Helmet

Abstract

A helmet, which may be, for example, a sports helmet or a work safety helmet, includes a helmet body comprised of at least a first material and a second material different from the first material. In this regard, the helmet body comprises, on the one hand, a solid foam of expanded foam particles of a first material, and, on the other hand, particles of a second material having an adhesive connection, in particular, bonded by material bonding, to at least some of the expanded foam particles of the first material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to helmets, particularly to sports helmets or work safety helmets. Background Art

[0002] Such helmets are used to protect the respective wearer of the helmet from head injuries in the event of an object falling or hitting the wearer's head. Depending on the application, the protective helmet can be used as and configured as a sports helmet or a work safety helmet, for example, a bicycle helmet or a riding helmet. In particular, when used as a bicycle helmet, the helmet can have one or more vents to support passive cooling of the wearer's head by ambient air or headwind.

[0003] The helmet generally includes a helmet body having at least substantially (e.g., only separated from the vents) a concave inner side and at least substantially a convex outer side. The substantially concave inner side faces the head of the wearer of the helmet when the helmet is worn, and the substantially convex outer side is opposite to the substantially concave inner side. The helmet body is adapted in terms of shape, thickness, and material to absorb as much kinetic energy acting on the helmet during an impact (collision or strike) as possible through inelastic and / or elastic deformation. In particular, such impact-absorbing properties can be produced by a helmet body made of solid foam.

[0004] It is common practice to configure the helmet body by overmolding a pre-manufactured external helmet shell separately according to the so-called in-mold technique. However, in principle, the helmet body can also be manufactured independently of the helmet shell as a mold body made of solid foam. In this regard, the solid foam is formed by expanding foam particles of a suitable material within a defined mold. The helmet body is generally completely formed of solid foam. Then, the helmet body is entirely composed of the material of the solid foam, such that its properties are basically generated by the properties of the foam material. However, it may be desirable for the helmet body to have characteristics or perform functions that cannot be achieved with a single material.

[0005] Thus, for example, it is advantageous to form different regions of the helmet body from different materials. For example, the helmet body can include multiple layers that are differently compressible or shearable to absorb different types or magnitudes of impacts or shear forces; or the helmet body can have a padding portion on its inner side to comfortably fit on the wearer's head; for mechanical reinforcement, the helmet body can include: a reinforcement structure where impact-absorbing solid foam is arranged; or other reinforcement elements embedded in the foam.

[0006] In order to combine the advantageous properties of different materials, the helmet body can be made of a plurality of individually manufactured parts of different materials, which are fastened to one another after they have been manufactured. However, after manufacture, the manufacture of a plurality of individual parts of different materials that are joined to one another when manufacturing the helmet results in a relatively high workload. Additionally, the connection between the individually manufactured parts may not be as stable as the parts themselves, which may weaken the safety of the helmet. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The object of the present application is to provide a helmet of the aforementioned type that can be easily manufactured and, in this regard, can be used particularly flexibly with a high level of safety. In particular, the helmet can combine a particularly large number of different advantageous properties and / or functions.

[0008] This object is met by a helmet having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the present application result from the appended claims, the description, and the drawings.

[0009] According to the present application, a helmet, in particular a sports helmet or a work safety helmet, includes a helmet body made of at least a first material and a second material different from the first material. In this regard, the helmet body can have at least a substantially concave inner side and at least a substantially convex outer side. The at least substantially concave inner side faces the head of the wearer of the helmet when the helmet is worn, and the at least substantially convex outer side is opposite the at least substantially concave inner side.

[0010] According to the present application, it is provided that the helmet body includes a solid foam of expanded foam particles of a first material. Thus, the helmet body can form a central impact-absorbing element of the helmet. The solid foam can generally be elastically deformable (to a certain extent). However, the solid foam is preferably a hard foam such that the solid foam is at least substantially only plastically deformable.

[0011] The foam is formed by expanded foam particles. These foam particles, which can have at least a substantially spherical shape, are small particles, in particular so-called foam beads or beads. The foam particles can have, for example, a maximum diameter in the millimeter range (0.5 mm to 15 mm). The foam particles can be pre-expanded, i.e., they can already be formed as a foam, for example, by microgranulation or directly by the melting of a foamable material, in particular a polymer. In this regard, the foam particles initially have a relatively dense structure (small cell pores) and can cause expansion, in particular by the supply of heat.

