EP0506696B1 - Sturzhelm mit aufblasbarem luftkissen - Google Patents

Sturzhelm mit aufblasbarem luftkissen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0506696B1
EP0506696B1 EP91900219A EP91900219A EP0506696B1 EP 0506696 B1 EP0506696 B1 EP 0506696B1 EP 91900219 A EP91900219 A EP 91900219A EP 91900219 A EP91900219 A EP 91900219A EP 0506696 B1 EP0506696 B1 EP 0506696B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
bladder
helmet
pump
pressure
crash helmet
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP91900219A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0506696A1 (de
Inventor
Claudio Zarotti
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Vela SRL
Original Assignee
Vela SRL
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Vela SRL filed Critical Vela SRL
Publication of EP0506696A1 publication Critical patent/EP0506696A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0506696B1 publication Critical patent/EP0506696B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A42—HEADWEAR
    • A42B—HATS; HEAD COVERINGS
    • A42B3/00—Helmets; Helmet covers ; Other protective head coverings
    • A42B3/04—Parts, details or accessories of helmets
    • A42B3/0406—Accessories for helmets
    • A42B3/0486—Airbags
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A42—HEADWEAR
    • A42B—HATS; HEAD COVERINGS
    • A42B3/00—Helmets; Helmet covers ; Other protective head coverings
    • A42B3/04—Parts, details or accessories of helmets
    • A42B3/10—Linings
    • A42B3/12—Cushioning devices
    • A42B3/121—Cushioning devices with at least one layer or pad containing a fluid
    • A42B3/122—Cushioning devices with at least one layer or pad containing a fluid inflatable

