Helmet having size adjustment function

Abstract

A helmet having a size adjustment function is disclosed. The helmet having a size adjustment function comprises: a shell forming the exterior of the helmet; EPS Styrofoam formed toward the inner surface of the shell; a lining part which comes into contact with the head of a user when the helmet is worn; and an air tube which is formed between the EPS Styrofoam and the lining part, and which controls pressure for adjusting the size of the lining part. Therefore, the size of the lining of the helmet can be adjusted through a simple operation without direct adjustment of a string or a strap, and thus the size of the helmet can be simply adjusted even during riding such that user convenience can be increased.

Description

Helmet with size adjustment function

[0001] The present invention relates to a helmet having a size adjustment function, and relates to a helmet having a size adjustment function for adjusting the size of the helmet lining through an air tube.

[0002] In general, helmets are worn primarily to protect the wearer's head and face, and are used in various outdoor activities such as motorcycles, cycles, racing vehicles, firefighting, and military use.

[0003] These helmets are mainly worn by the wearer when exercising or in dangerous situations, so the wearer must always be careful to tighten the helmet straps to prevent the helmet from coming off the head.

[0004] Additionally, if it is not your own helmet, there is the inconvenience of having to adjust the straps to fit your head circumference.

[0005] In particular, after adjusting the straps to fit your head circumference, there is a problem in that if you want to readjust the size of the helmet while riding a bicycle or motorcycle, you have to use one hand to hold the helmet in place and the other hand to tighten the straps, which makes it difficult to concentrate on driving.

[0006] Accordingly, the need for technology that can more conveniently adjust helmet size has increased.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a helmet having a size adjustment function for adjusting the size of the helmet lining through an air tube.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention for achieving this purpose, a helmet having a size adjustment function includes a shell forming the outer surface of the helmet, EPS Styrofoam formed in the inner side direction of the shell, an inner skin that comes into contact with the user's head when the helmet is worn, and an air tube formed between the EPS Styrofoam and the inner skin and controlling pressure for adjusting the size of the inner skin.

[0009] Here, the air tube can increase or decrease the size of the inner skin by adjusting the space size between the EPS Styrofoam and the inner skin according to the amount of air in the air tube.

[0010] In addition, the inner skin may be made of an elastic material, and the air tube may include an air pump for injecting air into the air tube or for exhausting air from the air tube.

[0011] In addition, the air pump is formed to be exposed on the outer surface of the helmet, and the exposed surface of the air pump is implemented with an elastic member so that it can be pressed by an external force and then restored.

[0012] In addition, the air pump may be configured such that air inside the air tube is discharged through the air pump while the surface of the air pump is continuously pressed by an external force, and when the operation of the surface of the air pump being pressed by an external force and then restored is repeated, air may be injected into the air tube while the surface of the air pump is restored.

[0013] Meanwhile, a helmet equipped with a size adjustment function according to another embodiment of the present invention may include an alarm unit, a pressure sensor attached to the outside of the air tube, and a processor that determines that air injection into the air tube is necessary when a sensing value through the pressure sensor is smaller than a preset value, and controls the processor to output a vibration or sound signal through the alarm unit.

[0014] According to various embodiments of the present invention as described above, the size of the helmet lining can be adjusted through a simple operation without direct adjustment of a string or strap, so that helmet size adjustment can be easily performed even while driving, thereby increasing user convenience.

[0015] Figure 1 is a drawing showing a cross-section of the inside of a helmet for explaining conventional technology.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a cross-section of the inside of a helmet according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b are drawings illustrating an example of an air tube according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b are drawings for explaining a size adjustment process through an air tube according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an air pump according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 6a and FIG. 6b are drawings for explaining the operation process of an air pump according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating a helmet according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, in describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related known functions or configurations will be omitted if they are deemed to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the invention. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined based on their functions in the present invention and may vary depending on the intentions or relationships of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be based on the overall content of this specification.

[0023] Figure 1 is a drawing showing a cross-section of the inside of a helmet for explaining conventional technology.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 1, a helmet (100) for explaining a conventional technology includes a shell (110) forming the outer surface of the helmet, EPS Styrofoam (120) formed in the inner side direction of the shell (110), and an inner skin (130) that comes into contact with the user's head when wearing the helmet.

[0025] Here, the shell (110) provides protection from the primary external impact, and the EPS Styrofoam (120) can provide protection from the impact transmitted from the shell (110).

