GB2626327A - Deformable impact pad liner - Google Patents

Abstract

An array of impact pads for a helmet shell comprising a crown impact pad 201 comprising an inner 205 and outer face, the pad having at least one channel 208 where at least a portion of the inner face can deform into the channel such that an object 204 may be inserted between the inner face and the user’s head 206 when the helmet 207 is worn and the crown impact pad can deform to accommodate the object. The crown impact pad may comprise a series of pads, each having at least one channel. The channel may be defined at least in part by a plurality of protrusions 209 extending from the outer face of the crown impact pad. Preferably, the protrusions taper in a direction away from the outer face of the crown impact pad. The impact pads may be connected by a flexible material such as thermoplastic polyurethane, and the pads may be formed from a polyurethane or nylon foam. One or more of the impact pads may comprise one or more slits and/or notches. Preferably the pads are releasably attached to a liner that can be installed within the helmet shell. Also claimed is a system comprising a such a helmet and a communications device.

Description

Deformable Impact Pad Liner

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an array of impact pads for a helmet shell and an impact liner system for a helmet shell, comprising the array of impact pads, in addition to uses of the same for holding an object against a user's head, without loss of impact protection. The invention further provides a helmet comprising an array of impact pads of the present invention or an impact liner system of the present invention, as well as a system comprising a such a helmet and a communications device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A helmet is a form of personal protective equipment worn to protect the head from injury and are known to have been used since the 23" century BC. Helmets are typically formed of a hard material for the purpose of resisting impact to the user's head. The hard outer casing of the helmet is often referred to as the helmet shell. Historically, helmet shells have been constructed out of metals such as bronze or iron, with modern helmet shells being typically constructed from polymers such as polycarbonates and Kevlar. In order to further reduce any impact delivered to the user's head most helmets will include some form of impact absorbing structure on the inside of the helmet shell for contact with the user's head when the helmet is in use. This additional layer of protection prevents or minimises the transfer of energy from the hard material of the helmet shell to the user's head thus preventing or minimising injury.

Many removable impact absorbing structures are known in the art. Impact absorbing structures often take the form of an array of impact pads that conforms to the inside of the helmet shell and to the user's head. The advantage of this is to provide a good fit without leaving any gaps in the impact absorbing padding. As would be appreciated, any gaps in the impact absorbing padding would give rise to a weak spot where the helmet does not offer suitable protection. Any impact delivered to such a weak spot in the helmet risks being more directly transferred to the user's head risking injury or death. An example of a known helmet impact liner system to be installed in the interior of a helmet can be seen in granted US patent US 9516910 B2. This helmet liner system comprises a front impact pad array, a middle impact pad array, and a rear impact pad array, wherein each impact pad array comprises a plurality of impact pads, thus allowing for suitable coverage of the whole inside of the helmet shell such that an impact at any part of the exterior of the helmet may be mitigated.

The Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) is the current model of combat helmet used by the United States military as well as that of many other nations such as Australia, South Korea, Mexico, etc. The ACH includes a set of pads consisting of a circular crown pad, four oblong/oval pads, and two trapezoidal pads, which may be utilised in various configurations, such as 5-pad, 6-pad and 7-pad configurations. The impact pads are fastened to the inside of the helmet in the desired configuration in order to provide mitigation of any impact occurring at any part of the exterior of the helmet. As would be appreciated, the snug fit of the impact pads around the head of the user is required in order to obtain sufficient protection. A helmet bearing an ill-fitting or missing impact pad may fail to sufficiently reduce impact load to the user's head. One limitation of this approach is that any gaps or missing sections of impact padding may leave areas of helmet which do not offer adequate protection, thus risking the hard helmet shell impacting the user's head.

For example, in the ACH system, removal of even one of the seven impact pads from the helmet liner system can severely compromise the impact protection properties of the helmet. Instructions on how to use the ACH system can be found in the US Army operator manual for Advanced Combat Helmets (ACH) TM 10-8470-204-10 -TECHNICAL MANUAL OPERATOR'S MANUAL FOR ADVANCED COMBAT HELMET (ACH) uni Page 2 of this document states that "All seven helmet pads must be worn during airborne operations and should be worn during other high-risk operations such as air assault and rappelling/mountaineering Failure to observe this precaution could result in serious injury or death because all seven pads provide maximum impact protection." Page 51 of this document, where alternative pad configurations are discussed also states that "For training and combat missions, Soldiers are to utilize the 7-pad configuration only. For non-training and non-combat missions (for example, parades, ceremonies, etc.) the 5-and 6-pad configurations are authorized. Failure to observe these precautions could result in serious injury or death to personnel " Combat helmets such as the ACH are often used in conjunction with other devices such as night vision devices (NVDs), communications devices, and nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) defence equipment and body armour. In particular, communications devices are often used by soldiers in the field and may include devices such as headphones, radio receivers and transmitters etc. Communications devices such as headphones often take the form of an overhead band which must be placed over the head of the user. Soldiers in the field may often wear over-ear headphones for receiving instructions. Over-ear headphones are ideally affixed to the user's head by an overhead band for stability and to provide a connection between the two headphones. Many commercially available headphones are conjoined by an overhead band. Additionally, there is a utility in placing part or all of a communications device inside the helmet for safe and secure storage. This especially true for electronic devices which may be easily susceptible to wear or damage.

However, as would be appreciated, the snug fitting impact pad liner of a helmet system such as the ACH does not allow space for any additionally devices to be placed inside the helmet shell Furthermore, placing any additional device inside the helmet would either compromise the snug fit of the impact liner around the user's head or would require removal of one or more of the impact pads to provide space for the device.