[0012] If a defined space of a certain shape is at least largely filled with such foam particles that have not (yet) fully expanded, the foam particles are caused to expand and they expand into the remaining intermediate space, in particular such that they ultimately occupy the entire space. Usually, the expanded foam particles press against each other in this regard, such that they adhere to each other, bond together or even fuse. This is also due to the fact that they temporarily lose their solid form and become soft during expansion. In this regard, the foam particles can also at least partially melt, in particular if heat for expansion is supplied to them. The foam particles preferably join with each other in a material-bonded manner, in particular by at least partially fusing with each other, which is the result of the expansion (and the softening or melting occurring in the process). Then (possibly after they have cooled down), the expanded foam particles form a continuous molded body of solid foam, which has the shape of the defined space within which the foam particles were caused to expand.

[0013] The helmet body includes at least one such solid foam. The helmet body can generally also include a plurality of solid foams that are spatially delimited from each other and can be manufactured separately from each other. In this regard, it can be provided that all of the foams of these foams are formed from expanded foam particles of the same material, or that one or more of these foams are formed from expanded foam particles of a material different from one or more of the other foams of these foams.

[0014] This does not exclusively mean that the solid foam is formed from expanded foam particles. On the contrary, the solid foam can consist of more than just expanded foam particles. For example, particles such as flakes or fibers (see below) can be embedded in the solid foam.

[0015] According to the present application, it is provided that the helmet body further includes particles of a second material, and the particles of the second material have an adhesive connection with at least some of the expanded foam particles of the first material.

[0016] "Particles" should be understood in this regard as a collective noun for components or particles. The particles can specifically be granules, beads, foam particles, fibers, flakes, molded components, fabric components, etc. In this regard, the particles are preferably smaller compared to the entire helmet body. In particular, it can be provided that each of the particles has a volume corresponding to at most one tenth, preferably at most one twentieth, and in particular at most one fiftieth of the volume of the entire helmet body. However, the particles can also be much smaller. In this regard, the particles can also join with each other in a material-bonded manner such that they can actually together form a larger structure. However, even when the particles have bonded together to form such a larger structure, the particles preferably remain structurally distinguishable from each other, which is usually the case, for example, with the interconnected foam particles of the solid foam formed by them.

[0017] The adhesive connection between the particles of the second material and the foam particles of the first material is preferably a permanent connection. In this regard, in particular, the adhesive connection can be permanent because it cannot be released without damaging the helmet body.

[0018] Furthermore, the adhesive connection between the particles of the second material and the expanded foam particles of the first material is a direct connection especially without additional adhesives such as glue. More precisely, the adhesion preferably results from the fact that the corresponding particles of the second material and the corresponding foam particles of the first material interact directly with each other in a directly contacting manner. The particles of the second material can be adhesively bonded to the corresponding foam particles of the first material especially regionally.

[0019] The particles of the second material preferably engage at least some of the expanded foam particles of the first material in a material-bonding manner. This material bonding can be caused especially by the expansion of the foam particles of the first material in direct contact with the particles of the second material. In this regard, the foam particles of the first material adjacent to the particles of the second material can fuse or bond together with the corresponding particles of the second material during expansion due to the supply of heat.

[0020] In this regard, preferably, the foam particles of the first material and the particles of the second material are molded together to form the helmet body. This can occur especially according to the technique mentioned, where the foam particles of the first material are caused to expand within the mold, especially by supplying heat, so that a molded part of solid foam corresponding to the mold is ultimately formed. Generally, in this regard, heat is supplied in the form of water vapor. However, in order to be able to perform co-molding of the foam particles of the first material and the particles of the second material for different materials, it is preferred to supply heat in the form of infrared radiation. For example, in this regard and in the method described below, the solid foam can be prepared according to one of the methods described in WO2017 / 109079A1.

[0021] A method of manufacturing a helmet can include: filling foam particles of a first material into a common mold; filling particles of a second material different from the first material into the common mold; co-molding the foam particles of the first material and the particles of the second material in the common mold (casting mold) to form the helmet body of the helmet, wherein the co-molding includes: causing the foam particles of the first material to expand so that the foam particles engage with each other to form the solid foam included in the helmet body; and at least some of the particles of the second material form an adhesive connection with at least some of the expanded foam particles of the first material, and in particular, at least some of the particles of the second material engage with at least some of the expanded foam particles of the first material in a material-bonding manner.

