Abstract:
A multiple-piece removable helmet can be disassembled on the wearer&#39;s head so that, in the event of a medical emergency, the front portion can be removed to afford access to the face of the wearer for administration of first aid and to facilitate the diagnosis of the extent of the injury. A neck brace can be attached and the injured can be lifted out of the back portion of the helmet. Apparatus for removably attaching the two halves include, in various embodiments, screws, adjustable tension cables, buckles, and spring fingers on one half engaging in indentations in the other with the fingers being secured in place by screws.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to improvements in protective headgear. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a helmet which can be removed in an emergency situation without excessive movement of the wearer&#39;s head to avoid exacerbating possible head, neck or spinal injuries. 
     Protective headgear is worn by various athletes including but not limited to football players, race car drivers, motorcyclists, bikers, hockey players, skate boarders, and ski racers. In spite of efforts to protect the head of the wearer, occasionally a sports participant undergoes a head, neck or spinal injury. In such cases, it is extremely important that the head not be moved until the nature and extent of the injury can be diagnosed. Simultaneously, it is just as critical that the head gear be removed quickly should CPR be necessary and to enable the diagnosis to be carried out quickly so proper medical attention can be administered promptly. Conventional headgear requires the head of the wearer to be raised and an axial pull force, and associated frictional force, exerted to effect removal. Such movement of a patient&#39;s head is exactly the type of movement that could turn a relatively minor injury into a permanent disability. 
     Within the last several months, several severe injuries and, in some cases, deaths, have occurred due to head and/or spinal injuries to participants in sporting events. It is possible that one or more of the injuries may have been aggravated by the need to remove the wearer&#39;s helmet in order to administer first aid. The present invention provides a multiple-piece helmet design, the parts of which can be disassembled and removed from the head of its wearer while minimizing movement of the athlete&#39;s head and spinal column. 
     A first rigid portion is attached to a second rigid portion, preferably first and second halves, by a securing means that may be detached in the event of an emergency. The securing means can take any of a variety of forms including, but not limited to buckles, pronged fingers and recesses with fasteners, threaded fasteners alone, and a woven wire. The portions are most preferably a front half and a back half. In a medical emergency, the front half can be removed while the player is lying on her/his back, the patient fitted with a supporting collar and simply lifted out of the back half. In this way, cervical strain and range of motion (ROM) of the head, neck and spine to effect removal of the helmet are greatly reduced. While the present invention deals only with the external portions of the helmet, it will be understood that the internal liner will similarly need to be made in multiple pieces. These pieces can be most easily made separable through simply overlapping tapered soft liner portions. As an alternative, the liner may be equipped with VELCRO fasteners on the interface between the multiple pieces or two halves, as depicted in the drawings. 
     The securing means can take a variety of forms and several embodiments are shown. In a first embodiment, the securing means comprises a plurality of buckles, one section formed on each helmet portion, and one of the sections being relatively movable with respect to the helmet to permit the plurality of buckles to be affixed seriatim. A second embodiment depicts the securing means as a plurality of fasteners threaded directly into a layer from one of the helmet halves that underlies the other helmet half. A series of interdigitating fingers, pins in recesses, or a tongue-in-groove arrangement is provided to supply the needed alignment and joint reinforcement necessary. 
     A third and fourth embodiment of the present invention utilize a tension wire wound through interdigitating helmet portions which may include reinforcing steel pins. A first end of the wire is received in a recess and the opposite end is adjustable to remove the slack and adjust the tension in the wire as the tension in the wire, over time, produces stretching or creep. A fifth embodiment employs a latching between a series of pronged fingers on a first helmet half and a series of recesses or indentations on the second half, with fasteners insuring securement of the fingers in the indentations. 
