Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A42—HEADWEAR
  • A42B—HATS; HEAD COVERINGS
  • A42B3/00—Helmets; Helmet covers ; Other protective head coverings
  • A42B3/32—Collapsible helmets; Helmets made of separable parts ; Helmets with movable parts, e.g. adjustable
  • A42B3/326—Helmets with movable or separable chin or jaw guard
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A42—HEADWEAR
  • A42B—HATS; HEAD COVERINGS
  • A42B3/00—Helmets; Helmet covers ; Other protective head coverings
  • A42B3/04—Parts, details or accessories of helmets
  • A42B3/30—Mounting radio sets or communication systems

Definitions

• the present invention concerns a protective helmet provided with a half- chinbar, and the corresponding method of production, used when driving automobiles or motor vehicles, in particular but not exclusively in the field of automobile races and sports competitions, specifically but not restrictively in the field of rallies.
• the present invention can also be used in the field of sports motorcycling or in other fields which envisage the use of protective helmets.
• the front aperture is limited to a front band which substantially affects the zone around the eyes, while at the lower part there is a continuous chinbar on one side and the other of the cover, or shell, of the helmet, and integral therewith, which closes the lower front part of the shell to give greater protection to the user: the front and lower apertures are therefore distinct and separate from each other.
• the half-chinbar is normally used to position microphones in front of the mouth of the wearer, or in any case to facilitate their use.
• the driver and the passengers for example the navigator, can communicate easily, using the microphones, even if there is a lot of environmental noise during the race.
• the half-chinbar is in any case advantageous since it allows a certain convenience compared with integral helmets, and this is often a sought-after and important feature in rally races, where the environmental conditions during the races can be very stressful.
• Document US-A-2009/031483 describes a helmet for motorcycles comprising a protective cap or shell made of plastic reinforced with drowned glass fiber (GRP), or thermoplastic materials like polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA) or acryl butadiene styrene (ABS).
• the helmet also comprises a chin piece formed by two sections of chin piece hinged to the protective shell by means of a flexible plate, glued, riveted or clamped to the external surface of the protective shell.
• Document US-A-5,963,990 describes a protective helmet for football or ice hockey that provides a front face mask formed by two separate sections, mounted elastically on the helmet. The sections of the face mask tend to open toward the outside if gripped, so as to facilitate the release of the grip itself whereas, if the grip continues, the section gripped detaches from the helmet.
• a helmet provided with a single half- chinbar comprises a protective cover or shell, which has at least a front aperture and a single half-chinbar which extends cantilevered from one side of the aperture so as to have a free end disposed in an intermediate position in said front aperture: in use, the free end is positioned in substantial correspondence with the mouth of the user who is wearing the helmet.
• the stresses exerted from the outside on the single half-chinbar do not affect and are not transmitted onto the shell of the helmet, protecting the wearer's head from dangerous torsions or stresses in general.
• the region configured as a hinge functions as a dissipator of the stresses acting on the half-chinbar, and this energy is absorbed and used to determine the desired hinge effect between the half-chinbar and the shell, and is not transmitted to the shell itself.
• the shell and the single half-chinbar are formed of different materials, where a first material that constitutes the shell of the helmet is a rigid material, while a second material that constitutes the half- chinbar is a material with a great capacity of absorbing shocks without breaking, and an elastic elongation capacity.
• the difference in the mechanical behavior to stress between the first and second material determines the desired hinge effect when the half-chinbar is, for example, subjected to traction, tearing, bending or torsion toward the outside. Obviously, this effect, and the benefits connected to it, is also obtained when the half-chinbar is subjected to stresses, bending, thrusts or torsions toward the inside of the helmet.
• the second material of the single half-chinbar is a composite material that comprises at least a laminate of thermoplastic resin and at least a pre-preg layer of reinforcement fibers incorporated in a thermosetting matrix.
• the region of co-penetration and stratification is made between pre-preg or impregnated fibers of the first material of the shell and pre-preg fibers of the second material of the half-chinbar amalgamated and stratified with each other.
• the single half-chinbar is connected to the shell in the hinge-type join region by means of an at least partial incorporation of a constrained end, opposite the free end, in the material that makes up the cover.
• the laminate and the pre-preg form a structure having at least a zone of transition from a rigid section to a flexible section.
• the laminate of thermoplastic resin is an open-cell polyolefm foam.
• the laminate of thermoplastic resin consists of a polyethylene laminate or expanded polypropylene.
• the matrix of thermosetting resin of the material of the half-chinbar consists of epoxy resin and said reinforcement fibers are glass or carbon fibers.
