Helmet provided with an adjustable device for the helmet comfort liner

The present invention relates to a helmet provided with an adjustment device for a helmet comfort liner.

As is known in the art, helmets used during sporting activities generally utilize a structure based on three main components: an external shell, a shock absorbing liner and a comfort liner. .. For example, an outer shell made of a rigid material made of a thermoplastic polymer, such as polycarbonate or a fiber reinforced polymer, has the function of protecting the helmet wearer's head from collisions with the ground and other objects.

Also, in the event of an accident, the outer shell is suitable for at least partial dispersion by diffusing and transferring the impact force applied to the helmet to the impact absorbing liner, which is the second component of the helmet. .. The shock absorbing liner is placed adjacent to the outer shell and molded to correspond to the shape of the wearer's head. The function of the shock absorbing liner is to absorb the shock force generated in the event of an accident, thereby protecting the wearer's head. Generally, the shock absorbing liner is made of a relatively hard material such as expanded polystyrene.

The third component is a comfort liner that resides on the surface of the shock absorbing liner and faces the wearer's head. The comfort liner is usually made of a combination of soft foam and woven material, which allows the wearer's head to be comfortable to wear by avoiding direct contact with the hard shock absorbing liner. have. It is also known that the best way for a helmet to achieve its protective function is to be stable and safe on the wearer's head. Such can only be achieved if the shock absorbing liner is very close to the shape and size of the wearer's head. In this case, the comfort liner is supported by a rigid impact liner placed next to it, so it is soft and comfortable without affecting the stability of the helmet.

Nevertheless, given the variety of head sizes and shapes of people around the world, it is not possible for a helmet that fits neatly on one person's head to fit stably and safely on another's head. It's very difficult. To achieve these results, most helmet manufacturers have different sizes and shapes to increase the likelihood that customers will find a safe and at the same time comfortable helmet on their head, even if it is expensive and difficult. Offering customers the opportunity to choose a helmet.

A new and innovative shock absorbing liner suitable for use as part of a helmet has been filed and published as an international patent by the same applicant (published as WO2010122586). Such a shock absorbing liner is provided with adjustable means that can easily change the size and shape of the inside of the shock absorbing liner.

In a preferred embodiment, the shock absorbing liner adjusting means comprises a plurality of displaceable blocks in the area of the shock absorbing liner facing the temple wearer's temples, ears and occipital bones. It is possible for the wearer to adjust the shape and size of the internal comfort liner according to his / her needs by moving the replaceable block towards or away from the wearer's head. Such impact absorbing Lai toner is to solve the aforementioned above drawbacks, the helmet is stabilized, it is safe for different heads.

<p num="0008"><patcit num="1"><text>International Publication No. 2010/122586 (WO, A1)</text></patcit></p>

