Protective Helmet with Airbag

Abstract

A protective helmet (1) comprises a cap (10) adapted to be fitted on and around the head of a user, wherein the cap (10) comprises an external shell (101) and at least one housing seat (102) for an airbag (2). At the at least one housing seat (102), the external shell (101) comprises at least a movable portion (103; 103a, 103b, 103c), which is permanently connected to a remaining fixed portion of the external shell (101) and is movable between a closed position, in which it covers the at least one housing seat (102) and an airbag (2) housed therein in a deflated condition, and an open position, in which it releases at least partially the at least one housing seat (102) allowing the airbag (2) to expand outside the cap (10) in an inflated condition.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A protective helmet comprising: a cap configured to be fitted on and around the head of a user, wherein the cap includes an external shell and at least one housing seat for an airbag, wherein at the at least one housing seat the external shell comprises at least one movable portion, which is permanently connected to a remaining fixed portion of the external shell and is movable between a closed position, in which the at least one movable portion covers the at least one housing seat and an airbag housed therein in a deflated condition, and an open position, in which the at least one movable portion releases at least partially the at least one housing seat allowing the airbag to expand outside the cap in an inflated condition.

17. The protective helmet of claim 16, wherein in the open position the at least one movable portion of the external shell covers at least partially the airbag in an inflated condition.

18. The protective helmet of claim 16, wherein the at least one movable portion of the external shell is pivotable with respect to the fixed portion of the external shell.

19. The protective helmet of claim 18, wherein the at least one movable portion and the fixed portion of the external shell are mutually hinged at a perimeter edge portion of the at least one movable portion and at a corresponding perimeter edge portion of the at least one housing seat.

20. The protective helmet of claim 19, wherein the respective perimeter edge portions of the at least one movable portion and of the at least one housing seat have respective mutually conjugated profiles and are joined together at said mutually conjugated profiles by means of a rotation pin.

21. The protective helmet of claim 19, wherein: one of the perimeter edge portion of the at least one movable portion or the perimeter edge portion of the at least one housing seat comprises a slit extending longitudinally; and the other of the perimeter edge portion of the movable portion and the perimeter edge portion of the at least one seat housing comprises a shaped portion pivotally inserted in said slit.

22. The protective helmet of claim 16, wherein the at least one movable portion of the external shell is translatable with respect to the fixed portion of the external shell.

23. The protective helmet of claim 16, comprising releasable retaining means for maintaining the at least one movable portion of the external shell in the closed position when the airbag is in a deflated condition and allowing automatic opening of the at least one movable portion when a pressure exerted by the airbag during inflation exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

24. The protective helmet of claim 23, wherein the releasable retaining means are permanently associated with the at least one movable portion of the external shell.

25. The protective helmet of claim 16, further comprising a retaining cable having ends fixed to the cap with an interposition of elastic traction springs at points of the cap substantially opposite to the at least one movable portion of the external shell and passing through at least one hole or channel formed in the at least one movable portion of the external shell.

26. The protective helmet of claim 16, wherein the at least one housing seat extends in a frontal region and in temporal regions adjacent to the frontal region of the cap.

27. The protective helmet of claim 16, wherein the at least one movable portion of the external shell is pivotable with respect to the fixed portion of the external shell, and wherein the at least one housing seat extends in a frontal region and in temporal regions adjacent to the frontal region of the cap.

28. The protective helmet of claim 27, wherein at the at least one housing seat the external shell comprises a movable front portion and a pair of temporal movable portions, each of which is permanently connected to the fixed portion of the external shell and is movable between the closed and open positions.

29. The protective helmet of claim 28, wherein the front movable portion and the pair of temporal movable portions are at least partially connected to each other at mutually adjacent areas via a sheet of elastic and/or flexible material configured to elastically extend or unfold when the movable portions pass from the closed position to the open position.

30. The protective helmet of claim 16, comprising a container with a pressurized fluid in fluid communication with the airbag and a mechanical trigger device configured to trigger a flow of the pressurized fluid from the container to the airbag.

31. The protective helmet of claim 30, wherein the mechanical trigger device comprises a trigger cable, and wherein a fluid-retaining element of the container is caused to open upon a tension being generated in the trigger cable beyond a predetermined threshold.

