Protective devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a protective device (10) for protecting a part of the human body, wherein the protective device (10) is A wearable (20) having a support surface (21), An airbag (30) having a protective portion (31) having an outer surface (32), wherein, at least in the deployed state of the protective portion (31), the outer surface (32) comprises a first portion (33) facing a support surface (21) and a second portion (34) facing away from the support surface (21), The present invention relates to a protective device comprising an airbag (30) and a mounting means (40) for securing the airbag (30) to a wearable (20). To provide the protective device (10) with improved collision characteristics, it is proposed that the protective device (10) be provided with a displaceable means (50) having a displaceable state that allows for the displacement of at least one section of the protective portion (31), including a first portion (33) and a second portion (34) of the outer surface (32), relative to the support surface (21).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective device for protecting a part of the human body as described in claim 1.

Background Art

[0002] Wearable protective devices for protecting a part of the human body have always been increasing in importance along with the growing safety awareness in society. A very common example of a wearable protective device is a helmet, which is well-developed and widely spread, and significantly reduces the risk of head injury in case of impact. Helmets are mainly used for human movement activities under exposed conditions such as cycling or motorcycling, or for sports activities prone to accidents such as skiing, skating, riding, and climbing.

[0003] Recently, protective devices have become known that include a wearable, i.e., a helmet, and an airbag that is arranged in the helmet and that, when triggered, deploys from the support surface of the helmet. The airbag has a protective part with an outer surface, and at least in the deployed state of this protective part, the outer surface has a first part facing the support surface and a second part facing away from the support surface. Further, attachment means for fixing the airbag to the wearable are provided. The airbag is designed and positioned such that in case of an accident, the second part of the outer surface of the airbag collides not with the support surface covered by the protective part, but with an obstacle, such as a part of a vehicle or the surface of a road, thereby providing essentially two protective layers for the head, namely the helmet and the protective part of the airbag, and as a result, the level of protection can be improved and the risk of serious injury can be reduced.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Starting from this prior art, the object of the present invention is to improve a general protective device such that the risk of serious injury is further reduced.

[0005] This objective is achieved by the protective device described in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims, specification, and drawings.

[0006] One primary application of the present invention is a protective device in which the wearable is a helmet, and therefore the present invention will be described first with this case in mind. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the present invention can also be applied in other cases, for example, to so-called protectors, such as a protector that protects the user's back.

[0007] Conventional helmets typically have a hard, smooth outer surface, which consequently exhibits fairly good sliding ability even when hitting rough surfaces such as road surfaces. This sliding ability can be reduced when the airbag inflating from the helmet first hits the rough surface, causing the protective device to come to a sudden stop upon impact with the rough surface. Under certain circumstances, this can result in undesirable large forces acting on parts of the user's body, particularly the user's head and neck, especially sudden head rotation.

[0008] To compensate for this, the protective device includes a displaceable means having a displaceable state that allows for the displacement of at least one section of the protective portion, including a first portion and a second portion of its outer surface, relative to the support surface.

[0009] In other words, the present invention proposes to provide limited sliding mobility for the protective portion of an airbag relative to a wearable (here a helmet) in order to compensate for the potentially reduced sliding capability of the entire protective device, and thus enable the protective device to cope with accident scenarios in which rotational forces may be applied to the human body portion protected by the protective device. This significantly limits the impact of the collision on the human body and greatly improves the protective effect of the protective device in certain situations. Furthermore, the protective device of the present invention can improve energy absorption and reduce rebound effects in some scenarios. If the wearable is a helmet, the displacement of at least one section of the protective portion relative to the support surface can, in particular, reduce head rotation of the head wearing the helmet. Since head rotation can result in severe brain injury, this reduction of head rotation is an important aspect of the present invention. In some situations, since the displacement is independent of the type of surface being struck, head rotation can be reduced even compared to a conventional helmet (without an airbag).

[0010] Examples of body parts that can be protected by protective devices include, among other things, the human head, neck, limbs, upper body, lower body, hands, or feet. Although described primarily with reference to helmets, the protective devices of the disclosed invention may generally refer to all other types of wearables, such as clothing and accessories, and are not limited to helmet embodiments.

[0011] Wearables have a support surface on which the airbag is supported. The support surface is typically the outer surface of the wearable that faces the environment and away from the part of the human body being protected. Therefore, in the event of an accident, the support surface is likely to collide with the surface of an obstacle if the airbag is not present.

[0012] The airbag has a protective portion that is deployable, i.e., inflatable, and configured to deploy in the event of a serious incident. The protective portion has an outer surface having a first portion facing the support surface of the wearable and a second portion facing away from the support surface, for example, in the opposite direction.