<p num="0009"> Nevertheless, it should be noted that even if the user's head fits properly inside the helmet's shock absorbing liner, further problems can still occur. As a matter of fact, there are also a predetermined percentage of users who have heads where the positions of the eyes, ears and face are not constant and change independently of the size of the head. As a result, the helmet is too low for the face for many users. This can cause unnecessary pressure on the user's eyebrows, potentially narrowing the field of vision and affecting user safety.</p><p num="0010"> In addition, many users differ in the top profile of their heads by a given percentage. In this case, the shape of the shock absorbing liner and the comfort liner does not fit the particular shape of the head, which may result in the helmet resting on the user's head at an unusual or unpleasant angle. This occurrence also leads to some problems. In fact, some areas of the helmet will put unnecessary pressure on the head. Further, in this case, the field of view of the user is narrowed.</p><p num="0011"> Some helmets have one or more pads on the inner surface of the top of the shock absorbing liner that are suitable for mounting with Velcro®. Nevertheless, providing such a pad does not solve the above problem. In fact, the pads must have different thicknesses and must be interchangeable with each other to effectively assist the user in adjusting the position of the helmet above the head.</p><p num="0012"> In view of the above description, all helmets should have at least one set of pads of different thickness to ensure that the helmet fits properly on the user's head. In the end, this leads to increased costs and wasted material consumption. In fact, all helmets require multiple thickness pads to be supplied, but so far only one thickness has been used.</p><p num="0013"> An object of the present invention is to provide a helmet that at least partially solves the above problems and drawbacks. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a helmet having a comfort liner that can be easily adapted to the top shape of the wearer's head so that the angle at which the helmet sits on the user's head is adjusted. There is. Another object of the present invention is to have a comfort liner that allows adjustment of the internal height of the helmet to achieve proper positioning of the helmet with respect to the user's eyes, ears and face. To provide a helmet. These and other objectives are achieved by a helmet equipped with an adjustable device for the comfort liner of the helmet according to claim 1.</p><p num="0014"> In the following description of the helmet according to the invention, the "bottom" is a portion of a different component of the helmet that is relatively close to the wearer's head, while the "top" is a portion of a different component that is relatively far from the "top". Shown as.</p><p num="0015"> With reference first to FIGS. 1, 1A and 2, 2A, the present invention relates to a helmet 10 including a shock absorbing liner 30 and a comfort liner 40. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 2A, the helmet 10 can also include an external shell 20 placed on top of the shock absorbing liner 30, as is well known. Similarly, the comfort liner 40 includes at least one adjuster 50 that is placed above the user's head during normal use of the helmet 10. Preferably, the adjusting device 50 includes a liner suspension device 60 and a cushion pad 70 (see FIG. 5). 2 and 2A show only the liner suspension device 60 of the regulator 50, with the other components of the regulator 50 removed.</p>

<p num="0016"> According to the present invention, it is appropriate that the adjusting device 50 is fixed to the shock absorbing liner 30 of the helmet 10 by the coupling means 80 provided at the end 64 of the adjusting device 50 (see FIG. 5). In particular, the coupling means 80 is suitable for detachably engaging with the inside of the anchor means 90 provided on the shock absorbing liner 30 of the helmet 10. Each anchor means 90 has a plurality of anchor points 94A, 94B, 94C.</p><p num="0017"> Therefore, by changing the anchor points 94A, 94B, 94C to which the coupling means 80 of the adjusting device 50 is engaged, the user adjusts the form and inclination of the adjusting device 50 of the helmet 10 according to his / her needs. Is allowed to do. In this way, the height inside the helmet and the angle at which the helmet sits on the user's head can be adjusted. Preferably, the anchor points 94A, 94B, 94C of the anchor means 90 are spaced apart from each other at different positions on the shock absorbing liner 30 so that the user has a wider range of adjustments for the adjusting device 50 (FIG. 4). reference). As expected above, the adjusting device 50 can be formed by the liner suspension device 60 and the cushion pad 70.</p><p num="0018"> The liner suspension device 60 is preferably made of a polymeric material and is preferably manufactured by a well-known injection molding technique. The liner suspension device 60 can have different shapes and dimensions. As a practical matter, in order for the device 60 to function properly, it should be easily connected to different anchoring means 90 provided on the shock absorbing liner 30 so that the liner suspension device 60 is properly supported. A liner suspension device 60 having a shape that enables it is effectively sought.</p><p num="0019"> At the same time, it is also desirable that the liner suspension device 60 have a surface area of suitable dimensions to support the weight of the helmet without creating contact pressure points on the user's head. Preferably, the liner suspension device 60 includes a central body 61 with a plurality of protrusions 64 projecting outward, and coupling means 80 of the adjusting device 50 is provided on the upper surface of each of the protrusions 64.</p><p num="0020"> As shown in FIGS. 2, 2A, 5 and 6, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the liner suspension device 60 has a substantially rectangular body 61 with a central rectangular opening 62. There is. Protrusions 64 at each corner of the rectangular body 61 are the long axis X of the body 61_LAngle with respect to θ_LIt protrudes to the side at the angle of. Angle θ_LIs preferably included in the range between about 30 ° and about 50 °. As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom surface of the liner suspension device 60 is coupled to a cushion pad 70 having an external contour that substantially reproduces the outer shape of the main body 61 of the liner suspension device 60. The cushioning material 70 can include an upper molded cushion 71 that is partially covered by a foam layer 72. The cushion pad 70 generally further includes a mesh of woven material (not shown in the accompanying drawings) that more completely covers the bottom surface of the cushion pad 70. The upper molded cushion 71 and the foam layer 72 are preferably sewn together along their peripheral edges. The bond between the liner suspension device 60 and the cushion pad 70 can also be made by adhesive or by other known techniques.</p>

The advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of the helmet shown in the accompanying drawings.<figref num="1">FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a helmet according to the present invention.</figref><figref num="1A">FIG. 1A shows a cross-sectional view of the helmet of FIG. 1 including an external shell.</figref><figref num="2">FIG. 2 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of the helmet of FIG.</figref><figref num="2A">FIG. 2A shows a simplified cross-sectional view of the helmet of FIG. 1A.</figref><figref num="3">FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the helmet according to the present invention.</figref><figref num="4">FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the shock absorbing liner of the helmet of FIG.</figref><figref num="5">FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of the helmet comfort liner adjusting device according to the present invention.</figref><figref num="6">FIG. 6 shows a top view of the first component of the adjustable device of FIG.</figref><figref num="7">FIG. 7 is a side view of the components of FIG.</figref><figref num="8">FIG. 8 is a large perspective view of the details referred to in FIG. 7A.</figref><figref num="9">FIG. 9 shows a plan view of the details of FIG.</figref><figref num="10">FIG. 10 shows a side view of the details of FIG.</figref><figref num="11">FIG. 11 is a large detailed perspective view referred to in FIG. 4B.</figref><figref num="12">FIG. 12 shows a plan view of the details of FIG.</figref><figref num="13">FIG. 13 shows a side view of the details of FIG.</figref><figref num="14">FIG. 14 shows a detailed cross-sectional view referenced in C of FIG. 2 along the planes XIV-XIV of FIG.</figref><figref num="15">FIG. 15 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of the helmet according to the present invention.</figref><figref num="16">FIG. 16 shows one schematic of some possible adjustments of the helmet comfort liner adjustment device according to the present invention.</figref><figref num="17">FIG. 17 shows one schematic of some possible adjustments of the helmet comfort liner adjustment device according to the present invention.</figref><figref num="18">FIG. 18 shows one schematic of some possible adjustments of the helmet comfort liner adjustment device according to the present invention.</figref><figref num="19">FIG. 19 shows one schematic of some possible adjustments of the helmet comfort liner adjustment device according to the present invention.</figref>

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cushion material 70 is also provided with a central opening 73, similar to the liner suspension device 60. Such a central opening 73 can have a different shape (in FIG. 5 the opening 73 is shown to have a substantially rhombic shape) and has the function of ensuring sufficient ventilation of the regulator. ing. In fact, the opening 73 is designed to correspond to the rectangular opening 62 of the liner suspension device 60. Preferably, the foam layer 72 is divided into four separate sections 72a, 72b, 72c and 72d.

In this way, the adjuster 50 is more flexible and has a larger surface area suitable for a comfortable fit on the upper head of the helmet wearer. Generally, in order to obtain the adjustable device 50, the coupling between the liner suspension device 60 and the cushion pad 70 is made by injecting the liner suspension device 60 directly onto the cushion pad 70. In this way, a strong connection between the two components of the regulator 50 is guaranteed. It is appropriate that the adjusting device 50 is fixed to the shock absorbing liner 30 of the helmet 10 by the coupling means 80. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such a coupling means 80 is provided on the upper surface of each protrusion 64 of the liner suspension device 60.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 8-10, the coupling means 80 preferably extends at a right angle from the upper surface of the protrusion 64 and includes a mushroom-shaped first pin 81. Preferably, the first pin 81 has a stalk 82 at its free end that supports a rounded head 83. The rounded head 83 is the vertical axis Z of the stem 82._LIt has an asymmetrical shape. In fact, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 14, the surface 84 of the head 83 faces inward towards the cushion pad 70 and is round with a more curved contour relative to the outer surface 85. Merged with stem 82 of head 83.

