| Method for manufacturing safety helmet and safety helmet manufactured with the same -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
  Method for manufacturing safety helmet and safety helmet manufactured with the sameUSPTO Application #: 20060162053Title: Method for manufacturing safety helmet and safety helmet manufactured with the same Abstract: An improved lightweight, shock-resistant and tension-proof safety helmet manufactured at a low cost is provided. The safety helmet includes a shell, which is manufactured by molding a liner using a thermoplastic resin, covering the outside of the liner with a reinforced fiber sheet, preparing a mold, disposing the liner upside down on a concave molding side of the mold, injecting a thermosetting resin between the liner and the molding side, hardening the thermosetting resin, and detaching the hardened thermosetting resin from the mold; and a cushion pad attached to the inside of the liner. The safety helmet may include a guide surface referred to as a wind flap in order to guide external air into the safety helmet. (end of abstract) Agent: Ladas & Parry LLP - Chicago, IL, US Inventor: Dong Seon Lee USPTO Applicaton #: 20060162053 - Class: 002411000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Apparel, Guard Or Protector, For Wearer's Head, Including Energy-absorbing Means The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060162053. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a safety helmet, such as a motorcycle helmet or a sports helmet, and a safety helmet manufactured using the method, and more particularly, to a method of easily manufacturing a safety helmet with a shell, which is made of a fiber-reinforced composite material including high-strength fiber, high elastic fiber, and a thermosetting resin, to be light and shock resistant at a low cost, and an improved safety helmet with excellent inner ventilation. BACKGROUND ART [0002] Safety helmets are used to protect human heads from being injured due to sudden accidents that occur when people drive motorcycles or racing cars or work in construction sites or special work sites. FIG. 1 is a cross-section of an example of a conventional safety helmet for motorcycles. [0003] Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional safety helmet 1 includes a shell 11 made of a fiber-reinforced composite material including high-strength fiber, such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, or spectra fiber, and a thermosetting resin; and a cushion pad 21 attached to the inside of the shell 11. In addition, the safety helmet 1 includes ventilation holes 31 for allowing the air to circulate in an inner space of the safety helmet 1. [0004] In a conventional method of manufacturing the shell 11, an external mold having a molding side for forming the external shape of the shell 11 and an internal mold having a molding side for forming the internal shape of the shell 11 are disposed such that the molding sides face each other, and a fiber-reinforced composite material is injected between the molding sides and then hardened. However, this method requires a lot of expenses to manufacture the molds. Moreover, when heat is applied to the molds in order to harden the fiber-reinforced composite material, the heat is not uniformly transmitted through the molds, so there is a large difference in strength throughout the shell 11. [0005] In another conventional method of manufacturing the shell 11, a molding side of an external mold for forming the external shape of the shell 11 is coated with a fiber-reinforced composite material, and then the fiber-reinforced composite material is rapidly hardened by blowing compressed air and a thermosetting resin on the external mold. However, this method is disadvantageous in that the thickness of the shell 11 is not uniform. [0006] As indicated by a dashed and two dotted line in FIG. 1, since the inside of the cushion pad 21 is mostly in close contact with a user's head, the ventilation holes 31 are actually blocked so that external air cannot flow into the inside of the safety helmet 1. Accordingly, the safety helmet 1 causes the user to feel unpleasant and is harmful in terms of sanitation. Moreover, when the user drives a motorcycle at high speeds, although the air can flow into the inside of the safety helmet 1 through the ventilation holes 31, the ventilation holes 31 cause the user to be exposed to a very loud wind sound, which disturbs the user's concentration on driving. As a result, an accident may occur. