Safety helmet

Abstract

A safety helmet includes an outer shell configured for surrounding a head of a user, and an infrared reflective layer disposed in an interior of the outer shell. The infrared reflective layer is configured for reflecting at a least a portion of incident infrared radiation transmitted through the outer shell. The infrared reflective layer has infrared reflectivity of at least 40%. The safety helmet further may have an evaporative cooling pad positioned within a cavity defined by the inner surface of the outer shell. A method of manufacturing a safety helmet is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A safety helmet comprising: an outer shell configured for surrounding a head of a user, the outer shell comprising a rigid thermoplastic material that is permeable to infrared radiation from an exterior of the helmet; and an infrared reflective layer, comprising aluminum, gold, silver or copper having a purity of at least 95%, disposed on substantially the entirety of an interior of the outer shell, the infrared reflective layer comprising a metallization layer which is directly deposited to an inner surface of the outer shell and is configured for reflecting at a least a portion of incident infrared radiation transmitted through the outer shell; and wherein the at least 95% pure infrared reflective layer has infrared reflectivity of at least 83%, a hemispherical emissivity of less than 0.2 to prevent the at least a portion of incident infrared radiation from permeating the reflective layer to the interior of the helmet, and a thickness of the infrared reflective layer is 20 nm to 5 ?m.

2. The safety helmet of claim 1, wherein the infrared reflective layer has an optical density of at least 2.0.

3. The safety helmet of claim 1, wherein the infrared reflective layer comprises at least one of the following: doped titanium dioxide, doped or undoped indium tin oxide, doped cerium oxide, doped manganese oxide, iron (III) oxide, cadmium sulfide, chromium trioxide, or any combination thereof.

4. The safety helmet of claim 1, wherein the metallization layer is deposited by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process.

5. The safety helmet of claim 1, wherein metallization layer is deposited on the inner surface of the outer shell by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process.

6. The safety helmet of claim 1, further comprising: an evaporative cooling pad having wings extending therefrom which are configured to extend to a temple of the user.

7. The safety helmet of claim 1, wherein the metallization layer is deposited using an atomized spray of aerosolized droplets of metallized paint or ink.

8. The safety helmet of claim 1, wherein the metallization layer is deposited by a painting process.

9. The safety helmet of claim 1, wherein the outer shell comprises a rigid thermoplastic material.

10. The safety helmet of claim 1, wherein the safety helmet further comprises an evaporative cooling pad having a t-shape, wings extending from a first end which are configured to extend to a temple of the user and a second end which is configured to extend to a top of a head of the user.

11. A safety helmet comprising: an outer shell configured for surrounding a head of a user, the outer shell comprising a rigid thermoplastic material that is permeable to infrared radiation from an exterior of the helmet; an infrared reflective layer, comprising aluminum, gold, silver, or copper having a purity of at least 95%, on substantially the entirety of an inner surface of the outer shell, the infrared reflective layer being configured for reflecting at a least a portion of incident infrared radiation transmitted through the outer shell; and an evaporative cooling pad positioned within a cavity defined by the inner surface of the outer shell, the evaporative cooling pad comprising: a top waterproof, vapor permeable layer and a bottom waterproof, vapor permeable layer with a cavity defined therebetween, wherein the outside surface of the bottom layer is configured to be in contact with the head of the user; wings having a shape and size configured to extend to a temple of the user, and a liquid absorbing layer positioned within the cavity, wherein the at least 95% pure infrared reflective layer has infrared reflectivity of at least 83%, a hemispherical emissivity of less than 0.2 to prevent the at least a portion of incident infrared radiation from permeating the reflective layer to the interior of the helmet, and a thickness of the infrared reflective layer is 20 nm to 5 ?m.

12. The safety helmet of claim 11, wherein the top and bottom layers comprise a nylon material laminated with a waterproof and vapor permeable material.

13. The safety helmet of claim 11, wherein at least one of the top and bottom layers comprises polyurethane or polytetrafluoroethylene.

