WO2011149895A1

WO2011149895A1 - Sports helmet providing head and neck protection

Info

Publication number: WO2011149895A1
Application number: PCT/US2011/037680
Authority: WO
Inventors: Philip N. Sawyer
Original assignee: Sawyer Philip Nicholas
Priority date: 2010-05-28
Filing date: 2011-05-24
Publication date: 2011-12-01

Abstract

The invention relates to a sports helmet that includes a shell for covering a wearer's upper head region, a compressible collar configured and dimensioned for engaging the upper body of the wearer, and an impact absorbing shroud connecting the shell and collar. The helmet protects the wearer against head and neck injury by the absorption of impact forces by and compression of the shroud and collar while maintaining the helmet at a safe distance away from the wearer`s shoulders.

Description

SPORTS HELMET PROVIDING HEAD AND NECK PROTECTION

BACKGROUND

The present device relates to a helmet for use in various sports which provides head and neck protection to the user along with protection against impact to the wearer's head. Generally, the sports helmet has a shroud with springs, tubes or rods terminating in a larger collar that will normally sit slightly above the wearer's shoulders to allow unrestricted turning movement of the head, but which will engage the wearer's shoulders or upper body upon a direct impact thus forming a stop for the downward movement of the helmet towards the body wherein the shroud structure absorbs the impact to protect the wearer's head and neck from injury.

Athletes and other sporting participants use a variety of protective helmets when engaging in sports. For example, athletes engaged in football, lacrosse, hockey, auto racing and equestrian competition routinely use helmets for head protection. Safety standards for protective gear frequently conflict with other concerns, such as comfort and head movement. As a result, many helmets sacrifice comfort for safety, or vice versa when attempting to protect the wearer from injury due to impact.

For example, US patent 5,444,870 discloses a football helmet and shoulder pad combination that is designed to prevent head and neck injuries. An outer helmet is connected to a neck assembly which permits but limits head turning mobility as well as up-down and left and right head tilt. The neck mechanism which is mounted about the neck comprises substantially circular inner and -outer spherical guides and a concentric movable inner element therebetween with an upwardly extending member on each side of the neck. The guides contain stops to limit the motion permitted by the helmet and the lower portion of the mechanism is mounted on the shoulder pads to distribute the load during impact. The helmet portion includes a resilient coupling joining the portions. The upwardly extending members on the inner element are mounted to respective sides of the outer helmet. The helmet may also be retrofitted to existing equipment.

US patent 6,971,123 discloses a football training aid including a device that detachably connects a football player's helmet to the player's shoulder pads, thereby and reducing the tendency and/or ability of the player to lower his head while wearing said device. The exemplary embodiment of the device provides a substantially "T" shaped piece of vinyl, polyurethane, or other resilient material in a length adequate to connect the rear portion of the helmet to a rear portion of the shoulder pads. The present invention also includes several attachment methods for attaching the training device to the helmet and shoulder pads, including VELCRO® strips and a plurality of snaps.

US patent 6,182,300 discloses a neck protective gear for protecting the neck from injury caused as a result of head impacts especially by football players. The neck protective gear includes a helmet which has a bottom edge extending essentially below both ears and around the back of the user's head and which also has an extensible member which extends downwardly and along the bottom edge and is adapted to at least partially cover the user's neck region, and further includes a set of shoulder pads having an upwardly extending collar which is adapted to receive at least a portion of the extensible member. Any impact to the user's head is transferred from the helmet to the shoulder pads rather than to the user's neck thus reducing probability of serious injury.

US patent 7,430,767 discloses a protective helmet, which includes a motion restrictor device, is disclosed which has at least one strut member associated with the helmet and a harness assembly, and the at least one strut member includes a locking assembly associated with the strut member, which upon a predetermined force being sensed by a force sensor, stops substantially all relative motion between the ends of the strut member and the predetermined force is substantially transferred from the helmet to the harness assembly.

