Patent Publication Number: US-11638458-B2

Title: Helmet for impact protection

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/960,915 filed on Apr. 24, 2018 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,089,833, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/828,051 filed on Aug. 17, 2015 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,961,952, all of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The invention relates generally to helmets and, more particularly, to helmets providing protection against impacts (e.g., while engaged in sports or other activities). 
     BACKGROUND 
     Helmets are worn in sports (e.g., hockey, lacrosse, football, etc.) and other activities (e.g., motorcycling, industrial work, military activities, etc.) to protect their wearers against head injuries. To that end, helmets typically comprise a rigid outer shell and inner padding to absorb energy when impacted. 
     Various types of impacts are possible. For example, a helmet may be subjected to a linear impact in which an impact force is generally oriented to pass through a center of gravity of the wearer&#39;s head and imparts a linear acceleration to the wearer&#39;s head. A helmet may also be subjected to a rotational impact in which an impact force imparts an angular acceleration to the wearer&#39;s head. This can cause serious injuries such as concussions, subdural hemorrhage, or nerve damage. Also, a helmet may experience high-energy impacts (e.g., greater than 40 Joules) and/or low-energy impacts (e.g., 40 Joules or less) that can cause different kinds of harm or injury. 
     Although helmets typically provide decent protection against linear impacts, their protection against rotational impacts is often deficient. This is clearly problematic given the severity of head injuries caused by rotational impacts. 
     Also, while various forms of protection against linear impacts have been developed, existing techniques may not always be adequate or optimal in some cases, such as for certain types of impacts (e.g., high- and low-energy impacts). 
     For these and other reasons, there is a need for improvements directed to providing helmets with enhanced impact protection. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to various aspects of the invention, there is provided a helmet for protecting a head of a wearer. The helmet may have various features to protect the wearer&#39;s head against impacts, such as linear impacts and rotational impacts. For instance, pads of the helmet may be movable relative to one another in response to an impact on the helmet. The helmet may comprise a frame comprising a plurality of frame members carrying respective ones of the pads and configured to move relative to one another in response to the impact to allow relative movement of the pads. 
     For example, according to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a helmet for protecting a head of a wearer. The helmet comprises an outer shell and inner padding disposed within the outer shell. The inner padding comprises a plurality of pads configured to move relative to one another in response to an impact on the helmet. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a helmet for protecting a head of a wearer. The helmet comprises an outer shell and inner padding disposed within the outer shell. The inner padding comprises a plurality of pads and a frame carrying the pads and configured to allow the pads to move relative to one another in response to an impact on the helmet. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a helmet for protecting a head of a wearer. The helmet comprises an outer shell and inner padding disposed within the outer shell. The inner padding comprises a plurality of pads and a frame carrying the pads. The frame comprises a plurality of frame members carrying respective ones of the pads and configured to move relative to one another in response to an impact on the helmet. 
     These and other aspects of the invention will now become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description of embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A detailed description of embodiments of the invention is provided below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1    shows an example of a helmet for protecting a head of a wearer in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIGS.  2  and  3    show a front and rear perspective view of the helmet; 
         FIGS.  4  to  8    show operation of an example of an adjustment mechanism of the helmet; 
         FIGS.  9  and  10    show an example of shell members of an outer shell of the helmet; 
         FIGS.  11  and  12    show the head of the wearer; 
         FIGS.  13  and  14    show examples of a faceguard that may be provided on the helmet; 
         FIG.  15    shows internal dimensions of a head-receiving cavity of the helmet; 
         FIG.  16    shows a perspective exploded view of the helmet; 
         FIGS.  17 A,  17 B and  17 C  show inside views of various components of the helmet; 
         FIGS.  18 A and  18 B  show an example of pads and a frame of the helmet in an open position and a closed position, respectively; 
         FIG.  19    shows a perspective exploded view of the helmet in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIGS.  20 A,  20 B and  20 C  show inside views of components of the helmet of  FIG.  19   ; 
         FIGS.  21 A and  21 B  show an example of pads of the helmet of  FIG.  19    in an open position and a closed position, respectively; 
         FIG.  22    shows the pads and the frame of the helmet of  FIG.  19   ; 
         FIG.  23    shows a perspective exploded view of the helmet in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG.  24    shows a perspective exploded view of pads and a frame of the helmet of  FIG.  23   ; and 
         FIG.  25    shows a perspective view of the pads and the frame of the helmet of  FIG.  23   . 