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a crash helmet of a type which comprises an inflatable shockproofing pad.
  • US Patent 3761959 discloses a crash helmet provided with a pad which can be inflated through a special valve adapted to be coupled to an external inflating arrangement. After putting the helmet on in a fully deflated condition, the helmet is then inflated to a desired pressure to be "felt" directly by the user on inflating.
  • Such a crash helmet performs well in sporting events of relatively short duration; in this instance, the user would adjust the helmet before the start of a race, usually with the assistance of specially appointed personnel.
  • a crash helmet is instead unsatisfactory, both it practically disallows adjustment of the pressure while in use, and because the pressure adjustment procedure becomes quite complicated each time unless an assistant is available to operate the inflating arrangement.
  • US Patent 4035846 Another inflatable pad crash helmet is disclosed by US Patent 4035846.
  • the inside pressure is maintained at a preset value automatically by a valve, which would bleed air to the outside if the pressure is excessive and, when the pressure is too low, communicate to an external source of pressurized air to which the helmet is permanently connected.
  • This prior helmet has been designed for use by airplane pilots, and meets the (basic in that case) requirement of holding the helmet firmly at a fixed position relatively to the head; different applications would be dependent on the availability of an external source of pressurized air to which the helmet should be kept connected while in use.
  • the underlying problem of this invention is to provide a crash helmet of a type comprising an inflatable pad, which can be readily and advantageously used without requiring connection to any external arrangement and which allows the user to easily and safely adjust pressure even while riding a motorbike or the like.
  • a crash helmet which comprises a rigid shell, a shockprooflng pad including at least one deformable, inflatable bladder, pumping means mounted to the shell for supplying air to the bladder interior through valve means, characterized in that the pumping means comprise a pump and an electric motor driving it, the helmet also comprising an electric storage battery for powering the motor, wherein the pump, the motor, the valve means and the battery are all housed within the helmet.
  • Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a crash helmet according to the invention.
  • Figure 2 is a sectional view, drawn to an enlarged scale, of a detail of the helmet shown in Figure 1.
  • Figure 3 shows diagramatically a circuitry incorporated to the helmet shown in Figure 1.
  • a crash helmet of the so-called wrap-around type, having a rigid shell 2 which is formed forwardly with an aperture 3 protected by a visor 4.
  • the helmet 1 includes a shockproofing pad 6 which has a deformable bladder 7 made preferably of polythene and traversing the interior of the shell 2, e.g. into a dendriform pattern having branches 8. Necked-in portions 9 are formed along the branches 8. Air is contained within the bladder 7 together with an air-pervious, sponge-like matrix 12.
  • the helmet 1 also comprises a pressure adjusting means 15, associated with the bladder 7 to vary the air pressure within the bladder.
  • This pressure adjusting means 15 comprises a miniaturized arrangement including a diaphragm pump 16 driven by a permanent magnet, DC electric motor 17.
  • the motor 17 is to drive the pump 16 to force air into the bladder 7.
  • the pump 16 is connected to the bladder 7 via a solenoid type check valve 18, also of miniaturized construction.
  • the solenoid valve 18 will, in the rest condition thereof, allow air to flow from the pump 16 into the bladder 7 but not vice versa.
  • the solenoid valve 18 When energized, the solenoid valve 18 will communicate the bladder 7 with the outside environment through a bleed outlet 20.
  • the miniaturized assembly comprising the pump 16 and motor 17 is of a type known per se, e.g. Model NMP 085 (6 Volts DC) by KNF NEUBERGER, a German manufacturer, and known is per se the solenoid valve 18.
  • the bladder 7 is advantageously provided with a relief valve 23 discharging to the helmet outside.
  • the crash helmet 1 further comprises a power supply means 19.
  • This means comprises a line 29 led to a battery 22 housed in a special compartment 24 in the helmet 1.
  • the battery 22 is adapted to power the various components of the helmet 1 via an electrical box 30 secured laterally on the helmet 1.
  • the battery 22 generally comprises a set of batteries which may be of the re-chargeable type; provisions could also be made for connection to a solar battery to be mounted on the outer surface of the helmet 1.
  • the box 30 contains a storage unit 31 powered from the line 29.
  • the storage unit 31 can be input a reference pressure value by means of a pushbutton M. Using additional pushbuttons, marked “+” and “-”, gradual increases or decreases of the reference pressure value can be written in the memory.
  • a pushbutton T By means of a pushbutton T, a minimum pressure value can be stored whereat the bladder 7 would be set to such a condition as to allow the helmet to be taken off comfortably.
  • the air pressure inside the bladder 7 is sensed by a pressure transducer 33 arranged to face the bladder 7.
  • the box 30 also contains a comparator node 34 receiving, on a line 35 from the storage unit 31, the reference pressure value, and on a line 36 from the pressure transducer 33, the actual pressure value sensed, and issuing a difference signal.
  • This signal is supplied to a control means 37 via a line 38.
  • This control means is active between the line 29, on the one side, and the motor 17 and solenoid valve 18 on the other.
  • the control means 37 will cut off both the motor 17 and the solenoid valve 18.
  • the control means 37 will turn on the solenoid valve 18 to bleed off air from the bladder 7 to the outside. Should the comparator node 34 detect instead a lower actual pressure than the set pressure, then the control means 37 turn on the motor 17 to cause the pump 16 to force air into the bladder 7.
  • the crash helmet 1 also comprises a microswitch 39 so arranged as to be operated by the user's head on putting on the helmet 1; the microswitch 39 will put the line 29 under power.
  • the crash helmet operation will be now described with reference to a starting condition whereby the helmet is to be worn and a generic pressure value is stored in the storage unit 31.
  • the pad 6 inside the helmet 1 is at ambient pressure.
  • the microswitch 39 is operated by the user's head to enable the power supply 19.
  • the electric current under control by the control means 37 as driven by the difference between the pressure stored in the storage unit 31 and the actual inside pressure of the bladder 7 being sensed by the transducer 33, will energize the motor 17 of the pump 16 until the actual pressure within the bladder 7 equals the stored pressure level.
  • the response time i.e. the time lapse from the occurrence of a pressure change within the bladder 7 and its correction
  • the response time is on the order of a few seconds, in actual practice. Consequently, in the event of impact forces acting on the helmet and the bladder 7 undergoing a pressure increase as a result, such a pressure increase would not be corrected because it is a nearly instantaneous one with a duration time on the order of a few milliseconds, that is far shorter than the response time for correction. Accordingly, the pressure increase from the impact would be maintained in the helmet for a sufficient time to ensure that the desired shockproofing action is developed.
  • the relief valve 23 bleeds air off.
  • the helmet When the user wishes to take the helmet off, he/she depresses the pushbutton T to cause a minimum pressure to be set in the storage unit 31 and, hence, quick deflation of the bladder 7.
  • the helmet can be taken readily off the user's head.
  • a major advantage of a crash helmet according to the invention resides in its unique ability to fit around the user's head in a highly comfortable way. In fact, the helmet can fit around the head with optimum pressure of choice by the user.
  • a further advantage is that the comfortable fit can be maintained even with variations in the ambient and climatic conditions under which the helmet is used. In fact, the pressure level is monitored and adjusted continuously to keep it equal to the optimum value.
  • Another advantage of a crash helmet according to this invention is that it is fully self-sustained, it requiring no connections to any external arrangement.
  • a crash helmet according to the invention can be easily made to fit different size heads, thereby it can be put on sale as a single size, with attendant advantages of a practical nature.
  • Still another advantage of the inventive crash helmet is that it can be quickly taken off, either by the user in normal use, or by a possible rescue team with the user in an injured state.

