Baseball helmet

Abstract

The present invention relates to a baseball helmet including a first body and a second body detachably coupled to the first body by a coupler and separated from the first body when an impact is applied thereto by a thrown baseball, wherein the first body and the second body coupled by the coupler form a wearing space portion therein, and separation of the second body allows vibrations in the wearing space portion to be dissipated.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a baseball helmet that, when a thrown baseball hits an outer surface of a helmet worn by a hitter, allows vibrations caused by the impact to be dissipated inside the corresponding helmet to maximize an effect of protecting the hitter's head.BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Helmets have a function of protecting the wearer's head from an impact that may be applied from the outside and are worn while doing ground leisure activities such as cycling, motorcycling, and skateboarding as well as playing sports such as baseball or rugby.

[0003] In particular, conventional baseball helmets worn by hitters in baseball games that are worn to prevent head injuries due to baseballs thrown by pitchers are typically made of a hard material such as metal or have an impact-mitigating cushioning material or the like provided in the corresponding helmets to protect the hitter's head.

[0004] However, when outer surfaces of the conventional helmets are hit by thrown baseballs and an impact is generated, vibrations are applied to the space inside the helmets into which the corresponding hitter's head is inserted, and ringing in the brain occurs.

[0005] That is, there is a problem in that, unless the helmet comes off due to being hit by a baseball, vibrations caused by the impact are transmitted intact to the space inside the corresponding helmet, and ringing in the brain occurs inside the hitter's head, which may cause additional accidents.DISCLOSURETechnical Problem

[0006] The present invention has been proposed to address the above-described problem and is directed to, when an impact is applied to an outer surface of a helmet worn by a hitter due to a thrown baseball in a baseball game, dissipating vibrations transmitted to the space inside the corresponding helmet to effectively improve efficiency of protecting the hitter's head.Technical Solution

[0007] A baseball helmet according to the present invention includes a first body and a second body detachably coupled to the first body by a coupler and separated from the first body when an impact is applied thereto by a thrown baseball, wherein the first body and the second body coupled by the coupler form a wearing space portion therein, and separation of the second body allows vibrations in the wearing space portion to be dissipated.

[0008] Also, the first body may include an impact mitigating portion configured to absorb the impact of the baseball and change an advancing direction of the corresponding baseball, and the impact mitigating portion may be installed to pass through the first body for one side of the impact mitigating portion to be located inside the wearing space portion.

[0009] Also, the impact mitigating portion may include a first impact mitigating material and a second impact mitigating material, the first impact mitigating material may be provided as a plurality of first impact mitigating materials each of which is made of an elastically-restorable elastic material having a predetermined length and installed to be inserted to pass through the first body so that one side is located in the wearing space portion and the other side is exposed to the outside of the first body, the second impact mitigating material may be made of the same material as the first impact mitigating materials and have one surface detachably attached to the first impact mitigating materials, and adsorption ports that allow the first impact mitigating materials to be adsorbed to the second impact mitigating material may be formed at one side or both side of each of the first impact mitigating materials.

[0010] In addition, the second impact mitigating material that has the one surface attached to the first impact mitigating materials through the absorption ports may have the other surface formed in a dome shape to, when the thrown baseball directly hits the other surface of the second impact mitigating material, change the advancing direction of the corresponding baseball together with the first impact mitigating materials, and simultaneously, absorb the impact.Advantageous Effects

[0011] According to the present invention, different from the conventional baseball helmets, when a thrown baseball hits a first body, a second body coupled to the first body is separated to allow vibrations caused by the impact to be dissipated in a wearing space portion. In this way, there is an effect of preventing a head injury of a wearer.

[0012] Also, different from the conventional baseball helmets, when the thrown baseball hits an outer surface of a second impact mitigating material provided in the first body, the impact is absorbed and attenuated by the second impact mitigating material and first impact mitigating materials. In this way, there is an effect of minimizing the intensity of vibrations in the wearing space portion.DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a state of a baseball helmet according to the present invention before separation.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a separated state of the baseball helmet according to the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a view illustrating another embodiment of a second body of the baseball helmet according to the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a view illustrating first and second embodiments of a coupler of the baseball helmet according to the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a state in which an impact mitigating portion is disposed on the baseball helmet according to the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a view illustrating through-holes of a first body of FIG. 5.

[0019] FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG. 5.