     
    
    
     It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments of the invention and are an aid for understanding. They are not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS.  1  to  10    show an example of a helmet  10  for protecting a head  11  of a wearer in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the helmet  10  is a sports helmet for protecting the head  11  of the wearer who is a sports player. More particularly, in this embodiment, the helmet  10  is a hockey helmet for protecting the head  11  of the wearer who is a hockey player. In other embodiments, the helmet  10  may be any other type of helmet for other sports (e.g., lacrosse, football, baseball, bicycling, skiing, snowboarding, horseback riding, etc.) and activities other than sports (e.g., motorcycling, industrial applications, military applications, etc.) in which protection against head injury is desired. 
     The helmet  10  defines a cavity  13  for receiving the wearer&#39;s head  11  to protect the wearer&#39;s head  11  when the helmet  10  is impacted (e.g., when the helmet  10  hits a board or an ice or other skating surface of a hockey rink or is struck by a puck or a hockey stick). In this embodiment, the helmet  10  is designed to provide protection against various types of impacts. More particularly, in this embodiment, the helmet  10  is designed to provide protection against a linear impact in which an impact force is generally oriented to pass through a center of gravity of the wearer&#39;s head  11  and imparts a linear acceleration to the wearer&#39;s head  11 . In addition, in this embodiment, the helmet  10  is designed to provide protection against a rotational impact in which an impact force imparts an angular acceleration to the wearer&#39;s head  11 . The helmet  10  is also designed to protect against high-energy impacts and low-energy impacts. 
     In response to an impact, the helmet  10  absorbs energy from the impact to protect the wearer&#39;s head  11 . Notably, in this embodiment, as further discussed below, pads of the helmet  10  are movable relative to one another in response to an impact on the helmet  10 . This can enhance protection of the wearer&#39;s head  11 . For example, this may provide protection against rotational impacts, by absorbing rotational energy from the rotational impact, thereby reducing rotational energy transmitted to the wearer&#39;s head  11  and, therefore, an angular acceleration of the wearer&#39;s  11 . 
     The helmet  10  protects various regions of the wearer&#39;s head  11 . As shown in  FIGS.  11  and  12   , the wearer&#39;s head  11  comprises a front region FR, a top region TR, left and right side regions LS, RS, a back region BR, and an occipital region OR. The front region FR includes a forehead and a front top part of the head  11  and generally corresponds to a frontal bone region of the head  11 . The left and right side regions LS, RS are approximately located above the wearer&#39;s ears. The back region BR is opposite the front region FR and includes a rear upper part of the head  11 . The occipital region OR substantially corresponds to a region around and under the head&#39;s occipital protuberance. 
     The helmet  10  comprises an external surface  18  and an internal surface  20  that contacts the wearer&#39;s head  11  when the helmet  10  is worn. The helmet  10  has a front-back axis FBA, a left-right axis LRA, and a vertical axis VA which are respectively generally parallel to a dorsoventral axis, a dextrosinistral axis, and a cephalocaudal axis of the wearer when the helmet  10  is worn and which respectively define a front-back direction, a left-right direction, and a vertical direction of the helmet  10 . Since they are generally oriented longitudinally and transversally of the helmet  10 , the front-back axis FBA and the left-right axis LRA can also be referred to as a longitudinal axis and a transversal axis, respectively, while the front-back direction and the left-right direction can also be referred to a longitudinal direction and a transversal direction. A length L of the helmet  10  is a dimension of the helmet  10  in its longitudinal direction, a width W of the helmet  10  is a dimension of the helmet  10  in its transversal direction, and a height H of the helmet  10  is a dimension of the helmet  10  in its vertical direction. 
     In this embodiment, the helmet  10  comprises an outer shell  12  and inner padding  15 . The helmet  10  also comprises a chinstrap  16  for securing the helmet  10  to the wearer&#39;s head  11 . As shown in  FIGS.  13  and  14   , the helmet  10  may also comprise a faceguard  14  to protect at least part of the wearer&#39;s face (e.g., a grid (sometimes referred to as a “cage”) or a visor (sometimes referred to as a “shield”)). 
     The outer shell  12  provides strength and rigidity to the hockey helmet  10 . To that end, the outer shell  12  is made of rigid material. For example, in various embodiments, the outer shell  12  may be made of thermoplastic material such as polyethylene (PE), polyamide (nylon), or polycarbonate, of thermosetting resin, or of any other suitable material. The outer shell  12  has an inner surface  17  facing the inner padding  15  and an outer surface  19  opposite the inner surface  17 . The outer surface  19  of the outer shell  12  constitutes at least part of the external surface  18  of the helmet  10 . 
