised portions on the pad body to fill such spaces or gaps,
particularly in areas or regions of the helmet that are likely to
receive an impact. In this manner, the example padding systems can
achieve a significant reduction in the peak forces or accelerations
to which the person wearing the helmet is subjected and, therefore,
greatly improve the ability of a helmet to protect the person
wearing the helmet.
[0021] The first raised portions may extend the same or different
distances beyond the surface of the first side, may have the same
or different geometries, shapes or sizes, and/or may be made of the
same or different materials to suit the needs of a particular
application. For example, the extension distances of each of the
first raised portions may be selected to optimize fit of a helmet
on the head of a person while minimizing or eliminating any gaps or
spaces between the helmet padding system and the inner surface of a
helmet while the helmet is being worn by a person. Similarly, the
geometries, shapes or sizes of the first raised portions and/or the
materials of which the first raised portions are made may be
selected to optimize fit, comfort and protection provided by the
helmet padding system.
[0022] To further improve comfort, fit, load distribution and
safety of a helmet, the example helmet padding systems described
herein may also include a second plurality of raised portions (such
as spacers, inserts and/or integrally formed features) on a second
side of the pad body or base portion. The second raised portions
may extend beyond a surface of the second side to engage the head
of a person wearing the helmet and suspend the helmet on the head
of the person.
[0023] The second raised portions may be configured and distributed
on the second side to distribute (e.g., balance) the weight of the
helmet on the head of a person wearing the helmet and to stabilize
the helmet on the person's head, particularly in response to
expected patterns of movement by the person in the environment in
which the helmet is to be used. For example, in certain military
and/or law enforcement applications, such expected movements may
include running, jumping, crawling, rolling, rapid head and/or
upper body movements, etc. More specifically, in some examples, the
second raised portions may be located to engage the topmost portion
of the person's head as well as the front (e.g., upper forehead),
the back and the sides of the person's head.
[0024] The second raised portions may be made to have the same
material, geometry, and/or dimensions, or may be made of different
materials having different geometries and/or dimensions selected to
perform different functions based on the locations of the second
raised portions relative to the head of a person wearing a helmet
including the padding system. For example, the second raised
portions may be composed of a material and extend sufficiently
beyond the surface of the second side to firmly grip the person's
head to stabilize the helmet. Alternatively or additionally, the
second raised portions may be composed of a material that is
deformable in response to contact with the person's head to enable
the second raised portions to deform or move in a manner that
maintains firm contact with the person's head without compromising
comfort. Additionally or alternatively, the second raised portions
may be composed of and/or covered with a material that can wick
moisture away from the head of the person and/or may be composed of
a material that is impact absorbing or attenuating.
[0025] The second raised portions are also sized or dimensioned to
form spaces or gaps between the head of the person wearing the
helmet and the inner surface of the padding system. In other words,
the second raised portions may also function to suspend the helmet
on the head of the person. Such suspension of the helmet
facilitates ventilation via the gaps or spaces and, thus, greatly
improves comfort for the person wearing the helmet. Additionally,
these gaps or spaces between the person's head and the padding
system may function to prevent the direct transmission of (i.e.,
direct paths for the transmission of) kinetic energy imparted via
an impact to the helmet to the person's head, thereby further
enhancing safety of the helmet. For example, with helmets having a
ballistic shell (i.e., a shell design to stop projectiles such as
bullet slugs), the impact of a slug may nevertheless result in
significant deformation of the helmet shell such that the inner
surface of the helmet shell is forced inward toward the head of the
person wearing the helmet (e.g., backface deformation). Such rapid
deformation of the helmet shell may convey a significant amount of
kinetic energy to portions of the padding system in contact with
the deformed portion of the helmet shell. The gaps or spaces formed
by the second raised portions between the head of the person and
the padding system may prevent the kinetic energy imparted to the
helmet shell by an impact such as a bullet slug and any of the
padding system in contact with the helmet shell from being conveyed
directly to those portions of the person's head adjacent to the
gaps or spaces.