One solution used by soldiers in the field is removal of, for example, the central or crown impact pad of the ACH liner system. Thus, effectively using the ACH liner system in a 6-pad or even 5-pad configuration. Removal of the crown pad allows for a device such as a communications device to be held between the helmet and the user's head, as well as allowing for an overhead band to be worn over the user's head, for example headphones having an overhead band used to hold the headphones over the user's ears. However, as is clear from the ACH operator's manual this solution is not satisfactory as it compromises the integrity of the impact protection, leaving weak spots where an impact force could cause injury or death to the wearer.

Another important consideration with helmets, such as combat helmets, and any impact absorbing system disposed therein, is the ability to withstand repeated impacts. A soldier in the field may not have the opportunity to replace a helmet after sustaining a first impact where the helmet has successfully withstood the impact and prevented injury. It is important that the helmet continues to maintain a suitable degree of impact protection in case any subsequent impact is sustained. If the degree of impact protection is severely reduced by a single impact, this leaves the wearer vulnerable to injury caused by repeat impact. A weak spot created by removal of an impact pad, such as the crown pad, from the ACH may not only compromise the integrity of the impact protection but may also compromise the helmet's ability to withstand repeat impacts.

In view of the above, the present inventors have sought to design a helmet liner that overcomes the problem of accommodating a device such as a communications device whilst simultaneously providing adequate impact protection across the whole helmet. In particular, the present inventors have invented an array of impact pads for a helmet shell and an impact liner system for a helmet shell which is capable of accommodating a device such as a communications device inside the helmet shell, and provides a suitable degree of impact protection across the whole of the exterior of the helmet shell, regardless of whether said device is present or absent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventors of the present invention have developed an array of impact pads and an impact liner system which addresses the problems discussed above.

In a first aspect, the invention provides an array of impact pads for a helmet shell, configured to be installed in the interior of a helmet shell and arranged to protect the head of a wearer, each impact pad comprising a deformable impact absorbing material, wherein the array of impact pads comprises a crown impact pad configured to be installed in the interior of the helmet proximate to the head of a wearer in use and to provide impact protection to the crown of the head of the wearer, wherein the crown impact pad comprises an inner and an outer face, the inner face in use extending towards the head of a wearer and the outer face towards the helmet shell, and wherein the crown impact pad comprises at least one channel, for example extending from and/or in its outer face, and further wherein at least a portion of the inner face of the crown impact pad can be deformed into the channel, such that an object may be inserted between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the user's head when the helmet is in use, and the crown impact pad is deformed to accommodate the object In a second aspect, the invention provides an impact liner system for a helmet shell, comprising an impact liner configured to be installed in the interior of a helmet shell, the impact liner system comprising a front array of impact pads, a middle array of impact pads, and a rear array of impact pads, wherein each array of impact pads comprises a plurality of impact pads; and wherein the middle array of impact pads comprises a crown impact pad as described herein In a third aspect, the present invention provides a helmet comprising an array of impact pads as described herein or an impact liner system as described herein In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a system comprising a helmet as described herein and a communications device suitable for being held between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the user's head when the helmet is in use In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides the use of an array of impact pads as described herein, or an impact liner system as described herein, or a helmet as described herein for holding an object against a user's head, without loss of impact protection The invention will now be described with reference to the following non-limiting figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 is an excerpt from the operator's manual for the advanced combat helmet showing the 7-pad configuration of the array of impact pads used in the ACH.

Figure 2 depicts a cross section of a crown impact pad comprising a channel. The impact pad is placed between the crown of the user and the interior of the helmet shell. The impact pad is shown without an object inserted between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the user's head (top) and with an object inserted between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the user's head and where the crown impact pad is deformed to accommodate the object (bottom).

Figure 3 (centre) depicts an impact pad having a protrusion disposed on the outer face of an impact pad installed in the interior of a helmet shell. Figure 3 (left) and (right) depict the impact pad's ability to hinge about its contact point to the interior of the helmet shell.

Figure 4 depicts bottom (left) side (centre) and top (right) views of an array of impact pads of the present invention.

Figure 5 depicts a front and side view of a further cushioning layer which may be attached to an array of impact pads of Figure 4 along with exemplary dimensions in mm.

Figure 6 depicts a front and side view of three continuous flexible materials for partially encapsulating the three arrays of impact pads with one or more protrusions disposed on their outer face of Figure 4, along with exemplary dimensions in mm. The continuous flexible materials also serve to connect the impact pads of each array to one or more adjacent impact pads of that array.

Figure 7 depicts a front and side view of the impact pads of Figure 4. The impact pads are shown separately from the one or more protrusions disposed thereon and have exemplary dimensions in mm Figure 8 depicts a front and side view of one or more protrusions disposed on the impact pads of the array of impact pads of Figure 4 along with exemplary dimensions in mm.

Figure 9 depicts an array of impact pads of the present invention (left) along with a set of shim pads (right) Figure 10 depicts an exploded view of a rear array of impact pads suitable for use with the array of impact pads of the present invention or in the impact liner system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the invention provides an array of impact pads for a helmet shell, configured to be installed in the interior of a helmet shell and arranged to protect the head of a wearer, each impact pad comprising a deformable impact absorbing material, wherein the array of impact pads comprises a crown impact pad configured to be installed in the interior of the helmet proximate to the head of a wearer in use and to provide impact protection to the crown of the head of the wearer, wherein the crown impact pad comprises an inner and an outer face, the inner face in use extending towards the head of a wearer and the outer face towards the helmet shell, and wherein the crown impact pad comprises at least one channel, for example extending from and/or in its outer face, and further wherein at least a portion of the inner face of the crown impact pad can be deformed into the channel, such that an object may be inserted between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the user's head when the helmet is in use, and the crown impact pad is deformed to accommodate the object.

In the context of the present invention, an array of impact pads comprises a plurality of impact pads which may or may not be conjoined by an attachment to one or more adjacent impact pad of the array of impact pads.

