EP3790422B1 - Protective helmet having a mechanical sizing adjustment system - Google Patents

Description

Object of the invention

The present invention relates to a protective helmet, for use for example in the field of sport, road safety or military, having an improved shock absorption capacity thanks to an optimized damping device. The protective helmet further includes an improved system for adjusting the helmet to the size of the user's head.

State of the art

Protective helmets generally comprise a rigid external structure surrounding an internal damping structure, the two structures being connected by connecting elements. In order to absorb the impact force and to dampen the shocks in order to limit their transmission to the head of the user, the two structures often have the possibility of sliding relative to each other.

The internal damping layer may be made of a material which globally absorbs the energy and/or may also comprise point or local damping elements which deform under the effect of a force, such as for example springs. In some helmets, this inner layer also includes means for adjusting the helmet to the size of the user's head.

The difficulty is to provide a damping structure absorbing both the energy of a radial impact and that of a tangential impact.

The document US 2016/073723 A1 discloses a helmet comprising two parts sliding relative to each other as well as a means connection between the two parts, associated with an element that can absorb energy thanks to its elasticity, for example by providing a spring or damping force. These connection means are devices that can absorb energy thanks to their elasticity. When a tangential or oblique force is applied to the helmet, a relative movement between the two parts of the helmet occurs. The energy is absorbed by the connection means which deforms under the action of the force applied to the helmet. In this document, the damping device is fixed, glued, or molded in one of the two radial parts of the helmet, and may have, for example, the form of a flat spiral spring.

The document US 2017/172242 A1 describes a helmet comprising an outer shell, a shock absorbing layer inside the outer shell and an inner layer further disposed inside the shock absorbing layer. The inner layer is configured to slide relative to the shock absorbing layer and includes a number of openings with a baffle inside each opening. Each deflector comprises a body connected to the shock absorbing layer, a peripheral border connected to the opening in which it is received, and a number of deformable spokes extending between the body and the border. The deflector makes it possible to absorb the energy of the impact received on the outer shell thanks to its deformation.

The document GB 2541760 A relates to energy absorption systems. A flexible and deformable energy absorbing system includes a body with an inner cell and an outer cell (eg, rings), the inner cell being retained within the outer cell by side bands. The internal cell comprises an element in relief ("overhang") with respect to the external cell, which can be inserted into another cell having a re-entrant geometry, in order to make it possible to absorb the energy of an impact. During the impact, the overhang will be pushed into the internal cell of another element to take up the effort, dissipating in this way part of the energy of the impact.

Furthermore, as regards the systems for adjusting the size of the helmet on the user's head, there are different tightening means.

The document US 2013/283507 A1 discloses a helmet comprising a rigid outer shell and an internal adjustment structure in which the user's head engages. The outer shell and the inner structure are coupled using a system of cables or clamping bands. The user has the possibility of adjusting the size of the internal structure by modifying the tension of the tightening cables available in the helmet, using a toothed wheel cooperating with two parallel toothed tabs located at the rear of the helmet, i.e. a rack and pinion system.

The document US 2013/312163 A1 describes a helmet according to the preamble of claim 1, with a self-adjusting internal structure. The internal structure includes a rear basket and a front headband, as well as means for tensioning the basket and the headband around a user's head. The tensioning means comprises a spring and a cable passing along the basket and attached to the headband, the spring making it possible to tension the front headband via the cable.

Aims of the invention

The present invention aims to provide a solution making it possible to improve the damping of small shocks received by a protective helmet, causing the helmet to be constantly repositioned in its initial position of balance on the head.

Another object pursued by the invention is to provide a solution allowing a wide range of adjustment of the helmet and adaptation to all types of head or morphology, thus offering maximum comfort.

In particular, the invention aims to allow easy adjustment when the helmet is already positioned on the user's head.

The invention also aims to improve the ventilation of the helmet by the fact that the adjustment system is “floating”, that is to say attached only at certain points.