     In this embodiment, the outer shell  12  comprises a front outer shell member  22  and a rear outer shell member  24  that are connected to one another. The front outer shell member  22  comprises a top portion  21  for facing at least part of the top region TR of the wearer&#39;s head  11 , a front portion  23  for facing at least part of the front region FR of the wearer&#39;s head  11 , and left and right lateral side portions  25 ,  27  extending rearwardly from the front portion  23  for facing at least part of the left and right side regions LS, RS of the wearer&#39;s head  11 . The rear outer shell member  24  comprises a top portion  29  for facing at least part of the top region TR of the wearer&#39;s head  11 , a back portion  31  for facing at least part of the back region BR of the wearer&#39;s head  11 , an occipital portion  37  for facing at least part of the occipital region OR of the wearer&#39;s head  11 , and left and right lateral side portions  33 ,  35  extending forwardly from the back portion  31  for facing at least part of the left and right side regions LS, RS of the wearer&#39;s head  11 . 
     In this embodiment, the helmet  10  is adjustable to adjust how it fits on the wearer&#39;s head  11 . To that end, the helmet  10  comprises an adjustment mechanism  40  for adjusting a fit of the helmet  10  on the wearer&#39;s head  11 . The adjustment mechanism  40  allows the fit of the helmet  10  to be adjusted by adjusting one or more internal dimensions of the cavity  13  of the helmet  10 , such as a front-back internal dimension FBD of the cavity  13  in the front-back direction of the helmet  10  and/or a left-right internal dimension LRD of the cavity  13  in the left-right direction of the helmet  10 , as shown in  FIG.  15   . 
     More particularly, in this embodiment, the outer shell  12  and the inner padding  15  are adjustable to adjust the fit of the helmet  10  on the wearer&#39;s head  11 . To that end, in this case, the front outer shell member  22  and the rear outer shell member  24  are movable relative to one another to adjust the fit of the helmet  10  on the wearer&#39;s head  11 . The adjustment mechanism  40  is connected between the front outer shell member  22  and the rear outer shell member  24  to enable adjustment of the fit of the helmet  10  by moving the outer shell members  22 ,  24  relative to one another. In this example, relative movement of the outer shell members  22 ,  24  for adjustment purposes is in the front-back direction of the helmet  10  such that the front-back internal dimension FBD of the cavity  13  of the helmet  10  is adjusted. This is shown in  FIGS.  5  to  8    in which the rear outer shell member  24  is moved relative to the front outer shell member  22  from a first position, which is shown in  FIG.  5    and which corresponds to a minimum size of the helmet  10 , to a second position, which is shown in  FIG.  6    and which corresponds to an intermediate size of the helmet  10 , and to a third position, which is shown in  FIGS.  7  and  8    and which corresponds to a maximum size of the helmet  10 . 
     In this example of implementation, the adjustment mechanism  40  comprises an actuator  41  that can be moved (in this case pivoted) by the wearer between a locked position, in which the actuator  41  engages a locking part  45  (as best shown in  FIGS.  9  and  10   ) of the front outer shell member  22  and thereby locks the outer shell members  22 ,  24  relative to one another, and a release position, in which the actuator  41  is disengaged from the locking part  45  of the front outer shell member  22  and thereby permits the outer shell members  22 ,  24  to move relative to one another so as to adjust the size of the helmet  10 . The adjustment mechanism  40  may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments. 
     In this embodiment, the outer shell  12  comprises a plurality of ventilation holes  39   1 - 39   v  allowing air to circulate around the wearer&#39;s head  11  for added comfort. In this case, each of the front and rear outer shell members  22 ,  24  defines respective ones of the ventilation holes  39   1 - 39   v  of the outer shell  12 . 
     The outer shell  12  may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments. For example, in other embodiments, the outer shell  12  may be a single-piece shell. In such embodiments, the adjustment mechanism  40  may comprise an internal adjustment device located within the helmet  10  and having a head-facing surface movable relative to the wearer&#39;s head  11  in order to adjust the fit of the helmet  10 . For instance, in some cases, the internal adjustment device may comprise an internal pad member movable relative to the wearer&#39;s head  11  or an inflatable member which can be inflated so that its surface can be moved closer to or further from the wearer&#39;s head  11  to adjust the fit. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  16  to  18 B , the inner padding  15  is disposed between the outer shell  12  and the wearer&#39;s head  11  in use to absorb impact energy when the helmet  10  is impacted. More particularly, the inner padding  15  comprises a shock-absorbing structure  32  that includes an outer surface  38  facing towards the outer shell  12  and an inner surface  34  facing towards the wearer&#39;s head  11 . The shock-absorbing structure  32  comprises a plurality of pads  36   1 - 36   N  to absorb impact energy. The pads  36   1 - 36   N  are responsible for absorbing at least a bulk of the impact energy transmitted to the inner padding  15  when the helmet  10  is impacted and can therefore be referred to as “absorption” pads. 
