PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR PROTECTING A USER' S HEAD AND NECK AREA AGAINST AN IMMINENT IMPACT

Abstract

The present invention comprises a helmet (1) intended to surround the skull of a user (10); wherein the helmet (1) comprises a storage chamber (14) in a rear portion of the helmet (1), and which contains a pressurized gas; an activation mechanism to expand the expandable gas; at least one sensor (5), to detect an imminent accident; a bag (13) housed in the back of the helmet (1), connected to the compressed gas; and a control device (3), for inflating the bag (13) with the expanded pressurized gas moments before an accident detected by the sensor or sensors (5); wherein the bag (13), once inflated (2), emerges from the rear portion of the helmet (1), intended to protect the lateral area of the neck, the cervical area and the base of the skull.

Claims

1. A protection device to protect the cranial and cervical area of a user (10) before an imminent accident, comprising a helmet (1) intended to surround the skull of the user (10); wherein the helmet (1) comprises an inner enclosure to house the skull, characterized in that said helmet further comprises: a storage chamber (14) located in a rear portion of the helmet (1), and containing a pressurized gas, an activation mechanism to expand the expandable gas from the storage chamber (14), at least one sensor (5), to detect an imminent accident, a bag (13) housed in a housing (12) at the back of the helmet (1) and connected to the compressed gas, and a control device (3), connected to the activation mechanism, and to the sensor or sensors (5), to inflate the bag (13) with the pressurized gas expanded moments before an accident detected by the sensor or the sensors (5), wherein the bag (13), once inflated (2), emerges from the rear portion of the helmet (1), with a curved configuration that has a central sector that extends along the bottom and laterally into lateral sectors intended to protect the lateral area of the neck, the cervical area and the base of the skull.

2. The protection device, according to claim 1, characterized in that the helmet (1) comprises a locking mechanism (14) located under the chin of the user (10), which further comprises straps (11) intended to fasten the helmet with respect to the skull.

3. The protection device, according to claim 2, characterized in that the locking mechanism (14) has connectors associated with the control device (3) that activate said control device (3) when the fastening of the locking mechanism (14) takes place.

4. The protection device, according to claim 1, characterized in that the helmet (1) is configured to allow the bag (13) to be replaced and the compressed gas to be reused once it has been expanded.

5. The protection device, according to claim 1, characterized in that the helmet (1) comprises through holes (4) to cool down the inner enclosure of the helmet.

6. The protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensors (5) for detecting accidents comprise accelerometers, magnetometers and gyroscopes.

7. The protection device, according to claim 6, characterized in that the sensors (5) are located inside the control device (3).

8. The protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device (3) comprises at least a microprocessor (6), a radio frequency emitter and a battery (7).

9. The protection device, according to claim 1, characterized in that the central sector and the lateral extensions of the bag (1), which emerge in the event of an accident, cover from vertebra C1 to vertebra C7 of the cervical area of the user (10).

10. The protection device, according to claim 1, wherein the activation mechanism is a pyrotechnic activation mechanism.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] As a complement to the description provided, and for the purpose of helping to make the features of the invention more readily understandable, in accordance with a practical preferred embodiment thereof, said description is accompanied by a set of drawings which, by way of illustration and not limitation, represent the following:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a side view according to a preferred embodiment of the protection device to protect the cranial and cervical area of a user, wherein the helmet, the locking mechanism and the through holes are clearly shown.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the control device according to the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a side view according to the embodiment of FIG. 1, wherein the inflated bag before an accident or harmful movement is clearly shown, covering and protecting the cervical area of a user.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the locking mechanism that automatically activates the control.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a side view of the protection device to protect the cranial and cervical area of a user (10), wherein the helmet (1) intended to surround the skull of the user (10) is clearly shown, said helmet comprising a storage chamber (14) in an inner enclosure thereof containing a pressurized gas and a deflated bag (13) connected to said pressurized gas and located in a housing (12) at the rear portion of the inner enclosure of the helmet (1).

[0036] Said helmet (1) also has a control system (3) therein, as shown in FIG. 2. Said control system (3) is connected to a pyrotechnic activation system and further connected to a plurality of detection sensors (5) prior to an accident or harmful movement, as can be seen in FIG. 2. For example, it is considered that an accident or harmful movement could be the loss of control of a bicycle by a cyclist, or a fall from the bicycle.

[0037] Once the sensor or sensors (5) detect that the imminent accident or harmful movement is about to occur, the control device (3) activates the pyrotechnic activation mechanism by means of an electronic stimulus, causing an exothermic chemical reaction expanding the compressed gas in the storage chamber (14), consequently, inflating the bag (13) as can be observed in FIG. 3 once the inflated bag (2) is deployed, said bag (2) being inflated in milliseconds and further comprising portions configured, once inflated, to protrude from the helmet (1) to cover and protect the cervical area, the sides of the neck and the base of the skull. According to the present embodiment, the portions of the inflated bag (2) that emerge before the accident or harmful movement cover and protect from vertebra C1 to vertebra C7 of the user (10).

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1, the helmet (1) comprises a locking mechanism (15) located under the chin of the user, which further comprises straps (11) intended to fasten the helmet (1) with respect to the skull, automatically activating, once locked, the control device (3).

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the control device (3) comprising a plurality of sensors (5), said sensors comprising at least accelerometers, magnetometers and gyroscopes. Said control device (3) further comprises a microprocessor (6), a battery (7), a unit for controlling and distributing the power (8) called PMU (Power Management Unit) and a user interface (9).

[0040] According to the described embodiment, the control device (3) is a PCB (printed circuit board) built into the helmet (1). The PMU (8) is in charge of managing the electrical consumption of the system. The main tasks are to generate the necessary voltage levels from a battery (7), to charge the battery (7) through a USB connector, to optimize system consumption by enabling or disabling the modules that are not being used at any particular time and to turn on the system by detecting that the locking mechanism (11) has been closed or fastened.

[0041] The microcontroller (6) is programmed with an algorithm capable of collecting all the necessary data coming from the sensors (5), processing this data and discerning between a false positive or an actual collision. In the event of a collision, the microcontroller (6) will be responsible, just before the accident or harmful movement, for sending a signal that will actuate the pyrotechnic activation mechanism that will expand the pressurized gas and inflate the cervical protection bag (13) in the order of milliseconds.

[0042] Additionally, the microcontroller (6) must control the user interface to notify the cyclist by means of LEDs, vibration and/or speaker values or variables that may be of interest to him. Finally, the sensors (5) or inertial measurement units will be constantly collecting data and communicating with the microcontroller.

[0043] The helmet (1) shown in FIG. 1, according to a described preferred embodiment, has through holes (4) to cool down the inner enclosure of the helmet. Additionally, the helmet (1) has an aerodynamic design for sports involving high speed and with high aerodynamic resistance and will have both rear and front lights to avoid rear-end collisions or other types of accidents.

[0044] In the preferred embodiment, the helmet (1) is configured to allow the bag (13) to be replaced and the compressed gas to be reused once it has been expanded. Additionally, the helmet (1) is configured according to a multi-directional impact protection system (MIPS).