Abstract
A neck support for a sport player, includes a fabric treated with a dilatant material, the fabric sized and shaped to be deployed about the player's neck to be supported by the player's shoulders and to be supportive of the player's head. The fabric can be disposed within a neck collar, the neck collar disposed between a helmet worn by the player and the player's shoulders. The collar can include a first component connected to a player's helmet; a second component connected to a player's torso; a ball bearing assembly interposed between the first and second component; and dilatant material arranged between the first component and the ball bearing assembly or between the second component and the ball bearing assembly.
Claims
1. A neck support for a sport player, comprising: a fabric treated with a dilatant material, the fabric sized and shaped to be deployed about the player's neck to be supported by the player's shoulders and to be supportive of the player's head.
2. The neck support according to claim 1, wherein the fabric is disposed within a neck collar, the neck collar disposed between a helmet worn by the player and the player's shoulders.
3. The neck support according to claim 1, wherein the fabric is shaped as a shroud.
4. The neck support according to claim 3, wherein the shroud is connected to a helmet worn by the player.
5. The neck support according to claim 1, wherein the dilatant material comprises a cornstarch solution.
6. The neck support according to claim 1, wherein the dilatant material comprises KEVLAR treated with polyethylene glycol.
7. A neck support for a sport player, comprising: a first component connected to a player's helmet; a second component connected to a player's torso; a ball bearing assembly interposed between the first and second component; and dilatant material arranged between the first component and the ball bearing assembly or between the second component and the ball bearing assembly.
8. The neck support according to claim 7, wherein dilatant material is arranged between the first component and the ball bearing assembly and between the second component and the ball bearing assembly.
9. The neck support according to claim 8, wherein the dilatant material is a dilatant treated fill enclosed by a fabric.
10. The neck support according to claim 8, wherein the dilatant material comprises a cornstarch solution.
11. The neck support according to claim 8, wherein the dilatant material comprises KEVLAR treated with polyethylene glycol.
12. The neck support according to claim 7, wherein the bearing assembly comprises a plurality of ball bearings arranged spaced apart in a circular path and guided for individual rotation by a wire frame that carries axle portions that are journaled by though holes in each ball.
13. The neck support according to claim 7, wherein the first component is a rigid open vented composite for reduced weight and neck area ventilation.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a neck brace embodiment of the invention associated with a player wearing a football helmet;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a basic embodiment of the neck brace separate from the football helmet;
[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a basic embodiment of the neck brace separate from the football helmet;
[0026] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along lines 4-4 from FIG. 3;
[0027] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an alternate embodiment taken generally along lines 4-4 from FIG. 3;
[0028] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the speed of impact and the neck brace stiffness for the exemplary embodiment neck brace of the invention;
[0029] FIG. 7 is a diagram demonstrating the effectiveness of the exemplary embodiment neck brace of the invention during a side impact;
[0030] FIG. 8 is a diagram demonstrating the effectiveness of the exemplary embodiment neck brace of the invention during a head-on impact;
[0031] FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic elevation view of a further embodiment of the invention;
[0032] FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic side view of the further embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 9;
[0033] FIG. 11 is a rear view of an alternate embodiment of the invention;
[0034] FIG. 12 is a schematic fragmentary enlarged view taken from FIG. 11;
[0035] FIG. 13 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of a portion of FIG. 12;
[0036] FIG. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 14-14 of FIG. 12;
[0037] FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken generally along line 15-15 of FIG. 11;
[0038] FIG. 16 is a schematic view of the system of FIG. 11, showing an at rest condition;
[0039] FIG. 17 is a schematic view of the system of FIG. 11, showing the swivel action of the system;
[0040] FIG. 18 is a schematic view of the system of FIG. 11 showing some of the collar undergoing separation of the neck roll; and
[0041] FIG. 19 is a schematic view showing some of the neck collar being under compression.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.
[0043] This application incorporates by reference U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/427,628, filed Nov. 29, 2016 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/448,572, filed Jan. 20, 2017.
