Abstract:
A motorsports safety harness assembly includes a restraint device for securing the head and neck against frontal impact injuries, and allows for facilitated removal in exigent circumstances or with limited mobility such from a damaged automobile. A pair of detachable wings engages a front upper torso or chest region of a wearer, and couples to a rigid headpiece extending behind the skull region for attachment to a helmet for restraining the head and neck from sudden forceful movement commonly associated with basal skull fractures and other impact injuries. The wings and headpiece secure snugly around the neck of the wearer for providing support against frontal impact, while the wings separate from the headpiece via a detachable coupling and release control to allow the wearer to exit the vehicle. The coupling provides rigid support against impact, and employs a wearer activated release to permit rapid uncoupling in exigent crash situations.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent App. No. 61/811,990, filed Apr. 15, 2013, entitled “MOTORSPORTS SAFETY HARNESS,” incorporated by reference in entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Motorsports such as auto racing have established standards regarding safety in attempt to reduce and prevent injuries from frontal, side, and posterior impact crashes during competition. Some of the established regulations incorporate the mandatory usage of restraint belts and helmets. Although these devices have proven to be successful in preventing fatalities, drivers can still be prone to injuries in the neck and head region ranging from sprains to basilar skull fractures. One particular cause of these injuries in crashes is the forward movement of the head and neck on impact while the seat and belts protect the rest of the body. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A motorsports safety harness assembly includes a restraint device for securing the head and neck against frontal impact injuries, and allows for facilitated removal in exigent circumstances or with limited mobility such from a damaged automobile. A pair of detachable wings engages a front upper torso or chest region of a wearer, and couples to a rigid headpiece extending behind the skull region for attachment to a helmet for restraining the head and neck from sudden forceful movement commonly associated with basal skull fractures and other impact injuries. The wings and headpiece secure snugly around the neck of the wearer for providing support against frontal impact, while the wings separate from the headpiece via a detachable coupling and release control to allow the wearer to exit the vehicle. The coupling provides rigid support against impact, and employs a wearer activated release to permit rapid uncoupling following exigent crash situations. 
         [0004]    The prevalence of neck injuries and basilar skull fractures in motorsports has caused many sanctioning bodies in top-tier auto-racing divisions to mandate the use of a head and neck restraint. Although current commercially available head and neck restraints have played an instrumental role in the racing world, case studies have shown that the most common restraint has inhibited drivers from exiting the car in emergencies, such as a fire, as it can become entangled in the window nets, roll cages, or the ground depending on the orientation of the car. Generally, such entanglement occurs due to the inability to remove the device while wearing a standard racing helmet. 
         [0005]    Configurations herein are based, in part, on the observation that safety devices for motorsports, such as automobile racing, are often focused on restraining a driver inside the vehicle in the event of a crash, which can impede rescue efforts in an attempt to extract the driver during rescue efforts. Unfortunately, conventional approaches to motor vehicle safety such as that used in competitive race vehicles suffers from the shortcoming that the securing devices can be bulky and unwieldy, causing unnecessary delay and possibly entrapment in an attempt to remove the securing device in an exigent situation. Such unwieldiness may also discourage usage altogether. Problems that have been recognized about conventional approaches using fixed, rigid restraints include that such devices impede exiting the car in an emergency and removing such a device is nearly impossible when entrapped in the vehicle. Further, due to the interconnected system of the helmet and device, a distressed driver may simply remove the helmet and device together, effectively nullifying the protection afforded by the helmet against fire and fumes. Accordingly, configurations disclosed herein substantially overcome the shortcomings of conventional restraints by providing a restraint device for the head and neck region that quickly disengages frontal wings from a headpiece back to permit exiting or extraction from a vehicle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1 a    shows a context view of a conventional approach to motorsports safety; 
           [0008]      FIG. 1 b    shows a perspective view of a configuration suitable for use in the context of  FIG. 1   a;    
           [0009]      FIG. 1 c    shows an assembled view of the configuration of  FIG. 1   b;    
           [0010]      FIG. 2  shows a frame for the headpiece of  FIG. 1   b;    
           [0011]      FIG. 3  shows a frame of the wing of  FIG. 1   b;    
