PROTECTIVE HELMET

Abstract

A protective helmet as disclosed herein, particularly for sport activities and the like, comprises an outer protective cap, a first outer protective shell positioned inside and coupled to said outer protective cap, a second inner protective shell positioned inside and coupled to said first outer protective shell, and coupling means between said first outer protective shell and said second inner protective shell. The coupling means comprise first damping means and second mechanical retaining means spaced apart from each other and positioned in corresponding seats of said first outer shell and second inner shell.

Claims

1. A protective helmet, particularly for sport activities and the like, comprising: an outer protective cap; a first outer protective shell positioned inside and coupled to said outer protective cap; a second inner protective shell positioned inside and coupled to said first outer protective shell; and coupling means between said first outer protective shell and said second inner protective shell, said coupling means comprising first damping means and second mechanical retaining means spaced apart from each other and positioned in corresponding seats of said first outer protective shell and second inner protective shell.

2. The protective helmet of claim 1, wherein said first damping means comprise at least one ring-shaped damping element made of elastomeric material.

3. The protective helmet of claim 2, wherein said at least one ring-shaped damping element made of elastomeric material has an outer crown and an inner crown securely coupled respectively to one or the other of first outer protective shell and said second inner protective shell.

4. The protective helmet of claim 3, wherein said first outer protective shell comprises a first seat for housing said at least one ring-shaped damping element made of elastomeric material having a support surface and a first inner edge, and said second inner protective shell comprises a first protuberance having a first outer edge inserted in said at least one ring-shaped damping element made of elastomeric material.

5. The protective helmet of claim 4, wherein said first inner edge of said first seat is solidly coupled to the outer crown of said at least one ring-shaped damping element made of elastomeric material, and said first outer edge of said first protuberance is solidly coupled to the inner crown of said at least one ring-shaped damping element made of elastomeric material.

6. The protective helmet of claim 3, wherein said second inner protective shell comprises a second seat for housing said at least one ring-shaped damping element made of elastomeric material having a support surface and a second inner edge, and said first outer protective shell comprises a second protuberance having a second outer edge inserted into said at least one ring-shaped damping element made of elastomeric material.

7. The protective helmet of claim 6, wherein said second inner edge of said second seat is solidly coupled to the outer crown of said at least one ring-shaped damping element made of elastomeric material and said second outer edge of said second protuberance is solidly coupled to the inner crown of said at least one ring-shaped damping element made of elastomeric material.

8. The protective helmet of claim 1, wherein said second inner protective shell is movable relative to said first outer protective shell and in that said second mechanical retaining means allow partial rotation or roto-translation of said second inner protective shell with respect to said first outer protective shell.

9. The protective helmet of claim 1, wherein said second mechanical retaining means comprise a male element provided with snap-locking means positioned in a corresponding seat of one of said first outer protective shell or second inner protective shell, and a female element suitable for engaging said snap-locking means of said male element and positioned in a corresponding seat of the other between said first outer shell or second inner shell.

10. The protective helmet of claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprise second damping means comprising one or more strips made of elastomeric material.

11. The protective helmet of claim 10, wherein one or more of said strips made of elastomeric material are at least partially housed in grooves positioned on said first outer protective shell and/or on second inner protective shell.

12. The protective helmet of claim 10, wherein one or more of said strips made of elastomeric material are positioned on the surface of said first outer protective shell and/or of second inner protective shell.

13. The protective helmet of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said first damping means and/or a plurality of said second damping means and/or a plurality of said second mechanical retaining means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Further characteristics and advantages of a protective helmet, particularly for sport activities, such as motorcycling, motocross, cycling, mountain biking, car racing, skiing/snowboarding and similar sports, according to the present invention, will be more apparent from the description of preferred embodiments, illustrated by way of non-limiting examples in the accompanying figures, wherein:

[0040] FIG. 1 is a first exploded perspective view of an assembly comprising a first outer protective shell and a second inner protective shell of a protective helmet according to the present invention;

[0041] FIG. 2 is a second exploded perspective view of an assembly comprising a first outer protective shell and a second inner protective shell of a protective helmet according to the present invention;

[0042] FIG. 3 is a first sectional view of an assembly comprising a first outer protective shell and a second inner protective shell of a protective helmet according to the present invention;

[0043] FIG. 4 is a second sectional view of an assembly comprising a first outer protective shell and a second inner protective shell of a protective helmet according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] With reference to the accompanying figures, a protective helmet, particularly for sport activities such as motorcycling, motocross, cycling, mountain biking, car racing, skiing/snowboarding and the like sport, according to the present invention, comprisesin its most general embodimentan outer protective cap (not illustrated for simplicity in the accompanying figures) usually made of rigid material.

[0045] The helmet according to the present invention further comprises a first assembly comprising a first outer protective shell 10, which is positioned inside said outer protective cap and is solidly coupled thereto. Said first assembly further comprises a second inner protective shell 20, which is positioned inside said first outer protective shell 10 and is coupled thereto according to methods described below.

[0046] The first 10 and second 20 shell are advantageously made with soft and compressible materials capable of absorbing at least part of the forces in the event of a collision or violent impact. Typically, the first 10 and second 20 shell are made of expanded polymer materials, for example expanded polystyrene, polypropylene or polyurethane, or silicon materials. Furthermore, said first 10 and second 20 shell can be made of the same material or with different materials, according to requirements.

[0047] Said first assembly of said protective helmet further comprises coupling means 30, 40 between said first outer protective shell 10 and said second inner protective shell 20 that are of particular type.

