EP0775453B1

EP0775453B1 - Crash helmet for motorcyclists and the like, provided with adjustable aeration devices

Info

Publication number: EP0775453B1
Application number: EP19950830486
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gabriele Casartelli
Original assignee: Edc SA; E D C Sarl
Current assignee: Edc SA; E D C Sarl
Priority date: 1995-11-23
Filing date: 1995-11-23
Publication date: 2000-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 2015-11-23
Also published as: ES2142467T3; DE69514811T2; DE69514811D1; EP0775453A1

Description

This invention relates to a crash helmet for motorcyclists, car-drivers and sportspeople in general which utilize crash helmets provided with ventilation devices of the suction type, whose structure is such as to help a regular and controlled exhaust of the hot air and/or condensate which builds up within the helmet during its use and such as to exert its maximum efficiency even at low speeds.
As is known, crash helmets for motorcyclists and, generally, for people taking part in sports competitions which require the use of a helmet, are realized in the shape of a full cap, which in the case of the integral helmets is provided on the front side, in correspondence of the eyes, with an opening closable through a transparent liftable and/or removable visor.
Normally, helmets have a cap or external shell made from a rigid and resistant material, such as polycarbonate or the like or composite materials, inside which a safety padding is coupled, for instance from expanded polystyrene or polyurethane; to this safety padding a lining from soft material constituting a comfort padding is associated. Also open helmets, commonly called "Jet" or "Demijet", have analogous structures. Especially because of their special structure and wrapping shape, integral helmets need to be ventilated in the inside by air circulation, in order to prevent head from overheating and the formation of condensate due to transpiration.
To achieve an adequate ventilation within the helmet, several solutions are adopted which are substantially based on the principle of taking air from the outside through holes or openings provided in given zones of the helmet, to cause it to circulate through the padding layers by means of special channels of various shape and position, and to exhaust it afterwards outside the helmet.
Also a type of crash helmet is known provided with air intakes in the lower front, with circulation of air inside the helmet and exhaust both laterally and on top of the cap where an inclined flange, positioned before air intakes obtained in said cap, creates a depression such as to draw the hot air from within the helmet towards the outside.
Patent US 3496854 (F.W. FELDMANN et al.) describes a ventilation device for helmets which comprises a plurality of openings on top of the helmet cap. Above the openings a channel is positioned provided with air intakes in the upper part, connected to a part of the openings to allow a portion of air to pass through the channel into the helmet, and with air outlet baffles in the lower part connected to the remaining parts of the openings, to remove the air from within the helmet.
A partial closing device may also be provided between the internal and external cap of the helmet, to adjust the air flow through the openings. The device, slidingly connected to the cap, may have a plurality of openings suitable to be selectively aligned with the openings provided on the cap or off-set relatively to the same. However, by this type of ventilation there is the drawback that unwished particles, rain or snow penetrate through the openings looking towards the front of the helmet.
Patent GB 2167285 (P.L. NAVA) describes a helmet provided with openings on its top, through which the air which penetrates from the lower part of the visor and through passages provided in the lateral parts is exhausted outwards. The openings are provided with an ejector having the shape of a bent hood open towards the back of the helmet and whose aim is to protect the opening from rain and to increase the suction created at the opening level by the air which flows on the helmet. The openings may be opened or closed by means of a suitable sliding device.
Patent US 4622700 (J.G. SUNDHALL) describes a helmet provided, in its median part, with backwards looking openings. The external surface of the cap of the helmet is bent towards the inside and extends backwards to join with the cap where it forms a sort of dome.
EP patent 0252243 describes a helmet for motorcyclists in which the cap is provided with holes positioned on the back relatively to the top of the cap, to allow the exhaust of ventilation air; the holes which form outlet orifices are covered by an inclined flange whose opening is orientated towards the back of the helmet; the holes may be closed by a device which slides on a plate and has an intake and holes that may coincide with the holes provided on the cap, causing in this way either a closing or an opening.
All the known embodiments which provide for direct air intakes through openings in the helmet involve in practice annoying conditions of localized cooling, especially at high speeds, and insufficient ventilation at low speeds, because of the pressure reduction which the air flow is subject to in channels, in deviation openings and in exhaust openings.
Besides, as by high speeds the air flow that circulates within the channels is very fast, nuisance conditions for the eyes and the face may set in and even undesirable air jets in the occipital region.
EP patent 0320622 B1 (NOLAN S.p.A.) (upon which the preamble of claim 1 is based) describes a crash helmet provided with channels for the internal ventilation and an opening on the top of the cap; a streamlined flange is located above these openings, whose shape is such as to create, between the cap surface and the flange, a duct having a decreasing section towards the back of the helmet, so as to allow an air flow passing through said duct to assume locally, in correspondence of the openings provided on the cap, a speed increase and a local pressure decrease, such as to draw hot air from within the helmet; between the flange and the cap external surface a guided slider is provided which slides on the cap surface inside the duct, said slider being adjustable in correspondence of said openings, wedge-shaped and which can be so positioned as to constitute either a flow shutter or a baffle capable of facilitating the suction of hot air from within the helmet. The slider is guided through a stem which protrudes from the flange through a guide slit.
The device described in EP 0320622 (NOLAN S.p.A.) ensures the air circulation within the helmet and the exhaust of the same by suction which takes place from the inside towards the outside of the helmet thanks to the special shape of the device, preventing in this way direct and localized air intakes in correspondence of regions of the head which might have severe adverse reactions, such as headaches, rheumatic pains due to cooling, and the like. However, this device has the drawback that the shutting of the air flow from the inside towards the outside of the helmet takes place by reducing the width of the openings provided on the cap surface, progressively alterating their outline, and also that, when the openings are closed because, especially by high speeds and/or very low temperatures, one does not wish to draw air and to create a suction from within the helmet, the air flow of the device hits all the same the slider and is deviated by the same. This can create whirlwinds within the duct, vibrations, annoying noises and the like.
Other embodiments of the type described in EP 0320622 B1 (NOLAN S.p.A.), which provide permanent supplementary air intakes in the streamlined flange do not prevent entirely the noisiness phenomena at high speeds, and besides they do not allow to fully isolate the suction aeration device when, for any reason whatever, one wishes to substantially reduce or completely exclude air suction from within the inside of the helmet, eliminating at the same time any air canalization which would constitute in any case a noisiness and vibration element, and which would be anyhow a perturbating element for the laminar flow on the surface of the helmet cap.
Object of this invention is to provide a crash helmet of the type equipped with suction devices external to said helmet having a structure such as to ensure air suction and exhaust from within the helmet in a constant, uniform and regular way, both by high and low speeds, and independently on the quantity of air exhausted, and without whirlwinds, vibrations, noises and the like taking place.
A further object of this invention is to provide a helmet equipped with suction devices such as to be simply and economically realizable, and applicable, without substantial modifications, also to the various types of helmets already known and utilized.
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a crash helmet equipped with external suction devices with a simple line, aesthetically agreeable and harmonizing, aesthetically and aerodynamically, with the helmet line.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an aeration device of the suction type such as to be fully releasable in case of need and such as not to constitute, in this case, an element likely to generate noisiness and/or vibrations or to hinder the air laminar flow on the surface of the helmet.
These and still further objects and associated advantages which shall be made clear by the following description, are reached by a crash helmet for motorcyclists and the like, comprising a rigid cap and underlying protection layers, provided in the inside with channels for the aeration and cooling of the inside area comprising :