As described in detail below, the surface 84 forms a kind of hook suitable for stably catching the anchor means 90. Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the second pin 86 can extend at a right angle from the top surface of each protrusion 64, and the second pin 86 faces the outer surface 85. The second pin 86 is lower than the first pin 81 and has a rounded head.

As will be described in detail below, once the first pin 81 is inserted inside the anchor means 90, the second pin 86 attaches the surface 84 of the first pin 81 to the anchor means 90. Achieve safety features by allowing them to stay and avoid bending movements that could cause an unintended separation between the first pin 81 and the anchor means 90.

The anchor means 90 is secured to the shock absorbing liner 30 of the helmet 10 in a known manner. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the anchor means 90 is obtained by injecting a polymeric material into the inside of a suitable sheet provided on the shock absorbing liner 30. In this way, the connection between the shock absorbing liner 30 and the anchor means 90 is very safe and strong. Helmet 10 preferably comprises four different anchoring means 90 arranged 2 to 2 symmetrically with respect to the central perpendicular symmetry plane of helmet 10 (line X in FIG. 3)._HSee). More precisely, it means that the anchor means 90 is located in the region corresponding to the frontal bone and the occipital bone, respectively, before and after the shock absorbing liner.

With reference to FIGS. 11, 12 and 13, each anchoring means 90 preferably has a rectangular bottom shape (bottom). It has profile) 91. The support means 92 extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the upper surface of the bottom shape 91. Such a supporting means 92 has a function of supporting the anchor surface 93 along a substantially plane parallel to the plane on which the bottom shape 91 is located. Also, preferably, the anchor surface 93 has a rectangular shape. A plurality of different anchor points 94 are provided on the anchor surface 93. Preferably, three different anchor points 94A, 94B, 94C are located along the longitudinal axis J of the surface 93. This is because the different anchor points 94A, 94B, 94C are located at different positions and separated from each other, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 15-19. As a matter of fact, each anchor surface 93 may be provided with a lower anchor point 94A, a central anchor point 94B and an upper anchor point 94C. In this way, as previously expected, it is also possible to adjust the height inside the helmet by changing the anchor points 94A, 94B, 94C that engage the coupling means 80 of the adjuster 50. (See Figures 16 and 17).

The helmet 10 can also change the angle at which it sits on the user's head. In fact, by varying the tilt of the adjuster 50, for example by selecting the bottom anchor point 94A of the front fixing means and the top anchor point 94C of the rear fixing means, the wearer can wear the helmet 10 according to their needs. Helps to customize it (see Figure 18). In particular, each anchor point 94 is composed of a central hole 95 in which two small holes 96 extend symmetrically in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis J. The diameter of the center hole 95 is smaller than the outer shape of the rounded head 83 of the first pin 81, so a small push is required to connect the first pin 81 to the center hole 95. Is. Providing two small lateral holes 96 bends the central hole 95 to insert the pin 81, but at the same time retains the rigidity of the anchor point 94. In fact, the first pin 81 can only be released by performing a pulling motion directed along the normal direction on the plane where the central hole 95 is located. Also, the specific shape of the anchor points 94 allows the central holes 95 of each anchor point 94 to be placed close to each other. In this way, the wearer is provided with the possibility of making precise adjustments to the adjustment device.

The operation of the adjusting device 50 of the comfort liner 40 of the helmet 10 will be described below. When the user wears Helmet 10, he needs to make sure that Helmet 10 is stable and safe above his head. Even if the size of the helmet 10 is very suitable for the user's head, as mentioned above, in fact, the upper part of the comfort liner 40 of the helmet 10 has a different shape than the top of the user's head. It may have, or the comfort liner 40 may exert excessive pressure on the front or top of the user's head.