14. The safety helmet of claim 11, wherein the evaporative cooling pad further comprises a sweat absorbing fabric on an outside surface of the bottom layer.

15. The safety helmet of claim 11, wherein the evaporative cooling pad further comprises an opening in at least one of the top and bottom layers, and wherein the opening has a zipper.

16. The safety helmet of claim 11, wherein the evaporative cooling pad comprises a main portion having a first end and a second end, and wherein the pair of wings extend laterally from the first end.

17. The safety helmet of claim 16, wherein the first end is configured to be in contact with a forehead of the user, and wherein the second end is configured to extend to a top of the head of the user.

18. The safety helmet of claim 11, wherein the outer shell comprises a rigid thermoplastic material.

19. A method of manufacturing a safety helmet comprising: molding an outer shell of the safety helmet out of a rigid thermoplastic material that is permeable to infrared radiation from an exterior of the helmet; and applying an at least 95% pure infrared reflective layer onto at least a portion of an inner surface of the outer shell by depositing a metallization layer directly on an inner surface of the outer shell, wherein the at least 95% pure infrared reflective layer has infrared reflectivity of at least 83%, a hemispherical emissivity of less than 0.2 to prevent the at least a portion of incident infrared radiation from permeating the reflective layer to the interior of the helmet, and a thickness of the infrared reflective layer is 20 nm to 5 ?m.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising inserting an evaporative cooling pad inside a cavity of the outer shell defined by the inner surface, wherein the evaporative cooling pad comprises: a top waterproof, vapor permeable layer and a bottom waterproof, vapor permeable layer with a cavity defined therebetween; a liquid absorbing layer positioned within the cavity; and an opening in at least one of the top and bottom layers.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the evaporative cooling pad has wings configured to extend to a temple of a user.

22. A safety helmet comprising: an outer shell configured for surrounding a head of a user, the outer shell comprising a rigid thermoplastic material that is permeable to infrared radiation from an exterior of the helmet; and an infrared reflective layer, comprising aluminum, gold, silver or copper having a purity of at least 95%, disposed on substantially the entirety of an interior of the outer shell, the infrared reflective layer comprising a metallization layer which is directly deposited to an inner surface of the outer shell and is configured for reflecting at a least a portion of incident infrared radiation transmitted through the outer shell; and wherein the at least 95% pure infrared reflective layer has infrared reflectivity of at least 83%, a hemispherical emissivity of less than 0.2 to prevent the at least a portion of incident infrared radiation from permeating the reflective layer to the interior of the helmet, and an optical density of at least 2.0.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side view of a safety helmet in accordance with some non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure;

(2) FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the safety helmet of FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3A is a bottom view of a safety helmet in accordance with some non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure;

(4) FIG. 3B is a bottom view of a safety helmet in accordance with some non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure;

(5) FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of an outer shell of a safety helmet having an infrared reflective layer in accordance with some non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure;

(6) FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view of an outer shell of a safety helmet having an infrared reflective layer showing infrared light reflecting properties in accordance with some non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure;

(7) FIG. 4 is a graph showing experimental results for thermal performance of a plurality of helmets as a function of time;

(8) FIG. 5 is a graph showing experimental results for thermal performance of a plurality of helmets as a function of time;

(9) FIG. 6A is a graph showing experimental results for thermal performance of a control helmet and a safety helmet in accordance with some non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure, with the graph showing the results of a first thermal test;

(10) FIG. 6B is a graph showing experimental results for thermal performance of a control helmet and a safety helmet in accordance with some non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure, with the graph showing the results of a second thermal test;

(11) FIG. 7 is a top view of an evaporative cooling pad configured for use with a safety helmet, with an evaporative cooling pad shown in accordance with some non-limiting embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure; and

(12) FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the evaporative cooling pad shown in FIG. 3.

