Apparel – Guard or protector – For wearer's head
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-17
2001-10-23
Neas, Michael A. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Guard or protector
For wearer's head
C002S200100, C002S209130, C040S582000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305028
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to protective headwear, for example, a helmet that reflects light.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One conventional approach for producing a light-reflective object includes attaching a number of reflective decals formed on a paper or plastic base to the surface of these objects, for example with an adhesive. In other approaches, a reflective material is sprayed directly onto the object, for example through a patterned mask, or a desired pattern of the reflective material is formed and is then sewn on a fabric. The object is then covered with the fabrics. The reflective material can also be sewn directly onto the object.
The conventional approaches described above suffer from a number of disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the reflectivity of these surfaces can degrade prematurely since the reflective material is, in most cases, directly exposed to the environment, i.e., the ambient air, moisture, sunlight and dust. For example, if the reflective surfaces are formed of thin metal coatings, for example, silver or aluminum, such coatings tend to oxidize in air causing their reflectivity characteristics to degrade rapidly. An unprotected reflective surface can also be easily damaged and/or scratched upon contact with other objects, for example, when used in harsh environments, such as at a construction site. Reflective surfaces that are produced by spraying a reflective paint on the object, tend to have poor reflectivity and produce less vibrant colors.
Using an adhesive to attach reflecting decals on objects requires a large number of processing steps, such as printing, cutting and attaching. Thus, this approach is not cost-effective. Cutting and sewing is also required when the decals are attached to fabrics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to protective headwear having a light-reflecting surface with high reflectivity. In one aspect of the invention, the protective headwear includes a shell member having a molded base; a cover sheet, covering the molded base, with a pattern defined by areas that are transparent to the optical radiation passing through the cover sheet and other areas that are opaque to the optical radiation and a reflective sheet sealed between the molded base and the cover sheet from the environment.
Embodiments of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The patterned structure can be formed directly on the cover sheet. Alternatively, the protective headwear may further include a separate patterned sheet that is arranged between the cover sheet and the reflective sheet. The cover sheet is preferably made of a plastic that is impervious to air and moisture. The reflective sheet can be a metal foil or a plastic sheet that is coated with a reflective metal. The reflective sheet can also have the form of a reflective dielectric stack. The reflective sheet and the cover sheet can have spectrally selective optical characteristics. The base can be in the form of a shaped object, for example a helmet made by injection molding from polyurethane. The pattern can be an ornamental design, a logo and the like.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of manufacturing protective headwear, for example a helmet, by placing a patterned cover sheet in first molding die to shape the cover sheet in the shape of the die. A reflective sheet is placed on the shaped patterned cover sheet and molding material is injected between the reflective sheet and a second molding die to form the shaped object. The reflective sheet is thereby sealed between the cover sheet and the molded shaped object.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing light-reflecting objects includes first forming a shaped object and then covering the shaped object, in succession, with a reflective sheet and a patterned cover sheet.
Embodiments of these methods may include one or more of the following features. The reflective sheet is sealed between the shaped object and the cover sheet, for example, by applying heat and pressure between the shaped object and the cover sheet. The pattern is defined by areas that are transparent to the optical radiation passing through the cover sheet and by other areas that are opaque to the optical radiation. The pattern can also be defined by a separate patterned sheet placed between the cover sheet and the reflective sheet. The light-reflecting object can be a molded helmet that is preferably made of polyurethane.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and from the claims.
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patent: 3770483 (1973-11-01), Komine
patent: 3885246 (1975-05-01), Tung
patent: 4008949 (1977-02-01), Luna
patent: 4100625 (1978-07-01), Tung
patent: 4993082 (1991-02-01), Gentes et al.
patent: 5106126 (1992-04-01), Longobardi et al.
patent: 5407711 (1995-04-01), Lovison et al.
patent: 5716682 (1998-02-01), Lovison et al.
patent: 5829063 (1998-11-01), Cheng
patent: 6038704 (2000-03-01), Crescentini
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Neas Michael A.
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