Padding of the inner cap of a safety helmet

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a padding of the inner cap of a safety helmet.

[0002] The padding according to this invention is suitable for various types of safety helmets, both for civilian and military use; for example, it may be inserted, in either a fixed or removable manner, inside an aeronautical or infantry helmet, an automobile, motorcycle or bicycle helmet, a helmet for firemen, building site workers or for sports purposes, etc.

[0003] The helmet is a protective structure worn on a person's head, and rests mainly on the neurocranium, or skull, and, in certain cases, partially on the splanchnocranium, or facial skeleton.

[0004] The helmet comprises an inner cap and an outer rigid shell, which is generally connected to a strap that tightens beneath the chin.

[0005] In case of impact, the outer shell transmits the pressure wave to the skull or to the face of the person through the inner cap. The function of the inner cap is to mitigate and uniformly distribute the load to the head of the person wearing the helmet. The inner cap comprises a soft padding, which comes into contact with the head, and a semi-rigid shell, generally made of polystyrene, placed between the padding and the outer rigid shell.

[0006] The padding, made of resilient material, for example sponge rubber, must fit closely to the head of the person wearing the helmet, so that the helmet may not easily slip off. At the same time, the padding must be comfortable for the wearer and, if necessary, permit adequate aeration.

[0007] The prior art helmets have certain shortcoming. A first shortcoming is due to the fact that they exert a pressure on the temporal and mardibular areas of the head which disturbs the proprioceptive and exteroceptive functions.

[0008] FR 2786670 discloses a helmet comprising a hardshell that encases a central core and custioning areas having differing densities, such that during an impact the deformation varies with the area of the head that is covered.

[0009] As is known, the posture of the body and the reciprocal position of the neck and the trunk are maintained by means of a complex relationship between sensory information and commands to the motor muscles. The processing, coordination and integration of the sensory information takes place by means of a "position control system" which assigns complete control of the movements to the brain.

[0010] When the human body is subjected to a frontal or lateral acceleration, the head, due to the effect of the acceleration, tends to extend either backwards or sideways along the axis of the first cervical vertebra.

[0011] This force is opposed by the muscles of the front axis, which, by contracting, stiffen the front part of the neck. In order to obtain this effect, the person clenches the dental arches thereby contracting the temporal, masseter and other muscles.

[0012] If, however, a muscle contracts whilst a pressure force is simultaneously applied on the central part of the muscle, this force causes an increase in tension on the muscle's tendons with the activation of the Golgi tendon organs.

[0013] As is known, the Golgi tendon organs react to an excess of muscular tension, producing a relaxation of the muscle.

[0014] The compression of the temporal area and masseteric area by the helmet causes the activation of the Golgi tendon organs which, as mentioned above, cause an inhibitory effect with relative involuntary relaxation of the muscles. This relaxation does not, therefore, enable the teeth to be clenched with the necessary force, and this causes a negative reflex on the neck muscles which cannot contract in an optimum manner.

[0015] Consequently, there is an adverse affect in terms both of safety and physical performance.

[0016] A second shortcoming of the prior art helmets is due to the fact that, during the growing age, a prolonged pressure on the temporal area may influence or alter the person's growth, with possible deformations of the jaw.

[0017] Another shortcoming is due to the fact that the compression of the temporal area, increased by the contraction of the temporal muscle, disturbs the primary cranial respiration. As is known, the skull expands and contracts by approximately 6.5 - 9 microns: exhalation widens the two temporal bones and inhalation lengthens the cranial theca.

[0018] The aim of this invention is to provide a padding of the inner cap of a safety helmet which overcomes the above-mentioned shortcomings.

[0019] According to this invention, the above-mentioned aim is achieved by providing a padding of the inner cap of a safety helmet comprising the characteristics shown in one or more of the attached claims.

[0020] The invention will now be described by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• figure 1 is a schematic view, with a part removed for purposes of clarity, of a helmet fitted with a padding according to this invention;
• figure 2 schematically illustrates a skull and shows the position of the temporal and Masseter muscles;
• figure 3 shows the position and the shape of the padding of figure 1 with respect to the skull of figure 2; and
• figure 4 shows the position and the shape of an embodiment of the padding according to this invention with respect to the wearer's head.

[0021] With reference to figure 1, numeral 1 denotes a safety helmet, comprising an inner cap 2 and an outer rigid shell 3.

[0022] The helmet 1 shown is, in particular, an automobile or motorcycle helmet, but, more generally, it could be any helmet for civilian or military purposes. The inner cap 2 is formed of a soft padding 4, which comes into contact with the head, and a semi-rigid shell 5, placed between the padding 4 and the outer rigid shell 3.

