Energy-Absorbing Liners and Shape Conforming Layers for Use with Pro-Tective Headgear

Abstract

A multilayer shell for use in the construction of protective headgear, the shell including an outer layer, an inner layer, a middle layer disposed between the outer and inner layer which resiliently compresses in response to an impact to the outer layer, and an internal liner disposed inwardly of the inner layer. The middle layer includes a plurality of compressible members, which resiliently compress to absorb the energy of a direct impact to the outer layer and resiliently shear with respect to the inner layer in response to a tangential impact to the outer layer. The inner layer includes an open configuration, which reduces the weight of the shell, provides for greater heat ventilation from the head of the user, and permits for visualization of the compressible elements. The internal liner is formed from contourable materials which enhance user fit and comfort and reduce the weight of the protective headgear without compromising user safety.

1 . Protective headgear, comprising:
 an outer layer having an internal surface;   an inner layer having a surface that faces the outer layer;   a middle layer having a plurality of compressible members disposed in a fluid-containing interstitial region formed by the inner and outer layers; and   at least one passageway by which fluid can leave the middle layer as the outer layer deforms in response to an impact on the outer layer.   
     
     
         2 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one passageway includes a gap between a peripheral edge of the outer layer and a peripheral edge of the inner layer to permit fluid to exit the interstitial region in response to an impact. 
     
     
         3 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one passageway includes an opening in the inner layer. 
     
     
         4 . The protective headgear of  claim 3 , wherein fluid that passes through the opening in the inner layer is felt by a wearer of the protective headgear. 
     
     
         5 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the compressible members is made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. 
     
     
         6 . The protective headgear of  claim 5 , wherein the TPE material is a TPE foam. 
     
     
         7 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the compressible members is a columnar in shape. 
     
     
         8 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the compressible members includes a chamber for holding a volume of fluid, and the chamber includes a chamber surface having a chamber opening for the passage of fluid into and out of the chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The protective headgear of  claim 8 , wherein the chamber opening is adapted to produce a rate-sensitive response to the force of the impact exerted on the outer layer. 
     
     
         10 . The protective headgear of  claim 8 , wherein at least one compressible member expels fluid from the chamber through the chamber opening when the compressible member is compressed by the force of the impact and expands to draw fluid back into the chamber as the compressive force exerted on the outer layer is mitigated. 
     
     
         11 . The protective headgear of  claim 8 , wherein the chamber opening is aligned with an opening in the inner layer to enable the passage of fluid through the inner layer. 
     
     
         12 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the inner layer includes an internal surface, and the headgear further comprising a compressible internal liner disposed inwardly of the internal surface of the inner layer. 
     
     
         13 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein at least one compressible member includes a chamber for holding a volume of fluid, and the chamber includes a chamber surface having at least one chamber opening for passing fluid into and from the interstitial region formed by the outer and inner layers. 
     
     
         14 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , further comprising a resilient attachment for resiliently attaching and maintaining the orientation of the outer layer with respect to the inner layer. 
     
     
         15 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the outer layer shears rotationally with respect to the inner layer as the outer layer deforms in response to the impact. 
     
     
         16 . A method for making protective headgear, the method comprising the steps of:
 forming a multilayered shell by:
 forming a plurality of individually compressible members; 
 providing an outer layer and a inner layer; and 
 producing a composite structure wherein the compressible members are disposed in an fluid-containing interstitial region formed by the outer and inner layers such that the outer layer deforms and the compressible members correspondingly compress in response to an impact to the outer layer. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein at least one compressible member is formed of thermoplastic elastomer material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of:
 introducing a chemical foaming agent into the thermoplastic elastomer material to produce compressible members made of thermoplastic elastomer foam.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 forming at least one of the compressible members to include a chamber for holding a volume of fluid, the chamber defining a chamber surface having at least one chamber opening for the passage of fluid into and out of the chamber.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of:
 releasing fluid through the at least one chamber opening into the interstitial region formed by the inner and outer layers as the outer layer deforms in response to the impact to the outer layer.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of:
 aligning the at least one chamber opening with an opening of the inner layer; and   releasing fluid through the at least one chamber opening toward the head of a wearer as the outer layer deforms in response to an impact to the outer layer.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the producing step is such that the outer layer shears rotationally with respect to the inner layer in response to the impact. 
     
