MULTI-LAYER SAFETY HELMET ASSEMBLY

[0001] This present application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/506,559, filed Oct. 3, 2014, which claims priority to now expired U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/886,420, filed Oct. 3, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

[0002] Not Applicable

[0003] Baseball is widely considered to be one of the most popular sports in the world. By its nature, the sport involves balls thrown or hit at high speeds, which can strike a player causing injury.

[0004] Unlike football and some other sports, baseball has evolved largely without the use of bulky equipment intended to protect players from injury. However, due to the nature of the game, injuries, such as concussions, from batters being hit by pitches, continue to occur. The extent of such injuries may be not be immediately apparent or discernable, but may manifest themselves at later times. Some injuries, such as concussions may be cumulative to the point that the manifestation of the injury may not occur until well after the damage is done. Indeed, in many cases injuries may become more apparent long after a player stops playing a game and his/her body begin to show signs of wear and aging.

[0005] One area that baseball players commonly use protective equipment is in relation to helmets. Helmets are now conventionally used by most organized baseball leagues, including major leagues, minor leagues, school leagues, and little leagues. In general, such helmets include a hard plastic shell with foam or some other resilient material disposed on a portion of the helmet inner surface, to fit against the head of the user.

[0006] Such conventional helmets suffer from a number of limitations. Light weight helmets provide meager protection and may fall off when it by a ball or otherwise during the course of use. While thicker, sturdier helmets may provide a more secure fit and have harder surfaces, the surface may do little to mitigate the transmission of force through the helmet, presumably with the expectation that virtually all of impact force will be absorbed by the layer of foam or other resilient material formed on the inside of the helmet.

[0007] However, while the foam liner used in many such helmets may have compressive qualities that are engineered to mitigate certain types of shock transmission, the liner may be less effective to dampen the transmission of other types of shocks, or stabilize the user's head.

[0008] Moreover, many contemporary helmets do not extend forward of the users forehead or chin, to protect the user from impacts in those areas. Further, contemporary helmets may be unsuitable to mitigate potential injury resulting from falls, e.g. where the helmet is used to protect invalids and others susceptible to head injury due to falls.

[0009] Accordingly, in order to provide an improved safety helmet, usable for baseball and other sporting and non-sporting activities, it is desirable that the helmet be designed to incorporate a tiered dampening system, wherein a first level of dampening occurs at an exterior portion of the helmet, and a second level of dampening occurs at an interior portion of the helmet. An additional layer(s) of dampening material may be applied to the helmet about the exterior of the helmet, if desirable. The tiered combinations of the dampeners, padding and shape features may cooperate to collectively provide a greater degree of safety and comfort for the user.

[0010] It is also desirable that such a safety helmet be designed to provide protection in relation to impacts from various directions, e.g. front rear and side, to protect the head of the user when his head is positioned in different directions and/or receives impacts at different force levels.

[0011] A multilayer safety helmet assembly is provided comprising a helmet assembly including a helmet outer shell, a helmet inner shell, and an array of vibration dampeners disposed intermediate the outer shell and the inner shell.

[0012] In one embodiment the outer shell is formed of Kevlar™/composite material and may include resilient surface material formed on an outer surface of the outer shell.

[0013] The vibration dampeners may be formed of resilient, deformable material, that functions to dissipate the transmission of shock forces from the helmet assembly outer shell to the helmet assembly inner shell.

[0014] In one embodiment the dampeners may be formed as assemblies, engaged to the helmet inner and outer shells, and adjustable to the provide the low resistance to minor impact forces upon the outer helmet, thereby absorbing such minor impact forces without transmission to the inner helmet. However, the same dampeners may also exhibit higher resistance to higher impact forces upon the outer helmet, to protect the head of the user while still dissipating a substantial portion of the impact force. As such, the dampeners may be modeled to mimic a tunable proportional integral differential (PID) circuit, with a more muted response to lower inputs (impact forces) and a stiffer, more substantial response to higher input (impact forces).

[0015] In another embodiment the dampeners are selectable to have different dampening characteristics, and may be arrayed about the helmet assembly inner shell to provide different dampening characteristics in different areas.

