U.S. patent number 3,843,970 [Application Number 05/342,440] was granted by the patent office on 1974-10-29 for protective headgear.
Invention is credited to Charles W. Marietta, Michael T. Marietta.
United States Patent |
3,843,970 |
Marietta , et al. |
October 29, 1974 |
PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR
Abstract
A helmet includes a plurality of cushion pads specially
constructed and arranged within a shell to provide head protection
against impact forces as well as ready means for custom sizing of
the one shell to fit various head sizes and configurations. Each
pad comprises a cover containing an improved cushion filling of
compound layers of discrete material while the rear of each pad is
provided with manually separable fastening means for ready
attachment to and removal from the shell interior. One or more of
the pads may be varied in thickness by the selective
insertion/removal of shims within the cover.
Inventors: |
Marietta; Michael T. (Dallas,
TX), Marietta; Charles W. (Dallas, TX) |
Family
ID: |
23341837 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/342,440 |
Filed: |
March 19, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/415; 2/909 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B
3/127 (20130101); A42B 3/145 (20130101); Y10S
2/909 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A42B
3/04 (20060101); A42B 3/12 (20060101); A42b
003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;2/3R,3A,3B,3C,5,6,181.4,2 ;5/345 ;297/458,460,DIG.1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Boler; James R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Groff; Emory L. Groff, Jr.; Emory
L.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A helmet comprising a shell, a plurality of cushion pads each of
selective thickness to provide a specific sizing attached to said
shell interior and including separate frontal, posterior, side and
crown pads, said crown pad having a longitudinal axis extending
from said frontal pad to said posterior pad, said side pads
including end portions juxtaposed respectively the end portions of
said frontal and posterior pads, said pads including a cover
conforming to the curvature of said pads and having an inner face
juxtaposed the wearer's head and an outer face juxtaposed said
shell interior, a cushion filling within said cover, said cushion
filling comprising a composite body including a first layer of
resilient material adjacent said cover outer face and a second
layer of resilient material adjacent said cover inner face, said
filling first layer material of greater density and greater
thickness than said filling second layer material, said cushion
filling including means adjacent the cover inner and outer faces
permitting of molding said pad to provide a pad having a curvature
with said cover forming a tight fit therewith, and said means
includes a plurality of slices through the outer face of said first
layer and a plurality of grooves in the inner face of said second
layer whereby said slices permit a convex curvature of said cushion
filling outer face and said grooves allow a concave curvature of
said cushion filling inner face with said cover forming creases
within said grooves.
2. A helmet according to claim 1 wherein, said crown pad includes a
plurality of said longitudinally extending elements disposed
substantially parallel to one another.
3. A helmet according to claim 1 wherein, the juxtaposed surfaces
of said filling first and second layers are bonded to one another
to provide an integral cushion filling.
4. A helmet according to claim 1 including, releasable mating
fastener means on said cover outer face and said shell interior to
permit manual attachment and removal of said pads.
5. A helmet according to claim 1 wherein, said cover outer face
comprises a flap defining a pocket therebeneath and a removable
shim in said pocket to vary the thickness of said pad.
6. A helmet according to claim 1 wherein, said slices extend
substantially through the thickness of said first layer.
7. A helmet according to claim 1 wherein, said slices are provided
both horizontally and vertically through said first layer.
8. A helmet according to claim 4 wherein, said fastener means
includes Velcro components.
9. A helmet according to claim 4 wherein, said fastener means
includes snap components.
10. A helmet according to claim 5 wherein, at least a portion of
said flap is releasably attached to the remainder of said cover by
Velcro components.
11. A helmet according to claim 5 wherein, at least a portion of
said flap is releasably attached to the remainder of said cover by
snap fastener components.
12. A helmet according to claim 5 wherein, said shim is provided
with a tapered periphery.
13. A helmet according to claim 1 wherein, said pad defines a
compound curvature.
Description
This invention relates generally to headgear and more particularly
to an improved protective helmet offering not only the most
desirable cushioning effect from the standpoint of the wearer's
safety, but also providing for ready adaptability of any particular
helmet to one individual's head size.