[0022] In this regard, the method is not limited to a specific order of filling the foam particles of the first material and the particles of the second material into a common mold. They can generally also be filled simultaneously or at least overlapping in time. The fact that the foam particles of the first material and the particles of the second material are molded together particularly means that they are molded together to form the helmet body (or at least a part of the helmet body) of the helmet and includes at least two of the method steps mentioned. In this regard, co-molding can also be referred to as co-moulding and can in particular be carried out at least substantially according to the aforementioned techniques for forming the aforementioned components from solid foam.

[0023] In this regard, causing at least the foam particles of the first material to expand, whereby they engage with each other to form the solid foam, does not exclude the solid foam containing another component, namely, in particular, the particles of the second material that can be embedded in the solid foam. In this regard, the foam particles of the first material can in particular adhere or fuse firmly to each other. In particular, in this regard, they engage with each other in a material-bonding manner.

[0024] The particles of the second material can generally also be formed as foam particles and can likewise cause the particles of the second material to expand during the co-molding. In this case, not only do the foam particles of the first material engage with each other to form the solid foam included in the helmet body, but the foam particles of the second material also engage with each other to form another solid foam included in the helmet body. The solid foam formed by the foam particles of the first material and the other solid foam formed by the foam particles of the second material can in this regard be directly adjacent to each other along one or more boundary surfaces and / or can overlap in one or more boundary regions in an at least partially mixed manner. Along the corresponding boundary surfaces or in the corresponding boundary regions, the adhesive connection formed between the particles of the second material and the expanded foam particles of the first material can generally correspond to the type of connection formed between the foam particles of the first material with each other and between the foam particles of the second material with each other.

[0025] However, it may also be the case that the particles of the second material are not likewise formed as foam particles and do not have to expand. In this case, the co-expansion of the foam particles of the first material and the particles of the second material in the common mold advantageously results in at least some of the particles of the second material forming the adhesive connection with at least some of the expanded foam particles of the first material in any case. The adhesive connection, in particular the material-bonding adhesive connection, can be caused, for example, by the fact that the expanded foam particles of the first material and the particles of the second material are at least partially fused, for example, due to the heat provided causing the expanded foam particles of the first material and the particles of the second material to be at least partially fused. It can also be sufficient that only the foam particles of the first material soften during expansion and are pushed towards the particles of the second material, whereby they adhere to the particles of the second material.

[0026] The present application also relates to a helmet that can be obtained by performing the method, wherein the method is not necessarily limited to the above method steps, but may include additional method steps for manufacturing the helmet, in particular additional parts of the helmet. The design options of the helmet according to the present application described above and below also apply equally to the helmet that can be obtained by the method.

[0027] According to an advantageous embodiment, the first material is an expandable plastic. In this regard, any plastic for preparing expandable foam particles and preparing molded parts can generally be considered. The expanded foam particles of the first material can be, in particular, expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (EABS), expanded polycarbonate (EPC), expanded polyamide (EPA), expanded polybutylene terephthalate (EPBT), expanded polyethylene terephthalate (EPET), expanded modified polyphenylene ether (EmPPE), expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (ETPU), expanded polyoxymethylene (EPOM), expanded polymethyl methacrylate (EPMMA), and / or expanded polyether ketone (EPEK).

[0028] According to another advantageous embodiment, the particles of the second material are foam particles (as already explained as a possibility regarding the method), wherein the helmet body comprises another solid foam of the expanded foam particles of the second material.

[0029] The foam particles of the second material can be formed at least substantially in the same manner as the foam particles of the first material, i.e., they can differ from the foam particles of the first material only by the respective materials at least substantially. In particular, corresponding to the foam particles of the first material, due to expansion, the foam particles of the second material can adhere to each other, be adhesively bonded to each other, or, in particular, if heat for expansion has been supplied to the foam particles of the second material, the foam particles of the second material can at least partially fuse together. The foam particles of the second material are preferably combined with each other in a material-bonded manner. The foam particles of the second material can at least substantially have a spherical shape, in particular formed as foam beads or beads, and can have, for example, a maximum diameter in the millimeter range (in particular in the range of 0.5 mm to 15 mm). Similar to the solid foam formed by the foam particles of the first material, the other solid foam formed by the foam particles of the second material is preferably a rigid foam.