[0013] The airbag is wearably secured by mounting means. The mounting means often comprises fastening elements such as screws, bolts, or clips, and a fastening structure for the airbag. These fastening structures often have through-holes in the non-deployable portion of the airbag, with the fastening elements extending through each through-hole. Preferably, these through-holes are located in the airbag region adjacent to the deployable protective portion, for example, in the non-inflatable boundary of the airbag, so that part of the mounting means becomes an integral part of the airbag. According to some embodiments, the boundary may comprise a flap having through-holes used as a separate fastening structure.

[0014] The protective device of the present invention comprises displaceable means configured to allow limited movement of at least one section of the protective portion of an airbag relative to a support surface of a wearable. The displacement may be limited to local or localized displacement of the protective portion, for example, by providing a structurally separated section of the protective portion, or the displacement may include the entire protective portion.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment, the direction of displacement is essentially tangential to the section of the support surface along which the protective section extends. By enabling the protective section to be displaced tangentially, the peak of the tangential force component can be reduced, thereby reducing the maximum force acting particularly on the user's head and neck.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment, the displaceable portion of the protective section (which may be the entire protective section) has an initial first position and a second position of maximum displacement. Thus, a defined and limited displacement between the first position and the second position is achieved.

[0017] Depending on the selected displacement concept, the first portion of the outer surface of the protective part of the airbag may have a distance to the same support surface as the first position (i.e., essentially zero), for example, carried out by pure parallel sliding motion, or the distance may be reduced by motion having tangential and normal components.

[0018] The above embodiment can be further improved when the distance between the first and second positions is 5 to 20 mm, preferably 10 to 15 mm. Displacement distances within the described range have been shown to beneficially reduce adverse effects caused by impact forces between multiple components without affecting the overall protective function of the protective portion. At the same time, the proposed distance values ​​can be implemented on a wearable device with less effort and cost.

[0019] According to an advantageous embodiment, the displaceable means further comprises a non-displaceable state that does not allow substantial displacement of one section of the inflated protective portion, thereby maintaining a predetermined starting position upon impact with the surface, and the full displacement distance is used to reduce the force peak. With this configuration, the displaceable means switches from the non-displaceable state to the displaceable state when the tangential force acting on a second portion of the outer surface of the protective portion of the airbag exceeds a threshold.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment, the displaceable means locks the section of the protective part in its first position until a tangential force component acting on the second part of the outer surface exceeds a predetermined threshold. For example, the displaceable means may include a breakable structure that breaks when the predetermined force is exceeded. By using the concept of locking and releasing based on mechanical forces, an accurate, reliable, and easy-to-implement displacement solution is provided.

[0021] According to the first displaceable concept, the mounting means forms at least a portion of the displaceable means. Therefore, the mounting means can be structurally combined with the displaceable means. According to some embodiments, the mounting means can be considered identical to the displaceable means.

[0022] As described above, it may be preferable for the displaceable means to include a non-displaceable state. According to a simple and practical embodiment, the mounting means comprises a breakable portion that forms at least a part of such a displaceable means and breaks when a force of a predetermined direction and value is applied thereto. This ensures the controlled local release of at least one section of the protective portion from the wearable, and thus allows for limited displacement. In one alternative, the non-inflatable portion of the airbag may break to open or enlarge a through hole through which a fastening element such as a bolt, screw, or clip passes. According to another alternative, at least one of the fastening elements may be designed so that the fastening element breaks when a force exceeding a threshold is applied to the fastening element (such as a bolt) substantially radially.

[0023] In a particular example, the mounting means (and therefore the displaceable means) comprises an elongated hole and a breakable bar extending across the elongated hole. The breakable bar is typically part of the non-deployable section of the airbag. The breakable bar and a fastening element extending through the elongated hole are configured to hold the protective portion in a first initial position. When a tangential force exceeding a threshold acts between the fastening element and the bar, the bar breaks, thereby allowing the airbag to move along a distance corresponding to the length of the elongated hole guided by the fastening element.

[0024] According to the second displaceable concept, at least one protrusion extends from the protection part towards the support surface. This at least one protrusion is deformed during displacement such that the at least one protrusion forms at least part of the displaceable means. The protrusion may be, for example, a nose forming a crushing zone. By means of the at least one protrusion, at least one section of the first part of the outer surface of the protection part is spaced apart from the support surface when the protection part is in its initial first position. The protrusion may be integrally formed with the protection part and thus deployed together with the protection part and may be formed by the shape of the airbag itself, or the protrusion may be a separate part connected to the protection part. Depending on the selected setting, the protrusion can be configured to deform elastically or plastically. By providing deformable protrusions to enable displacement, beneficial energy absorption characteristics can be achieved.