US patent 6,968,576 discloses a helmet has shock absorbing devices mounted to the sides thereof and extending to a pair of shoulder pads. The shock absorbing devices are connected by tubing to a pilot-operated valve, which allow a free movement of the helmet in a normal mode. An impact on the helmet, however, causes a rise in pressure inside the shock absorbing devices and their tubing, and activates the valve to block the flow of fluid through the tubing, thereby stiffening the shock absorbing devices and transmitting the impact force to the shoulders of the player.

US patent 6,006,368 discloses a combination shoulder pad and helmet assembly uniquely designed to protect a user from serious cervical spine injuries. The device comprises a helmet having a mounting bracket on the back portion thereof. The mounting bracket has a pair of opposing embrasures in communication with and an axial, cylindrical bore. An elongated tubular rod is received within the bore having an indention at opposing ends thereof. The rod is retained within the bore using a spring biased pin received within the embrasures and the indention which also limits the rotation of the rod relative to the cylindrical bore. The spring biased pin has a concave portion proximal its head which may be selectively aligned with the rod indention to release the rod from the brackets. The opposing end of the rod is secured to a similar bracket and pin mechanism mounted to the top edge of a set of shoulder pads. Furthermore, a mid-torso protective device is secured to the lower edge of the shoulder pads. The assembly is designed to limit the movement of a football player's head relative to the body to minimize the potential for serious, paralyzing cervical injuries as well as to protect the player from breath taking blows to the abdomen.

US patent 6,385,781 discloses a high energy shock absorbing and dissipating device designed to be mounted on existing shoulder pads for football, hockey, dirt bike riders, etc. The head of the wearer is in a spaced relation to the inside surfaces. It consists of a crown structure and a lower support structure with vertical shock absorbing springs in between. An energy dissipating foam annular band is in a plane at the forehead level to attenuate the forces from whiplash-type movements. The possibility of the wearer receiving a concussion is virtually eliminated and will have the maximum of protection against devastating spinal cord injuries.

US patent application 2009/0126085 discloses a motorcycle helmet is disclosed with a detachable spinal cord protective device or attachment, wherein the protective device or attachment is a detachable collar that, for example, snaps to the inside of the helmet and closes at the front neck with a securing mechanism, such as a VELCRO® strap. A motorcycle helmet with a spinal cord protection extension is also disclosed, wherein the extension comprises an elongation in the back to the base of the neck. Also disclosed is a half-helmet with spinal cord protection, wherein a securing mechanism, such as a VELCRO® strap, provides closure around the neck. The disclosed variation in motorcycle helmets enables full range of motion to the sides and front but not to the back of the head, insuring neck protection upon impact.

US 2009/0254003 patent application discloses active protective garments which are inconspicuously worn by an individual and which activate upon certain conditions being met. Activation causes inflation of regions of the active protective garment to provide padding and impact cushioning for the wearer. The invention is an active protective garment such as pair of shorts or pants, a jacket, a vest, underwear, and the like. The garments comprise multiple layers of material that constrain pockets or regions that are inflatable by a source of compressed gas or foam. The garments also comprise sensors to detect ballistic parameters such as acceleration, distance, relative acceleration, and rotation. The sensor information is used to determine whether activation is required. Detection and activation are accomplished in a very short time period in order to offer maximal protection for the individual wearing the garment. The system comprises a computer or logic controller that monitors the sensor data in real time and coordinates the information from all sensors. The system calculates velocity, distance, and rotational velocity. A rule-based system is used to detect a complex fall in progress and discriminate said fall in progress from the events of every day life. The pockets or inflatable regions of the garment protect the individual against falls and other impacts that may cause bone fracture or organ damage.

US patent application 2007/0163032 discloses a cervical protective device that reduces the possibility of neck injuries in contact sports. In a preferred embodiment, this device is worn in conjunction with a football helmet and football shoulder pads. Without restricting normal movement of a football player, the device contacts the lower most parts of the sides of the helmet and has a shape that is molded as to the normal anatomy of the upper back and lower cervical spine. The device contacts the lower sides of the player's neck and is held in place by the shoulder pads as normally worn by football players. Force received at the top of the helmet is applied to the protective device, absorbed by compression elements contained within the protective device and the force is directed away from the cervical spine.