Landscapes

  • Helmets And Other Head Coverings (AREA)

Claims (4)

  1. Aufprallhelm (1), der eine starre Schale (2), ein stoßschützendes Kissen (6) mit mindestens einem verformbaren, aufblasbaren Balg (7), und an der Schale (2) angebrachte Pumpmittel (16, 17) zum Speisen von Luft in das Innere des Balges (7) über Ventilmittel (18) aufweist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Pumpmittel eine Pumpe (16) und einen diese antreibenden Elektromotor (17) aufweist, daß der Helm ferner eine elektrische Speicherbatterie (22) zur Stromversorgung des Motors (17) aufweist, wobei die Pumpe (16), der Motor (17), die Ventilmittel (18) und die Batterie (22) sämtlich innerhalb des Helmes (1) untergebracht sind.
  2. Aufprallhelm nach Anspruch 1, bei dem die Ventilmittel (18) ein elektrisches Ventil (18) umfassen, welches von der Speicherbatterie (22) mit Strom versorgt wird und mit dem Balg (7), der Pumpe (16) und der äußeren Umgebung verbunden ist, wobei das elektrische Ventil (18) in seinem Ruhezustand als Einweg-Ventil von der Pumpe (16) zum Balg (7) wirkt und in seinem Arbeitszustand den Balg (7) mit der äußeren Umgebung verbindet.
  3. Aufprallhelm nach Anspruch 2, umfassend einen Drucksensor (33), der zum Fühlen des Luftdrucks in dem Balg (7) innerhalb der Schale (2) angeordnet ist, eine Speichereinheit (31), in welcher ein Solldruckwert gespeichert ist, eine Vergleicherschaltung (34) zum Vergleichen des in der Speichereinheit (31) gespeicherten Druckwertes mit dem vom Sensor (33) gefühlten Druckwert und eine Steuerschaltung (37), welche von der Vergleicherschaltung (34) zum Steuern der Stromspeisung zum Motor (17) der Pumpe (16) sowie zu dem elektrischen Ventil (18) getrieben wird.
  4. Aufprallhelm nach Anspruch 2, umfassend einen elektrischen Schalter (39), welcher in der Schale (2) angeordnet ist, so daß er beim Aufsetzen des Helms (1) vom Kopf des Benutzers betätigt wird.
EP91900219A 1989-12-19 1990-12-13 Sturzhelm mit aufblasbarem luftkissen Expired - Lifetime EP0506696B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT02273589A IT1236889B (it) 1989-12-19 1989-12-19 Casco con imbottitura gonfiabile
IT2273589 1989-12-19
PCT/EP1990/002162 WO1991008682A1 (en) 1989-12-19 1990-12-13 A crash helmet with an inflatable pad

