Process for manufacturing protective helmets

A new process for making headgear. The process comprises the step of insert molding an armature into helmet segments to produce a protective helmet having superior characteristics. The process also comprises the step of strategically locating a retention system on the helmet to provide increased stabilization of the helmet on the wearer's head. The process further comprises the step of attaching an improved strap guide to the helmet. One embodiment of this invention is a process for making an insert-molded helmet that can be converted into a pouch. Another embodiment of this invention is a process for making a helmet that includes a protrusion at the back of a helmet suitable for a compartment.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is directed to a new process for making headgear. More 
particularly, the invention is directed to a process for making an 
improved protective helmet by integrally molding segments of the helmet. 
The process includes the step of insert molding an armature into helmet 
segments to produce a protective helmet having superior characteristics. 
One embodiment of this invention comprises the step of attaching an 
improved strap guide to an insert-molded helmet. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Protective helmets and other protective headgear have evolved over the 
years. It is not uncommon for individuals to wear protective headgear when 
they are, for example, riding bicycles, riding horses, roller-blading, 
playing football, playing baseball, playing hockey, skiing and skating, as 
well as for other general safety purposes. Conventional headgear is often 
stiff and thick, and made of impact-resistant materials that encase the 
skull of the wearer. While it is true that conventional headgear does to a 
certain degree protect the head of the wearer, it is typically stiff and 
thick and has many disadvantages. 
Conventional headgear is, for instance, often very cumbersome. When removed 
from the head, such headgear is difficult to carry, particularly because 
of its size, shape and weight. Additionally, conventional headgear is 
uncomfortable to wear, often resulting in pain around the head and causing 
excessive perspiration around various parts of the head. One of the most 
serious flaws in typical headgear is its inability to fit the head of the 
user properly. Upon purchasing conventional protective headgear, the user 
often has to "force fit" the headgear to his or her head. The force 
fitting is achieved, most often, by inserting sizing pads into pockets 
around the internal brim of the headgear. While the use of sizing pads can 
result in somewhat better fitting protective headgear, the fit obtained 
with respect to the head of the user is not usually complete or tight and 
is subject to the uncertain skill of the person using the sizing pads. 
This means that portions of the protective headgear and protective 
headgear in combination with sizing pads do not come into direct contact 
with the head of the user, and therefore, an imperfect fit arises in, for 
example, the form of gaps between the head of the user and the headgear. 
As a result of such an imperfect fit, it is believed that the head of the 
user can be subjected to "secondary impact" forces. This means that in the 
event of an accident or fall, the protective headgear will make contact 
with, for example, another bicycle rider or the ground or other obstacle, 
and the head of the user will come into contact (secondary impact) with 
the internal portions of the helmet. Such secondary impact is believed to 
diminish the protective capabilities of conventional helmets. 
In addition to secondary impact, it is believed that conventional 
protective headgear which is force-fitted to the head of a user often 
fails to effectively dissipate loads created from contact. The failure to 
dissipate loads effectively can also contribute to serious head injuries. 
It is of increasing interest to produce protective headgear that is 
comfortable to wear and able to effectively minimize the risk of head 
injuries. This invention, therefore, is directed in part to a process for 
making superior protective helmets. The protective helmets made by the 
process of this invention are, among other things, comfortable, not 
cumbersome, and able to form to the head of the wearer to thereby minimize 
the risk of injury during accidents or falls. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,546 assigned to the assignee of the instant application 
describes a foldable, padded helmet. Also, U.S. Pat. No. Re 35,193, 
assigned to the instant assignee, describes a pouch-forming protective 
helmet for bicyclists. These patents of the assignee are herein 
incorporated by reference. 
