US2784408A - Protective helmet suspension - Google Patents

Description

March 12, 1957 Filed June 3, 1955 W. L. MOORE PROTECTIVE HELMET SUSPENSION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

WILL [1? L. MO0R March 12, 1957 W. L. MOORE PROTECTIVE HELMET SUSPENSION Filed June 3, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. L. N 0/?! United States Patent PROTECTIVE HELMET SUSPENSION William L. Moore, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force Application June 3, 1955, Serial No. 513,174 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-3) (Granted under Title 35, U. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the United States Governmentfor' governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon. 1 a

The present invention relates to a protective helmet, and in particular, relates to a helmet for use by pilots of .jet aircraft to protect the head from externally applied blows due to buffeting, wind blasts or crashing.

The increasing speed of modern jet aircraft has resulted in an intensification of injuries caused by violent maneuvers, flight through turbulent air, bail-outs and crashes. Head injuries are more susceptible to fatal results since even relatively minor blows may result in a loss of consciousness or in mental confusion during a critical period of an aircraft maneuver. Protective helmets are a well known means for guarding against this danger. Obviously, they may be made as strong and protective as desired but practical considerations of comfort and lightness oppose an unlimited development along this line. It is clear, therefore, that any means for increasing the protective qualities of a helmet without sacrificing comfort or increasing weight would be very useful.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a comfortable light protective helmet with a plurality of shock absorbing elements disposed in a compact arrangement.

A further object of this invention is to provide a protective helmet with spaced shock absorbing elements.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a protective helmet which transforms a heavy localized blow adjacent the top surface of the helmet into a light pressure distributed uniformly over a substantial portion of the top surface of the head.

A still further object of this invention is to provide means for securing shock absorbing material to the helmet, said means having the added function of ventilating the interior of the helmet.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the front and top of the helmet with a portion cut away to show the arrangement of the shock absorbing elements and the air space in the helmet.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the interior of the helmet showing the adjustable shock absorbing material which acts as a boundary for the air space, and a base for the shock absorbing quadrant-shaped pads.

Fig. 3 is an interior view of the helmet showing the quadrant-shaped concave pads that are in contact with the helmet wearers head.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view showing the arrangement of the shock absorbing material in the helmet.

Referring to Fig. 1, a helmet indicated generally at incloses an outer shell 11 formed from a material which is sulficiently resilient to absorb some impact energy from a blow, but is rigid enough to maintain its shape under normal circumstances. Royalite, a vinyl and rubber plastic made by the U. S. Rubber Company, has been 2, found suitablefor this purpose. Spaced from the interior surface of shell 11 and covering the top and upper side surfaces of the head is a continuous and integral adjustable sling 13 made from a resilient and somewhat elastic material such as nylon web. The sling is secured to the shell by means of a lacing cord 14, see Figs/land 2, which penetrates a plurality of lacing and ventilating apertures 22 'in shell 11. The sling is adjustable for different head sizesby means of ropes or cords at 15 and 16, see Fig. 2. A head 17 made from a resilient shock absorbing material, is secured to the edge of the shell.

The bead projects inwardly and outwardly of the shell.

The outwardly projecting portion 18, acting as a sort rubber, previously used in protective helmets, in that the air spaces in the body of this material are not sealed from each other, permitting air to escape from them when subject to pressure. This results in a material that is .slow to deform under pressure and slow to regainits shape after the pressure is removed. This delay characteristic absorbs energy instead of storing it as in the case of foam rubber. Pads 20, mounted in the helmet and covering the entire top and upper side surfaces of the head, are also made of Ensolite. The pads have an outer surface and a concave inner surface adapted to conform to the shape of the wearers head. As best seen in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the outer surfaces of the pads bear against the inner surface of sling 13 while only the peripheral portions of the inner surface of the pads bear against the inwardly projecting bead portion 19. This arrangement retains the pads in position in the helmet. The pads consist of four quadrant-shaped sections covering the top and side surfaces of the head permitting them to be separated in the helmet and providing means for adjusting the helmet to fit different head sizes. The air space 21, formed by the separation between sling 13 and the inner surface 12 of shell 11, has several important functions. In the first place, it helps insulate the top of the head from high temperatures applied to the outer surface of the helmet. In addition, it spaces the top of the head from indentations in the shell 12 caused by heavy blows to the top surface of the helmet.

In operation, energy from the force of a blow applied to the top surface of the helmet is partially absorbed in the shock absorbing material of the shell 11 and the balance of the energy is transmitted to the sling 13 through connection 14. The sling is elastic permitting the force of the blow to drive the helmet downwardly with respect to the head, decreasing the volume of the air space 21. This movement absorbs energy through the shock absorbing characteristics of the material comprising the sling and through forcing air in air space 21 out past the lacings 14 which secures the periphery of the sling to the helmet. In addition, since the sling is formed from a continuous and integral piece of material and surrounds the top and upper side surface of the head, this downward movement of the helmet effectively transforms a heavy localized blow adjacent the top surface of the helmet into a harmless pressure increase which is transmitted substantially uniformly over a large portion of the top surface of the head. The balance of the energy from the blow is transmitted from the sling to the shock absorbing quadrant-shaped pads to be further absorbed. Thus it is seen that applicant has produced a protective helmet which provides a compact and efficient means for transforming heavy localized blows on the topsurface of the helmet to a much weaker harmless pressure increase which isdistributed uniformly over a large area of the top surface of the head The inventionmay be embodied in other forms with; out departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof as set-forth in the claims, and the presenternbodiw ment is therefore to be considered as illustrative and not restrictiye,,and it is intended to include allchanges which come within the scope andrange of the claims.

Iclaim:

1'. A helmet for protecting the wearers head comprising an outer resilient shell, an integral adjustable sling adapted to surround. the top and upper 'side surfaces of the liead, said sling. formedas aniintegral, continuous andflexibly elastic piece, saidslingsecuredto the shell andspaced from the innersurface-of thefltop ofvthe shell to provideran air space, resilient inwardly and outwardly extending bead portions secured to the edge ofj'tlieshell, the outwardly extending bead'portion acting asla bumpers to provide. additionalprotection to the sensitivefforeliead region, a plurality of resilient shocklabsorbings p'adslad justably. and, remoyably positioned-on said" inwardly extending bead portions whereby the pads are he'ldjin place inthe helmet, said'shock absorbingpads-havingan outer surface and a concave inner surfacefthe outer, surface of Saidpad'spositionedto bear against said slings-aid concave, inner surface of said shock I absorbing pads adapted to conform to the shape, ofthehelmet 'wea'rers head.

2; Ahelrnet for protecting the wearershead. comprising an. outer resiiientshell, an integral adjustable sling adapted to surround the top and upper side surface of the head, said sling-formed as an integral, continuous and flexibly elastic piece, a plurality of spaced lacing 5 and ventilating apertures in the shell disposed around the side surfaces of the shell, cord means secured to said sling, said cord means penetrating said lacing and ventilating apertures to adjustably lace said sling to said shell, said sling spaced from the inner surface of the-top of the shell to provide an air space, resilient inwardly and outwardly extending bead portions secured to the edge of the shell, the outwardly extending bead portionlacting as a bumper to provide additional protection for the sensitive forehead region, a plurality of resilient'shock absorbing pads adjustably andremovably positioned on said inwardly extending bead portions whereby the pads are held in place in the helmet; said shock absorbing pads having an outer surface and a concave inner surface, the entire outer surface of said pads positionedto bear against said sling, said'concave; inner, surface adapted to conform to the shape of the helmet wearer-s head,

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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