32. The protective helmet of claim 16, comprising a chin guard associated in a fixed or movable manner with the cap.

Description

[0032] Further features and advantages of a protective helmet according to the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, given below, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0033] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective schematic view of a preferred embodiment of a protective helmet according to the present invention;

[0034] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the protective helmet of FIG. 1 in a first operating configuration;

[0035] FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the protective helmet of FIG. 2;

[0036] FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of the protective helmet of FIG. 2;

[0037] FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view along the line III-III of FIG. 3 of the protective helmet of FIG. 2;

[0038] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the protective helmet of FIG. 1 in a second operating configuration;

[0039] FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of the protective helmet of FIG. 6;

[0040] FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of the protective helmet of FIG. 6;

[0041] FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view along the line VII-VII of FIG. 7 of the protective helmet of FIG. 6;

[0042] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of the rear side of a movable portion of the shell of the protective helmet of FIG. 1;

[0043] FIG. 11 is a schematic front view of the rear side of a second movable portion of the shell of the protective helmet of FIG. 1, and

[0044] FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of an alternative embodiment of a protective helmet according to the present invention.

[0045] In these figures a protective helmet according to the invention is indicated as a whole with the reference numeral 1.

[0046] The protective helmet 1 shown herein is in particular a motorcycle helmet. However, the concepts underlying the present invention and the specific technical solutions described below can also find application in protective helmets intended for other uses, such as driving motor vehicles in general, both in everyday life and in sports, in sporting activities, for example cycling or mountain biking, skiing/snowboarding, mountaineering, hockey, baseball, etc., or carrying out work activities in environments or conditions in which there is a particular danger of accidents affecting the head.

[0047] The protective helmet 1 comprises a cap 10 configured to wrap and protect the front, top, rear and side areas of a user's head. In the embodiment shown herein, the protective helmet 1 further comprises a chin guard 11 to also protect the mandibular area of the user's head. In this case, the chin guard 11 is formed integrally with the cap 10, so as to constitute a helmet of the integral type. However, the chin guard 11 could also be associated in a movable manner with the cap 10, so as to provide a helmet of the so-called modular type.

[0048] The protective helmet 1 can also comprise in a known manner a visor, not shown in the figures.

[0049] The cap 10 and the chin guard 11 comprise an external shell 101 made of a rigid and resistant material, in particular a hard plastic, such as for example acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polycarbonate (PC), or a composite material containing high strength fibres, such as glass fibres, carbon fibres or aramid fibres. Preferably, in the case of the protective helmet 1 described herein, the cap 101 is made of a composite material comprising a polymer matrix reinforced with carbon fibres.

[0050] The cap 10 and the chin guard 11 typically also comprise an internal lining, not shown in the figures, made of a resilient material, such as sintered expanded polystyrene (EPS), adapted to absorb and dissipate as much as possible the impact forces acting on the protective helmet. 1, so that they do not directly and completely transfer to the user's head. Even more internally than the internal lining, a padding made of soft material, also not shown in the figures, can be provided to make contact of the helmet with the user's head more comfortable.

[0051] As a further protective element, an airbag 2 is also provided in the protective helmet 1, visible in FIGS. 1, 6-9 and 12, which can be activated, i.e. inflated, by means of an activation system described in more detail below, when the protective helmet 1 undergoes an impact of an intensity higher than a predetermined threshold or, in general , upon the occurrence of pre-established conditions that are a prelude to an impact.

[0052] In a non-active condition, that is, deflated, the airbag 2 is housed suitably folded, in a suitable housing 102 formed in the cap 10. In the case of a protective helmet 1 for motorcycling, as in the example illustrated herein, it is advantageous to arrange the airbag 2 at the frontal region and the two adjacent temporal regions of the head, since it has been found that in these regions, impacts occur more frequently in the event of an accident. Correspondingly, the housing seat 102 extends, preferably continuously, in the frontal region and in the two temporal regions, opposite and adjacent to the frontal region, of the cap 10.

[0053] In the example of embodiment shown herein, the airbag 2 is made as a single body, however it is also possible to contemplate embodiments in which the airbag 2 consists of two or more distinct portions, which can be inflated independently, which together cover the aforementioned regions.

