Apparatus and method for measuring and recording data from violent events

• US 8,316,691 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Med-Eng, LLC (Cadre Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Allen-Vanguard Corporation (Contego AV Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Jeftic-Stojanovski, Gordana, Chin, Lock-Sui, Levine, Jeffrey, Dionne, Jean-Philippe, Wong, Doug, Makris, Aristidis
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Application Number:
  US13/160,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20110290018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 73 1204- 1214
• US Class Current: 73/12.04
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/046 Means for detecting hazards or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 1/04 Protection helmets crash helmets A42B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0092 Pressure sensor associated with other sensors, e.g. for measuring acceleration or temperature G01L9/025, G01L9/045, G01L9/065, G01L9/085, G01L9/105, G01L9/125, G01L19/02, G01L19/04 take precedence; measuring two or more variable G01D21/02; temperature sensors with pressure compensation G01K1/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/083 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0052 measuring forces due to impact G01L5/0061, G01L5/14 take precedence; impact testing of structures G01M7/08; impact testing of material G01N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/127 for acceleration values
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An apparatus for mounting to a head protector including a housing having a plurality of parts each defining a portion of the housing, one or more components to be accommodated in the housing, and one or more apertures in the housing for introducing a compound for securing the one or more components in the housing, a protrusion on the exterior surface of the housing for abutting against the exterior surface of the head protector, and a sensor and a coupling for mechanically coupling the sensor to the protrusion to minimize relative movement between the head protector and the sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus for mounting to a head protector including a housing comprising a plurality of parts each defining a portion of said housing, one or more components to be accommodated in said housing, and one or more apertures in said housing for introducing a compound for securing said one or more components in said housing;

a protrusion on the exterior surface of said housing for abutting against the exterior surface of the head protector; and

,

a sensor and a coupling for mechanically coupling said sensor to said protrusion to minimize relative movement between the head protector and said sensor.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing has a front and a back, and said component is mounted between said front and said back with a space between said component and each of said front and said back for receiving said compound.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, comprising a first aperture in communication with a first space between said component and said front of said housing and a second aperture in direct communication with a second space between said component and the back of said housing.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more of said parts of said housing includes mounting means for mounting the housing to said head protector.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising means at least partially defining a second housing to be accommodated within said housing for providing a space which is at least partially isolated from the space within the housing.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said further housing is for accommodating an interface for enabling communication with one or more components in said housing.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor to be mounted in said housing, and wherein said housing comprises an aperture for exposing said pressure sensor to a pressure external of said housing.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a substrate for securing to at least one of said parts of said housing and support means secured to said substrate for supporting said pressure sensor.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises an electrically conductive material, for example, a metal or metallic material.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a port formed in said housing to enable connection between an interface of said apparatus and an external device.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising an enclosure for closing said port.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising tether or retaining means for retaining said closure to said apparatus when said closure is removed to open said port.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said tether means includes a seal for sealing said closure to said housing/port.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said mounting urges said sensor against said protrusion.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said sensor comprises an acceleration sensor.