           [0012]      FIG. 4  shows an interconnection between the headpiece and wings of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  shows attached couplings in the interconnection of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  shows a transparent perspective view of the coupling of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  shows a top transparent view of the coupling of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  shows an alternate linkage for the coupling of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  shows another alternate linkage for the coupling of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  shows a further alternate linkage for the coupling of  FIG. 5 ; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  shows an additional coupling design as in  FIG. 5   
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    Conventional approaches to motorsports safety generally attempt to limit sudden and forceful movement exhibited against the driver in crash impact situations. Often, this includes restraining the driver to the vehicle such that the vehicle absorbs the bulk of the impact force. Conventional approaches include a so-called Head and Neck Safety (HANS) device, which has played an instrumental role in the racing world by reducing the overall number of injuries in competition. This conventional device employs a rigid device placed over the neck with appendages passing across the chest and around the back of the skull. However, such conventional devices have been known to inhibit drivers from exiting the car in emergencies as it can become entangled in the window nets, roll cages, or the ground depending on the orientation of the car. Generally, such impediments occur due to the inability to remove the HANS device while wearing a standard racing helmet 
         [0021]    The restraint device as disclosed further below comprises part of a safety harness system commonly employed in competition motor vehicle racing. The disclosed restraint device is a detachable head and neck restraint that secures the neck and shoulder region of an operator during sudden deceleration such as an automotive race crash. The head and neck restraint includes wings extending over the shoulders and front torso of the wearer and detachably engaged to a headpiece frame secured to the vehicle by a belted harness and optionally other attachments. The detachable engagement absorbs forces typically associated with sudden deceleration of a race crash, yet allows selective detachment via a strap or cord to afford a timely exit of the head and neck restraint following a deployment event such as a crash. The detachment mechanism may be operable solely by the driver, such that quick disengagement and exit of the vehicle is achieved prior to assistance by emergency crews, in the event of fire or other exigent threat. In this manner, the disclosed approach provides a head and neck restraint that restrains the head and neck region against injury, yet is able to be removed easily while wearing a helmet to facilitate exiting from car in an emergency 
         [0022]      FIG. 1 a    shows a context view of a conventional approach to motorsports safety. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a prior art safety system for motorsports such as auto racing includes a helmet  10  tethered to a head support  20  by a linkage  22 , such as a detachable strap. The head support  10  maintains a rigid connection to a torso support  30  resting over the upper torso  12  of a wearer (driver). The torso support  30  may include separate elongated members  30 - 1 ,  30 - 2  for extending along a frontal region of the upper torso. A neck passage  32  defines a region or void through which the head of the wearer passes when engaging or disengaging the device for use. A plurality of straps  40 - 1  . . .  40 - 5  ( 40  generally) further secures the torso support  30  against the wearer and is attached to the vehicle in which the wearer or driver is secured. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1 b    shows a perspective view of a configuration suitable for use in the context of  FIG. 1 a   . Referring to  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , a motorsports constraint  100  as disclosed herein includes a headpiece  110  adapted for selective attachment to detachable wings  120 - 1  . . .  120 - 2  ( 120  generally). The detachable wings  120  (wings) attach to the headpiece  110  via a coupling  150 , which in the configuration shown includes one or more protrusions  152 , such as dowels or pins, adapted to be received by receptacles  154  on the wings  120 . The coupling  150  secures the wings  120  to the headpiece  110  for bracing the headpiece against a forward impact. The straps  40 - 1  . . .  40 - 5  generally define a 5 or 6 point harness securing the restraint via the wings  120 - 1 ,  120 - 2 . 
         [0024]    The headpiece  110  further includes a tether  112  with a clip  114  or other attachment suitable for securing the helmet  10  of the wearer. The constraint  100  and helmet  10  assembly is typically strapped around the wearer/driver by the straps  40 , which define a multi-point belt or harness to form a safety harness assembly for securing the driver&#39;s head in a forward impact. In an example configuration, the frontal web  40  further includes a flexible belt having attachment to a vehicular safety cage at a plurality of restraint points. Typically, the belt is a 5 or 6 point belt attached to a safety cage structure surrounding the driver for withstanding an impact force, and the frontal web complements the restraint and helmet for securing the restraint against the upper torso so that the rigid headpiece mitigates the forward impact force on the attached helmet. 
