Compressive force adaptive headwear and method

Abstract

A body-worn device (40) for accommodating compressive forces on a wearer's head. The device may include a rigid bracket (42) spanning the head (10) in a substantially brim orientation. The bracket may include a pair of extension arms (44a, 44b) extending laterally and rearward away from the temple. The rear tensioning members (51, 52) place the free ends (45b, 46b) of the arms under lateral inward compression forces resisted by the rigidity of the stent, thereby avoiding compression of the temple areas of the head, thereby increasing comfort.

Description

[0001] Existing application

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63426776, filed on November 20, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to body-worn supports, and more particularly to a load-bearing headgear. Background Art

[0004] Many types of headgear have been developed to accommodate forces applied to the head. For example, helmets have been used for centuries to protect the wearer's head from injuries caused by impacts from (large and small) foreign objects.

[0005] Now referring to the drawings, in Figure 1 it is shown that the human head 16 can be substantially bisected by three mutually orthogonal planes. The sagittal plane SP divides the head vertically into a left lateral half and a right lateral half. The coronal plane CP divides the head vertically into a front portion and a rear portion substantially. The transverse plane TP divides the head horizontally into a top and a bottom substantially. Because the head is asymmetric with respect to the coronal plane or the transverse plane, the term "substantially" is used. In the present specification, the sagittal plane, the coronal plane, and the transverse plane intersect the centroid or the center of volume of the head. These planes will help to define the functions of the headgear.

[0006] Figures 2 to 3 It is shown that a typical prior art headgear 20 can be mounted to a user's head 10. The headgear can include a flexible or semi-rigid headband 22 that substantially surrounds the head within the transverse plane TP and a flexible or semi-rigid vertical retention band 23 that extends across the top of the head substantially within or parallel to the coronal plane CP. The headgear can typically use a flexible headband to allow for fine-tuning of the user's head, thereby enhancing fit and comfort. The headgear can be used to support an attachment 21, such as a headlamp that projects forward from the front of the headgear. Such an attachment can be supported in a cantilevered manner such that the weight W of the attachment creates a moment at the point of attachment to the headband under the influence of gravity. This moment is typically strong enough to cause the attachment to pitch downwardly from its original position 24. Accordingly, the rigid interface structure 25 between the attachment and the headband can be driven to pitch downwardly against the lower contact point 26, where the forehead experiences discomfort.

[0007] As mainly in Figure 3As shown, the downward pitch deflection of attachment 21 will tend to cause the top edge 27 of headband 22 to peel forward 28 away from the user's head 10, typically creating a gap 29 between the head and the top edge. Greater tension on the top edge of the headband may cause the headband to squeeze uncomfortably inward 19a, 19b on the temples. During stress-related headaches, constant pressure on the temples typically causes greater discomfort.

[0008] U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 17737881 to Malcolm et al. describes a headgear for attaching the head to a body-worn device designed to support the head and neck against excessive fatigue during repetitive long-duration activities such as the work of an assembly line worker. The device uses adjustable cables to connect the headgear to a variable stiffness semi-rigid support member fixed to the user's back. Tension on the cables may cause the headband to deflect inward, creating uncomfortable pressure points against the skull.

[0009] Composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced polymers have long been used to produce structural elements due to their low weight and high stiffness / strength for bending moments along the elliptical fiber orientation. U.S. Patent No. 10315745 to Malcolm describes orienting multiple fiber layers to adjust the longitudinal and rotational stiffness in different regions of a composite member.

[0010] Accordingly, there is a need for a device that addresses one or more of the above deficiencies. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The primary and secondary objects of the present invention are to provide an improved compression force adaptable headgear device. These and other objects can be achieved by a rigid arcuate front bracket including cantilevered support arms that resist lateral compression forces.

[0012] In some embodiments, a combination of a headgear and a substantially static support member connected to the headgear by a straddle cable is provided.

[0013] In some embodiments, a device for wearing on a user's head is provided, the device including: a rigid arcuate bracket configured to span the wearer's head; wherein the bracket includes: a forehead portion fixedly attached to the front portion of the user's head in front; a pair of arms cantileveredly connected to opposite two lateral extensions of the forehead portion; wherein each of the support arms includes: a free end laterally spaced from the head by a certain distance; a first flexible tension member including: a first end connected to a first one of the arms; a second end connected to a second one of the arms; and an inner section oriented to abut against the back of the user's head.

[0014] In some embodiments, the distance is between 5.0 and 30 mm.