Medical studies have shown that concussions of the human brain
begin to occur when the brain is subjected to a shock force of 200
Gs for a period of as little as four milliseconds. Increased
attention has been directed recently to the safety aspect of
contact sports and several efforts have been made to improve the
construction of helmets as worn in these sports by offering various
adaptations of cushioning assemblies for use in the helmet shell.
Those versed in the art are well aware of the numerous forms of
strap suspension systems, with or without pads or cushions, as well
as other arrangements involving only pads or cushions.
Additionally, several attempts have been made to achieve the
ultimate in protection for the wearer by the provision of sealed
fluid cells which may contain regulated amounts of air or
liquid.
In practically all of the previous attempts, the resultant headgear
will fail to pass one accepted test now being used to evaluate
helmets and which comprises the use of a force-impact testing
device wherein the test helmet is fitted to a magnesium head form
of the average size and weight of the human head. This head form
contains a force transducer which is connected to an oscilloscope.
The thus equipped helmet is dead dropped from numerous heights upon
a hard metal surface with various portions of the helmet shell
being subjected to these drops. The time-acceleration curves read
out on the oscilloscope indicate the G forces subjected to the head
form and the objective is now to provide a suitable protective
headgear wherein the head form always would be subjected to forces
below 200 Gs for less than 4 milliseconds. One test now being
utilized on various presently available helmets is called the 20
drop, 5 point test wherein a series of 20 drops are made at
one-minute intervals from a height of 6 feet to each of the five
key points of the helmet. Many other helmets recently tested in
this manner showed a total breakdown of protective qualities in
either the padding, suspension, or shell, and in most cases this
breakdown occurred between the second and fifth drop. Applying the
same test procedure to a helmet constructed according to the
present invention, entirely satisfactory results have been obtained
throughout the complete extent of all testing thus clearly
indicating the superior impact protection as now proposed.
The improved protective cushioning offered by the plurality of pads
employed in the present helmet has been produced without
sacrificing adaptability of any one single helmet to various sizes
and shapes of head forms. This is possible due to a unique
construction of one or more of the seven pads used in each helmet
wherein means are provided to permit not only complete exchange of
sizes of any one of the pads for one helmet but also to allow
individual variation of the overall thickness of one or more pads
in a particular helmet. In either instance, it will be appreciated
that this sizing procedure is practically instantaneous since snaps
or Velcro fastening elements are preferably employed to provide a
direct connection between the back of each pad and the interior of
the helmet shell.
By the present arrangement exact custom sizing of a helmet is
achieved in a manner vastly superior to many prior structures. A
prior attempt involves the use of a single unitary exchangeable
head form cushion element adapted to provide a particular sizing
when fastened within a helmet shell. Such structure falls short of
providing for perfect sizing in view of variations between human
head shapes considered to be of the same size, which size is based
upon the circumferential measurement of the head. The instant
structure, on the other hand, truly allows for custom sizing by
providing for selective insertion into the helmet shell of separate
cushion pads adjacent both ends of both the major longitudinal axis
and minor lateral axis of the wearer's head. In this manner a
perfect fit may be readily achieved regardless of whether the
subject head is of a long oval configuration or is nearly circular
in shape.
Accordingly, one of the primary objects of the present invention is
to provide an improved protective headgear comprising a helmet
shell including a plurality of cushion pads each one of which
contains a combination of cushioning elements therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved
helmet containing cushioning and sizing elements therein all of
which are readily removable for replacement by other pads of
varying thicknesses.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved
protective cushioning pad for use in headgear comprising an outer
cover containing therein a soft resilient member disposed next to
the wearer's head and which is backed up by a thicker,
higher-density layer of resilient material juxtaposed the interior
of the helmet shell and wherein the high density layer is
especially modified to permit contouring of the pad.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved
helmet cushioning pad comprising a cover containing resilient
cushion elements therein and having an accessible pocket for the
selective insertion or removal of one or more shim members to vary
the overall thickness of the pad and thus the helmet sizing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved
helmet cushion pad including resilient elements enclosed within a
cover and wherein the resilient elements are curved and provided
with grooves on the inner face and slices on the outer face to
facilitate the retention of curvature in the pad.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved
protective helmet having a plurality of separate cushion pad
elements including air pathways therebetween allowing the free
passage of air throughout the helmet interior during usage.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an
improved protective helmet having a plurality of readily
replaceable cushion pads including frontal, rear, side and a
plurality of longitudinally extending crown pads whereby head size
may be altered by selectively replacing individual pads with pads
of different thicknesses.