     
         23 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the outer layer includes an internal surface, the inner layer includes a surface that faces the outer layer and at least one of the plurality of compressible members is attached to at least one of the internal surface of the outer layer and the surface of the inner layer that faces the outer surface. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the outer layer includes an internal surface, the inner layer includes a surface that faces the outer layer and the method further comprises the step of:
 attaching at least one of the plurality of compressible members to at least one of the internal surface of the outer layer and the surface of the inner layer that faces the outer layer.   
     
     
         25 . Protective headgear, comprising:
 a relatively thin outer layer having an outwardly facing surface;   a relatively thin inner layer having an area which is spaced apart from the outer layer; and   a middle layer disposed in an area formed by the outer layer and the inner layer, the middle layer comprising a plurality of compressible members;   the middle layer being adapted to resiliently compress in response to a bending deformation of the outer layer to absorb energy of an impact; and   the outer layer being adapted to shear with respect to the inner layer in response to a tangential component of the impact to the outer layer.   
     
     
         26 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the outwardly facing surface of the outer layer is relatively smooth to reduce the tangential component of the impact. 
     
     
         27 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , further comprising a relatively compressible inner liner disposed inwardly of the inner layer. 
     
     
         28 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the middle layer has a rebound resilience elasticity of about fifty percent (50%) or less. 
     
     
         29 . The protective headgear of  claim 28 , wherein the middle layer has a rebound resilience elasticity of about twenty-five percent (25%) or less. 
     
     
         30 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of compressible members are disposed in a fluid-containing interstitial region bounded by the outer layer and the inner layer. 
     
     
         31 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the outer layer includes an internally facing surface and at least one of the compressible members of the middle layer is attached to at least one of a surface of the inner layer that faces the outer layer and the internally facing surface of the outer layer. 
     
     
         32 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , further comprising at least one passageway for passing fluid from the middle layer in response to the impact. 
     
     
         33 . The protective headgear of  claim 32 , wherein the at least one passageway includes a gap between the outer layer and the inner layer. 
     
     
         34 . The protective headgear of  claim 32 , wherein the at least one passageway includes at least one opening in the inner layer. 
     
     
         35 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the compressible members includes walls which define a fluid-containing internal chamber and the walls include at least one opening to permit fluid to exit the internal chamber in response to the impact. 
     
     
         36 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the compressible members has a bellows-like sidewall construction. 
     
     
         37 . The protective headgear of  claim 35 , wherein the walls of the compressible member have a bellows-like sidewall construction to facilitate compression of the compressible member in response to the impact. 
     
     
         38 . The protective headgear of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one opening in the walls of the compressible member is adapted to produce a rate-sensitive response to the force of the impact exerted on the outer layer such that the compressible member compresses with relatively little resistance when the impact is of relatively low energy and such that the compressible member compresses with relatively high resistance when the impact force is of relatively high energy. 
     
     
         39 . The protective headgear of  claim 38 , wherein the at least one opening in the walls of the compressible member is adapted such that, when the impact is of relatively high energy, the compressible member compresses with sufficiently high resistance to convert energy of the impact to heat in the compressible member. 
     
     
         40 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the compressible members of the middle layer compresses in response to the bending deformation of the outer layer and resiliently shears with respect to the inner layer in response to the tangential impact component. 
     
     
         41 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the compressible members of the middle layer have a honeycomb structure of interconnected cells. 
     
     
         42 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the compressible members of the middle layer are arranged in a pre-determined pattern between the outer layer and the inner layer. 
     
     
         43 . The protective headgear of  claim 41 , wherein the interconnected cells of the honeycomb-structured middle layer are arranged in a pre-determined pattern between the outer layer and the inner layer. 
     
     
         44 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the compressible members are made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. 
     
     
         45 . The protective headgear of  claim 44 , wherein the TPE material is a TPE foam. 
     
     
         46 . The protective headgear of  claim 44 , wherein the TPE material has a glass-transition temperature less than about minus twenty degrees (−20°) Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         47 . The protective headgear of  claim 41 , wherein the honeycomb-structured middle layer is made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. 
     
     
         48 . The protective headgear of  claim 47 , wherein the TPE material is a TPE foam. 
     