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0506696A1 EP0506696A1 (de) 1992-10-07
EP0506696B1 true EP0506696B1 (de) 1994-06-29

Family

ID=11199832

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP91900219A Expired - Lifetime EP0506696B1 (de) 1989-12-19 1990-12-13 Sturzhelm mit aufblasbarem luftkissen

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0506696B1 (de)
AU (1) AU6899391A (de)
DE (1) DE69010341T2 (de)
IT (1) IT1236889B (de)
WO (1) WO1991008682A1 (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19904355A1 (de) * 1999-02-04 2000-08-24 Moeller Gmbh Leistungsschalter und Verfahren zu seiner Herstellung
US8162009B2 (en) 2006-04-04 2012-04-24 Chaffee Robert B Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling pressure in an inflatable device
US8225444B2 (en) 2001-07-10 2012-07-24 Chaffee Robert B Inflatable device forming mattresses and cushions
US8413278B2 (en) 2006-04-04 2013-04-09 Robert B. Chaffee Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling pressure in an inflatable device

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1993001732A1 (en) * 1991-07-19 1993-02-04 Frank Anthony Matich Helmet retention system
DE4241951A1 (de) * 1992-12-12 1994-06-16 Erwin Rose Paßpolster für Helme o. dgl.
US5556169A (en) * 1994-07-15 1996-09-17 Parrish; Milton E. Multi-layer conformable support system
ATE422317T1 (de) * 2000-05-11 2009-02-15 Empa Flächige wärmeisoliereinrichtung, insbesondere für den menschlichen körper
US8127373B1 (en) 2011-07-22 2012-03-06 Troy Allen Fodemski Protective helmet having a microprocessor controlled response to impact
US9307801B2 (en) * 2011-11-23 2016-04-12 Noam Rabinovitch Protective head gear with moveable members
US9788588B2 (en) * 2015-03-19 2017-10-17 Elwha Llc Helmet airbag system
WO2018148753A1 (en) 2017-02-13 2018-08-16 The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University Constant force impact protection device

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4130803A (en) * 1977-05-04 1978-12-19 Thompson Kenneth L Radio equipped protective helmet
DE7729063U1 (de) * 1977-09-20 1977-12-29 Schuberth-Werk, 3300 Braunschweig Schutzhelm
GB2046080A (en) * 1979-03-28 1980-11-12 Roberts J A Protective head-gear
IT1212639B (it) * 1982-03-08 1989-11-30 Fantin Lino Ora Yes Helrets S Chiusura di visiere di caschi dispositivo motorizzato integrali. elettricamente per l'apertura e la
US4483021A (en) * 1982-08-05 1984-11-20 Mckool, Inc. Thermo-electric cooled motorcycle helmet
IT1216074B (it) * 1988-03-14 1990-02-22 Vela Srl Paracolpi particolarmente per un elemento di imbottitura protettiva casco.

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19904355A1 (de) * 1999-02-04 2000-08-24 Moeller Gmbh Leistungsschalter und Verfahren zu seiner Herstellung
US8225444B2 (en) 2001-07-10 2012-07-24 Chaffee Robert B Inflatable device forming mattresses and cushions
US8162009B2 (en) 2006-04-04 2012-04-24 Chaffee Robert B Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling pressure in an inflatable device
US8413278B2 (en) 2006-04-04 2013-04-09 Robert B. Chaffee Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling pressure in an inflatable device
US8839474B2 (en) 2006-04-04 2014-09-23 Robert B. Chaffee Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling pressure in an inflatable device
US9289073B2 (en) 2006-04-04 2016-03-22 Robert B. Chaffee Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling pressure in an inflatable device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69010341T2 (de) 1994-10-13
IT1236889B (it) 1993-04-26
DE69010341D1 (de) 1994-08-04
IT8922735A0 (it) 1989-12-19
WO1991008682A1 (en) 1991-06-27
IT8922735A1 (it) 1991-06-19
EP0506696A1 (de) 1992-10-07
AU6899391A (en) 1991-07-18

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