EP3432747B1

EP3432747B1 - Protective helmet

Info

Publication number: EP3432747B1
Application number: EP17721840.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alessandro CERNICCHI
Original assignee: Dainese SpA
Current assignee: Dainese SpA
Priority date: 2016-03-23
Filing date: 2017-03-22
Publication date: 2019-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 2037-03-22
Also published as: ITUA20161946A1; EP3432747A1; WO2017163197A1

Description

Field of application

The present invention relates to a helmet, in particular for motorcyclists.
More specifically the herein described invention aims at improving the possibility of rescuing a motorcyclist involved in an accident.

Background

It is well known that the helmet is a safety element necessary for motorcyclists (but not only for them). Its use during both motor-tourism and motorcycle racing then is well established by now. Rather, its use is compulsory by law.
In order to be effective, first of all the helmet has to meet particular technical and structural features.
Moreover, it has to be worn by following precise rules (always fastened, etc.) and it has to be rightly sized with respect to the user head. It follows that the helmet has to fit very well, it has to be very adherent to the motorcyclist head and it has not to move very much with respect to the head.
For this reason the helmets are equipped with soft inner paddings, which allow a good contact with the head and guarantee an adequate comfort.
However, from all this it derives that the procedure for extracting the helmet from the head requires a certain effort. The helmet has to be pulled out with force in order to be taken off, especially if one thinks about a helmet of full-face type.
This, in case of accident, constitutes a limit and it involves a danger for the health of the rescued motorcyclist.
In fact, it is very dangerous to remove the helmet from the motorcyclist head, by exerting such pulling forces which would be applied to the neck along the cervical tract of the vertebral column, by risking to worsen possible trauma suffered after an accident in such area.
Specific rescue procedures have been then devised which however necessarily provide the intervention of at least two expert people (for example paramedic personnel) knowing exactly what to do and how to do it.
In each case, the procedure for extracting the helmet, however, remains one of the critical moments. One has further to take into consideration that, on the contrary, it would be useful and necessarily to remove it as soon as possible, for example to verify that the aerial routes are free or to free them from possible obstructions, so that the rescued person can breathe freely.
WO 2015/063379 and JP 2005-054300 both describe protective hoods which may be worn under a helmet. Such hoods comprise lateral straps which protrude from the bottom of the helmet when worn and which may be used to assist removal of the helmet in the event of an accident.

Brief description of the invention

An object of the present invention is then to overcome the above-illustrated problems, and this is obtained by means of a helmet as defined in claim 1.
Additional features of the present invention are defined in the corresponding depending claims.
The present invention then allows to obtain considerable advantages.
First of all, the use of a helmet according to the present invention allows to simplify very much the procedure for extracting the helmet, by avoiding the application of each pulling force on the neck and by reducing the time required for extracting the helmet.
Moreover, it makes possible to perform such procedure even by one single person with particular attention (positioning of a cushion to support the cervical area).
At last, according to a specific embodiment, the helmet also eliminates the drawback of having to release in advance the chinstrap in order to be able to extract the helmet from the head of the rescued person. A manoeuvre which often causes considerable time losses to paramedic personnel.
Other advantages, together with the features and the use modes of the present invention, will result evident from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, shown by way of example and not for limitative purposes.

Brief description of the drawings

The drawings shown in the enclosed figures will be referred to, wherein:

figure 1 is a perspective view of a helmet according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
figure 2 is a section view on the sagittal plane of the helmet of figure 1;
figure 3 is a first section view on the front plane of the helmet of figure 1;
figure 4 is a second section view on the front plane of the helmet of figure 1, illustrated during extraction;
figure 5 is a perspective view of a helmet according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
figure 6 is a first section view on the front plane of the helmet of figure 5;
figure 7 is a second section view on the front plane of the helmet of figure 5, illustrated during extraction;
figure 8 is a first section view on the front plane of a helmet according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
figure 9 is a second section view on the front plane of the helmet of figure 8;
figure 10 is a perspective view of a helmet according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
figure 11 is a first section view on the front plane of the helmet of figure 10;
figure 12 is a second section view on the front plane of the helmet of figure 10, illustrated during extraction;
figure 13 a section view on the front plane of a helmet according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