     Other features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art following a reading of the following specification. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The preferred embodiments are described in conjunction with the attached drawings, like elements bearing like reference numerals and, in which 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the two-piece helmet of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view similar to FIG. 1 shown on a different style helmet with the dust covers removed; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the first embodiment with the two-halves disengaged; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first embodiment with the halves disengaged; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the first embodiment as seen along line 5--5 in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a top view of a second embodiment of the two-piece helmet of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is an exploded cross-sectional side view of the second embodiment as seen along line 7--7 in FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a top view with portions removed of a third embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8A is detailed cross-sectional side view of a first side of the third embodiment; 
     FIG. 8B is a detailed cross-sectional side view of a second side of the third embodiment; 
     FIG. 9 is a top view with portions removed of a fourth embodiment of the present invention, 
     FIG. 9A is a detailed cross-sectional side view of a side portion of the fourth embodiment; 
     FIG. 10 is a detailed perspective of a first variant of the present invention; 
     FIG. 11 is a side view of a detail of a second variant of the junction between the two helmet halves; 
     FIG. 12 is a side view of a detail of a third variant of the junction; 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the two-piece helmet of the present invention, 
     FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the fifth embodiment as seen along line 14--14 of FIG. 13; 
     FIG. 15A is a perspective of the back half of the helmet of the fifth embodiment; and 
     FIG. 15B is a perspective of the front half of the helmet of the fifth embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-4 generally at 20. Helmet 20 is comprised of first portion (or half) 22 and second portion 24. The two halves 22 and 24 engage along a seam which preferably extends across the wearer&#39;s head from ear to ear. Securing means 26, in this case a plurality of buckles consisting of first buckle half 28 secured to front half 22 and second buckle half 30 secured to rear half 24, are used to attach the two halves 22 and 24 together for conventional use and wear. Alternate buckle halves 28 are mounted on a track 29 (FIG. 5) to permit it to be slid toward and away from buckle half 30 to facilitate assembling and disassembling of the halves 22 and 24. The other alternate buckles 26 have the buckle half 30 movable to facilitate secure attachment (FIG. 3). The buckles are connected by pushing the arms 44 of a first buckle half into the recesses 46 of a second buckle half. 
     The principles of the invention are equally applicable to the race car style helmet depicted in FIG. 1 and the football helmet of FIG. 2. The buckles 26 are positioned in recesses 32 (FIG. 5) and enclosed by dust covers 34 which keep dirt, sod, and other material out of the recesses 32 where it could possibly foul the workings of the buckles 26. Dust covers 34 each have an annular protrusion 36 which snaps into a groove 38 extending about the periphery of recess 32. While any number of buckles 26 can be used, six have been depicted here. It is believed that the minimum number required would be three. As seen in FIG. 4, a plurality of extensions 40 are formed on front half 22 that are received in openings 42 in back half 24. Engagement between extensions 40 and openings 42 are needed to provide the structural rigidity needed to permit the helmet 20 to withstand the impact testing required for a helmet to be certified for use. 
     After the front (22) and rear (24) portions are assembled at the factory, the helmet 20 will be used as a conventional helmet, being slipped on and off with repeated uses. Should the helmet&#39;s wearer undergo a head, neck or spinal injury, s/he can be laid on her/his back, the dust covers 34 snapped off with a screw driver or other blunt instrument, the buckles 26 unfastened, and the front portion 22 removed by lifting it off the rear portion 24. This will provide those administering first aid access to the wearer&#39;s face and facilitate the attachment of a supportive neck brace, if necessary. Once the wearer&#39;s head has been stabilized, they can simply be lifted out of the rear portion and placed on a gurney for transport to the hospital. As an alternative, the wearer&#39;s head can remain in the rear portion 24 to help keep the head in a neutral position. 
     A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 generally at 20a. In this embodiment, a plurality of threaded fasteners 26a are positioned about the periphery of the helmet along the seam 50a. It is preferred that the fasteners 26a be spaced apart by about 11/2 to 2 inches. While seam 50a could be formed by overlapping flanges which are each 1/2 the thickness of the full helmet, in this embodiment, a tongue in groove configuration has been shown. A plurality of slots 52a are positioned in the front portion 22a of helmet 20a to permit it to be pried off the rear portion 24a by a screw driver, or the like. As seen in FIG. 7, tongue 54a on front portion 22a is received in groove 56a in rear portion 24a and secured there by screws 26a which thread into the lower flange of groove 56a to retain the two halves 22a, 24a together. The design could be simplified by having a half-thickness flange on one of the two halves 22a, 24a underlie a half thickness flange on the other. In the event of an emergency, the wearer can again be positioned on her/his back and the screws 26a removed using a cordless power screwdriver so that the front portion 22a can be quickly pried off the rear portion 24a and access gained to the wearer&#39;s face. 