US patent application 2009/0044314 discloses a head and neck protector for use by a race car or other driver includes a yoke which is mounted on the shoulders of the driver, and a helmet which is mounted on a portion of the yoke extending around the sides and back of the driver's neck. The helmet is securely latched to the yoke to prevent rotation of the helmet relative to the yoke. The interior volume of the helmet is sufficiently large that the driver can freely move his or her head without corresponding movement of the helmet.

From the foregoing it is seen that those that have large bulky components that surround the head, neck and shoulders add significant weight to the athlete's gear and interfere with the athlete's head mobility. Others include elaborate cages or masks around the head that obstruct the athlete's vision. Some of these include springs or hydraulic pistons that are designed to absorb shocks, but again these hinder the wearer's head movement while also adding significant weight to the equipment. Others provide support only for the rear of the head and neck but not when the wearer's head is deflected in other directions. Thus, despite the existing helmets, there still remains a need to provide a sports helmet that protects the wearer's head from impact, but which allows unrestricted turning movement of the head, while also absorbing the impact to protect the wearer's neck from injury. The helmets of the present invention now provide a significant departure from and improvement upon such existing helmets. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a sports helmet comprising a shell for covering a wearer's upper head region, a compressible collar configured and dimensioned for engaging the upper body of the wearer, and an impact absorbing shroud connecting the shell and collar. Thus, the helmet protects the wearer against neck injury by the absorption of impact forces by and compression of the shroud and collar.

The compressible collar is C shaped and made of compressible foam that can be compressed upon contact with a wearer's shoulder pads and which includes a slit or other discontinuity to assist in enabling the wearer to place the helmet over and onto his or her head with the collar surrounding his or her neck.

The shroud generally contains a plurality of compressible elements arranged to absorb impact. The compressible elements can be configured in a generally vertical and spaced arrangement, and comprise springs, hollow tubes filled with a compressible medium, or a solid compressible material. Alternatively, the compressible elements can be configured in a generally horizontal arrangement in contact with adjacent element to form a continuous shroud between the collar and shell.

Preferably, the shell further comprises a compressible padding on the interior between the shell and the wearer's head. The compressible padding comprises a relatively soft compressible foam or a relatively harder foam that includes channels, voids or other openings therein which compress upon impact to absorb shock and impact forces.

The invention also relates to a method of protecting a sports participant from head or neck injuries due to impact or direct forces thereto. The method comprises providing the sports participant with one of the sports helmets described herein, and requiring that the helmet be worn during participation in the sport. The helmets of the invention provide the necessary protection of the wearer's neck and head without hindering the participant from rotating his or her head while the helmet is worn.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional features of the preferred embodiments of the invention will appear in the detailed description of the figures which follows, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of the present invention in the form of football helmet shown on the head and shoulder pads of a wearer;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the helmet of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the helmet shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention in the form of a football helmet shown on the head and shoulder pads of a wearer;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the helmet shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a top view of the collar of the helmet of Figures 1 and 2; and

Figures 7 to 9 are cross-sectional views of shock absorbing elements for use in the helmet of Figures 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in the drawing figures that are appended herein, the helmet of the invention has three basic components: a head protecting shell that can be conventional in structure and design for the sport in which it is to be used, a shock absorbing shroud extending from the helmet towards the wearer's shoulders, and a collar attached to the end of the shroud forming an impact force distributing member between the shock absorbing shroud or shock absorbing elements and the wearer's upper body or equipment thereon, such as shoulder pads.