at least an opening or air intake on the top of the rigid cap, in communication with said channels and obtained in the cap and the underlying protective layers,
a fixed flange, positioned above said air intake, at a short distance from the cap external surface, so shaped as to create, between the cap and the flange, a duct constituted by a channel, which is whole in the front part with the inlet window facing the front part of the cap and which, in correspondence of said air intake, divides into at least two outlet channels with exhaust mouths oriented towards the back part of the cap, said duct being capable of allowing an air flow passing through it to locally assume, in correspondence of said air intake, a speed increase with a local pressure reduction, such as to cause an air draw from within the helmet up to the exhaust from said air intake,
a slider provided with at least two outlet holes, longitudinally slidable above said fixed and adjustable flange in advanced closing position, so as to close said inlet window through the mating of the peripheral edge of said slider with the cap surface by superposition with the surface of said flange and in an opening back position, so as to leave said inlet window uncovered, and to cause said outlet holes to be in correspondence of said exhaust mouths.

More particularly, said strealined flange is fixed to the cap surface, for instance by means of pins, plates or other like means provided peripherally relatively to said flange and suitable to be snap or plug fitted in special seats provided on the cap surface.
They slidable slider is preferably so shaped that its perimeter follows the line of said underlying fixed flange, harmonizing with the same from the aerodynamic and also the aesthetical aspect.
Said slider is caused to be slidable on said flange by means of plates or protrusions provided on the inner face of the same element and slidingly engaged and guided in special slits or grooves obtained on the surface of said flange, said plates or projections being so realized as to second the air flow without giving rise to whirlwinds or hindrances to said flow.
Besides, always on the internal side of said slider a restraint element with opposing plates or the like is provided, suitable to be snap-engaged in special seats obtained on the surface of said flange, so as to lock said slider in a position of opening or total closing of the inlet window, according to need, said slider being realized in such a way as to second the air flow without giving rise to whirlwinds or hindrances to said flow.
Through the sliding of the slider which may reach the complete closing of the inlet window and of both the exhaust mouths window, one obtains the adjustment of the air flow capacity as well as a depression in correspondence of the air intake suitable to assist the suction of hot air from within the helmet. The conformation of the slider is such that, in full closing position, only a slight protrusion results on the cap, which protrusion is almost flush with the cap surface and does not hinder in the least the flow of air streams, and therefore the aerodynamic conditions, as the tests performed in the wind tunnel have confirmed.
Always according to this invention, the fixed flange with the associated mobile slider may be housed in a corresponding recess provided on the cap surface, so that the peripheral edge of the flange is aerodynamically connected with the cap surface, without surface dishomogeneities and/or discontinuities taking place.
Always according to this invention, within said duct, on the cap surface and before said air intake, a baffle or spoiler is positioned having a substantially isosceles or trapezoid shape, connected, through its greater base with said whole inlet channel, and with both its sides with said two outlet channels, divergent from one another, and with exhaust mouths positioned on the two opposite sides in the back part of said flange.
Besides, according to this invention, said fixed flange and said spoiler may also be obtained as integral part of the cap, by moulding them in one only piece with said cap. This involves a remarkable simplification of the helmet manufacture, with ensuing reduction in costs and working time, and a simplification of the manufacturing methods.
This invention is disclosed more in detail in the following, according to a preferred non exclusive embodiment, with reference to the enclosed drawings, given only by way of non limitative indication, wherein:
Fig. 1 shows a schematic top view of the upper part of the crash helmet subject matter of this invention, with the internal ventilation device in the position of complete closing of the inlet window and the exhaust mouths,
Fig. 2 shows a median section along the A-A line of the upper part of the helmet of Fig. 1,
Figs. 3 through 5 show from a top view and separated from one another, the slider, the fixed flange and the spoiler respectively,
