Head protective insert technology for significantly reducing subconcussive level impacts to protective headgear used in contact and collision sports

Abstract

Head protective inserts are designed to be removably fitted within helmets such as, but not limited to, bicycle helmets, ski helmets, equestrian helmets, lacrosse helmets and football helmets. The inserts include an impact absorbing material formed of one or more polymeric materials having full elastic memory and, in some embodiments, may further include a thin polycarbonate outer layer adhered to the inner surface of the helmet. When fitted within a helmet, the inserts provide a significant increase in absorption and dissipation of impact forces beyond those forces absorbed by the structure and design of the helmet, without the need to change the size of the helmet. The inserts also provide increased comfort to the wearer and, in at least some embodiments, absorb and dissipate perspiration.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]This non-provisional patent application is based on provisional patent application Ser. No. 62 / 292,601 filed Feb. 8, 2016.DISCUSSION OF THE RELATED ART[0002]Safety helmets are intended to protect a wearer's head from forces of impact that may result if the wearer falls and strikes their head on the ground or if an object or part of a body (e.g., another person's head, knee or elbow) hits the wearer in the head. While safety helmets can reduce the amount of impact to a wearer's head, they are generally not designed to significantly absorb and dissipate low impact forces to the head and, in many instances, do not protect against brain injury resulting from the remaining low impact forces to the head and brain that remain after most of the high impact forces are absorbed and dissipated. For example, present designs of bicycle helmets have a thin plastic hard outer shell (e.g., ABS or polycarbonate) that covers a crushable material, such as expanded poly...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]Considering the forgoing, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide protective inserts that are adapted to be fitted within a helmet such as, but not limited to, a bicycle helmet, ski helmet, equestrian helmet, lacrosse helmet, and football helmet, and wherein the protective headgear absorbs and dissipates a significant amount of impact forces beyond those forces absorbed by the helmet, while significantly reducing remaining impact forces to the brain.

[0007]It is a further object of the present invention to provide protective inserts that are designed to be fitted within a bicycle helmet that is formed of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, and wherein the protective inserts allow the EPS foam to crush into the protective headgear first, before reaching the wearer's brain, while significantly enhancing the absorption and dissipation of impact forces, and significantly reducing impact forces to the wearer's brain.

[0008]It is a further object of the present invention to provide protective inserts that are designed to be mechanically and removeably fitted within a bicycle helmet, and wherein the protective inserts include one or m

Problems solved by technology

While safety helmets can reduce the amount of impact to a wearer's head, they are generally not designed to significantly absorb and dissipate low impact forces to the head and, in many instances, do not protect against brain injury resulting from the remaining low impact forces to the head and brain that remain after most of the high impact forces are absorbed and dissipated.

Existing bicycle helmets of this design do not protect against low level impact forces and only provide minimal protection against high level impact forces to the extent necessary to satisfy current requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other voluntary standards.

The EPP, ABS, EPS, polycarbonate and combinations of EPS/polyurethane polymer materials used in existing bicycle helmets, as well as other protective helmets do not address the problem of protecting against low impacts that can easily cause subconcussive brain injuries that are asymptomatic and cumulative.

While some bicycle helmets have

Images