(13) In FIGS. 1-8, like characters refer to the same components and elements, as the case may be, unless otherwise stated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(14) For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms end, upper, lower, right. left, vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, lateral, longitudinal and derivatives thereof shall relate to the disclosure as it is oriented in the drawing figures. However, it is to be understood that the disclosure may assume various alternative variations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary.

(15) All numbers and ranges used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term about. By about is meant plus or minus twenty-five percent of the stated value, such as plus or minus ten percent of the stated value. However, this should not be considered as limiting to any analysis of the values under the doctrine of equivalents.

(16) Unless otherwise indicated, all ranges or ratios disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass the beginning and ending values and any and all subranges or subratios subsumed therein. For example, a stated range or ratio of 1 to 10 should be considered to include any and all subranges or subratios between (and inclusive of) the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10; that is, all subranges or subratios beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less. The ranges and/or ratios disclosed herein represent the average values over the specified range and/or ratio.

(17) The terms first, second, and the like are not intended to refer to any particular order or chronology, but refer to different conditions, properties, or elements.

(18) The term at least is synonymous with greater than or equal to.

(19) As used herein, at least one of is synonymous with one or more of. For example, the phrase at least one of A, B, or C means any one of A, B, or C, or any combination of any two or more of A, B, or C. For example, at least one of A, B, or C includes one or more of A alone; or one or more B alone; or one or more of C alone; or one or more of A and one or more of B; or one or more of A and one or more of C; or one or more of B and one or more of C; or one or more of all of A, B, and C.

(20) As used herein, the terms parallel or substantially parallel mean a relative angle as between two objects (if extended to theoretical intersection), such as elongated objects and including reference lines, that is from 0? to 5?, or from 0? to 3?, or from 0? to 2?, or from 0? to 1?, or from 0? to 0.5?, or from 0? to 0.25?, or from 0? to 0.1?, inclusive of the recited values.

(21) As used herein, the terms perpendicular or substantially perpendicular mean a relative angle as between two objects at their real or theoretical intersection is from 85? to 90?, or from 87? to 90?, or from 88? to 90?, or from 89? to 90?, or from 89.5? to 90?, or from 89.75? to 90?, or from 89.9? to 90?, inclusive of the recited values.

(22) In the present document, the word exemplary is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as exemplary is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or aspects.

(23) The terms comprises, comprising, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device, or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup, device, or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by comprises . . . a does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.

(24) The terms includes, including, or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a setup, device, or method that includes a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup, device, or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by includes . . . a does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.

(25) The terms an embodiment, embodiment, embodiments, the embodiment, the embodiments, one or more embodiments, some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, and one embodiment mean one or more (but not all) embodiments of the present disclosure unless expressly specified otherwise. A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components is described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the disclosure.

(26) No aspect, component, element, structure, act, step, function, instruction, and/or the like used herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles a and an are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with one or more and at least one. Furthermore, as used herein, the term set is intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, a combination of related and unrelated items, and/or the like) and may be used interchangeably with one or more or at least one. Where only one item is intended, the term one or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, the terms has, have, having, or the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase based on is intended to mean based at least in partially on unless explicitly stated otherwise. The term some non-limiting embodiments or aspects means one or more (but not all) embodiments or aspects of the disclosure(s) unless expressly specified otherwise. A description of some non-limiting embodiments or aspects with several components in communication or combination with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components is described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the disclosure.

(27) When a single device or article is described herein, it will be clear that more than one device/article (whether they cooperate) may be used in place of a single device/article. Similarly, where more than one device or article is described herein (whether they cooperate), it will be clear that a single device/article may be used in place of the more than one device or article or a different number of devices/articles may be used instead of the shown number of devices or programs. The functionality and/or the features of a device may be alternatively embodied by one or more other devices which are not explicitly described as having such functionality/features. Thus, other embodiments or aspects of the disclosure need not include the device itself.