With these and other objects in view which will more readily appear
as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention
consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of
parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and
claimed.
A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in
the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of a protective helmet according to
the present invention and illustrates the plurality of pads or
cushion elements mounted inside the helmet shell.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the frontal pad of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rear of the frontal pad of FIG.
2 with a portion of the cover removed to show the sliced areas of
the interior cushioning member.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the interior cushioning
members found in each pad.
FIG. 5 is a rear view of one of the cushioning members found in
each pad.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the
arrangement and one form of attachment means of the various
cushioning pads of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view through the frontal pad of
the helmet of the present invention and illustrates another form of
attachment.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged rear perspective view of one of the cushion
pads and illustrates the pocket arrangement for receiving selected
shims.
FIG. 9 is a partial rear perspective view illustrating an alternate
pocket closure means.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a shim as used to alter the sizing
of the cushion pads.
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating an installed
cushion pad containing a pair of shims.
Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts
throughout the several figures of the drawings.
Referring now to the drawings, particularly FIG. 1, the present
invention will be seen to relate to protective headgear of the type
such as represented by the helmet generally designated 1 and which
includes an outer shell 2 formed of any suitable lightweight
high-impact material such as the well known laminated plastic
compositions. Although an athletic type helmet such as used in
football is illustrated in the drawings, it will be readily
appreciated that the present invention may be applied in providing
protective headgear as used in any of several other environments
such as in the military, construction trades, or other athletic
sports requiring adequate protection for the participant's
head.
Unlike many other types of helmets which employ a suspension system
within the shell comprising a plurality of straps and bands for
supporting and retaining the helmet upon the wearer's head, the
instant arrangement utilizes a plurality of specially constructed
cushion pads intended to be removably attached directly to the
shell interior to serve not only to retain the helmet upon the
wearer's head, but also to provide a marked improvement in impact
absorbing. Additionally, a ready means is provided for specifically
sizing any one helmet shell to a particular user's head size. Thus,
it will follow that for most users, only a single size shell 2 will
be needed and a custom fit for any particular wearer is readily
achieved merely by substituting or replacing one or more of the
novel cushion pads as will be described hereinafter.
The disposition of the plurality of cushion pads will be most
readily apparent from a review of FIGS. 1 and 6 if the drawings
wherein it will be seen that a frontal pad 3 is disposed within the
interior 2a of the shell 2 and attached immediately adjacent the
forward lip L of the shell and extends laterally a sufficient
distance to overlie a substantial portion of the interior surface
2a of the front area of the shell adapted to engage the wearer's
forehead. Oppositely disposed with respect to the frontal pad 3 is
a posterior or rear cushion pad 4 located immediately adjacent the
rear lip L' of the helmet shell 2 and which is of a greater height
than the frontal pad 3. In the areas adapted to overlie the sides
of the wearer's head are disposed a pair of side pads 5--5, each of
which extends a sufficient length to place the distal portions at
points closely spaced from the respective distal portions of the
adjacent frontal and posterior pads, as shown most clearly in FIG.
1 of the drawings. Thus it will be observed that a substantially
continuous area of cushioning is provided throughout the
circumferential extent of the shell 2 in a manner to laterally
surround the user's skull.
The remaining cushioning means is provided by a plurality of crown
pads 6-7 which may be of identical configuration and each of which
comprises a longitudinal member attached to the upper portion of
the shell inner surface 2a. Along the centerline of the top of the
shell inner surface is attached a center crown pad 6 while
adjacently disposed with respect to each side thereof and
substantially parallel thereto is a lateral crown pad 7--7.
