Impact Mitigation Fit Pods

Abstract

The protective helmet, the fit pod assemblies and the respective components relates to methods, devices, and systems for improved helmet systems to enhance athletic performance by dispersing impact forces and / or improving helmet comfort and / or fit through size customization and / or conforming to contours of a wearer's head. If desired, the various fit pod assemblies can include modular features to provide a semi-custom and / or customized feel for plug and play assembly and / or retrofitting a commercially available helmet and / or other item of protective clothing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of Patent Cooperation Treaty Application Serial No. PCT / US2019 / 036092, entitled “Impact Mitigation Fit Pods,” filed Jun. 7, 2019 which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. Ser. No. 62 / 682,102 entitled “Impact Mitigation Pods,” filed Jun. 7, 2018, U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. Ser. No. 62 / 748,309 entitled “Impact Mitigation Pods,” filed Oct. 19, 2018 and U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. Ser. No. 62 / 810,211 entitled “Impact Mitigation Pods,” filed Feb. 25, 2019, which all the disclosures are incorporated by reference herein in its entireties.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates to methods, devices, and systems for improved helmet systems with fit pods and / or improved comfort liners to enhance athletic performance by reducing acceleration, dispersing impact forces and / or improving helmet comfort and / or fit. If desired, the various improved helmet comfort liner components can include mo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes an improved protective helmet system and methods for sizing and fitting helmets and other protective apparel. The system includes a helmet and modular fit pods that can be positioned around the wearer's head to enhance fit and comfort. The fit pods can be removably coupled to the inner layer of the helmet and can be designed to absorb energy, reduce angular motion, and enhance impact protection. The system also includes a comfort liner and elastomeric support mechanism to provide better fit and comfort. The technical effects of this system include improved protection against high-level impacts and increased comfort and fit for a variety of wearers.

Problems solved by technology

A helmet that does not fit and / or is uncomfortable to wear is often not worn, resulting in the absence of the helmet when it is needed for protection.

Current helmet manufacturers often provide sub-optimal methods for sizing and / or fitting of a helmet because current fitting / sizing methods are generally ineffective in accommodating the unique shape and size of every wearer's head, resulting in an inaccurate sizing and / or shaping of the helmet and / or impact structures for the wearer.

Inaccurate sizing or shaping of the helmet supports can allow undesirable movement between the wearer's head and the helmet structures, as well as increased pressure of the helmet on regions of the wearer's head (i.e., “hot spots”), and such helmets may not effectively protect the wearer's head from trauma and the effects of intense physical contact and may perform improperly to absorb and / or significantly ameliorate impacts.

For example, a helmet that is too large for a wearer's head can allow the user's head to move within the helmet, allowing the user's head to contact sides of the helmet in an undesirable manner during impact.

In a similar manner, a helmet that is too small for the wearer's head may be uncomfortable or painful for the wearer to wear.

Furthermore, the use of outdated impact mitigation technologies and / or comfort liners may, in certain instances, greatly reduce the effectiveness of the helmet system and potentially lead to increased incidence and / or severity of injuries.

Unfortunately, inflatable liners and related technology often function sub-optimally, in that the inflatable cells are prone to leakage, damage and are highly sensitive to environmental temperatures (i.e., they commonly increase or decrease in size due to temperature fluctuations and / or air pressure changes).

In addition, inflatable cells often suffer from a lack of uniform inflation, where some portions of the inflatable comfort liner may be over-inflated and other portions under-inflated; and the distribution of inflatable cells may not be uniform and / or may cause a tilting effect (i.e., inflatable jaw pads or side pads) or a “lift effect” (with an inflatable crown pad) on the helmet.

Such negative characteristics of the inflatable comfort liners can adversely affect the fit of the helmet and reduce or eliminate any protection the helmet presumes to provide.

Rotational motion and / or acceleration may cause TBI's that results from interrupting the speed of the body relative to the head, which the unrestricted movement of the head occurs out of synchrony with the movement of the neck, torso, and / or lower limbs of the body.

Unfortunately, current helmet designs to not adequately protect the head from TBI's due to oblique, tangential and / or rotational acceleration.

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