[0016] The dampeners may cooperate with one or more layers of deformable material(s), disposed within the inner helmet, wherein each layer may be formed to have different compression characteristics. In one embodiment the dampeners may be implemented as a multilayer body of resilient material, wherein each layer of resilient material has different compressive characteristics to selectively respond to low impact and high impact forces. For example, softer, more highly compressible material may be, used in areas where the helmet engages the users head and/or in areas along with the outer shell to dampen low impact forces impacting on the helmet. Dampeners formed of stiffer, less compressible material may be used in other areas of the helmet, e.g. where the threat of high impact forces may be greater.

[0017] Mechanical characteristics of the dampeners may also be selected in accordance with factors such as the body size and shape of a user, as well as the forces likely to be encountered in a particular league, player position or other environments.

[0018] Further, the shape of the helmet can be modified to provide additional protection for the user, consistent with the intended application. For example, where the helmet is to be used by a baseball hitter, the front forehead portion can be extended forward to allow for a sloped forward surface that can better deflect horizontally impacting forces and provide eye shading.

[0019] Where the helmet is to be used by an invalid or other persons susceptible to face first falls, the forehead portion can be less forward extended and/or less sloped, with padding disposed around the face opening. This allows great visibility and reduced bulk, while still protecting the user from a wide range of potential head/face injuries.

[0034] The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including various ways of forming an outer shell/inner shell of the helmet assembly, and different constructions of the vibration dampeners and/or the use of different types of resilient materials or components. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.

[0035] Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a multilayer safety helmet assembly 10. As shown therein, the helmet assembly 10 includes a helmet outer shell 11, a helmet inner shell 13 and an array of vibration dampeners 15 disposed intermediate the outer shell 11 and the inner shell 13. Connectors 16 connect the outer shell 11 and the inner shell 13 about the lower periphery of the helmet assembly 10.

[0036] As also shown at FIGS. 1 and 2, the vibration dampeners 15 may be constructed to define a substantially mushroom shaped structure 22 extending between the inner shell 13 and the outer shell 11. The dampeners 15 may also include resilient tubular members 24 extending through and above the structure 22, for regulating the pressure applied to the structure 22, and facilitating engagement of the dampeners 15 and the helmet outer shell 11. The structure 22 and tubular members 24 may be formed of materials selected to regulate the transmission of shock forces from the helmet assembly outer shell 11 to the helmet assembly inner shell 13. The dampeners 15 may, therefore, be deformable in response to applied impact forces on the helmet assembly 10, to mitigate the transmission of shock forces from the helmet assembly outer shell 11 to the helmet assembly inner shell 13.

[0037] The outer shell 11 may be formed of Kevlar™/composite material, and may include a outer surface defining a plurality of resilient outer surface members 25, arrayed upon the outer shell 11. Such a resilient outer surface members may be formed of substantially the same resilient material as is used in Guardian™ helmets (website address guardianhelmets.com).

[0038] As shown at FIG. 3, one or more of the dampeners 15 may be alternatively be formed as a harmonic dampener assembly 23 including vibration dampeners 25, and 27, engaged to outer shell 11 and inner shell 13. Support plates 31, 33 may also be included to provide additional support dependent upon the stiffness of the helmet inner and outer shells. Dampeners 25, 27 may be single pieced structures constructed of more compressible materials that provide low resistance to low impact forces on the helmet outer surface, thereby absorbing such forces within the dampeners, and reducing the stiffness of the helmet. This provides a softer feeling helmet that mitigates the transmission of lower forces to the inner helmet. Alternatively, the dampeners 25, 27 may be constructed of materials that exhibit higher resistance (stiffness) in response to higher impact forces upon the helmet outer surface. This serves to protect the head of the player from higher impact forces on the helmet, while still dissipating a substantial portion of those forces within the helmet. In a further embodiment the dampeners 25, 27 may be implemented as tunable, multi-piece active piston assemblies including portions 33, 36 that axially translate in relation to each other.

