Method and apparatus for preventing concussions

Abstract

A method and apparatus for mitigating concussions resulting from sharp blows to protective headgear. The method consists of attaching cushioning pads to the outside of the headgear, held in place by straps and anchors. The apparatus consists of substantially flat flexible pads, which are made to conform to any helmet by the pressure exerted by the straps wrapping around the curved helmet. The anchors consist of clips and hooks that attach the straps to features of the helmet such as holes, edges, and protrusions. The main pad is a strip that runs over the crown of the helmet, from front to back, making the helmet to resemble a Mohawk haircut. Optional side pads protect the sides of the helmet. All apparatus can be repeatedly installed and removed without using special tools.

Claims

1. A protective headgear for reducing the severity of blows to the head of a user, said protective headgear consists of a hard outer shell covered with an elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material disposed onto the crown portion so that the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material is arranged on the hard outer shell in a central location from a front to a rear of the outside of the hard outer shell; at least one linear side strip of cushioning material disposed on the outside of the hard outer shell at a location to the right and/or left of the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material, wherein the at least one linear side strip of cushioning material has rounded bottom corners and a tapered upper edge that abuts a side of the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material; a crown strap comprising hooks and/or clips placed over the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material so that the crown strap secures the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material onto the hard outer shell from the front to the rear of the hard outer shell, thereby sandwiching the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material between the crown strap and the hard outer shell along the central location; a side strap comprising hooks and/or clips placed over the at least one linear side strip of cushioning material to secure the at least one linear side strip of cushioning material onto the hard outer shell, thereby making the linear side strip of cushioning material sandwiched between the side strap and the hard outer shell at the location to the right and/or left of the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material; and wherein the crown strap is attached over the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material onto anchor points of the hard outer shell and the side strap is attached over the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material and the at least one linear side strip of cushioning material onto the anchor points of the hard outer shell which forces the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material and the at least one linear side strip of cushioning material to conform to the hard outer shell.

2. A method for forming a protective headgear comprising: attaching an elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material onto the crown portion of a hard outer shell so that the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material is arranged on the hard outer shell in a central location from a front to a rear on the outside of the hard outer shell; attaching at least one linear side strip of cushioning material on the outside of the hard outer shell at a location to the right and/or left of the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material, wherein the at least one linear side strip of cushioning material has rounded bottom corners and a tapered upper edge that abuts a side of the elongated rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material; attaching a crown strap comprising hooks and/or clips over the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material so that the crown strap secures the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material onto the hard outer shell from the front to the rear of the hard outer shell, thereby sandwiching the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material between the crown strap and the hard outer shell along the central location; attaching a side strap comprising hooks and/or clips over the at least one linear side strip of cushioning material to secure the at least one linear side strip of cushioning material onto the hard outer shell, thereby making the at least one linear side strip of cushioning material sandwiched between the side strap and the hard outer shell at the location to the right and/or left of the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material; and wherein the attaching of the crown strap over the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material onto anchor points of the hard outer shell, and the side strap over the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material and the at least one linear side strip of cushioning material onto the anchor points of the hard outer shell, forces the elongated linear rectangular-shaped strip of cushioning material and the at least one linear side strip of cushioning material to conform to the hard outer shell.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a conventional football helmet.

(2) FIG. 2 shows planar, rectangular, flexible padding blocks in their straight, unstressed states.

(3) FIG. 3 shows clip-type anchor that can be used to attach a strap to the helmet shell.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a hook-type anchor that can be used to attach a strap to the helmet shell.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a Mohawk strip mounted on the crown of a helmet, and held in place by means of a strap.

(6) FIG. 6 shows a helmet with both a Mohawk strip and side cushions attached.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) The present invention improves protective headgear by affixing cushioning (or pads) to the outside of the headgear. The cushioning elements may be pre-formed or substantially flat, flexible planks of material that are made conform to the headgear by the anchoring mechanism. The anchoring mechanism consists of straps and clips that attach to the helmet, and sandwich the pads between the straps and exterior surface of the helmet. The preferred embodiment of the strap is a narrow, thin VELCRO wrap (or strap) with its opposite sides latched onto one another. Such self-latching VELCRO straps minimize the number of discrete parts needed to anchor the pads to the helmet and reduce costs.

(8) The principal pad is a strip that runs over the crown of the helmet from front to back. This makes the helmet resemble a Mohawk haircut, hence the term Mohawk strip. The anchor points for the Mohawk strip are the facemask lattice in the front of the helmet and a small clip in the back. A longitudinal strap running down the middle of the Mohawk strip makes it conform to the helmet. The compressive force on the Mohawk pad (or strip) is due to the tensile force in the strap, acting around the curved surface of the helmet. Further, the Mohawk can be made to resist lateral movements, and keep the Mohawk strip centered on the helmet crown by running lateral straps through either existing helmet holes, or holes drilled expressly for this purpose. Alternately, lateral straps may be bonded to the top of the helmet, or anchored to features along the side of the helmet. Features like holes and bottom edges of the hard plastic shell may already exist, or be created for such anchoring purposes. The Mohawk strip, and the strap that runs along the top of the Mohawk strip, provide anchor points for the strap that holds the two side pads in place. The other anchor points for the side pads strap are detachable clips or hooks mounted on opposite sides of the helmet.