While some of the prior art describe processes for making flexible helmets, 
such flexible helmets comprise a plurality of individual connecting parts 
assembled in a structure with substantial defects and may not conform to 
the wearer's head. This plurality of individual connecting parts 
complicates the manufacturing process and does not generally provide 
necessary uniformity in hinging and sizing. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel 
process for making headgear. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by integrally molding segments of the 
helmet. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet comprising a plurality of segmented 
panels and having pivot axes substantially between horizontal and 
vertical, thereby allowing flexing of the panels around the wearer's head. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet comprising six segmented panels 
arranged in a particularly advantageous way. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet comprising a plurality of segmented 
panels that conform to the wearer's head, with the absence of a fitting 
panel in front. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet comprising a plurality of segmented 
panels that conform laterally about the wearer's head. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet having at least two segmented panels 
on each side of the wearer's head. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet comprising five segmented panels that 
conform laterally about the wearer's head and further including a top 
panel. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet wherein a top panel straddles two 
side segmented panels disposed on each side of the wearer's head. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet wherein a top panel overlaps gaps 
between the top panel and peripheral panels, thereby further protecting 
the wearer's head from leakage of substances onto the wearer's head. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet wherein gaps between segmented panels 
are staggered to prevent unwanted folding or other instability or lack of 
integrity of fit of the helmet. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet having two segments disposed from the 
wearer's forehead to the wearer's neck. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by insert molding an armature into 
helmet segments to produce a protective helmet having superior 
characteristics. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by insert molding a one-piece 
armature into helmet segments to produce uniformity in hinging and sizing. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by insert molding an armature into 
helmet segments and attaching reinforcement limiter tabs between segmented 
panels of the helmet. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by insert molding an armature into 
segmented, peripheral helmet panels. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by insert molding an armature into 
segmented, peripheral helmet panels wherein the armature is discontinuous 
at the top of the helmet. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by insert molding an armature into 
segmented, peripheral helmet panels wherein the armature is non-integrally 
connected to a top panel or panels of the helmet. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by insert molding an armature into 
peripheral helmet panels wherein a top panel is connected to the 
peripheral panels with loops formed by the armature. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by insert molding an armature into 
peripheral helmet panels and also insert molding tabs protruding from the 
armature into a top panel or panels of the helmet. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by insert molding an armature into 
peripheral helmet panels, insert-molding a separate armature into a top 
panel or panels, and connecting the two armatures as a means of securing 
the top panel or panels to the peripheral panels. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by attaching a retention system to 
the helmet in a strategic location for improved stabilization. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by attaching a retention system to 
integrally molded segments of the helmet in a strategic location such that 
the retention system brings the panels close to the wearer's head thereby 
conforming to the size and shape of the wearer's head. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by attaching a retention system to at 
least one of the following: the front of the top segment of the helmet, 
the central area of the top segment of the helmet, the back of the top 
segment of the helmet, the peripheral panels of the helmet, the exterior 
surface of the helmet, and to an armature, wherein the armature is 
insert-molded within the helmet. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet by insert molding an armature into 
segmented panels of the helmet and attaching a retention system to 
protrusions of the armature, wherein the retention system is attached to 
the armature either before or after insert molding the armature into the 
segmented panels. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet with an improved strap guide. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet that can also function as a pouch for 
holding small objects and can be attached about the waist or hung over the 
shoulder when not worn on the wearer's head. 
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a novel process for 
making an improved protective helmet with a protrusion extending from the 
back of the helmet in which a storage compartment can be formed. 
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by 
review of the detailed description of preferred embodiments. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In a first aspect, this invention is directed to a process for making an 
improved protective helmet by insert molding an armature into the 
protective helmet. 
In a second aspect, this invention is directed to a process for making an 
improved protective helmet by insert-molding an armature into a bottom 
portion and a top portion of the protective helmet, in no particular 
order. 
In a third aspect, this invention is directed to a process for making an 
improved protective helmet by insert-molding an armature into a bottom 
portion of the protective helmet. 
In a fourth aspect, this invention is directed to a process for making an 
improved protective helmet by insert-molding an armature into a top 
portion of the protective helmet. 
In a fifth aspect, this invention is directed to a process for making an 
improved protective helmet by molding recesses into a liner of the helmet 
for inserting an improved strap guide into a locking mechanism provided by 
the recesses.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
When performing the process for manufacturing protective helmets as 
described in this invention, there generally is no limitation with respect 
to the materials used other than that the materials are capable of being 
used to make protective helmets in an insert-molding process. In a 
preferred embodiment, the materials employed in this invention will meet 
all performance requirements of all regulated safety requirements existing 
at the time of manufacture. 
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a one-piece armature 16 that can be used in this 
invention. The invention comprises the step of insert molding such an 
armature 16 into a protective helmet 10. More particularly, the armature 
16 is placed into a mold and a polymer, such as expandable polystyrene, is 
injected into the mold to create a final part in the shape of each of a 
plurality of peripheral panels 12, resulting in the armature 16 being 
embedded within a peripheral panel assembly 26 to form a back portion and 
side portions of the helmet 10 (see FIG. 2). The one-piece armature 16 
eliminates the need for a plethora of smaller connectors to link all of 
the panels 12, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process. In addition, 
use of the one-piece armature 16 provides added uniformity in hinging the 
panels 12 to one another and uniformity in over-all sizing and fit of the 
helmet 10. 