An impact pad is a structure designed to absorb impact and thus in the context of the present invention to prevent the transfer of kinetic energy from the helmet shell to the user's head. An impact pad will typically absorb impact by virtue of an impact absorbing material and/or impact absorbing structures. Foam is an example of an impact absorbing material as the porous structure of foam transmits impact much less efficiently than a solid member.

The crown is the top portion of the head. A crown impact pad is therefore an impact pad configured to be positioned between the crown of the user and the inside of the corresponding portion, or crown portion of the interior of the helmet shell.

In the context of the present invention, the crown impact pad comprises an inner and an outer face, the inner face extending towards the head of a wearer, when in use, and the outer face towards the helmet shell, when in use. The other impact pads of the array of impact pads or the impact liner system also comprise an inner and an outer face, the inner face extending towards the head of a wearer, when in use, and the outer face extending towards the helmet shell, when in use.

The crown impact pad comprises at least one channel in its outer face, such that when in use the channel is facing the interior of the helmet shell. The channel may be defined, for example, by a groove in the outer face of the crown impact pad, and/or may be defined by a plurality of protrusions extending from the outer face of the crown impact pad. It will also be appreciated that the channel may not be visible on the outer face, for example, the channel may be located below the surface of the outer face.

In some embodiments such as for example where the channel is defined by protrusions extending from the outer face, the outer face of the crown impact pad will, in use, have points of contact with the interior of the helmet shell as well as an area of non-contact which, when in use without the insertion of an object between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the user's head, will not be in contact with the interior of the helmet shell. An illustration of this can be seen in Figure 2 (top) where a crown impact pad is installed in the interior of a helmet shell and placed on a user's head. As can be seen, a channel is defined between protrusions in the outer face of the crown impact pad. The surface area of the crown impact pad where the channel is present is not in contact with the interior of the helmet shell.

As the crown impact pad comprises a deformable impact absorbing material, for example, a foam material, it may be deformed into the channel to accommodate an object when the object is inserted between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the user's head when the helmet is in use, without loss of the desired impact protection An illustration of this can be seen in Figure 2 (bottom) where a crown impact pad is installed in the interior of a helmet shell and placed on a user's head and an object is inserted between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the user's head. The deformable impact absorbing material allows the crown impact pad to deformed into the channel, this holds the object in place whilst still maintaining the impact absorbing properties of the crown impact pad. The present invention is particularly useful for holding a communications device inside of a helmet shell, preferably wherein the communications device comprises an overhead band.

Preferably, the array of impact pads comprises a series of pads, for example three impact pads, including the crown impact pad. Preferably, each pad of the series comprising at least one channel, and wherein at least a portion of the inner face of each of the series of pads can be deformed into the channel, such that an object may be inserted between the inner face of each of the series of pads and the user's head when the helmet is in use, and each of the pads can be deformed to accommodate the object. In this case, an object may be held between the inner face of each of the impact pads and the user's head when the helmet is in use.

Preferably, at least one channel of each of the series of pads are aligned such that a single object may be inserted between the inner face of each of the series of pads and the user's head when the helmet is in use, deforming at least a part of each of the series of pads into the respective aligned channels. This is particularly advantageous in the case of, for example, an overhead band which may extend across the user's head from ear to ear. The overhead band (which may be of constant or varying shape and/or size) may therefore be inserted between the inner face of each of the series of pads and the user's head when the helmet is in use. This will securely hold the overhead band in place without the loss of the impact absorbing properties of each of the impact pads. Preferably, the at least one channel is located at least in part within the crown impact pad.

Preferably, the at least one channel is open to the inner face of the helmet shell, such as a channel defined at least in part by a plurality of protrusions extending from the outer face of the crown impact pad or series of impact pads, or a channel formed in the inner face of the crown impact pad.

Where the channel is defined by a plurality of protrusions, the plurality of protrusions disposed on the outer face of the impact pad form points of contact with the interior of the helmer shell, in use, and thus provide an area of non-contact where the protrusions are absent which, when in use without the insertion of an object between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the user's head, will not be in contact with the interior of the helmet shell. The area between the plurality of protrusions can be considered a channel so long as the deformable impact resistant material of the impact pad can be deformed into this area in the manner described herein. A plurality of protrusions in addition to a channel formed between them can be seen in Figure 2 (top). Figure 7 (left) shows a front view of an array of impact pads, and Figure 8 shows a front view of the protrusions which may be disposed thereon. The fully assembled impact pads and protrusions can be seen in Figure 9 (left).

Another advantage of using protrusions disposed on the outer face of the impact pad is that the area of contact between the impact pad and the interior of the helmet shell is minimised, arid a two-step layered system is formed which both contribute towards allowing the impact pad to hinge about its contact point to the interior of the helmet shell. This allows the impact pad surface to self-level to the corresponding surface of the individual user's head. The structure of the impact pad with one or more protrusion disposed thereon thus allows for movement to adjust the impact pad's contact surface angle to match the users head whilst still retaining structural stability and not adversely effecting impact performance. Figure 3 illustrates an impact pad with a protrusion disposed thereon and its ability to hinge about its contact point to thc interior of thc helmet shell.

Subjective wear trials have reported the two-step layered system array of impact pads to be more comfortable than comparative impact liners having similar impact performance.

The protrusions may be protrusions in one continuous material which forms the impact pad. Alternatively, the protrusion may be a distinct layer or object which is affixed to the impact pad on which it is disposed, and the protrusions may be either the same material or a different material from the impact pads on which they are disposed Preferably, the protrusions taper in a direction away from the outer face of the crown impact pad.

A tapered shape in a direction away from the outer face of the crown impact pad provides an even smaller area of contact between the impact pad and the interior of the helmet shell. Figure 3 illustrates an impact pad with a tapered protrusion disposed thereon. This further enhances its ability to hinge about its contact point to the interior of the helmet shell. Additionally, the tapering can help with dispersion of the impact energy to the user's head.