[0025] The two displaceable concepts described above can be used alone or in combination.

[0026] According to an advantageous embodiment, the displaceable means enables displacement of essentially the entire protection part of the airbag. This generally simplifies the overall structure of the protection device.

[0027] Multiple wearable types can be equipped with a suitable airbag and corresponding displaceable means. However, since the human neck and head are at a high risk of being exposed to forces that cause critical rotational accelerations, in particular, a helmet can be selected as a preferred wearable for the protection device of the present invention. For example, rotational acceleration may cause vibrations. Furthermore, a large force on the head may cause neck injuries. If the helmet forms part of the protection device of the present invention, the risk of impact is significantly reduced.

[0028] Possible applications of the protection device include examples of traffic and sports implementations. The protection device is particularly suitable for activities prone to accidents.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of exemplary embodiments together with the attached schematic drawings. Functionally similar elements illustrated in the drawings are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a protection device according to a first embodiment, in which the protection portion of the airbag is inflated and located at a first position. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the protection device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane A-A in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows the article of FIG. 1 in which the protection portion of the airbag is in a second position. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of the protection device shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a protection device according to a second embodiment, in which the protection portion of the airbag is inflated and located at a first position. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows the article of FIG. 1 in which the protection portion of the airbag is in a second position. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a protection device in which the wearable is wearable, and the protection portion of the airbag is in a first position in a schematic side view. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows the protection device of FIG. 8 in which the protection portion of the airbag is in a second position.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0030] Figures 1 to 4 provide various precise schematic diagrams of the protective device 10 according to the first embodiment, and Figures 5 to 7 schematically show the protective device 10 according to the second embodiment. The illustrated protective device 10 comprises a wearable 20 which may be a helmet according to exemplary embodiments as shown in Figures 8 and 9. Throughout Figures 1 to 7, only cutouts of the wearable 20 focusing on the support surface 21 of the wearable 20 are shown for clarity. The wearable 20 is a section of the outer surface of the wearable 20 and has a support surface 21 that is oriented toward the environment away from the part of the human body to be protected. In the case of a helmet (Figures 8 and 9), the support surface is usually convex, but for clarity, Figures 1 to 7 show a flat support surface. Therefore, it should be understood that the principle described with reference to Figures 1 to 7 can also be applied to wearables (especially helmets) having non-planar, and in particular convex, support surfaces.

[0031] An airbag 30 is positioned on the support surface 21 of the wearable 20. The airbag 30 comprises an inflatable protective portion 31 having an outer surface 32. The protective portion 31 is connected to an inflator (not shown) via a connecting wire 35 and is deployed (meaning inflated) when a hazardous event is detected. As is known in the art, a trigger device is provided that triggers the inflator when a critical event is detected, for example, when acceleration or deceleration exceeding a predetermined threshold is detected. The outer surface 32 of the protective portion 31 includes a first portion 33 facing the support surface 21 of the wearable 20 and a second portion 34 facing away from the support surface 21.

[0032] For example, an airbag that can be formed as a one-piece woven (OPW) airbag further comprises a non-inflatable boundary 36. In the illustrated embodiment, this boundary continuously surrounds the protective portion 31, but it can also be subdivided into multiple flaps. The non-inflatable boundary 36 is provided with elongated holes 52, through which a breakable bar 51, which is part of the non-inflatable boundary 36, passes. In the case of a flat support surface, all elongated holes 52 have the same orientation. Fastening elements 40 in the form of bolts extend through each elongated hole 52. Note that all fastening elements 40 are positioned on the same side of each bar 51. The elongated holes 52 with the bar 51 and the mounting elements 40 form a mounting means 50.

[0033] To improve the protective device 10 with respect to its deceleration and energy absorption characteristics, the protective device 10 includes a displaceable means having a displaceable state that allows displacement of at least one section of the protective portion 31 (in the illustrated embodiment, the entire protective portion 31) relative to the support surface 21, including the first portion 33 and the second portion 34 of the outer surface 32. Thus, the protective portion 31 of the airbag 30 is provided with limited mobility, thereby reducing the force peak when a tangential force acts on the second portion of the outer surface 32.

[0034] According to the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, the mounting means 50 described above forms a displaceable means. In the illustrated embodiment, these displaceable means include not only a displaceable state but also a non-displaceable state that exists as long as the breakable bar 51 is intact. In this state, the airbag cannot move substantially along the support surface 21. The breakable bar 51 is configured to break when a tangential force in direction T applied to the first portion 33 of its outer surface exceeds a predetermined threshold. When the breakable bar 51 breaks, the displacement-allowing means enters a changeable state in which the elongated hole 52 can slide along the fastening element 40, restricting the protective portion 31 from moving along the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 52.