[0026] The example padding systems described herein may also employ
additional slots, grooves or channels in the pad body to further
enhance ventilation and, thus, comfort. Additionally, the example
padding systems may include a moisture-wicking or other fabric that
covers at least part of or which may fully encapsulate the pad body
to improve comfort for the person wearing a helmet employing one of
the padding systems.
[0027] As noted above, the example padding systems may be composite
structures involving multiple types of material and/or multiple
layers of materials having multiple shapes or geometries to perform
different respective functions associated with safety, fit and/or
comfort in accordance with the locations on the padding system.
Thus, in some examples, the base portion of the pad body and the
first raised portions, spacers or inserts distributed on the first
side of the pad body (i.e., the side to face the inner surface of a
helmet) may be made of a highly impact attenuating or absorbing
material. Further, the first raised portions may be disk shaped,
cylindrically shaped or any other geometry to maximize conformance
or engagement between the raised portions with the inner surface of
the helmet. The second raised portions on the second side of the
pad body (i.e., the side to face the head of a person wearing the
helmet) may likewise be made of an impact absorbing material and/or
may be made more compliant and/or of a material that provides
comfort when engaged with the head of a person. These second raised
portions may also be disk shaped, cylindrically shaped or any other
geometry to maximize conformance or engagement with the person's
head, thereby maximizing comfort and stability of the helmet.
[0028] Still further, while the example padding systems described
herein may include multiple materials, layers, portions, etc., the
example padding systems may be constructed in a manner that results
in the substantial integration of two or more of the components or
features of the padding systems. For example, various features may
be formed from a unitary piece of material (e.g., via a heat
forming and/or pressing process) and/or one or more features or
components may be fixed to one another in a manner that results in
substantial integration or a substantially unitary body. As used
herein such substantial integration means formed from a unitary
piece of material (e.g., via a molding process, a heat forming or
pressing process, a mechanical shaping process, etc.) or joining
components via a thermal process (e.g., heat fusing), a mechanical
fastener or fasteners (e.g., sewing, stitching, etc.), a chemical
process (e.g., adhesives), etc. In some example implementations,
the raised portions may be substantially integrated with the pad
body or a base portion of the pad body. In one particular
implementation, the raised portions may be disk-shaped or
cylindrically-shaped portions that are disposed in recesses in the
pad body or base portion and joined thereto via a heat fusing
process or any other process or apparatus that substantially
integrates the disk-shaped or cylindrically-shaped portions with
the pad body or base portion.
[0029] The examples described in more detail below in connection
with the figures are not to be construed as limiting the invention.
Rather, these examples are provided to facilitate an understanding
of the invention. Further, the examples depicted in the figures are
not necessarily drawn to scale and, thus, are not to be construed
as limiting the invention to any particular proportions or
dimensions.
[0030] FIG. 1 depicts a back-side or helmet-side view of an example
helmet padding system 100 described herein and FIG. 2 depicts a
front-side or head-side view of the example helmet padding system
100 of FIG. 1. As used herein the term "helmet side" refers to a
portion, surface or side of a structure that is to face an inner
surface of a helmet. Conversely, the term "head side" refers to a
portion, surface or side of a structure that generally faces the
head of a person. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the example helmet
padding system 100 includes a pad body 102 having a substantially
unitary base portion 104. The base portion 104 has a first side or
helmet side 106 that is to face an inner surface of a helmet when
the padding system 100 is installed in the helmet. A second side or
head side 108 of the base portion 104 opposite the helmet side 106
is to face the head of a person when a helmet having the padding
system 100 is worn by the person.
[0031] In this example, the pad body 102 or base portion 104
includes a plurality of arms 112a-d extending radially away from a
central portion 114 of the pad body 102. As shown in FIG. 3, the
central portion 114 and the arms 112a-d are shaped to substantially
cover the inner surface of a helmet when the padding system 100 is
installed in the helmet. In this particular example, there are four
arms, where the arms 112a and 112c, which lie along a first
longitudinal axis 116, are to be curved upward (in the orientation
of FIG. 1) when the padding system 100 is installed in a helmet so
that these arms 112a and 112c are to be positioned adjacent the
front and back sides of the head of a person wearing the helmet.