         [0025]    The safety harness assembly for restraining head movement of a wearer against impact based injury as disclosed herein includes one or more wings  120  adapted for frontal engagement with the wearer, and a headpiece  110  adapted to restrain the wearer via a coupling to the helmet  10 . The coupling  150  is for detachably engaging the wings  120  to the headpiece  110 , and is adapted for withstanding a force generated by the impact, yet is selectively detachable by maintaining attachment to the headpiece in response to the forward impact, and subsequently detaching responsive to a release motion or movement by the wearer. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1 c    shows an assembled view of the configuration of  FIG. 1 b   . Referring to  FIGS. 1 b  and 1 c   , the molded and/or padded wings  120  join to the molded/padded headpiece  110  via the coupling  150 . The attached wings  120  form a tight seam  151  defined by the mating of the wings  120  to the headpiece  110 . The helmet tether  112  extends through the padding/molding from a structure member  136  or other suitable frame member for maintaining attachment to the helmet  10  with the clip  114  or shackle while withstanding a frontal impact force. In an example arrangement, the wing  120  and the headpiece  110  further comprise a homogenous molding integrated with the coupling  150 . Any suitable polymer or fiber-impregnated polymer or compound may be employed, such as carbon fiber, by having sufficient strength to withstand the impact force. 
         [0027]    A continuous or homogeneous molding for the headpiece and wing mitigates labor intensity otherwise required for layering or applying a comfort surface to the frame. A method of molding the safety restraint  100  may include forming at least one wing  120  adapted for frontal engagement with the wearer, and forming a headpiece  110  adapted to restrain the head/helmet  10  of the wearer. The molding operation integrates the formed headpiece  110  and wing  120  with a coupling  150  for detachably engaging the wings  120  to the headpiece  110 , such that the coupling  150  is adapted for withstanding a force generated by a frontal impact of a vehicle. The coupling  150  maintains attachment to the headpiece  110  in response to the forward impact, and is responsive to a release mechanism for disengaging the wings  120  from the headpiece  110  subsequent to the frontal impact for allowing exit by the wearer from the vehicle. Expedient and unimpeded exiting or removal is particularly important in a motorsports environment where occasional crashes may result in fire or traumatic injury and mandated structural and safety designs can hinder rescue efforts. 
         [0028]      FIG. 2  shows a frame  130  for the headpiece  110  of  FIG. 1 b   . The headpiece  110  has structural integrity sufficient for restraining the forward movement of the helmet  10  and wearer&#39;s head in response to a forward impact, and may employ a rigid frame  130  or other suitable construction, such as a continuous or solid molding. Referring to  FIGS. 1 b    and  2 , a headpiece frame  130  includes upright supports  132  connected by transverse members  134 . Transverse supports  136  further reinforce the upright supports  132 . The coupling  150  to the wings  120  restrains the frame  130  via forces transferred through the coupling  150  to the wings  120 , secured in place between the wearer and the straps  40 . 
         [0029]    The wings  120  are adapted for communication with a frontal web configured for encircling a torso of the wearer for exerting a counterforce in response to a forward impact. The frontal web is defined by a network of straps  40 , sometimes referred to as a “seat belt,” for securing the wings for maintaining the headpiece upright against the frontal impact via force transferred through the coupling  150 . The wings  120  and the integrated coupling  150  are adapted to maintain rigidity in response to the impact force, in which the headpiece  110  has an attachment to a helmet  10  for restraining the helmet  10  against the impact force. 
         [0030]    A plurality of protrusion joint blocks  138 - 1  . . .  138 - 2  ( 138  generally) define a headpiece side of the coupling  150 , and include mating surfaces  160 - 1  . . .  160 - 2  ( 160  generally) for attachment to a corresponding side of the coupling. In the example arrangement of  FIG. 2 , the mating surface  160  includes the protrusions  152 , however alternate mating surfaces are disclosed below in  FIGS. 8-10 . 
