Apparel – Guard or protector – For wearer's head
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-01
2002-07-23
Lindsey, Rodney M. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Guard or protector
For wearer's head
C002S172000, C002S183000, C002S411000, C002S418000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06421840
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention discloses a protective headgear with the appearance of hawksbill turtle shell but without a hard casing, made by hot-compression forming of shock-absorption inertia foam rubber, foam rubber and hard plastic platelet, which are then cut and sewn to complete a soft shell protective headgear with an appearance of hawksbill turtle shell but without a hard casing.
2. Background of the Invention
In many occasions of our daily life, we have to use hats, caps or helmets to protect our heads. With increasing danger, people feel increasing need to protect their heads. For example: riding a motorcycle or bicycle, in ice hockey, horseracing, car driving and passengers, they all need different protection to their head under different circumstances.
The conventional safety helmet has a hard casing. People believe in such conventional hard helmet, because a hard shell could avoid damage to the head when it is subjected to impact from a hard or sharp object. As indicated in 1989 in a study done by Simpson DA and others published in page 1519-25, Volume 29 of the publication J. Trauma, as well as in 1994 in a study done by Lee Mao-chang, Chang Li-dong and others published in page 119-29, issue 2, volume 14 of Chinese Medical Bulletin, it has been found that extremely rigid helmet is not only hazardous to human brains, but also the cause for transmission of impact to the cervical vertebra, which could result in fatal fracture of skull base and pontomedullary tears between pons and the spinal cord. Apparently, a working helmet with excessively hard shell could transmit the impact to the skull and cervical vertebra, resulting in damage to the brain and injury to the skull base or the cerebral vertebra of the helmet wearer.
People worldwide use motorcycles and automobiles for transportation. The total number of motorbikes and cars worldwide has soared to several billions. Most motorcycles travel almost at the same speed as cars, but motorcycles lack structural design for steadiness, protection of bikers. Therefore, traffic regulations have provided that bikers and passengers must wear helmets to protect their head. However no regulation has yet been specified to require car drivers and passengers to wear their helmet and protect their heads. But from the above information, we can know that conventional hard helmets could bring impact to the skull and cerebral vertebra of the driver and passengers, which may result in injury to the wearer's brain, skull base or cerebral vertebra.
3. Prior art
Conventional production of hard-shelled working helmets and safety helmets involves the use of fibers containing or soaked with resin which are weaved into fiber pre-soaked fabrics, before they are molded to form.
For example, as disclosed in the Patent No. 249749 of the Patent Gazelle of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the production of hard-shelled working helmets and safety helmets involves soaking of epoxy resin, carbon fiber, glass fiber, and Kuwela fiber, which are then woven into fiber pre-soaked fabrics, before they are cut, pasted to prototype and molded to form. The fiber pre-soaked fabrics are then pasted onto the hard shell. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,665, a HONEYCOMB formulation is introduced to produce safety helmet with an arched surface and hard insert. It involves the production of a HONEYCOMB hard insert with an arched surface, which is filled into the hard shell.
Helmets are worn on the head to protect the brain in human activities involving possible impact, such as operating a motorcycle, car, or sports like ice hockey, soccer, rugby, American football, ice skating, horseracing taekwondo, etc. The inventor has full understanding of the shortcomings of conventional safety helmets or working helmets with hard casings, which may bring the impact produced in an accident to the skull and cerebral vertebra, causing possible damage to the wearer's brain, skull base or cerebral vertebra. Therefore, the inventor has developed a protective helmet that looks like a hawksbill turtle shell, to protect our heads from injury.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of this invention of “fabrication of helmet with a flexible shell” is to disclose an innovative production, characterized in hot compression of shock-absorption inertia foam rubber, foam rubber and rigid plastic platelets, which are then cut and sewn to become a protective helmet shaped like a hawksbill turtle shell without a hard casing.
Another objective of this invention is to equip each single platelet of hawksbill bill turtle shell protrusion with some features, which are lacking in conventional safety helmets or hard working helmets. The flexible protective helmet can divert impact force, so that it does not expand to other hawksbill turtle shell protrusion. When impact is applied on any protrusion on the flexible protective helmet, the protruded block subjected to force will absorb the impact individually.
Another objective of this invention is lies in that, the soft-shelled protective helmet produced this the subject fabrication has no hard casing as seen in conventional helmets. Therefore, it can avoid the transmission of force to the user's skull and cerebral vertebra, and prevent the user from injury to the brain, skull base or cerebral vertebra.
Those skilled in the art will definitely gain full understanding of the objective and advantages of this invention, after they have carefully read the following detailed description of preferred embodiment and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1841232 (1932-01-01), Wells
patent: 4548665 (1985-10-01), Morin
patent: 4843642 (1989-07-01), Brower
patent: 4845782 (1989-07-01), Gregg
patent: 5729830 (1998-03-01), Luhtala
patent: 6088840 (2000-07-01), Im
patent: 249749 (1983-04-01), None
Simpson, J. Trauma, vol. 29, pp. 1519-1525, 1989.
Lee Mao-chang et al, Chinese Medical Bulletin, vol. 14, Issue 2, pp. 119-129, 1994.
Chen Chien-Fang
Chen Shyan-Wei
Lindsey Rodney M.
Racer Sporting Goods Co. Ltd.
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