[0026] The shell (110) can be specifically implemented with a plastic material such as ABS / PC+ABS ALLOY, an FRP material such as GFRP / PREPREG, a carbon material, etc., and here, ABS is an abbreviation for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Stryrene, which is stronger against impact and heat than general plastics and can be widely used as a material for various products such as toys, furniture, sports / automotive products, and electronic devices.

[0027] Additionally, PC+ABS ALLOY is an engineering plastic (EP) that significantly enhances heat and wear resistance by mixing PC (polycarbonate), a petrochemical product, with ABS. It is a reinforced plastic created to replace metal. Accordingly, PC+ABS ALLOY combines the strength and heat resistance of PC with the flexibility of ABS, making it more impact and heat resistant than general plastics, and boasts superior gloss.

[0028] Meanwhile, FRP material is called GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic), and its advantages are that it is lightweight, durable, impact-resistant, wear-resistant, does not rust, has low thermal conductivity, and is easy to process. However, its disadvantage is that it cannot be used at high temperatures.

[0029] In addition, PREPREG is a material that is one step higher than general FRP material, and is stronger in heat and impact than general FRP, and is lighter, so it can be seen as a material that complements the weight aspect, which is one of the conditions for purchasing a motorcycle helmet.

[0030] Additionally, carbon fiber materials are lightweight, elastic, and corrosion-resistant, allowing them to be manufactured into various shapes. They are also stronger and lighter than FRP materials.

[0031] Meanwhile, EPS Styrofoam (120) is an abbreviation for Expanded PolyStyrene. It is very light and has excellent insulation properties, so it is used as wall insulation, ice boxes, and cushioning material. In particular, it is applied by expanding the molding ratio (the size of the EPS bead raw material) differently for each size according to the specifications of the helmet.

[0032] Meanwhile, the helmet (100) of the prior art does not have a separate device inside the helmet for adjusting the size of the inner skin (130), and in order to adjust the size of the inner skin (130), the only method was to adjust the size through a separate size adjustment part for adjusting the size of the inner skin outside the helmet or to adjust the size by tightening the chin strap or strap.

[0033] Accordingly, in order to adjust the size of the inner lining of the helmet (100) by manipulating the size adjustment part existing on the outside of the helmet, there is a problem in that it is difficult to adjust the size of the helmet while driving because the wearer must always hold the helmet (100) with one hand and operate the dial through the size adjustment part with the other hand.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a cross-section of the inside of a helmet according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 2, a helmet (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a shell (110) forming the outer surface of the helmet, EPS Styrofoam (120) formed in the inner side direction of the shell (110), an inner skin (130) that comes into contact with the user's head when the helmet (100) is worn, and an air tube (140) formed between the EPS Styrofoam (120) and the inner skin (130) and controlling pressure for adjusting the size of the inner skin (130).

[0036] This air tube (140) is positioned between the inner skin (130) and the EPS Styrofoam (120), and specifically, the size of the inner skin (130) can be increased or decreased by adjusting the size of the space between the EPS Styrofoam (120) and the inner skin (130) according to the amount of air in the air tube (140).

[0037] That is, when the amount of air in the air tube (140) increases, the air tube (140) expands, increasing the space size between the inner skin (130) and the EPS Styrofoam (120), and accordingly, the pressure on the inner skin (130) increases, allowing the size of the inner skin (130) to be reduced.

[0038] In addition, when the amount of air in the air tube (140) decreases, the air tube (140) contracts, reducing the space size between the inner skin (130) and the EPS Styrofoam (120), and accordingly, the pressure on the inner skin (130) decreases, which can increase the size of the inner skin (130).

[0039] FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b are drawings illustrating an example of an air tube according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 3a, an air tube (140) according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented in the form of an air mattress (310) as shown in FIG. 3a, and the air mattress (310) can also be inserted in a curved shape according to the curved surface inside the helmet (100), and in this case, the size of the inner skin (130) in contact with the air mattress (310) can also be adjusted due to a change in size caused by contraction and expansion of the air mattress (310) depending on the amount of air inside the air mattress (310).

[0041] In addition, referring to FIG. 3b, the air tube (140) according to one embodiment of the present invention can be implemented in the form of an air hose (320) as shown in FIG. 3b, and the air hose (320) is placed only in the area where the inner skin (130) is located, not the entire inside of the helmet (100), or the air hose (320) is placed in a form that horizontally surrounds the outer surface of the inner skin (130), so that the size of the inner skin (130) in contact with the air hose (320) can also be adjusted due to a size change caused by contraction and expansion of the air hose (320) depending on the amount of air inside the air hose (320).