[0030] Another solid foam formed from foam particles of the second material need not consist only of foam particles of the second material, but may also include additional components, but preferably does not include foam particles of the first material (except possibly in the boundary region). In this respect, the solid foam formed from foam particles of the first material (which may also be referred to as the first solid foam) and the other solid foam formed from foam particles of the second material (which may also be referred to as the second solid foam) are in fact joined to one another and are preferably also produced together, but are spatially delimited from one another (except possibly in the boundary region).

[0031] This embodiment allows the helmet body of the helmet to be formed entirely from solid foam, but in this respect may have regions of solid foam comprising foam particles of the first material and other regions of solid foam comprising foam particles of the second material, such that different regions of the helmet body may have different properties, for example, impact absorption properties optimized for the respective regions. Advantageously, the helmet body can be manufactured in this respect by co-moulding solid foams from different materials in a common mould. This can be achieved in particular by filling different regions of the common mould with foam particles of different materials and then causing the foam particles to expand relatively rapidly by heating, in particular by infrared radiation, without leaving corresponding regions in the process. In this way, the foam particles of the first material and the foam particles of the second material advantageously do not need to be separated from one another in the common mould by walls, sliders, etc. Thus, during expansion, not only do the foam particles of the first material join to one another and the foam particles of the second material join to one another to form a solid foam that at least substantially completely fills the respective regions, but the different solid foams formed from the different expanded foam particles also join to one another in at least an adhesive manner, preferably in a material-bonded manner.

[0032] According to an advantageous embodiment, the helmet body comprises at least a first part and at least a second part, the at least first part comprising a solid foam of expanded foam particles of the first material but not another solid foam of expanded foam particles of the second material, the at least second part being separated from the first part and comprising another solid foam of expanded foam particles of the second material but not a solid foam of expanded foam particles of the first material. The first part and the second part of the helmet body may each correspond to one of the aforementioned regions. The dimensions of the first part and the second part are preferably each significantly greater than the dimensions of a single foam particle of the first material or the second material. In particular, it may be provided that the first part and the second part each extend in at least one spatial direction by at least 1 cm, preferably at least 2 cm, especially at least 3 cm.

[0033] According to an advantageous further development of this embodiment, the first part and the second part are delimited from each other by a boundary part within which a solid foam of expanded foam particles of the first material and another solid foam of expanded foam particles of the second material have an adhesive connection. A plurality of such boundary parts can also be provided. The boundary part can in particular correspond to a boundary surface or a boundary region as described above.

[0034] Preferably, an adhesive connection is produced directly between one or more expanded foam particles of the first material and one or more expanded foam particles of the second material, in particular without an adhesive, i.e., without a further adhesive such as glue provided for this purpose, but advantageously as a direct result of co-molding. The adhesive connection is preferably permanent such that it cannot be released without damaging the helmet body.

[0035] Furthermore, it is preferred that the solid foam of the expanded foam particles of the first material and the other solid foam of the expanded foam particles of the second material are joined to each other in a material-bonded manner within the boundary part. For this purpose, where one or more foam particles of the first material and one or more foam particles of the second material are in direct contact with each other, they can be at least partially fused together.

[0036] If the helmet body comprises another solid foam of expanded foam particles of the second material, it is advantageous if the second material is an expandable plastic. As with the first material, in this regard, any plastic for producing expandable foam particles and for producing molded parts can generally be considered. The expanded foam particles of the first material can in particular be expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (EABS), expanded polycarbonate (EPC), expanded polyamide (EPA), expanded polybutylene terephthalate (EPBT), expanded polyethylene terephthalate (EPET), expanded modified polyphenylene ether (EMPPE), expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (ETPU), expanded polyoxymethylene (EPOM), expanded polymethyl methacrylate (EPMMA), and / or expanded polyether ketone (EPEK).

[0037] According to another advantageous embodiment, the second material is a natural material. The second material is preferably a natural material that can be shaped in the above-described manner, in particular a natural material that can be foamed, preferably an expandable natural material. In this regard, for example, cork material is particularly suitable here, such that the particles of the second material can be cork granules. Similar to the foam particles of the first material, such a material can be molded together with the foam particles of the first material in a common mold (in particular, it can also expand during such a process) to form the helmet body. Preferably, the particles of the second material can form a direct adhesive connection with each other and with the adjacent expanded foam particles of the first material in this regard, in particular a binder-free adhesive connection.