(28) As discussed herein, certain operations may be performed in a different order, modified, or removed. Moreover, steps may be added to methods described herein and still conform to the described embodiments. Further, operations described herein may occur sequentially or certain operations may be processed in parallel.

(29) In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and the scope of the disclosure. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

(30) Various embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a safety helmet having a thermal management assembly configured for reducing a temperature of a user's head while wearing the safety helmet.

(31) With reference to FIG. 1, provided is a safety helmet 100 (hereinafter referred to as helmet 100) having a rigid outer shell 102 configured to surround the head of a user. The outer shell 102 has a generally hemi-spherical form and has a facial opening 104 at a front end configured to be situated above the user's face. The shell 102 includes a front portion 106 situated above the facial opening 104, an upper portion 108, and a rear portion 110 extending from the upper portion 108 to the nape of the user's neck. A pair of lateral portions 112 extend from the upper portion 108 on each side of the facial opening 104.

(32) In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the outer shell 102 is made from a thermoplastic material, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE) or polycarbonate. The outer shell 102 may be made using, for example, an injection molding process. Some thermoplastic materials are at least partially transmissive to infrared radiation (IR) from the sun (see FIG. 3D). With such materials, IR is not absorbed or reflected by the outer shell 102. Instead, IR is transmitted through the material of the outer shell 102. As used herein, IR refers to solar infrared radiation in the range of 700-1500 nm.

(33) The helmet 100 may have an infrared reflective layer 200 configured for reflecting at least a portion of incident IR. For example, in order to prevent the inside of the outer shell 102 from becoming warmer due to transmittance of IR through the material of the outer shell 102, in some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infrared reflective layer 200 is provided on at least a portion of an inner surface 120 (shown in FIGS. 3A-3B) of the outer shell 102. For example, the infrared reflective layer 200 may be provided on up to 100% of the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 102. In some embodiments or aspects, one or more cutouts 206 may be formed on the infrared reflective layer 200 to correspond with one or more vent openings 114 on the outer shell 102 of the helmet 100.

(34) The infrared reflective layer 200 is configured for reflecting at least a portion of incident IR 150 into the thermoplastic material of the outer shell 102 and away from the user's head (see FIG. 3D). By placing the infrared reflective layer 200 on the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 102, the outside appearance of the outer shell 102 can remain unchanged relative to conventional safety helmets. For example, the outside of the outer shell 102 can be made in any desired color and/or with any desired graphics or logos applied thereon.

(35) In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infrared reflective layer 200 may contain material that is reflective to IR. For example, the infrared reflective layer 200 may include pure metals, such as aluminum, gold, silver, or copper. In other non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infrared reflective layer 200 may include alloys of aluminum, gold, silver, copper, or any combination thereof. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infrared reflective layer 200 may contain at least 95 weight % of aluminum. In further non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infrared reflective layer 200 may be made from one or more of the following materials: doped titanium dioxide, doped or undoped indium tin oxide, doped cerium oxide, doped manganese oxide, iron (III) oxide, cadmium sulfide, chromium trioxide, or any combination thereof. A thickness of the infrared reflective layer 200 may be approximately 20 nm to 5 ?m, such as 30 nm.

(36) In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infrared reflective layer 200 may be a coating that is sprayed on at least a portion of the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 102. For example, the infrared reflective layer 200 may be applied to the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 102 as an atomized spray of aerosolized droplets of metallized paint or ink. Techniques for applying the paint or ink include spraying, ink jet, or pad printing. In further non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the coating may be applied by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) or a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process using an infrared reflective material that is applied directly to the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 102. In further non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infrared reflective layer 200 may be an infrared reflective film that is applied to at least a portion of the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 102.