     A third embodiment is depicted in FIGS. 8, 8A, and 8B generally at 20b. In this embodiment, seam 50b is formed by a first series of gear teeth 60b on helmet front portion 22b and a second series of gear teeth 62b on helmet rear portion 24b. These teeth 60b and 62b interdigitate as shown in FIG. 8. A recess 64b extends laterally through the teeth 60b, 62b and preferably, a tongue-and-groove engagement (not shown) of the type depicted in conjunction with the first embodiment occurs between the ends of gear teeth 60b, 62b and the corresponding recesses that receive them. A wire or cable 66b is threaded through recess 64b to secure front portion 22b to rear portion 24b. Once cable 66b is threaded, ball stop 70b will be affixed to the end 68b of cable 66b. This may be done by swaging or, more preferably, by threading. The opposite end 72b has an adjustment screw 74b attached by means of a swivel 76b. Adjustment screw 74b engages threads in enlarged opening 78b which can be directly formed in the plastic of the enlarged opening 78b or in a metallic insert (not shown) swaged into opening 78b. A screw driver can be inserted into a slot formed in the end of adjustment screw 74b to permit the cable 66bto be tensioned to properly attach the front portion 22b to the rear portion 24b even should the cable 66b stretch. 
     In this third embodiment, should an emergency occur, adjustment screw 74b can be fully loosened and swaged ball stop 70b snipped off the end or threaded ball 70b unscrewed. Then adjustment screw 74b can be completely backed out of opening 78b and the cable removed. Then, front portion 22b can be lifted off rear portion 24b to permit access to the wearer&#39;s face. 
     A fourth embodiment is depicted in FIGS. 9 and 9A generally at 20c. Cable 66c is wound around a plurality of steel pins 80c which extend between layers of plastic 61c and 63c which form gear teeth 60c and 62c. Again, an adjustment screw 74c which is mounted by means of swivel 76c allows the tension to be adjusted in cable 66c by pulling against a ball stop (not shown) to afford the proper retention force between helmet halves 22c and 24c. To assemble this embodiment, the cable 66c will be wound around the pins 80c with the two halves 22c, 24c slightly separated to afford access to the slots around the pins. Tongue-in-groove engagement between the bottom of the gear slots and the ends of the teeth will provide the reinforcement for stability as in the previous embodiment. Removal is effected by adjusting the screw 74c as was described above in conjunction with the other cable embodiment. 
     A first variant of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 10. Instead of having threaded fasteners extending radially inwardly through the layers of the two helmet halves as depicted in conjunction with FIGS. 6 and 7, a molded recess 82d could be formed in the rear half 24d of the helmet 20d and an apertured rib 84d formed on the front half 22d. In this way, the fasteners 26d extend circumferentially about the helmet 20d. It is preferred that the recess 82d be in the rear half 24d of the helmet so that the screws 26d can be removed while the wearer is lying on her/his back. 
     A second variant of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 11. Spherical protrusions 86e are received in spherical recesses 88e to provide the alignment of the two halves 22e and 24e, prevent rotational misalignment between the two halves and to provide the reinforcement needed to pass the structural integrity tests. Yet a third variant is depicted in FIG. 12 in which the protrusions 86f and recesses 88f are more intricately shaped and more resistant to slippage. 
     A fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 13, 14, 15A and 15B generally at 20g. In this embodiment, a series of spring fingers 90g, with prongs 91g, extending from rear half 24g engage in a series of indentations 92g in the front half 22g and are secured there by screws 26g. A series of pins 40g in one half are received in holes 42g (FIGS. 15A, 15B) in the other to provide the alignment and reinforcing functions. To remove the helmet 20g in an emergency medical situation, screws 26g are removed using a cordless power tool and the fingers 90g pried outwardly to permit front half 22g to be lifted off rear half 24g. 
     Several embodiments of the present invention have been shown in which a two-piece helmet can be disassembled while on the wearer&#39;s head in order to avoid aggravating a possible head, neck or spinal injury. Various changes, alternatives and modifications will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after a reading of the foregoing specification. It is intended that all such changes, alternatives and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims be considered part of the present invention.