The remaining two arms 112b and 112d lie along another longitudinal
axis 118, which is perpendicular to the first axis 116, so that
when the padding system 100 is installed in a helmet, these arms
112b and 112d are positioned adjacent the right and left sides of
the person's head.
[0032] As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, prior to being installed in
a helmet, the pad body 102 has a substantially flat profile. Such a
flat profile facilitates efficient shipping and/or storage of the
padding system 100 and minimizes or prevents deformation or damage
to the padding system 100 that could otherwise compromise the
functionality or performance of the padding system 100. To provide
this flat non-installed profile or geometry, the arms 112a-d are
flexible and remain separate from each other, thereby enabling
independent movement and/or positioning of the arms during the
installation of the padding system 100 in a helmet. Further, the
geometries of the pad body 102 and, particularly, the arms 112a-d,
are selected so that the padding system substantially covers the
inner surface of a helmet when the padding system 100 is installed
and, thus, conformed to the inner surface of the helmet. More
specifically, each of the arms 112a-d is tapered to narrow toward
the central portion 114, thereby complementing the tapered profile
of the inner surface of a helmet.
[0033] Turning in more detail to FIG. 1, the helmet side 106
includes a first plurality of inserts or raised portions 110a-m
distributed over the base portion 104 or pad body 102. These first
raised portions 110a-m extend beyond a first surface 120 of the
helmet side 106 to fill spaces between the inner surface of the
helmet and the pad body 102 when the padding system 100 is
installed in the helmet and the helmet is worn by a person. In
particular, the first raised portions 110a-m are located such that
they correspond to regions of the helmet where, without the raised
portions 110a-m, a space or gap would otherwise exist between the
padding system 100 and the inner surface of the helmet. As noted
above, such gaps or spaces can significantly degrade the ability of
a helmet to attenuate or reduce the peak forces to which a person's
head may be subjected when they are wearing the helmet and the
helmet is impacted. Further, one or more of the raised portions
110a-m may also correspond to regions of the helmet that are likely
to receive an impact (e.g., a blunt force impact). In the example
of FIG. 1, at least some of the raised portions 110a-m are located
on the arms 112a-d and at least some of the raised portions 110a-m
are located along the longitudinal axis 116 of the arms 112a and
112c.
[0034] The number of raised portions 110a-m used and/or the
locations of the raised portions 110a-m used can be varied to suit
the needs of a particular application. Further, the distances by
which the raised portions 110a-m extend or project beyond the
surface 120 may the same or different as needed to fill any gaps or
spaces that would otherwise exist without the raised portions
110a-m. Still further, the raised portions 110a-m may be disposed
in respective recesses (one of which is shown at reference number
122) of the pad body 102. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, the
raised portions 110a-m are generally disk shaped or cylindrically
shaped. However, any other shape or geometry may be used instead to
achieve similar or identical results.
[0035] Now turning in more detail to FIG. 2, the head side 108
includes a second plurality of inserts or raised portions 124a-m
distributed on the base portion 104 or the pad body 102. At least
some of these raised portions 124a-m extend beyond a surface 126 of
the head side 108 to engage the head of a person when a helmet
including the padding system 100 is worn by the person. More
specifically, the locations of these raised portions 124a-m and/or
the distance(s) by which they extend or project beyond the surface
126 may be selected to form spaces between the pad body 102 and the
head of a person when the helmet is worn by the person. As
described in more detail in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5 below,
the spaces formed by the raised portions 124a-m facilitate
ventilation when the helmet is worn by the person. Further, the
locations of the raised portions 124a-m, in addition to
facilitating ventilation to certain areas within a helmet, also
function to control a distribution of a weight of the helmet on the
head of the person when the helmet is worn by the person.