(9) FIG. 1 shows features of a conventional football helmet 1 that are most relevant to the present invention. Those features are the shell 4, a horizontal facemask lattice element 2, a vent hole 3, and the rearmost edge 5 of the shell 4. The lattice element 2, the vent hole 3, and rearmost edge 5 all provide built in anchor points for mounting components on the helmet shell 4. The shell 4 is typically made of hard plastic, and the lattice element 2 is usually made of steel and covered by a thin soft polymer or rubber.

(10) FIG. 2 shows planar, rectangular, flexible padding in the form of planks, or blocks, in their straight, unstressed states. Such planks are the most economical form of cushioning material because they can be fabricated from simple molds, or extruded into-large flat slabs or rolls. The long plank is called a Mohawk strip 6, having dimensions in the range of four inches wide, by 15 inches long and one inch thick. The two vertically oriented planks are side strips 7 that protect the sides of the helmet. The side strips 7 may also be oriented horizontally. In an extreme case, two horizontal side strips 7 may be combined into just one continuous strip by wrapping them around the rear of the shell.

(11) The flexible padding may also be made of air-filled polymer tubes, air-filled pads, or composite structures. In the case of air-filled tubes, multiple tubes may be fabricated as a unit, joined by webs, with the central web being wide enough to accommodate the strap that latches the padding to the helmet.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a clip 11 that can be used to anchor straps to shells. The clip 11 resembles a commercially-available paper clip, with the exception that its base is bent outward (instead of inward toward the detachable wings 12) to better conform to the edges of helmet shells (not shown). The detachable wings 12 provide loops for the straps (not shown). After attaching the clip 11 to the shell, one of the wings 12 may be removed.

(13) FIG. 4 shows a hook 13 that can be used to attach straps to shells. The hook 13 resembles a small fishing hook, including a loop for the strap, but without a barb on its end.

(14) In general, anchoring devices must be small yet very strong. As such, hardened metal is typically preferred over plastic. However, anchoring devices may range from the strap itself, as in the case of self-anchoring VELCRO tapes, to devices customized for particular helmet designs. For example, the self-anchoring VELCRO strap may be attached to a facemask lattice by being wrapped around the lattice, then twisted about its longitudinal axis so that its latching surfaces match up and are then pressed together. Anchoring devices may also include buckles or brackets that are riveted or otherwise affixed to the helmet. Hard anchoring devices are acceptable, provided they don't protrude appreciably from the shell, or are covered by soft material. Small buckles affixed to straps running down the center of a pad will be pushed down into compliant cushioning material (along with the rest of the strap) by the high tape tensile forces that indent the cushioning material.

(15) The simplest anchoring device is a patch of glue that bonds the end of strap to some point on the shell. However, this approach suffers the disadvantages of being permanent, and the variable bond strength inherent with glues, especially under environmental extremes and high impact loads.

(16) FIG. 5 shows a Mohawk strip 6 mounted on the crown of a helmet 4, and held in place by means of a strap 9. The strap 9 is anchored in the front to the facemask lattice 2, and in the back to the rearmost edge 5 of the shell 4, using either a clip or hook anchor, not shown. The Mohawk 6 depicted in FIG. 5 possesses a flexible protective skin 8 designed to resist gouging

(17) In some cases it may be advantageous to run the strap 9 completely around the Mohawk strip 6, which allows you to terminate the ends of the strap upon themselves, at the top of the Mohawk strip 6, for example. Doing this simplifies the anchoring points. For example, the strap could be simply wrapped around the facemask lattice at the front and looped through a hole drilled at the rear edge 5 at the back. Only the ends of the strap need to be made of VELCRO material, thereby savings costs. The ends could alternatively be joined by a small high-strength buckle, not shown.

(18) The strap 9 can be implemented in various geometries and materials. For example, a net-type strap 9 could cover the entire Mohawk strip 6, thereby applying more uniform pressure over the surface of the Mohawk strip 6, thereby making it better conform to the shape of the shell 4, especially along the outer edges of the Mohawk strip 6. Materials such as ballistic nylon and KEVLAR strands can be construct high strength, abrasion resistance nets and flat straps 9.

(19) FIG. 6 shows a helmet with both a Mohawk strip 6 and side strips 7 attached. The side strips 7 are latched to the shell 4 by means of their own lateral strap 10. The lateral strap 10 will usually anchor onto features on the side of the shell 4, such as vents 3, and to the Mohawk strip 9 at the top of the shell 4. However, when the side strips 7 are oriented horizontally, the lateral strap 10 will also be oriented horizontally and anchored to convenient points such as the facemask lattice 2 and the rearmost segment of the Mohawk strip 9. Laterally oriented side strips 7 may be held in place vertically by cross straps (not shown) that weave through lateral holes in the shell 4 like the vent 3.

(20) Numerous modifications to and alternative embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only, and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best modes of carrying out the invention. Details of the system may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of all modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims is reserved.