[0048] One of the peculiar characteristics of the protective helmet according to the present invention is in fact given by the fact that said coupling means 30, 40 comprise first damping means 30 and second mechanical retaining means 40 that are spaced apart from each other and positioned in corresponding seats 11, 21, 141, 142 of said first outer shell 10 and of said second inner shell 20.

[0049] In particular, in the embodiment of the protective helmet for sport activities illustrated in the accompanying figure, said first damping means 30 comprise at least one ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material, for example a silicone material or similar elastomeric materials.

[0050] In the embodiment of the protective helmet illustrated here, the ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material has a shape that is preferably substantially circular, so as to guarantee omnidirectional and isotropic absorption of the rotational kinetic energy transmitted following an impact. However, other geometries are also possible, according to requirements.

[0051] From a point of view of production, said at least one ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material advantageously has an outer crown 32 that is solidly coupled, for example by gluing or similar fixing systems, to one of said first outer protective shell 10 or second inner protective shell 20. The ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material advantageously also has an inner crown 33 that is solidly coupled, for example again by gluing or similar fixing systems, to the other of said first outer protective shell 10 or second inner protective shell 20.

[0052] In the embodiment of a protective helmet according to the present invention illustrated in the accompanying figures, said first outer shell 10 comprises a first seat 11 for housing said at least one ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material, said seat having a support surface and a first inner edge 12. In turn, said second inner shell 20 instead comprises a first protuberance 21 having a first outer edge 22 inserted into said at least one ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material.

[0053] As illustrated in the accompanying figures, in this case said first inner edge 12 of said first seat 11 is solidly coupled, for example by gluing, to the outer crown 32 of said at least one ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material, while said first outer edge 22 of said first protuberance 21 is solidly coupled, for example again by gluing, to the inner crown 33 of said at least one ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material.

[0054] In this way, a damping interface is produced between said first outer shell 10 and said second inner shell 20, which allows partial rotation or roto-translation of said second inner shell 20 with respect to said first outer shell 10, about an axis passing substantially through the center of the ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material.

[0055] Instead, in an alternative embodiment of a protective helmet according to the present invention, not illustrated in the figures, said second inner shell 20 comprises a second seat for housing said at least one ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material, said seat having a support surface and a second inner edge. In turn, said first outer shell 10 comprises a second protuberance having a second outer edge inserted into said at least one ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material.

[0056] In this case, said second inner edge of said second seat is solidly coupled, for example by gluing, to the outer crown 32 of said at least one ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material, and said second outer edge of said second protuberance is solidly coupled, for example again by gluing, to the inner crown 33 of said at least one ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material.

[0057] In practice, in this way the same damping interface between first outer shell 10 and second inner shell 20 described above is produced, with the difference that seat and protuberance are positioned in the opposite way on said first outer shell 10 and said second inner shell 20 with respect to the previous case.

[0058] As mentioned above, in the assembly thus produced said second inner shell 20 is movable relative to said first outer shell 10 being able to carry out a partial rotation or roto-translation with respect to said first outer shell 10 about an axis that passes substantially through the center of the ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material.

[0059] This is made possible by the fact that the second mechanical retaining means 40 on the one hand guarantee the stability of the assembly and the mechanical coupling between said first outer shell 10 and said second inner shell 20, and at the same time allow partial rotation or roto-translation of said second inner shell 20 with respect to said first outer shell 10. Typically, the relative movement of said second inner shell 20 with respect to said first outer shell 10 is of the order of a few millimeters, for example ?5 mm.

[0060] The mechanical retaining means 40 can be of different type according to requirements, provided they are able to guarantee mechanical stability and the possibility of mechanical relative movement between said first outer shell 10 and said second inner shell 20 described above.

[0061] For example, in the embodiment of a protective helmet, particularly for sport activities and the like, according to the present invention, illustrated in the accompanying figures, said second mechanical retaining means 40 advantageously comprise a male element 41 provided with snap-locking means 410 and positioned in a corresponding seat 141 in said first outer shell 10. The second mechanical retaining means 40 further comprise a female element 42 adapted to engage said snap-locking means 410 of said male element 41 and positioned in a corresponding seat 142 in said second inner shell 20. Even if not illustrated, it is obviously possible to position the male element 41 in a seat in said second inner shell 20 and the female element 42 in a seat in said first outer shell 10.

[0062] In this way, it is possible to produce an efficient and rapid mechanical connection between said first outer shell 10 and said second inner shell 20 from the point of view of assembly, thus simplifying construction procedures and consequently reducing costs.

[0063] In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, the absorption efficiency of the rotational energy on the protective helmet, according to the present invention, is guaranteed by a single ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material positioned on the top of the helmet, substantially at the axis passing through the neck of the user, while mechanical retention is guaranteed by three pairs of male elements 41 and female elements 42 appropriately positioned around said ring-shaped damping element 31 made of elastomeric material.

[0064] However, more in general and according to requirements, a protective helmet, particularly for sport activities and the like according to the present invention, can comprise a plurality of said first damping means 30 and/or a plurality of said second mechanical retaining means 40, appropriately positioned at the interface between said first outer shell 10 and said second inner shell 20.

[0065] In practice, it has been seen, as is apparent from the description and from the accompanying drawings, that the technical solutions adopted in the protective helmet for sport activities, such as motorcycling, motocross, cycling, mountain biking, car racing, skiing/snowboarding and similar sports, according to the present invention, allow the intended tasks and objects to be fully implemented.

[0066] On the basis of the description provided, other characteristics, modifications or improvements are possible and evident to a person skilled in the art. These characteristics, modifications and improvements should therefore be considered a part of the present utility model. In practice, the materials used, the dimensions and contingent shapes can be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.