Helmet impact self-controlled restrainer (HISCOR) for protecting football players head from trauma and concussion injury

Abstract

The invention is intended to protect football players, race car drivers and others. An apparatus that dampens impacts and prevents rapid movement of user's head protected by helmets. Two embodiments are disclosed using piston configuration. In one embodiment, the piston is moving inside a housing filled with a viscoelastic fluid and the other is a locking piston dampener mechanism.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dampening rapid movement of the human head relative to the body, a mechanical structure that restrains rapid movement, said apparatus comprising: a base structure, a top structure and a plurality of connecting elements, wherein the connecting elements controllably locking the motion of the top structure with respect to the base structure; wherein each of the connecting elements is independent and self-contained and consisting of a piston, a shaft, a housing, a fluid and a mechanism; said mechanism for preventing a free flow of the fluid inside the housing thus locking the motion of the piston inside the housing; wherein the base structure is configured to be connected to the upper human body and the top structure is configured to be connected to a helmet structure that covers the human head; wherein the connecting elements comprise a locking piston dampener mechanism; wherein said mechanism includes a free floating element with axial orifices and two springs; wherein said fluid moves from one side of the piston to the other through the axial orifices; wherein when a piston movement speed higher than a design value, said fluid drag on the free floating element overcomes the forces in the springs and moves the floating element against one side of the piston blocking said axial orifices and preventing the fluid flow and locking the piston inside the housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid consists of a viscoelastic material.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the viscoelastic fluid moves freely upon slow piston motion and is rigidized upon rapid movement.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piston includes axial holes, said axial holes provide paths for the fluid to move back or forth depending on the direction of the piston movement inside the housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein releasing the external force that acts on the locking piston or changing its motion direction unlocks the piston movement.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting elements have ball joints on the two ends to provide flexible rotation of the connecting elements on the apparatus base and top structures.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting elements have universal joints on the two ends to provide flexible rotation of the connecting element on the apparatus base and top structures.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein bellows are used to accommodate changes in a total volume of the said fluid within the housing during the movement of the piston.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shaft extends on both ends to prevent the change into the total volume of the said fluid within the housing during the piston movement.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a hollow tube-shaped shaft on the back of the encasing cylinder has holes to allow the piston shaft to move in and out without creating back pressure inside the housing shaft.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting elements are covered with a shroud to reduce the possibility of other players to use the connecting elements as a grabbing handle.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting elements are configured to allow length adjustment to match dimensions of different players.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The objects and features of the invention can be better understood with reference to the drawings described below, and the claims. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawings, like numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various views.

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the Helmet Impact Self-Controlled Restrainer (HISCoR) apparatus with 6 self-controlled dampeners mounted on a user' body.

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the Helmet Impact Self-Controlled Restrainer (HISCoR) fixture with 6 self-controlled dampeners.

(4) FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the Helmet Impact Self-Controlled Restrainer (HISCoR) apparatus where the 6 self-controlled dampeners are positioned in a different configuration than the dampeners in FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 4 is a side view of a dampener (FIG. 4, a)) and cross-section at three extension positions when being moved slowly (FIG. 4 b), c) and d)). Ball joints on the two ends are used to provide flexible rotation of the dampener on the mounting platform. The ball joints at the two ends can be replaced by universal joints (2 DoF) with the addition of allowing the piston inside the cylinder to rotate freely around the central axis. Holes on the back shaft allow free movement of the support rod when moved slowly preventing the buildup of air pressure to restore the assembled piston position.

(6) FIG. 5 is cross-section side view of the locking piston dampener with free floating piston.

(7) FIG. 6 is view of a piston with locking mechanism components.

(8) FIG. 7 is a view of the fluid flow inside the dampener housing when the piston moves to the right at low speed relative to the housing.

(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the piston and locking mechanism location when the piston is in static position (FIG. 8, b)), moves to the left (FIG. 8, c)), and to the right (FIG. 8, d)).

(10) FIG. 9 is a view of the apparatus where a shroud covers the connecting elements.

(11) FIG. 10 is a view of the dampener connecting element where the double ended shaft was replaced with a single ended shaft and a bellows is used to accommodate changes in the dampener inner volume during the piston movement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) We describe a novel design of a Helmet Impact Self-Controlled Restrainer (HISCoR) designed to prevent rapid rotation and displacement along the various potential axes onto which the head may be caused to move rapidly. The restrainer, 10, shown in FIG. 1 is attached to the player's helmet, 20, and upper body, 30.

