WO2020093125A1

WO2020093125A1 - Improvements to an inflatable helmet

Info

Publication number: WO2020093125A1
Application number: PCT/BR2019/050469
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robinson CICOTOSTE; Lilian Oliveira DE PAIVA; Djalma DE PAIVA
Original assignee: Cicotoste Robinson; De Paiva Lilian Oliveira; De Paiva Djalma
Priority date: 2018-11-06
Filing date: 2019-10-29
Publication date: 2020-05-14
Also published as: BR102018072765A2

Abstract

The invention relates to an inflatable helmet (10) of the type used for protection of the user's cranial region when engaging in activities such as cycling or when using other types of cycle-like apparatus, such as skateboards, skates, scooters and the like, and can also be used as a protective accessory when travelling on aircraft or boats, or can likewise be used as a protective item for passers-by/visitors to work sites and in civil construction in general; said helmet (10) is supplied in deflated form, compacted/folded down in a package (EB) which can in turn be carried in any model of bag, backpack, briefcase, etc., and can be inflated at any time for immediate use when engaging in activities such as cycling or when using other types of vehicle, such as cycle-like apparatus, skateboards and the like, and can also be used as a protective accessory for passengers on aircraft, boats and the like or can likewise be used as a protective item in civil construction in general.

Description

"IMPROVEMENTS IN INFLATABLE HELMET".

CAM PO TÉCN I CO

[001] The present invention patent deals with improvements in an inflatable helmet of the type used as a protective accessory when practicing sports such as cycling and activities carried out with the help of velocipedes such as scooters, skates, skates etc., as well as, said inflatable helmet can be used as a protective accessory when traveling by plane, boats; more notably, said helmet can be supplied deflated, folded and packed in appropriate packaging, since it comprises a flexible wrapper that, when in use, the user simply takes it out of the packaging and inflates air through one or two valves, providing, thus, convenience in transport and storage and, at the same time, allowing the user to have a practical protective accessory at hand, which can be used at any time, especially when the need to use bicycles, scooters, skateboards and other means of transportation such as on bike paths, parks and other locations.

H I STORIC TÉCN I CA

[002] It is known that in sports activities such as cycling or others such as scooters, skateboards and skates, it is essential to use protective equipment such as a helmet, whose main objective is to protect the head region against impacts caused by falls or striking objects that can result in serious injury or trauma such as head trauma, cuts, abrasions or others that can even have lethal consequences.

[003] In general, cycling helmets are comprised of a domed piece presented in specific dimensions for partial protection of the head of children, young people and adults, especially the cranial area and on whose edge straps provided with a quick adjustment buckle are attached. for fixing the helmet close to the sportsman's head.

[004] Said domed part, generally consists of a rigid box or hull, consisting of a set of materials arranged in layers that configure mechanical resistance against impacts. These layers, as a rule, are made of polyethylene terephthalate - PET -, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene - ABS fiberglass, synthetic aramid fiber or other similar high-strength materials, which can be molded and glued to an inner lining in material such as expanded polystyrene - EPS - or similar. Some liners are also equipped with structural reinforcements of different materials such as polyamide textile fiber of the 'nylon' type, metal screens or synthetic aramid fiber, which are molded inside the liner, being fixed with tape, adhesive or pressure buttons .

[005] Mentioned hollow and domed piece can present different shapes, for example, 'half shell' or 'half shell' and generally adopts an oblong and slightly tapered shape in order to improve aerodynamics. It can also be presented in the form of a semi-sphere, known as 'coquinho' or urban, whose hull is rounded and is widely used by cyclists who perform radical maneuvers. Other models are known, but are more specific to certain performances.

[006] It turns out that, all models of conventional helmets, despite providing the user with protection against serious injuries, have the drawback of having dimensions and stiffness that hinder the daily transport of users in general, a fact that discourages the user in using the vehicles made available by application and sharing in several bike lanes, subways, bus stops and other places, since it is always safer to use the helmet and these sharing points do not offer such equipment, but rather, only the vehicles.

[007] Another inconvenience related to the difficulty of transporting conventional helmets refers to the fact of accumulating with other safety equipment that needs to be transported such as anklets, helmets, knee pads, etc. so that all transport and excessive weight becomes boring to the user during the day-to-day, except, obviously, those who practice the mentioned sports and already leave with this intention.

[008] Dessarte, currently, models of inflatable helmets are already known in the market, such as, the invisible bicycle helmet or 'Invisible Bicycle Helmet', which is presented in the form of a scarf where sensors that measure the the cyclist's movements 200 times per second and in the event that a cyclist falls, the airbag inflates instantly and envelops the cyclist's head, stabilizing the back of the neck and cranial area before it reaches the ground.

[009] Although the aforementioned inflatable helmet makes cycling activity safe, it performs the function of an 'airbag' making reuse impossible and, thus, making frequent acquisition expensive.