In the first case, the helmet sits on the user's head at an unusual or unpleasant angle. In the second case, the pressure exerted by the comfort liner 40 prevents the user from wearing the helmet 10 in a comfortable way. It may also occur that the user's head is not properly housed inside the helmet 10, reducing the safety provided by the helmet.

According to what was said earlier, if the user feels that the helmet does not fit properly on his head, he can operate the adjuster 50 to make the helmet 10 according to the invention comfortable. The sex liner 40 can be adjusted. In fact, by performing a pulling motion to adjust the internal height of the helmet 10, the user releases the coupling between the anchor means 90 and the suspension liner device 60 of the adjuster 50. Can be done.

For example, if the first pin 81 of each coupling means 80 was previously inserted into the upper center hole 94C of the anchor surface 93 (see FIG. 16), then the first pin 81 of each coupling means 80 is centered. The height inside the helmet 10 can be reduced by inserting it into the center hole 94B or the bottom center hole 94A (see FIG. 17). Similarly, if the comfort liner exerts excessive pressure on the top of the user's head, each coupling means 80 was previously inserted into the bottom central hole 94A (see Figure 17). In some cases, the height inside the helmet can be increased by inserting the first pin 81 into the upper center hole 94C (see Figure 16) or the middle center hole 94B, on the top of the user's head. Eliminate any pressure points.

Advantageously, it is also possible to change the angle at which the helmet sits on the user's head by operating on the adjuster 50. In fact, the tilt of the adjusting device 50 can be changed from its original configuration by inserting the coupling means 80 at the front and rear of the helmet into the central holes 94 at different positions.

For example, when the front and rear coupling means 80 of the adjusting device 50 are connected to the central hole 94B in the middle of the anchor means 90 in this way to adjust the height inside the helmet, the adjustment is made later. If the user feels that the device 50 is exerting more pressure on the anterior portion than on the posterior portion of the upper part of the head, the user may use the coupling means 80 with the lower central hole 94C at the rear and the upper part of the anterior part. It has the opportunity to adjust the tilt of the adjusting device 50 by inserting it into the central hole 94A (see FIG. 19). Alternatively, for example, if the user feels that the regulator is exerting greater pressure on the back of the top of the head than on the front, then the coupling means 80 is placed in the front bottom center hole 94A and behind. By inserting into the upper center hole 94C of the user, the user has the opportunity to relieve any pressure point (see Figure 18). Of course, in addition to the above examples, other configurations of the helmet 10 with the adjuster 50 are possible to meet the different specific needs of the user.

The specific shape of the coupling means 80 and the corresponding anchor point 90 allows for easy engagement of the two, while allowing a tight connection of the regulator 50 to the shock absorbing liner 30. In fact, as shown in FIG. 14, after inserting the first pin 81 into the selected anchor point 94, the suspension liner 60 is typically pulled in the direction represented by F in FIG. .. Such a pulling action forces the anchor point 94 to be caught on the surface 84 of the first pin 81, while the second pin 86 can be inserted inside the selected anchor point 94. In this way, the first pin 81 is guaranteed to remain in its proper engagement position, eliminating the risk of unintentional disengagement between the coupling means 80 and the anchor means 90.

In fact, in order to remove the coupling means 80 from the anchor means 90, the user must first bend each end of the liner suspension device 60, and by such bending the second from the anchor point 94. Pin 86 can be released. Next, the user is in the direction perpendicular to the anchor surface 93, that is, the axis Z._LIt is necessary to pull the rounded head of the first pin 81 along. Two small holes 96 provided on either side of each center hole 95 allow elastic deformation of the center hole and, as a result, release between the coupling means 80 and the anchor means 90.

From the above description, it is clear that the helmet of the present invention advantageously has properties suitable for solving the problems and drawbacks described in the prior art. In particular, the adjuster 50 allows the user to customize the height and angle inside the helmet according to his or her own personal preference. Also, the provision of a bond between the male (coupling means 80) and the female receiver (anchor means 90) improves not only the comfort but also the safety of the helmet as it firmly connects the comfort liner to the shock absorbing liner. doing. Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, mechanically equivalent solutions are foreseeable within the scope of the claims.