Preferably, the channel or series of channels have a depth of from 2 mm to 6 mm, preferably from 3 mm to 5 mm, for example 4 mm.

As would be appreciated, the channel depth is proportional to the thickness of the protrusions where the channel is defined by protrusions. Therefore, the protrusions may have a thickness of from 2 mm to 6 mm, preferably from 3 mm to 5 mm, for example 4 mm.

Typically, the impact pads, without including any protrusions, may have a thickness of, for example, from 1 mm to 20 mm, preferably from 2 mm to 15 mm, more preferably from 4 mm to 12 mm, even more preferably from 6 mm to 10 mm, most preferably from 7 mm to 9 mm, for example, 8 mm.

As would be appreciated, in the context of the present invention, the term "thickness" as is applied to impact pads, protrusions and further cushioning layer refers to the dimension extending in the direction from the user's head towards the helmet shell, i.e. the dimension shown in Figure 5 (right), Figure 6 (left and right), Figure 7 (centre), and Figure 8 (right) Figure 6 depicts three continuous flexible materials which each may form a layer around an array of impact pads (such as to partially encapsulate the impact pads) as well as forming the connection to one or more adjacent impact pads of the array such that the flexible material encompasses the array of impact pads. The flexible materials have pockets for receiving the impact pads and protrusions disposed thereon and thus take the shape/contours of the impact pads and protrusions. Figure 6 (left) depicts a cross section of the three continuous flexible materials, which take the shape/contours of the three array of impact pads of Figure 4. The continuous flexible material taking the shape/contours of the middle array of impact pads of Figure 4 can be seen to take the shape/contours of the 4 mm deep channel comprised within the three impact pads of the middle array of impact pads. This has been found to be a particularly suitable depth with regard to being able to accommodate objects such as communications devices and overhead bands in the manner described herein, whilst maintaining maximum impact protection whether the object is present or absent.

Preferably, each of the series of impact pads is connected to at least one adjacent impact pad by a flexible material, more preferably wherein the flexible material is a thermoplastic polyurethane.

Keeping the array of impact pads connected to at least one adjacent impact pad allows for more convenient storage and handling of the pads as it prevents them getting separated and lost It also ensures that the pads are disposed at an appropriate distance from each other when installed in the interior of a helmet shell. The flexibility of the material allows for the array of impact pads to fold in order to best conform with the shape of the user's head and the interior of the helmet shell. This feature can be most clearly seen in Figure 4 (right) and Figure 9 (left), where the distinct impact pads are connected by a flexible material. As can be seen from for example, Figure 4 (right), some impact pads may be connected to only one adjacent impact pad, whereas other impact pads, for example, the crown impact pad, may be connected to more than one adjacent impact pad.

Optionally, a flexible material may form a layer around the impact pad (such as to at least partially or fully encapsulate the impact pad) as well as forming the connection to one or more adjacent impact pads such that a continuous flexible material encompasses the array of impact pads. In such a design, the impact pad is contained or partially contained within the flexible material. This can be seen in Figure 10 where an exploded view of a rear array of impact pads is depicted, the impact pads and protrusions disposed on the impact pads are partially contained within a layer of flexible material that also serves as the connection between adjacent impact pads. In Figure 10 the further cushioning layer is attached to the inner face of the impact pad whcrc thc impact pad is not covered by thc flexible material. In Figure 10 thc furthcr cushioning layer taken together with the flexible material is fully encapsulating the impact pads and protrusions disposed thereon.

Whilst terms such as point of contact", "the outer face towards the helmet shell" and "between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the user's head" are used herein, it would be appreciated that these terms encompass the use of, for example, a flexible material encompassing the impact pad as an additional layer between the impact pad and the interior of the helmet shell or between the impact pad and the user's head.

Preferably, the array of impact pads further comprises a front array of impact pads, and a rear array of impact pads, wherein each array of impact pads preferably comprises a plurality of impact pads; and wherein the crown impact pad forms a middle array of impact pads In the array of impact pads shown in Figures 4 and 9 the middle array of impact pads (middle) comprises three impact pads, including a crown impact pad (the central impact pad) which is marked with the letter C. The middle array of impact pads shown in Figures 4 and 9 is an array of impact pads according to the first aspect of the invention described above. Each of the front, middle and rear arrays of impact pads can be considered a separate array of impact pads, or one or more of the arrays can be considered together as a single array of impact pads comprising the front, middle and/or rear array of impact pads. The present invention provides the middle array of impact pads, having the features described herein, or an array of impact pads comprising the middle array of impact pads having the features described herein in addition to one or both of the front and rear array of impact pads Preferably, the deformable impact absorbing material is a foam material, preferably a polyurethane foam material or a nylon foam material.

Foam materials provide a combination of properties that are ideal for impact absorption applications, enabling them to absorb and dissipate impact. Polyurethane foam material or a nylon foam material are particularly well suited to this purpose Preferably, one or more of the impact pads comprises one or more slits and/or notches within the deformable impact absorbing material, for example slits and/or notches extending inwards from outer faces of the impact pads.

Slits or notches in the impact pad allow for shear movement of the impact pad along the slit or notch, this increases flexibility of the impact pad and provides for an improved ability to conform to the specific shape of a user's head. In the context of the present invention a slit or notch may, for example, extend from the outer face of the impact pad, at least partially or potentially all the way from the outer face of the impact pad to the inner face of the impact pad. A slit refers to a narrower separation between two sections of the impact pad where the adjacent sections remain in contact with each other when the impact pad is laid flat, as may be formed if the impact pad were cut with a blade. A notch refers to a wider separation between two sections of the impact pad where the adjacent sections are not usually in contact with each other when the impact pad is laid flat, as may be formed if a thin portion of the impact pad was removed. Notches may, for example, V-shaped, U-shaped, or semi-circular. Figure 7 (left) depicts an array of impact pads bearing slits and notches. Slits can be seen in the front and rear arrays of impact pads (top and bottom) of Figure 7 (left), as well as in the zoomed in section of Figure 7 (right). Notches can be seen in the middle array of impact pads (centre) of the Figure 7 (left).