The head protecting shell can be made of a standard material and configuration for the helmet for use in the sport of interest and generally includes a hard outer structure, typically made of an impact resistant plastic for light weight and impact resistance. In one

embodiment, it is possible to include conventional straps or foam in the shell interior to help space the helmet away from the wearer's head. In a preferred embodiment, however, a compressible foam structure can be present inside the shell to assist in protecting the head by absorbing impact or other shock forces that are applied to the helmet. The structure can comprise a thick, soft, compressible foam or it can be of a harder, less compressible foam that includes holes, grooves, channels or similar discontinuities that allow the surrounding foam to move to compress and absorb impact forces.

The shroud can be attached to the helmet in a releaseable or permanent fashion as desired. If permanently attached, the shroud is made of a stronger more durable structure than if it is designed to be removable and replaceable. For example, a plurality of elongated shock absorbers in the form of solid or hollow rods or tubes or springs can be arranged in a flexible enclosure with the shock absorbers extending parallel to the wearer's neck between the helmet and the collar. The rods or tubes can be telescopic and when hollow can include a fluid such as air or water therein for allowing compression that absorbs impact forces. The tubes or rods can be made of plastic, an elastomer or metal. Also, metal springs or other collapsible metal structures are suitable for this component. When the shock absorbers are made of a material that is compressible, they provide further impact force absorption. The ends of the shock absorbers can be provided with end caps of greater area than the rods or tubes to again further distribute the impact forces over a greater area.

When permanently attached to the shell, the tubes, rods or springs can include a top portion that is designed to receive the shell and be attached thereto using bolts or rivets.

Alternatively, the tubes, rods or springs can be adhered to the shell using a high strength adhesive, such as an epoxy or other thermosetting formulation.

When removable, the shock absorbers or shroud can be replaced after the wearer experiences a direct impact that causes the shock absorbers to be compressed, such that the helmet cannot be safely used until the shock absorbers and/or shroud are replaced. For example, the tubes or rods can be made of inflatable chambers that are filled with air or water but that can "pop" or break upon severe impact, much like an air bag or air curtain in an automobile, to provide the necessary shock absorption and impact protection to the wearer. After the high impact and "popping" of one or more chambers, the shroud can be removed and replaced. Alternatively, the shock absorbers and shroud can be designed with stronger materials so that they do return to their original shape and configuration after an impact event.

The helmet also includes a generally circular or oval shaped collar made of a thick layer of shock absorbing foam. The collar is wide enough to engage the wearer's shoulders to distribute force received from the shroud along the shoulders of the wearer. When worn by a football player, for example, the collar is sufficiently wide to contact the wearer's shoulder pads as those pads also help absorb impact forces. The collar is arranged to be rotatable as the wearer turns his or her head, thus giving the wearer the ability to easily rotate and move his or her head to obtain better vision or viewing while still providing the necessary impact protection.

The collar can be made of one type of foam or it can be provided of different layers of the same or different foam material. In another embodiment, the hardness of the foam layers increases as the collar becomes closer to the wearer's shoulders to gradually slow down or absorb impact forces. The bottom of the foam can be made of hard plastic or high durometer rubber again to facilitate sliding movement as the wearer mover his or her head as well as to provide a surface that can engage the wearer's shoulders without significant deformation. As noted, the upper portion or layers of the collar can be made of a softer material. Various foam materials are suitable for this purpose and a skilled artisan can readily select various materials for optimum results possible combined with routine testing.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate one embodiment of the invention wherein the helmet 10 includes protective shell 15, conventional face mask 20, shroud 25 and collar 30. The shroud is made of a plurality of vertical shock absorbing elements 35 as shown in more detail in Figures 2 and 7 to 9. These elements are secured to the base of the shell 15 in a permanent way, such as by bolting 50 or riveting each element to the base of the shell. Alternatively, the elements 35 can be molded into a header component (not shown) which is bolted, screwed, riveted, ultrasonically welded, adhesively joined or otherwise permanently adhered to the shell 15. If desired, the header component can be designed to be releasably secured to the shell for replacement after an impact event as described further herein.