The present invention will be described hereinafter by referring to the above-mentioned figures.
By firstly making reference to figures 1 to 4, they relate to a first embodiment of a helmet according to the present invention.
In particular, a helmet 1 is intended to protect a user head. In particular, the helmet can be of full-face type, for motorcyclists. However, it is to be meant that the present invention can be fully applied even in other fields, whenever a user has to wear a protective helmet, the extraction thereof is made difficult by the features themselves of the helmet.
As it can be better seen in figure 2, the helmet 1 comprises an outer cap 10, a layer of rigid shock-absorbing padding 20 and a possibly removable inner soft padding 30.
The helmet 1 according to the invention further comprises an aided extraction element 40.
Such aided extraction element 40 is of ribbon-like type and it is placed in the helmet so as to pass over the motorcyclist's skull when the helmet is worn, between the rigid padding 20 and the soft inner padding 30. However, it is to be meant that the ribbon-like element 40 can be made to pass directly between the inner soft padding and the head or even in some tracts between the two paddings and in other tracts between the soft padding and the head, but these do not form part of the claimed invention.
Preferably, the ribbon-like element 40 comprises, at least in the area corresponding to the user's skull, two or more strips 41, 42 positioned so as to be placed over the skull when the helmet is worn.
The aided extraction element 40 then has two ends ending in two gripping handles 45 positioned at lateral portions of the helmet 1, near a base profile thereof 2.
Advantageously, the ribbon-like element 40 is connected to the inner padding 30 at least at the upper portion, above the skull.
Such connection can be implemented in several ways, for example by seams. Alternatively, the padding 30 itself can include an integrated ribbon-like portion, having the required structural stiffness.
Or, still alternatively, the ribbon-like element 40 can simply be inserted in loops obtained in the inner padding 30, thus being able even to slide with respect thereto.
The fact that the ribbon-like element 40 is an integral portion of the helmet, positioned between the rigid shock-absorbing padding 20 and the inner padding 30 and connected thereto, constitutes an additional advantage. In fact in this way it will be always positioned correctly with respect to the motorcyclist's skull, when the helmet is worn. All this to guarantee the fact that, in case of need, the device can be effective and operate without defects.
In terms of possible use, the subsequent figure 4 helps in understanding the way in which the aided extraction element 40 can be used advantageously in case of need.
In circumstances where should a rescuer be in the condition of having to remove the helmet from the motorcyclist head, first of all he/she will have to release the buckle 51 of the chinstrap 50.
At this point, he/she could grasp the two gripping handles 45 with the hands and exert a pulling force F_T, transversally with respect to the head of the rescued person, as illustrated in figure 4.
This action first of all causes an enlargement of the helmet basis, as shown by the arrows F1 in figure 4, which contributes to ease the helmet extraction.
Moreover, the ribbon-like element 40 will consequently be squeezed over the motorcyclist skull, as shown by the arrow F2 in figure 4. The inner padding 30 remains in contact with the motorcyclist head. By reaction, the remaining portion of the helmet, pushed by the ribbon-like element 40 at the base profile thereof 2, is pushed upwards according to the arrow F3 in figure 4.
It is evident that by proceeding in this way no pulling force is exerted on the motorcyclist neck and the helmet is extracted almost automatically, or with a minimum help by the rescuer.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 relate to a second embodiment of a helmet according to the present invention. In the figures and in the description of this second embodiment, equal portions are designated with the same reference numeral.
As already shown, and as it is known, the helmets are equipped with a chinstrap 50, provided with a buckle 51 for the fastening thereof. The actuation of the buckle 51 is manual, both in closing and opening phase. Of course, this makes necessary to release the chinstrap manually before being able to remove the helmet.
A helmet 101 according to this second embodiment, advantageously comprises a chinstrap ribbon 50 having a quick-release buckle 52.
In particular the buckle 52, or better the actuating device thereof for opening, is connected to the ribbon-like element 40, so that a pulling force exerted on the gripping handles 45 causes the release of the buckle 52 and then the opening of the chinstrap 50.
For example, a release string 53 can be provided, the ends thereof are respectively connected to the device for releasing the buckle 52 and to the ribbon-like element 40, near the gripping handles 45.
In this way, the force exerted on the gripping handles 45 puts in traction the release string 53 acting on the release device 52 and it allows the immediate opening of the chinstrap before removing the helmet.
It can be imagined that the implementation of such functionality should be so that the release string 53 is not an obstacle to the pulling of the ribbon-like element 40. Therefore, the person skilled in the art will be able to find the best design solution, for example by using an elastic string, or a string which in turn can be released when subjected to traction.
Alternatively, the buckle 52 can be released from the chinstrap ribbon 50 on both sides, thus by making the release still safer.
Figures 8 and 9 relate to a third embodiment of a helmet according to the present invention. In figures and in the description of this embodiment, equal portions are designated by the same reference numeral.
An additional element of the helmet which, generally, can be an obstacle during the rescuing phase, is represented by the lateral cheek pads. These are particularly "cumbersome" padding elements placed at the cheeks of the motorcyclist when he/she wears the helmet. As these padding elements exert a certain pressure on the motorcyclist cheeks, they are an obstacle to the procedure for removing the helmet.
Therefore, in order to extract the helmet still more easily, it could be useful to be able to remove the cheek pads in advance.
In this sense, a helmet 201 according to the present invention comprises a pair of padding elements 80, also called removable 'cheek pads'.
The cheek pads 80 are connected to the structure of the helmet through removable connection means, such as for example snap buttons, velcro or the like.
In the example described herein by way of example the cheek pads 80 are fixed removably by means of respective snap buttons 81.
Still according to this embodiment, the cheek pads 80 are also integrally connected to the ribbon-like element 40, directly, or by means of a connecting string 82.
In this way, in the moment when the rescuer exerts a force on the gripping handles 45 (as shown in figure 9), the cheek pads 80 will be released by the button 81 and easily extracted from the bottom, since they follow the ribbon-like element 40.
Thus, the subsequent removal of the helmet will result still more aided and the risk or exerting unwished and dangerous tractions on the motorcyclist's neck will be still more reduced.
The subsequent figures 10, 11 and 12 relate to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
Once again, in figures and in the description of this embodiment, equal portions are designated with the same reference numeral.
This second embodiment, with respect to the previous ones, provides that a helmet 301 comprises, at each lateral side, a corresponding opening 3 near the base profile thereof 2. The gripping handles 45 are made to stick out through these openings 3.
The advantage of having the gripping handles 45 sticking out through the openings 3 is to be able to find them always, and however easily, even should the motorcyclist wear a turtleneck jacket or other garments which in case could be an obstacle to the rescuer.
The present invention has been sofar described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof.
It is to be meant that each one of the technical solutions implemented in the preferred embodiments, herein described by way of example, advantageously could be combined differently therebetween, as illustrated by way of example in figure 13 which relates to a fifth embodiment which comprises the previous ones combined therebetween.
In this case, for the sake of clarity, the cheek pads 80 and the quick-release buckle 52 should clearly be connected, by respective strings, to the portion of handles sticking out through the openings 3 on the helmet. It is further evident that different configurations could easily be provided, by introducing modifications and adjustments within the comprehension of a person skilled in the art, without this involving the fact of departing from the protective scope of the herebelow reported claims.