     
         49 . The protective headgear of  claim 47 , wherein the TPE material has a glass-transition temperature less than about minus twenty degrees (− 20 °) Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         50 . The protective headgear of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one opening in the at least one compressible member permits fluid to enter the internal chambers thereof as the compressible member resiliently expands as the force of the impact is mitigated. 
     
     
         51 . The protective headgear of  claim 35 , wherein the inner layer includes at least one opening in communication with the least one opening in the at least one compressible member to permit fluid exiting from the at least one compressible member when compressed to pass through the inner layer. 
     
     
         52 . The protective headgear of  claim 35 , further comprising a relatively compressible inner liner layer disposed inwardly of the inner layer and wherein the inner layer and the inner liner layer include at least one opening in communication with the least one opening in the at least one compressible member to permit fluid exiting from the compressible member when compressed to pass through the inner layer and the inner liner layer. 
     
     
         53 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the compressible members are independent of one another. 
     
     
         54 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the compressible members are interconnected. 
     
     
         55 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the inner layer is of a relatively rigid thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         56 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the outer layer is of a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         57 . The protective headgear of  claim 56 , wherein the thickness of the thermoplastic material of the outer layer is such that the outer layer resiliently deforms by bending inwardly in response to the impact. 
     
     
         58 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the bending deformation of the outer layer and the compression of compressible members of the middle layer in response to the impact combine to reduce linear changes of velocity of a wearer's head due to the impact. 
     
     
         59 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the shearing of the outer layer with respect to the inner layer and of the compressible members of the middle layer in response to the impact combine to reduce rotational changes of velocity of the wearer's head due to the impact. 
     
     
         60 . The protective headgear of  claim 25 , wherein the outer layer includes a plurality of ventilation openings. 
     
     
         61 . Impact absorbing protective headgear, comprising
 an inner layer;   an outer layer, the inner and outer layers having opposed surfaces; and   a middle layer comprising a plurality of compressible members, the middle layer extending between the inner and outer layers the inner and outer layers being at least partially coextensive so that when the outer layer is impacted, the outer layer deflects locally in response to the impact, thereby absorbing at least some of the energy created by the impact, and at least one of the compressible members of the middle layer compresses and shears relative to the inner layer to absorb impact energy not absorbed by the outer layer.   
     
     
         62 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the middle layer is anchored in at least one location to the opposed surfaces of the inner layer and the outer layer, the inner and outer layers being at least partially coextensive. 
     
     
         63 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the outer layer comprises an outwardly facing surface and the outwardly facing surface of the outer layer is relatively smooth to reduce the tangential component of the impact. 
     
     
         64 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , further comprising a relatively compressible inner liner layer disposed inwardly of the inner layer. 
     
     
         65 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the middle layer has a rebound resilience elasticity of about fifty percent (50%) or less. 
     
     
         66 . The protective headgear of  claim 65 , wherein the middle layer has a rebound resilience elasticity of about twenty-five percent (25%) or less. 
     
     
         67 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the plurality of compressible members are disposed in a fluid-containing interstitial region bounded by the outer layer and the inner layer. 
     
     
         68 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein at least one of the compressible members of the middle layer is attached to a surface of the inner layer that faces the outer layer and to an internally facing surface of the outer layer. 
     
     
         69 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , further comprising at least one passageway by which fluid can leave the middle layer in response to the impact. 
     
     
         70 . The protective headgear of  claim 69 , wherein the at least one passageway includes a gap between the outer layer and the inner layer. 
     
     
         71 . The protective headgear of  claim 69 , wherein the at least one passageway includes at least one opening in the inner layer. 
     
     
         72 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein at least one of the compressible member includes walls which define a fluid-containing internal chamber and the walls include at least one opening to permit fluid to exit the internal chamber in response to the impact. 
     
     
         73 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein at least one of the compressible members has a bellows-like sidewall construction. 
     
     
         74 . The protective headgear of  claim 72 , wherein the walls of the at least one compressible member has a bellows-like sidewall construction which facilitates compression of the compressible member in response to the impact. 
     
