Patent Publication Number: US-6665884-B1

Title: Helmet with self-adjusting padding

Description:
This application claims benefit of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/385,258, filed May 31, 2002, entitled “Batting Helmet With Self-Adjusting Interior Foam Cushioning” which is hereby incorporated by reference. Be it known that we, Justin R. Demps, a citizen of the United States, residing at 7310 Long Lane Road, Cookeville, Tenn. 38506, Robert Brian Howard, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1220 Pimilco Drive, Cookeville, Tenn. 38506, and J. L. Cherry, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1875 Trace Creek Rd. Gainesboro, Tenn. 38562, have invented a new and useful “Helmet with Self-Adjusting Padding.” 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to self-adjusting padding that fits within a helmet and conforms to the head of a wearer of the helmet. 
     DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     Protective padded wear has many uses and is present in various industries. The protective head wear is generally described as a helmet and is used to protect the head of the wearer of the helmet from injury. The helmets are used in numerous areas including construction, military, and sports. The sizes of the protective helmets used must vary according to the variance in size of the human head. This creates a greater expense for organizations that have numerous persons requiring the protective helmet. 
     Others have attempted to provide different forms of adjustable helmets. For example, Broersma U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,357 uses both suspension and retention straps to provide adjustment for the head gear fitting and accessory system disclosed in the patent. The suspension and retention straps are designed to adjust the helmet in a vertical direction to allow for a variance in head size when that variance is measured from the crown of the head to the chin. However, the straps in the Broersma patent fail to adjust to a variance in the circumference of head sizes of wearers of the Broersma helmet. The Broersma patent also uses stays located within the head gear system to allow movement of the padding within the head gear. However, the use of these stays to alter the position of the padding within the head gear can cause misplacement of the padding within the head gear and reduce the effectiveness of the head gear. 
     Other attempts have been made to create adjustable protective head gear. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,420 issued to Haysom et al discloses a protective helmet with a removable band. The band is placed around the head and then a helmet is placed on top of the head around the band. The fact that the protective helmet is not a single assembly results in misplacement of the individual sections of Haysom et al. head gear as well as increasing the cost of the head gear. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,847 issued to Holden Jr., discloses a baseball batters helmet that provides adjustable padding within the helmet. The padding requires manual adjusting straps in order to conform the padding to the different head sizes of various users of the Holden Jr. helmet. Also, the protective shell in the Holder Jr. helmet has openings where the straps must extend through the protective shell to the external portion of the helmet. This weakens the structural integrity of the Holden Jr. helmet and requires manual manipulation in order to adjust the helmet to different head sizes. 
     Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,571B1 issued to Infusino discloses a protective helmet with an adjustable helmet liner. The Infusino device has an expandable band mechanically fixed to the shell of a helmet, an adjustable helmet liner mechanically fixed to the expandable band and absorption padding attached to the helmet liner. The Infusion patent fails to adequately disclose an adjustable helmet due to the mechanical attachment of the expandable band to the helmet shell. This mechanical attachment restricts the band from properly adjusting to the head of wearer of the Infusino helmet thereby lessening the adjustable characteristic of the Infusino helmet. 
     Due to the lack of adequate adjustable helmets used for cranial protection, there is a need in the art for a helmet with a self-adjusting interior padding. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a helmet with self-adjusting padding designed to adjust to various head sizes of individual wearers of the helmet. The protective helmet comprises a helmet shell having a interior surface, a first helmet pad, a second helmet pad, and at least one expandable band. Each of the first and second helmet pads comprise a first pad section attached to the interior surface of the helmet and a second pad section spaced away from the interior surface of the helmet. At least one expandable band is attached to each of the second pad sections. 
     The protective helmet also comprises a pad gap separating the first and second helmet pads. The expandable band extends across the pad gap and allows adjustment of the band and of the first and second helmet pads in order to conform to the head of a user of the protective helmet. The band and the helmet pads are spaced away from the interior surface of the helmet shell in order to allow the band and the helmet pads to move toward the helmet interior surface once a user of the protective helmet has inserted his or her head into the protective helmet. 
