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HelmetRelated Patent Categories: Apparel, Guard Or Protector, For Wearer's Head, And FaceHelmet description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050278834, Helmet. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/558241, filed Mar. 31, 2004. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates to head protection for operators or riders of motorized vehicles. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Use of head protection is often recommended and sometimes required by law while operating motorized vehicles, such as when riding a motorcycle. Helmets are available in a variety of styles but the principle design consideration for all helmets is protection from serious head injuries during accidents. [0006] Generally, motorcycle helmets that comply with the safety standards include a thin, hard outer shell and an impact-absorbing, thicker inner shell made of a rigid foam, such as Expanded Polystyrene ("EPS"). While some prior art motorcycle helmets meet the safety standards and provide protection against head injuries, prior art motorcycle helmets are uncomfortable for a number of reasons. For many years, motorcycle riders have complained about the heat retention properties of today's helmets. Especially for riders in warm climates, motorcycle helmets become very uncomfortable as they trap heat around a person's head. The problem of heat retention in helmets is amplified for off-road motorcycle riders, who often enjoy riding in desert settings, by the vigorous, athletic exertions involved in the sport. Not only does the heat retention in today's helmets causes excessive perspiration from the heads of riders, it can lead to heat exhaustion, limiting the length of time a rider can enjoy off-road riding. [0007] Some helmets on the market today have tried to address these problems with ventilation holes formed through the outer shell and EPS layer for the apparent purpose of allowing air into the head cavity. These holes are often ineffective because they simply do not allow enough air into the head cavity to provide significant cooling to the user. [0008] Some helmets on the market today offer helmets with air intake scoops at the top of the helmet's eye opening. The scoops are intended catch air and direct it into the head cavity. Unfortunately, these air scopes typically have very small openings, often about 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch, and therefore catch very little air and are similarly less effective in flowing cooling air into the head cavity. [0009] Further, today's helmets have limited air flow within the helmet itself. In particular, helmets on the market today have small channels that are easily occluded by the liner. Moreover, the channels are often formed in such a manner that continuous air flow through the channels is disrupted. As such, these helmets have less effective channeling systems such that any air that does enter the head cavity simply cannot create the airflow needed to adequately cool a user's head. [0010] Furthermore, today's helmets are not very effective in removing heated air and perspiration from the head cavity. Most helmets on the market today have small exhaust openings that are not particularly effective in permitting the air from the inside of the helmet to be removed. [0011] Additional problems with today's helmets relate to the helmet liners included in helmets as a soft cushion between a user's head and the helmet's impact absorbing layer. The liners in today's helmets are often pressed against the impact absorbing layer by a user's head such that the liner impedes, or sometimes even blocks, airflow in the head cavity. This problem is amplified when the liner becomes saturated with sweat as a wet liner will adhere to the impact absorbing layer and allow even less air through an air channel than a dry liner. Further, a sweat saturated liner is uncomfortable against a riders head. [0012] While liners are typically removable and replaceable, poor design of today's liners makes removal and replacement inconvenient. Helmet liners on the market today include a series of ears with holes in the middle designed to mate with clips within helmet's shell. The clips on today's helmets are hidden within plastic molding around the helmet's eye opening and have a small circular protrusion that a user must mate with the hole in the liner's ear. Because the clips are hidden within the molding, the user must probe the ears under the molding and blindly match the hole to the protrusion. This design makes replacing a helmet liner a time consuming and bothersome chore. [0013] In sum, today's helmets are not very effective in addressing the problem of heat retention associated with helmets. The problem of heat retention in helmets often leads riders to loosen the fit of their helmets or even remove their helmets while riding, thereby defeating the safety function. Considering the shortcomings in prior art helmets, there exists a need for a helmet that is better at capturing air from the environment and introducing it into the interior of the helmet. Further, there is a need for a helmet that allows better airflow through the head cavity, and exhausts heated air and perspiration to the environment more efficiently. Moreover, there exists a need for a helmet with a liner that is less likely to obstruct airflow within the head cavity and that can be replaced quickly and easily. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0014] The aforementioned needs are satisfied by the helmet of the present invention which in one aspect comprises a helmet having an inner and an outer surface that is sized so as to encompass the head of the operator. The outer protective shell defines an eye opening that is positioned proximate the operator's eyes when the operator is wearing the helmet. The outer protective shell also defines at least one exhaust opening located adjacent the back of the head of the operator when the operator is wearing the helmet. [0015] In this aspect, the helmet further comprises an inner protective layer that is positioned inward of the outer protective shell so as to substantially cover the inner surface of the outer protective shell. The inner protective layer includes a plurality of air channels extending from the at least one intake positioned adjacent the opening in the eye opening to the exhaust openings. In this aspect, the at least one input is formed in the inner protective layer such that the plane of the intake opening has a component that is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the operator such that the air is injected into the plurality of channels as a result of the operator traveling in the direction of travel. [0016] Since the at least one opening is formed in the eye opening, the opening can be quite large and capable of gathering a substantial amount of air. Moreover, since the at least one opening has a component that is perpendicular to the direction of travel, air can be injected into the channels at a relatively high rate of speed thereby improving air flow through the helmet. [0017] In another aspect of the invention, an intake plenum is formed on the intake surface of the helmet. The intake plenum in one embodiment is comprised of a plurality of openings formed along the eye opening so as to be able to gather air for subsequent delivery into the channels. The use of such an intake plenum results in better air flow through the helmet. [0018] In another aspect of the invention, the helmet further comprises a liner that is interposed between the inner protective layer and the operator's head. The liner is preferably inhibited from being pushed into the channels at a position proximate the user's forehead when the user is wearing the helmet so as to allow for better air flow through the channels. Moreover, the liner is attached, in one aspect, to the helmet via attachment tabs that are sized so as to be positioned within mating openings. The attachment tabs include a surface that is perpendicular to the plane of the attachment tab that mates with a mating surface in the helmet. Hence, the liner can be positioned within the helmet and secured therein more easily as a result of the tabs being mated with the openings. [0019] In yet another aspect of the invention, the outer shell of the helmet defines a first air flow surface and a second air flow surface wherein the air flows over the second surface at a slower rate than the first surface. The exhaust openings are, in this aspect, preferably positioned on the second surface immediately adjacent the interface with the first surface such that a relative vacuum is formed adjacent the exhaust openings to thereby facilitate removal of the air. In this aspect, air flow through the helmet is enhanced as a result of the relative vacuum. [0020] Hence, from the foregoing, the design of the helmet in each of these aspects is adapted to facilitate air flow through the helmet. As such, the user is provided with greater cooling than with prior art helmets. These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading about Helmet... Full patent description for Helmet Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Helmet patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Helmet or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Infant protective head covering Next Patent Application: Sports helmet Industry Class: Apparel ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Helmet patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.16613 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Software: Finance , AI , Databases , Development , Document , Navigation , Error 174 |
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