[0038] However, the particles of the second material can also be larger structures, in particular pre-formed structures made of the corresponding natural material. For example, they can be molded parts made of cork material. Then, the solid foam formed by the foam particles of the first material can at least partially extend around such a molded part, wherein the foam particles of the first material engage with the molded part in a direct adhesive manner, preferably even in a material-bonding manner.

[0039] It is also conceivable that the particles of the second material are formed as flakes (flakes, tufts). For example, these flakes can be small pieces of material that can be shredded housing material. In this regard, polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are particularly considered as such materials. The material is preferably a recyclable material.

[0040] According to another advantageous embodiment, the particles of the second material are fibers. In this regard, all types of synthetic fibers or natural fibers can be considered for these fibers. In particular, the second material can be a glass material or a carbon material. Thus, in this regard, the fibers can be glass fibers or carbon fibers.

[0041] For example, the particles of the second material can be configured as a fabric. For example, it can be envisioned that they are fabric materials such as woven fabrics or fabric area-measured materials such as felt, for example. Similar to the above-described molded parts made of natural materials, the solid foam formed by the foam particles of the first material can then at least partially extend around the corresponding sheets of such a fabric, felt sheets formed by fibers, or other fabric sheets, wherein the expanded foam particles of the first material engage with the corresponding fabric sheets in a direct adhesive manner, preferably even in a material-bonding manner.

[0042] However, the particles of the second material can also exist as separate flakes, fibers or fiber bundles. In this form, the particles of the second material can be arranged separately and independently between the foam particles of the first material. In this regard, the particles of the second material are mixed with the foam particles of the first material. Due to the adhesive connection preferably with multiple expanded foam particles of the first material in various cases, the particles of the second material can even additionally support the connection between the expanded foam particles of the first material with respect to each other, in particular by creating additional cross-links between the foam particles, to additionally support the connection between the expanded foam particles of the first material with respect to each other. In this way, the solid foam of the expanded foam particles of the first material can be advantageously reinforced by adding the particles of the second material.

[0043] In particular, herein, but also in principle regardless of whether the particles of the second material are flakes, fibers or other types of components, it is further advantageous that, according to another embodiment, the helmet body has at least one part in which the particles of the second material are at least partially embedded in the solid foam of the expanded foam particles of the first material. In this regard, in particular, the particles of the second material can be embedded in the solid foam because the particles of the second material are surrounded individually or in groups by the solid foam of the expanded foam particles of the first material - at least in the corresponding plane (two-dimensionally; for example, in a ring shape), preferably completely surrounded individually or in groups by the solid foam of the expanded foam particles of the first material in all spatial directions (three-dimensionally). In this way, the particles of the second material and the expanded foam particles of the first material are in contact with each other in various cases in a particularly large boundary surface or a particularly large boundary region, and thus can have a particularly comprehensive adhesive connection with each other. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The present application will be further explained below only by way of example with reference to the drawings.

[0045] Figure 1 An embodiment of a helmet according to the present application is shown;

[0046] Figure 2 Some foam particles of the first material and some particles of the second material formed as foam particles are shown, and the some foam particles of the first material and the some particles of the second material are adjacent to each other along the boundary surface;

[0047] Figure 3 Some foam particles of the first material and particles of the second material formed as foam particles are shown, and the foam particles of the first material and the particles of the second material formed as foam particles are filled into a common mold to form the helmet body and are adjacent to each other along the boundary region; and

[0048] Figure 4Shows some foam particles of a first material and some particles of a second material formed as fibers. Detailed Description

[0049] The accompanying drawings respectively show highly simplified schematic representations for explaining the present application. In this regard, Figure 1 An embodiment of a helmet 11 according to the present application is shown, the helmet 11 including a helmet body 13, the helmet body 13 including a solid foam 15 of expanded foam particles 17 of a first material, and also including particles 19 of a second material. In this regard, the foam particles 17 of the first material and the particles 19 of the second material are not visible in Figure 1 due to their small size. The helmet body 13 has at least a substantially concave inner side (facing downward in Figure 1 ), the at least substantially concave inner side facing the head of the wearer of the helmet 11 when the helmet 11 is worn. Additionally, the helmet body 13 has at least a substantially convex outer side (facing upward in Figure 1 ), the at least substantially convex outer side being opposite to the inner side.