     For example, in this embodiment, each of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  comprises a shock-absorbing material  50 . For instance, in some cases, the shock-absorbing material  50  may include a polymeric cellular material, such as a polymeric foam (e.g., expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam, expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam, vinyl nitrile (VN) foam, polyurethane foam (e.g., PORON XRD foam commercialized by Rogers Corporation), or any other suitable polymeric foam material), or expanded polymeric microspheres (e.g., Expancel™ microspheres commercialized by Akzo Nobel). In some cases, the shock-absorbing material  50  may include an elastomeric material (e.g., a rubber such as styrene-butadiene rubber or any other suitable rubber; a polyurethane elastomer such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); any other thermoplastic elastomer; etc.). In some cases, the shock-absorbing material  50  may include a fluid (e.g., a liquid or a gas), which may be contained within a container (e.g., a flexible bag, pouch or other envelope) or implemented as a gel (e.g., a polyurethane gel). Any other material with suitable impact energy absorption may be used in other embodiments. In other embodiments, a given one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may comprise an arrangement (e.g., an array) of shock absorbers that are configured to deform when the helmet  10  is impacted. For instance, in some cases, the arrangement of shock absorbers may include an array of compressible cells that can compress when the helmet  10  is impacted. Examples of this are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,677,538 and U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0258988, which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     In some embodiments, the shock-absorbing material  50  of different ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may be different. For instance, in some embodiments, the shock-absorbing material  50  of two, three, four or more the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may be different. For example, in some embodiments, the shock-absorbing material  50  of a pad  36   i  may be different from the shock-absorbing material  50  of another pad  36   j . For instance, in some cases, the shock-absorbing material  50  of the pad  36   i  may be denser than the shock-absorbing material  50  of the pad  36   j . Alternatively or additionally, in some cases, the shock-absorbing material  50  of the pad  36   i  may be stiffer than the shock-absorbing material  50  of the pad  36   j . Combinations of different densities, thickness and type of material for the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may permit for better absorption of high- and low-energy impacts. 
     The absorption pads  36   1 - 36   N  may be present in any suitable number. For example, in some embodiments, the plurality of absorption pads  36   1 - 36   N  may include at least three pads, in some cases at least five pads, in some cases at least eight pads, and in some cases even more pads (e.g., at least ten pads or more). 
     In addition to the absorption pads  36   1 - 36   N , in this embodiment, the inner padding  15  comprises comfort pads  64   1 - 64   K  which are configured to provide comfort to the wearer&#39;s head. In this embodiment, when the helmet  10  is worn, the comfort pads  64   1 - 64   K  are disposed between the absorption pads  36   1 - 36   N  and the wearer&#39;s head  11  to contact the wearer&#39;s head  11 . The comfort pads  64   1 - 64   K  may comprise any suitable soft material providing comfort to the wearer. For example, in some embodiments, the comfort pads  64   1 - 64   K  may comprise polymeric foam such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam, polyurethane foam (e.g., PORON XRD foam commercialized by Rogers Corporation), vinyl nitrile foam or any other suitable polymeric foam material. In some embodiments, given ones of the comfort pads  64   1 - 64   K  may be secured (e.g., adhered, fastened, etc.) to respective ones of the absorption pads  36   1 - 36   N . In other embodiments, given ones of the comfort pads  64   1 - 64   K  may be mounted such that they are movable relative to the absorption pads  36   1 - 36   N . For example, in some embodiments, given ones of the comfort pads  64   1 - 64   K  may be part of a floating liner as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0025032, which, for instance, may be implemented as the SUSPEND-TECH™ liner found in the BAUER™ RE-AKT™ and RE-AKT 100™ helmets made available by Bauer Hockey, Inc. The comfort pads  64   1 - 64   K  may assist in absorption of energy from impacts, in particular, low-energy impacts. 
     The absorption pads  36   1 - 36   N  are configured to move relative to one another in response to an impact on the helmet  10 . This may enhance protection. Notably, in response to a rotational impact on the helmet  10 , the pads  36   1 - 36   N  can move relative to one another, thus absorbing rotational energy from the rotational impact and reducing angular acceleration of the wearer&#39;s head  11 . 