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an improved light, shock-resistant and tension-proof safety helmet at a low cost. [0008] The present invention also provide a safety helmet which reduces unpleasantness by preventing a user's head from becoming clammy with sweat and eliminates bad sanitary conditions. [0009] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a safety helmet. The method includes molding a liner, which has an inner space and an opening at its lower portion in order to allow a user's head to be put into the safety helmet, using a thermoplastic resin; covering the outside of the liner with a reinforced fiber sheet formed using a textile or a non-woven fabric made of high-strength fiber and high elastic fiber; preparing a mold having a concave molding side and disposing the liner in the mold upside down such that the reinforced fiber sheet is positioned between the molding side and the liner; injecting a thermosetting resin between the liner and the molding side and hardening the thermosetting resin; and detaching the hardened thermosetting resin from the mold. [0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a safety helmet including a shell, which is manufactured by a method including molding a liner, which has an inner space and an opening at its lower portion in order to allow a user's head to be put into the safety helmet, using a thermoplastic resin; covering the outside of the liner with a reinforced fiber sheet formed using a textile or a non-woven fabric made of high-strength fiber and high elastic fiber; preparing a mold having a concave molding side and disposing the liner in the mold upside down such that the reinforced fiber sheet is positioned between the molding side and the liner; injecting a thermosetting resin between the liner and the molding side and hardening the thermosetting resin; and detaching the hardened thermosetting resin from the mold; and a cushion pad, which is attached to the inside of the liner in order to alleviate external shock to the user's head. [0011] Preferably, the cushion pad includes a plurality of head supports which extend toward the inner space and contact the user's head. [0012] Preferably, the safety helmet further includes a guide surface having a slant declining forward from a back rim of the opening, in order to guide air flow near the opening into the cushion pad. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013] FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a conventional safety helmet. [0014] FIG. 2 is a cross-section of a stage, in which the outside of a liner is covered with a reinforced fiber sheet, in a method of manufacturing a safety helmet according to an embodiment of the present invention. [0015] FIG. 3 is a cross-section of a stage, in which the liner covered with the reinforced fiber sheet is disposed in a mold upside down, in a method of manufacturing a safety helmet according to the embodiment of the present invention. [0016] FIGS. 4 and 5 are a cross-section and a bottom view of an embodiment of a safety helmet manufactured using the method shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION [0017] Referring to FIG. 2, in manufacturing a safety helmet according to an embodiment of the present invention, a liner 110 defining an inner space where a user's head goes and having an opening at its lower portion is molded. Next, the outside of the liner 110 is covered with a reinforced fiber sheet 113. [0018] Since it is preferable that the liner 110 has a thickness of 1-2 mm, the liner 110 is made of a thermoplastic resin through molding. Such a molding method is widely known to those skilled in the art, and thus a description thereof will be omitted. The thermoplastic resin for the liner 110 may be a resin such as polyethylene resin, polystyrene resin, polybutyleneterephthalate resin, polyvinylchloride (PVC) resin, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resin, polycarbonate resin, or nylon resin. [0019] The reinforced fiber sheet 113 is formed using a textile or a non-woven fabric made of high-strength fiber and high elastic fiber. The reinforced fiber sheet 113 may have a single-layer structure but may have a multi-layer structure in order to increase the strength of a shell (120 in FIG. 4). The high-strength fiber may be glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, or spectra fiber. The high elastic fiber may be polyurethane fiber, nylon fiber, or polyethyleneterephthalate fiber. Since the reinforced fiber sheet 113 does not contain a resin, it does not closely contact the liner 110. Continue reading... Full patent description for Method for manufacturing safety helmet and safety helmet manufactured with the same Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method for manufacturing safety helmet and safety helmet manufactured with the same 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 Method for manufacturing safety helmet and safety helmet manufactured with the same or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Male undergarment with protective pouch Next Patent Application: Removable modular padding for protective helmet and helmet equipped therewith Industry Class: Apparel ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Method for manufacturing safety helmet and safety helmet manufactured with the same patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 1.62031 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Daimler Chrysler , DirecTV , Exxonmobil Chemical Company , Goodyear , Intel , Kyocera Wireless , |
||