     
         75 . The protective headgear of  claim 72 , wherein the at least one opening in the walls of the compressible member is adapted to produce a rate-sensitive response to the force of the impact exerted on the outer layer such that the compressible member compresses with relatively little resistance when the impact is of relatively low energy and such that the compressible member compresses with relatively high resistance when the impact force is of relatively high energy. 
     
     
         76 . The protective headgear of  claim 75 , wherein the at least one opening in the walls of the compressible member is adapted such that, when the impact is of relatively high energy, the compressible member compresses with sufficiently high resistance to convert energy of the impact to heat in the compressible member. 
     
     
         77 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the middle layer has a honeycomb structure of interconnected cells. 
     
     
         78 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the compressible members of the middle layer are arranged in a pre-determined pattern between the outer layer and the inner layer. 
     
     
         79 . The protective headgear of  claim 77 , wherein the interconnected cells of the honeycomb-structured middle layer are arranged in a pre-determined pattern between the outer layer and the inner layer. 
     
     
         80 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the compressible members are made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. 
     
     
         81 . The protective headgear of  claim 80 , wherein the TPE material is a TPE foam. 
     
     
         82 . The protective headgear of  claim 80 , wherein the TPE material has a glass-transition temperature less than about minus twenty degrees (− 20 °) Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         83 . The protective headgear of  claim 77 , wherein the honeycomb-structured middle layer is made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. 
     
     
         84 . The protective headgear of  claim 83 , wherein the TPE material is a TPE foam. 
     
     
         85 . The protective headgear of  claim 83 , wherein the TPE material has a glass-transition temperature less than about minus twenty degrees (− 20 °) Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         86 . The protective headgear of  claim 72 , wherein the at least one opening in the compressible member permits fluid to be drawn into the internal chamber thereof as the compressible member resiliently expands in response to mitigation of the force of the impact. 
     
     
         87 . The protective headgear of  claim 72 , wherein the inner layer includes at least one opening in communication with the at least one opening in the compressible member to permit fluid exiting from the compressible member when compressed to pass through the inner layer. 
     
     
         88 . The protective headgear of  claim 72 , wherein the outer layer includes at least one opening in communication with the at least one opening in the compressible member to permit fluid exiting from the compressible member when compressed to pass through the outer layer. 
     
     
         89 . The protective headgear of  claim 72 , further comprising a relatively compressible inner liner layer disposed inwardly of the inner layer and wherein the inner layer and the inner liner layer include at least one opening in communication with the at least one opening in the compressible member to permit fluid exiting from the compressible member when compressed to pass through the inner layer and the inner liner layer. 
     
     
         90 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the compressible members are independent of one another. 
     
     
         91 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the compressible members are interconnected. 
     
     
         92 . The protective headgear of  claim 91 , wherein a first end of at least one of the compressible members is attached to the outer layer and a second end of the at least one compressible members is attached to the inner layer. 
     
     
         93 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the inner layer is of a relatively rigid thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         94 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the outer layer is of a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         95 . The protective headgear of  claim 94 , wherein the thickness of the thermoplastic material of the outer layer is such that the outer layer resiliently deforms by bending inwardly in response to the impact. 
     
     
         96 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the bending deformation of the outer layer and the compression of the middle layer in response to the impact combine to reduce linear changes of velocity of a wearer's head due to the impact. 
     
     
         97 . The protective headgear of  claim 61 , wherein the shearing of the outer layer with respect to the inner layer and the compression of the middle layer in response to the impact combine to reduce rotational changes of velocity of the wearer's head due to the impact. 
     
     
         98 . The protective headgear of  claims 1 ,  25  or  61 , wherein the inner layer is non-continuous in shape. 
     
     
         99 . The protective headgear of  claim 98 , wherein the inner layer has a buckey ball-like shape. 
     
     
         100 . The protective headgear of  claim 98 , wherein the inner layer has a grid-like shape. 
     
     
         101 . The protective headgear of  claim 98 , wherein the inner layer has a geodesic dome-like shape. 
     
     
         102 . The protective headgear of  claim 101 , wherein the inner layer has a honeycomb-like shape. 
     
     
         103 . The protective headgear of  claims 12 ,  27  or  64 , wherein the internal liner is made of a use-dependent contouring material. 
     
     
         104 . The protective headgear of  claims 12 ,  27  or  64 , wherein the internal liner includes a pressure equalizing contouring fluid.