ANALYSIS OF THE STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE

[010] In research conducted in specialized databases, documents were found referring to inflatable helmets, such as the document of n ^. WO2017205266 which refers to an inflatable air safety helmet and, therefore, demountable when the air is removed, composed of multiple inflatable lobes and with an inflatable ring according to the head and skull cap, separately or integrated; said lobes and ring are provided with quick release inflation and deflation valves; the safety helmet can simply alternatively comprise inflatable air lobes with a minimally elastic outer coating to wrap and minimize the movement of air inside the chambers during a collision. Said inflatable helmet provides cranial capsule of a material that absorbs and dissipates the force of accidental impact, so that the user's head is not severely damaged. Said cranial capsule can be formed by a gel substance of absorbent material located separately or integrated under the inflatable helmet, it can be integrated inside and inside the air chamber (s) and / or it can be attached to the outside, at the top of the helmet. The preferred materials are a flexible gel, but other materials can be replaced or combined, for example, foam-covered gel, semi-liquids, or simply a liquid inside an enclosure or inside the helmet chambers that are air-inflatable.

[011] Notwithstanding, the helmet is configured by an inflatable shell, it is a fact that it differs from the helmet now required, since it uses, in one of the versions, material against impact in the form of gel or similar, in addition to the construction characteristics present more complex, adding costs to the final value of the product to be sold. [012] Other documents of the prior art can be cited, such as n. DE4240643, US2018042331, US2003140401 and CN201839855, however, do not present any of the characteristics of the object now improved, thus ensuring that it meets the legal requirements for patentability.

OBJECTIVES OF I NVENTION

[013] The purpose of the invention patent is to present an inflatable helmet of the type used as a protective accessory in sports activities such as cycling, activities on cycles, scooters, skates, skates, etc. or protective accessory when traveling by plane or similar and that allows it to be inflated, deflated and packaged for new use, according to the need of the moment.

[014] It is the objective of the patent to present an inflatable helmet that, when in compacted / deflated / folded form, can be stored in flexible packaging such as, for example, transparent plastic with ziplock closure or other suitable packaging that can be transported in backpacks, suitcases, bags or others, occupying a minimum space with minimal weight.

[015] The objective of the patent is to present an inflatable helmet that can be used at any time, with the user simply having to quickly inflate the chamber (s) that make up the cranial protection capsule.

[016] The purpose of the patent is to present an inflatable helmet that can be used as a protective accessory in environments such as aircraft, boats and others, in order to add it as equipment for people in general who are in transit on the site, mainly in the aircraft vessel and vessels undergoing an accident, turbulence and similar inconveniences.

[017] The objective of the patent is to present an inflatable helmet whose simplified construction allows for easy production without adding costs and, consequently, obtaining a low-value product, accessible to all.

[018] It is also the objective of this patent, to present an inflatable helmet that can be provided as a promotional gift by companies that rent bicycles through applications or similar, or even by campaigns directed by city halls and sponsoring companies in general. [019] It is the objective of the patent to present an inflatable helmet used as personal protective equipment in works of various buildings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[020] To complement the present description in order to obtain a better understanding of the characteristics of the present invention and according to a preferred practical realization thereof, the description, attached, is a set of drawings, where, in an exemplified manner, although non-limiting, its functioning was represented:

[021] Figure 1 represents a view of the helmet in deflated mode and stored in a transport packaging;

[022] Figure IA reveals a view of the deflated helmet being removed from the packaging;

[023] Figures 2 and 2A reveal side views of the helmet in the air inflating stage;

[024] Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the innovative helmet in the inflated mode;

[025] Figure 4 represents a top view of the helmet in the inflated mode;

[026] Figure 4A reveals a cross-sectional view A.A indicated in the previous figure illustrating the layers and welds;

[027] Figure 5 represents a cross-sectional view A.A of a second constructive variation of the inflatable helmet;

[028] Figures 6 and 7 reveal A.A cross-sectional views of a third and fourth constructive variations of the inflatable helmet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF OBJ ETO

[029] With reference to the illustrated drawings, the present invention patent refers to "IMPROVEMENTS IN INFLATABLE HELMET", more precisely it is an inflatable helmet (10) of the type used to protect the user's skull area when carrying out activities such as cycling or use of other types of bicycles such as 'skateboard', skates, scooters and others, as well as use as a protective accessory when traveling with aircraft and boats, or even used as a protective item for passers-by / visitors to civil works and buildings in general. Said inflatable helmet (10) is of the type comprised of a flexible casing (20) made of suitable and flexible polymer, being provided with a valve (30) to inflate the air in order to compose a protective chamber (CM) of the cranial area ( User’s (US) AC.