(13) To prevent the possibility of another player grabbing the individual dampeners of the HISCoR apparatus and use it as a handle, a shroud covers the restrainer, 10. To make the shroud visually pleasing it is produced in colors with printed graphics.

(14) The restrainer includes a base structure, 11, a top structure, 12, and a plurality of connecting elements, 15, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The connecting elements, 15, allow axial motion and can be locked to restrain the relative motion of the top structure, 12, with respect to the base structure, 11, and, consequently, of the helmet 20 with respect to the upper body 30 or can be used as dampening elements. The number and location of the connecting elements, 15, is determined by the number of the degrees of freedom of movement of the helmet 20 with respect to the body 30 that need to be restrained and the range of motion the helmet is allowed. FIGS. 2 and 3 show two such possible configurations.

(15) In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a dampener element, 50, consists of a piston, 51, with axial through holes and a shaft, 52, extending on both ends of the piston. The piston is enclosed in a cylinder, 55, that extends with a hollow shaft, 56. The free end of the piston shaft connects to one base or top structure and the end of the cylinder shaft connects to the other using ball joints, 58. The cylinder-piston shaft interfaces are sealed creating a cavity that is filled with a fluid. The fluid inside the cylinder flows along the axial holes in the piston and moves back or forth depending on the direction of the piston movement. When slowly pushed back or forth, the piston moves freely inside the cylinder. At higher velocity, the movement of the piston creates a larger resistance force resulting in constraining its motion along the central axis and so restraining the motion of the helmet.

(16) The fluid inside the dampener element consists of a viscoelastic fluid, such as a silly-putty paste, inside the cylinder, which is self-activated, taking advantage of these fluids' property of being viscous liquid at low movement speeds but becoming rigid at high movement speeds. An illustration of a viscoelastic filled dampener and cross-section at three extension positions when being moved slowly are shown in (FIG. 4).

(17) The ball joints, 58, on the two ends of the dampening element are used to provide flexible rotation of the dampener on the mounting structure. The ball joints at the two ends can be replaced by universal joints (2 DoF) when the piston inside the cylinder is allowed free rotation about the central axis. Holes on the cylinder hollow shaft allow free movement of the piston shaft when moved slowly, preventing the buildup of air pressure to restore the assembled piston position.

(18) Any fluid (including water) is suitable as a dampening material for the floating element piston configuration.

(19) Active fluid can provide controlled dampening. It uses control electrics and it is electrically powered and equipped with impact sensor to indicate the need to activate the dampener and the required level.

(20) Electro Rheological Fluids (ERF) provides active fluid material. These fluids respond in milliseconds to become viscous at levels that are relative to the electric field to which they are subjected.

(21) Magneto Rheological Fluids (MRF) also provides active fluid material. These fluids respond in milliseconds can become viscous relative to the magnetic field to which the fluids are subjected. MRF are used in most of the high end cars today, the shock absorbers are equipped with MRF.

(22) In yet another embodiment, a locking piston dampener is shown in FIG. 5 where the element includes a piston, 70, enclosed in a cylindrical housing, 65, having a hollow shaft, 66. The piston 70 (FIG. 6) includes a through shaft, 72, a floating element 74, with through axial holes, floating inside a piston body, 71. The piston body, 71, includes a stop feature, 76. The position of the free floating element, 74, is controlled by two springs, 75. In FIG. 6, for case of fabrication, the piston through shaft is shown as two components, 72, that will be attached to the piston body, 71. In addition, the through shaft includes holes that allow the fluid on one side of the piston to pass through the piston body to the other side.

(23) One end of the hollow shaft, 66, and the one end of the through piston shaft, 72, represent the two ends, 68, of the dampening element, 60. One end will connect to one of the base or top structure and the other end will connect to the other. The housing, 65, presents two seals, 69, for the piston shafts creating a sealed cavity, 67, filled with a fluid. The piston body, 71, is enclosed in this fluid filled cavity and the through shaft extends through both ends of the cavity. Having the piston shaft extend through both ends of the cavity maintains constant volume of the parts inside the fluid filled cavity, 67, regardless of the position of the piston in this cavity.

