AU2002345220A1 - Protective headgear - Google Patents

Description

PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR

This invention relates to protective headgear and in particular to a shell for fitting in a soft headcap to provide a degree of protection from impacts.

It is known to fit protective shells made, for example of hard plastics material, into soft caps, such as baseball caps, to provide a degree of head protection whilst allowing the user to wear a reasonably stylish cap, as distinct from a utilitarian helmet. Such modified caps provide a limited amount of head protection, suitable for sites where the risk of injury is relatively low.

Known shells of this type are generally of a fixed size and an object of the present invention is to provide a design which is adjustable to different head sizes. It will be appreciated that a good fit on the head is necessary if the protection provided by the modified cap is to be as effective as possible.

To achieve this, a first aspect of the invention provides that the shell is formed with a pair of slots, one on each side of the shell, each slot opening into the back side of the shell and extending in a generally back to front direction towards the front of the shell, and being such as to enable the shell material on its opposite sides to mutually move, and thus alter the effective size of the shell.

In a second aspect of the invention the slots open into the front side of the shell and extend in a generally front to back direction towards the back of the shell. However, for convenience in explanation, the first (and preferred) aspect of the invention will be assumed in the following description. Thus, in the following, the same comments apply to the second aspect with the substitution of front for back and vice-versa, where appropriate. Protective shells for use with soft caps are usually of a concave bowl-like shape, being slightly longer from front to back than from side to side, in order to accommodate the shape of the human head. The shell of the invention is effectively divided by the slots into different regions, together making up the concave shape mentioned above: a top region extends when worn, back to front over the top of the head and merges into a front region which extends, when worn, across the front of the head, and two lateral regions extending, when worn, back to front across respective sides of the head and merging into the front region. The slots separate the respective lateral regions from the top region.

Thus the lateral regions are joined via the front region to the top region and it is the flexibility of this connection which allows a degree of movement between the respective lateral regions and the top region, whilst retaining the generally concave bowl-shape of the shell during such adjustment. In this way the shell can cater for different sizes of head and still maintain both comfort and a degree of protection. In practice, the shell may be manufactured in the smallest size in the range and, if it is fitted over a larger head, will expand to fit such a head by a widening of the slots, this being possible because of the aforementioned flexibility of the joint between the lateral regions and the top region. Alternatively the shell may be manufactured for an intermediate size in the range so that it can expand and contract as needed to cater for the full range of head sizes. The deeper the slots, the less wide is the rear region and this increases flexibility. However, if the slots are too long, the overall structural integrity of the shell is compromised. The slots are positioned running back to front along the shell and with the top region in between. The slots should not be too close together since the top region is the principal protective region, and needs to be wide enough to provide effective protection to the head. It is felt that the best position for the slots is well away from that part of the shell which protects the crown of the head, and in fact is at that part of the shell which protects the upper side parts of the head. The vulnerable side parts of the head are protected by the lateral regions on each side.

The slots are preferably designed around the impact zones specified in international safety standard EN812. This will be discussed in more detail below.

The shell is conveniently made of plastics material, for example by injection moulding. Typical materials include ABS, polypropylene, PVC and polyethylene. The thickness of the shell wall is typically in the range 1 mm to 4 mm, with 1.5 mm being the currently preferred thickness.

Decrease in thickness will save weight, and therefore improve comfort, but at the expense of strength.

In order that the invention may be better understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a protective shell made according to the invention;

Figures 2 to 4 are, respectively, side, top and front views of the protective shell of Figure 1 ; and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the impact zones.

The protective shell shown in the drawings is designed for a baseball cap. However, the design could readily be modified for other cap styles. The shell is fitted inside the cap and in order to retain it in place, the cap may be modified by the provision of suitable attachment means (not shown) such as velcro pads, snap buttons or pockets.

The shell comprises a thin-walled structure 1 of ABS plastics material, and has a generally concave shape suitable for fitting over a human head. The rim 2 of the shell is lower at the front 3 and is raised at the back 4. The sides, of the shell are cut away at 5 to give clearance for earmuffs, should these also need to be worn.

The shell is divided into four sections by a pair of elongate slots 6 which open into the back 4 of the shell and extend forwards over a greater proportion of the front-to-back length of the shell. One slot 6 is formed at a corresponding position at each side of the shell. The four sections can be considered as a top section 7 which extends from the rim 2 at the back, forwards by a length approximately equal to that of the slots 6, a front section 8 which extends from the rim at the front 3 backwards to merge into the remaining sections, and two lateral sections 9,10.

