Shock Absorbing Helmet Liner Device

Abstract

A shock absorbing helmet liner device for improving shock absorption and inhibiting head injuries includes a liner coupled to an internal surface of a helmet shell. The liner absorbs a force of an impact to the helmet shell to inhibit the force of the impact from injuring a user who is wearing the helmet shell. The liner has a first layer that includes a multi-density polymer cushioning material. A second layer is coupled to the first layer. The second layer includes an air bladder having an interior space that is filled with a gas. A third layer is coupled to the second layer. The third layer includes a viscoelastic rubber material that absorbs the force of the impact and disperses energy from the force of the impact across the third layer.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A protective headgear assembly comprising:
 a helmet shell comprising a peripheral wall having an internal surface and an external surface;   a liner being coupled to the internal surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell, the liner having an outer side and an inner side, the outer side being positioned adjacent to the internal surface of the peripheral wall, the inner side being configured to cover a head of a user when the user is wearing the helmet shell wherein the liner absorbs a force of an impact to the external surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell whereby the liner is configured to inhibit the force of the impact from injuring the user, the liner further comprising:
 a first layer being on the outer side, the first layer comprising a multi-density polymer cushioning material; 
 a second layer being coupled to the first layer, the second layer comprising an air bladder having an interior space being filled with a gas; and 
 a third layer being coupled to the second layer, the third layer being on the inner side, the third layer comprising a viscoelastic rubber material being configured to absorb the force of the impact and disperse energy from the force of the impact across the third layer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-density polymer cushioning material comprises a GDEFY® VERSOCLOUD® spring cell material. 
     
     
         3 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the gas has a pressure, the air bladder comprising a plastic material being nonporous wherein the plastic material is configured to inhibit the gas from leaking out of the air bladder thereby maintaining the pressure of the gas within the air bladder. 
     
     
         4 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the peripheral wall has a lower edge defining an opening into the helmet shell, the peripheral wall having a back side, the protective headgear assembly further comprising a display panel being coupled to the peripheral wall of the helmet shell, the display panel being electrically coupled to the second layer of the liner, the display panel displaying the pressure of the gas within the interior space of the air bladder, the display panel being positioned on the back side of the peripheral wall, the display panel being positioned adjacent to the lower edge of the peripheral wall. 
     
     
         5 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the gas comprises nitrogen. 
     
     
         6 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic rubber material comprises a NOENE® material. 
     
     
         7 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a coupler releasably attaching the outer side of the liner to the internal surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell. 
     
     
         8 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 7 , the coupler further comprising:
 a first mating member being attached to the internal surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell; and   a second mating member being releasably engageable with the first mating member, the second mating member being attached to the outer side of the liner, the second mating member being alignable with the first mating member when the liner is positioned within the helmet shell.   
     
     
         9 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 8 , wherein each of the first mating member and the second mating member comprise a hook and loop material. 
     
     
         10 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an air valve being coupled to the second layer of the liner, the air valve being fluidically coupled to the interior space of the air bladder wherein the air valve facilitates adding the gas to the interior space. 
     
     
         11 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the peripheral wall has a lower edge defining an opening into the helmet shell, the air valve being positioned proximate to the lower edge of the peripheral wall wherein the air valve is configured to be accessible to the user when the liner is positioned within the helmet shell. 
     
     
         12 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising a fastener releasably coupling the air valve to the internal surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell. 
     
     
         13 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 12 , the fastener comprising:
 a primary fastening portion being attached to the internal surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell;   a secondary fastening portion being releasably couplable with the primary fastening portion, the secondary fastening portion being attached to the air valve, the secondary fastening portion being alignable with the first fastening portion when the liner is positioned within the helmet shell.   
     
     
         14 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 13 , wherein each of the primary fastening portion and the secondary fastening portion comprises a hook and loop material. 
     
     
         15 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a display panel being coupled to the peripheral wall of the helmet shell, the display panel being electrically coupled to the second layer of the liner, the display panel displaying a pressure of the gas within the interior space of the air bladder. 
     
     
         16 . The protective headgear assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the liner is removably coupled to the internal surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell. 
     
     
         17 . A protective headgear assembly comprising:
 a helmet shell comprising a peripheral wall having an internal surface and an external surface, the peripheral wall having a lower edge defining an opening into the helmet shell, the peripheral wall having a front side and a back side;   a liner being coupled to the internal surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell, the liner having an outer side and an inner side, the outer side being positioned adjacent to the internal surface of the peripheral wall, the inner side being configured to cover a head of a user when the user is wearing the helmet shell, the liner covering the internal surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell wherein the liner absorbs a force of an impact to the external surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell as the force of the impact travels from the external surface through the liner whereby the liner is configured to inhibit the force of the impact from injuring the user, the liner further comprising:
 a first layer being on the outer side, the first layer comprising a multi-density polymer cushioning material, the multi-density polymer cushioning material being a GDEFY® VERSOCLOUD® spring cell material; 
 a second layer being coupled to the first layer, the second layer comprising an air bladder having an interior space being filled with a gas, the gas having a pressure, the air bladder comprising a plastic material being nonporous wherein the plastic material is configured to inhibit the gas from leaking out of the air bladder, the gas comprising nitrogen; 
 a third layer being coupled to the second layer, the third layer being on the inner side, the third layer comprising a viscoelastic rubber material being configured to absorb the force of the impact and disperse energy from the force of the impact across the third layer, the viscoelastic rubber material being NOENE® material; 
   a coupler releasably attaching the outer side of the liner to the internal surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell, the coupler comprising:
 a first mating member being attached to the internal surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell; 
 a second mating member being releasably engageable with the first mating member, the second mating member being attached to the outer side of the liner, the second mating member being alignable with the first mating member when the liner is positioned within the helmet shell; 
 wherein each of the first mating member and the second mating member comprise a hook and loop material; 
   an air valve being coupled to the second layer of the liner, the air valve being fluidically coupled to the interior space of the air bladder wherein the air valve facilitates adding the gas to the interior space, the air valve being positioned proximate to the lower edge of the peripheral wall wherein the air valve is configured to be accessible to the user when the liner is positioned within the helmet shell;   a fastener releasably coupling the air valve to the internal surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell, the fastener comprising:
 a primary fastening portion being attached to the internal surface of the peripheral wall of the helmet shell; 
 a secondary fastening portion being releasably couplable with the primary fastening portion, the secondary fastening portion being attached to the air valve, the secondary fastening portion being alignable with the first fastening portion when the liner is positioned within the helmet shell; 
 wherein each of the primary fastening portion and the secondary fastening portion comprises a hook and loop material; and 
   a display panel being coupled to the peripheral wall of the helmet shell, the display panel being electrically coupled to the second layer of the liner, the display panel displaying the pressure of the gas within the interior space of the air bladder, the display panel being positioned on the back side of the peripheral wall, the display panel being positioned adjacent to the lower edge of the peripheral wall.