Protective headgear compression member

Abstract

A protective headgear compression member includes a hollow compression cell having a top wall, a bowed side wall and a bottom wall and a liner element secured to that bottom wall coaxially to said cell. The liner element is composed of a flexible envelope substantially filled with resilient material and the envelope is secured to the bottom wall via an axially flexible connection to prevent the bottoming out of the liner element against the bottom wall of the cell.

1 . A compression member for a protective structure, said member comprising:
 a hollow, axially symmetric compression cell having a top wall, a bowed side wall and a bottom flange extending laterally out from the side wall, and a plate that is coextensive with the flange position and against the underside of the flange, said flange and plate secured together at their peripheries;   a liner element secured coaxially to said cell, said liner element including an axially flexible envelope with a bottom wall extending up to an outer edge of an annular shoulder that has an inner edge connected to a laterally extending second flange that is coextensive with said plate, said second flange being positioned against the underside of the plate and the second flange and plate being secured together at their peripheries, and   a resilient material substantially filling said envelope.   
     
     
         2 . The member defined in  claim 1  wherein the resilient material is composed of at least two layers having different densities with the least dense layer being adjacent to said bottom wall. 
     
     
         3 . The member defined in  claim 2  wherein said layers are comprised of plastic foam. 
     
     
         4 . The member defined in  claim 3  wherein the layers are separate foam pads. 
     
     
         5 . The member defined in  claim 1  wherein the plate has an upwardly dished central area inboard said cell flange to provide additional clearance for the resilient material adjacent to the plate. 
     
     
         6 . The member defined in  claim 1  wherein the inner edge of the annular shoulder is connected to the second flange by way of a neck. 
     
     
         7 . The member defined in  claim 6  wherein said resilient material comprises a relatively soft first layer adjacent to and coextensive with the bottom wall and a second, smaller, denser layer within said neck between said first layer and said plate. 
     
     
         8 . The member defined in  claim 7  wherein said plate has an upwardly dished central area inboard the cell flange to provide additional clearance for said second layer. 
     
     
         9 . The member defined in  claim 1  wherein the cell and liner element each have a circular cross-section.