The existence of the slots 6, and the inherent flexibility of the shell material enable the lateral sections to effectively move inwards and outwards to accommodate smaller and larger head sizes, due to the hinge action which is created at the distal ends of the slots 6 between the various sections of the shell. The width of the slots is set to give sufficient lateral clearance for movement of the lateral sections 9,10 under the top section 7; this is particularly relevant to enable the shell to fit smaller head sizes. The slots also provide a degree of ventilation which improves comfort when worn for extended periods.

The shell may also be lined with a compressible material, such as a foam material (not shown), in order to improve comfort. Typically this will be PL) foam adhered with a Velcro strip and having a thickness in the range 2 mm to 16 mm. The current preferred thickness is 12 mm. It is possible to design the shell in order to give protection to the wearer which meets the impact and penetration requirements of international safety standard EN812. Figure 5 illustrates the circular impact zones 11 specified in this standard projected onto a plan view of the shell 1. As can be seen, the slots 6 are shaped so as to avoid these impact zones to thereby reduce as far as possible any disadvantageous effect resulting from the presence of the slots. The slots are positioned as high as possible in the shell, subject to the impact zones, in order to give the maximum ventilation effect. The presence of slots 6 allows the design to accommodate with comfort a wide range of head sizes, for example sizes 50-65, in one product.

A cap fitted with the shell of the invention can be used in areas where there is a limited degree of hazard and avoids the need for the user to wear an unfashionable helmet.

Claims (16)

1. A shell for fitting within a headcap to provide a degree of protection from impacts, said shell being formed with a pair of slots, one on each side of the shell, each slot opening into the back side of the shell and extending in a generally back to front direction towards the front of the shell, and being such as to enable the shell material on its opposite sides to mutually move, and thus alter the effective size of the shell.

2. A shell as claimed in claim 1 being of a generally concave shape, longer from front to back than from side to side, in order to accommodate the shape of the human head.

3. A shell as claimed in claim 2 wherein the slots effectively divide the shell into different regions, together making up said concave shape: a top region extending, when worn, back to front over the top of the head and merging into a front region which extends, when worn, across the front of the head and two lateral regions extending, when worn, back to front across respective sides of the head and merging into the front region, and wherein each slot separates a respective lateral region from the top region.

4. A shell as claimed in claim 3 wherein the top region and the slots are dimensioned and shaped so that the slots do not pass across the impact zones specified in International Safety Standard EN812.

5. A shell as claimed in either one of claims 3 or 4 wherein said slots are of a width sufficient to enable the lateral regions to be flexed towards and away from the top region to thereby effectively alter the size of the shell to enable the shell to accommodate a range of head sizes.

6. A shell as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein said slots extend forwards over a greater proportion of the front-to-back length of the shell.

7. A shell as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shell material is a plastics material.

8. A shell as claimed in claim 7 wherein the shell material is one of: ABS, polypropylene, PVC, or polyethylene.

9. A shell as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, made by injection moulding.

10. A shell for fitting within a headcap to provide a degree of protection from impacts, said shell being formed with a pair of slots, one on each side of the shell, each slot opening into the front side of the shell and extending in a generally front-to-back direction towards the back of the shell, and being such as to enable the shell material on its opposite sides to mutually move, and thus alter the effective size of the shell.

1 1. A shell as claimed in claim 10 being of a generally concave shape, longer from front to back than from side to side, in order to accommodate the shape of the human head.

12. A shell as claimed in claim 11 wherein the slots effectively divide the shell into different regions, together making up said concave shape: a top region extending, when worn, front to back over the top of the head and merging into a back region which extends, when worn, across the back of the head and two lateral regions extending, when worn, front to back across respective sides of the head and merging into the back region, and wherein each slot separates a respective lateral region from the top region.

13. Protective headgear comprising a headcap, the interior of which is fitted with a shell as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

14. Protective headgear as claimed in claim 13 wherein the shell is secured within the headcap by means of Velcro pads, snap buttons or pockets.

15. Protective headgear as claimed in either one of claims 13 or 14 wherein the shell is lined with compressible material.

16. Protective headgear as claimed in claim 15 wherein the compressible material comprises a foam material.