     In this embodiment, the inner padding  15  comprises a frame  60  carrying the pads  36   1 - 36   N  and configured to allow the pads  36   1 - 36   N  to move relative to one another in response to an impact on the helmet  10 . In particular, in this embodiment, the frame  60  is disposed between the outer shell  12  and the pads  36   1 - 36   N . More particularly, in this embodiment, the frame  60  comprises a plurality of frame members  63   1 - 63   F  carrying respective ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  and configured to move relative to one another in response to an impact on the helmet  10 . More specifically, in this embodiment, the frame members  63   1 - 63   F  are arranged into a network and respective ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  are attached at nodes  46   1 - 46   G  of the network. The plurality of frame members  63   1 - 63   F  comprises a plurality of pad supports  46   1 - 46   G  to which the respective ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  are attached and a plurality of links  47   1 - 47   H  interconnecting the pad supports  46   1 - 46   G . In other words, in this embodiment, each of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  is separately attached to the frame  60  at a respective one of multiple attachment points. In this example of implementation, each of the links  47   1 - 47   H  is elongated. In this case, given ones of the links  47   1 - 47   H  are curved. In this embodiment, each of the pad supports  46   1 - 46   G  is located where respective ones of the links  47   1 - 47   H  intersect. In some cases, a given one of the pad supports  46   1 - 46   G  may be located where at least three of the links  47   1 - 47   H  intersect. Each of the pad supports  46   1 - 46   G  comprises an enlargement  51  where the respective ones of the links  46   1 - 46   G  intersect. 
     In this embodiment, the frame  60  is deformable (i.e., changeable in configuration) to allow the pads  36   1 - 36   N  to move relative to one another in response to the impact on the helmet  10 . More particularly, in this embodiment, the frame  60  comprises a material  61  that allow deformation of the frame  60 . The frame  60  may be resilient to allow the frame  60  to return to an original configuration after the frame  60  is bent, compressed, stretched or otherwise deformed into a different configuration in response to the impact on the helmet  10 . 
     For example, in some embodiments, the material  61  of the frame  60  may have an elastic modulus (i.e., Young&#39;s modulus) of no more than 150 GPa in some cases no more than 100 GPa, in some cases no more than 50 GPa, in some cases no more than 25 GPa, in some cases no more than 10 GPa, in some cases no more than 5 GPa, in some cases no more than 1 GPa, in some cases no more than 0.1 GPa, and in some cases even less. 
     For instance, in some embodiments, the material  61  of the frame  60  may comprise a thermoplastic material, nylon, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamide (PA), glass or carbon reinforced polypropylene (PP), and/or any other suitable material. Examples of suitable thermoplastic materials include rubber, high density VN foam, high density PE foam. 
     In this embodiment, the frame  60  is thinner than a given one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N . For example, in some embodiments, a ratio of a thickness of the frame  60  over a thickness of the given one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may be no more than 0.5, in some cases no more than 0.3, in some cases no more than 0.1, and in some cases even less. 
     The thickness of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may be constant or vary. For instance, the thickness of a given one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may be constant or variable and/or the thickness of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may be constant or variable over multiple ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N . In particular, in some embodiments, the thickness of a first one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may be different from and the thickness of a second one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N . 
     The frame  60  may be mounted within the helmet  10  in any suitable way. In this embodiment, the frame  60  is connected to the outer shell  12 . For instance, in this embodiment, the frame  60  includes a plurality of connectors  73   1 - 73   p  for connecting the frame  60  to the outer shell  12 . In this example, the connectors  73   1 - 73   p  include apertures in the frame  60  which receive fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts, etc.) to connect the frame  60  to the outer shell  12 . In other examples, the connectors  73   1 - 73   p  may comprise projections of the frame  60  that are received in openings of the outer shell  12 . 
     In this embodiment, the frame  60  is connected to a remainder of the helmet  10  in a lower edge region  14  of the helmet  10 . The frame  60  may be unconnected to the remainder of the helmet  10  over a substantial part of a height H f  of the frame  60 . For instance, in some examples of implementation, the frame  60  may be unconnected to the remainder of the helmet  10  from an apex  55  of the frame  60  downwardly for at least one-quarter of the height H f  of the frame  60 , in some cases for at least one-third of the height H f  of the frame  60 , and in some cases for at least half of the height H f  of the frame  60 . In some embodiments, the frame  60  may connected to the remainder of the helmet  10  only in a bottom third of the height H f  of the frame  60 , in some cases only in a bottom quarter of the height H f  of the frame  60 , and in some cases only in a bottom fifth of the height H f  of the frame  60 . 
     Different ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  are movable relative to one another in respect to an impact. In this embodiment, a given one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  is omnidirectionally movable (i.e., is movable in any direction) relative to another one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  in response to an impact. 
     A range of motion of a first one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  relative to a second one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  in response to the impact on the helmet  10  may be characterized in any suitable way in various embodiments. 