[0039] FIG. 3A illustrates an alternate construction of the dampeners 25, 27. As shown at FIG. 3A, dampener 29 may be formed as an assembly including a mounting portion 30 and a compressible portion 32. In the embodiment shown, the mounting portion 30 engages the helmet inner liner 13 and includes a resilient cap portion 34 that extends a short distance beyond the helmet inner shell 13. In use, the inner cap portion 34 may be subsumed within the inner form layer 37, shown at FIGS. 4 and 5. Compressible member 32 extends between the helmet outer liner 11 and inner liner 13. Threaded screw 60 extends beyond the helmet outer shell 11 and may be secured by a suitable sized nut or other fastener.

[0040] FIG. 3A further illustrates a construction of the dampener 29 wherein a threaded recess 62 and extends substantially through the dampener 29. As a result, the dampener shown at FIG. 3A is adapted for threadable engagement, wherein the compressible portion 32 is disposed intermediate shells 11, 13 and the mounting portion 30 is engaged to one of the shells 11, 13.

[0041] FIG. 3B illustrates another alternate construction of the dampener 38, including a compressible portion 44 and mounting portions 46, 48. As shown at FIG. 3B, the dampener 38 does not require the presence of screws extending through the dampener and engaging the helmet outer liner 11 and inner line 13. Instead, resilient mounting portion 46 extends through and is engaged to helmet inner shell 13, and mounting portion 48 extends through and engages helmet outer shell 11. The mounting portion 48 is provided with a flange 57 which is engageable to recess 56, formed in the compressible portion 44.

[0042] As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, the particular construction of the compressible portions and the mounting portions may be selected in accordance the particular application for the helmet 10, and the compressibility/stiffness characteristics appropriate for that application and for the particular user.

[0043] In another alternative embodiment, the functions of the dampeners may be implemented or augmented by one or more layer(s) of resilient material disposed intermediate the helmet outer shell and the helmet inner shell. The layers may be selected to have the same or different compressive characteristics. For example, a layer proximate the inner surface of the helmet inner shell may be more compressible, allowing for absorption of low impact forces, while a layer proximate outer surface of the helmet inner shell may be denser and less compressible. In one embodiment the dampeners comprise a single body of multilayer construction, where each layer has distinct density and/or compressibility characteristics.

[0044] As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the characteristic features of dampeners and dampener materials may be designed and combined to implement a proportional integral differential circuit (PID) which functions to mute responses to lower impact forces, while providing a more substantial resistant to higher impact forces, thereby stabilizing the head of the user consistent with protection in relation to high impact forces.

[0045] As noted above, it is further anticipated that the helmet assembly to may include dampeners having different dampening characteristics disposed in different areas, to provide greater stiffness in areas of greater concern, while allowing more resiliency in other areas where impacts are less likely and/or more comfort is useful.

[0046] As shown at FIG. 4, helmet assembly inner shell 13 may also be provided with resilient inner padding 37 formed around the inner surface 39 of the inner shell 13. The characteristic features of the resilient padding 37 disposed within the helmet inner shell may be modeled, selected and layered to implement a desired impact protection profile suitable for different activities and/or users players of different body shapes, sizes and weights.

[0047] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment where, in addition to dampening material, or padding 37, formed on the inner surface of inner shell 13, additional padding 41 is disposed intermediate the outer shell 11 and the inner shell 13. The padding 41 may be arrayed throughout the area 28 intermediate outer shell 11 and inner shell 13, or may be disposed in portions of area 28, as may be useful to provide suitable protection to the user. As noted above, the material(s) used to form the padding 37 and 41, may be selected to cooperate with each other and with the dampeners 15, 23, to provide desired safety and dampening characteristics while providing a comfortable fit for the user. For example, the padding 41 disposed intermediate the outer shell 11 and inner shell 13 may be formed of stiffer, less compressible material, whereas the padding 37 may be softer and more compressible.

[0048] In another embodiment the paddings 37 and 41 may be formed of cellular micro matrix material, such as that marketed by Architectured Products of Los Angeles, California. See Architectured Cellular Materials designing lighter and stronger materials, presentation at US-EU Frontiers of Engineering 11 Nov. 2014, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. Such material may include a reinforcing matrix of selected properties, which is embedded in a body of resilient material, also selected for the desired dampening and protective features. The matrix material(s) may further be overlaid and orientated similar to the manner of which composite materials are constructed, to provide greater strength and structural characteristics in different areas.