• the single half-chinbar is obtained by pre- cutting the materials that make it up, according to the development of the final shape required, which will subsequently be subjected to hot compression in a mold, so as to achieve in a single step the polymerization of the components and the molding of the thermoplastic laminate.
• this can be obtained separately from the cover, and then part of the single half-chinbar can be incorporated as an insert in the cover, or said pre-cut materials are combined with the pre-preg used to make the shell and the half- chinbar can be obtained at the same time as the cover, with suitable conditions of pressure and temperature, for example in an autoclave or in a high-pressure mold, polymerizing the resin and gradually constructing the progressive stratification of the two different materials and obtain, in particular, the regions of co-penetration of fibers in the hinge-type join region of the helmet.
• a magnetic clamping unit configured to define a selective clamping of the half-chinbar and shell.
• the magnetic clamping unit is obtained by a first magnet comprised in the half-chinbar and a second magnet comprised in the shell.
• the second magnet is provided in the side of the shell where the half-chinbar is provided.
• a housing seating on the shell which is configured to receive a part of the half-chinbar.
• the housing seating is made on the side of the shell where the half-chinbar is provided.
• the reduced thickness zone is obtained by means of a localized compression during the molding of the material that forms the half-chinbar.
• - fig. 3 is a three-dimensional view of some forms of embodiment of the helmet according to the present invention.
• - fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of fig. 3;
• - fig. 13 is a first three-dimensional view of a helmet according to the present invention subjected to deformation stress toward the outside of the half-chinbar;
• a helmet 10 according to the present invention, which can be used for example, but not restrictively, in sports races and automobile competitions, typically in rallies.
• the helmet 10 in question is the open type, or jet helmet, but is provided with a half-chinbar.
• the front aperture 14 is typically delimited laterally by two lateral lobes 17, or sides, of the shell 12.
• the helmet 10 comprises a single half-chinbar 13 which is constrained to the shell 12 in substantial correspondence with one side of the front aperture 14 by means of a join region 18 configured as a hinge (figs. 1 and 2).
• a join region 18 configured as a hinge
• the single half-chinbar 13 is shown by way of example on the left side of the helmet 10.
• the first material of the shell 12 can be a composite material consisting of a matrix of thermosetting resin containing reinforcement fibers.
• the laminate of thermoplastic resin of the second material that forms the half-chinbar 13 can consist of open-cell polyolefin foam, preferably polyethylene or expanded polypropylene.
• the matrix can normally consist of epoxy resin, phenolic resin, polyester, etc.
• the reinforcement fibers are normally glass or carbon fibers, Kevlar or suchlike.
• thermoplastic laminate and the reinforced thermosetting can constitute a sandwich type structure, which is completed with a supporting layer of synthetic rubber.
• the component layers keep their individuality even after hot molding, which is carried out in a single operation.
• the hot molding of the materials of the half-chinbar 13, in a first step causes the resins to compact, by means of penetration of the liquid thermosetting resin into the open cells of the thermoplastic foam.
• the different resins of the half-chinbar 13 are welded definitively to each other during the polymerization of the thermosetting resin.
• the thermoplastic resin melts and fills the available space.
• the melting temperature can typically be raised (for example from 140°C to 180°C approximately) due to the effect of the exothermic reaction of the thermosetting resin.
• the molding cycle can take place for example in about 1 minute, correctly adapting the temperature and pressure to the type of article to be obtained.
• the structure of the half-chinbar 13 obtained has a zone of transition between a rigid pre-preg zone and a flexible zone formed by thermoplastic polymer and synthetic rubber.
• Figs. 6-12 are used to show other forms of embodiment, in which the half- chinbar 13 is made as a separate finished piece by hot molding as described above and is subsequently connected as an insert to the shell 12 in the hinge-type join region 18 by means of at least partial incorporation of the second constrained end 22, opposite the first free end 20, in the material that makes up the shell 12.
• the half-chinbar 13 is coupled as a finished insert with the shell 12 of the helmet 10 in the course of making the molded shell itself, which may provide for example to use a liquid resin technique, or a technique that uses a pre-preg and subsequently a treatment at suitable pressure and temperature, generally for example in an autoclave or in a high-pressure mold.

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• Helmets And Other Head Coverings (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=46604444

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (7)

Families Citing this family (2)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 2012
  • 2012-06-11 IT IT000109A patent/ITUD20120109A1/it unknown
• 2013
  • 2013-06-11 WO PCT/EP2013/061969 patent/WO2013186190A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2013-06-11 EP EP13728179.6A patent/EP2858523A1/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (6)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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