Preferably, fasteners are disposed on an outer face of some or all of the impact pads, preferably wherein the fasteners are hook and loop fasteners. Preferably, the fasteners are disposed on some or all of the protrusions disposed on the outer face of the impact pads.

Fasteners allow for quick and releasable attachment of the array of impact pads to the interior of the helmet shell. Hook and loop fasteners are particularly well suited to quick and releasable attachment and are compatible with many commercially available helmet shells. As would be appreciated, some applications may prefer a releasably attached array of impact pads and helmet shell, whereas other applications may call for permanent attachment of the array of impact pads to the helmet shell. Whilst terms such as "point of contact' and "the outer face towards the helmet shell" are used herein, it would be appreciated that these terms encompass the use of for example, a fastener such as a hook and loop fastener, as an additional layer between the impact pad and the interior of the helmet shell.

Preferably, one or more of the impact pads comprise a further cushioning pad disposed on an inner face of the impact pads, more preferably wherein the further cushioning pad is made of a foam material.

The optimum impact absorbing material for use in an impact pad of the present invention may not necessarily be comfortable on the user's head. It may therefore be useful to provide a layer of a cushioning material on the inner face of the impact pad to provide additional comfort to the user. Foam materials such as nylon foam or polyurethane foam are particularly suitable for use in a further cushioning pad. Further cushioning pads can be seen in Figures 2, 3,4 and 10, and are specifically depicted in Figure 5 which shows a front view of a further cushioning layer (left) and a side view of the further cushioning layer (right), along with exemplary dimensions. The thickness of the further cushioning layer may be, for example, from 1 mm to 20 mm, preferably from 2 mm to 15 mm, more preferably from 3 mm to 12 mm, even more preferably from 4 mm to 9 mm, most preferably from 5 mm to 8 mm, for example, 6.3 mm.

Preferably, the array of pads is attached, more preferably releasably attached, to a liner and the liner is configured to be installed into the interior of the helmet shell A liner is a structure that holds the array of impact pads or arrays of impact pads together and allows for attachment of the array of impact pads or arrays of impact pads to the interior of a helmet shell. The liner may comprise fasteners, such as hook and loop fasteners, for attachment to the array of impact pads and/or the interior of the helmet shell Preferably, one or more of the impact pads comprises a shim pad, the shim pad being configured for removable attachment to an outer face of the impact pads such that shim pads form an additional layer between the outer face of the one or more impact pads and the inside of the helmet shell, and preferably wherein the shim pads comprise hook and loop fasteners for removable attachment to the outer face of the impact pads and the inside of the helmet shell.

A key requirement of any helmet is the user' s perceived comfort while wearing the helmet. This is particularly important for helmets, particularly military ballistic helmets due to their weight, duration of wear etc. Military helmet shells come in fairly standard shapes, but each individual's head is different, and the array of impact pads helps to conform the interior of the helmet to the user without causing discomfort. Even when various shell sizes are offered to optimize end-user fit, head shapes within the size bracket vary greatly, for example a user's head may be more or less round/oval A shim pad is an additional layer of material, preferably an impact absorbing material, which may be placed between the outer face of the impact pad and the interior of the helmet shell in order to adjust the fit of the helmet to the user's head as required. The shim pads may comprise fasteners, preferably hook and loop fasteners in order to provide better attachment to the impact pad and interior of the helmet shell. An example of a set of shim pads is depicted in Figure 9 (right) where the shim pads are shown detached from the array of impact pads, and in Figure 4 (centre and right) where the shim pads are shown attached to the array of impact pads.

Whilst a plurality of shim pads may be provided for use with the array of impact pads, for example, Figure 9 depicts fourteen shim pads, the end user may use as many or as few shim pads is required to best adapt the fit of the helmet to their head. This means that anywhere from one to all of the shim pads may be used as required. Where the impact pads comprise a plurality of protrusions extending from the outer face of the crown impact pad or series of impact pads, these protrusions are particularly well suited to use with shim pads as they form points of contact with the interior of the helmet shell. Whilst terms such as "point of contact" and "the outer face towards the helmet shell" are used herein, it would be appreciated that these terms encompass the use of, for example, a shim pad as an additional layer between the impact pad and the interior of the helmet shell.

In a second aspect, the invention provides an impact liner system for a helmet shell, comprising an impact liner configured to be installed in the interior of a helmet shell, the impact liner system comprising a front array of impact pads, a middle array of impact pads, and a rear array of impact pads, wherein each array of impact pads comprises a plurality of impact pads; and wherein the middle array of impact pads comprises a crown impact pad according as described herein.

The front, middle, and rear arrays of impact pads (top, middle and bottom, respectively) can be seen in Figure 4 and Figure 9 (left). Preferably, the middle array of impact pads comprises three impact pads, including the crown impact pad. More preferably, the front array of impact pads and/or the rear array of impact pads comprise at least three pads and preferably five impact pads. This five-three-five structure is also shown in Figures 4 and 9 (left) and has been found to be particularly well suited to conforming to the curvature of a user's head. An array of 5 impact pads allows for more flexibility to better conform to the curvature of the front or rear of the head.