[0015] In some embodiments, when the device is worn, the free end of each of the support arms is located behind a coronal plane that substantially bisects the user's head.

[0016] In some embodiments, the bracket is under mechanical elastic strain, wherein the strain amount causes the lateral gap between the free ends to be reduced to less than 5% of the unloaded gap.

[0017] In some embodiments, the device further comprises: a first rigid guiding bracket rotatably mounted to a first support arm of the support arms.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first flexible tension member comprises: a plurality of positioning strips.

[0019] In some embodiments, the strips include transverse strips and coronal strips.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first end of the first tension member is spaced from the head by a lateral distance.

[0021] In some embodiments, the free ends are positioned to be at an angle of at least 185 degrees with respect to each other as measured along the bracket about a central axis of the head to which the bracket is fixed.

[0022] In some embodiments, there is provided a device comprising: a headgear including: a rigid front oval bow bracket that laterally spans the forehead; the bracket comprising: a pair of rigid support arms projecting rearward; a flexible rear tension member having a first opposite end and a second opposite end; and wherein the opposite ends are connected to the arms.

[0023] In some embodiments, each of the arms includes a rear free end; and wherein the tension member is under tension, thereby causing a lateral inward deflection of the free ends.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first support arm of the support arms includes a free end spaced from the head by a lateral distance.

[0025] In some embodiments, the lateral distance is between 5.0 and 30 mm.

[0026] In some embodiments, the headgear further comprises: a first oval bracket including: movably connected to a first end of the first support arm.

[0027] In some embodiments, the first oval bracket is pivotally connected to the first support arm.

[0028] In some embodiments, a first opposite end of the opposite ends of the tension member is wound around a spool rotatably mounted to the bracket.

[0029] In some embodiments, a method for enhancing the comfort of a headgear is provided, the method comprising: selecting a headgear including a rigid arcuate bracket having a pair of substantially rigid support arms that straddle the user's head and extend laterally and rearwardly in an overhanging manner beyond the user's temples to form a pair of free ends; attaching a tension member to the free ends; applying a tension load to the tension member; and deflecting the free ends towards each other while avoiding contact of the arms with the head.

[0030] The original text of the original claim is incorporated herein by reference as the described features in some embodiments. Description of the Drawings

[0031] Figure 1 is a prior art schematic perspective view of a human head and the mutually orthogonal reference planes defined thereby.

[0032] Figure 2 is a prior art schematic side view of a headgear mounted on a human head.

[0033] Figure 3 is a prior art schematic cross-sectional top view of a headgear mounted on a human head.

[0034] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a person wearing a compression force adaptive headgear according to an alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 5 is a prior art schematic cross-sectional top view of a compression force adaptive headgear.

[0036] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional top view of a compression force adaptive headgear subjected to strain due to a lateral compression load.

[0037] Figure 7 is a schematic side view of a compression force adaptive headgear mounted on a human head that provides greater resistance to pitching motion due to a vertical load.

[0038] Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of a person wearing a compression force adaptive headgear attached to a head and neck support device according to an alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 9 is Figure 8 a schematic cross-sectional top view of a compression force adaptive headgear.

[0040] Figure 10 is a flow chart of a method for using a compression force adaptive headgear according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In this specification, references to top, bottom, up, down, upper, lower, vertical, horizontal, lateral, side, rear, front, proximal, distal, etc. may be used to provide a clear frame of reference for various structures relative to other structures that are typically oriented in the referenced drawings. When the frame of reference changes, such as when the device is inverted, shown on its side, or disassembled, these references should not be considered absolute.

[0042] If used in this specification, the term "substantially" may be used relative to manufacturing imprecision and inaccuracy, which may result in asymmetries and other imprecisions in the shape, size, orientation, and positioning of various structures. Additionally, the use of "substantially" in relation to certain geometries and orientations (such as "parallel" and "perpendicular") may be given as a guide to generally describe the functionality of various structures and to allow for slight deviations from exact mathematical geometries (such as cylinders, ellipses, disks, and cones) and their orientations while providing sufficiently similar functionality. Those skilled in the art will readily understand the degree to which deviations from mathematically exact geometric references can be made.

[0043] If used in this specification, the word "axial" refers to a direction, movement, or force that acts substantially parallel to or along a corresponding axis, rather than a rotational or radial or angular direction, movement, or force or a torsional force.

[0044] In this specification, the unit "millimeter" may be abbreviated as "mm" and "centimeter" may be abbreviated as "cm".