     For example, in some embodiments, the range of motion of the first one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  relative to the second one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  in response to the impact on the helmet  10  may correspond to at least 1% of the length L of the helmet  10 , in some cases at least 3% of the length L of the helmet  10 , in some cases at least 5% of the length L of the helmet  10 , and in some cases even more. As another example, in some embodiments, the range of motion of the first one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  relative to the second one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  in response to the impact on the helmet  10  may correspond to at least 0.5% of the width W of the helmet  10 , in some cases at least 1.5% of the width W of the helmet  10 , in some cases at least 3% of the width W of the helmet  10 , and in some cases even more. 
     For instance, in some embodiments, the range of motion of the first one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  relative to the second one of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  in response to the impact on the helmet  10  may be at least 2.5 mm, in some cases at least 5 mm, in some cases at least 10 mm, and in some cases even more. 
     Resistance to deformation of the material  61  of the frame  60  and the geometry of the frame  60  may establish the limit of the displacement of the pads  36   1 - 36   N . 
     In this embodiment, the inner padding  15  comprises a filler  58  disposed between the frame  60  and the inner surface  17  of the outer shell  12 . More particularly, in this embodiment, the filler  58  comprises a plurality of filling pads  59   1 - 59   L  adjacent to one another. As such, the filler  58  may have a variable thickness to create a homogeneous interface with the inner surface  17  of the outer shell  12 . Thus, in this case, the filling pads  59   1 - 59   L  may be of variable thicknesses. In some examples of implementation, the filler  58  comprises foam. In other examples of implementation, the filler  58  may comprise any suitable material (e.g., elastomeric material or any lightweight solid material such as EPP, EPE, Expancel, VN and PE foams). The pads  36   1 - 36   N  are dimensioned to substantially cover an inner surface of the filler  58 . 
     In other embodiments, the filler  58  may be omitted. For instance, in some embodiments, the frame  60  may directly interface with the inner surface  17  of the outer shell  12  and the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may be dimensioned to substantially cover the inner surface  17  of the outer shell  12 . 
     In this example of implementation where the helmet  10  includes the adjustment mechanism  40  to adjust the fit of the helmet  10  on the wearer&#39;s head  11 , in some embodiments, when the adjustment mechanism  40  is operated to set a maximal size of the helmet  10 , a maximal gap G m  between adjacent ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may be no more than 10% of the length L of the helmet  10 , in some cases no more than 5% of the length L of the helmet  10 , in some cases no more than 3% of the length L of the helmet  10 , and in some cases even less. With reference to  FIG.  18 B , the maximal gap G m  between adjacent ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  can be defined as the maximum distance of gaps  66   1 - 66   M  between adjacent ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  when the adjustment mechanism  40  is operated to set the maximal size of the helmet  10 . For instance, in some embodiments, when the adjustment mechanism  40  is operated to set the maximal size of the helmet  10 , the maximal gap G m  between adjacent ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may be no more than 20 mm, in some cases no more than 10 mm, in some cases no more than 5 mm, and in some cases even less. 
     In this embodiment, the configuration of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may thus permit some displacement, in all directions, of one or more of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  in response to an impact such as a rotational impact. With reference to  FIGS.  18 A and  18 B , the frame  60  and the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may reduce the size of the maximal gap G m  between adjacent ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  when the adjustment mechanism  40  is operated to set the maximal size of the helmet  10  in comparison to conventional adjustable helmets. In particular,  FIG.  18 A  shows the helmet  10  is in a closed position, that corresponds to the minimum size of the helmet  10 , and where there are substantially no gaps between adjacent ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N ; although,  FIG.  18 A  does show some gaps  65   1 - 65   Q , these gaps  65   1 - 65   Q  are typically less than the maximal gap G m . Moreover,  FIG.  18 B  shows the helmet  10  is in an open position, that corresponds to the maximum size of the helmet  10 , and where there are gaps  66   1 - 66   M  between adjacent ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N . Conventional adjustable helmets may have weaker absorption points as opening of the conventional adjustable helmets may create gaps on the side and on the top of the helmet where there is no absorption lining or foam. In this case, with the use of the frame  60  and the pads  36   1 - 36   N , the gaps  66   1 - 66   M  are generally divided between adjacent ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  and the gaps  66   1 - 66   M  are typically less than the gaps created in conventional adjustable helmets. 
     The helmet  10 , including the frame  60  and the pads  36   1 - 36   N  that are movable relative to one another, may be implemented in any other suitable way in other embodiments. 
     For example, in other embodiments, as shown in  FIGS.  19  to  22   , the helmet  10  comprises the absorption pads  36   1 - 36   N , the frame  60  carrying the absorption pads  36   1 - 36   N , and the comfort pads  64   1 - 64   K  according to a variant. 