Fig. 6 shows schematically in perspective view the fixed flange,
Fig, 7 shows schematically in perspective view the device with the slider in advanced closing position, while
Fig. 8 shows, always in perspective view, the device with the slider in back opening position.
With reference to the aforementioned figures, the helmet according to this invention is constituted by an external rigid cap 1, for instance from polycarbonate, composite material or the like, in whose inside the protection padding and the comfort padding - not shown in the figure - are associated.
Branched channels are provided inside the helmet according to various known techniques, for the circulation of cooling air, which are in communication with air intakes or holes on the front part of the helmet and/or in correspondence of the chin and the outlet opening for the exhaust of hot air.
According to this invention, the channels within the cap and the padding are in communication with the openings or air intakes 2, whose number ranges preferably from one to three and which are arranged on top of the cap, through which the hot air that has built up inside the helmet is sucked and then exhausted. Such air intakes may be arranged vertically, as shown in Fig. 2, or may be inclined towards the back of cap 1, to facilitate the exhaust of hot air.
To obtain, according to this invention, a hot air suction through air intakes 2, above said air intakes the fixed flange 3 is positioned, substantially bent like cap 1, and kept spaced from cap 1 and so shaped as to form a duct suitable to transmit to an air flow coming in according to arrow N a speed increase in correspondence of air intakes 2, and therefore a localized pressure reduction which causes a draw of hot air from within the helmet at the mouth of the air intakes and its subsequent exhaust according to arrows M and M'.
Said flange 3 has a shape converging towards the back end of the helmet, i.e. a substantially trapezoid shape, with the greater base carrying the inlet window 4 looking towards the front of the helmet; on the contrary, the two outlet channels 5 and 5a are looking towards the back of the helmet. In other words, said flange has a streamlined shape, in order to obtain the best suction conditions and a laminar non turbulent flow.
The flange is fixed to the cap for instance by means of the butt pins 6 or any other suitable like means. Or, as already said, the flange may be obtained as an integral of the cap by moulding it together with the latter. On flange 3 the slider 8 having a substantially trapezoid shape is positioned, which slides above the inlet window 4 and the two channels 5 and 5a through two couples of plates or pins restrained and guided in slits 7 and 11 provided in flange 3. Said plates are restrained and guided in their relevant slits for instance by means of protruding edges or the like. In this way, slider 8 can be moved in both directions, forwards and backwards, acting on the upper surface of said slider which may be provided, to this purpose, with knurls or other grip means suitable to facilitate said grip; the stable stop of element 8 is obtained by known means, for instance, by means of a pin slidable in a slit 14 provided with suitable stop seats 13 and 13a, in closing (advanced) and opening (back) positions respectively.
Slider 8 is provided with two holes 16 and 16a which, when said slider is in back position, are located in correspondence of the exhaust mouths in the two channels 5 and 5a: in this way, the air flow entering the duct from window 4, according to arrow N, is exhausted outside according to arrows M and M', together with the air sucked from within the helmet through hole 2, passing through the two divergent channels 5 and 5a.
Within the duct, before air intakes corresponding to holes 2, baffle or spoiler 15 is located having a trapezoid shape, whose greater base 17 is connected to the air intake channel, while the two bent sides 18 and 18a are connected respectively with the two channels 5 and 5a. It has been seen that this arrangement allows an optimum air suction from within the helmet, without giving rise to whirlwinds and therefore vibrations and/or noisiness.
The spoiler may be obtained integrally and in one only piece with the surface of the cap, as said, or may be caused to be integral with flange 3, for instance by means of peduncles or ribs 20.
When the slider is in advanced position, as shown in Fig. 7 and in Figs, 1 and 2, both window 4 and channels 5 and 5a are completely closed, and of course there is no air suction from within the helmet outwards.
According to a variant of this invention, flange 3 may carry on its back part an impression or low area 19, so that when the slider is in back position, as shown in Fig. 8, the low area 19 is in communication with ducts 5 and 5a and constitutes in this way a supplementary exhaust channel, according to arrow M".