[0020] FIG. 8 is a view illustrating configurations of the impact mitigating portion of FIG. 5.

[0021] FIG. 9 is a view illustrating another embodiment of a second impact mitigating material of FIG. 8.DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS1: Baseball helmet according to the present invention

[0023] 100: First body

[0024] 110: Through-hole

[0025] 200: Second body

[0026] 300: Coupler

[0027] 310: Protruding portion 320: Coupling groove

[0028] 330: Metal body 340: Magnet body

[0029] 400: Impact mitigating portion

[0030] 410: First impact mitigating material 411: impact mitigating body

[0031] 413: Adsorption port 415: Stopper

[0032] 420: Second impact mitigating material 421: Reinforcing material

[0033] C: Connecting portion

[0034] S: Wearing space portionModes of the Invention

[0035] Hereinafter, a baseball helmet (hereinafter briefly referred to as “helmet”) according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to the description, it should be noted that a first body 100 described below is a portion of a helmet 1 according to the present invention that faces a pitcher after a hitter wearing the helmet 1 steps up to the plate.

[0036] First, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the helmet 1 according to the present invention mainly includes the first body 100 and a second body 200 detachably coupled to the first body 100 and may, as necessary, further include an impact mitigating portion 400 configured to, when a baseball hits the first body 100 at a certain speed, absorb the impact and change an advancing direction of the baseball to protect the body of the hitter (refers to the person wearing the helmet) from the corresponding baseball (see FIG. 9).

[0037] More specifically, the first body 100 is detachably coupled to the second body 200, which will be described below, with a connecting portion C therebetween to form the shape of the baseball helmet 1 worn on the hitter's head as a whole, and when an external impact is applied by the baseball at a certain speed, the second body 200 may be separated from the first body 100.

[0038] Here, at least one or more second bodies 200 may be detachably coupled to the first body 100 and formed in a dome shape as a whole for a wearing space portion S, into which the wearer's head is placed, to be formed therein after coupling.

[0039] Further, the first body 100 and the second body 200 may be detachably coupled by a coupler 300, and any one of a first embodiment in which coupling is performed by male-female coupling and a second embodiment in which coupling is performed by a magnetic force may be applied to the coupler 300 of the present invention.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 4, the coupler 300 according to the first embodiment includes a protruding portion 310 and a coupling groove 320. The coupler 300 may have the connecting portion C where the first body 100 and the second body 200 come in surface contact with each other or may have the protruding portion 310 and the coupling groove 320 formed to face each other at the connecting portion C where the first body 100 and the second body 200 come in surface contact with each other to allow coupling between the first body 100 and the second body 200 while the shapes thereof fit each other (see FIGS. 4A and 4B).

[0041] Also, the coupler 300 according to the second embodiment includes a metal body 330 and a magnet body 340 to allow the connecting portion C to be attached by a magnetic force. As in the coupler 300 of the first embodiment described above, the metal body 330 and the magnet body 340 are disposed to face each other at the corresponding connecting portion C, and the magnet body 340 may be attached to the metal body 330 due to the magnetic force of the magnet body 340 (see FIG. 4C).

[0042] Here, the metal body 330 may also be omitted when the first body 100 and the second body 200 are formed of a metal material that may be attached due to the magnetic force of the magnet body 340.

[0043] In this way, when the baseball thrown by a pitcher hits the first body 100, the vibrations may cause the components of the coupler 300 according to the first or second embodiment to be separated from each other and at least one or more second bodies 200 coupled to the first body 100 to be separated therefrom.

[0044] Also, the second body 200 is a component that is coupled to the above-described first body 100 by the coupler 300 and separated from the first body 100 when an impact is applied thereto by the baseball thrown to the first body 100 to allow vibrations caused by the impact to be dissipated in the wearing space portion S.

[0045] For example, the second body 200 may be symmetrically coupled to the first body 100 through the coupler 300 for the wearing space portion S to be formed, and the second body 200 coupled to the first body 100 may be provided as a single second body 200 or a plurality of second bodies 200 detachable from the first body 100 (see FIG. 3).

[0046] Here, the second body 200 may be provided as the plurality of second bodies 200 to, when an impact is generated in the first body 100 due to the baseball, maximize an effect of allowing the wearing space portion S formed in the helmet 1 to have an open form due to at least any one of the second bodies 200 separated from the first body 100 and allowing vibrations that may be present in the wearing space portion S to be easily discharged through the open portion and dissipated.