A description of the general construction of any one of the
above-mentioned cushion pads will be understood to serve as a
description of the construction of all of the pads, although, as
will be seen hereinafter, various modifications may be practiced in
connection with any of several selected pads. The improved
protection offered the wearer's head by the cushion pads of the
instant invention is achieved by a unique combination of components
comprising each pad. The bulk of the impact absorption is obtained
by means of the use of a high density, relatively hard rubber-like
substance forming a first layer 8 in each pad and which preferably
comprises a closed cell substance. As will be seen most clearly in
FIGS. 3, 4 and 7, this first layer 8 accounts for the majority of
the thickness of each cushion pad and is adapted to be disposed
adjacent the inner surface 2a of the helmet shell 2. Overlying the
extent of the inner face 9 of each first layer 8 is a second layer
10 comprising a relatively soft rubber-like cushion member and
which may be affixed to the first layer 8 by any suitable adhesive
composition. For reasons which will become obvious, the substance
forming the second layer 10 is preferably quite resilient and thus
readily deformable as opposed to the higher density, less resilient
composition of the first layer 8.
The combination of the first layer 8 and attached second layer 10
comprises an integral cushion filling generally designated 11 and
which is adapted to be enclosed within a cover generally designated
12, which cover may comprise any suitable pliant material such as
soft leather or plastic and which, when fabricated to provide a
substantially rectangular enclosure for the cushion filling 11,
will readily provide a skin-tight cover therefor. In this
connection, the cover 12 may be provided with a front housing 13
adapted to overlie the face 14 of the second layer 10 and extend
about the periphery of the combined first and second layers forming
the filling 11. Depending upon the composition of the material
comprising the cover 12, any suitable means may then be employed to
secure the free edge of the front housing 13 to the rear flap 15 of
the cover, which flap completely overlies the outer face 16 of the
first layer 8, such as the stitching 17 in the case of leather
material. Quite obviously, if a plastic composition were employed,
heat sealing may be utilized to provide this seam attachment.
Several means of attachment may be used to provide for the
removable installation of all of the cushion pads used in the
helmet. In the case of the frontal pad 3 as shown in detail in
FIGS. 3 and 7, it will be observed that the cover rear flap 15 is
provided with a pair of longitudinally extending Velcro componenet
strips 18--18 which may be readily affixed such as by stitching or
with an adhesive, to the rear surface of the flap 15 and which will
be understood to be adapted to cooperate with mating Velcro
components such as the base tapes 19 likewise suitably attached to
the inner surface 2a of the helmet shell 2 as shown in FIG. 7. In
this manner, instant sizing of a fixed-dimensioned shell 2 may be
achieved merely by manually removing one frontal pad 3 and
substituting another cushion pad of greater or lesser thickness
therefor. Alternate means of attaching the cushion pads may
comprise the use of snap-fasteners 20 as shown in FIGS. 6, 9, and
11 of the drawings, wherein one of the fastener components is
permanently affixed to the rear surface of the flap 15a of the
cushion pad and is adapted to cooperate with mating snap fastener
components 21 suitably affixed to the inner surface 2a of the
helmet shell 2, as shown in FIG. 11, whereby the same ready
attachment of the cushion pads may be easily achieved.
Users of the protective headgear of the present invention may
maintain an inventory of various thickness cushion pads adapted to
be substituted for any one of the pads as shown in FIG. 1 or, on
the other hand, modifications of the cushion pad structure itself
may be used wherein it is not necessary to maintain a supply of
cushion pads of different thicknesses and wherein the basic
allotment of seven different pads may be used to provide a helmet
usable with head sizes of any dimensions. Such an arrangement is
possible if one or more of the cushion pads is constructed to
permit ready variation of its thickness by the user. The
embodiments of such a cushion pad are shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 11
wherein it will be seen that the rear flap or back 15a or 15b may
be manually opened to expose a pocket 22 between the inner surface
of this rear flap and the outer face 16 of the cushion filling 11
within the cover 12. As shown in FIG. 9, the housing 13 of the
cover of this cushion pad extends rearwardly to join with a rear
facing 23 enclosing the back of the cushion filling and the
periphery of this facing is provided with suitable snap fastener
components 24 adapted to cooperate with mating fastener components
25 attached to the inner surface of the rear flap 15a, while in the
embodiment of FIG. 8, mating Velcro components 26 and 27 provide
the closing means for securing the rear flap 15b to the remainder
of the cushion cover 12.