A second mold is then used to create at least one top panel 14 by injecting 
a polymer, such as expandable polystyrene, into the mold. An alternate 
embodiment of the present invention includes the step of placing a second 
armature (not shown) into the second mold before injecting the polymer. 
The at least one top panel 14 is then secured to the peripheral panel 
assembly 26. 
In another embodiment, after placing the armature 16 into a mold and 
injecting the polymer into the mold to create a peripheral panel assembly 
26 to form a back portion and side portions of the helmet 10, extensions 
of the armature 16 can be placed into a second mold and the at least one 
top panel 14 can then be insert-molded to the peripheral panel assembly 
26. 
Typical polymers suitable for this process include expanded polystyrene 
(EPS) made by BASF, HCC, Polysource, and Arco; expanded polypropylene 
(EPP) made by Kaneca, BASF, and Arco; expanded copolymers such as GECET (a 
PPO material) made by HCC; and expanded polyethylene (EPE) made by Arco. 
As mentioned above, the armature material is generally not limited to, but 
preferably is, a material selected from the group consisting of 
polyacrylates, polyamides and polyesters. In a most preferred embodiment, 
the armature 16 is a non-stretch, flexible, porous material made of spun 
polyester fibers woven into mesh and coated with polymerizable vinyl 
groups, such as polyvinylchloride (PVC), or polyurethane. The polymer 
having polymerizable vinyl groups is often a polyvinylhalide with 
polyvinylchloride being the most preferred. Alternatively, the armature 16 
could be a polymer die-cut from plastic sheet stock, or the armature 16 
could be molded to a desired shape. 
The material used to make the armature 16 in this invention may be prepared 
by art-recognized techniques which include, for example, free radical 
polymerizations of the respective monomeric units used to make the 
armature material. Also, the armature material is commercially available 
in the form of rolls from Snyder Manufacturing. 
The rolls of material used to make the armature 16 are cut into shapes that 
may be used in the process for making the helmets of this invention. The 
material used to make the armature 16 may be cut by various means, 
including with a hand-held cutting device such as a utility knife or 
scissors or using a waterjet cutter. Preferably, however, the material 
used to make the armature 16 is cut with a die cutter or punching tool. 
FIG. 3 shows the peripheral panel assembly 26 during assembly prior to 
attachment to the top panel 14. Since the armature 16 is discontinuous at 
the top, tabs 32 from the armature 16 extend upward from the peripheral 
panels 12, forming attachment loops 22. These tabs 32 are preferably 
folded lengthwise first and then sewn to form the attachment loops 22 for 
added strength prior to attaching the top panel 14 to the peripheral 
panels 12. The attachment loops 22 of the armature 16 are inserted through 
assembly slots of the top panel 14 to attach the peripheral panel assembly 
26 to the top panel 14. A gasket (not shown) is secured between the 
peripheral panel assembly 26 and the top panel 14, for purposes of 
buffering the panels 12 and 14. The gasket is a roll of open-cell foam 
with adhesive on one side, cut to length and inserted between the 
peripheral panel assembly 26 and the top panel 14. Alternatively, the 
gasket is formed by resin foamed and extruded into sheet stock to which 
pressure sensitive adhesive is applied and the gasket is die cut or molded 
into final shape. A strap or tie wrap 23, or the equivalent thereof, can 
then be fed through the attachment loops 22, tightened and fastened, using 
a buckle for example, and cut to size, as a further measure of securing 
the top panel 14 to the peripheral panel assembly 26. In the alternate 
embodiment comprising a second armature (not shown) molded within the top 
panel 14, the top panel 14 can be secured to the peripheral panel assembly 
26 by attaching the first and second armatures 16 to one another. 
Reinforcement limiter tabs 17 (shown in FIG. 1) can also be sewn to the 
armature 16 where the peripheral panels 12 are joined. The tabs 17 provide 
additional strength. Chinstrap hangers 18 can be attached to, or protrude 
from, the armature 16 for added conformity of the helmet 10 to the 
wearer's head. The tabs 17 and the chinstrap hangers 18 can be sewn to the 
armature 16 either before or after the armature 16 is insert molded. A 
strip of webbing 25 can be sewn to a bottom edge of the armature 16 
between the chinstrap hangers 18 and through the tabs 17 for added 
reinforcement. The webbing 25 preferably comprises a nylon woven product. 