[0045] In this specification, reference may be made to the use of multiple hook - loop fabric fasteners, such as patches or layers of VELCRO brand fasteners available from Velcro USA Inc. of Manchester, New Hampshire, where a first type of hook - loop fabric fastener patch (hook or loop) may be releasably fastened to a patch of the opposite type. For example, a hook - type patch will releasably bond to a loop - type patch or some other common loose - woven fabric. For clarity, such fasteners are referred to as fabric fasteners in this specification, and patches of fabric fasteners will bond to patches of the corresponding fabric fasteners. Those skilled in the art will readily understand which type will be best for any given patch and whether the types of mating patches can be interchanged.

[0046] Now referring to the attached Figures 4 to 5 , a headgear 40 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown for comfortably adapting to forces applied thereto. For example, such forces can be applied on an attachment 41 such as a flashlight and / or a face mask by the influence of gravity.

[0047] The headgear 40 may include a rigid arcuate bracket 42 that extends substantially parallel to the transverse plane TP of the head and spans the forehead of the wearer 10. The bracket may include a rigid forehead portion 43 having a bending radius of about 9 cm such that it can be tightly fixed to the forehead by an elastic pad 60, thereby providing comfort and adaptability. A pair of support arm temple pieces 44a, 44 may be supported by the forehead piece in a cantilevered manner. In other words, the first support arm 44a may have a fixed end 45a connected to the left lateral extension 43a of the forehead portion and an opposite free end 45b that extends laterally and rearwardly away from the head in a cantilevered manner. In fact, the free end may be positioned at a lateral distance D1 from the head. For a typical bracket having a bending radius of about 9 cm and an arc of about 225 degrees with respect to the vertical central axis of the head, a distance between about 5.0 and 30 mm may be sufficient.

[0048] Similarly, the second support arm 44 may have a fixed end 46a connected to the left lateral extension 43b of the forehead portion and an opposite free end 46b that extends laterally and rearwardly away from the head in a cantilevered manner. In this way, the bracket may be symmetric about the sagittal plane SP of the head. It should be understood that the entire bracket, including the forehead portion and the two support arms, may be made of a monolithic durable rigid material such as a carbon fiber composite or stainless steel. In this way, the transition portion 47 between the inner forehead portion and the support arms may be smooth, without an obvious demarcation between the forehead portion extension and the fixed ends of the support arms.

[0049] The headgear 40 may further include a flexible tension member 50 that may be formed by an oval flexible strip 51 that extends substantially parallel to the transverse plane TP and an oval flexible crown band 52 that extends substantially parallel to the coronal plane CP. The first end 53 of the strip may be fixed to the free end 45b of the first support arm 44a, while the second end 54 may be fixed to the free end 46b of the second support arm 44. The inner section 55 of the strip may be oriented to abut against the back of the user's head 10. The crown band may extend substantially across the top of the head within the coronal plane CP and be attached to the free ends 45b, 46b of the support arms at its two opposite ends. The length of the strip may be made adjustable using an elastic material or a substantially inelastic material as shown, where various adjustable fasteners known in the art, such as snaps, buckles, clamping clips, etc., may be used when using a substantially inelastic material.

[0050] The flexible tension member 50 can be fixed to the bracket 42 in a variety of ways. Two different pieces of material can be attached using adhesive patches 56, 57 as shown.

[0051] Alternatively, they can be fastened using various well-known fasteners such as screws, snaps, rivets or other connectors. Alternatively, these components can be fixed by cooperating couplings or other interlocking features formed as the geometry of the mating surfaces. Various hinged or rotating connections can also be used. Depending on the materials used, they can be co-molded. For example, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flexible tension member can be injection molded onto a preformed carbon fiber bracket. Various surface features such as through-holes in the bracket can provide a more robust bond.

[0052] By attaching the tension member 50 to the free ends 45b, 46b of the support arms 44a, 44b of the arcuate bracket 42, the ends 53, 54 of the strip 51 can be laterally spaced from the wearer's head 10 by a distance D2. For a typical bracket with a bending radius of approximately 9 cm and an arc of approximately 225 degrees relative to the vertical central axis of the head, a distance between approximately 2.0 and 15 mm can be sufficient. This spacing can ensure that the load on the tension member is carried by the bracket rather than the wearer's temples.

