Patent Publication Number: US-2019174859-A1

Title: Helmet liner

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/595,994, filed Dec. 7, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a liner for use with a protective helmet. More particularly, the present invention relates to an adjustable liner that can be adjusted to accommodate various head shapes and sizes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Protective helmets are worn by participants in a variety of activities and sports, including but not limited to, baseball, softball, football, lacrosse, cycling, and hockey in order to help guard the wearer&#39;s head from trauma. However, such helmets are usually mass produced, and they therefore cannot comfortably and safely fit the head of every possible wearer, or even a majority of possible wearers. This can result in discomfort or injury. 
     Some helmet manufacturers attempt to solve this problem by designing helmets that have liners inside the helmet that aim to conform to the wearer&#39;s head. Such liners are made of a variety of materials, including thick open cell foam. Other manufacturers utilize dial fit systems that adjust chin straps to make the helmet fit more snugly to the user&#39;s head. Another available system is a manual inflatable liner within a helmet&#39;s interior that can be adjusted using a pump. Such inflatable liners start uninflated and then are inflated to conform to a head shape using a pump. 
     Other manufacturers utilize solutions that are adjusted a first time to fit a wearer&#39;s head, but then are permanently tailored to fit that particular wearer&#39;s head. In sports like baseball or softball, where multiple batters wear the same helmet, this is an undesirable solution because the helmet cannot be used by multiple batters. Thus, the aforementioned liners and systems are often expensive, difficult and inconvenient to use, and/or lacking in actual performance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An adjustable liner of the present invention for use within a helmet preferably includes at least one bladder containing low density, open cell foam securely and snugly contained within the bladder. The bladder is preferably formed by a film that surrounds the foam. 
     The film may be a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or similar material. Preferably, the film includes an inflation port that regulates the transfer of air within the bladder of the liner. 
     In use, when a player dons the helmet having the liner for the first time, the liner&#39;s air port is open. This allows the bladder and foam to be full of air, and thus both are preferably in a fully expanded position. When a wearer puts the helmet on his or her head, the foam compresses to conform to the wearer&#39;s head, as does the bladder. Air preferably escapes from within the foam and bladder through the port. The port may then be closed so that air cannot reenter the bladder or foam. The foam is therefore retained in its compressed form. With subsequent wears by the same wearer, the above described fitting process need not be repeated. 
     However, when a new wearer wishes to don the same helmet (or when a wearer wishes to refit the helmet), he or she should first release the port to return the foam and bladder to its fully expanded form. Then he or she may repeat the above described process to get the liner to conform to his or her head. 
     Depending on the sport in which the activity is used, the liner may take on a number of sizes and shapes. Similarly, nearly any number of liners may be used within a helmet&#39;s interior to properly conform to a wearer&#39;s head. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a better understanding of the various embodiments of the present invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of a helmet liner constructed according to the teachings of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a port of the helmet liner of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the helmet liner of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawing and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description presented herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures. 
     Turning first to  FIG. 1 , a reusable helmet liner  1  is illustrated for use within a protective helmet (not illustrated) used in sports including, but not limited to, baseball, softball, football, lacrosse, cycling, and hockey. The helmet liner  1  is sized and shaped for use near the rear bottom of a protective helmet. It will be understood that the helmet liner  1  may take on a nearly limitless number of positions, sizes, and shapes to better protect the forehead, ears, crown of the head, lower skull, etc. It should be noted that more than one helmet liner such as the helmet liner  1  may be included within a helmet&#39;s interior to help make sure the above and other areas of the head are adequately protected. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the helmet liner  1  preferably includes a film  5  that forms one or more than one bladder member  10 . At least one section of low density foam  15 , or other compressible material, is contained within an interior cavity of each bladder member  10  of the helmet liner  1 . The foam  15  should be able to expand and contract when air enters or leaves therefrom. As such, the foam  15  is preferably made of open cell foam. Other foam materials are also envisioned that are expandable and contractable when air is introduced to the foam or removed from the foam. In yet another alternative embodiment, the compressible material may simply be air contained within a bladder member such as the bladder member  10 . 
     The film  5  may be made of a variety of pliable, easily washable materials, but in preferred embodiments, is made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The film  5  preferably is sealed at its edges and on all its surfaces to form the interior cavity of the bladder member  10 , with the exception of a port  20 , which is described in greater detail herein below. 