In another alternate embodiment (not shown), the top panel 14 can be 
secured to the peripheral panels 12 using alternative connectors, such as 
plug-in style hardware, in lieu of attachment loops 22. 
The plurality of the panels 12 and 14 allows the helmet 10 to self-adjust 
and conform to the shape of the wearer's head due to the flexibility of 
the armature 16. The plurality of panels 12 and 14 also limits the spread 
between the panels 12 and 14. In a preferred embodiment, the peripheral 
panels 12 comprise at least two panels 12 on each side of the wearer's 
head and a peripheral panel 12 at the back of the wearer's head, for a 
total of at least five peripheral panels 12 attached to the top panel 14. 
In this preferred embodiment, two panels, the top panel 14 and a 
peripheral panel 12 at the back of the wearer's neck, are disposed from 
the wearer's forehead to the wearer's neck. The plurality of peripheral 
panels 12 provides conformity to the shape of the wearer's head such that 
merely one top panel 14 is sufficient, although more than one top panel 14 
may be used. Since the armature 16 connects the peripheral panels 12 to 
one another, self-adjustment occurs in horizontal directions. The 
connection of the peripheral panels 12 to the top panel 14 provides 
outward pivoting motion and additional stability of the panels 12 and 14 
against twisting and shear motions. This conformity to the wearer's head 
provides extraordinary comfort as well as safety. In a crash or other 
contact with the helmet 10, the initial impact wherein the helmet 10 comes 
in contact with a surface can be less damaging to a helmet wearer compared 
to secondary impact wherein the wearer's head hits the inside of the 
helmet 10. By conforming to the wearer's head so closely, the helmet 10 
made by the process of this invention provides exceptional safety in terms 
of lessening secondary impact. Furthermore, the conformity of the helmet 
10 to the wearer's head eliminates the need for sizing pads typically 
required to make helmets fit the wearer's head. Sizing pads in the prior 
art are typically inserted into pockets or attached with an adhesive 
around the internal brim of helmets to ease discomfort and reduce some 
misfit in helmets. The maximum size of the helmet 10 is dependent on the 
size of the armature 16, which should be large enough to allow the helmet 
10 to fit virtually all adult wearers' heads in general, while the 
flexibility of the armature 16 allows the helmet 10 to conform to 
practically all head shapes. A somewhat smaller version is available for 
children and exhibits all the advantages of an adult form of the helmet 
10. 
Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, vents 30 can be 
molded between some of the panels 12 and 14 in order to prevent the wearer 
from overheating during warm weather or during strenuous physical 
exertion. Additional vents 30 can be molded within the panels 12 and 14 to 
provide additional means to combat overheating. Ideally, the armature 16 
is large enough and flexible enough to allow adequate room beneath the 
helmet 10 for a person to wear a cap beneath the helmet 10 for enhanced 
protection from the cold as well. Again, the versatility and goodness of 
fit enable a wearer to use the helmet 10 with a cap or other head covering 
without need to add different sizing pads or the like for different 
seasons or conditions of wear. 
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the top panel 14 is formed to 
overlap gaps 15 between the top panel 14 and the peripheral panels 12, 
thereby protecting the wearer's head from leakage of substances onto the 
wearer's head. Also in a preferred embodiment, the gaps 15 between the 
panels 12 and 14 are staggered to prevent unwanted folding or other 
instability and to enhance the integrity of fit of the helmet 10. 
Additionally, a decorative shell 76 (see FIG. 8) may be attached to the top 
panel 14 and peripheral panel assembly 26. The process for making the 
shell 76 comprises extruding clear or colored resin pellets into sheets, 
vacuum forming the sheets over molds to provide overall shape, cutting the 
final shell shape out of formed blank, and trimming vent holes 30. Various 
manual or automated methods can be used for trimming vent holes 30. Such 
methods include using a hot knife or routers, grinding, cutting, and 
shearing. 