[0023] The padding 4, which may be fixed in place, that is, permanently attached to the helmet 1, or removable, is shaped in such a way that, when worn, it rests and presses only on certain parts of the neurocranium and the splanchnocranium. In particular, as shown by the comparison between figures 2 and 3, the padding 4 has material removed, respectively, in its areas 6 corresponding to the temporal muscles MT, in its areas 7 corresponding to the masseter muscles MM and in its area 8 corresponding to the nape N.

[0024] In other words, the padding 4 is shaped so that it comes into contact with the frontal, parietal and occipital areas, with the cheek and the cheek bone, and selectively excludes contact with the temporal area, the masseteric area and the nape.

[0025] The material is removed from one side of the padding 4 to the other, that is, it consists of an effective absence of material, but, alternatively, it could concern only a surface layer of the padding 4, that is, according to an embodiment not illustrated, it could extend only to a partial depth, with a thickness less than the thickness of the padding 4. In both cases, it should be noted that the areas 6, 7 and 8 are covered and closed by the semi-rigid shell 5, which, like the rest of the outer rigid shell 3, is advantageously free of openings, at least in its areas corresponding to areas 6, 7 and 8.

[0026] Preferably, as illustrated in figure 3, the removal of material made at the temporal muscles MT is defined by respective through holes 9 having a substantially trapezoidal shape, whilst that made at the masseter muscles MM and nape N is defined by respective moving back of the perimeter boundaries, that is, the padding 4 has a reduced extension in order not to cover the masseter muscles MM and the nape N.

[0027] According to the embodiment shown in figure 4, the holes 9 have a different shape compared with those of figure 3, in particular they have an elongated, substantially elliptical shape.

[0028] If the padding is removable, it may be advantageously customised, both in terms of the size and the shape and the extension of the above-mentioned removal of material. In addition, the padding could be transferred from one helmet to another, or it could replace the traditional one already present in the helmet.

[0029] It is evident that the padding and the helmet described above achieve the above-mentioned aim, since they allow the correct contraction of the temporal and masseter muscles, the correct growth of the jaw and skull and the correct primary cranial respiration.

Claims

1. A padding of the inner cap of a safety helmet, the helmet (1) comprising an outer rigid shell (3) and the inner cap (2) comprising a semi-rigid shell (5) placed between the padding (4) and the outer rigid shell (3), the padding (4) being characterised in that material (9) is removed respectively from its areas (6) corresponding to the temporal muscles (met), the areas (6) corresponding to the temporal muscles (MT) being covered, in the helmet (1), by the semi-rigid shell (5).

2. The padding according to claim 1, characterised in that material is removed respectively from its areas (7) corresponding to the masseter muscles (MM), the areas (7) corresponding to the masseter muscles (MM) being covered, in the helmet (1), by the semi-rigid shell (5).

3. The padding according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that material is removed respectively from its area (8) corresponding to the nape (N), the area (8) corresponding to the nape (N) being covered, in the helmet (1), by the semi-rigid shell (5).

4. The padding according to any of the foregoing claims from 1 to 3, characterised in that the material is removed from one side of the padding (4) to the other, the removed material being closed, in the helmet (1), by the semi-rigid shell (5).

5. The padding according to claim 1, characterised in that the material removed at the temporal muscles (MT) is defined by respective through holes (9), the through holes (9) being closed, in the helmet (1), by the semi-rigid shell (5).

6. The padding according to claim 5, characterised in that the through holes (9) have a substantially trapezoidal shape.

7. The padding according to claim 5, characterised in that the through holes (9) have an elongated shape.

8. The padding according to claim 7, characterised in that the through holes (9) have a substantially elliptical shape.

9. A protective helmet, comprising an inner cap (2) and an outer rigid shell (3), the inner cap (2) comprising a soft padding (4), which comes into contact with the head, and a semi-rigid shell (5), placed between the padding (4) and the outer rigid shell (3), the helmet (1) being characterised in that the padding (4) is made according to any of the foregoing claims from 1 to 8.

10. The helmet according to claim 9, characterised in that the padding (4) may be removed from the helmet (1).

Ansprüche

1. Polsterung der Innenkappe eines Sicherheitshelms, wobei der Helm (1) eine steife Außenschale (3) und die Innenkappe (2) eine halbsteife Schale (5) umfasst, die zwischen der Polsterung (4) und der steifen Außenschale (3) angeordnet ist, wobei die Polsterung (4) dadurch gekennzeichnet ist, dass jeweils aus ihren Bereichen (6), die den Schläfenmuskeln (MT) entsprechen, Material (9) entfernt wird, wobei die den Schläfenmuskeln (MT) entsprechenden Bereiche (6) im Helm (1) durch die halbsteife Schale (5) bedeckt werden.

