Protective helmet with liner assembly
A protective helmet including an outer shell, and a liner assembly received in the outer shell and connected to the outer shell, the liner assembly defining a front portion configured to overlay a front of a head of a wearer, a rear portion configured to overlay a rear of the head of the wearer, a top portion disposed above and out of contact with a top of the head of the wearer when the helmet is worn, and two opposed side portions each configured to overlay a respective side of the head of the wearer. Each of the front, rear, side and top portions includes at least one zone where the liner assembly includes a plurality of overlapping layers.
1. A protective helmet comprising:
an outer shell; and
a liner assembly received in the outer shell and connected to the outer shell, the liner assembly defining a front portion configured to overlay a front of a head of a wearer, a rear portion configured to overlay a rear of the head of the wearer, a top portion configured to be disposed above a top of the head of the wearer when the helmet is worn, and two opposed side portions each configured to overlay a respective side of the head of the wearer;
wherein each of the front, rear, side and top portions includes at least one zone where the liner assembly includes overlapping layers, each of the layers being made from one of first, second, third, and fourth materials; and
wherein:
the at least one zone of the front portion has a configuration defined by one of a first front zone (F 1 ), a second front zone (F 2 ) and a third front zone (F 3 ), wherein the first front zone (F 1 ), the second front zone (F 2 ) and the third front zone (F 3 ) are respectively composed as follows:
Layers from
Minimum
outer shell
Thickness
Zone
to head
(mm)
Material
First front
Layer 1
3.2
Second material
zone (F1)
Layer 2
4.8
Third material
Layer 3
8
Second material
Layer 4
6.4
Third material
Second front
Layer 1
8
Second material
zone (F2)
Layer 2
16
Third material
Layer 3
6.4
Fourth material
Third front
Layer 1
11.2
Second material
zone (F3)
Layer 2
6.4
Third material,
the at least one zone of the rear portion has a configuration defined by one of a first rear zone (R 1 ) and a second rear zone (R 2 ), wherein the first rear zone (R 1 ) and the second rear zone (R 2 ) are respectively composed as follows:
Layers from
Minimum
outer shell
Thickness
Zone
to head
(mm)
Material
First rear
Layer 1
6.4
Second material
zone (R1)
Layer 2
1.6
First material
Layer 3
12.8
Second material
Layer 4
3.2
Fourth material
Second rear
Layer 1
6.4
Second material
zone (R2)
Layer 2
1.6
First material
Layer 3
9.6
Third material
Layer 4
6.4
Fourth material,
the at least one zone of the side portions has a configuration defined by one of a first side zone (S 1 ) and a second side zone (S 2 ), wherein the first side zone (S 1 ) and the second side zone (S 2 ) are respectively composed as follows:
Layers from
Minimum
outer shell
Thickness
Zone
to head
(mm)
Material
First side
Layer 1
4.8
Second material
zone (S1)
Layer 2
3.2
First material
Layer 3
8
Third material
Layer 4
6.4
Fourth material
Second side
Layer 1
3.2
Second material
zone (S2)
Layer 2
18.4
Third material,
and
the at least one zone of the top portion has a configuration defined by one of a first top zone (T 1 ) and a second top zone (T 2 ), wherein the first top zone (T 1 ) and the second top zone (T 2 ) are respectively composed as follows:
Layers from
Minimum
outer shell
Thickness
Zone
to head
(mm)
Material
First top
Layer 1
3.2
Second material
zone (T1)
Layer 2
18.4
Third material
Second top
Layer 1
11.2
Second material
zone (T2)
Layer 2
6.4
Third material
wherein the first material has a greater hardness than that of the second, third and fourth materials, the second material has a greater hardness than that of the third and fourth materials, and the third material has a greater hardness than that of the fourth material.
2. The protective helmet of claim 1 , wherein the front portion includes each of the first front zone (F 1 ), the second front zone (F 2 ), and the third front zone (F 3 ).
3. The protective helmet of claim 1 , wherein the rear portion includes both of the first rear zone (R 1 ) and the second rear zone (R 2 ).