Main characteristic elements of the invention

• une coque rigide externe ;
• une structure interne située à l'intérieur de la coque rigide externe et ajustable à la tête d'un utilisateur, ladite structure interne comprenant un panier et un bandeau, le panier et le bandeau étant destinés à être positionnés respectivement à l'arrière et à l'avant de la tête, et au moins deux moyens d'amortissements distincts solidaires du bandeau ;
• des moyens d'ajustement de la structure interne ;

caractérisé en ce que les moyens d'amortissement sont des disques de déplacement comprenant chacun :

• un anneau externe ;
• une « bille » ou tenon central ;
• une pluralité de bras déformables dont les deux extrémités relient substantiellement tangentiellement l'anneau externe et de manière radiale la bille centrale ;

les bras déformables ayant une longueur d'au moins 1,5 fois le rayon de l'anneau externe de sorte à pouvoir former par déformation une structure conique et élastique dont la bille centrale est localisée au sommet et est en contact avec la coque rigide externe,
et en ce que les disques de déplacement sont en outre solidarisés à la face interne de la coque rigide externe, de sorte qu'en position statique la structure interne est séparée de la coque rigide externe par un intervalle.The present invention relates to a protective helmet according to claim 1 comprising:

• an outer rigid shell;
• an internal structure located inside the outer rigid shell and adjustable to the head of a user, said internal structure comprising a basket and a headband, the basket and the headband being intended to be positioned respectively at the rear and at the the front of the head, and at least two separate damping means secured to the headband;
• means for adjusting the internal structure;

characterized in that the damping means are displacement discs each comprising:

• an outer ring;
• a "ball" or central tenon;
• a plurality of deformable arms, the two ends of which connect the outer ring substantially tangentially and the central ball radially;

the deformable arms having a length of at least 1.5 times the radius of the outer ring so as to be able to form by deformation a conical and elastic structure whose central ball is located at the top and is in contact with the outer rigid shell ,
and in that the displacement discs are further secured to the inner face of the outer rigid shell, so that in static position the inner structure is separated from the outer rigid shell by a gap.

• les moyens d'ajustement de la structure interne comprennent :
  • ∘ un système pignon-crémaillère solidaire du panier et comprenant une roulette de serrage et une languette coulissante dentée ;
  • ∘ un câble de serrage prolongeant ledit bandeau de la structure interne au niveau d'une première extrémité et se terminant à une seconde extrémité par la languette coulissante dentée ;
  • ∘ la roulette de serrage étant apte à coopérer avec la languette coulissante dentée de sorte à raccourcir/tendre ou à allonger/détendre le câble de serrage pour augmenter le volume disponible entre le bandeau et le panier de la structure interne ;
• le bandeau comporte au moins une partie azimutale par rapport au casque munie latéralement de chaque côté de la partie frontale du casque d'au moins un disque de déplacement ;
• le bandeau comporte en outre une partie méridienne par rapport au casque munie d'au moins un disque de déplacement ;
• la coque rigide externe est réalisée sous forme d'une couche externe réalisée dans un matériau rigide, tel que l'acrylonitrile butadiène styrène (ABS) ou le polycarbonate (PC), surmontant une couche absorbante, réalisée par exemple en polystyrène expansé (PSE) ou polypropylène expansé (PPE) ;
• la structure interne est réalisée en polyamide (PA) ;
• les disques de déplacement sont réalisés en matière plastique rigide et sont moulés par injection ou par impression 3D en une seule pièce ;
• les disques de déplacement sont réalisés dans la même matière que le bandeau, leur forme leur conférant leur élasticité ;
• les moyens d'ajustement de la structure interne comportent deux câbles de serrage, chacun relié respectivement à une extrémité du bandeau et ensemble à la languette coulissante dentée, les deux câbles de serrage étant disposés symétriquement de chaque côté du panier, grâce à des ponts de passage de câble.

