WO2020020447A1

WO2020020447A1 - Protective helmet

Info

Publication number: WO2020020447A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/070078
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daryoush SALEHI
Original assignee: Holzhausen, Ullrich
Priority date: 2018-07-24
Filing date: 2018-07-24
Publication date: 2020-01-30
Also published as: EP3826502A1

Abstract

A protective helmet (1) comprises a main part (3) comprising a lower neck opening (5) and covering a wearer's head (2) while in use, and at least one cheek part (4) arranged adjacent to said neck opening (5), wherein in use a snug fit around the wearer's head (2) is provided by said main part (3) and said at least one cheek part (4) collectively, wherein said at least one cheek part is (4) is releasably detachable from the main part (3) while the protective helmet (1) is being worn by a wearer, thereby allowing for enlarging the neck opening (5) of the protective helmet (1), wherein said main part (3) comprises: a hard outer main shell segment (6), and an impact-energy absorbing inner main shell segment (7) connected to an inner surface of said outer main shell segment (6), and wherein the at least one cheek part (4) comprises an impact-energy absorbing inner cheek shell segment (10). The protective helmet (1) also comprises a profile element (14), wherein the profile element (14) is attached to the lower outer main shell rim (12) and where the profile element (14) mates to the upper outer cheek shell rim (15) of the outer cheek shell segment (9).

Description

Protective helmet

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of protective headgear. More specifically, the present

disclosure relates to a protective helmet which is reliably secured around a wearer' s head, yet is conveniently

removable in an emergency situation. Protective helmets and other protective headgear have been developed to protect a wearer's head from injury. Known protective helmets generally comprise a hard outer shell, an energy absorbing inner shell, and a padded liner that contacts the wearer' s head while commonly being set in place by means of a chinstrap.

Typically, protective helmets are developed specifically for an intended activity. Protective helmets for

motorsports generally provide a snug fit around a wearer' s head to help aligning the protective helmet with the wearer's head during an impact. The snug fit of the

protective helmet reduces the risk of a head injury during the impact . However, after the impact the snug fit of the protective helmet may prevent a rapid access to the wearer' s head for first responders or lead to exacerbating a spinal column injury of a wearer when removing the protective helmet from the wearer's head.

For the foregoing reasons there is a need for a protective helmet providing a snug fit around a wearer' s head while being convenient to remove from the wearer' s head in an emergency situation.

To that end the disclosure provides a protective helmet comprising a main part comprising a lower neck opening and covering a wearer's head while in use, and at least one cheek part arranged adjacent to said neck opening, wherein in use a snug fit around the wearer' s head is provided by said main part and said at least one cheek part

collectively, wherein said at least one cheek part is releasably detachable from the main part while the

protective helmet is being worn by a wearer, thereby allowing for enlarging the neck opening of the protective helmet, wherein said main part comprises a hard outer main shell segment, and an impact-energy absorbing inner main shell segment connected to an inner surface of said outer main shell segment, and wherein the at least one cheek part comprises an impact-energy absorbing inner cheek shell segment .

To allow for a convenient removal of the protective helmet from the wearer' s head in an emergency situation, it suffices to disconnect the at least one cheek part from the main part of the protective helmet. In such a way the neck opening of the protective helmet is enlarged and the main part solely enclosing the wearer' s head is conveniently removable, reducing the risk of a spinal column injury of the wearer. Herefore, the impact-energy absorbing inner shell is formed in multiple segments from the inner main shell segment and the at least one inner cheek shell segment . In an embodiment of the invention the main part comprises a padded main liner segment connected to an inner surface of the inner main shell segment, and the at least one cheek part comprises a padded cheek liner segment connected to an inner surface of the inner cheek shell segment.

Consequently, the cheek liner segment and the inner cheek shell segment are disconnected collectively with removal of the cheek part. This allows for an easy removal of the cheek part and a more substantial enlargement of the neck opening as compared to a sole removal of the cheek liner segment .

In one embodiment, the protective helmet comprises two cheek parts in lateral areas. The two cheek parts in said lateral areas may also extend towards a dorsal area of the protective helmet.

In an alternative embodiment, the protective helmet

comprises a cheek part in a dorsal area. In yet another alternative embodiment the protective helmet comprises said two cheek parts in said lateral areas and said cheek part in said dorsal area.