[030] According to the present invention, said helmet (10) is supplied in a deflated and compacted / folded form in packaging (EB), which in turn can be carried in any model of bag, backpack, briefcase, etc. and can be inflated at any time for immediate use when practicing activities such as cycling or using other types of vehicles such as cycles, skateboards and others, as well as use in the form of protective accessories for passengers on aircraft, boats and others or also used as a protective item in civil construction in general. Said chamber (CM) that makes up the helmet (10) is comprised of a pair of polymeric films (21) and (22) of oblong shape with an ideal area for the covering of the user's skull (AC), being that said films (21) and (22) are joined at strategic points by means of thermoplastic welding or other suitable form and are provided with cutouts (23) that make up vent cores (NC) for the user's skull, when inflated and installed . The welding between the films (21) and (22) is carried out on the entire peripheral edge (21b) and (22b) and on the peripheral edges (21c) and (22c) of each breather core (NC). Said valve (30) is installed in an orifice (22d) practiced between the films (21) and (22) so that when the air is inflated, it fills the entire chamber (CM).

[031] Strips (40) are attached between the edges (21a) and (22a), which include complementary parts (51) and (51a) of buckle (50) to lock the inflated helmet (10) close to the cranial area (AC) of the user (US).

[032] Each breather core (NC) provides wire mesh (60), it is also welded at specific points by heat sealing.

[033] In a second constructive version (see figure 5), the helmet (10 ') is formed by a pair of air chambers (CM1) and (CM2) juxtaposed to each other and formed by films (21') / (22 ' ), and each air chamber (CM1) and (CM2) are equipped with respective filling valves (31) and (32), so that when the moment of impact or damage to the chamber (CM1), the chamber (CM2) instantly provides extra protection through a second air pocket to protect the user's cranial area (AC).

[034] In a third constructive version (see figure 6), each film (21 ") and (22") that make up the chamber (CM3) provide on both internal surfaces a foam coating (70) that when associated with the air blown into the chamber (CM3) is a complementary element of protection against impacts in a possible fall.

[035] In a fourth constructive version (see figure 7), each film (21 '") and (22'") that make up the chamber (CM4) provide on both internal surfaces a coating (80) of synthetic aramid fiber composing a complementary element (EC2) for protection against impacts.

[036] It is true that when the present invention is put into practice, modifications may be made with regard to certain details of construction and shape, without this implying departing from the fundamental principles that are clearly substantiated in the claim framework, becoming thus understood that the terminology used was not intended to be limiting.

Claims

R EIVI N D ICA TIONS

1) "IMPROVEMENTS IN INFLATABLE HELMET", more precisely it is an inflatable helmet (10) of the type used to protect the user's skull area when performing activities such as cycling or using other types of bicycles such as 'skate', skates, scooters and others, as well as use as a protective accessory when traveling with aircraft and boats, or even used as a protective item for passers-by / visitors to civil works and buildings in general; said inflatable helmet (10) is of the type comprised of a flexible housing (20) made of suitable and flexible polymer, being provided with a valve (S0) to inflate the air in order to compose a protective chamber (CM) of the cranial area ( AC) of the user (US); characterized by helmet (10) being supplied in deflated and compacted / folded form in packaging (EB), which in turn can be carried in any model of bag, backpack, briefcase, etc. and can be inflated at any time for immediate use when practicing activities such as cycling or using other types of vehicles such as cycles, skateboards and others, as well as use in the form of protective accessories for passengers on aircraft, boats and others or also used as a protective item in civil construction in general; said chamber (CM) that makes up the helmet (10) is comprised of a pair of polymeric films (21) and (22) of oblong shape with an ideal area for covering the user's skull (AC), being that said films (21) and (22) are joined at strategic points by means of thermoplastic welding or other suitable form and are provided with cutouts (23) that make up vent cores (NC) for the user's skull, when inflated and installed ; the welding between the films (21) and (22) is carried out on the entire peripheral edge (21b) and (22b) and on the peripheral edges (21c) and (22c) of each breather core (NC); said valve (30) is installed in an orifice (22d) practiced between the films (21) and (22) so that when the air is inflated, it fills the entire chamber (CM); between the edges (21a) and (22a) strips (40) are attached, which include complementary parts (51) and (51a) of buckle (50) for locking the inflated helmet (10) close to the cranial area (AC) user (US); each breather core (NC) provides wire mesh (60), it is also welded at specific points by heat sealing. 2) "IMPROVEMENTS IN INFLATABLE HELMET", according to the previous claim and in a second constructive version, characterized by a helmet (10 ') formed by a pair of air chambers (CM1) and (CM2) juxtaposed to each other and formed by films (21 ') / (22'), with each air chamber (CM1) and (CM2) equipped with respective filling valves (31) and (32), so that when impact or damage occurs, chamber (CM1), instantly the chamber (CM2) provides extra protection through a second air pocket to protect the user's cranial area (AC).

3) "IMPROVEMENTS IN INFLATABLE HELMET", according to the previous claim and in a third constructive version, characterized by each film (21 ") and (22") that make up the chamber (CM3) foresee foam coating on both internal surfaces ( 70) that when associated with the air blown into the chamber (CM3), it sets up a complementary element of protection against impacts in a possible fall.

4) "IMPROVEMENTS IN INFLATABLE HELMET", according to the previous claim and in a fourth constructive version, characterized by each film (21 "') and (22'") that make up the chamber (CM4) foresee coating on both internal surfaces ( 80) of synthetic aramid fiber composing a complementary element (EC2) to protect against impacts.