A system for forming a deep drawn helmet and method therefor are disclosed. The system includes a forming draw ring and a non-forming draw ring and supports a prepreg stack between a forming aperture of the forming draw ring and a non-forming aperture of the non-forming draw ring. The system clamps a flange portion of the prepreg stack between a contact surface of the forming draw ring and a contact surface of the non-forming draw ring, which forms a clamped assembly of the rings and the prepreg stack. The system then forms a deep drawn helmet preform from the prepreg stack of the clamped assembly. The same system or a different forming system then consolidates one or more of the preforms into a final deep drawn helmet. The system can control sliding of the flange during forming of the helmet preform without reducing the flange clamping force.

A method for fabricating a strengthened plastic shell of a safety helmet and a helmet structure fabricated using the method are disclosed. The method includes providing at least one fiber layer and at least one shell that has a thin, flat structure; binding the fiber layer to the shell to form a preform; heating and pressing the preform with a first forming module, so that at least some local, surface texture of the shell is fused with or interlaced with the fiber layer to form an assembly that has a helmet-like shape (or contour); and arranging a foam material at an inner surface of the assembly and attaching the foam material over the inner surface of the assembly using a second forming module, thereby forming a helmet structure. The method makes the overall fabrication less complicated and less time-consuming as compared to the prior art.

A system for forming a deep drawn helmet and method therefor are disclosed. The system includes a forming draw ring and a non-forming draw ring and supports a prepreg stack between a forming aperture of the forming draw ring and a non-forming aperture of the non-forming draw ring. The system clamps a flange portion of the prepreg stack between a contact surface of the forming draw ring and a contact surface of the non-forming draw ring, which forms a clamped assembly of the rings and the prepreg stack. The system then forms a deep drawn helmet preform from the prepreg stack of the clamped assembly. The same system or a different forming system then consolidates one or more of the preforms into a final deep drawn helmet. The system can control sliding of the flange during forming of the helmet preform without reducing the flange clamping force.

The invention relates to helmets designed to protect their wearers from ballistic impacts and shrapnel. Such helmets are well-known, and are the current standard for law enforcement and military use alike. Whereas such helmets used to be made solely of steel, combat helmets are today manufactured primarily from polymer composites such as aramid and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, and metal helmets have been largely superseded in common use, if not considered entirely obsolete, since the 1980s. The present invention, described herein, allows for the production of a modern steel helmet which is lightweight and exhibits excellent ballistic performanceperformance which is comparable if not superior to that exhibited by the best polymer composite helmets of our day.

A system for forming a deep drawn helmet and method therefor are disclosed. The system includes a forming draw ring and a non-forming draw ring and supports a prepreg stack between a forming aperture of the forming draw ring and a non-forming aperture of the non-forming draw ring. The system clamps a flange portion of the prepreg stack between a contact surface of the forming draw ring and a contact surface of the non-forming draw ring, which forms a clamped assembly of the rings and the prepreg stack. The system then forms a deep drawn helmet preform from the prepreg stack of the clamped assembly. The same system or a different forming system then consolidates one or more of the preforms into a final deep drawn helmet. The system can control sliding of the flange during forming of the helmet preform without reducing the flange clamping force.

A method for manufacturing a high performance thermoplastic matrix composite ballistic helmet includes forming/shaping highly consolidated helmet preforms free of wrinkles and with no cuts or seams from a flat stack of 0/90 uni-directional prepreg layers, both with and without carbon epoxy skins or layers, using a pressure forming process. The wrinkle free and no cuts pre-formed helmet shell is pre-heated and placed between match-metal dies in a compression molding press to be molded under constant pressure during heating at high temperature and cooling down to below 160 F. in less than 45 minutes.

The present disclosure is for a luminous helmet, comprising an outer shell configured to fit over a human head, an inner shell, a light-emitting band arranged along an elongated slit opening on the outer shell, and a light transmitting groove enclosing the light emitting band. In the manufacturing process, the outer shell was formed first, with a slit cut to match the light transmitting groove. The light-transmitting groove, comprising fixing grooves, engage fixing strips extending from edges of the outer shell along the slit opening. This structure then serves as a base to house the light-emitting band, and to receive pressure injection of the inner shell material.

The present invention is applicable to the field of bicycle motion protection and safeguard equipment. The present invention discloses a luminous helmet, including an outer shell and an inner shell in joint connection with the outer shell, a light emitting band is arranged between the inner shell and the outer shell, the outer shell is provided with a strip-shaped fixing hole at the position of the light emitting band, a light transmission groove for accommodating the light emitting band is formed in the fixing hole, and an extension part extending toward the outer side is arranged at the opening of the light transmission groove. During blister forming of the outer shell, the blister forming is carried out after the whole PC sheet is colored, the area requiring light transmission is cut to form the fixing hole, and the light transmission groove and the fixing hole are fixed to form a light transmission structure. No light transmission blank area needs to be arranged on the PC sheet, thereby preventing the deviation between an uncolored blank area of a light transmission position and a light emission position of the formed outer shell from affecting the beautiful appearance and quality of a product in a production process, improving the production efficiency of the luminous helmet and reducing the production cost.

A lightweight helmet according to an embodiment of the present invention may have a fiber sheet layer formed of a reinforced fiber, and a porous foamed plastic layer thermally bonded and formed on one surface or both surfaces of the fiber sheet layer, and the fiber sheet layer and the porous foamed plastic layer may be alternatingly formed in duplicate or more.

A system for forming a deep drawn helmet and method therefor are disclosed. The system includes a forming draw ring and a non-forming draw ring and supports a prepreg stack between a forming aperture of the forming draw ring and a non-forming aperture of the non-forming draw ring. The system clamps a flange portion of the prepreg stack between a contact surface of the forming draw ring and a contact surface of the non-forming draw ring, which forms a clamped assembly of the rings and the prepreg stack. The system then forms a deep drawn helmet preform from the prepreg stack of the clamped assembly. The same system or a different forming system then consolidates one or more of the preforms into a final deep drawn helmet. The system can control sliding of the flange during forming of the helmet preform without reducing the flange clamping force.