         [0031]    In the examples shown herein, the coupling  150  further includes the protrusion  152  or other load bearing member configured to engage a corresponding receptacle on an opposed surface of the wing  120 , and a release mechanism, discussed further below, for disengaging the wings  120  from the headpiece  110 . The release mechanism is responsive to a release control operable to commence disengagement of the wings  120  from the headpiece  110  to facilitate exiting or removal of the driver from the vehicle. In the example herein, the load bearing member further comprises a plurality of dowels (protrusions  152 ) adapted to engage a corresponding receptacle on an opposed wing or headpiece. 
         [0032]    The protrusions  152  are arranged in-line so as to avoid imparting a rotational capability to the wings  120 , as might be possible with a single round protrusion  152 . Alternate protrusion shapes may include rectangular mortise-and-tenon construction, or other shape (hex, square) that provides rotation resistance for avoiding a tendency of the headpiece  110  to rotate forward relative to the wings  120  in response to a forward impact. For ease of comfort and wearing, the rigid frame  130  is typically encapsulated or molded in a resilient or cushioning exterior. 
         [0033]      FIG. 3  shows a frame of the wing of  FIG. 1 b   . Referring to  FIGS. 1 b   ,  2  and  3 , a frame  140  for the wing  120  includes elongated curved members  142 - 1  . . .  142 - 2  ( 142  generally) for extending from a shoulder of the wearer down over the upper torso. A receptacle joint block  148 - 1  (and  148 - 2  for an opposed left side,  148  generally) has the receptacles  154  configured to receive the corresponding protrusions  152  from the protrusion joint blocks  138 , thereby defining mating surface  160 ′- 1  ( 160 , generally), having a complementary contour to the mating surface  160 , due to the corresponding protrusions  152  and receptacles  154 . The example coupling  150  therefore comprises a plurality of opposed mating surfaces  160 ,  160 ′, such that the opposed mating surfaces have complementary structures for securing the wings to the headpiece by a flush engagement of the opposed mating surfaces. 
         [0034]      FIG. 4  shows an interconnection between the headpiece and wings of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , the coupling  150  includes the opposed mating surfaces  160 ,  160 ′ of the protrusion joint block  138  and the receptacle joint block  148 , respectively. The mating surfaces  160 ,  160 ′ may employ any suitable attachment or linkage for securing the wings  120  and headpiece  110  in fixed communication, however in the configuration of  FIG. 4 , the protrusions  152  align with corresponding receptacles  154 , as shown by dotted lines  158 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 5  shows attached couplings in the interconnection of  FIG. 4 . Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the mating surfaces  160  and  160 ′ meet in a flush arrangement to define the attached coupling  150  between the wings  120  and each side of the headpiece  110 . The coupling maintains the protrusion joint block  138  and receptacle joint block  148  in a fixed arrangement for withstanding a forward impact force. Further, the protrusion  152  and corresponding receptacle  154  may be disposed on either side of the opposed mating surfaces  160 ,  160 ′. 
         [0036]    A locking pin  165  engages a locking shaft  170  or other suitable securing mechanism for resiliently fixing the coupling  150  and preventing unintended separation of the joint blocks  138 ,  148 . The locking pin  165  is non-load bearing for merely securing the protrusions  152  with the receptacles  154 , and includes a spring-loaded or resilient member  162  for engaging a detent  172  in the locking shaft  170 . The locking shaft  170  is an extended aperture aligned between the joint blocks  138 ,  148 , and retains the locking pin  165  via forces exerted by the spring-loaded member  162  and a lip  164  larger than a diameter of the locking shaft  170  for securing the joint block  148 . The locking pin  165  is attached to a tether  166  for permitting operator/wearer withdrawal of the locking pin  165  to disengage the joint blocks  138 ,  148  and release the wings  120  from the headpiece  110 . 