[0053] To further ensure that the load on the tension member 50 is carried by the bracket 42, the dimensions of the bracket can be designed such that the free ends 45b, 46b of the support arms are located behind the coronal plane CP that intersects the central axis 6 of the head. By requiring an angular separation A2 of the free ends 45b, 46b of the support arms of at least 185 degrees and more preferably at least 190 degrees relative to the central vertical axis 6 passing through the centroid or center of volume of the head, the lateral compressive load provided by the tension member can be accommodated by the bracket without excessive deformation. By requiring an angular separation A1 of the fixed ends 45a, 46a of the support arms of at least 90 degrees and more preferably at least 100 degrees, the support arms can be properly cantilevered laterally away from the head.

[0054] Now referring to Figure 6 , due to material limitations and weight and size constraints, the bracket cannot be made completely rigid. Thus, the lateral compressive force will cause the free ends of the support arms to deflect inward. However, a maximum deflection amount that causes the support arms to remain spaced from the temples will be tolerated. Thus, for a bracket 60 with a bending radius of about 9 cm and an arc A3 of about 225 degrees, the lateral gap G1 between the free ends 61, 62 will decrease by no more than 5% when a lateral compressive load L of about 2.25 Newtons (a force of 10 pounds) is applied at the free ends 61, 62.

[0055] Figure 7It is shown that a bracket 70 having a bending radius of approximately 9 cm and an arc of at least 185 degrees will allow the free end 71 of the support arm to extend backward beyond the coronal plane CP that intersects the central axis of the head. The tension in the tension member 72 will tend to restrain any upward movement of the free end due to the weight W of the attachment protruding forward from the front of the bracket. In this way, the rigid arcuate bracket of the headgear provides resistance to the pitching force described in Figures 2 to 3 .

[0056] Now referring to Figures 8 to 9 , an alternative embodiment of a headgear 160 for use in a device 100 is shown, which provides support for a wearer's head 103 and neck 102 during repetitive and long-duration activities such as those that occur for assembly line workers. By including a padded rigid arcuate, laterally anti-compressive bracket 161 that extends laterally across the head 103 substantially parallel to the transverse plane TP, the headgear can be adapted to provide greater comfort to the wearer. The curvature of the bracket is selected such that its concave forehead portion 162 nests into the wearer's forehead, while the rigid lateral support arms 163, 164 extend laterally and backward away from the wearer's temples in an overhanging manner and are spaced apart from the head. A pad 166 made of an elastic material such as foam rubber covered with fabric can form a more comfortable and snug-fitting surface between the bracket and the wearer's forehead. The arms provide a rigid structure to accommodate potentially uncomfortable lateral compressive squeezing forces generated by the flexible adjustable lateral and coronal straps 167, 168 and support cable 131 described below. Each strap can be adjusted using a length adjustment mechanism 169 such as a spring-loaded pin engaging discrete holes 170. The ends of the straps can be alternatively attached to the free ends of the support arms using screw fasteners 171.

[0057] A connector 130 can fix the headgear 160 to the beam 110 or other relatively fixed structure. The connector can include a flexible cable 131 with both ends fixed to opposite sides of the headgear. The first end of the cable can be fixed to a main shaft 132 that is rotatably mounted on a guide bracket 133, which is attached to the free end 155 of the support arm 163 of the bracket 161 at a rotary mount 134. The main shaft can form a landing point for the cable end on the headgear. The cable can be slidably connected to the connector to allow the user to move their head in a yaw motion with very little resistance.

[0058] The guide bracket 133 may include a cable guide 135 through which a cable slides and abuts against the cable guide 135. Opposite ends of the cable may be attached to a similar guide bracket 153 which is rotatably mounted by a swivel 154 to opposite support arms 164 of a bracket 161 on the opposite side of the headgear, where an adjustable spindle 152 forms or does not form another placement point for the cable on the headgear. An intermediate portion of the cable may be slidably fixed to the housing 140 of the connector 130. The distance between the headgear and a relatively fixed structure such as a beam 110 may be adjusted by adjusting the amount of cable wound around one or both of the spindles.

[0059] When a head support is provided, the cable 131 of the head and neck support device 100 is under tension, which in turn applies a lateral compressive force on the headgear in addition to the lateral compressive forces applied by the headgear straps 167, 168. Thus, the combination of the straps and the cable may form a tension member on the bracket. The compressive force is resisted by the rigid arcuate bracket 161 in a manner that prevents the force from being borne by the wearer's temples. This is achieved by ensuring that the force is applied to the bracket near the free ends 155, 156 of the support arms 163, 164. Thus, the positions of the guide bracket rotary mounts 134, 154 may be located behind the coronal plane CP that intersects the central axis 106 of the head. By requiring that the angular spacing of the rotary mounts be at an angle A4 of at least 185 degrees and more preferably at least 190 degrees relative to the central axis 106, the lateral compressive loads provided by the cable and the straps may be accommodated by the bracket without excessive deformation.