Preferably, the system further comprises one or more shim pads, configured for removable attachment to the liner such that the one or more shim pads form an additional layer between an outer face of the impact pads and the inside of the helmet shell. The shim pads which may be included in the impact liner system function identically to those described above in the context of the first aspect and illustrated in Figure 9 Preferably, the front array of impact pads and/or the rear array of impact pads are as described herein. The front array of impact pads and/or the rear array of impact pads may comprise any one or more of the above discussed features. For example, the front and rear arrays of impact pads show in Figures 4 to 9, comprise, for example, features such as protrusions disposed on their outer face, a further cushioning layer, shim pads, slits, etc, all of which are advantageous for the rear and/or front array of impact pads for the same reasons they are advantageous to the middle array of impact pads. For example, Figure 10 provides an exploded view of a rear array of impact pads useful in the impact liner system, which comprises protrusions disposed on the outer face of the impact pads as well as a further cushioning layer as described above. Any combination of the advantageous features described above in the context of the first aspect, i.e, the array of impact pads which provides the middle array of impact pads in the impact liner system may also be incorporated into the front and/or rear array of impact pads useful in the present impact liner system.

in a third aspect, the present invention provides a helmet comprising an array of impact pads as described herein or an impact liner system as described herein.

Preferably, the helmet is a combat helmet. The helmet may be made of a polycarbonate polymer, an aramid material such as Keylar, or polyethylene, preferably ultra-high molecular weight pol yethyl en e Preferably, the helmet has fasteners on the interior of the helmet shell suitable for attachment to the array of impact pads or impact liner system, preferably the fasteners are hook and loop fasteners.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a system comprising a helmet as described herein and a communications device suitable for being held between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the user's head when the helmet is in use.

Preferably the communications device comprises an overhead band, for example the communications device may be a pair of headphones conjoined by an overhead band.

In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides the use of an array of impact pads as described herein, or an impact liner system as described herein, or a helmet as described herein for holding an object against a user's head, without loss of impact protection.

Preferably, the object is a communications device, and more preferably the communications device comprises an overhead band. As described above, there is a clear need for soldiers in the field to be able to securely hold communications devices, for example, headphones having an overhead band, within combat helmets without compromising the impact protection properties of the helmet. As is evidenced by the below examples, the array of impact pads of the present invention allows for an object to be held against a user's head, without loss of impact protection Examples of embodiments of the present inventions will now be described in further detail and with reference to the Figures described above Figure 1 is a diagram of the known array of impact pads used in the AC H, for comparison. The inner face of the array of impact pads can be seen in Figure 1. Seven impact pads are included, namely a circular crown pad (101), four oblong/oval pads (102), and two trapezoidal pads (103) Figure 2 illustrates how an object (204) such as a communications device may be inserted between an inner face (205) of an impact pad, for example, a crown impact pad (201), and a user's head (206) when a helmet (207) is in use, and the impact pad, for example, the crown impact pad (201) is deformed to accommodate the object (204). Figure 2 (top) shows the crown impact pad (201) of the present invention installed in the interior of the helmet (207) proximate to the head (206) of a wearer in use in the absence of an object (204) inserted between the inner face (205) of the crown impact pad (201) and the user's head (206). In Figure 2 (top) a channel (208) is shown as an empty space Figure 2 (bottom) shows the crown impact pad (201) of the present invention installed in the interior of the helmet (207) proximate to the head (206) of a wearer in use in the presence of an object (204) inserted between the inner face (205) of the crown impact pad (201) and the user's head (206). In Figure 2 (bottom) the crown impact pad (201) is thus deformed to accommodate the object (204). In Figure 2 a plurality of protrusions (209) extend from an outer face of the impact pad (201) and the channel (208) is defined by the space between the protrusions (209). In Figure 2, the crown impact pad (201) comprises a further cushioning layer (210).

Figure 3 illustrates how the protrusions (309) disposed on the outer face of an impact pad (301) allow the impact pad to hinge about its contact point to the interior of a helmet shell (307). Also depicted in Figure 3 are a further cushioning layer (310) and a flexible membrane (311) that connects the impact pad (301) to one or more adjacent impact pads of the array of impact pads (not shown).

Figure 4 depicts a view of the inner face of an array of impact pads (400) (left), a side view of the same an array of impact pads (centre) and a view of the outer face of the same array of impact pads (right). The array of impact pads comprises a front array of impact pads (top) (402), a middle array of impact pads (centre) (404) and a rear array of impact pads (bottom) (406). Each of the front, middle and rear arrays of impact pads can be considered a separate array of impact pads, or one or more of the arrays can be considered together as a single array of impact pads comprising the front, middle and/or rear array of impact pads. All three impact pads of the middle array of impact pads (404) comprise a channel (408) in their outer face such that the channels are aligned. As would be appreciated the crown impact pad is the central impact pad of the middle array of impact pads. Figure 4 (centre and right) also depicts shim pads (414) fit onto the outer face of the impact pads. Each individual component of the array of impact pads (402), (404) and (406) depicted in Figure 4 is shown in isolation in Figures 5 to 8.

Figure 5 shows a further cushioning layer (410) which may be disposed on an inner face of the array of impact pads Figure 5 (left) shows a view of the inner face of the further cushioning layer (410), and Figure 5 (right) shows a side view of the further cushioning layer (410) with an exemplary dimension of the thickness, as well as a zoomed in view of the circled section of the further cushioning layer (410) for the front array of impact pads Figure 6 depicts three continuous flexible materials (411) which may each form a layer around an array of impact pads (such as to partially encapsulate the impact pads) as well as forming the connection to one or more adjacent impact pads of the array such that the flexible material (411) encompasses the array of impact pads. The continuous flexible materials (411) have pockets (415) for receiving the impact pads and protrusions disposed thereon and thus take the shape/contours of the impact pads and protrusions which they are to encapsulate. Figure 6 (left) shows an outline of the cross-section of the continuous flexible materials (411) having the shape/contours of the impact pads along with protrusions disposed thereon with exemplary dimensions. The channel (408) can be seen between the spaces where the protrusions of the middle array of impact pads would fit. Figure 6 (centre) shows a top-down view of the three continuous flexible materials (411) having pockets (415) for receiving the impact pads and protrusions disposed thereon with exemplary dimensions. The channel can be seen between the pockets (415) where the protrusions of the middle array of impact pads would sit. Figure 6 (right) shows a side view of thc continuous flexible materials (411) having the shape/contours of the impact pads along with protrusions disposed thereon with exemplary dimensions, as well as a zoomed in view of the circled section of a flexible material (411), showing a side view of a pocket (415) for partially encapsulating an impact pad within in the flexible material (411).