Claims

Crash helmet for motorcyclists and the like, comprising a rigid cap (1) and underlying protective layers, of the type provided internally with channels for the ventilation and cooling of internal area comprising

at least an opening or air intake (2) on top of the rigid cap (1), in communication with said channels and obtained in the cap and the underlying protective layers,

a fixed flange (3), positioned above said air intake (2), at a short distance from the cap external surface, so shaped as to create, between the cap and the flange, a duct constituted by a channel with an inlet window (4) facing the front part of the cap

said duct being such as to allow an air flow passing through it to locally assume, in correspondence of said air intake (2), a speed increase with a local pressure reduction such as to cause an air draw from within the helmet up to the exhaust of said air intake, characterized in that

said channel is whole in the front part of the cap in correspondence of said inlet window(4) and which in correspondence of said air intake (2) divides in at least two outlet channels (5,5a), with the exhaust mouths oriented towards the back of the cap,

a slider (8) provided with at least two outlet holes (16, 16a), being slidable longitudinally on said fixed flange (3) adjustable in advanced closing position so as to close said inlet window (4) and said outlet holes (16, 16a) by superposition with the surface of said flange, and in back opening position so as to leave uncovered said inlet window (4) and to lead said outlet holes (16, 16a) in correspondence of said exhaust mouths of said outlet channels (5, 5a).
Crash helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that said slider (8) is caused to be slidable above said flange (3) by means of plates or projections obtained on the internal face of said slider and slidingly engaged and guided in special slits or grooves (7, 11) provided on the surface of said flange (3), said plates or projections being so realized as to second the air flow without giving rise to whirlwinds or hindrances to said flow.
Crash helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that on the internal face of said slider (8) a restraint element is provided with opposing plates suitable to to be snap-engaged in special seats (13, 13a) provided on the surface of said flange (3), so as to lock said slider (8) in back opening position or in advanced full closing position of said inlet window (4) and said exhaust mouths of said outlet channels (5, 5a) according to need, said slider being so realized as to second the air flow without giving rise to whirlwinds or hindrances to said flow.
Crash helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that within said duct on the surface of cap (1) and before said air intake (2) a wedge-baffle or spoiler (15) is positioned having a substantially isosceles or trapezoid shape with its greater and thinner base (7) facing the air intake and connected with said whole inlet channel, while its two bent sides (18, 18a) are connected with said two divergent outlet channels (5, 5a) having the exhaust mouths positioned on the two opposite sides, in the back part of said flange (3).
Crash helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that said fixed flange (3) and/or said spoiler (15) are obtained as an integral part of cap (1) in one only piece with said cap by moulding.
Crash helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that in the back part of said fixed flange (3) an impression or low area is obtained (19), which communicates with said channels (5, 5a) when said slider (8) is in back opening position, constituting in this way an additional air exhaust channel.