[0047] Also, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 8, the impact mitigating portion 400 is a component for minimizing a primary impact applied to the first body 100 by the thrown baseball to protect the wearer's head and minimize the intensity of vibrations generated in the wearing space portion S. The impact mitigating portion 400 includes a first impact mitigating material 410 and a second impact mitigating material 420, and both the first impact mitigating material 410 and the second impact mitigating material 420 are made of an elastic material such as rubber, silicone, and urethane that is elastically restorable relative to an external force, and when an impact is applied, absorb or attenuate the impact to protect the wearer's head from the impact.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 8, at least one or more first impact mitigating materials 410 are inserted to pass through the first body 100. The first impact mitigating material 410 is a component that has one end supporting the wearer's head and the other end attached to the second impact mitigating material 420, which will be described below, after being inserted to prevent an external impact from being transmitted to the wearer together with the second impact mitigating material 420. The first impact mitigating material 410 includes an impact mitigating body 411, an adsorption port 413, and a stopper 415.

[0049] The impact mitigating body 411 is formed in the shape of a column with a solid cross-section as a whole and may be provided as a plurality of impact mitigating bodies 411 that are equal in number to through-holes 110 formed in the first body 100 and inserted to pass through the through-holes 110.

[0050] The plurality of impact mitigating bodies 411 inserted into the through-holes 110 are inserted at different insertion depths in order to be inserted to allow one end of each of the impact mitigating bodies 411 to support the wearer's head regardless of the wearer's head shape to reduce an inconvenience of the wearer by the impact mitigating bodies 411.

[0051] The adsorption port 413 may be formed at each of both sides of the impact mitigating body 411 and have one end adsorbed to the wearer's head in a vacuum manner and the other end detachably adsorbed to the second impact mitigating material 420 to prevent movement of the wearer's head after the wearer wears the helmet 1 and prevent an external impact from being transmitted to the helmet 1 by the second impact mitigating material 420.

[0052] Further, although the adsorption port 413 is illustrated as being formed at each of both sides of the impact mitigating body 411 in the present invention, this is only one embodiment, and the adsorption port 413 may also be formed only at one side or the other side of each of the plurality of impact mitigating bodies 411 as necessary.

[0053] The stopper 415 is provided as a plurality of stoppers 415 formed to neighbor each other on an outer surface of the impact mitigating body 411 in the longitudinal direction thereof. The stoppers 415 are caught at ends of the through-holes 110 in stages to limit an insertion length of the impact mitigating body 411 inserted to pass through the first body 100 and, when the baseball hits an outer surface of the second impact mitigating material 420, attenuate the impact transmitted to the wearer's head.

[0054] That is, when the baseball hits the outer surface of the second impact mitigating material 420 and an impact is generated, the second impact mitigating material 420 is pressed, and thus the impact mitigating body 411 moves toward the user's head, and here, the plurality of stoppers 415 formed on the impact mitigating body 411 move to be caught at the ends of the through-holes 110 in stages and attenuate the impact.

[0055] To this end, the stoppers 415 formed to protrude in a ring shape on an outer surface of the impact mitigating body 411 have an outer diameter formed to be greater than a diameter of the through-holes 110 to limit the insertion length of the impact mitigating body 411 inserted into the first body 100, or when the impact mitigating body 411 moves due to the impact transmitted from the second impact mitigating material 420, allow the stoppers 415 to be sequentially caught at the ends of the through-holes 110.

[0056] The second impact mitigating material 420 is a component attached to the other side of the above-described first impact mitigating material 410 to absorb an impact applied to the head of the wearer wearing the helmet 1 together with the first impact mitigating material 410.

[0057] In the present invention, the second impact mitigating material 420 has an outer surface (the surface hit by the ball) formed in a dome shape as a whole and an inner surface formed to be flat to facilitate attachment of the adsorption port 413 to absorb an impact applied from the outside by the material thereof.

[0058] That is, the outer surface of the second impact mitigating material 420 has a dome shape to, when the baseball having a spherical shape hits the outer surface of the second impact mitigating material 420 having a dome shape, allow the corresponding baseball to bounce in a direction opposite to the advancing direction thereof.