2. Polsterung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass jeweils aus ihren Bereichen (7), die dem Masseter (MM) entsprechen, Material entfernt wird, wobei die dem Masseter (MM) entsprechenden Bereiche im Helm (1) durch die halbsteife Schale (5) bedeckt werden.

3. Polsterung nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass jeweils aus ihrem Bereich (8), der dem Nacken (N) entspricht, Material entfernt wird, wobei der dem Nacken (N) entsprechende Bereich (8) im Helm (1) durch die halbsteife Schale (5) bedeckt wird.

4. Polsterung nach einem der vorangehenden Ansprüche 1 bis 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Material von einer Seite der Polsterung (4) bis zur anderen entfernt wird, wobei das entfernte Material im Helm (1) durch die halbsteife Schale (5) verschlossen wird.

5. Polsterung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das bei den Schläfenmuskeln (MT) entfernte Material durch jeweilige Durchgangslöcher (9) definiert ist, wobei die Durchgangslöcher (9) im Helm (1) durch die halbsteife Schale (5) verschlossen werden.

6. Polsterung nach Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Durchgangslöcher (9) im Wesentlichen trapezförmig sind.

7. Polsterung nach Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Durchgangslöcher (9) langgestreckt sind.

8. Polsterung nach Anspruch 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Durchgangslöcher (9) im Wesentlichen elliptisch sind.

9. Schutzhelm, umfassend eine Innenkappe (2) und eine steife Außenschale (3), wobei die Innenkappe (2) eine weiche Polsterung (4) umfasst, die mit dem Kopf in Kontakt kommt, sowie eine halbsteife Schale (5), die zwischen der Polsterung (4) und der steifen Außenschale (3) angeordnet ist, wobei der Helm (1) dadurch gekennzeichnet ist, dass die Polsterung (4) nach einem der vorangegangenen Ansprüche 1 bis 8 gefertigt ist.

10. Helm nach Anspruch 9, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Polsterung (4) aus dem Helm (1) entfernt werden kann.

Revendications

1. Rembourrage de la coiffe interne d'un casque de sécurité, le casque (1) comprenant une coque rigide externe (3) et la coiffe interne (2) comprenant une coque semi-rigide (5) placée entre le rembourrage (4) et la coque rigide externe (3), le rembourrage (4) se caractérisant en ce que le matériel (9) s'enlève respectivement de ses logements (6) correspondant aux muscles temporaux (MT), les logements (6) correspondant aux muscles temporaux (MT) étant recouverts, dans le casque (1), par la coque semi-rigide (5).

2. Rembourrage selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que le matériel (9) s'enlève respectivement de ses logements (7) correspondant aux muscles masséters (MM), les logements (7) correspondant aux muscles masséters (MM) étant recouverts, dans le casque (1), par la coque semi-rigide (5).

3. Rembourrage selon les revendications 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que le matériel s'enlève respectivement de son logement (8) correspondant à la nuque (N), le logement (8) correspondant à la nuque (N) étant recouvert, dans le casque (1), par la coque semi-rigide (5).

4. Rembourrage selon une quelconque des revendications précédentes 1 à 3, caractérisé en ce que le matériel s'enlève d'un côté du rembourrage (4) à l'autre, le matériel enlevé étant fermé, dans le casque (1), par la coque semi-rigide (5).

5. Rembourrage selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que le matériel retiré au niveau des muscles temporaux (MT) est délimité par des trous traversants respectifs (9), les trous traversants (9) étant fermés, dans le casque (1), par la coque semi-rigide (5).

6. Rembourrage selon la revendication 5, caractérisé en ce que les trous traversants (9) ont une forme essentiellement trapézoïdale.

7. Rembourrage selon la revendication 5, caractérisé en ce que les trous traversants (9) ont une forme allongée.

8. Rembourrage selon la revendication 7, caractérisé en ce que les trous traversants (9) ont une forme essentiellement elliptique.

9. Casque de sécurité, comprenant une coiffe interne (2) et une coque rigide externe (3), la coiffe interne (2) comprenant un rembourrage souple (4), qui entre en contact avec la tête, et une coque semi-rigide (5) placée entre le rembourrage (4) et la coque rigide externe (3), le casque (1) se caractérisant en ce que le rembourrage (4) est fait selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes 1 à 8.

10. Casque selon la revendication 9, caractérisé en ce que le rembourrage (4) peut s'enlever du casque (1).

Drawing