FIG. 4a is a longitudinal view, taken along line 4a--4a of FIG. 3, of the 
preferred form of the helmet 10, demonstrating the location of a retention 
system 36. The retention system 36 features a chinstrap 38 and a nape 
strap 40 made of, for example, nylon or polyester. The left and right 
sides of the chinstrap 38 are routed through the top panel 14 (see dashed 
lines) for strength. The chinstrap 38 can be coupled to the front, central 
area or back of the top segment 14 of the helmet 10. The nape strap 40 is 
preferably attached to an exterior surface 42 of the rear peripheral 
panels 12 to provide stability and fit. The chinstrap hangers 18 and nape 
strap guides 20 can be attached to either the exterior surface 42 of the 
helmet 10 or to the armature 16. In a preferred method of manufacture, the 
chinstrap hangers 18 and the nape strap guides 20 comprise pellets which 
have been injected into molds for achieving their final shape. The 
chinstrap hangers 18 and the nape strap guides 20 can also be manufactured 
by injection molding, die cutting or thermoforming processes. By securing 
the straps 38 and 40 in the manner shown and described, both horizontal 
and vertical stabilization is achieved when the helmet 10 is secured to 
the wearer's head. 
FIG. 4b is a partial detailed view of the retention system 36 of the helmet 
10 of FIG. 4a. The straps 38 and 40 are joined at a ring 44, preferably a 
triangular ring 44, to draw them inward against the wearer's head when 
they are tensioned. The triangular ring 44 is then attached to a buckle 46 
with a short loop of strapping 50. Both the chinstrap 38 and the nape 
strap 40 are allowed to slide around the triangular ring 44 to adjust 
their lengths. The ends of the straps 38 and 40 are then terminated at 
slide adjusters 52, such as Tri-glides.TM. a trademark of Nexus 
Corporation, located on each of the respective straps 38 and 40. 
If not secured, helmets in general have a natural tendency to rotate on a 
wearer's head about a virtual pivot point 41. To prevent forward rotation 
of the helmet 10 of this invention, the nape strap 40 is fixed from the 
rear of the helmet 10 to the wearer's jaw at a distance far away from the 
pivot point 41 (see FIG. 4a). An ideal retention system 36 provides 
excellent stability and can accommodate some amount of slack in the straps 
38 and 40 since large amounts of slack are required for the helmet 10 to 
rotate a significant amount. Fixing the chinstrap loop 50 at a relatively 
short length provides good forward and rearward roll resistance. The 
short, fixed-length chinstrap loop 50 also maintains the pivot point 41 in 
an area central to the chinstrap 38 and the nape strap 40 rather than 
directly on or in close proximity to either of the straps 38 and 40. In a 
typical helmet retention system, there are approximately six adjustment 
points or degrees of freedom, each controlled by the user which can lead 
to poor locations of the straps resulting in poor stability. A preferred 
embodiment of the retention system 36 of the present invention having a 
short, fixed-length chinstrap loop 50 has only two points of adjustment, 
namely the nape strap 40 and the chinstrap 38. Hence the potential for a 
wearer to place the straps 38 and 40 in a poor location is highly limited. 
The only foreseeable misuse of the retention system 36 would be caused by 
a wearer leaving large amounts of slack in the nape strap 40 or chinstrap 
38, or not even fastening the buckle 46. In both of these cases, the 
helmet 10 will not be fitted properly to the wearer, making the wearer 
aware that something needs to be corrected. This configuration creates 
pivot axes substantially between horizontal and vertical, thereby 
enhancing flexibility, and thus fit, of the panels 12 and 14 around the 
wearer's head. The retention system 36 is self-adjusting in that securing 
the retention system 36 to the head simultaneously pulls the peripheral 
panels 12 against the wearer's head and adjusts the fit of the helmet 10. 
The placement and location of the chinstrap 38 on a child's head is a 
factor often overlooked by many major helmet manufacturers. The mandible 
or jaw of the child develops rapidly over the initial years from a small 
recessed bone to the large prominent bone found in adults. This requires 
the chinstrap 38 to be located much further back and at an inclined 
orientation to the skull to achieve good stability for protective purposes 
as well as for comfort. The location of the retention system 36 on the 
helmet 10 lends itself very well to providing good fit and stability over 
a large age range. 
A safe, comfortable form of the helmet 10 is provided by the invention for 
children that will also expand along with the child's head. The child's 
model of the helmet 10 is a cost-effective alternative for parents who 
would otherwise have to replace their child's helmet 10 progressively as 
the child's head grows. In terms of helmet design, in an alternate 
embodiment, a toddler's helmet can include softer and thicker walls of the 
peripheral panel assembly 26 in view of the presumed lower impact 
tolerance and lighter weight of a toddler's head. This is accomplished by 
providing the softer, thicker walls of the peripheral panel assembly 26 in 
an interior shape similar to human heads, and meeting the stability 
requirements of regulated bicycle helmet safety standards. 