         [0037]    In particular configurations, therefore, the release mechanism may be a detent  172  secured shaft or member transgressing the headpiece  110  and each wing  120  in a direction unopposed from the impact force. The release mechanism may include a release pin  165  passing through a bore in each of the wings  120  and through a corresponding bore in the headpiece  110 , such that the corresponding bores being aligned when the wings engage the headpiece. 
         [0038]    The release mechanism maintains the wings  120  and headpiece  110  in fixed engagement pending an impact, and is thereafter quickly disengageable as it may need to permit separation by an injured or partially immobilized driver. The release control is activated by a manual action such as a hand pull (tether), or other suitable action such as a button or lever. In the example shown, the release control comprises a detent  172  secured member or pin  165  responsive to an extraction force exerted in a predetermined direction, in which the extraction force is sufficient to overcome a resistance of the detent  172 , such as a tether  166  pulled by the driver. 
         [0039]    Since the close confines of a competition vehicle afford little side clearance, a driver typically has greater clearance in the forward facing direction. Accordingly, in a particular configuration, the predetermined direction for pulling the tether  166  is forward from the wearer, and the detent secured member (pin  165 ) is responsive to a tether  166  disposed in the predetermined direction. 
         [0040]    The locking pin  165  may take alternate forms and/or orientations. The locking pin  165  may be disposed through a front facing locking shaft  170 , for permitting the wearer to extract the locking pin  165  via a forward motion, rather than a sideway pulling. A forward motion may be easier in a narrow cockpit of a race car or if crash damage limits a range of sideways movement, for example. Another alternate configuration may include an exterior latch on the surface of the joint blocks  138 ,  148  having a latch engage a slot or lip on the opposed joint block  138 ,  148 . Alternate configurations may employ a variety of release controls, such as electromagnetic, magnetic, hydraulic, pneumatic or fluidic based separation forces, for disposing or forcing the wings  120  out of engagement with the headpiece  110 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 6  shows a transparent perspective view of the coupling of  FIG. 5 . Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the protrusions  152  are shown engaged with the receptacles  154 , thus fixing the attachment of the protrusion joint block  138 - 1  with the receptacle joint block  148 - 1  to define the attached coupling  150 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 7  shows a top transparent view of the coupling of  FIG. 5 . Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 7 , the protrusions  152  engage the receptacles  154  by an insertion depth sufficient to avoid shearing of the protrusions  152  from a frontal impact. The receptacle joint block  148  likewise has sufficient mass to resist fracture or failure by the force needed to retain the protrusion  152  against a frontal impact. 
         [0043]      FIG. 8  shows an alternate linkage for the coupling of  FIG. 5 . As indicated above, a variety of suitable linkages may provide the mating surfaces  160 ,  160 ′ with sufficient attachment force to resist a frontal impact. Referring to  FIG. 8 , a mortise  180  and tenon  182  employ a stepped structure of multiple levels  184 - 1  . . .  184 - 2  ( 184  generally) for vertical alignment of the joint blocks  148 ′,  138 ′. A dovetail shape to the tenon  182  provides a locking feature against outward force when engaged with the corresponding mortise  180 . 
         [0044]      FIG. 9  shows a curved “dog bone” shape for corresponding protrusions  152 ′ and receptacles  154 ′, and also exhibit a plurality of levels  184 .  FIG. 10  shows another alternate linkage for the coupling of  FIG. 5 , having a rotated “dog bone” slot receptacle  154 ″ for receiving a correspondingly shaped protrusion  152 ″. 
         [0045]      FIG. 11  shows an additional coupling design as in  FIG. 5 . Referring to  FIGS. 4, 5 and 11 , the joint blocks  138 ,  148  include an upward extension  190  for encasing the front facing locking shaft  170 . Upon engagement of the mating surfaces  160 ,  160 ′, and insertion of the protrusions  152  into the corresponding receptacles  154 , both portions of the locking shaft  170  align for insertion of the locking pin  165 . Since the shaft  170  opens toward the front, a tethered locking pin  165  may be withdrawn from a forward motion. 
         [0046]    While the system and methods defined herein have been particularly shown and described with references to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.