     It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide adjustable padding for a helmet. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide self-adjusting padding for a helmet. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is provide a helmet containing self-adjusting padding that conforms to the head of a wearer of the helmet. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a helmet with self-adjusting padding that provides a location for pony-tail styled hair to extend out of the helmet. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable helmet without weakening the structural integrity of the helmet. 
    
    
     Numerous other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, upon a reading of the following disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention comprising the self-adjustable padding. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the internal portions of the helmet. FIG. 2 shows the spatial relationship between the padding sections of the current invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG.  2 . FIG. 3 shows the adjustable nature of the self-adjusting padding. 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view of one embodiment of the current invention showing the first helmet pad, second helmet pad, at least one expandable band, and the spacing between these features and the interior surface of the helmet. 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom view of an alternate embodiment of the current invention showing the first and second helmet pads, two expandable bands, and rear pad spaced from the interior surface of the helmet. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, the protective helmet containing the self-adjusting padding of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the numeral  10 . The protective helmet  10  includes a helmet shell  28  and self-adjusting padding  12 . The helmet shell  28  includes an interior surface  30 . The self-adjusting padding  12  includes a first helmet pad  14  partially attached to the interior surface  30  of the helmet  10 , a second helmet pad  16  partially attached to the interior surface  30  of the helmet  10 , and at least one expandable band  18  partially attached to the first and second helmet pads  14  and  16  and designed to adjust the first and second helmet pads  14  and  16 . 
     As seen in FIG. 2, the first helmet pad  14  includes a first pad section  20 , also called an attachment section  20 , attached to the helmet and a second pad section  22 , also called a hinged section  22 , attached to the expandable band  18 . The second helmet pad  16  includes a first pad section  24 , also called an attachment section  24 , attached to the helmet  10  and a second pad section  26 , also called a hinged section  26 , attached to the expandable band  18 . The expandable band  18  and second pad sections  22  and  26  are spaced away from the interior surface  30  so as to create spatial gap  27  between the interior surface  30  and the expandable band  18  and second pad sections  22  and  26 . This is best seen in FIG.  4 . 
     Both the self-adjusting padding  12  and the protective helmet shell  28  are designed to deflect and absorb the energy of an object that impacts with the helmet  10  before said energy reaches the head of a wearer of the helmet  10 . This absorption is assisted by the attachment of the first and second pads sections  20  and  22  to the interior surface  30  of the helmet shell  28 . In a preferred embodiment this attachment is by the way of adhesion, but can be by any technique known by those skilled in the art, including to, but not limited to, adhesives, mechanical fixtures, hook and loop fasteners, and the like. 
     The protective helmet shell  12  can be comprised of any substances known in the art to be lightweight yet resilient to impact. In a preferred embodiment, the helmet shell  12  is made of plastic. 
     The expandable band  18 , also known as an elastic band  18  or an adjustable band  18 , spaces the hinged sections  22  and  26  of the first and second helmet pads  14  and  16  away from the helmet  10 . More specifically, the adjustable band  18  spaces the hinged sections  22  and  26  away from the interior surface  30  of the protective helmet shell  28 . 
     As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the hinged sections  22  and  26  of the first and second helmet pads  14  and  16  are configured to move relative to both the interior surface  30  and the attachment sections  20  and  24  of the first and second helmet pads  14  and  16 . The hinged sections  22  and  26  have a point of rotation  29  located near the attachment of the first pad sections  20  and  24  to the interior surface  30 . This rotational motion facilitates the conformity of the padding  12  to the head of a wearer of the helmet  10  by increasing the circumferential area within the helmet in which the head of a wearer of the helmet  10  can fit. 