Additionally, the raised portions 124a-m are made of a material or
materials that are deformable to facilitate engagement with the
head of a person when a helmet including the padding system 100 is
worn by the person. Specifically, the raised portions 124a-m may be
easily displaced or deformed to conform to the contours of the
person's head, thereby maximizing the surface area of the raised
portions 124a-m engaged with the person's head. The raised portions
124a-m may extend or project different distances beyond the surface
126 to enable the pad body 102 to contact the various contours of
the head of a person wearing a helmet with the padding system 100
installed to maintain a sufficiently tight but comfortable fit as
well as a stable fit that evenly distributes the weight of the
helmet on the person's head.
[0036] The head side 108 of the pad body 102 may also include a
plurality of channels or grooves, some of which are indicated with
reference numbers 128-136, that further facilitate ventilation.
These channels 128-136 also increase the flexibility of the pad
body 102 to allow the pad body 102 to be more easily conformed to
the curved inner surface of a helmet.
[0037] Optionally, the head side 108 of the pad body 102 may
include one or more surfaces that have been covered with a material
that increases the comfort of a person wearing a helmet with the
padding system 100. For example, relatively soft, low density foam
may be placed in certain locations on the pad body 102
corresponding to the top of a person's head and their forehead. In
FIG. 2, reference numbers 138-148 correspond to example areas or
regions of the head side 108 that may include such a comfort
material. However, more, fewer and/or different regions of the head
side 108 could include such a material or materials.
[0038] One or more materials may be used to the form the example,
padding system 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2. In general, the materials used
for the base portion 104, the raised portions 110a-m, 124a-m and,
more generally, the pad body 102, are impact absorbing or
attenuating materials and/or comfort providing materials. These
materials include, but are not limited to foam-based materials,
vinyl-based materials, urethane-based materials, polystyrene-based
materials, elastomeric materials and/or polypropylene-based
materials. More specifically, example known materials include EVA
foam, vinyl nitrile, urethane foam, expanded polystyrene, expanded
polypropylene, silicone elastomer, memory foam, urethane gel,
thermoplastic elastomer, urethane elastomer, etc.
[0039] The materials used to form the pad body 102 may be varied
among the regions of the pad body 102 to optimize the overall
performance of the padding system 100. For example, the base
portion 104 and the raised portions 110a-m may be formed using a
relatively high-density impact absorbing material, whereas the
raised portions 124a-m may be formed using a somewhat softer, lower
density material to absorb impact while providing a comfortable
engagement with the head of a person. Further, some of the raised
portions 110a-m may be made of one material, while other ones of
the raised portions 110a-m are made of one or more other different
materials. However, generally, the material(s) used to form the
raised portions 110a-m provide an impact absorbing or attenuating
characteristic. Similarly, the raised portions 124a-m may be made
of the same material or multiple, different materials as needed to
achieve a desired purpose and/or to satisfy the needs of a
particular application. However, generally, at least some of the
raised portions 124a-m may be made from a material or materials
that absorb moisture, grip the head of a person and/or provide a
relatively high degree of comfort and helmet stability. Further,
the base portion 104 may be made of a material or materials that
are different from or the same as the materials used for the raised
portions 110a-m, 124a-m.
[0040] In addition to enabling the example padding system 100 to be
formed as a composite structure including a variety of
impact-absorbing materials that have been specifically selected
based on the location of the material relative to the inner surface
of a helmet and/or the head of a person wearing the helmet, the
example padding system 100 can be formed using multiple separate
component pieces and/or layers that are joined to form a
substantially unitary structure. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2,
the base portion 104 includes multiple layers 150 and 152 of impact
absorbing material. The raised portions 110a-m, 124a-m, which may
be disk-shaped or cylindrically-shaped portions, spacers or
inserts, may be mounted in respective recesses in the base portion
104 or the pad body 102. Thus, these raised portions 110a-m, 124a-m
form yet another layer of material that may be different than the
underlying or surrounding layers. Although the raised portions
110a-m, 124a-m are depicted as disk shaped or cylindrically shaped
any other shape(s) may be used.