     In this embodiment, the plurality of frame members  63   1 - 63   F  of the frame  60  includes a front frame member  63   1  and a rear frame member  63   2 . In contrast to previous embodiments, in this example, the frame members  63   1 - 63   F  are separate pieces instead of being interconnected to form a network. Although in this embodiment the plurality of frame members  63   1 - 63   F  consists of two separate frame members  63   1    63   2 , in other embodiments the plurality of frame members  63   1 - 63   F  may be more than two member. 
     In this embodiment, the front frame member  63   1  extends in a front part of the helmet  10  and carries front ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  and the rear frame member  63   2  extends in a rear part of the helmet and carries rear ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N . That is, in this embodiment, the front frame member  63   1  carries a first set of one or more of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  and the rear frame member  63   2  carries a second set of one or more of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  where the pads in each of the first set and the second set are separate pads. In this example, each of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  is attached either to the front frame member  63   1  or to the rear frame member  63   2  but not to both of the front frame member  63   1  and to the rear frame member  63   2 . That is, each of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  is attached to a given one of the front frame member  63   1  and to the rear frame member  63   2  and is not attached to the other one of the front frame member  63   1  and the rear frame member  63   2 . Each of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may be attached to a respective one of the front frame member  63   1  and to the rear frame member  63   2  in any suitable way (e.g., by an adhesive, by a fastener such as a screw, etc.). 
     More particularly, in this embodiment, the front frame member  63   1  overlies at least part of the front region FR, the top region TR, and the left and right side regions LS, RS of the wearer&#39;s head  11 , while the rear frame member  63   2  overlies at least part of the back region BR of the wearer&#39;s head  11  when the helmet  10  is worn. Each of the front frame member  63   1  and the rear frame member  63   2  includes a plurality of openings  71   1 - 71   J . This may facilitate deformation (i.e., change in configuration) of portions  56   1 - 56   R  of each of the front frame member  63   1  and the rear frame member  63   2  defined between the openings  71   1 - 71   J  in response to an impact to allow movement of the pads  36   1 - 36   N . The frame  60 , notably the front frame member  63   1  and the rear frame member  63   2 , may be molded in foam or in pieces of flat molded thermoplastic and assembled to provide the frame  60 . 
     In this embodiment, the inner padding  15  includes a plurality of connectors  73   1 - 73   p  connecting the frame  60  to the outer shell  12 . In this embodiment, the connectors  73   1 - 73   p  are deformable (i.e., changeable in configuration) to allow the front frame member  63   1  and the rear frame member  63   2  and thus the pads  36   1 - 36   N  to move relative to one another in response to an impact on the helmet. In this case, each of the connectors  73   1 - 73   p  is elastically stretchable to allow the pads  36   1 - 36   N  to move relative to one another in response to the impact on the helmet  10 . 
     More particularly, in this embodiment, each connector  73   I  comprises a material  54  that allows deformation of the connector  73   I  in response to an impact on the helmet  10 . The connector  73   I  may be resilient to allow the connector  73   I  to return to an original configuration after the connector  73   I  is bent, compressed, stretched or otherwise deformed into a different configuration in response to the impact on the helmet  10 . 
     For example, in some embodiments, the material  54  of the connector  73   I  may have an elastic modulus (i.e., Young&#39;s modulus) of no more than 0.1 GPa, in some cases no more than 0.05 GPa, in some cases no more than 0.01 GPa, and in some cases even less. It is appreciated that the elastic module may vary depending on the range of the type of material  54  used for the connector material  73   I  in various embodiments. 
     For instance, in some embodiments, the material  54  of the connector  73   I  may be an elastomeric material which may include rubber, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) (e.g., TPE-U, TPE-S ,TPE-E, TPE-A, TPE-O, TPE-V) or any other suitable material. 
     In this embodiment, therefore, the configuration of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  permits some displacement, in all directions, of one or more of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  in response to an impact and, in particular, a rotational impact. Resistance to deformation of the material  54  of the connectors  73   1 - 73   p  may establish the limit of the displacement of the pads  36   1 - 36   N . 
     In this embodiment, the front frame member  63   1  is connected to the first shell member  22  of the outer shell  12  via respective ones of the connectors  73   1 - 73   p  and the rear frame member  63   2  is connected to the second shell member  24  of the outer shell  12  via other ones of the connectors  73   1 - 73   p . As each of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  is only attached to one of the front frame member  63   1  and the rear frame member  63   2 , when the first shell member  22  and the second shell member  24  are moved relative to one another by operating the adjustment mechanism  40 , the first set of one or more of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  which is attached to the front frame member  63   1  moves relative to the second set of one or more of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  which is attached to the rear frame member  63   2 . 
