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  Safety helmetUSPTO Application #: 20070056081Title: Safety helmet Abstract: A safety helmet is described which includes means to allow the impact status or history of the helmet to be determined. The means may comprise an electrical sensor or alternatively may be arranged to provide a visible indication in the event of an impact. (end of abstract) Agent: Joel D. Skinner, Jr. Skinner And Associates - Hudson, WI, US Inventor: Matthew Aspray USPTO Applicaton #: 20070056081 - 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 20070056081. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This invention relates to a safety helmet. [0002] Safety helmets are commonly worn by, for example, horse riders, cyclists and motor cyclists, with the aim of reducing injury to the wearer's head in the event that he falls, crashes or, for horse riders, is thrown. Safety helmets are also commonly worn when participating in certain other sports or activities. A typical safety helmet design incorporates a layer or pieces of a compressible or deformable material located such that, in the event of the wearer's head impacting upon an object, or an object hitting the helmet, the compressible or deformable material will deform to absorb at least some of the impact forces thereby lessening the risk of injury to the wearer. As the deformation of the compressible or deformable material can be permanent, it is usually recommended that after such an impact has occurred, the helmet is disposed of as its ability to absorb future impact forces may be reduced. Alternatively, the helmet may be repaired. [0003] Although disposal or repair is recommended, there are often situations where the wearer may consider the impact to be of insufficient severity to require the helmet to be replaced or repaired, and so a helmet may be used which is not capable of serving its intended purpose. There are also situations where helmets are shared or used by a number of individuals none of whom may know whether an impact has occurred whilst the helmet was being used by another. It is an object of the invention to provide a helmet user with the ability to determine the impact history or impact status of a helmet. One way of achieving this is to provide a mechanism whereby a record can be kept of the impacts experienced by a helmet. [0004] According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a helmet comprising an impact sensor and a memory arranged to store impact data from the impact sensor. [0005] It will be appreciated that by appropriate interrogation of the memory, a user can determine whether or not the helmet has been involved in an impact of magnitude sufficient to impair the subsequent performance thereof. [0006] The memory may be arranged to store the impact information in a range of ways. For example, it may record the time and magnitude of each impact experienced by the helmet. Alternatively, some form of filtering may be applied so that only data representative of impacts exceeding a pre-determined threshold value are recorded. Although the time of the or each impact may be recorded, there may be occasions when this information is not required and so this data may not be stored. In a simple embodiment, the memory may be bistable and arranged to switch between a first, normal, state and a second, warning, state upon the occurrence of an impact or series of impacts greater than a pre-determined value. [0007] The helmet may further include a warning device adapted to be controlled using the data stored in the memory. [0008] For example, a warning may be triggered in the event that an impact is sensed the magnitude of which is greater than a predetermined threshold. [0009] The predetermined threshold may be set by, for example, the helmet manufacturer, so as to be tailored to, for example, the helmet design and the intended use thereof. [0010] The warning preferably comprises a visible warning, for example an appropriately controlled liquid crystal display. Alternatively, a warning light, for example an LED arranged to be illuminated in the event of the occurrence of a large impact, may be provided. However, other warnings could be used. For example, a light may be switched off in the event of an impact, rendering the helmet fail-safe. Another possibility is to provide an audible warning. [0011] The impact sensor may take a range of forms. In one arrangement it comprises a layer of a material sensitive to the occurrence of an impact. [0012] The said layer of material may be incorporated into the helmet but could, alternatively, be retrofitted thereto, if desired. Where intended to be retrofitted, the layer may be fitted by, a manufacturer or repairer. Alternatively, a suitable kit may be supplied to allow the user to fit the layer to the helmet. [0013] The layer of material conveniently comprises a layer of quantum tunnelling composite material. The electrical insulating/conducting properties of such a material vary when the material is pressed, squashed, twisted or stretched thus by measuring the electrical resistance across the layer, a measurement of whether or not an impact is occurring and the magnitude of any such impact can be made. The material