[0050] The helmet 11 further includes an external helmet shell 14, the external helmet shell 14 being arranged on the outer side of the helmet body 13 and at least substantially completely covering the helmet body 13. The helmet shell 14 is shown by a dashed line in Figure 1 . In particular, an injection molded part made of an injectable plastic such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS) can be configured. Additionally, the helmet 11 can have other elements not shown, such as straps for fastening the helmet, pads for comfortable placement on the head of the corresponding wearer, etc.

[0051] In the shown embodiment, the helmet body 13 includes not only the solid foam 15 of the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material, but also another solid foam 21 of particles 19 of the second material which are also formed as expanded foam particles in this embodiment. The solid foam 15 of the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material can for example at least substantially consist of expanded polystyrene (EPS), while the other solid foam of the particles 19 of the second material formed as expanded foam particles can for example at least substantially consist of expanded polypropylene (PPP).

[0052] In this regard, the solid foam 15 and the other solid foam 21 are formed at least mostly and spatially separated from each other. Thus, the helmet body 13 includes a first part 23 and a second part 25. The first part 23 has the solid foam 15 of the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material, but does not have the other solid foam 21 of the particles 19 of the second material formed as expanded foam particles. The second part 25 is separated from the first part 23 and has the other solid foam 21 of the particles 19 of the second material formed as expanded foam particles, but does not have the solid foam 15 of the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material. The first part 23 and the second part 25 are adjacent to each other along the boundary surface 27.

[0053] Figure 2 By way of example, some of the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material and some of the particles 19 of the second material are shown, which foam particles 17 and particles 19 are formed as expanded foam particles and are adjacent to each other along the boundary surface 27. Thus, the illustration does not confuse all of the foam particles 17 of the first material and all of the particles 19 of the second material labeled with the corresponding reference signs in this regard (as in Figure 3 and Figure 4 ). The boundary surface 27 is shown as a line, however, this line only aims to show the route of the boundary surface 27, but actually does not have a physical equivalent.

[0054] In the drawings, the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material and the particles 19 of the second material in the case of being formed as foam particles are respectively shown in a simplified form as circles with an intermediate space also existing therebetween. This illustration is used to show the respective distinguishable expanded foam particles. In fact, Figure 2 the foam particles 17 of the first material and the particles 19 of the second material formed as foam particles shown in Figure 4 expand during the formation of the solid foam 15 or the other solid foam 21, such that all of the intermediate spaces between them are mostly filled. This also applies to the foam particles 17 of the first material shown in

[0055] Due to the expansion, especially due to the heat supplied during the process, the at least temporarily softened foam particles form close contact with their respective adjacent foam particles and form an adhesive connection preferably as a material bonding connection with them. As a result, not only do the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material and the particles 19 of the second material formed as expanded foam particles form an adhesive connection with each other in various cases, but also at least some of the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material are bonded to at least some of the particles 19 of the second material formed as expanded foam particles in a direct adhesive manner, preferably in a material bonding manner, along the boundary surface 27.

[0056] In Figure 3, the manufacture of the helmet body 13 of the helmet 11 according to the present application is shown in a highly simplified manner. In this regard, foam particles 17 of a first material and particles 19 of a second material formed as foam particles are filled into a common mold 29, in which the foam particles 17 of the first material and the particles 19 of the second material formed as foam particles can be molded together to form the helmet body 13. In this regard, the common mold 29 with a rectangular cross-section is shown in a simplified form. However, in reality, the shape of the internal space of the common mold 29 at least substantially corresponds to the shape of the helmet body 13. In addition, the foam particles 17 of the first material and the particles 19 of the second material formed as foam particles are shown too large (and therefore too few in number) relative to the common mold 29 so that the foam particles 17 of the first material and the particles 19 of the second material formed as foam particles can be clearly identified.

[0057] The foam particles 17 of the first material and the particles 19 of the second material formed as foam particles are arranged in a common mold 29 in different areas which may specifically correspond to the first portion 23 or the second portion 25. In this respect, the foam particles may be arranged in the border area 31 (in Figure 3 The regions filled with different foam particles are, however, substantially spatially delimited from one another.