[0054] At the housing seat 102, the external shell 101 comprises a front movable portion 103b and two temporal movable portions 103a and 103c, configured to completely cover together the housing seat 102 and the airbag 2 housed therein in normal use conditions of the protective helmet 1, i.e. when the airbag 2 is deflated, and to release the housing seat 102, allowing the expansion of the airbag 2 in the event of an impact. In particular, each of the movable parts 103a, 103b and 103c is permanently connected to a remaining fixed portion of the external shell 101 and can move between a closed position, shown in FIGS. 2-5, in which it covers a respective portion of the housing seat 102 and of the airbag 2 housed therein in a deflated condition, and an open position, shown in FIGS. 6-9, in which it releases the respective portion of the housing seat 102, allowing the airbag 2 to expand outside the cap 10 when inflated.

[0055] In the protective helmet 1 according to the invention, therefore, the activation of the airbag 2 does not involve a complete detachment of parts of the external shell 101 or, more generally, of the cap 10. Even when the airbag 2 is activated, the movable portions 103a, 103b and 103c remain constrained to the remaining fixed part of the external shell 101. Once the airbag 2 has completed its protective function, has deflated and has been repositioned in the housing 2, in the absence of other structural or functional damage to the helmet, the movable portions 103a, 103b and 103c can be easily returned to their closed position, restoring the normal configuration of the protective helmet 1, which, if appropriate from a safety point of view, can continue to be used.

[0056] Advantageously, the deflation of the airbag and its repositioning in the housing seat take place through the mechanical action of the movable parts thereon.

[0057] The number of movable portions covering the housing seat 2 can vary from one to a plurality depending on the specific application requirements, based, for example, on the type of protective helmet 1, on the shape of its cap 2 or its external shell 101, on the position of the housing seat 102 on the cap 2, on the dimensions and shape of the housing seat 2, on the type of movable connection between movable parts and fixed part of the external shell 101.

[0058] As can be seen in particular from FIG. 5, the movable portions 103a, 103b and 103c are configured and movable in such a way that in the open position they cover at least partially, and preferably substantially, the airbag 2 in an inflated condition, to protect it from possible lacerations or perforations during an impact.

[0059] As a further protection, in particular to cover areas of the airbag 2 which may remain exposed due to a mutual removal of the movable portions 103a, 103b and 103c following their opening (see FIGS. 6-8), the latter can be advantageously connected to each other at mutually adjacent areas by means of a sheet of elastic and/or flexible material (not shown in the figures) capable of elastically extending or unfolding when the movable portions 103a, 103b and 103c move from the closed position to the open position.

[0060] In the embodiment of the protective helmet 1 shown in FIGS. 1-11 the movable portions 103a, 103b, 103c are connected to the fixed portion of the external shell 101 in a pivotable manner. In particular, as can be better seen from FIGS. 1, 10 and 11, each movable portion 103a, 103b, 103c comprises a respective portion 113 of perimeter edge hinged to a corresponding portion 112 of the perimeter edge of the housing seat 102. The perimeter edge portions 113 of the movable portions 103a, 103b, 103c and the corresponding perimeter edge portions 112 of the housing seat 102 have a mutually conjugated profile, in particular in the form, respectively, of recesses and projections and are joined together by means of a rotation pin (not shown in the figures) which can be inserted in suitable seats formed at the portions 113, 112 themselves. Of course, other pin connection modes are also possible between the movable portions 103a, 103b, 103c and the fixed portion of the external shell 101. For example, in an alternative embodiment, not shown in the figures, the pin connection can be made by coupling (“slip-in” hinge), forming slits extending longitudinally in the portions 112 of the perimeter edge of the housing seat 102 and providing the perimeter edge portions 113 of the movable portions 103a, 103b, 103c for example with a Z-shape, such as to allow a fixed connection, with the possibility of pivoting, with said slits.