According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the protective helmet further comprises one of the following characteristics, or an appropriate combination of several of these characteristics:

• the means of adjusting the internal structure include:
  • ∘ a rack and pinion system integral with the basket and comprising a tightening wheel and a toothed sliding tongue;
  • ∘ a tightening cable extending said strip of the internal structure at a first end and ending at a second end with the toothed sliding tongue;
  • ∘ the tightening roller being able to cooperate with the toothed sliding tab so as to shorten/tighten or lengthen/relax the tightening cable to increase the volume available between the headband and the basket of the internal structure;
• the headband comprises at least one azimuthal part with respect to the helmet provided laterally on each side of the front part of the helmet with at least one displacement disc;
• the headband further comprises a meridian part with respect to the helmet provided with at least one displacement disc;
• the outer rigid shell is made in the form of an outer layer made of a rigid material, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polycarbonate (PC), surmounting an absorbent layer, made for example of expanded polystyrene (EPS) or expanded polypropylene (EPP);
• the internal structure is made of polyamide (PA);
• the displacement discs are made of rigid plastic material and are molded by injection or 3D printing in one piece;
• the displacement discs are made of the same material as the headband, their shape giving them their elasticity;
• the means for adjusting the internal structure comprise two tightening cables, each connected respectively to one end of the headband and together to the toothed sliding tongue, the two tightening cables being arranged symmetrically on each side of the basket, thanks to bridges of passage for the wires.

Brief description of figures

• The figure 1 schematically represents a first view of an example of a protective helmet according to the present invention.
• The picture 2 schematically represents another view of an example of a protective helmet according to the present invention.
• The picture 3 schematically represents a sectional view of the protective helmet according to the figure 1 .
• The figure 4 schematically represents a sectional view of the protective helmet, produced according to a plane perpendicular to the sectional plane of the picture 3
• The figure 5 schematically represents a view of the internal structure of the protective helmet according to the invention.
• The figure 6 represents an example of a damping means of the protective helmet according to the present invention.
• The figure 7 shows an example for the tightening roller and for the toothed sliding tongue of the internal structure of the protective helmet according to the present invention.

Description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

An embodiment of the protective helmet 1 recommended by the present invention is represented on the figures 1 to 5 . The helmet 1 comprises a rigid outer shell 2, either solid or having ventilation orifices, made for example in the form of an outer layer made of a rigid material, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate ( pc), etc and an absorbent layer of expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP), etc. An internal structure 3 coming directly into contact with the head of the user is positioned radially inside the outer shell 2. This internal structure 3, made for example of polyamide (PA), is adjustable to the size of the head. of the user, thanks to adjustment means located partly outside the outer shell 2, at the top of the protective helmet 1 (see below). The outer shell 2 and the inner structure 3 can move relative to each other, so that an impact on the outer shell is only transmitted to the user's head in a limited way. Indeed, if a shock is applied to the protective helmet, the force of this shock will be partly absorbed by the relative movement of the outer shell 2 with respect to the internal structure 3.

As shown on the figure 4 and 5 , the internal structure 3 comprises a basket 4, a headband 5 and a plurality (at least three) of distinct damping means 6. The headband 5 and the basket 4 surround the head of the user when wearing the helmet 1 , respectively on the back and on the front of the head. Thus, the volume left available for the head is made variable thanks to the adjustment means of the internal structure. These adjustment means comprise one or more tightening cables 12, a toothed wheel 10 and a toothed sliding tongue 11 cooperating with the toothed wheel 10, constituting a rack and pinion system (the sliding tongue slides in a structure attached to the basket). The tightening cable 12 is connected, at one of its ends, to the band 5 and at the other of its ends, to the toothed sliding tongue 11. The toothed tongue 11 cooperates with the toothed roller 10 so that the user can tension or relax the cable 12 by turning the toothed wheel 10 to the right or to the left, which will, in this way, move the toothed sliding tongue 11. In this way, one can increase or decrease the perimeter of the headband 5. In addition, the clamping cables 12, in the example two in number, move symmetrically and in the same direction.