[0042] FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b are drawings for explaining a size adjustment process through an air tube according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 4a, a process of reducing the size of the inner skin (130) during a size adjustment process using an air tube (140) according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

[0044] Specifically, as the amount of air in the air tube (140) formed between the EPS Styrofoam (120) and the inner skin (130) increases, the thickness (410) of the air tube (140) increases, and the space size between the EPS Styrofoam (120) and the inner skin (130) increases, thereby increasing the pressure on the inner skin (130), and consequently reducing the overall size of the inner skin (130), and accordingly, the user can feel that the inner skin (130) is attached to the head and tightened.

[0045] Meanwhile, as the amount of air in the air tube (140) formed between the EPS Styrofoam (120) and the inner skin (130) decreases and the thickness of the air tube (140) decreases, the space size between the EPS Styrofoam (120) and the inner skin (130) decreases, thereby reducing the pressure on the inner skin (130), and consequently increasing the overall size of the inner skin (130), and accordingly, the user can feel that the inner skin (130) is loosely stretched from the head.

[0046] As described above, the space size between the EPS Styrofoam (120) and the inner skin (130) increases or decreases depending on the amount of air in the air tube (140), and the pressure applied by the air tube (140) to the inner skin (130) also changes depending on the change in the space size between the EPS Styrofoam (120) and the inner skin (130), and the size of the inner skin (130) can be adjusted depending on the change in the pressure.

[0047] Meanwhile, the inner skin (130) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be composed of an elastic material, and the air tube (140) may include an air pump for injecting air into the air tube (140) or for exhausting air from the air tube (140).

[0048] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inner skin (130) must be able to increase or decrease in size depending on the amount of air in the air tube (140), so the inner skin (130) can basically be made of an elastic material, and when the amount of air in the air tube (140) increases and the size of the inner skin (130) decreases, and when the amount of air in the air tube (140) decreases and the size of the inner skin (130) increases, since the inner skin (130) is implemented as an elastic material, when the pressure due to the air tube (140) decreases, the inner skin (130) can naturally expand due to the elasticity and increase in size.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an air pump according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 5, an air pump (510) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be formed to be exposed to the outer surface of a helmet (100).

[0051] Specifically, the air pump (510) can be placed anywhere within easy reach of the user's hand, and the user can operate the air pump (510) with only one hand to control the amount of air in the air tube (140) inside the helmet (100), without having to hold the helmet (100) with one hand and adjust the strap or cord with the other hand as before.

[0052] The surface of this air pump (510) is made of an elastic material and can be pressed by an external force and then restored.

[0053] Accordingly, the user can adjust the size of the inner skin (130) inside the helmet (100) by operating the air pump (510) located on the side of the helmet (100) with only one hand while wearing the helmet (100).

[0054] Meanwhile, the air pump (510) discharges air inside the air tube (140) through the air pump (510) while the surface of the air pump (510) is continuously pressed by an external force, and when the operation of the surface of the air pump (510) being pressed by an external force and then restored is repeated, air can be injected into the air tube (140) while the surface of the air pump (510) is restored.

[0055] FIG. 6a and FIG. 6b are drawings for explaining the operation process of an air pump according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 6a, the surface of the air pump (510) according to one embodiment of the present invention is implemented as an elastic member and can be pressed by an external force or the like to change the shape of the surface into a pressed shape as shown in FIG. 6a, and when pressed continuously by an external force for a preset time or longer in this way, air in the air tube (140) can be discharged through the air pump (510) during the time of continuous pressing.

[0057] In addition, referring to FIG. 6b, when the surface of the air pump (510) is pressed by an external force as in FIG. 6a and the external force is removed, the surface of the air pump (510) can be lifted up and restored, and when the motion of the surface of the air pump (510) being pressed by an external force and then restored is repeated, that is, when the user repeatedly presses and releases the surface of the air pump (510), air can be injected into the air tube (140) during the time that the surface of the air pump (510) is restored, that is, during the time that the surface of the air pump (510) is pressed and then restored to a flat state again.

[0058] Meanwhile, as the number of times the surface of the air pump (510) is pressed and restored increases per unit time, i.e., as the time for the surface to be pressed and restored becomes shorter, air can be injected into the air tube (140) more quickly, and as the number of times the surface of the air pump (510) is pressed and restored decreases per unit time, i.e., as the time for the surface to be pressed and restored becomes longer, air can be injected into the air tube (140) more slowly.

[0059] That is, when the size of the inner skin (130) of the helmet (100) needs to be adjusted quickly, the user can adjust the size by quickly pressing the surface of the air pump (510) several times, and when the size of the inner skin (130) of the helmet (100) needs to be adjusted slowly, the user can adjust the size by slowly pressing the surface of the air pump (510) several times.