Figure 7 (left) depicts the outer face of the impact material of the impact pads of the impact liner system of Figure 4. Figure 7 (centre) depicts a side on view of the impact pads of the impact liner system, along with exemplary dimensions. Figure 7 (right) depicts a zoomed in view of the circled section Figure 7 (left). Slits (412) are present in the material of the impact pads to aid flexibility. In Figure 7 (left) the slits (412) can also be seen in some of the impact pads of the front and rear arrays of impact pads, as well as notches in the impact pads of the middle array of impact pads.

Figure 8 (left) depicts protrusions (409) which may be disposed on the outer face of the array of impact pads of Figure 4. An aligned channel (408) is defined by the space between the protrusion disposed on the outer surface of each impact pads of the middle array of impact pads. Figure 8 (right) depicts a side on view of the protrusions (409) which may be disposed on the outer face of the array of impact pads of Figure 4, along with exemplary dimensions.

Figure 9 (left) depicts the outer face of an array of impact pads (400) comprising a front array of impact pads (402), a middle array of impact pads (404) and a rear array of impact pads (406). In Figure 9 (left) some, but not all, of the protrusions disposed on the impact pads have a layer of hook and loop fastener material (413) disposed thereon. Figure 9 (right) depicts a set of shim pads (414) suitable for use with the array of impact pads.

Finally, Figure 10 depicts an exploded view of the rear array of impact pads shown in Figure 4. Whilst this array of impact pads is isolation does not contain the features of the present claims, it is useful for understanding embodiments of the invention. In this example the impact pads (1001) of the array of impact pads are contained within a flexible membrane (1011) which also serves to connect each impact pad (1001) to one or more adjacent impact pads (1001). The impact pads (1001) comprise a further cushioning layer (1010) disposed on the inner face of the impact pads and protrusions (1009) disposed on the outer face of the impact pads. A layer of hook and loop fastener material (1013) is disposed on the outer face of the impact pads, outside of the flexible material, for attachment to the interior of a helmet shell.

The invention will now be described by the following non-limiting Examples Example 1 An array of impact pads of the present invention, as shown in Figure 9 (left), was tested in a blunt impact test along with a comparative known array of impact pads. The blunt impact test was conducted to DTS022 ACH Impact Test R8, which follows the blunt impact test requirements in both AR/PD 10-02 and AR/PD 14-01 (purchase descriptions for "HELMET, ADVANCED COMBAT (ACH)" and "HELMET, ADVANCED COMBAT, SECOND GENERATION (ACH GEN respectively). The known array of impact pads is the commercially available Team Wendy -Epic Air (RTM).

The test arrays of impact pads were installed in the interior of a large, low cut, aramid helmet and placed on a test headform. The helmet containing the test headform was dropped onto an anvil at the crown section. The peak acceleration of the test headform was measured and compared. The peak acceleration is given in Gs, along with the equivalent values in m/s2 given in brackets.

A second consecutive repeat test was performed using the same helmet and array of impact pads in order to measure the reduction in impact protection that is caused by the first impact.

Table 1. Blunt Impact Test Pad System Speed (m/s) Peak Acceleration (Gs) Test 1 Test 2 Team Wendy -Epic Air (RTM) 3.048 63 (617.8 m/s2) 81 (794.3 m/s2) Figure 9 3.048 76 (745.3 m/s2) 82 (804.1 m/s2) As can be seen from Table 1, both liner system provided suitable impact protection, as well as a suitable durability such that suitable impact protection was also maintained for the second blunt impact test As can be seen from the above results, the second tests yielded a higher peak acceleration, corresponding to a relatively worse performance, i.e. more impact transmitted to the crown of a user's head. Without being bound to a particular theory it is presumed that worse performances observed on the second tests are caused by the damage to the helmet and/or array of impact pads incurred during the first test. However, it will be noted that the degree of degradation in impact resistance is lower in the pads of the present invention.

Example 2

The arrays of impact pads of Example 1 were tested with a communications device also held inside the helmet. The communications device used in this example was a 3M Peltor Comtac XP headset (RTM). The comparative Team Wendy -Epic Air (RTM) array of impact pads was tested without a communication device and with a communication device instead of the central crown pad. The blunt impact test was conducted to DTS022 ACH Impact Test R8, which follows the blunt impact test requirements in both AR/PD 10-02 and AR/PD 14-01 (purchase descriptions for "HELMET, ADVANCED COMBAT (ACH)" and "HELMET, ADVANCED COMBAT, SECOND GENERATION (ACH GENII)" respectively). The array of impact pads of Figure 9 (left) was tested with a communications device inserted between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the test headform as described hereinabove.

The test arrays of impact pads were installed in the interior of a large, low cut, aramid helmet with a peak, and placed on a test headform. The helmet containing the test headform was dropped onto an anvil at the crown section. The peak acceleration of the test headform was measured and compared. The peak acceleration is given in Gs, along with the equivalent values in m/s2 given in brackets.

A second consecutive repeat test was performed using the same helmet and array of impact pads in order to measure the reduction in impact protection that is caused by the first impact.

Table 2. Blunt Impact Test with Communications Device Pad System Speed (m/s) Peak Acceleration (Gs) Test 1 Test 2 Team Wendy -Epic Air (RTM) 3.048 57 (559.0 m/s2) 63 (617.8 m/s2) Team Wendy -Epic Air (RTM) -with communication device and no crown pad 3.048 90 (882.6 m/s2) 113 (1108.1 mis2) Figure 9 -with 3.048 69 (676.7 m/s2) 71 (696.3 m/s2) communication device As can be seen from Table 2, inclusion of the communication device with the array of impact pads of Figure 9 did not cause a loss in impact protection. The Peak acceleration measured at the crown remained within safe limits for both blunt impact tests.