may be in sheet form or alternatively may comprise granules mixed with and incorporated into the material of part of the helmet. The layer is preferably continuous, but could alternatively be discontinuous, for example in the form of a plurality of isolated regions or pads. [0014] Although the sensor may take the above described form, it will be appreciated that this need not be the case and a range of other sensors could be used. [0015] For example, the sensor could be capacitance based. In such an arrangement, a pair of electrically conductive layers are separated by an electrically insulating material. In the event of an impact, the electrically insulating material will deform, allowing the electrically conductive layers to be forced closer to one another thereby changing the capacitance therebetween. A plurality of discrete, self-contained sensor capacitors may be used instead of a single, larger sensor capacitor, if desired. Other possibilities, include the use of piezo electric materials, the application of a force to which results in a measurable change in the electrical properties thereof. Other forms of strain gauge could also be used. [0016] Although the provision of a suitable sensor and memory allows a user, by appropriate interrogation of the memory, to ascertain information relating to impacts experienced by a helmet and thus determine whether or not he considers it to be safe for use, it will be appreciated that other techniques are possible. [0017] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, therefore, there is provided a helmet, and means associated with the helmet capable of providing an indication of the impact status or history of the helmet. [0018] The means may take the form of a sensor and memory as described hereinbefore. Alternatively, the means capable of providing an indication could comprise a component the state of which will change in the event of an impact exceeding a pre-determined threshold, the state of the component being apparent to a user of the helmet. By way of example, the component may be arranged to change colour in the event of a large impact, the change of colour providing an indication to a user that the helmet has been involved in an impact. Alternatively, the component may be designed to break, crack, shatter or otherwise deform in the event of an impact in such a manner as to provide an indication that an impact has occurred. Preferably the component is encased, for example within or behind a suitable transparent material layer, so as to be contained but visible to a user. Another possibility is to provide one or more reservoirs containing an ink or dye in the helmet, the reservoirs being arranged to rupture, break, leak or overflow in the event of an impact, the escaped ink or dye providing an indication to a user of the helmet's involvement in an impact. [0019] The invention will further be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [0020] FIGS. 1 and 2 are views illustrating helmets in accordance with embodiments of the invention. [0021] FIG. 1 illustrates a helmet of the type commonly worn by motor cyclists which comprises an outer shell 10, an impact absorbing layer 12 and an inner liner 14. Between the liner 14 and the layer 12 is a layer 16 of a compressible material intended to improve the fit of the helmet on the wearer and to improve comfort. Although a range of different materials may be used in the helmet, the shell 10 is typically of a plastics material, for example a fibre reinforced plastics material. The impact absorbing layer 12 is typically of a cellular material, for example a foamed plastics material. The layer 16 may be of urethane foam. [0022] When the wearer of the helmet experiences an impact which, in the absence of the helmet would be an impact to the head, the impact absorbing layer 12 deforms, thereby absorbing at least some of the impact force and reducing the risk of injury to the wearer. [0023] In accordance with the invention, in order to allow monitoring of the occurrence of such impacts, an impact sensor in the form of a layer 18 of a material sensitive to the occurrence of such impacts is provided. In the arrangement illustrated the layer 18 is located between the outer shell 10 and the impact absorbing layer 12. It will be appreciated, however, that the layer may be provided elsewhere, for example on the outside of the outer shell 10. [0024] The layer 18 is formed from a so-called quantum tunnelling composite material. Such a material has the quality that its electrical resistance varies as the mechanical load applied thereto varies. The electrical resistance across the layer 18 is, under normal circumstances, high. However, in the event of an impact resulting from, for example, the wearer being involved in a road traffic accident and his head impacting upon the road surface or another hard object, the impact force will temporarily squash or compress the layer 18 thus causing a temporary reduction in the electrical resistance across the layer 18. Continue reading... Full patent description for Safety helmet Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Safety 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. 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