[0044] FIG. 1 illustrates a football player wearing a helmet 10 and shoulder pads 12 (under a jersey). Located between the helmet 10 and shoulder pads 12 is a neck collar 16 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The neck collar 16 is connected by a first strap 20 and a first snap assembly 22 to a first vertical facemask bar 27 of the helmet 10 at one end, and connected by a second strap 28 and a second snap assembly 29 to a second vertical facemask bar 30 of the helmet at the opposite end of the neck collar. Alternatively, the neck collar can be wrapped around the player's neck and snap-connected at its free ends together to surround and capture the player's neck, located vertically between the helmet and shoulder pads.
[0045] FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified collar 16 having a cylindrical shape and having free ends 16a, 16b. The first strap 20 is sewed or otherwise connected to the free end 16a while the second strap 28 is sewed or otherwise connected to the free end 16b. The first snap assembly 22 comprises a male snap element and a female snap element. The second snap assembly 29 comprises a male snap element and a female snap element. Although snap elements are shown and described, other connecting arrangements, such as hook and loop fastener portions could alternately be used. A fitted mouth guard 34 has a tether 34a that can be attached to a ring 35 connected by sewing of other means to the collar 16. Alternately the mouth guard could be connected by other means or not connected to the collar.
[0046] FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate embodiment collar 50. According to this embodiment, the free ends 16a, 16b of the collar are connected together instead of to the helmet cage. This collar includes a connecting strap 56 sewn or otherwise connected to the free end 16a of the collar 50. The strap 56 includes a connecting portion 60 that connects to a second connecting portion 66 on the opposite free end 16b. The connecting portions can be co-acting snaps, a hook and loop fastening pair, or other known fastening configuration.
[0047] Certain fluids exist whose viscosity increases exponentially with the applied rate of shear. These are known as shear thickening fluids or dilatant fluids. Flexible body armor is one example of the use of dilatant fluid properties, whereby a normally flexible fabric is treated with a dilatant fluid and becomes rigid upon being impacted by a bullet. Body armor consists of KEVLAR treated with polyethylene glycol that is diluted with ethanol in order to disperse the polyethylene glycol over the KEVLAR fabric. The stiffening effect of the dilatant treatment increases bullet resistance by a factor of four.
[0048] The KEVLAR and polyethylene glycol mixture can be used in the collar of the present invention. Some other dilatant fluids are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,342,049; 6,946,138; 8,856,971; and 8,105,184, herein incorporated by reference to the extent that these disclosures are not inconsistent with the present disclosure.
[0049] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the collar of FIG. 3. The collar is formed with an outer impermeable polymer sleeve 70 surrounding and enclosing a fill 76 of fabric treated with a dilatant solution or fluid. The collar 16 of FIG. 1 would likewise be formed with an outer impermeable polymer sleeve surrounding and enclosing a fill of fabric treated with a dilatant solution or fluid.
[0050] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an alternate embodiment wherein the outer shape is circular or oval. The collar is formed with an outer impermeable polymer sleeve 80 surrounding and enclosing a fill 86 of fabric treated with a dilatant solution or fluid.
[0051] FIG. 6 illustrates the effect of a dilatant material on the collar or neck brace stiffness. The stiffness exponentially increases with the speed of impact.
[0052] FIG. 7 illustrates the effect of a football player and side impact with and without the collar of the present invention. Without the collar 16, 50, upon sudden impact F on the head, or for a sudden impact to the body relative to the head in the case of a player having body impact when airborne (i.e., neck whiplash), the head is violently moved angularly with respect to the torso, potentially causing neck injury or concussion. In contrast, with the collar 16, 50 in place, the dilatant treated collar stiffens significantly in opposition to the impact F and the impact F is absorbed by the entire torso.
[0053] FIG. 8 illustrates the effect of a football player and head-on impact with and without the collar 16, 50 of the present invention. Without the collar 16, 50, upon sudden impact F on the head, the head is violently moved toward the torso, potentially causing neck injury, spine injury or concussion. In contrast, with the collar 16, 50 in place, the dilatant treated collar stiffens significantly in opposition to the impact F and the impact F is absorbed by the entire torso.