Figure 3 illustrates the helmet in cross-section to show the preferred internal foam structures that act as a padding or lining on the inner surface of the helmet for contacting the wearer^'s head. These foam structures cooperate with the shroud to provide further impact resistance to the wearer. As noted herein, this structure can comprise a thick, soft,

compressible foam or it can be of a harder, less compressible foam that includes holes, grooves, channels or similar discontinuities that allow the surrounding foam to compress to absorb impact forces.

One type of soft or compressible foam that can be used is a polyurethane foam having a density of between about 0.9 and 1.9 lb. per cubic foot with an indent load deflection value of between about 15 and 30. The foam is similar to that used in couch cushions, and it is compressible to conform to the user's head upon impact while also absorbing impact forces due to such compression. A foam thickness of between 1 and 4 inches can be used but preferably is at least 2 to 3 inches.

The harder or more rigid type of foam has a density of between about 2 and 4 lb. per cubic foot with an indent load deflection value of above 30 to about 55. As this foam is more resistant to compression that the soft foam, it would be provided with holes, grooves, channels or similar discontinuities throughout the foam that allow the surrounding foam to move to compress and absorb impact forces. Again, a thickness of between 1 and 4 inches can be used but preferably is at least 2 to 3 inches. Different foam thicknesses can be used in different interior locations of the helmet depending upon where greater protection is desired.

A series of foam shapes such as rods or tubes spaced appropriately can achieve the same effect although possibly complicating the manufacturing process for the helmet padding or liner. For additional comfort, these rods or tubes can be spanned and covered by a layer of soft or compressible foam.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrates a shroud 25 A having vertically arranged tubes 45. These are designed to be held in vertical arrangement be being molded together, adhered, welded or otherwise secured such that the tubes will collapse before the structure will deform laterally.

The tubes can be made of the same materials as the shock absorbers except that they care positioned and arranged horizontally rather than vertically. They can be molded together or otherwise joined mechanically by welding or adhesives to form the shroud.

Figure 6 shows a cross-section of the collar 30 to show where the shock absorbing elements are arranged around the top surface of the collar. As previously explained, the lower surface of the collar contacts the user's shoulders or other equipment, such as shoulder pads, to divert impact forces that would otherwise be borne by the user's head and transmitted by the neck to his or her upper body. This diversion, along with the compression of the impact absorbing members, is highly effective to prevent neck injuries to the wearer. The collar has an opening 60 in the form of a slit or other separation in the front portion of the collar to assist in enabling the wearer to place the helmet over and onto his or her head with the collar placed around his or her neck. The number and spacing of the shock absorbing members of the shroud is not critical and would vary upon the size of the member, the material from which it is made and the density of the element, i.e., whether the members are solid or hollow and if hollow what is used to fill the interior space, e.g., water, air, foam or foam pellets or the like as desired.

Figures 7 to 9 shows the different shock absorbing elements. Each of these elements, 35 A, 35B and 3C is typical of each element in the shroud 25. These elements are permanently attached to the shell 15 by a nut and bolt attachment, shown as 50, or by another similar fastening method, such as a rivet. Figure 7 shows the element 35 A as a spring, while in

Figure 8 it is shown as a hollow tube that can be filled with water, air or other compressible liquid or similar medium. It is possible to use air as the medium, but in this situation the tubes would be made of heavier wall thickness. Alternatively, Figure 9 shows the element 35C as a solid rod made of impact resistant plastic or an elastomer having sufficient resiliency to compress when subjected to impact. Typical materials include polyurethanes and various vulcanizable rubbers that each can be provided with a hardness that provides sufficient rigidity to retain shape yet a degree of resilience to compress upon impact. Elements 35A, 35B and 35C are each configured to provide impact resistance before experiencing bending to provide optimum protection to the neck of the wearer.