4. The protective helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the side portions includes both of the first side zone (S 1 ) and the second side zone (S 2 ).
5. The protective helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the top portion includes both of the first top zone (T 1 ) and the second top zone (T 2 ) .
6. The protective helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the respective thickness of each of the layers of the at least one of the first front zone (F 1 ), the second front zone (F 2 ), and the third front zone (F 3 ), of the at least one the first rear zone (R 1 ) and the second rear zone (R 2 ), of the at least one of the first side zone (S 1 ) and the second side zone (S 2 ), and of the at least one of the first top zone (T 1 ) and the second top zone (T 2 ) corresponds to at least the thickness set forth in Table 3.
7. The protective helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first material is a vinyl nitrile foam, the second material is a vinyl nitrile foam, the third material is a vinyl nitrile foam, and the fourth material is an Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam.
8. The protective helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first material is a vinyl nitrile foam with a density of from 0.17 to 0.21 g/cm3, the second material is a vinyl nitrile foam with a density of from 0.11 to 0.14 g/cm3, the third material is a vinyl nitrile foam with a density of from 0.09 to 0.12 g/cm3, and the fourth material is an Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam with a density of from 0.09 to 0.12 g/cm3.
9. The protective helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first material is a vinyl nitrile foam with a density of from 0.17 to 0.21 g/cm3 and a Shore Hardness of from 75 to 95, the second material is a vinyl nitrile foam with a density of from 0.11 to 0.14 g/cm3 and a Shore Hardness of from 65 to 85, the third material is a vinyl nitrile foam with a density of from 0.09 to 0.12 g/cm3 and a Shore Hardness of from 55 to 75, and the fourth material is an Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam with a density of from 0.09 to 0.12 g/cm3 and a Shore Hardness of from 35 to 75.
10. A protective helmet comprising:
an outer shell; and
a liner assembly received in the outer shell and connected to the outer shell, the liner assembly defining a front portion configured to overlay a front of a head of a wearer, a rear portion configured to overlay a rear of the head of the wearer, a top portion configured to be above the head of the wearer when the helmet is worn, and two opposed side portions each configured to overlay a respective side of the head of the wearer; and
wherein the front portion includes at least two layers and has a configuration defined by one of a first front zone (F 1 ), a second front zone (F 2 ) or a third front zone (F 3 ), and the rear portion includes four layers and has a configuration defined by one of a first rear zone (R 1 ) or a second rear zone (R 2 );
wherein the first front zone (F 1 ), the second front zone (F 2 ) and the third front zone (F 3 ) of the front portion are respectively composed of two or more of the layers each having a minimum thickness and made of one of first, second, third and fourth materials as follows:
Layers from
Minimum
outer shell
Thickness
Zone
to head
(mm)
Material
First
Layer 1
3.2
Second material
front
Layer 2
4.8
Third material
zone
Layer 3
8
Second material
(F1)
Layer 4
6.4
Third material
Second
Layer 1
8
Second material
front
Layer 2
16
Third material
zone
Layer 3
6.4
Fourth material
(F3)
Third
Layer 1
11.2
Second material
front
Layer 2
6.4
Third material
zone
(F3)
wherein the first rear zone (R 1 ) and the second rear zone (R 2 ) of the rear portion are respectively composed of four layers each having a minimum thickness and made of the one of first, second, third and fourth materials as follows:
Layers from
Minimum
outer shell to
Thickness
Zone
head
(mm)
Material
First
Layer 1
6.4
Second material
rear
Layer 2
1.6
First material
zone
Layer 3
12.8
Second material
(R1)
Layer 4
3.2
Fourth material
Second
Layer 1
6.4
Second material
rear
Layer 2
1.6
First material
zone
Layer 3
9.6
Third material
(R2)
Layer 4
6.4
Fourth material
wherein the first material has a qreater hardness than that of the second, third and fourth materials, the second material has a greater hardness than that of the third and fourth materials, and the third materias a greater hardness than that of the fourth material.