Device for reducing head and neck injury for helmet wearer

• US 9,700,094 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scott W. Nagely,
• Original Assignee: Scott W. Nagely,
• Inventors: Kovacevich, Ian D., Nagely, Scott W.
• Primary Examiner(s): MORAN, KATHERINE M
• Application Number:
  US15/340,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20170035138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 252 Days
• Field of Search: 2468, 2459, 2461, 602 5, 602 18, 602 19
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0512 Neck or shoulders area
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0531 Spine
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2400/70 Removability
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/0473 Neck restraints

Abstract

A motion restrictor device is operable to be worn with a protective helmet to reduce the risk of head or spine injury caused by injurious movement of the helmet. The device includes a helmet-engaging component supported on a harness. The component presents helmet-engagement surfaces positioned on opposite sides of the neck of the user. The component is operable to yieldably bias each of the helmet-engagement surfaces toward the helmet when the device is worn, such that contact with the helmet is maintained as the helmet-engagement surface shifts through a range of motion. The device also includes a brake assembly that restricts shifting of at least one of the helmet-engagement surfaces in response to injurious movement of the helmet.

Claims

1. A motion restrictor device to be worn with a protective helmet so as to reduce the risk of head or spine injury caused by injurious movement of the helmet, said motion restrictor device comprising:

a harness wearable by a user of the helmet,

said harness presenting a central neck opening which receives the neck of the user when the harness is worn,

said harness presenting laterally spaced apart shoulder-engagement sections that extend in a fore-and-aft direction along opposite sides of the neck opening, with each shoulder-engagement section being configured for placement on top of a respective shoulder of the user when the harness is worn,

said neck opening extending in the fore-and-aft direction to present opposite fore and aft neck opening ends;

a helmet-engaging component including a pair of swingable helmet-engaging levers pivotally mounted relative to the harness at a pivot located closer to a first one of the neck opening ends than a second one of the neck opening ends,

said helmet-engaging levers presenting corresponding laterally spaced apart, fore-and-aft extending helmet-engagement surfaces, wherein the surfaces are adapted to engage the helmet when the harness is worn,

said levers extending in the fore-and-aft direction from the pivot toward the second one of the neck opening ends, such that the helmet-engagement surfaces are positioned over the shoulder-engagement sections on opposite sides of the neck of the user when the harness is worn,

each of said helmet-engagement surfaces being configured to shift along a range of motion while in slidable contact with the helmet as the helmet moves; and

a brake assembly operable to restrict shifting of at least one of the helmet-engagement surfaces in response to injurious movement of the helmet.

2. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 1,

said pivot being located adjacent the aft neck opening end, with the helmet-engaging levers extending forwardly to position the helmet-engagement surfaces over the shoulder-engagement sections.

3. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 2,

said levers extending forwardly beyond the shoulder sections.

4. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 2,

each of said helmet-engaging levers being detached from each other so that the helmet-engagement surfaces are shiftable independently of one another.

5. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 4,

said helmet-engaging component including a pair of pivots coupled to the harness, with the pair of pivots including the first-mentioned pivot.

6. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 5,

each of said levers presenting a main body portion extending forwardly from a respective one of the pivots to define the corresponding one of the helmet-engagement surfaces,

each of said levers including a stop-arm portion extending rearwardly from the respective one of the pivots,

each of said stop-arm portions being configured to contact the harness and thereby limit swinging of the lever.

7. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 6,

said main body portion swinging generally up and down to define the range of motion of the corresponding one of the helmet-engagement surfaces, with contact between the stop-arm portion and the harness serving to limit upward swinging of the main body portion.

8. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 6,

at least part of each of said levers swinging generally up and down to define the range of motion of the corresponding one of the helmet-engagement surfaces,

said helmet-engaging component including a biasing member coupled to the levers to yieldably bias the helmet-engagement surfaces upwardly.

9. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 8,

said biasing member including a pair of resilient bands, each of which is coupled between the harness and a corresponding one of the stop arm portions to resiliently stretch as the helmet-engagement surface shifts downwardly along the range of motion.

10. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 1,

said helmet-engaging component being operable to yieldably bias each of the helmet-engagement surfaces toward the helmet when the device is worn, such that contact with the helmet is maintained as the helmet-engagement surfaces shift through the range of motion.

11. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 10,

at least part of each of said levers swinging generally up and down to define the range of motion of the corresponding one of the helmet-engagement surfaces,

said helmet-engaging component including a biasing member coupled to the levers to yieldably bias the helmet-engagement surfaces upwardly.

12. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 11,

said biasing member including a pair of resilient bands, each of which is coupled between the harness and a corresponding one of the levers to resiliently stretch as the helmet-engagement surface shifts downwardly along the range of motion.

13. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 12,

each of said helmet-engaging levers being detached from each other so that the helmet-engagement surfaces are biased independently of one another by the bands.

14. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 10,

each of said helmet-engaging levers being shiftable against the yieldable bias into a stored position,

said harness including a releasable latch operable to removably secure each of the helmet-engaging levers in the stored position.

15. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 14,

said releasable latch including a pair of spring-engaged latch members, each of which releasably intercouples with the helmet-engaging component when a corresponding one of the helmet-engaging levers is in the stored position.

16. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 14,

each of said helmet-engaging levers shifting generally up and down along the range of motion,

said stored position being adjacent a lowermost limit of the range of motion.

17. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 1,

said helmet-engagement surfaces being configured to slidably contact the helmet,

each of said helmet-engagement surfaces including a low friction coating to facilitate sliding thereof relative to the helmet.

18. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 1,

each of said helmet-engagement surfaces being defined by fore-and-aft walls,

said walls including an upstanding wall and a lateral wall that projects inwardly from the upstanding wall.

19. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 18,

said lateral wall presenting a laterally innermost edge,

said fore-and-aft walls including a neck-engaging wall depending from the laterally innermost edge.

20. The motion restrictor device as claimed in claim 1,

said harness including a back panel dimensioned and configured to be placed against the back of the user,

said shoulder-engagement sections comprising a pair of shoulder plates, each of which projects forwardly from the back panel for placement on top of a corresponding one of the shoulders of the user.