Quite obviously, the rear flap in both of the above embodiments may
be completely removable while, on the other hand, it is possible to
provide access to the cushion pocket 22 merely by utilizing the
separable fastener means for one end of the rear flap 15a or 15b.
The very purpose of providing separable fastening means for the
rear flap 15a and 15b is to permit insertion and removal from
within the pocket 22 of one or more shims 28. These shims
preferably are constructed of a substantially dense material such
as hard rubber and are adapted to be selectively inserted into the
pocket 22 between the inner face of the cushion rear flap and the
outer face 16 of the cushion filling in order to increase or
decrease the overall thickness of the respective cushion pad and
thus alter the head size of the helmet utilizing the cushion pads.
In order to reduce stresses on the rear flap of a cushion pad, it
will be appreciated that the peripheral edges of the shims 28 may
be tapered thus providing a smoother transition in the area of the
rear of the cushion pad. Additionally, it will follow that in
altering a pad thickness, either several shims of relatively thin
stock may be utilized, or alternately, a single thicker shim may be
used.
As shown most clearly in FIG. 1 of the drawings, all of the cushion
pads are provided with a relatively smooth skin-tight cover and
include a plurality of substantially parallel well defined creases
29. In order to achieve this arrangement, an improved construction
is necessary involving the cushion filling 11, particularly in the
cases of the frontal pad 3 and posterior pad 4 wherein the
curvature of these pads involves a smaller radius. Inasmuch as the
present invention obviates the need for a suspension harness
arrangement for retaining the helmet upon the wearer's head, the
criticality of providing for a smooth close fit between the inner
faces of all of the cushion pads and the wearer's head will be
readily appreciated. This observation is of even greater importance
when considering the frontal pad 3 which will be seen to comprise a
compound curvature on its inner face which compound curvature
serves to provide a locking fit of the helmet upon the wearer's
head as the inner face 30 of the cover 12 follows the general
contour of the wearer's forehead. The afore-described curvature and
resulting skin-tight fit of the cushion pad cover is achieved as a
result of providing the rear portion of the cushion first layer 8
with a plurality of slices 31 which are made through the body of
this layer in a crossing arrangement to provide a grid-like
structure as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5. The extent of the depth of
these slices 31 will quite obviously be dependent upon the specific
density of the material comprising this layer; however, experiments
have shown that the slices 31 should extend through the thickness
of the first layer for a significant distance, preferably greater
than one-half of its thickness, and may even extend throughout the
entire thickness of the first layer since it will be understood
that the inner face between the juxtaposed first and second layers
is permanently bonded. Cooperating with the slices 31 in the first
layer 8 are a plurality of vertically extending grooves 32 provided
in the face 14 of the second layer 10 as shown most clearly in FIG.
4. With the foregoing arrangement, it will be observed that when
the thus prepared cushion filling 11 is enclosed within its cover
12 and initially shaped to the desired configuration, the
respective vertical and horizontal slices 31 will be opened varying
degrees to permit attainment of the required curvature without
placing any strain upon the material of the cushion filling while,
at the same time, the grooves 32 formed in the face 14 of the
second layer 10 will accept the otherwise surplus material of the
inner face 30 of the cover to form the well-defined creases 29
below the plane of the pad inner face 30 so that the desired
smoothness is achieved in the end product.
To obtain pads offering maximum strength, a preferred procedure is
employed. This involves heat forming the cover front housing 13
between male and female dies specifically shaped for each pad. The
cushion filling is then cut, glued and grooved and then adhesively
attached to the cup-shaped pre-formed cover housing. The thus
prepared structure is then placed in another mold to retain its
curvature while the cover back 15 with its Velcro or snaps is
adhesively attached. The resulting assembly is subsequently placed
in another mold and air pressed to firmly tighten both cover
elements and remove undesirable wrinkles prior to sewing of the
edges as at 17.
* * * * *