     Also, the expandable band  18  is spaced away from the internal surface  30  of the protective helmet  28 . This spacing creates a gap  27  between the interior surface  30  and the expandable band  18  and hinged sections  22  and  26 . This configuration allows a wearer of the helmet  10  that has pony-tail style hair to fit the hair in between the adjustable band  18  and the interior surface  30  of the protective helmet shell  28  and out the bottom of the helmet  10  without a need for an additional opening in the protective helmet shell  28 . The fact that the current invention does not require that additional opening in the protective shell  28  to facilitate adjustment of the padding  12  or to accommodate pony-tail style hair maintains the full structural integrity of the helmet  10  and provides better protection for a wearer of the helmet  10 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the expandable band  18  is comprised of neoprene rubber which provides elasticity to allow the expansion of the second pad sections  22  and  26  of the first and second helmet pads  14  and  16 . Also, the elasticity in the neoprene rubber returns the second pad sections  22  and  26  to their original positions  38  in order to accommodate the next wearer of the helmet  10 . The attachment between the adjustable band  18  and the first and second helmet pads  14  and  16  is by adhesion. The adhesion can be by any technique known by those skilled in the art. 
     The helmet shell  28  further includes a front portion  48 , left side portion  50 , right side portion  52 , rear portion  54 , and crown portion  56 . These portions  48  through  56  define the interior surface  30  of the helmet shell  28 . In a preferred embodiment, the first helmet pad  14  is attached proximate the left side  50  of the helmet  10  and the second helmet pad  16  is attached proximate the right side  52  of the helmet  10 . The helmet  10  further comprises a third helmet pad  32  attached proximate the front portion  48  of the helmet  10 . Also, a fourth helmet pad  34  is attached proximate the crown portion  56  of the helmet  10 . In a preferred embodiment, the third helmet pad  32  and the fourth helmet pad  34  are adhered to the interior surface  30  of the protective helmet shell  28 . 
     Each helmet pad  14 ,  16 ,  32 , and  34  is comprised of foam cushioning layers  36  extending from the interior surface  30  of the protective helmet shell  28 . These foam cushioning layers  36  are designed to comfortably fit around the head of a wearer of the helmet  10  and to absorb the energy from objects that would otherwise strike the head of a wearer of the helmet  10 . 
     As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first and second helmet pads  14  and  16  are spaced on the interior surface  30  of the protective helmet shell  28 . The design of this space configuration provides a secure engagement between the self-adjusting padding  12  and the head (not shown) of the wearer of the helmet  10 . This arrangement also provides for a comfortable fit of the helmet  10  on the head of a wearer of the helmet  10 . 
     As seen in FIG. 3, the self-adjusting padding  12  is malleable and can be compressed from its original position  38  to a compressed position  40 . This movement further facilitates the adjustable nature of the self-adjusting padding  12  and provides a better comfort fit for the head of a wearer of the helmet  10 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the self-adjusting padding  12  is comprised of dual density foam and nylon laminated skin  46 . The dual density foam provides greater energy absorption than single density foam, while the nylon laminated skin  46  provides better wear characteristics than the dual density foam by itself. The nylon laminated skin  46  also helps to prevent the soiling of the self-adjusting padding  12 . 
     The expandable band  18  biases the second pad section  22  of the first helmet pad  14  toward second pad section  26  of the second helmet pad  16 . In effect, the expandable band  18  repositions the second pad sections  22  and  26  to engage the head of a wearer of the helmet  10 . The expandable band  18  provides elasticity in the positioning of the self-adjusting padding  12 . This positioning further facilitates the adjustable nature of the self-adjusting padding  12  and provides a secure and comfortable fit of the self-adjusting padding  12  around the head of a wearer of the helmet  10 . 
     In an alternate embodiment the helmet  10  comprises a fifth helmet pad  35  positioned parallel to the rear portion  54  of the helmet shell  28 . The fifth helmet pad  35  is spaced from the rear portion  54  of the helmet shell  28  and engages the back of the head of the wearer of the helmet  10  when a user places the helmet  10  on his or her head. This embodiment is seen in FIG.  5 . 
     Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and Helmet with Self-Adjusting Padding, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.