To secure the cheek part against a shift directed radial to the outside of the protective helmet in one exemplary embodiment of the protective helmet a lower outer main shell rim of the outer main shell segment and a lower inner main shell rim of the inner main shell segment are offset with respect to the neck opening. In such a way the main part and the at least one cheek part may feature an

interlocking connection. According to another embodiment of the protective helmet the at least one cheek part further comprises an outer cheek shell segment connected to an outer surface of the inner cheek shell segment. In such a way the hard outer shell is formed in multiple segments from the outer main shell segment and the at least one outer cheek shell segment. Hence, the removal of the cheek part may be further simplified as the cheek part may be accessible from an outer surface of the protective helmet. In addition, the neck opening may be further enlarged with removal of said cheek part.

In an exemplary embodiment of the protective helmet a lower outer main shell rim of the outer main shell segment and an upper outer cheek shell rim of the outer cheek shell segment provide at least sectionwise along a contact line an interlocking connection to secure the cheek part at the main part against a radial shift. The lower outer main shell rim may form a U-shaped profile with an opening of the U-shaped profile oriented towards the upper outer cheek shell rim, allowing for mating the outer main shell segment with the outer cheek shell segment. The lower outer main shell rim may also be radially offset to provide the interlocking connection when mating the cheek part with the main part.

According to an advantageous aspect of the invention the protective helmet comprises a profile element where the profile element is attached to the lower outer main shell rim, and where the profile element mates to the upper outer cheek shell rim of the outer cheek shell segment. The profile element may allow for a reduced play in a

connection between the main part and the cheek part.

Furthermore, the profile element may accommodate

manufacturing tolerances of the outer main shell segment with respect to the outer cheek shell segment. The profile element may be attached to the outer main shell segment by at least but not limited to adhesive bonding, snap-on, screwing, bolting or embedding.

To secure the profile element at the main part against the radial shift in an embodiment of the protective helmet the profile element provides an interlocking connection with the lower outer main shell rim. The profile element may form at least sectionwise along a contact line between the profile element and the lower outer main shell rim an U- shaped profile.

To secure the profile element at the cheek part against the radial shift in an embodiment of the protective helmet the profile element provides an interlocking connection with the upper outer cheek shell rim. The profile element may form at least sectionwise along a contact line between the profile element and the upper outer cheek shell rim an U- shaped profile.

In an embodiment of the invention, the profile element increases a structural integrity of the protective helmet. Typically, the hard outer shell of the protective helmet has a consistent thickness. When allowing for the removal of the at least one outer cheek shell segment the profile element may provide the structural integrity of the protective helmet adjacent to the neck opening. Thus, the profile element can feature a minimal thickness along a radial direction that is larger than a thickness of the outer main shell segment. In this way, the profile element may secure the cheek part at the main part against substantial lateral forces.

The profile element may be H-shaped with a thickness of the vertical sections of the H-shaped profile element thicker than the thickness of the outer main shell segment. The profile element may also be formed as an injection molded frame-like profile element providing for a higher rigidity of the profile element using a larger thickness or a complex geometry.

According to an embodiment of the protective helmet the at least one cheek part comprises an emergency release mechanism that may secure the cheek part at the main part and which allows for releasing the cheek part from the main part in an emergency situation. The emergency release mechanism may provide for a secure interlocking connection of the cheek part to the main part preventing a release of the cheek part and allow for an opening of said interlocking connection, thereby releasing the cheek part.

In an embodiment of the invention the emergency release mechanism comprises an operating element being accessible from an outer surface of the outer cheek shell segment. In such a way the cheek part may be released with an operation from outside of the protective helmet, so that in the emergency situation the spinal column of the wearer is not unnecessarily strained. The operating element may be but is not limited to a lever, a slide, a push button, a lug, a magnet. The operation of the operating element may be performed by but is not limited to pulling, pushing, sliding, rotating, folding. The operating element may be recessed as to reduce a possibility of an accidental release of the cheek part.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention the emergency release mechanism comprises the operating element being accessible from the neck opening while the protective helmet is in use.

According to an embodiment of the invention the emergency release mechanism comprises a locking mechanism being secured in a locked position by a reset force. To further reduce the possibility of the accidental release of the cheek part the operating mechanism may be secured in the interlocking position by the reset force. The reset force may for instance be provided by spring-loading the operating mechanism.

In a further embodiment of the protective helmet the locking mechanism comprises two movable latching bolts where said two latching bolts are physically coupled to the operating element and where the two latching bolts are moveable against the reset force in opposite directions upon an operation of the operating element, where the two latching bolts are able to move between a first configuration in which the latching bolts are seated in locking pockets comprised in the main part thereby securing the at least one cheek part to the main part, and into a second configuration in which the latching bolts are retracted from said securing pockets, thereby the at least one cheek part is detachable from the main part, and where the operating element is configured to be operated to move the two latching bolts against said reset force from the first configuration into the second configuration.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following description and claims.

Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a partial frontal section of a first embodiment of a protective helmet,

Fig. 2 and Fig.3 show side views of another embodiment of a protective helmet and

Fig. 4 illustrates a detail of the embodiment of the protective helmet shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3.

Referring in more detail to the drawings, Figure 1

illustrates schematically a partial frontal section of a first embodiment of a protective helmet 1. The protective helmet 1 provides a snug fit around a wearer's head 2. The protective helmet 1 comprises a main part 3 and two lateral cheek parts 4. The two cheek parts 4 are arranged adjacent a neck opening 5 of the protective helmet 1.

The main part 3 comprises a hard outer main shell segment 6, an impact-energy absorbing inner main shell segment 7, and a padded main liner segment 8. The two cheek parts 4 comprise a hard outer cheek shell segment 9, an impact- energy absorbing inner cheek shell segment 10, and a padded cheek liner segment 11, respectively. The outer main shell segment 6 forms a lower outer main shell rim 12. The inner main shell segment 7 forms a lower inner main shell rim 13. An upper face of a simple H-shaped profile element 14 is attached to the lower outer main shell rim 12.

The lower outer main shell rim 12 is recessed with respect to the outer main shell segment 6 so that the main part 3 exhibits a flush outer surface at the transition of the outer main shell segment 6 to the profile element 14. The cheek parts 4 mate with the respective profile elements 14. An upper outer cheek shell rim 15 fits into a lower face of the H-shaped profile element 14. In such a way the cheek parts 4 are secured at the main part 3 against a shift directed radial to the outside of the protective helmet 1.

In Figure 1 the two cheek parts 4 are partially released from the main part 3. The cheek parts 4 release in a release direction 16 towards the neck opening 5. The cheek parts comprise operating elements 17, which are formed in the embodiment shown in Figure 1 as push buttons .

Figure 2 and 3 illustrate in schematical side views another embodiment of a protective helmet 1. The protective helmet 1 comprises a main part 3 and two lateral cheek parts 4 of which only the left one is visible in the illustration. In Figure 2 the cheek part 4 is mated to the main part 3 via a profile element 14. In this embodiment the profile element is a more complicated injection molded frame-like profile element. The cheek part 4 comprises an operating element 16 which is formed as a sliding lever.

In Figure 3 the cheek part 4 is released from the main part 3. The profile element 14 remains attached to the outer main shell segment 6.

Figure 4 illustrates a detailed view of a backside of the profile element 14 with a partial view of the mated cheek part 4 omitting the inner cheek shell segment 10 as well as other components of the main part 3. The profile element forms screw bosses 18 to allow for attaching the profile element 14 to the main part 3. The cheek part 4 comprises an emergency release mechanism 19 that releasably secures the cheek part 4 to the frame element 17. The emergency release mechanism 19 comprises a locking mechanism 20. The locking mechanism 20 is physically connected to the

operating element 17 formed as sliding lever. The locking mechanism 20 comprises two latching bolts 21. With sliding of the operation element 17 the two latching bolts 21 are retracted from locking pockets 22 formed in the profile element 14. Hereby the interlocking connection between the profile element 14 and the cheek part 4 is suspended thereby releasing the cheek part 4 from the main part 3.

The opposite movement of the two latching bolts 21 is made possible by connecting the operating element 17 to the latching bolts 21 via a diversion 23. When sliding the operating element 17 to retract the two latching bolts 21 a spring 24 is loaded effecting a reset force 25 on the latching bolts 21. The reset force 25 secures the cheek part 4 against an accidental release from the main part 3. References in the figures