[0041] The various layers and/or components of the example padding
system 100 may be made substantially unitary using, for example, a
heat forming or thermal fusing process, one or more adhesives, one
or more mechanical fasteners (e.g., sewing), and/or any other
apparatus or process that fixes the components and/or layers
together into a substantially unitary body. Alternatively, the
raised portions 110a-m, 124a-m and the base portion 104 may be
integrally formed from a single piece of material using a thermal
forming or molding process that results in a pad body 102 that has
regions of varying thickness where the relatively thicker regions
of the pad body 102 correspond to raised portions.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, the example padding system 100 can
include a cover 154 that encapsulates or at least partially covers
the pad body 102. The cover 154 may be made of a moisture-wicking
fabric or other material that increases the comfort of the padding
system 100 by enabling wicking of moisture from the head of a
person wearing a helmet including the padding system 100.
[0043] Thus, it can be readily appreciated from the foregoing that
the example padding system 100 provides a substantial degree of
construction flexibility to enable optimization of fit, comfort,
and safety for a variety of different types of helmets and
applications. Within a given helmet, the padding system 100 can be
further optimized based on the location or region of the inner
surface of the helmet and the corresponding location or region of
the head of the person wearing the helmet. Such optimization of the
performance of the example padding system 100 within a given helmet
design can be achieved by varying materials and/or dimensions of
the raised portions 110a-m, 124a-m, the base portion 104 and, more
generally, of the pad body 102 on a location-by-location basis
(i.e., the various locations of the helmet and a person's
head).
[0044] FIG. 3 depicts the example padding system 100 installed in a
helmet 300. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the example padding system
100, when conformed to the inner surface of the helmet 300,
substantially covers the inner surface of the helmet 300. While not
shown, the padding system 100 may be attached to the inner surface
of the helmet 300 using hook and loop fasteners (e.g., Velcro),
adhesive(s), or any other suitable fastening technique(s).
[0045] FIGS. 4 and 5 depict cross-sectional views of the example
padding system 100 installed in the helmet 300. FIGS. 4 and 5
illustrates the manner in which the raised portions 110a-m on the
helmet side 106 of the padding system 100 eliminate or fill gaps or
spaces that would otherwise exist between an inner surface 400 of
the helmet 300 and the padding system 100. FIGS. 4 and 5 also shows
how the raised portions 124a-m on the head side 108 of the padding
system 100 engage the head of a person to provide ventilation gaps
402-406, distribute the weight of the helmet 300 and stabilize the
helmet 300 relative to the head of the person wearing the helmet
300. Further, the raised portions 124a-m also function to suspend
the helmet 300 on the person's head, thereby preventing the direct
transfer of kinetic energy between at least one area of the inner
surface of the helmet 300 and the person's head. For example, if a
projectile such as a bullet slug impacts the helmet 300 in an area
corresponding to arrow 500 in FIG. 5, the kinetic energy
transferred to the helmet by the projectile may cause backface
deformation of the helmet at the impact site. However, because
there is no direct path from the site of the impact to the person's
head, the kinetic energy transferred to the helmet 300 is
distributed over a larger area of the helmet and padding system 100
before reaching the person's head. As a result, the peak forces,
accelerations, etc. to which any given area of the person's head is
subjected are substantially reduced or minimized.
[0046] FIGS. 6 and 7 depict another example helmet padding system
600. FIG. 6 shows a helmet side 602 of a pad body 604. The pad body
604 includes a base portion 605, and the helmet side 602 includes a
plurality of arms 606-610 and a central portion 612. Additionally,
the helmet side 602 of the pad body 604 includes a plurality of
spacers, inserts or raised portions 614a-d that extend or project
beyond a surface 616 of the base portion 605 or the pad body 604.
As with the raised portions 110a-m of the example padding system
100, the raised portions 614a-d are sized and located to fill
spaces or gaps that would otherwise exist between the padding
system 600 and the inner surface of a helmet when the padding
system 600 is installed in the helmet and the helmet is worn by a
person.