(37) In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infrared reflective layer 200 may be formed on an insert 202 (sec FIG. 3C) that is formed separately from the outer shell 102. The insert 202 can be removably or non-removably connected to the outer shell 102. For example, the infrared reflective layer 200 may be formed on a substrate 204 that is co-molded with the outer shell 102 during manufacture of the outer shell 102. In this manner, the insert 202 having the infrared reflective layer 200 is integrally formed with the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 102. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infrared reflective layer 200 may be formed on the substrate 204 that is configured to be thermoformed with the outer shell 102 (see FIG. 3C). The substrate 204 may be a high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or other thermoplastic film. The infrared reflective layer 200 may be vapor deposited to the substrate 204 (using CVD or PVD) prior to joining the substrate 204 to the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 102.

(38) During injection molding of the outer shell 102, the insert 202 may be placed over a core and the outer shell 102 can be injection molded/formed over the insert 202. Techniques for molding the insert 202 with the outer shell 102 include overmolding, insert molding, and co-molding. In this manner, the insert 202 having the infrared reflective layer 200 is formed integrally with the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 102 without the need for adhering or clipping the insert to the outer shell 102. In some embodiments or aspects, the insert 202 having the infrared reflective layer 200 may be secured to the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 120 using adhesive, ultrasonic bonding, one or more mechanical clips or fasteners, or via press fit. The insert 202 may be removably or non-removably secured to the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 120.

(39) In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infrared reflective layer 200 may have infrared reflectivity (i.e., effectiveness in reflecting radiant infrared energy) higher than 40% in the region of 700-1.400 nm. In some non-limiting embodiment or aspects, the infrared reflectivity of the infrared reflective layer 200 may be 83%-89%. Furthermore, the infrared reflective layer 200 may have hemispherical emissivity value lower than 0.2. Hemispherical emissivity relates to a material's effectiveness in emitting energy as thermal radiation. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the emissivity value may be 0.06. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the infrared reflective layer 200 may have optical density (i.e., a measure of radiant energy absorbance) of at least 2.0, such as 3.5.

(40) With reference to FIG. 4, a graph shows experimental results of a temperature difference between an outside of a safety helmet and an inside of the safety helmet as a function of time. The graph illustrates experimental results for a control helmet that does not have an infrared reflective layer 200 (line 400) and three other helmets having various infrared reflective layers 200. FIG. 4 shows test results for a first helmet (line 500) wherein the inner surface of the helmet was coated with Rust-Oleum High Heat Ultra paint and the helmet was placed under an IR lamp for 60 minutes. Results for three separate experiments using this helmet show that there is no appreciable difference in temperature compared to the control helmet. FIG. 4 shows also test results for a second helmet (line 600) wherein the inner surface of the helmet was coated with Krylon Color Master Metallic Silver paint and the helmet was placed under an IR lamp for 60 minutes. Results for three separate experiments using this helmet show a 10-15 OF difference in temperature compared to the control helmet. FIG. 4 shows also test results for a third helmet (line 700) wherein the inner surface has an infrared reflective layer that was deposited using a chemical vapor deposition technique and the helmet was placed under an IR lamp for 60 minutes. Results for a single experiment using this helmet show a significant difference in temperature compared to the control helmet.

(41) With reference to FIG. 5, a graph shows experimental test results for evaluation of a pair of safety helmets 100 having different infrared reflective layers 200 against a control safety helmet 100 without the infrared reflective layer 200. The experimental test was performed in accordance with the solar radiation testing guidelines set forth in Method 505, Procedure I of MIL-STD-810G. The control safety helmet 100, which was a black, non-vented helmet, achieved a maximum internal temperature of 143.8? F. The first safety helmet 100 with the infrared reflective layer 200 in the form of a metallizing PVD coating, achieved a maximum internal temperature of 132.3? F. The second safety helmet 100 with the infrared reflective layer 200 in the form of an overmolded thermoformed insert, achieved a maximum internal temperature of 134.8? F.