1 protective helmet

2 head

3 main part

4 cheek part

5 neck opening

6 outer main shell segment

7 inner main shell segment

8 main liner segment

9 outer cheek shell segment

10 inner cheek shell segment

11 cheek liner segment

12 lower outer main shell rim

13 lower inner main shell rim

14 profile element

15 upper outer cheek shell rim

16 release direction

17 operating element

18 screw boss

19 emergency release mechanism

20 locking mechanism

21 latching bolts

22 locking pockets

23 diversion

24 spring

25 reset force

Claims

1. A protective helmet (1) comprising:

a main part (3) comprising a lower neck opening (5) and covering a wearer's head (2) while in use, and at least one cheek part (4) arranged adjacent to said neck opening (5) ,

wherein in use a snug fit around the wearer's head (2) is provided by said main part (3) and said at least one cheek part (4) collectively,

wherein said at least one cheek part is (4) is releasably detachable from the main part (3) while the protective helmet (1) is being worn by a wearer, thereby allowing for enlarging the neck opening (5) of the protective helmet ( 1 ) ,

wherein said main part (3) comprises:

a hard outer main shell segment (6), and

an impact-energy absorbing inner main shell

segment (7) connected to an inner surface of said outer main shell segment (6), and

wherein the at least one cheek part (4) comprises an

impact-energy absorbing inner cheek shell

segment (10).

2. The protective helmet (1) of claim 1, wherein the main part (3) comprises a padded main liner segment (8)

connected to an inner surface of the inner main shell segment (7), and wherein the at least one cheek part (4) comprises a padded cheek liner segment (11) connected to an inner surface of said inner cheek shell segment (10) .

3. The protective helmet (1) of claim 1, wherein the protect Lve helmet (1) comprises two cheek parts (4) in lateral areas . 3. The protective helmet (1) of claim 1, wherein the protective helmet (1) comprises one cheek part (4) in a dorsal area.

4. The protective helmet (1) of claim 1, wherein a lower outer main shell rim (12) of the outer main shell

segment (6) and a lower inner main shell rim (13) of the inner main shell segment (7) are offset with respect to the neck opening (5) .

5. The protective helmet (1) of claim 1, wherein the at least one cheek part (4) further comprises an outer cheek shell segment (9) connected to an outer surface of the inner cheek shell segment (10) .

6. The protective helmet (1) of claim 5, wherein a lower outer main shell rim (12) of the outer main shell segment (6) and an upper outer cheek shell rim (15) of the outer cheek shell segment (9) provide at least sectionwise along a contact line an interlocking connection to secure the cheek part (4) at the main part (3) against a radial shift.

7. The protective helmet (1) of claim 5, further comprising a profile element (14), wherein the profile element (14) is attached to the lower outer main shell rim (12) and where the profile element (14) mates to the upper outer cheek shell rim (15) of the outer cheek shell segment (9) .

8. The protective helmet (1) of claim 7, wherein the profile element (14) provides an interlocking connection with the lower outer main shell rim (12) to secure the profile element (14) at the main part (3) against a radial shift .

9. The protective helmet (1) of claim 7, wherein the profile element (14) provides an interlocking connection with the upper outer cheek shell rim (15) of the outer cheek shell segment (9) to secure the profile element (14) at the cheek part (4) against a radial shift.

10. The protective helmet (1) of claim 7, wherein the profile element (14) increases a structural integrity of the protective helmet (1) .

11. The protective helmet (1) of claim 1, wherein the at least one cheek part (4) comprises an emergency release mechanism (19), wherein said emergency release

mechanism (19) releasably secures the at least one cheek part (4) attached to the main part (3) against a shift in direction of the neck opening (5) , and wherein the

emergency release mechanism (19) allows for releasing the at least one cheek part (4) to enlarge the neck opening (5) of the protective helmet (1) .

12. The protective helmet (1) of claim 11, wherein the emergency release mechanism (19) comprises an operating element (17), wherein said operating element (17) is accessible from an outer surface of the outer cheek shell segment ( 9) .

13. The protective helmet (1) of claim 11, wherein the emergency release mechanism (19) comprises the operating element (17), wherein said operating element (17) is accessible from the neck opening (5) while in use.

14. The protective helmet (1) of claim 11, wherein the emergency release mechanism (19) comprises a locking mechanism (20) secured by a reset force (25) in a locked position .

15. The protective helmet (1) of claim 14, wherein the locking mechanism (20) of the emergency release

mechanism (19) comprises two movable latching bolts (21), wherein said two latching bolts (21) are physically coupled to the operating element (17), wherein the two latching bolts (21) are moveable against the reset (25) force in opposite directions upon an operation of the operating element (17), whereby the two latching bolts (22) are able to move between

a first configuration in which the latching bolts (21) are seated in locking pockets (22) comprised in the main part (3), thereby securing the at least one cheek (4) part to the main part (3) ,

and a second configuration in which the latching bolts (21) are retracted from said securing pockets (22), thereby the at least one cheek part (4) is detachable from the main part (3), wherein the operating element (17) is configured to be operated to move the two latching bolts (21) against said reset force (25) from the first configuration into the second configuration.