[0047] FIG. 7 shows a head side 618 of the pad body 604. The head
side 618 includes a plurality of raised portions, some of which
have been indicated at reference numbers 620-624. These raised
portions 620-624 function to stabilize a helmet including the
padding system 600 on a person's head, distribute the weight of the
helmet and to facilitate ventilation via slots, gaps or grooves,
some of which are indicated at reference numbers 626-632. The
materials and construction or fabrication of the example padding
system 600 may be similar or identical to those employed in
connection with the padding system 100 described above and, thus,
are not described further.
[0048] FIG. 8 depicts the example padding system 600 installed in a
helmet 800. As with the padding system 100 described above, the
padding system 600 may be attached to an inner surface of the
helmet 800 using hook and loop fasteners, or any other fastening
technique(s).
[0049] FIG. 9 depicts another example helmet padding system 900.
The example padding system 900 includes a pad body 902 having a
substantially unitary base portion 904. The base portion 904
includes a plurality of arms 906-912 that extend radially from a
central portion 914. The arms 906-912 include respective elongated
slots or openings 916-922 which receive respective pads 924-930
that are slidably coupled or engaged to the base portion 904 via
the slots 916-922.
[0050] The manner in which the pads 924-930 are coupled to the base
portion 904 is illustrated in connection with the leftmost pad
(i.e., pad 924) in FIG. 9. Specifically, a guide pin or block 932
is attached to a helmet side 934 of the pad 924. This guide pin or
block 932 passes through the slot 916 and a cap 936 is attached to
the guide pin or block 932 to prevent the pad 934 from being
separated from the base portion 904. However, the guide pin or
block 932 is dimensioned to enable the guide pin or block 932 to
slide within the slot 916, thereby enabling the pad 924 to be moved
or adjusted as needed to fit a particular helmet and/or head of a
person.
[0051] A head side 938 of the example padding system 900 as
depicted in FIG. 9 includes a plurality of raised portions, some of
which are indicated at reference numbers 940-942. These raised
portions 940-942 function in manners similar or identical to the
head-side raised portions described above in connection with the
example padding system 100. Likewise, the pads 924-930 may also
include slots or grooves, some of which are indicated at references
numbers 944-948, that function to further facilitate ventilation.
The materials and/or construction of the example padding system 900
may be similar to those used in connection with the example padding
system 100 described above and, thus, are not described
further.
[0052] FIG. 10 depicts the example substantially unitary base
portion 904 of the example padding system 900 of FIG. 9. FIGS. 11A
and 11B depict the manner in which the pads 924-930 are slidably
coupled to the arms 906-912 of the base portion 904. As can be seen
in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the cap 936 may also include hook and loop
material 1100 to facilitate attachment of the padding system 900 to
the inner surface of a helmet.
[0053] FIGS. 12 and 13 depict another example helmet padding system
1200. A head side 1202 of the example padding system 1200 is shown
in FIG. 12 and a helmet side 1300 of the example padding system
1200 is shown in FIG. 13. The example padding system 1200 includes
a substantially unitary pad body 1204 having a plurality of arms
1206 and 1208 extending from a central portion 1210. The head side
1202 includes a plurality of raised portions 1212-1234 separated by
channels or grooves, some of which are indicated at reference
numbers 1236-1240. The raised portions 1212-1234, in addition to
providing impact attenuation and/or absorption, are configured to
stabilize and distribute the weight of a helmet on a person's
head.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 13, the helmet side 1300 of the padding
system 1200 includes a plurality of raised portions 1302-1314 that
are positioned and dimensioned to fill gaps that would otherwise
exist between an inner surface of a helmet and the padding system
1200. The example padding system 1200 may be composed of materials
similar or identical to those discussed above in connection with
the other example padding systems. Likewise, the example padding
system 1200 may be constructed or fabricated using techniques
similar or identical to those used in connection with the other
example helmet padding systems described above.
[0055] FIG. 14 depicts the example padding system 1200 having a
moisture-wicking fabric cover 1400 and positioned for installation
in a helmet 1402. FIG. 15 shows the example padding system 1200
installed in the helmet 1402.
[0056] Although certain apparatus, methods, and articles of
manufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of
this patent is not limited thereto. To the contrary, this patent
covers all embodiments fairly falling within the scope of the
appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of
equivalents.
* * * * *