[0058] After filling into the common mold 29 and closing of the common mold 29, the foam particles are caused to expand, in particular by exposure to infrared radiation (see arrows). Due to the expansion (possibly after the content of the common mold 29 has cooled), the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material form the solid foam 15, and the particles 19 of the second material formed as expanded foam particles form the further solid foam 21. In this respect, due to a direct adhesive connection, in particular a form-fitting connection, between at least some of the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material and at least some of the particles 19 of the second material formed as expanded foam particles, the solid foam 15 and the further solid foam 21 are firmly joined to each other in the border region 31.

[0059] and Figure 2 and Figure 3 different, Figure 4The particles 19 of the second material shown in [description] do not form foam particles, but form into flakes, fibers or fiber bundles. In particular, they can be raw materials such as glass fibers or carbon fibers or bundles of glass fibers or carbon fibers, but they can also be plastic particles, especially recyclable materials such as shredded shell materials composed of polycarbonate (PC) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In this regard, the flakes, fibers or fiber bundles are not spatially defined by the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material, but are arranged to be at least substantially evenly distributed among the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material (shown by the dashed lines in [reference]). In this regard, they do not prevent the formation of the solid foam 15 from the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material, but are embedded in the solid foam 15 as an integral component thereof. Figure 4 shown in the dashed lines of [reference]

[0060] In this regard, the particles 19 of the second material formed into flakes, fibers or fiber bundles have an adhesive connection, especially a material bonding connection, with at least some of the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material. In particular, in various cases, at least some of the particles 19 of the second material, preferably most of the particles 19 of the second material, can be bonded in an adhesive manner to more than one expanded foam particle 17 of the first material, such that the foam particles 17 of the first material are not only bonded to each other in a direct adhesive manner, but also at least partially joined to each other via the particles 19 of the second material. In this way, the solid foam 15 of the expanded foam particles 17 of the first material is advantageously strengthened by the particles 19 of the second material embedded therein.

[0061] Description of Reference Numerals

[0062] 11 Helmet

[0063] 13 Helmet Body

[0064] 14 Helmet Shell

[0065] 15 Solid Foam

[0066] 17 Foam Particles of the First Material

[0067] 19 Particles of the Second Material

[0068] 21 Another Solid Foam

[0069] 23 First Part

[0070] 25 Second Part

[0071] 27 Boundary Surface

[0072] 29 Common Mold

[0073] 31 Boundary Region

Claims

1. A helmet (11) comprising a helmet body (13), said helmet body (13) being composed of at least a first material and a second material different from said first material, Among them, said helmet body (13) comprising a solid foam (15) of expanded foam particles (17) of said first material, wherein said helmet body (13) further comprises particles (19) of said second material, said particles (19) of said second material having an adhesive connection with at least some of said expanded foam particles (17) of said first material.

2. The helmet according to claim 1, Among them, said particles (19) of said second material being joined to at least some of said expanded foam particles (17) of said first material in a material-bonding manner.

3. The helmet according to claim 1, Among them, said first material being an expandable plastic, wherein said expanded foam particles (17) of said first material comprise at least one of the following: expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (EABS), expanded polycarbonate (EPC), expanded polyamide (EPA), expanded polybutylene terephthalate (EPBT), expanded polyethylene terephthalate (EPET), expanded modified polyphenylene ether (EMPPE), expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (ETPU), expanded polyoxymethylene (EPOM), expanded polymethyl methacrylate (EPMMA), or expanded polyether ketone (EPEK).

4. The helmet according to claim 1, Among them, said particles (19) of said second material being foam particles, and wherein said helmet body (13) comprises another solid foam (21) of expanded foam particles of said second material.

5. The helmet according to claim 4, Among them, said helmet body (13) comprising at least a first part (23) and at least a second part (25), said at least first part (23) comprising said solid foam (15) of expanded foam particles (17) of said first material but not comprising said another solid foam (21) of expanded foam particles of said second material, said second part (25) being separated from said first part (23) and comprising said another solid foam (21) of expanded foam particles of said second material but not comprising said solid foam (15) of expanded foam particles (17) of said first material.

6. The helmet according to claim 5, Among them, said first part (23) and said second part (25) being delimited from each other by boundary parts (27, 31) within which said solid foam (15) of expanded foam particles (17) of said first material and said another solid foam (21) of expanded foam particles of said second material have an adhesive connection.

7. The helmet according to claim 6, Among them, The solid foam (15) of the expanded foam particles (17) of the first material and the other solid foam (21) of the expanded foam particles of the second material are joined to each other in a material-bonded manner within the boundary portions (27, 31).