     The interior cavity of each bladder member  10  may therefore be considered as an air pocket within the film  5 . In the preferred embodiment, the shape of each bladder member  10  is substantially similar to the low density foam  15  housed therein, and only slightly larger than such low density foam  15 . When the low density foam  15  is within the bladder member  10 , it is securely contained therein. In other embodiments where the liner  1  is used in a different helmet region, the bladder member  10  and the foam  15  may take on a number of different sizes and shapes. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , which is the embodiment of the helmet liner  1  when it is being fitted to a user&#39;s head, the air port  20  is preferably in its open position. In the open position, as understood in the art, the air port  20  preferably allows for passive fluid communication between the interior of the bladder member(s)  10  and atmospheric air surrounding the liner  1 . The bladder member(s)  10  need not be inflated to be in its expanded, non-compressed state. Air may also escape from the bladder member(s)  10  when pressure is applied to the low density foam  15 , when the air port  20  is in the open position. In its closed position, the air port  20  preferably prevents air from escaping or entering the bladder member(s)  10 . Because the air port  20  may passively allow air to enter the bladder member  10  until it is closed, the air port  20  may be described as an air bypass port. 
     In the embodiment of the helmet liner  1  shown in  FIG. 1 , three different pieces of foam  15  are provided, one in each of three respective bladder members  10 . Small bladder member channels  22  are provided between adjacent bladder members  10  formed from film  5 . Two bladder member channels  22  are shown in  FIG. 1 , with one respective bladder member channel  22  between each of the three bladder members  10 . The bladder member channels  22  allow for fluid communication between the bladder members  10 . When the air port  20  is open, air may be removed from any and all of the bladder members  10 . Inflation of the bladder members  10  may also occur via the air port  20  and bladder member channels  22 , as described herein below. 
     The air port  20  is shown in greater detail in  FIG. 2 . As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a knob  25  may be provided on the air port  20 . The knob  25  may be usable to switch the air port  20  between its open position and closed positions. In the illustrated embodiment, turning the knob  25  counterclockwise opens the port  20 , and turning the knob  25  clockwise closes the port  20 . In alternative embodiments, turning the knob  25  clockwise may open the port  20 , and turning the knob  25  counterclockwise may close the port  20 . Alternatively, a different known or foreseeable mechanism altogether may be used to open and close the port  20 . 
     With the port  20  in its open position, the fitting process for a wearer may begin. The protective liner  1  is positioned within the interior of a protective helmet. In a preferred embodiment, the air port  20  faces away from the wearer&#39;s head when in use, to avoid damage the wearer&#39;s head in the case of a collision. When the helmet is then placed on the wearer&#39;s head with the port  20  in its open position, the low density foam  15  preferably compresses to conform to the shape of the wearer&#39;s head. As the foam  15  compresses, the air bladder member(s)  10  also preferably compresses, forcing air out from the port  20 . 
     When the helmet securely fits, a wearer may close the port  20 , preferably by turning the knob  25  in a clockwise direction. By closing the port  20 , no further air escapes from the bladder member(s)  10 . The film  5  is therefore positioned snugly against the low density foam  15  in the shape of the wearer&#39;s head. With the port  20  closed, the low density foam  15  and bladder member(s)  10  preferably retain their contoured shape, because air cannot reenter the bladder(s)  10  or foam  5  to permit re-inflation.  FIG. 3  illustrates an example of a compressed form of the helmet liner  1 . Thus, the wearer preferably need not perform this “fitting” method every time he or she dons the helmet, and the helmet retains a custom fit for that wearer so long as the air port  20  is not reopened. 
     However, in the event that a different wearer wishes to wear the helmet, or if the wearer would like to refit the helmet to his or her head, the helmet liner  1  (or helmet liners  1  if multiple liners are contained within the helmet) may be refit. To do so, the knob  25  or other mechanism may be adjusted to turn the port  20  to the open position. Air would then be able to reenter the bladder(s)  10 , thus allowing the foam to return to its original, expanded position. The above described fitting process may be repeated, and the liner  1  may be again reshaped. 
     From the foregoing, it will be seen that the various embodiments of the present invention are well adapted to attain all the objectives and advantages hereinabove set forth together with still other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the present structures. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations of the present embodiments are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Since many possible embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, it is also to be understood that all disclosures herein set forth or illustrated in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. The various constructions described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts, principles and scope of the present invention. 
     Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.