[0061] In the protective helmet 1 there are also releasable retaining means, adapted to keep the movable portions 103a, 103b, 103c in the closed position when the airbag 2 is deflated and to allow automatic opening of the same when a pressure exerted by the airbag 2 during inflation exceeds a predetermined threshold value. As can be seen in particular in FIG. 1, these releasable retaining means preferably comprise a retaining cable 114 having respective ends fixed through the interposition of traction springs 115 to the external shell 101 or, in general, to the cap 10 from laterally opposite parts of the housing seat 102 and passing through one or more holes or channels 116 formed in each of the movable portions 103a, 103b, 103c, visible in particular in FIGS. 10 and 11. The retaining cable 115 therefore remains stably connected to the movable portions 103a, 103b, 103c both in the closed position and in the open position thereof. By suitably choosing the elastic features of the traction springs 115, it is possible to set different pressure threshold values for opening the movable portions 103a, 103b, 103c due to the inflation of the airbag 2.

[0062] FIG. 12 shows an alternative embodiment of the protective helmet 1, in which the housing seat 102 of the airbag 2 is completely covered by a single movable portion 103, substantially U-shaped, of the external shell 101 and is permanently connected to the fixed portion of the latter in a translatable manner. In particular, the movable portion 103 is connected to the fixed portion of the external shell 101 by means of guiding devices 117 arranged at the two opposite temporal regions of the protective helmet 1, only one of which is visible in the side view of FIG. 12, and can translate along a substantially horizontal direction, with reference to the conditions of normal use of the helmet when worn by a user, between a closed position and an open position (illustrated in FIG. 12). Also in this case, in the open position, the movable portion 103 substantially covers the airbag 2 in an inflated condition, protecting it against tears or perforations that could occur during an impact. Furthermore, also in this embodiment releasable retaining means are provided for the movable portion 113, which can be configured in a manner similar to what has been described above with reference to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-11.

[0063] As mentioned above, the protective helmet 1 also comprises an airbag activation system 2. This system preferably comprises a cartridge 21 containing a fluid under pressure, for example CO2 at 30 bar at room temperature, therefore in the liquid state before undergoing an expansion towards and inside the airbag 2. To minimize the impact on the aerodynamic features of the protective helmet 1, the cartridge 21 can be conveniently arranged in a vertical position in a rear area of the cap 10 of the protective helmet 1, at the nape of a user's neck when it is worn, and is preferably covered by a special casing 22 removably fixed to the external shell 101.

[0064] The cartridge 21 is normally closed by means of a fluid-retaining device or element 23, for example of the perforation type and, when the latter opens, it is placed in fluid communication with the airbag 2 through a duct 24. The cartridge 21 is opened by means of a mechanical trigger system, comprising a trigger cable 25 of suitable length, possibly provided with at least one spiral portion, having a first end connected to the fluid-retaining device or element 23 and a second free end, which in this case is intended to be connected to a fixed point on a motor vehicle driven by the user wearing the protective helmet 1. In the event of an accident, fall or in general an event that causes a variation of a predetermined reciprocal distance between motorcyclist and motor vehicle and typical of a normal riding position, a tension is generated in the trigger cable 25 which, beyond a predetermined threshold, automatically causes the opening of the fluid-retaining device or element 23 of the cartridge 21 and therefore the inflation of the airbag 2, with the concurrent opening of the movable portions 103, i.e. 103a, 103b, 103c.

[0065] Following an event, in particular an accident, which caused the activation of the airbag 2, if desired and taking into account any other damage suffered by the protective helmet 1 that may have compromised its structural and/or functional integrity, the deflated airbag 2 can be collected again in the housing seat 102 and the movable portions 103 or 103a, 103b, 103c can be easily returned to their closed position, restoring the normal configuration of use of the protective helmet 1.

[0066] With the present invention, therefore, a protective helmet provided with an airbag is provided which can be easily reassembled and returned to its normal configuration after an airbag activation in order to be able to be used again, and which can be manufactured easily and at competitive costs starting from existing helmet models.

[0067] It is clear that a man skilled in the art may make changes and variants to the protective helmet described herein in order to meet specific and incidental application requirements, changes and variants in any case falling within the scope of protection defined in the following claims.

[0068] In particular, the number and position of the seats for housing an airbag and the associated movable portions of the external shell may vary according to the type of protective helmet and the intended use thereof.