Helmet liner with improved, seam-position-enhanced, rear-sector load management

Abstract

A cushioning and head-protecting liner insert for the inside of the shell in a helmet includes fore and aft cushioning elements each formed of an expanse of a non-springy, acceleration-rate-sensitive, viscoelastic material, with each element possessing, throughout, a uniform thickness which is the same as that possessed by the other element, and with the two elements having edges which are disposed edge-to-edge, but slightly spaced, adjacent one another along a single, continuous, arcuate, reverse-bend line which sweeps from one lateral side of the rear of the insert, at a location spaced laterally from the insert's fore-and-aft extending, laterally central plane, through and over the crown of the insert, to a mirror-image, spaced location on the opposite lateral side of the rear of the insert.

1 . A cushioning and head-protecting liner insert for the inside of the shell in a helmet comprising:
 fore and aft cushioning elements each formed of an expanse of a non-springy, acceleration-rate-sensitive, viscoelastic material, with each element possessing, throughout, a uniform thickness which is the same as that possessed by the other element, and with the two elements having edges which are disposed edge-to-edge, but slightly spaced, adjacent one another along a single, continuous, arcuate, reverse-bend line which sweeps from one lateral side of the rear of the insert, at a location spaced laterally from the insert's fore-and-aft extending, laterally central plane, through and over the crown of the insert, to a mirror-image, spaced location on the opposite lateral side of the rear of the insert.   
   
   
       2 . The liner insert of  claim 1  wherein the uniform thickness is one of ¼-inches, ⅜-inches, ½-inches, and ⅝-inches. 
   
   
       3 . The liner insert of  claim 2  wherein the two elements having edges which are disposed edge-to-edge, but slightly spaced, adjacent one another are spaced apart by a distance less than that of said uniform thickness. 
   
   
       4 . The liner insert of  claim 1  which further includes, extending co-extensively over the outer surfaces of the two cushioning elements, a hook-and-pile-compatible fabric. 
   
   
       5 . The liner insert of  claim 4  which further includes an expanse of moisture-wicking fabric which extends co-extensively over the inner surfaces of the two cushioning elements. 
   
   
       6 . The liner insert of  claim 5  which further includes a continuous, arcuate, reverse-bend line of stitching which follows the mentioned reverse-bend line of adjacency associated with the cushioning elements, and which unites the two, mentioned fabric expanses. 
   
   
       7 . A load-cushioning liner insert for a helmet comprising:
 fore and aft, non-springy, acceleration-rate-sensitive, viscoelastic cushioning elements edge-juxtaposed, and slightly edge-spaced, along an arcuate, reverse-bend line which sweeps from one laterally centrally offset location disposed adjacent the rear of the insert, thence forwardly over the crown of the insert, and thence rearwardly to another laterally centrally offset location disposed adjacent the rear of the insert on the opposite side of the insert's lateral center relative to the first-mentioned offset location.   
   
   
       8 . The liner insert of  claim 7  wherein the cushioning elements are of uniform thickness. 
   
   
       9 . The liner insert of  claim 8  wherein the uniform thickness is one of ¼-inches, ⅜-inches, ½-inches, and ⅝-inches. 
   
   
       10 . The liner insert of  claim 8  wherein the two elements having edges which are disposed edge-to-edge, but slightly spaced, adjacent one another are spaced apart by a distance less than that of said uniform thickness. 
   
   
       11 . The liner insert of  claim 7  which further includes, extending co-extensively over the outer surfaces of the two cushioning elements, a single piece of hook-and-pile-compatible fabric. 
   
   
       12 . The liner insert of  claim 7  which further includes an expanse of moisture-wicking fabric which extends co-extensively over the inner surfaces of the two cushioning elements, wherein said expanse of moisture-wicking fabric is form of a single piece of fabric.