GB2415614A

GB2415614A - A device for protecting a crash helmet

Info

Publication number: GB2415614A
Application number: GB0414562A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Scapens; Richard Evans; Matthew Walton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-06-29
Filing date: 2004-06-29
Publication date: 2006-01-04
Also published as: GB0414562D0

Abstract

A device 10 for protecting a crash helmet 14 when it is not in use comprises an outer, dome-shaped hard shell 11 made from a lightweight impact-resistant plastics material and an inner, deformable layer 12 into which the crash helmet may be inserted, the outer shell being provided with a deformable resilient retainer ring 13 to define an opening through which the crash helmet is inserted and which in use protects the lower rim of a helmet inserted into the storage device. The inner, deformable layer may be sufficiently deformable as to accommodate a range of different sizes and shapes of crash helmet.

Description

A SAFETY DEVICE TO MAINTAIN CRASH HELMET IIITEGRITY

This invention relates to a safety device for protecting crash helmets when they are not in use.

Crash helmets are designed to offer the wearer the maximum protection against head injuries in the event of a crash or accident. Crash helmets are sophisticated devices, and in an accident a well-designed crash helrner ma' make the difference between life and death of the wearer. Often the COSt of a properly designed helmet is very high for one that offers the maximum protection and This represents a significant investment for the wearer, and it is only human nature to continue wearing the helmet at all costs to get the maximum wear OUT of the helmet.

A problem is that the wearer may be totally unaware that unseen damage may have been caused by minor knocks, scrapes. or inadvertent collisions of the helmet against hard surfaces when the helmet is not in use. This unseen damage may occur deep IS within the outer skin of the helmet and may be such that the safety of the helmet in an accident is rendered useless.

A prior known crash helmet storage device is described in British Patent Application 238497S. This device comprises a large suitcase like structure having a flexible outer reinforced fabric envelope defined by a flexible lid that is zipped on to a base. A moulded rigid foam inner liner pre -moulded to the exact shape of a specific helmet is provided inside the envelope. The device is a bulky device and is designed more as a storage device than as a means for protecting the helmet as it is transported from place to place. Therefore, it is not readily transportable. The inner liner is made of a rigid foam that is pre- moulded to fit a specific shape of helmet, and it cannot be used for different helmets of different shapes or differcot sizes of helmets of the same shape.

Therefore if a user changes their helmet for a differed design, the device may not be able tO be re-used to store the new helmet, and the user would have tO buy a new storage device for the new helmet. This would be costly and may dissuade the user from changing their helmet irrespective of the need to do so for personal safely reasons.

Funherrnore, the flexible outer cover does loci provide adequate protection against accidental impact damage to the helmet as it is carried from place to place.

An object of the present invention is to provide a crash helmet protector that is easily transportable and will accommodate different shapes and sizes of helmets.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight easily transposable crash helmet protection device for protecting the crash helmet against damage when not being worn by a user.

IS According to one a,pect of the present invention there is provided a portable crash helmet protec'or for protecting a crash hclmer against accidental damage when not worn by a user, the protector comprising an outer dome shaped hard shell made of a lightweight impala resistant plastics material, an inner liner made of a flexible resilient deformable shock absorbing material, and a flexible deformable resilient retainer ring provided at an edge of the outer shell and the inner liner to define an opening through which in use a helmet tO be protected can be inserted dome first, and the retaining ring being shaped so as to provide protection for a lower rim of a helmet when a helmet is placed within the inner liner.

Preferably the outer shell is made of a high impact resistant material selected from epoxy resin, resin polymers such as high impact styrene, carbon fibre or glass fibre reinforced composites, carbon fibre reinforced carbon composites, dip moulded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compounds, plastisol, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) compounds.

The inner liner may be made from a material selected from a soft deformable polyester foam, and an open celled visco-elastic foam or cellular polyethylene foam.

Preferably the inner liner is of complementary shape lo that of The inside surface of the outer shell and the inner cavity defined by the liner is a dome shape.

Preferably the thickness of the liner measured from an outer surface of the liner tO an inner surface of the liner is dimensioned so as to be sufficiently resiliently deformable to accommodate a predetermined range of different sizes and different shapes of helmet.

Preferably the ring is made of a material selected from soft deformable polyester foam, open celled visco-elastic foam or cellular polyethylene foam.