FIGS. 5a and 5b are partial oblique views of a preferred form of one of the 
peripheral panels 12 showing an exterior receptacle 21 for the improved 
strap guide 20. FIGS. 5c and 5d are partial oblique views of a preferred 
form of one of the peripheral panels 12 showing an interior receptacle 19 
for the improved strap guide 20. The strap guide 20 consists of a single 
part tab 24 constructed of a soft thermoplastic (low density polyethylene, 
polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer or thermoplastic resin) and is 
inserted into a slot 29 (see FIG. 5c) molded into the peripheral panels 
12. The tab 24 is locked into place with one end of the tab 24 inserted 
into the slot 29 in the peripheral panels 12 until the tab 24 is exposed 
inside the helmet 10 and then twisted ninety degrees to its locked 
position (see FIG. 5d). A sharp edge under the tab 24 and a recess forming 
the exterior receptacle 21 provide for semi-permanent attachment of the 
strap guide 20 to the helmet 10. The tab 24 can be locked from the side 
with a protrusion in the exterior receptacle 21 which must be overridden 
by the tab 24 when twisted into the locked position. The locked position 
of the tab 24 corresponds to its initial shape before insertion, thereby 
requiring manual intervention to unlock the mechanism since it will not 
unwind during normal use. Access to the tab 24 can be limited by keeping 
the interior receptacle 19 small enough to prevent fingers from reaching 
the tab 24 or by covering the interior receptacle 19 with a comfort pad. 
The flexibility of the tab 24 allows the tab 24 to buckle and collapse 
under impact, however, the tab 24 is sufficiently strong to prevent it 
from being pulled out by the wearer during normal use. 
FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment and use of the helmet 10 resulting 
from this invention, wherein the helmet 10 can be folded in such a way as 
to convert the helmet 10 into an article-carrying pouch 60. In this 
embodiment, the helmet 10 can comprise two top panels 14 and a plurality 
of circumferentially-spaced, generally radial, fold lines 62 emanating 
from the center of the top of the helmet 10. The fold lines 62 include 
aligned fold lines 62 running over both sides of the top panels 14 
facilitating folding of the helmet 10 about the aligned transverse fold 
lines 62. Foldable front and rear halves 64 and 66 of the top of the 
helmet 10 define, between them, an article-carrying pouch cavity. A 
fastener 68 is attached to the front and rear halves 64 and 66 for 
latching the front and rear halves 64 and 66 together to hold articles 
placed therein. The fastener 68 can comprise a variety of different types 
of fasteners, including Velcro.TM., snaps, or a zipper. A belt and 
shoulder strap system 70 of adjustable length can be attached to the 
helmet 10, allowing the combined helmet 10 and the pouch 60 to be 
suspended from the shoulder of the wearer or worn as a belt strapped about 
the waist of the wearer. By converting the helmet 10 into the pouch 60, 
the wearer need not carry around a cumbersome helmet, and furthermore can 
carry such items as gloves or sunglasses in the pouch 60. For folding 
purposes, the preferred number of total panels 12 and 14 is six, but a 
higher number is still quite feasible. 
FIG. 7 is a right side view of another embodiment of a helmet resulting 
from this invention comprising the formation of a protrusion 72 at the 
back of the helmet 10 wherein the protrusion 72 can accommodate a storage 
compartment 74. This protrusion 72, and the storage compartment 74 within 
the protrusion 72, can be molded as part of a peripheral panel 12 during 
the insert molding of the peripheral panel assembly 26. Because of the 
geometry of the helmet 10, particularly the concept of the peripheral 
panels 12 attached to the top panel 14, the helmet 10 would not be thrown 
off balance with the addition of the protrusion 72 the way typical helmets 
would be. The compartment 74 in the protrusion 72 could be used for many 
purposes, including holding a satellite navigation system, telephone 
system, homing device, keys, money or numerous other items. 
FIG. 8 is a view of another alternate embodiment of a helmet resulting from 
this invention showing one all-encompassing exterior shell 76 (in 
cross-section) in which the armature 16 is insert-molded to provide a 
contoured fit to the wearer's head. 
While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it should be 
understood that changes and modifications can be made therein without 
departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Various features of 
the invention are defined in the following claims.