Claims

A helmet (1, 101, 201, 301, 501) for the protection of the head of a user, comprising an outer cap (10), a rigid shock-absorbing padding (20) and an inner soft padding (30), characterized in that it comprises a ribbon-like aided extraction element (40), connected to said inner soft padding (30) and passing so as to be placed over the user's skull when the helmet is worn, and having two gripping handles (45) placed at lateral portions of the helmet (1) near a base profile thereof (2), wherein said ribbon-like element (40) is an integral portion of the helmet, positioned between said rigid shock-absorbing padding (20) and said inner padding (30) and connected thereto.
The helmet according to claim 1, wherein said ribbon-like element (40) comprises, at least in the region corresponding to the skull of the user, two or more strips (41, 42) placed so as to be over the skull when the helmet is worn.
The helmet according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein said ribbon-like element (40) passes inside the soft padding (30) in lateral region.
The helmet according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a chinstrap ribbon (50) having a quick-release buckle (52), connected to said ribbon-like element (40), so that a pulling force exerted on said gripping handles (45), causes the release of said buckle (52).
The helmet according to claim 4, wherein said buckle (52) can be released from said chinstrap ribbon (50) on both sides.
The helmet according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the release device of said quick-release buckle (52) is connected to said ribbon-like element (30) through a release string (53).
The helmet according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a pair of lateral padding elements (80), connected to the helmet through removable connection means (81).
The helmet according to claim 7, wherein said removable connection means comprises snap buttons (81).
The helmet according to claim 7, wherein said lateral padding elements (80) are connected integrally to said ribbon-like element (40), so that a pulling force exerted on said gripping handles (45), causes the release of said removable connection means (81).
The helmet according to one of the preceding claims, comprising, at each lateral side, a corresponding opening (3) near the base profile thereof (2), said gripping handles (45) sticking out of the helmet (1) through said openings (3).