[0060] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating a helmet according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 7, a helmet (100) according to another embodiment of the present invention may include an alarm unit (150), a pressure sensor (160), and a processor (170), and the alarm unit (150) may display an alarm through vibration or sound.

[0062] In addition, the pressure sensor (160) is attached to the outside of the air tube (140) and can sense the pressure of the EPS styrofoam (120) in contact with the air tube (140) according to the amount of air in the air tube (140).

[0063] In addition, when the sensing value through the pressure sensor (160) is smaller than a preset value, the processor (170) determines that air injection into the air tube (140) is necessary and can control the alarm unit (150) to output a vibration or sound signal.

[0064] Specifically, as the amount of air in the air tube (140) increases and the pressure exerted by the air tube (140) on the EPS Styrofoam (120) increases, the sensing value through the pressure sensor (160) increases, and as the amount of air in the air tube (140) decreases and the pressure exerted by the air tube (140) on the EPS Styrofoam (120) decreases, the sensing value through the pressure sensor (160) decreases.

[0065] Accordingly, when the sensing value through the pressure sensor (160) is smaller than a preset value, the processor (170) can know that the pressure value of the air tube (140) against the EPS Styrofoam (120) is small, and accordingly, the amount of air in the air tube (140) is small.

[0066] And, the processor (170) can determine that air injection into the air tube (140) is necessary.

[0067] Accordingly, if the processor (170) determines that air injection into the air tube (140) is necessary, it can notify the user of this through the alarm unit (150) and can notify the user by outputting a vibration or sound signal.

[0068] And, when the user becomes aware of the output of such vibration or sound signal, he or she can immediately operate the air pump (510) to inject air into the air tube (140).

[0069] Meanwhile, if the sensing value through the pressure sensor (160) is suddenly a very large value, the processor (170) may determine that a very strong impact has been applied to the helmet (100) and may perform the airbag function by amplifying the amount of air in the air tube (140).

[0070] In this way, when an event such as the one described above occurs, the air tube (140) performs the airbag function, so that the user can safely protect his / her head from a large impact through the helmet (100).

[0071] Meanwhile, a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for sequentially performing the control method according to the present invention may be provided.

[0072] A non-transitory readable medium refers to a medium that permanently stores data and can be read by a device, rather than a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as a register, cache, or memory. Specifically, the various applications or programs described above may be stored and provided on non-transitory readable media, such as a CD, DVD, hard disk, Blu-ray disc, USB, memory card, or ROM.

[0073] Additionally, although the above-described block diagram of a helmet with a size-adjustable function does not depict a bus, communication between components in a helmet with a size-adjustable function may be accomplished via a bus. Furthermore, each device may further include a processor, such as a CPU or microprocessor, that performs the various steps described above.

[0074] In addition, although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical idea or prospect of the present invention.

Claims

1. In a helmet with a size adjustment function, SHELL forming the outer surface of the above helmet; EPS Styrofoam formed in the inner side direction of the above shell; The inner skin that comes into contact with the user's head when wearing the above helmet; and A helmet equipped with a size adjustment function, comprising: an air tube formed between the EPS Styrofoam and the inner skin and controlling pressure for adjusting the size of the inner skin.

2. In paragraph 1, The above air tube, A helmet equipped with a size adjustment function, which increases or decreases the size of the inner skin by adjusting the space size between the EPS styrofoam and the inner skin according to the amount of air in the air tube.

3. In paragraph 2, The above inner skin, It is made of elastic material, The above air tube, A helmet having a size-adjustable function, comprising an air pump for injecting air into the air tube or exhausting air from the air tube.

4. In paragraph 3, The above air pump, It is formed to be exposed on the outer surface of the above helmet, A helmet with a size-adjustable function, wherein the surface of the exposed air pump is implemented with an elastic member and can be compressed and then restored by an external force.

5. In paragraph 4, The above air pump, While the surface of the air pump is continuously pressed by an external force, the air inside the air tube is discharged through the air pump. A helmet with a size adjustment function, wherein air is injected into the air tube during the time it takes for the surface of the air pump to be restored when the surface of the air pump is repeatedly pressed and then restored by an external force.

6. In paragraph 5, Alarm; A pressure sensor attached to the outside of the above air tube; and A helmet with a size adjustment function, comprising: a processor that determines that air injection into the air tube is necessary when the sensing value through the pressure sensor is smaller than a preset value, and controls the output of a vibration or sound signal through the alarm unit.

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