MULTI-LAYER HELMET AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME

• US 20150157083A1
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Sports Incorporated (Easton-Bell Sports Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bell Sports Incorporated (Easton-Bell Sports Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lowe, Michael W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,362,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/064 with relative movement between layers
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/128 with zones of different density

Abstract

A protective helmet can include an outer shell and a multi-layer liner disposed within the outer shell and sized for receiving a wearer'"'"'s head. The multi-layer liner can include and inner-layer, a middle-layer, and an outer-layer. The inner-layer can include an inner surface oriented towards an inner area of a helmet for receiving a wearer'"'"'s head. The inner-layer can comprise a mid-energy management material with a density in a range of 40-70 g/L. The middle-layer can be disposed adjacent an outer surface of the inner-layer, wherein the middle-layer comprises a low-energy management material with a density in a range of 10-20 g/L. The outer-layer can be disposed adjacent an outer surface of the middle-layer, the outer-layer comprising an outer surface oriented towards the outer shell, wherein the outer-layer comprises a high-energy management material with a density in a range of 20-50 grams g/L.

Claims

1. A protective helmet comprising:

an outer shell; and

a multi-layer liner disposed within the outer shell and sized for receiving a wearer'"'"'s head, the multi-layer liner comprising;

an inner-layer comprising an inner surface oriented towards an inner area of a helmet for a wearer'"'"'s head, wherein the inner-layer comprises a mid-energy management material with a density in a range of 40-70 g/L,

a middle-layer disposed adjacent an outer surface of the inner-layer, wherein the middle-layer comprises a low-energy management material with a density in a range of 10-20 g/L, and

an outer-layer disposed adjacent an outer surface of the middle-layer, the outer-layer comprising an outer surface oriented towards the outer shell, wherein the outer-layer comprises a high-energy management material with a density in a range of 20-50 g/L.

2. The protective helmet of claim 1, wherein the middle-layer comprises a thickness in a range of 5-7 millimeters (mm) and is coupled to the inner-layer and the outer-layer without adhesive to facilitate relative movement among the inner-layer, the middle-layer, and the outer-layer.

3. The protective helmet of claim 2, wherein a total thickness the multi-layer liner is less than or equal to 48 mm.

4. The protective helmet of claim 1, wherein:

the protective helmet comprises a powersports helmet; and

the outer shell comprises a rigid layer of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS).

5. The protective helmet of claim 1, wherein:

the protective helmet comprises a cycling helmet; and

the outer shell comprises a stamped, thermoformed, or injection molded polycarbonate shell.

6. The protective helmet of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the multi-layer liner is a flexible liner segmented to provide spaces or gaps between portions of the multi-layer liner.

7. The protective helmet of claim 1, wherein the multi-layer liner further comprises:

a top portion configured to be aligned over a top of the wearer'"'"'s head; and

wherein the top portion of the multi-layer liner is formed without the middle-layer disposed between the inner-layer and the outer-layer.

8. A protective helmet comprising:

a multi-layer liner comprising a thickness less than or equal to 48 millimeters (mm), the multi-layer liner further comprising;

an inner-layer comprising an inner surface oriented towards an inner area of a helmet for a wearer'"'"'s head, wherein the inner-layer comprises a mid-energy management material;

a middle-layer disposed adjacent an outer surface of the inner-layer, wherein the middle-layer comprises a low-energy management material comprising a thickness in a range of 5-7 mm; and

an outer-layer disposed adjacent an outer surface of the middle-layer, wherein the outer-layer comprises a high-energy management material.

9. The protective helmet of claim 8, wherein:

the low-energy management material comprises a density in a range of 10-20 g/L; and

the high-energy management material comprises a density in a range of 20-50 g/L.

10. The protective helmet of claim 8, wherein the multi-layer liner provides boundary conditions at interfaces between layers of the multi-layer liner to deflect energy and manage energy dissipation for low-energy, mid-energy, and high-energy impacts.

11. The protective helmet of claim 8, wherein a topography of the inner liner layer is custom fitted to match a topography of the wearer'"'"'s head so that a gap between the wearer'"'"'s head and the multi-layer liner of the helmet is reduced or eliminated.

12. The protective helmet of claim 8, wherein the mid-energy management material comprises expanded polystyrene (EPS) or expanded polyolefin (EPO) with a density of 20-40 g/L, or expanded polypropylene (EPP) with a density of 30-50 g/L.

13. The protective helmet of claim 8, wherein the middle-layer is mechanically coupled to the inner-layer and the outer-layer to allow for relative movement among the middle-layer, inner-layer, and outer-layer.

14. The protective helmet of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the multi-layer liner comprises a segmented flexible liner comprising spaces or gaps between portions of the multi-layer liner.

15. A protective helmet comprising:

a multi-layer liner comprising;

a high-energy management material comprising a density in a range of 20-50 g/L,

a mid-energy management material comprising a density in a range of 40-70 g/L, and

a low-energy management material comprising a density in a range of 10-20 g/L.

16. The protective helmet of claim 15, wherein the multi-layer liner further comprises:

the high-energy management material comprises expanded polystyrene (EPS) and is formed as an outer layer of the multi-layer liner;

the mid-energy management material comprises expanded polypropylene (EPP) and is formed as a middle-layer of the multi-layer liner; and

the low-energy management material comprises expanded polyolefin (EPO) and is formed as a inner-layer of the multi-layer liner.

17. The protective helmet of claim 15, further comprising a mid-energy management material selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyurethane, D3O, poron, an air bladder, and h3lium.

18. The protective helmet of claim 16, further comprising at least one padding snap coupled to the multi-layer liner to facilitate relative movement between the high-energy management material, the low-energy management material, and the a mid-energy management material.

19. The protective helmet of claim 15, wherein the protective helmet comprises a powersports helmet further comprising a rigid outer shell.

20. The protective helmet of claim 15, wherein the protective helmet comprises a cycling helmet further comprising an outer shell formed of a stamped, thermoformed, or injection molded polycarbonate shell.