User-protection apparatus

Abstract

A user-protection apparatus includes an elongated foam member configured to be resiliently deformable (at least in part). The elongated foam member is also configured to be force dispersive (at least in part). This is done in such a way that an impact force transmitted to the elongated foam member is dispersed (at least in part). The user-protection apparatus also includes a flexible sleeve configured to form an erected flexible U-shaped band in response to insertion (at least in part) of the elongated foam member into the flexible sleeve. This is done in such a way that the flexible sleeve urges (at least in part) the elongated foam member to resiliently deform (in use) as the elongated foam member is received (at least in part) in the flexible sleeve.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A user-protection apparatus, comprising:
 an elongated foam member being configured to be resiliently deformable, at least in part, and the elongated foam member also being configured to be force dispersive, at least in part, in such a way that an impact force that is transmitted, in use, to the elongated foam member is dispersed, at least in part; and   a flexible sleeve being configured to form an erected flexible U-shaped band in response to insertion, at least in part, of the elongated foam member into the flexible sleeve in such a way that the flexible sleeve, in use, urges, at least in part, the elongated foam member to resiliently deform, in use.   
     
     
         2 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the erected flexible U-shaped band of the flexible sleeve is configured to fit to, at least in part, and extend, at least in part, horizontally along an occipital portion and opposite temporal side portions of a head of a user.   
     
     
         3 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the elongated foam member provides notches being configured to close as the elongated foam member is resiliently deformed in such a way that the elongated foam member, in use, cradles, at least in part, a head of a user.   
     
     
         4 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the flexible sleeve is configured to provide sleeve pleats being located at spaced-apart positions along an outer peripheral portion of the flexible sleeve; and   wherein the sleeve pleats are spatially positioned on the flexible sleeve in such a way that the sleeve pleats of the flexible sleeve are positioned to be spatially aligned with the notches once the elongated foam member is received, in use, in the flexible sleeve.   
     
     
         5 . A user-protection apparatus for a user having a head, the user-protection apparatus comprising:
 an elongated foam member being configured to:
 be positionable, at least in part, proximate to the head of the user; 
 be force dispersive, at least in part, in such a way that an impact force that is transmitted, in use, to the elongated foam member is dispersed, at least in part, away from the head of the user for a case where the elongated foam member is positioned proximate to the head of the user and the impact force is transmitted to the elongated foam member; 
 be resiliently deformable, at least in part, in such a way that the elongated foam member is formable, at least in part, into any one of:
 an unstressed planar shape in response to the elongated foam member not receiving a deformation force; and 
 a stressed curved shape in response to the elongated foam member receiving, at least in part, the deformation force; and 
 
   a flexible sleeve being configured to:
 cooperate, at least in part, with the elongated foam member; 
 provide, at least in part, an interior sleeve space; 
 form, at least in part, any one of:
 a collapsed flexible shape in response to the interior sleeve space of the flexible sleeve being empty; and 
 an erected flexible U-shaped band in response to insertion, at least in part, of the elongated foam member into the interior sleeve space of the flexible sleeve in such a way that the flexible sleeve, in use, urges, at least in part, the elongated foam member to resiliently deform, in use, for the case where the elongated foam member is received, at least in part, in the flexible sleeve. 
 
   
     
     
         6 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the erected flexible U-shaped band of the flexible sleeve is configured to fit to, at least in part, and extend, at least in part, horizontally along an occipital portion and opposite temporal side portions of the head of the user towards a position between eyes and ears of the user.   
     
     
         7 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the elongated foam member provides:
 notches being located at spaced-apart positions around an outer perimeter of the elongated foam member; and 
 the notches being configured to close as the elongated foam member is resiliently deformed in such a way that the elongated foam member, once deformed to do just so, is contoured to, at least in part, a portion of the head of the user; and 
 the portion of the head including any one of an occipital portion and temporal side portions. 
   