[0059] Of course, like the outer surface of the second impact mitigating material 420, the inner surface thereof may also be formed in the shape of a dome-shaped groove having a depth toward the corresponding outer surface to, when the impact mitigating bodies 411 inserted into the through-holes 110 have different exposure lengths, facilitate adsorption by the adsorption ports 413.

[0060] Meanwhile, in the present invention, the second impact mitigating material 420 may further include a reinforcing material 421, which is harder than the material of the second impact mitigating material 420 and has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the outer surface of the second impact mitigating material 420, disposed at the outer surface directly hit by the baseball to further facilitate bouncing of the baseball and absorption of the impact (see FIG. 8C).

[0061] Further, in the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the second impact mitigating material 420 may be formed to extend to the vicinity of an upper end portion of the first body 100 or separately provided (not illustrated) at a rear surface of the corresponding first body 100 to increase a protective area for the wearer's head to be protected.

[0062] Different from the conventional baseball helmets, in the helmet 1 according to the present invention having the above configuration, when a thrown baseball hits the first body 100, the second body 200 coupled to the first body 100 is separated to allow vibrations caused by the impact to be dissipated in the wearing space portion S. In this way, there is an effect of preventing a head injury of a wearer.

[0063] Also, different from the conventional baseball helmets, when the thrown baseball hits the outer surface of the second impact mitigating material 420 provided in the first body 100, the impact is absorbed and attenuated by the second impact mitigating material 420 and the first impact mitigating materials 410. In this way, there is an effect of minimizing the intensity of vibrations in the wearing space portion S.

[0064] The present invention has been described above using specific details, such as specific components, and some embodiments and drawings, but the description is only provided to facilitate overall understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains may make various modifications and changes from the above description.

[0065] Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be defined as being limited to the embodiments described herein, and not only the claims below but also their equivalents or equivalent modifications fall within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0066] The present invention relates to a baseball helmet that, when a thrown baseball hits an outer surface of a helmet worn by a hitter, allows vibrations caused by the impact to be dissipated inside the corresponding helmet to maximize an effect of protecting the hitter's head. The present invention can prevent players from getting injured and thus has industrial applicability.

Claims

1. A baseball helmet comprising:a first body (100); anda second body (200) detachably coupled to the first body (100) by a coupler (300) and separated from the first body (100) when an impact is applied thereto by a thrown baseball,wherein the first body (100) and the second body (200) coupled by the coupler (300) form a wearing space portion(S) therein, and separation of the second body (200) allows vibrations in the wearing space portion(S) to be dissipated,the first body (100) includes an impact mitigating portion (400) configured to absorb the impact of the baseball and change an advancing direction of the corresponding baseball, the impact mitigating portion (400) being installed to pass through the first body (100) so that one side of the impact mitigating portion (400) is located inside the wearing space portion(S), andthe impact mitigating portion (400) includes a first impact mitigating material (410) and a second impact mitigating material (420), the first impact mitigating material (410) includes a plurality of impact mitigating bodies (411) each of which is formed in the shape of a column with a solid cross-section, made of an elastically-restorable elastic material having a predetermined length, and installed to be inserted to pass through through-holes (110) formed in the first body (100) so that one side is located in the wearing space portion(S) and the other side is exposed to the outside of the first body (100), air-adsorption-type adsorption ports (413) disposed at both sides of each of the impact mitigating bodies (411) and configured to be adsorbed to the second impact mitigating material (420) and the wearer's head, and a plurality of stoppers (415) formed to protrude while neighboring each other on an outer surface of each of the impact mitigating bodies (411) in the longitudinal direction thereof, the second impact mitigating material (420) has one surface detachably attached to each of the impact mitigating bodies (411) by the adsorption ports (413), and the air-adsorption-type adsorption ports (413) are formed at both sides of each of the impact mitigating bodies (411) and have one end adsorbed to the wearer's head located in the wearing space portion(S) in a vacuum manner and the other end detachably adsorbed to the second impact mitigating material (420) to prevent movement of the wearer's head and prevent an external impact from being transmitted to the wearer by the second impact mitigating material (420).

2. The baseball helmet of claim 1, wherein the second impact mitigating material (420) that has the one surface attached to the first impact mitigating material (410) through the absorption port (413) has the other surface formed in a dome shape to, when the thrown baseball directly hits the other surface of the second impact mitigating material (420), change the advancing direction of the corresponding baseball together with the first impact mitigating material (410), and simultaneously, absorb the impact.

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