(42) FIGS. 6A-6B show the difference between a safety helmet with the infrared reflective layer 200 and without the infrared reflective layer 200 using a single IR lamp. FIG. 6 shows the results between a control helmet (without the infrared reflective layer 200) and a test helmet (with the infrared reflective layer 200) from an evaluation at a distance sufficient to achieve an approximate solar irradiance of 600 W/m.sup.2. FIG. 6B shows the results from an evaluation between a control helmet (without the infrared reflective layer 200) and a test helmet (with the infrared reflective layer 200) at a distance sufficient to achieve an approximate solar irradiance value of 1,000 W/m.sup.2. The temperature shown on the Y-axis of the graphs in FIGS. 6A-6B represents the maximum recorded internal shell temperature.

(43) With reference to FIG. 2, the safety helmet 100 may have an evaporative cooling pad 300 positioned within an interior cavity 122 defined by the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 102. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the cooling pad 300 may be removably or non-removably connected to at least a portion of a suspension arrangement 124 connected to the inner surface 120 of the outer shell 102. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the cooling pad 300 may be removably connected to the suspension arrangement 124 via hook and loop fasteners, buttons, clasps, hooks, or other connection mechanisms. The evaporative cooling pad 300 may be configured for cooling the user's head via a water evaporation process, as described herein.

(44) With reference to FIG. 8, the evaporative cooling pad 300 has a top layer 302, a bottom layer 304, and a cavity 306 defined therebetween. An outside surface 305 of the bottom layer 304 is configured to be in contact with the head of the user, as described herein. The top layer 302 and the bottom layer 304 may be made from waterproof, vapor permeable materials that are sewn together or otherwise connected together to define the cavity 306 therebetween. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the top layer 302 and the bottom layer 304 may be made from a nylon material that is laminated with a waterproof and vapor permeable material. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the top layer 302 and the bottom layer 304 may be made from polyurethane or polytetrafluoroethylene. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the top layer 302 and the bottom layer 304 may have sweat absorbing fabric 308 on an outside surface thereof.

(45) With reference to FIG. 8, the evaporative cooling pad 300 further has a liquid absorbing layer 310 positioned within the cavity 306, and an opening 312 provided in at least one of the top and bottom layers 302, 304. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the opening 312 may be provided in a seam between the top and bottom layers 302, 304. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the opening 312 may have a zipper or other closure mechanism for enclosing the opening. The opening 312 may be configured for allowing a cooling liquid, such as water, to be added to the cavity 306 such that the liquid saturates the liquid absorbing layer 310. The top layer 302 and the bottom layer 304 are configured to allow passage of the cooling liquid in a direction out of the cavity 306 in vapor form but not allow passage of the cooling liquid in liquid form.

(46) With reference to FIG. 7, the evaporative cooling pad 300 may be substantially T-shaped. For example, the evaporative cooling pad 300 may have a main portion 314 having a first end 316 opposite a second end 318. A pair of wings 320 extend laterally from the first end 316. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, the first end 316, the second end 318, and/or the wings 320 may have a rounded shape. In use, the first end 316 is configured to be in contact with a forehead of the user, each of the pair of wings 320 is configured to extend to a temple of the user, and the second end 318 is configured to extend to a top of the head of the user.

(47) The evaporative cooling pad 300 is configured to allow heat to be transferred from the head of the user to the evaporative cooling pad 300, thereby evaporating the liquid in the cavity 306. Evaporating the liquid provides the cooling feeling as it removes the heat from the head. By combining the infrared reflective layer 200 with the evaporative cooling pad 300 in the same helmet 100, the infrared reflective layer 200 is able to enhance the efficiency of the evaporative cooling pad 300. With a cooler ambient air in the helmet 100 from the infrared reflective material, less cooling liquid will be evaporated due to the ambient air temperature and infrared radiation. Instead, the liquid will evaporate due to removing heat from the head of the user.

(48) The language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the disclosure be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the disclosure is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the disclosure, which is set forth in the following claims.

(49) Although the disclosure has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what are currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments or aspects, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments or aspects, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment or aspect can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment or aspect.