     
     
         8 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the elongated foam member provides:
 notches being configured to close as the elongated foam member is resiliently deformed in such a way that the elongated foam member, in use, cradles, at least in part, the head of the user. 
   
     
     
         9 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the elongated foam member provides:
 notches being configured to allow the elongated foam member to become shaped when fitted into the flexible sleeve. 
   
     
     
         10 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the flexible sleeve is configured to follow a shape of an outer perimeter of the elongated foam member in such a way that once the flexible sleeve receives the elongated foam member, the flexible sleeve with the elongated foam member, in use, matches, at least in part, an area of impact coverage on the head of the user.   
     
     
         11 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the flexible sleeve is configured to provide sleeve pleats being located at spaced-apart positions along an outer peripheral portion of the flexible sleeve; and   wherein the sleeve pleats are spatially positioned on the flexible sleeve in such a way that the sleeve pleats of the flexible sleeve are positioned to be spatially aligned with the notches once the elongated foam member is received, in use, in the flexible sleeve.   
     
     
         12 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the flexible sleeve is configured to provide sleeve pleats; and   the sleeve pleats are configured to cooperate with an outer shape of the elongated foam member once the elongated foam member is received in the flexible sleeve in such a way that the flexible sleeve, in use, urges the elongated foam member to anatomically contour, at least in part, and to form fit, at least in part, to the outer shape of the head of the user.   
     
     
         13 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the flexible sleeve is configured to provide sleeve pleats being configured to cooperate with each other in such a way that the flexible sleeve, in use, forms a contoured shape once the elongated foam member is received in the flexible sleeve.   
     
     
         14 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 sleeve fasteners being fixedly mounted to an outer surface of the flexible sleeve at spaced-apart positions, relative to each other; and   the sleeve fasteners being configured to affix the flexible sleeve having the elongated foam member inserted therein to any one of a hat to be worn by the user and a forehead band to be worn by the user.   
     
     
         15 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 sleeve fasteners being fixedly mounted to an outer surface of the flexible sleeve at spaced-apart positions, relative to each other; and   the sleeve fasteners are configured to attach to the flexible sleeve at any one of an outside rear portion of the flexible sleeve, and left and right front outer temporal portions of the flexible sleeve.   
     
     
         16 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 the flexible sleeve provides a guideline being configured to provide a user guide in locating and fitting of the flexible sleeve to a curling cap in such a way that the guideline becomes aligned, at least in part, with a brim of the curling cap.   
     
     
         17 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the flexible sleeve that receives the elongated foam member is configured to be placed inside a curling cap; and   the flexible sleeve is positioned in the curling cap in such a way that clothing fasteners provided by the curling cap are spatially aligned with and positioned proximate to respective sleeve fasteners that are mounted to the flexible sleeve, and once the sleeve fasteners and the clothing fasteners are spatially aligned relative to each other and positioned proximate to each other, the sleeve fasteners and the clothing fasteners are connectable together.   
     
     
         18 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 to adjust a fitting of the flexible sleeve having the elongated foam member inserted therein, the flexible sleeve is disconnectable from front temporal sections of a headband of a curling cap.   
     
     
         19 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein:
 to adjust a sizing of the flexible sleeve:
 a rear area of a curling cap remains relatively stationary; 
 a right side of the curling cap is movable forward, and then the flexible sleeve is reattached to the right side of a headband of the curling cap; and 
 a left side of the curling cap is movable, and then the flexible sleeve is reattached to a left side of headband of the curling cap. 
   
     
     
         20 . The user-protection apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a forehead band having clothing fasteners positioned at each end of the forehead band; and   the forehead band being configured to be elastically deformable;   the forehead band being configured to be affixed to opposite side sections of the flexible sleeve once the clothing fasteners provided by the forehead band are connected to respective sleeve fasteners provided by the flexible sleeve; and   the flexible sleeve that receives the elongated foam member is positionable on and held in place on the head of the user.