[0054] FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate protective equipment in use for a footballer or soccer player as known in the US. The equipment includes a perforated, hard helmet 110 that is connected about its lower rear edge 116 to a perforated neck shroud 120. The neck shroud comprises a fabric treated with or saturated with a dilatant fluid or solution. The perforated neck shroud 120 extends down to rest onto and around the player's shoulders. When such a player receives an impact on the helmet, either a head-on impact or a side-impact, the shroud 120 will immediately stiffen, because of the dilatant treatment, to transfer a significant part of the load from head to the shoulders and the rest of the player's body. The effect of the impact with or without the shroud is demonstrated by FIGS. 7 and 8.
[0055] An alternate embodiment is disclosed in FIGS. 11-19, wherein a neck collar, a helmet and shoulder pads are combined into an integrated system 200. The integrated helmet-neck roll-shoulder pad system 200 includes an upper neck roll 206 attached to a helmet 210 and a lower neck roll 216 is attached to shoulder pads 220. Each neck roll is a composite with helmet- and shoulder pad-adjacent support components 222, 226 respectively being rigid, open-vented composites for reduced weight and neck area ventilation. The neck roll-adjacent, joint components 232, 236 respectively include a shear-stiffening component 238, 240. The shear stiffening component can be a fill 241 of fabric treated with a dilatant solution or fluid enclosed by an outer impermeable polymer sleeve 243.
[0056] A ball bearing assembly 242 is sandwiched between the two adjacent joint components 232, 236. The ball bearing assembly 242 includes balls 246, such as plastic balls, strung and spaced on a wire frame 248. The balls 246 are pressed into the two adjacent shear stiffening components 238, 240.
[0057] The head is protected from both lateral and head-on impact. The balls 246 permit rotational head motion by relative rotation of the joint components 232, 236. The balls 246 are pressed lightly into the shear-stiffening components 238, 240. For the joint components to relatively rotate, at least one of the components 238, 240 must deform or compress sufficiently, upward (component 238) or downward (component 240) to allow the balls to relatively pass through the moving component 238, 240. Normal speed motion such as head turning or tilting motion offers little resistance to the motion. However, high impact causing a rapid twisting, hardens the neck roll components 238, 240 and prevents undesired rapid twisting motion, relative rotation, of the joint components 232, 236, and thus prevents undesired rapid twisting motion of the head with respect to the torso of the player.
[0058] As shown in FIGS. 13-15, the balls 246 are carried by the wire frame 248. The wire frame 246 includes concentric circular track wires 254, 258 and axle wires 262, connected at opposite ends to the respective track wires 254, 258 and journaled by a through hole 266 through each ball 246. The balls 246 can rotate on the axle wires 262.
[0059] FIGS. 16 and 17 show schematically the rotational sliding movement of the components 232, 236 by way of the ball bearing assembly 242. In FIG. 16 the location point A in the joint component 232 is shown aligned with the location point B in the joint component 236. The balls 242 deflect and deform the dilatant material 238 as the upper dilatant material moves over the rotating balls. FIG. 17 shows the location point A rotated from its initial position to be no longer aligned with the location point B. During normal activity this rotation can occur easily so as not to hinder the maneuverability of the player. During a rapid twisting caused by impact however, the dilatant material 238, 240 resists deformation and causes stiff resistance of the material 238 passing over the balls, and thus resists this rotation.
[0060] FIG. 18 shows the separating movement of the components 232, 236 caused by head tilting, such as would occur during non-impact player maneuvering. FIG. 19 shows the compression of the components 232, 236 toward each other during an impact to the top of the head, or a compression on one side of the components 232, 236 caused by an impact that rapidly tilts the head with respect to the torso. The neck roll dilatant material components 238, 240 harden and prevent undesired rapid compression movement of the joint components 232, 236, on one or both sides of the neck, and thus prevents undesired rapid tilting of the head relative to the torso or compression of the neck to the torso due to a head on collision.
[0061] Although the dilatant filled collars 16, 50, or shear-stiffening components 238, 240 are described above as including a an outer impermeable polymer sleeve containing a fill of fabric treated with a dilatant solution or fluid, the collars 16, 50 or shear-stiffening components 238, 240 could also be composed of an outer casing or sleeve containing a shear-stiffening fluid, without the fill of fabric within the casing or sleeve.
[0062] From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred.