     In this embodiment, although each of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  is only attached to one of the front frame member  63   1  and the rear frame member  63   2 , select ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  attached to the front frame member  63   1  may overlap the rear frame member  63   2 . Similarly, select ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  attached to the rear frame member  63   2  may overlap the front frame member  63   1 . Such an overlapping configuration allows for the maximum gap G m  of the gaps  66   1 - 66   M  to be a suitable distance in comparison to conventional adjustable helmets. With reference to  FIGS.  21 A and  21 B , the pads  36   1 - 36   N  may reduce the size of the maximal gap of the gaps  66   1 - 66   M  between adjacent ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  when the adjustment mechanism  40  is operated to set the maximal size of the helmet  10  in comparison to conventional adjustable helmets. In particular,  FIG.  21 A  shows the helmet  10  is in the closed position, that corresponds to the minimum size of the helmet  10 , and where there are existing gaps  65   1 - 65   Q  between adjacent ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  but which are typically less than the maximal gap. Moreover,  FIG.  21    B shows the helmet  10  is in the open position, that corresponds to the maximum size of the helmet  10 , and where there are gaps  66   1 - 66   M  between adjacent ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N . 
     The combination of the frame  60 , the absorption pads  36   1 - 36   N  and the comfort pads  64   1 - 64   K  may thus assist in ensuring that protection is provided against all types of impacts, including, high-energy, low-energy, linear and rotational impacts. 
       FIGS.  23  to  25    show another embodiment of the helmet  10  that comprises the absorption pads  36   1 - 36   N , the frame  60  carrying the absorption pads  36   1 - 36   N , and the comfort pads  64   1 - 64   K  according to another variant. In this embodiment, given ones of the pads  36   1 - 36   N  are configured to move relative to one another in response to an impact on the helmet, by virtue of movement of the front frame member  63   1  and the rear frame member  63   2 . The front frame member  63   1  is connected to the outer shell  12  by respective ones of the connectors  73   1 - 73   p . The rear frame member  63   2  is connected to the outer shell  12  by fastening hardware. In examples of implementation, the rear frame member  63   2  has holes for receiving the fastening hardware (e.g., screws, bolts, etc.). In this embodiment, the frame  63  is thin and is deformable in response to the impact and the connectors  73   1 - 73   p  are thin but are not deformable or less deformable than the frame  63 . As shown, the front frame member  63   1  includes openings  71   1 - 71   J , (e.g. slots) which facilitate deformability of the front frame member  63   1 . Also, the material  61  of the front frame member  63   1  facilitates deformability of the front frame member  63   1 . In this embodiment, the inner padding  15  comprises a plurality of absorbing pads  90   1-C  that are fixed to the outside of the frame  63  and are not fixed directly to the outer shell  12 . As the pads  90   1-C  are not fixed to outer shell  12 , the pads  90   1-C  are moveable in respect to the outer shell  12  in response to the impact. 
     Any feature of any embodiment discussed herein may be combined with any feature of any other embodiment discussed herein in some examples of implementation. 
     Although in embodiments considered above the helmet  10  is a hockey helmet for protecting the head of a hockey player, in other embodiments, a helmet constructed using principles described herein in respect of the helmet  10  may be another type of sport helmet. For instance, a helmet constructed using principles described herein in respect of the helmet  10  may be for protecting the head of a player of another type of contact sport (sometimes referred to as “full-contact sport” or “collision sport”) in which there are significant impact forces on the player due to player-to-player and/or player-to-object contact. For example, in one embodiment, a helmet constructed using principles described herein in respect of the helmet  10  may be a lacrosse helmet for protecting the head of a lacrosse player. As another example, in one embodiment, a helmet constructed using principles described herein in respect of the helmet  10  may be a football helmet for protecting the head of a football player. As another example, in one embodiment, a helmet constructed using principles described herein in respect of the helmet  10  may be a baseball helmet for protecting the head of a baseball player (e.g., a batter or catcher). Furthermore, a helmet constructed using principles described herein in respect of the helmet  10  may be for protecting the head of a wearer involved in a sport other than a contact sport (e.g., bicycling, skiing, snowboarding, horseback riding or another equestrian activity, etc.). 
     Also, while in the embodiments considered above the helmet  10  is a sport helmet, a helmet constructed using principles described herein in respect of the helmet  10  may be used in an activity other than sport in which protection against head injury is desired. For example, in one embodiment, a helmet constructed using principles described herein in respect of the helmet  10  may be a motorcycle helmet for protecting the head of a wearer riding a motorcycle. As another example, in one embodiment, a helmet constructed using principles described herein in respect of the helmet  10  may be a industrial or military helmet for protecting the head of a wearer in an industrial or military application. 
     Although various embodiments and examples have been presented, this was for the purpose of describing, but not limiting, the invention. Various modifications and enhancements will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and are within the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.