The retainer ring may be made of a curled construction with the curl extending inwards from a point of attachment of the ring to the outer shell and the inner shell to define an opening through which the helmet tO be protected can be inserted.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example. with reference lo the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 shoals schematically a cross sectional view through a protector constructed in accordance with the present invention; Figures 2 to 4 show respectively a schematic representation of a plan view, a side view and a front view of the protector of figure 1 with a helmet located in the protector; Figure 5 is a perspective view from the underside of the protector shown in Figure Referring to drawings, there is shown to the crash helmet protector 10 comprising, a lightweight rigid, or semi-rigid, dome shaped hard shell ll made of a lightweight high impact resistant plastics material, an inner flexible resiliently deformable shock absorbing liner 12, and a undercut retaining ring 13 attached to the edge 15 of the outer shell 11.

The outer shell 11is made of a plastics material such as for example epoxy resin, resin polymers such as high impact styrene, carbon fibre or glass fibre reinforced composite, carbon fibre reinforced carbon composite, dip moulded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastisol or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) compound.

The outer shell 11 is dome shaped very much like a conventional, but oversized, crash helmet without any openings for a visor, and is typically between 2 mm and 6 mm thick. Each outer casing 11 is designed for a predetermined range of sizes or shapes of helmet. The size of the outer shell is such as to provide a large gap between the shell 11 and the helmet 14 to be protected to enable a liner 12 of suitable thickness lo be bonded inside the outer shell 11.

The inner lining 12 is made of a son deformable polyester foam, or an open-celled visco-elastic foam or similar and is typically 30 mm to 60 mm thick. The inner liner 12 is bonded to the inside of the outer shell by an adhesive layer (not shown),. Altematively it need not be bonded tO the outer shell 12 but it may be simply a light fit inside the outer shell. The shape of the internal surface of the liner 12 may be a dome bape or it may be shaped to the same shape, but slightly smaller than, that of a specific predetermined helmet to be protected.

The retaining ring 13 is of a re-entranT shape and is bonded to the bottom lip 15 of the outer shell 11. The retainer ring 13 is of a curled configuration and curls inwards to define an opening 16 that is slightly smaller than the lower rim 17 of a predetermined size of helmet to be protected.

A helmet 14 lo be protected is pushed top first through the opening 16 with sufficient force to deform the inner liner 12 to accommodate the helmet 14 and to push the lower rim 17 of the helmet past the lip 1& of the ring 13, The helmet is then allowed to move through the lower rim 17 of the helmet into the inside of the curled lip 18 of the retaining ring 13 to nestle inside the curled lip.

The retainer ring 13 must be flexible enough lo permit the helmet 14 to be pushed past the lip 18 into the inside cavity of the iMer liner 12 but must also be strong enough not to allow the helmet 14 to fall out Of the inner cavity or be pushed out of the liner 12 by the liner 12 as it expands against the resilient dcforrnation caused by' iruserting the helmet 14 into the liner 12. In this way, the helrne is held securely within the liner 12 and the bottom edge 16 of the helmet is fully enclosed and protected by the retainer ring 13.

The retainer ring 13 is preferably made from a polyester foam.

If, desired additional pockets (nor shown), clips (nor shown), and sleeves (not shown) may be provided on the outer shell 11 to carry OVC5, visors or other ancillary items.

Claims

1. A portable crash helmet protector for protecting a crash helmet against accidental damage when not worn by a user, the protector comprising an outer dome shaped hard shell made of a lightweight impact resistant plastics material, an inner liner made of a flexible resilient deformable shock absorbing material, and a flexible deformable resilient retainer ring provided at an edge of the outer shell and the inner liner to define an opening through which in use a helmet to be protected can be inserted dome first, and the retaining ring being shaped so as to provide protection for a lower rim of a helmet when a helmet is placed lecithin the inner liner.

2. A protector according lo claim 1 wherein the outer shell is made of a material selected from epoxy resin, resin polymers such as high impact styrene, carbon fibre or glass fibre reinforced composites, carbon fibre reinforced carbon composites, dip rnoulded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compounds, plastisol and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) compound.

2)

3. A protector according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the inner liner is made from a material selected from soft deformable polyester l foam, or an open-celled visco-elstic foam or cellular polyethylene foam.

4. protector according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the inner liner is of complementary shape lo that of the inside S surface of the outer shell and the inner cavity defined by the liner is a dome shape.

5. A protector according tO claim 5 wherein the thickness of the liner measured from an outer surface to an inner surface is dimensioned so as to be sufficiently resiliently deformable to accommodate a predetermined range of different sizes and different shapes of helmet.

6. A protector according to any one of the preceding claims wherein IS the ring is made of a material selected from soft deformable polyester foam, or an open-celled visco-elastic foam or cellular polyethylene foam

7. A protector according lo any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the retainer ring is of a curled construction with the curl extending inwards from a point of attachment of the ring lo the outer shell and the inner shell to define an opening through which the helmet to be protected can be inserted.

8. A protector substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.