As would be appreciated, it can be seen from Example 2 that removing the crown pad in order to accommodate a communications device has a large detrimental impact on impact protection as well as a much larger decrease in impact protection measured after the second test. These results are consistent with the ACH operator's manual which states that removal of the crown impact pad reduces protection to unsafe levels.

However, the impact liner system of Figure 9 did not experience a large drop off in impact protection when a communications device was inserted between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the test headform. Nor did the array of impact pads of Figure 9 experience a large drop off in impact protection in the second blunt impact test. It is therefore concluded that the array of impact pads according to the present invention is able to hold an object such as a communications device inside the helmet shell without compromising it impact protection properties, or indeed its repeat impact protection properties.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS1. An array of impact pads for a helmet shell, configured to be installed in the interior of a helmet shell and arranged to protect the head of a wearer, each impact pad comprising a deformable impact absorbing material, wherein the array of impact pads comprises a crown impact pad configured to be installed in the interior of the helmet proximate to the head of a wearer in use and to provide impact protection to the crown of the head of the wearer, wherein the crown impact pad comprises an inner and an outer face, the inner face in use extending towards the head of a wearer and the outer face towards the helmet shell, and wherein the crown impact pad comprises at least one channel, for example extending from and/or in its outer face, and further wherein at least a portion of the inner face of the crown impact pad can be deformed into the channel, such that an object may be inserted between the inner face of the crown impact pad and the user's head when the helmet is in use, and the crown impact pad is deformed to accommodate the object 2. The array of impact pads of Claim 1, wherein the crown impact pad comprises a series of pads, for example three impact pads, each pad of the series comprising at least one channel, and wherein at least a portion of the inner face of each of the series of pads can be deformed into the channel, such that an object may be inserted between the inner face of each of the series of pads and the user's head when the helmet is in use, and each of the pads can be deformed to accommodate the object.3. The array of impact pads of Claim 2, wherein the at least one channel of each of the series of pads are aligned such that a single object may be inserted between the inner face of each of the series of pads and the user's head when the helmet is in use, deforming at least a part of each of the series of pads into the respective aligned channels.4. The array of impact pads of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one channel is located at least in part within the crown impact pad 5. The array of impact pads of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one channel is defined at least in part by a plurality of protrusions extending from the outer face of the crown impact pad or series of impact pads.6. The array of impact pads of Claim 5, wherein the protrusions taper in a direction away from the outer face of the crown impact pad.7. The array of impact pads of any preceding claim wherein the channel or series of channels have a depth of from 2 mm to 6 mm, preferably from 3 mm to 5 mm, for example 4 mm.8. The array of impact pads of any one of Claims 2 to 7, wherein each of the series of impact pads is connected to at least one adjacent impact pad by a flexible material, preferably wherein the flexible material is a thermoplastic polyurethane.9. The array of impact pads of any preceding claim further comprising a front array of impact pads, and a rear array of impact pads, wherein each array of impact pads preferably comprises a plurality of impact pads; and wherein the crown impact pad forms a middle array of impact pads.10. The array of impact pads of any preceding claim wherein the deformable impact absorbing material is a foam material, preferably a polyurethane foam material or a nylon foam material.11. The array of impact pads of any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the impact pads comprises one or more slits and/or notches within the deformable impact absorbing material, for example slits and/or notches extending from outer faces of the impact pads.12. The array of impact pads of any preceding claim, wherein fasteners are disposed on an outer face of some or all of the impact pads, preferably wherein the fasteners are hook and loop fasteners.13. The array of impact pads of any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the impact pads comprise a further cushioning pad disposed on an inner face of the impact pads, preferably wherein the further cushioning pad is made of a foam material 14. The array of impact pads according to any preceding claim, wherein the array of pads is attached, preferably releasably attached, to a liner and the liner is configured to be installed into the interior of the helmet shell.15. The array of impact pads according to any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the impact pads comprises a shim pad, the shim pad being configured for removable attachment to an outer face of the impact pads such that shim pads form an additional layer between the outer face of the one or more impact pads and the inside of the helmet shell, and preferably wherein the shim pads comprise hook and loop fasteners for removable attachment to the outer face of the impact pads and the inside of the helmet shell 16. An impact liner system for a helmet shell, comprising an impact liner configured to be installed in the interior of a helmet shell, the impact liner system comprising a front array of impact pads, a middle array of impact pads, and a rear array of impact pads, wherein each array of impact pads comprises a plurality of impact pads, and wherein the middle array of impact pads comprises a crown impact pad according to any preceding claim.17 An impact liner system according to Claim 16, wherein the front array of impact pads and/or the rear array of impact pads comprise at least three pads and preferably five impact pads.18. An impact liner system according to Claim 16 or 17, wherein the system further comprises one or more shim pads, configured for removable attachment to the liner such that the one or more shim pads form an additional layer between an outer face of the impact pads and the inside of the helmet shell.19. An impact liner system according to any one of Claims 16 to 18, wherein the front array of impact pads and/or the rear array of impact pads are as described in any of Claims 1 to 15.20. A helmet comprising an array of impact pads according to any one of Claims 1 to 15 or an impact liner system according to any one of Claims 16 to 19.21. A system comprising a helmet according to Claim 20 and a communications device configured to be positioned between an inner face of a crown impact pad and a user's head when the helmet is in use, preferably wherein the communications device comprises an overhead band.22. Use of an array of impact pads according to any one of Claims 1 to 15, or an impact liner system according to any one of Claims 16 to 19, or a helmet according to Claim 20 for accommodating an object against a user's head, preferably a communications device, and more preferably a communications device comprising an overhead band, without loss of impact protection.