(24) When the piston moves slowly from one side to the other, the fluid accommodates this movement by flowing inside the housing through the piston. FIG. 7 shows the fluid flow inside the dampener element when the piston, 70, moves to the right relative to the housing, 65, at low speed. Inside the piston, there is a free floating element, 74, constrained by the two springs, 75, which allows the fluid to move from one side of the piston body to the other. When the piston moves with a speed higher than a predefined value, the drag on the free floating element overcomes the forces in the springs and moves the free floating element against one side of the piston blocking the flow through the axial orifices and thus preventing the fluid flow. The fluid flow prevention locks the piston in place. Locking the pistons of the dampener elements restrains the motion of the helmet relative to the body. Releasing the acting force on the piston shaft attachment or changing the motion direction unlocks the piston.

(25) FIG. 8 shows the position of the free floating element inside the piston for various situations.

(26) Attaching the dampening elements between the helmet and the shoulders prevents the head from moving quickly upon impact. The dampeners allow free movement of the head when they move slowly and it takes place by allowing the piston to displace fluid or paste from the direction towards which it moves into the back section behind the piston. Upon rapid movement or impact, the fluid becomes highly viscous rigidizing the dampeners and preventing movement of the head relative to the torso/shoulder. Ball joints on the two ends of the individual dampeners allow flexible rotation of the individual dampeners on the mounting structure (FIG. 8). The piston inside the dampener's cylinder can be moved to adjust the dampener's length depending on the player's dimensions. A hollow shaft is extended out of the cylinder eliminating the need to deal with volume change inside the cylinder but it requires a longer dampening element or smaller workspace. If space is a big constraint then bellows can be used to accommodate the volume change. The hollow tube-shaped shaft on the back of the cylinder has holes to allow the piston rod to move in and out without compressing the air in this section of the dampeners.

(27) FIG. 9 is a view of the apparatus where a shroud, 19, covers the connecting elements, 15, to prevent other players from using the elements for grabbing. The shroud is shown in this figure with a cutout in the middle section to reveal the connecting elements, 15.

(28) FIG. 10 is a view of the dampener connecting element where the double ended shaft was replaced with a single ended shaft where one end, 76, of the piston is shorter that the other end, 72. A bellows, 79, extends the seal cavity 67. A shaft, 77, presents a set of orifices, 78, that allow the scaled cavity 67 to communicate with the bellows 79 interior. The bellows accommodate the change in the fluid volume in cavity 67 as the piston's long shaft end 72 moves in and out of the housing 65.

(29) A set of dampeners are mounted in a parallel platform configuration. In the illustration shown in this patent 6 elements are used (FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3) with their top structure connected to the helmet while their base structure mounted and connected to the user's shoulder pads and chest protector (FIG. 1). The use of the HISCoR structural frame takes advantage of the fact that the parallel platform can move in all the 6 DoF when pushed slowly and locks all of them to form a highly rigid structure when the dampeners are pushed rapidly under helmet impact. Thus, the head and torso have 6 DoF that are involved with their independent movement relative to each other. The dampeners' extension flexibility allows for self-adjustment for different players dimensions.

(30) The attachment of both moving and base structures of the HISCoR platform can be done to preselected locations on the helmet and shoulder and chest protector allowing for rapid attachment and removal. Alignment and restraining features can be designed on the helmet, shoulders, chest protector, and the HISCoR to use attachment such as a bolt or a flexible element.

(31) In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 8 the HISCoR platform is configured with the individual dampeners mounted such that two adjacent dampeners are connected either close or far from each other forming a hexagonal structure. The specific configuration implementation is selected based on the design optimization requirements.

(32) The HISCoR apparatus is covered with a shroud, shown in FIG. 9, to prevent possibility of other players using the dampeners as a grabbing handle. The shroud can be made visually pleasing by producing it in colors and decorating it with printed graphics for possible use in advertisements or logos. The shroud is not critical to the functionality of the dampeners. Similar to the current rules that prohibit grabbing by the facemask, rules can be added to prohibit grabbing by the dampeners. The use of the shroud prevents the use of the dampeners as grabbing handles.

APPLICATIONS

(33) Helmet Impact Self-Controlled Restrainer (HISCoR) is designed to prevent rapid rotation and displacement along the various potential axes onto which the head may be caused to move rapidly. To prevent the possibility of another player grabbing the dampeners of the HISCoR apparatus and use it as a handle, a shroud covers the fixture.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

(34) Any patent, patent application, patent application publication, journal article, book, published paper, or other publicly available material identified in the specification is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material explicitly set forth herein is only incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the present disclosure material. In the event of a conflict, the conflict is to be resolved in favor of the present disclosure as the preferred disclosure.

(35) While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred mode as illustrated in the drawing, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that various changes in detail may be affected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.