8. The helmet according to claim 5, Among them, The second material is an expandable plastic, wherein the expanded foam particles of the second material include at least one of the following: expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (EABS), expanded polycarbonate (EPC), expanded polyamide (EPA), expanded polybutylene terephthalate (EPBT), expanded polyethylene terephthalate (EPET), expanded modified polyphenylene ether (EMPPE), expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (ETPU), expanded polyoxymethylene (EPOM), expanded polymethyl methacrylate (EPMMA), or expanded polyether ketone (EPEK).

9. The helmet according to claim 1, Among them, The second material is a natural material.

10. The helmet according to claim 9, Among them, The second material is a cork material.

11. The helmet according to claim 1, Among them, The particles (19) of the second material are fibers.

12. The helmet according to claim 11, Among them, The second material is a glass material or a carbon material.

13. The helmet according to claim 1, Among them, The helmet body (13) has at least one part in which the particles (19) of the second material are at least partially embedded in the solid foam (15) of the expanded foam particles (17) of the first material.

14. The helmet according to claim 1, Among them, The helmet (11) is configured as a sports helmet or a work safety helmet.

15. A helmet obtained by performing a method including the following steps: - filling foam particles (17) of a first material into a common mold (29); - filling particles (19) of a second material different from the first material into the common mold (29); - co-molding the foam particles (17) of the first material and the particles (19) of the second material in the common mold (29) to form a helmet body (13) of the helmet (11), wherein the co-molding includes: - causing the foam particles (17) of the first material to expand such that the foam particles (17) join each other to form a solid foam (15) of the helmet body (13); and - forming an adhesive connection between at least some of the particles (19) of the second material and at least some of the expanded foam particles (17) of the first material.

16. The helmet according to claim 15, Among them, The first material is an expandable plastic, wherein the expanded foam particles (17) of the first material include at least one of the following: expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (EABS), expanded polycarbonate (EPC), expanded polyamide (EPA), expanded polybutylene terephthalate (EPBT), expanded polyethylene terephthalate (EPET), expanded modified polyphenylene ether (EmPPE), expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (ETPU), expanded polyoxymethylene (EPOM), expanded polymethyl methacrylate (EPMMA), or expanded polyether ketone (EPEK).

17. The helmet according to claim 15, Among them, the particles (19) of the second material are foam particles, and wherein the helmet body (13) includes another solid foam (21) of the expanded foam particles of the second material.

18. The helmet according to claim 17, Among them, the helmet body (13) includes at least a first part (23) and at least a second part (25), the at least first part (23) includes the solid foam (15) of the expanded foam particles (17) of the first material, but does not include the another solid foam (21) of the expanded foam particles of the second material, the second part (25) is separated from the first part (23), and includes the another solid foam (21) of the expanded foam particles of the second material, but does not include the solid foam (15) of the expanded foam particles (17) of the first material.

19. The helmet according to claim 18, Among them, the first part (23) and the second part (25) are defined by each other through boundary parts (27, 31), within the boundary parts (27, 31), the solid foam (15) of the expanded foam particles (17) of the first material and the another solid foam (21) of the expanded foam particles of the second material have an adhesive connection.

20. The helmet according to claim 17, Among them, the second material is an expandable plastic, wherein the expanded foam particles of the second material include at least one of the following: expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (EABS), expanded polycarbonate (EPC), expanded polyamide (EPA), expanded polybutylene terephthalate (EPBT), expanded polyethylene terephthalate (EPET), expanded modified polyphenylene ether (EMPPE), expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (ETPU), expanded polyoxymethylene (EPOM), expanded polymethyl methacrylate (EPMMA), or expanded polyether ketone (EPEK).

21. The helmet according to claim 15, Among them, the second material is a natural material.

22. The helmet according to claim 21, Among them, the second material is a cork material.

23. The helmet according to claim 15, Among them, The particles (19) of the second material are fibers.

24. The helmet according to claim 23, Among them, The second material is a glass material or a carbon material.

25. The helmet according to claim 15, Among them, The helmet body (13) has at least one part in which the particles (19) of the second material are at least partially embedded in the solid foam (15) of the expanded foam particles (17) of the first material.

26. The helmet according to claim 15, Among them, The helmet (11) is configured as a sports helmet or a work safety helmet.

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