[0035] In Figure 1, the protective device 10 is shown in a state corresponding to the initial first position of the protective portion 31, in which the displaceable means 50 is in a non-displaceable state in which the breakable bar 51 and mounting elements 40 prevent translational motion of the protective portion 31. In Figure 4, the protective device 10 is shown in a state corresponding to the second maximum displacement position of the protective portion 31, in which position the displaceable means 50 is in a displaceable state. In the second state, the breakable bar 51 is broken, and the protective portion 31 slides along the support surface 21 until each fastening element 40 reaches the end of its elongated hole 52, thereby performing linearly guided sliding motion. The length of each elongated hole 52 can be, for example, 10 to 20 mm, thus allowing for a corresponding displacement distance. The displacement distance is the length of the elongated hole minus the diameter of the portion of the mounting element extending through the elongated hole.

[0036] Although the outer surface 32 of the protective portion 31 and the support surface 21 are theoretically shown schematically as flat and parallel surfaces, at least the support surface 21 may actually be formed as a curved surface such that the displacement corresponds rather to tangential movement. In other words, the direction of displacement is essentially tangential to the section of the support surface 21 along which the section of the protective portion 31 extends.

[0037] According to the second embodiment shown in Figures 6 and 7, the displaceable means 50 includes a projection 53 extending from the protective portion 31. In the illustrated embodiment, the projection 53 is an integral part of the airbag and therefore deploys together with the protective portion 31 when it inflates. The projection 53 is configured to deform elastically in a shearing motion so that when a tangential force acts on the second portion 34 of the outer surface of the protective portion 31, the protective portion moves in a combination of tangential and perpendicular motion with respect to the support surface 21. Since the projection needs to be deformed during the entire movement of the protective portion, energy dissipation is relatively large.

[0038] Embodiments are possible that combine the principles shown in Figures 1 to 5 with the principles shown in Figures 6 and 7.

[0039] Figures 8 and 9 schematically illustrate a protective device in which the wearable 20 is a helmet. In Figure 8, the airbag (and therefore its protective portion) is in the first position. In Figure 9, the airbag is in the second position.

[0040] According to the embodiments described, beneficial mounting and displacement concepts are provided, thus enabling limited mobility of the protective portion 31 of the airbag 30. The present invention can particularly help reduce the rotational force acting on the user's head and neck when the protective device collides with an obstacle such as a road in sliding motion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10 Protective Devices 20 Wearables / Helmets 21 Support surface 30 airbags 31 Protected part 33 The first part of the outer surface 34 Second part of the outer surface 36 Non-expandable boundary 35 connecting wires 40 Fastening elements 50 Mounting means 51 Breakable Bar 52 long hole 53 Protrusion

Claims

1. A protective device (10) for protecting a part of the human body, wherein the protective device (10) A wearable (20) having a support surface (21), An airbag (30) having a protective portion (31) having an outer surface (32), wherein, at least in the deployed state of the protective portion (31), the outer surface (32) comprises a first portion (33) facing the support surface (21) and a second portion (34) facing away from the support surface (21), The device includes an attachment means (50) for fixing the airbag (30) to the wearable (20), The protective device (10) comprises a displaceable means (50) having a displaceable state that allows displacement of at least one section of the protective portion (31), and the protective portion is characterized in that the protective portion includes the first portion (33) and the second portion (34) of the outer surface (32) with respect to the support surface (21).

2. The protective device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the direction of the displacement is essentially tangential to the section of the support surface (21) along which the section of the protective portion (31) extends.

3. The protective device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the section of the protective portion (31) has an initial first position and a second position of maximum displacement.

4. The protective device (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the distance between the first position and the second position is 5 to 40 mm, preferably 10 to 30 mm, and particularly 10 to 25 mm.

5. The protective device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further characterized in that the displaceable means (50) further includes a non-displaceable state that does not allow substantial displacement of the section of the expanded protective portion.

6. The protective device (10) according to claim 3, 4, and 5, characterized in that the displaceable means (50) locks the section of the protective portion (31) to its first position until a force having a tangential portion is applied to the second portion (34) of the outer surface (32), and the tangential portion exceeds a predetermined threshold.

7. The protective device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting means (50) forms at least a portion of the displaceable means.

8. A protective device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least one projection (53) extends from the protective portion (31) toward the support surface (21), and the at least one projection (53) deforms during the displacement such that the at least one projection (53) forms at least a portion of the displaceable means.

9. The protective device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the displaceable means (50) allows substantially the entire protective portion (31) of the airbag (30) to be displaced.

10. The protective device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the wearable (20) is a helmet.

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