Protective helmet cap
The present disclosure provides an apparatus for use in reducing the impact to the head during sporting activities. The present disclosure provides a helmet cap that covers an underlying hard shell helmet. The helmet cap has a durable, energy absorbing outer shell, which lessens the initial impact to the helmet. The outer shell is formed into segments of padded material that may deform on impact. The outer shell has an inner surface that allows the outer shell to slide over the surface of a helmet thereby reducing forces applied to a wearer. The helmet cap may be securely attached to helmets without modification of the helmets. The helmet cap may include an adjustable fastener that allows the helmet cap to be securely attached to helmets of varying dimensions.
1. A helmet cap comprising an outer shell designed to attach to a helmet, the outer shell having a plurality of padded segments spaced from each other, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of padded segments are tuned to suppress, upon impact with an object, vibrations within one or more ranges of frequencies corresponding with one or more respective target resonance modes;
wherein the at least a portion of the plurality of segments are tuned by configuring one or more of a size and mass of the at least a portion of the plurality of segments, wherein the one or more ranges of frequencies is defined, at least in part, by the configured one or more of a size and mass.
2. The helmet cap of claim 1 , wherein the one or more target resonance modes is based on a resonance mode of a human skull.
3. The helmet cap of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ranges of frequencies comprises a range from about 800 Hz to about 1200 Hz.
4. The helmet cap of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ranges of frequencies comprises a range from about 1000 Hz to about 1450 Hz.
5. The helmet cap of claim 1 , wherein the one or more target resonance modes is based on a resonance mode of a skull of a wearer of the helmet.
6. The helmet cap of claim 1 , wherein the one or more target resonance modes is based on a resonance mode associated with an attribute comprising at least one of age, gender, and head size.
7. A helmet cap comprising an outer shell designed to attach to a helmet, the outer shell having a plurality of padded segments and a plurality of indentations, wherein at least one indentation of the plurality of indentations is disposed between at least a pair of padded segments of the plurality of padded segments, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of padded segments are tuned to suppress, upon impact with an object, vibrations within one or more ranges of frequencies corresponding with one or more respective target resonance modes; wherein the at least a portion of the plurality of segments are tuned by configuring one or more of a size and mass of the at least a portion of the plurality of segments, wherein the one or more ranges of frequencies is defined, at least in part, by the configured one or more of a size and mass.
8. The helmet cap of claim 7 , wherein the one or more target resonance modes is based on one or more resonance modes of a human skull.
9. The helmet cap of claim 7 , wherein the one or more ranges of frequencies comprises a range from about 800 Hz to about 1200 Hz.
10. The helmet cap of claim 7 , wherein the one or more ranges of frequencies comprises a range from about 1000 Hz to about 1450 Hz.
11. The helmet cap of claim 7 , wherein the one or more target resonance modes is based on a resonance mode of a skull of a wearer of the helmet.
12. The helmet cap of claim 7 , wherein the one or more target resonance modes is based on a resonance mode associated with an attribute comprising at least one of age, gender, and head size.
13. The helmet cap of claim 1 , wherein:
a first padded segment of the plurality of padded segments is tuned to suppress, upon impact with an object, vibrations within a first range of frequencies of the one or more ranges of frequencies corresponding with a first target resonance mode of the one or more target resonance modes, and
a second padded segment of the plurality of padded segments is tuned to suppress, upon impact with an object, vibrations within a second range of frequencies of the one or more ranges of frequencies corresponding with a second target resonance mode of the one or more target resonance modes.
14. The helmet cap of claim 13 , wherein:
the first padded segment is tuned by configuring the first padded segment as a first size, wherein the first range of frequencies is defined, at least in part, by the first size, and
the second padded segment is tuned by configuring the second padded segment as a second size, wherein the second range of frequencies is defined, at least in part, by the second size.
15. The helmet cap of claim 13 , wherein:
the first padded segment is tuned by configuring the first padded segment as a first mass, wherein the first range of frequencies is defined, at least in part, by the first mass, and
the second padded segment is tuned by configuring the second padded segment as a second mass, wherein the second range of frequencies is defined, at least in part, by the second mass.
16. The helmet cap of claim 7 , wherein:
a first padded segment of the plurality of padded segments is tuned to suppress, upon impact with an object, vibrations within a first range of frequencies of the one or more ranges of frequencies corresponding with a first target resonance mode of the one or more target resonance modes, and
a second padded segment of the plurality of padded segments is tuned to suppress, upon impact with an object, vibrations within a second range of frequencies of the one or more ranges of frequencies corresponding with a second target resonance mode of the one or more target resonance modes.
17. The helmet cap of claim 16 , wherein:
the first padded segment is tuned by configuring the first padded segment as a first size, wherein the first range of frequencies is defined, at least in part, by the first size, and
the second padded segment is tuned by configuring the second padded segment as a second size, wherein the second range of frequencies is defined, at least in part, by the second size.
18. The helmet cap of claim 16 , wherein:
the first padded segment is tuned by configuring the first padded segment as a first mass, wherein the first range of frequencies is defined, at least in part, by the first mass, and
the second padded segment is tuned by configuring the second padded segment as a second mass, wherein the second range of frequencies is defined, at least in part, by the second mass.