Furthermore, the clamping cables 12 are slidably connected to the basket 4 by passage bridges 13, open or closed. The basket 4 therefore allows the passage of the clamping cables 12 and groups together the mechanical components (rack and pinion system 10, 11)

Advantageously, the toothed wheel 10 and the associated tab 11 are located on the outer shell 2, at the top of the protective helmet 1. The positioning or passage of these elements on the outer face of the helmet is possible thanks to openings made in the outer shell 2. In this way, the user can easily change the size of the protective helmet when the latter is already on his head, which greatly facilitates the adjustment of the internal structure to the size of the user's head .

The adjustment system can be moved, in its entirety, from front to back by manipulation external to the helmet. The movement of the adjustment system positioned externally allows manipulation of the latter, helmet worn on the head, in order to position the basket in its most comfortable position.

On the other hand, the headband 5 of the internal structure comprises, in addition to the tightening cable 12, damping means 6. Advantageously, the headband 5 has an azimuthal part 15 and a meridian part 16 to properly grip the head. As shown on the figure 6 , these are preferably formed by a disc comprising an outer ring 7 connecting a ball or tenon or central rod 9, providing a certain relief to the central part of the disc, with the aid of a plurality of connecting arms 8 More specifically, the connecting arms 8 have their first end connecting the outer ring 7 substantially tangentially, and their second end connecting the central ball 9 radially. In this way, the deformable arms 8 have a length greater than the length of the radius of the ring 7, and preferably have a length of at least 1.5 times, and preferably at least 2 times, that of the radius of the ring 7. Alternatively, there may be only one connecting arm 8 in the form of an Archimedean spiral. In this way, and thanks to the shape of the connecting arm(s) 8, the damping means 6 have the ability to deform orthogonally with respect to the ring 7 to form a three-dimensional structure approaching a cone, with the central ball 9 being located at the top thereof.

As shown in figure 6 , this structure allows, once the central ball 9 is moved away from the plane of the ring 7, an elastic return of the latter in said plane. Thus, as shown by the picture 3 , the cutter 3 according to the present invention is designed to be at a distance 14 of a few millimeters from the inner face of the outer rigid shell 2. As the central ball 9 is integral with this inner face, in the helmet in the static position, the damping or displacement disk 6 is in a more or less "conical" position, the return force of element 6 compensating for the traction of the outer rigid shell 2 on ball 9.

In the internal structure of the helmet, the damping means 6 are located so that each ball 9 can be connected with the internal face of the external rigid shell 2. When an impact occurs on the helmet radially, the damping means damping 6 will tend to be flattened by the compression, the central ball 9 then being in the same plane as the outer ring 7, absorbing part of the energy of the applied force. The damping of tangential shocks is of course also carried out by the damping discs 6. Thus, during an impact, the damping discs 6, and therefore the internal adjustment structure 3, can move in all the directions (i.e. radial and tangential), following the movement of the head, independently of the outer rigid part of the helmet 2.

• en position statique, les disques de déplacement 6 fixés ponctuellement sur le casque permettent de conserver un espace entre le casque et le bandeau afin de permettre un passage d'air et d'améliorer la ventilation du casque. Du fait de sa géométrie, chaque disque de déplacement 6 peut fortement s'étirer (lors du déplacement normal à la surface interne du casque) afin de s'adapter au mieux aux différentes tailles de têtes et morphologies (tête de type européen, asiatique, etc.) ;
• en utilisation dynamique, les disques de déplacement 6 permettent un léger mouvement multidirectionnel du casque indépendamment du mouvement de la tête afin de permettre au casque de revenir automatiquement à sa position initiale d'équilibre lors de petits impacts (par exemple, branches en forêt en utilisation « mountain bike »)

When the helmet is fitted to the user's head:

• in a static position, the movement discs 6 fixed on the helmet at certain times make it possible to maintain a space between the helmet and the headband in order to allow air to pass through and improve ventilation of the helmet. Due to its geometry, each displacement disc 6 can stretch greatly (during normal displacement on the internal surface of the helmet) in order to best adapt to different head sizes and morphologies (European, Asian, etc.) ;
• in dynamic use, the displacement discs 6 allow a slight multidirectional movement of the helmet independent of the movement of the head in order to allow the helmet to automatically return to its initial position of equilibrium during small impacts (for example, branches in the forest in use "mountain bike")