[0060] Now referring Figure 10 , an exemplary embodiment of a method 200 for increasing the comfort of a headgear capable of withstanding lateral compressive loads will now be described. The method may include selecting a headgear support device 201 that includes a rigid arcuate bracket having a pair of substantially rigid support arms that straddle the user's head and extend laterally and rearwardly in an overhanging manner beyond the user's temples. A tension member may be attached 202 at either end to the free ends of the support arms. When a tension load is applied to the tension member 203, the arms will tend to deflect 204 towards the wearer's head. This deflection is resisted 205 by the rigidity of the bracket.

[0061] The above-described embodiment of the bracket may provide a bending stiffness as a function of the distance from the front end of the bracket. The stiffness may be determined based on the geometry of the bracket, its material properties (such as the fiber orientation in embodiments where fiber composites are used in various regions of the bracket), and the settings of the adjustable features such as drawstrings described above.

[0062] In this way, when the headgear is used in a head and neck support system to reduce the loads applied to the back, neck, spine, and head during work and task-related postures and body positions, the device can provide greater comfort.

[0063] In some embodiments, the connector attaching the bracket to the arm may have a quick coupling mechanism to allow for easy engagement and disengagement, thereby swapping out brackets and pads with different mechanical or aesthetic characteristics.

[0064] In some embodiments, the bending stiffness of the bracket may vary along its length and be infinitely adjustable for an individual user. In some embodiments, the bracket may include one or more members having a tapered geometry, where the edges may be bridged together. In some embodiments, the bracket may include one or more members made of a composite construction and designed to act as a lightweight balance spring for the forces of the cable.

[0065] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, modifications may be made and other embodiments may be designed without departing from the spirit of the present invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device to be worn on a user's head, the device comprising: A rigid arcuate bracket configured to span the wearer's head; Wherein the bracket comprises: A forehead portion fixed to the front part of the user's head in front; A pair of arms connected to opposite two lateral extensions of the forehead portion in a cantilevered manner; Wherein each of the support arms comprises: A free end laterally spaced from the head by a certain distance; A first flexible tension member comprising: A first end connected to a first one of the arms; A second end connected to a second one of the arms; An inner section oriented to abut against the back of the user's head.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein The distance is between 5.0 and 30 mm.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein, When the device is worn, the free end of each of the support arms is located behind a coronal plane that substantially bisects the user's head.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The bracket is under mechanical elastic strain, wherein the strain amount causes the lateral gap between the free ends to be reduced to less than 5% of the unloaded gap.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The device further comprises: A first rigid guiding bracket rotatably mounted to a first support arm of the support arms.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The first flexible tension member comprises: A plurality of positioning strips.

7. The device according to claim 7, wherein The strips include transverse strips and coronal strips.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first end of the first tension member is laterally spaced from the head.

9. The device according to claim 9, wherein The free ends are positioned to be at an angle of at least 185 degrees with respect to each other when measured along the bracket about a central axis of the head to which the bracket is fixed.

10. A device, the device comprising: A headgear, comprising: A rigid front oval arcuate bracket that laterally spans the forehead; The bracket comprises: A pair of rigid support arms projecting rearward; A flexible rear tension member having a first opposite end and a second opposite end; and Wherein the opposite ends are connected to the arms.

11. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, Each of the arms comprises a rear free end; and Wherein the tension member is under tension, thereby causing a lateral inward deflection of the free ends.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The first support arm of the support arms comprises a free end laterally spaced from the head.

13. The device according to claim 13, wherein, The lateral distance is between 5.0 and 30 mm.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The headgear further comprises: A first oval bracket, comprising: Movably connected to a first end of the first support arm.

15. The device according to claim 15, wherein, The first oval bracket is hingedly connected to the first support arm.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The first opposite end of the opposite ends of the tension member is wound around a spool rotatably mounted to the bracket.

17. A method for improving the comfort of a headgear, the method comprising: Selecting a headgear comprising a rigid arcuate bracket having a pair of substantially rigid support arms that straddle the user's head and extend laterally and rearward in a cantilevered manner beyond the user's temples to form a pair of free ends; Attaching a tension member to the free ends; Applying a tension load to the tension member; Deflect the free ends towards each other while avoiding contact between the arm and the head.

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