[0049] FIG. 6 illustrates a helmet assembly 10 suitable for use by a baseball hitter 43. FIG. 7 illustrates a baseball hitter 43 wearing the helmet assembly 10. The helmet assembly shown FIG. 6 includes a receiving bracket 45 formed along the periphery of helmet outer shell 10. The receiving bracket 45 includes a channel 47 into which a removable brim/visor 49 may be inserted. It is anticipated that the brim/visor 49 might alternatively be formed in different sizes, shapes, and shadings, as to be able to properly shield the players' eyes under a variety of different lighting conditions.

[0050] As also shown at FIG. 6, forward surface 51 of helmet assembly 10 may be formed to extend forward of the users' forehead, at an angle a, which is selected as to deflect balls and other horizontally traveling objects that impact the helmet assembly 10 upwardly and rearwardly over the head of player 43. In this manner, the force of the impact of the object on the helmet assembly 10 may be mitigated, thereby mitigating the potential injury to player 43.

[0051] FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment including additional forward/interior padding 53, which may be used in conjunction with a helmet defining slope forward surface 51, in order to provide additional protection for the user in the forehead area. As shown at FIG. 8, the padding 53 may abut against the interior surface of helmet assembly 10, to fill a recess area between the helmet interior surface and the user's forehead. The padding 53 may extend about helmet forward portion 55 and define a padded rim 54 (also shown at FIG. 11) which can dampen any force that impacts upon the adjacent region of the assembly 10. While padding 53 is shown to be separate from interior padding 37, it is to be understood that, in alternative embodiments, the padding 37 can be formed to include padding 53, such that padding 37 and padding 53 may be implemented as single integrated structure.

[0052] FIG. 9 illustrates alternate construction of the helmet assembly 10, suitable for use by a baseball pitcher or fielder. The helmet assembly 60 may also be suitable for use in relation to racing activities, such as motorcycle racing, car racing and boat racing. The helmet assembly 60, as shown at FIG. 9, differs from the prior helmet assembly 10 in that it includes a lower forward portion 61, constructed to protect the jaw and lower face portion of the player 63, as shown at FIG. 10. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the particular shape and size of the forward extension 61 may be selected dependent upon the safety requirements of a particular activity, hazards related to that activity, as well as the body shape, size, and weight of the user. As it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art, various other features may be added to the helmet assembly to provide additional protection. For example, as described and illustrated in the parent U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/506,559, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, a shock absorber mechanism may be provided which attaches to the helmet and extends forward thereof, in a fashion similar to a football face guard. However, the shock absorbers assembly provides resilience which allows the face guard assembly to be displaceable in response to shocks, as to absorb the shocks, or some portion thereof, within the shock assembly mechanism.

[0053] FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment suitable for use by users that want to be protected from head injuries, but are not necessarily engaged in sporting activities. The helmet 58 does not include a sloped forward surface 51, as shown FIGS. 6-10. Instead, the helmet assembly 58 includes curved forward surface 57, which is bounded by padding 54. Paddings 54 and 48 collectively extend substantially about the open faced area of the helmet 58 and provides a resilient surface to protect the user from head or face injuries where a user, such as an invalid or medical patient, falls forward and may suffer face and head injuries.

[0054] The helmet assembly 58 is also shown with enlarged ear vents 59, which may be suitable to accommodate hearing aids, or simply provide more comfort to a user.

[0055] It is also to be understood that while the helmet 58 is described in relation to use by medical patients or invalids, the helmet assembly 58 may also be suitable for use by those engaged in sporting activities that do not necessitate certain other features, such as the sloped outer surface 51, which are useful to protect users engaged in other sports.

[0056] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the helmet assembly disclosed herein is described in relation to use for baseball players, the helmet assembly may be used for alternate sports and other activities where head protection is necessary. For example, the helmet assembly may be well suited for hockey players, race car drivers, jockeys, and other players. It may also be suitable for use by construction workers, law enforcement agencies, and others who enter potentially dangerous situations that can result in head injuries.