List of reference symbols

1. 1. Protective helmet
2. 2. Outer hard shell
3. 3. Internal structure (cutting)
4. 4. Basket
5. 5. Headband
6. 6. Damping element (displacement disc)
7. 7. Damping element outer ring
8. 8. Deformable arm of the damping element
9. 9. Central "ball" of the damping element
10. 10. Toothed clamping wheel
11. 11. Toothed sliding tab
12. 12. Cable clamp
13. 13. Cable passage bridge
14. 14. Gap between bit and outer rigid shell
15. 15. Azimuth part of the headband
16. 16. Meridian part of the headband

Claims (10)

1. A protective helmet (1) comprising:

   - a rigid outer shell (2);

   - an inner structure (3) located inside the rigid outer shell (2) and adjustable to the head of a user, said inner structure (3) comprising a basket (4) and a band (5), the basket (4) and the band (5) being intended to be positioned respectively at the back and at the front of the head, the protective helmet being characterized in that the inner structure also comprises at least two separate shock-absorbing means (6) secured to the band (5);

   and in that it also comprises:

   - adjusting means of the inner structure (3);

   the shock-absorbing means being displacement discs (6)
   each comprising:

   - an outer ring (7);

   - a central "bead" or tenon (9);

   - a plurality of deformable arms (8), the two ends of which substantially tangentially connect the outer ring (7) and radially connect the central bead (9);

   the deformable arms (8) having a length of at least 1.5 times the radius of the outer ring (7) so as to be able to form, by deformation, a conical and elastic structure, the central bead (9) of which is located at the top and is in contact with the rigid outer shell (2),
   and in that the displacement discs (6) are further secured to the inner face of the rigid outer shell (2), such that in static position, the inner structure (3) is separated from the rigid outer shell (2) by an interval (14).
2. The protective helmet (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the means for adjusting the inner structure (3) comprise:

   - a pinion-rack system (10, 11) secured to the basket (4) and comprising a tightening wheel (10) and a toothed sliding tab (11);

   - a tightening cable (12) extending said band (5) of the inner structure (3) at a first end and terminating at a second end by the toothed sliding tab (11);

   - the tightening wheel (10) being able to cooperate with the toothed sliding tab (11) so as to shorten/tension or to lengthen/relax the tightening cable (12) to increase the available space between the band (5) and the basket (4) of the inner structure (3).
3. The protective helmet (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the band (5) comprises at least one azimuthal part relative to the helmet laterally provided on each side of the frontal part of the helmet with at least one displacement disc (6).
4. The protective helmet (1) according to Claim 3, characterized in that the band (5) further comprises a meridian part relative to the helmet provided with at least one displacement disc (6).
5. The protective helmet according to Claim 1, characterized in that the rigid outer shell (2) is made in the form of an outer layer made from a rigid material, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polycarbonate (PC), topping an absorbent layer made for example from expanded polystyrene (EPS) or expanded polypropylene (EPP).
6. The protective helmet according to Claim 1, characterized in that the inner structure (3) is made from polyamide (PA).
7. The protective helmet (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the displacement discs (6) are made from rigid plastic material and are moulded by injection or by 3D printing in a single piece.
8. The protective helmet (1) according to Claim 7, characterized in that the displacement discs (6) are made from the same material as the band (5), their shape giving them their elasticity.
9. The protective helmet (1) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the adjusting means of the inner structure (3) comprise two tightening cables (12), each respectively connected to one end of the band (5) and together to the toothed sliding tab (11), the two tightening cables (12) being arranged symmetrically on each side of the basket (4), owing to cable passage bridges (13).
10. The protective helmet (1) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the pinion-rack system (10, 11) for the adjustment of the inner structure by the user is situated on the outer face of the rigid shell (2) of the helmet (1) and therefore accessible to the user once the helmet (1) is placed on his head, owing to apertures provided in the rigid outer shell (2) for the passage of the basket (4) and tightening cables (12) from the inside to the outside of the helmet (1) and owing to a sigmoid shape of the basket (4).

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