The shock absorbing elements can be attached to the collar in a manner that allows adjustability of the distance from the helmet to the collar. This can be easily achieved as shown in Figure 9 by providing a screw 33 embedded in the collar. For ease of manufacture, the collar can include a relatively harder layer of foam, rubber or plastic 30A which is provided between two softer layers 30B of foam. An opening 34 can be provided in the lower soft foam layer for access to the screw for adjustment purposes. This enables the shroud structure to be lengthened or shortened to conform to the length of the wearer's neck, thus providing optimal protection by being correctly sized to dimensions that more precisely conform to the wearer.

It is also possible to utilize metal springs as the vertical compressible members that connect the helmet to the collar. These springs may be configured to be free standing with their coils spaced sufficiently to be compressed upon impact to absorb such impact forces while providing neck protection for the wearer through the maintenance of a safe spacing of the helmet from the wearer^'s shoulders to avoid neck compression.

Alternatively, compressible metal structures can be used, similar in concept to those used in automobile parts and highway guide rails wherein they collapse to absorb impact forces in the event of an impact event. These type structures are more expensive that the members described for other embodiments, and also require replacement after an impact event.

While the helmets can be sized for the various individuals, such as by small, medium and large child or adult sizes for men or women participants, it would be more convenient for the shroud to be adjustable to the neck length of the wearer. To achieve this, the collar can be adjustably attached to the shroud using bolts and slots to properly align the components for optimum injury protection. As such adjustable structures are well known in the art, no further detail needs to be provided herein.

The previously described arrangements enable the user to have full head movement without restriction, while in the event of impact to the top of the shell, the shock absorbing elements and when used the internal foam padding inside the shell compress to absorb the impact while the collar exerting compression against the wearer's upper body prevents the wearer's neck from experiencing compression and injury. The preferred embodiments of the invention described herein are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, since these embodiments are illustrations of several preferred aspects of the invention. For example, the most preferred embodiment is shown as a football helmet but the invention can also be used for other sports including lacrosse, motorcycle riding or car racing, or even baseball or hockey. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the true spirit and scope of this invention. Indeed, various modifications of the invention in addition to those shown and described herein, such as alternate useful combinations of the elements described, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the preceding detailed description. Such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Finally, a number of references are cited herein, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein, in their entirety, by reference for all purposes to the extent necessary. Further, none of the cited references, regardless of how characterized above, is admitted as prior art to the invention of the subject matter claimed herein.

Claims

THE CLAIMS

What is claimed is: 1. A sports helmet comprising a shell for covering a wearer's upper head region, a compressible collar configured and dimensioned for engaging the upper body of the wearer, and an impact absorbing shroud connecting the shell and collar, wherein the helmet protects the wearer against head and neck injury by the absorption of impact forces by and

compression of the shroud and collar.

2. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the compressible collar is made of

compressible foam that can be compressed upon contact with a wearer's shoulder pads, and which includes a slit or other discontinuity to assist in enabling the wearer to place the helmet over and upon his or her head with the collar around his or her neck.

3. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the shroud contains a plurality of compressible elements arranged to absorb impact.

4. The helmet of claim 3, wherein the compressible elements are configured in a generally vertical and spaced arrangement.

5. The helmet of claim 4, wherein the compressible elements comprise springs, hollow tubes filled with a compressible medium, or a solid compressible material of metal, plastic or an elastomer.

6. The helmet of claim 3, wherein the compressible elements are configured in a generally horizontal arrangement in contact with adjacent element to form a continuous shroud between the collar and shell.

7. The helmet of claim 1 wherein the shell further comprises a protective compressible padding or lining on the shell interior between for contact with the wearer's head.

8. The helmet of claim 7 wherein the compressible padding comprises soft compressible foam.

9. The helmet of claim 7 wherein the compressible padding comprises hard foam that includes channels, voids or other openings therein which compress upon impact.

10. A method of protecting a sports participant from head or neck injuries due to impact or direct forces thereto, which method comprises providing the sports participant with a sports helmet of claim 1 , and requiring that the helmet be worn during participation in the sport to provide the necessary protection of the wearer's head and neck without hindering the participant from rotating his or her head while the helmet is worn.