MOTORSPORTS SAFETY HARNESS
A motorsports safety harness assembly includes a restraint device for securing the head and neck against frontal impact injuries, and allows for facilitated removal in exigent circumstances or with limited mobility such from a damaged automobile. A pair of detachable wings engages a front upper torso or chest region of a wearer, and couples to a rigid headpiece extending behind the skull region for attachment to a helmet for restraining the head and neck from sudden forceful movement commonly associated with basal skull fractures and other impact injuries. The wings and headpiece secure snugly around the neck of the wearer for providing support against frontal impact, while the wings separate from the headpiece via a detachable coupling and release control to allow the wearer to exit the vehicle. The coupling provides rigid support against impact, and employs a wearer activated release to permit rapid uncoupling in exigent crash situations.
This patent application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent App. No. 61/811,990, filed Apr. 15, 2013, entitled “MOTORSPORTS SAFETY HARNESS,” incorporated by reference in entirety.
BACKGROUNDMotorsports such as auto racing have established standards regarding safety in attempt to reduce and prevent injuries from frontal, side, and posterior impact crashes during competition. Some of the established regulations incorporate the mandatory usage of restraint belts and helmets. Although these devices have proven to be successful in preventing fatalities, drivers can still be prone to injuries in the neck and head region ranging from sprains to basilar skull fractures. One particular cause of these injuries in crashes is the forward movement of the head and neck on impact while the seat and belts protect the rest of the body.
SUMMARYA motorsports safety harness assembly includes a restraint device for securing the head and neck against frontal impact injuries, and allows for facilitated removal in exigent circumstances or with limited mobility such from a damaged automobile. A pair of detachable wings engages a front upper torso or chest region of a wearer, and couples to a rigid headpiece extending behind the skull region for attachment to a helmet for restraining the head and neck from sudden forceful movement commonly associated with basal skull fractures and other impact injuries. The wings and headpiece secure snugly around the neck of the wearer for providing support against frontal impact, while the wings separate from the headpiece via a detachable coupling and release control to allow the wearer to exit the vehicle. The coupling provides rigid support against impact, and employs a wearer activated release to permit rapid uncoupling following exigent crash situations.
The prevalence of neck injuries and basilar skull fractures in motorsports has caused many sanctioning bodies in top-tier auto-racing divisions to mandate the use of a head and neck restraint. Although current commercially available head and neck restraints have played an instrumental role in the racing world, case studies have shown that the most common restraint has inhibited drivers from exiting the car in emergencies, such as a fire, as it can become entangled in the window nets, roll cages, or the ground depending on the orientation of the car. Generally, such entanglement occurs due to the inability to remove the device while wearing a standard racing helmet.
Configurations herein are based, in part, on the observation that safety devices for motorsports, such as automobile racing, are often focused on restraining a driver inside the vehicle in the event of a crash, which can impede rescue efforts in an attempt to extract the driver during rescue efforts. Unfortunately, conventional approaches to motor vehicle safety such as that used in competitive race vehicles suffers from the shortcoming that the securing devices can be bulky and unwieldy, causing unnecessary delay and possibly entrapment in an attempt to remove the securing device in an exigent situation. Such unwieldiness may also discourage usage altogether. Problems that have been recognized about conventional approaches using fixed, rigid restraints include that such devices impede exiting the car in an emergency and removing such a device is nearly impossible when entrapped in the vehicle. Further, due to the interconnected system of the helmet and device, a distressed driver may simply remove the helmet and device together, effectively nullifying the protection afforded by the helmet against fire and fumes. Accordingly, configurations disclosed herein substantially overcome the shortcomings of conventional restraints by providing a restraint device for the head and neck region that quickly disengages frontal wings from a headpiece back to permit exiting or extraction from a vehicle.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.
Conventional approaches to motorsports safety generally attempt to limit sudden and forceful movement exhibited against the driver in crash impact situations. Often, this includes restraining the driver to the vehicle such that the vehicle absorbs the bulk of the impact force. Conventional approaches include a so-called Head and Neck Safety (HANS) device, which has played an instrumental role in the racing world by reducing the overall number of injuries in competition. This conventional device employs a rigid device placed over the neck with appendages passing across the chest and around the back of the skull. However, such conventional devices have been known to inhibit drivers from exiting the car in emergencies as it can become entangled in the window nets, roll cages, or the ground depending on the orientation of the car. Generally, such impediments occur due to the inability to remove the HANS device while wearing a standard racing helmet
The restraint device as disclosed further below comprises part of a safety harness system commonly employed in competition motor vehicle racing. The disclosed restraint device is a detachable head and neck restraint that secures the neck and shoulder region of an operator during sudden deceleration such as an automotive race crash. The head and neck restraint includes wings extending over the shoulders and front torso of the wearer and detachably engaged to a headpiece frame secured to the vehicle by a belted harness and optionally other attachments. The detachable engagement absorbs forces typically associated with sudden deceleration of a race crash, yet allows selective detachment via a strap or cord to afford a timely exit of the head and neck restraint following a deployment event such as a crash. The detachment mechanism may be operable solely by the driver, such that quick disengagement and exit of the vehicle is achieved prior to assistance by emergency crews, in the event of fire or other exigent threat. In this manner, the disclosed approach provides a head and neck restraint that restrains the head and neck region against injury, yet is able to be removed easily while wearing a helmet to facilitate exiting from car in an emergency
The headpiece 110 further includes a tether 112 with a clip 114 or other attachment suitable for securing the helmet 10 of the wearer. The constraint 100 and helmet 10 assembly is typically strapped around the wearer/driver by the straps 40, which define a multi-point belt or harness to form a safety harness assembly for securing the driver's head in a forward impact. In an example configuration, the frontal web 40 further includes a flexible belt having attachment to a vehicular safety cage at a plurality of restraint points. Typically, the belt is a 5 or 6 point belt attached to a safety cage structure surrounding the driver for withstanding an impact force, and the frontal web complements the restraint and helmet for securing the restraint against the upper torso so that the rigid headpiece mitigates the forward impact force on the attached helmet.
The safety harness assembly for restraining head movement of a wearer against impact based injury as disclosed herein includes one or more wings 120 adapted for frontal engagement with the wearer, and a headpiece 110 adapted to restrain the wearer via a coupling to the helmet 10. The coupling 150 is for detachably engaging the wings 120 to the headpiece 110, and is adapted for withstanding a force generated by the impact, yet is selectively detachable by maintaining attachment to the headpiece in response to the forward impact, and subsequently detaching responsive to a release motion or movement by the wearer.
A continuous or homogeneous molding for the headpiece and wing mitigates labor intensity otherwise required for layering or applying a comfort surface to the frame. A method of molding the safety restraint 100 may include forming at least one wing 120 adapted for frontal engagement with the wearer, and forming a headpiece 110 adapted to restrain the head/helmet 10 of the wearer. The molding operation integrates the formed headpiece 110 and wing 120 with a coupling 150 for detachably engaging the wings 120 to the headpiece 110, such that the coupling 150 is adapted for withstanding a force generated by a frontal impact of a vehicle. The coupling 150 maintains attachment to the headpiece 110 in response to the forward impact, and is responsive to a release mechanism for disengaging the wings 120 from the headpiece 110 subsequent to the frontal impact for allowing exit by the wearer from the vehicle. Expedient and unimpeded exiting or removal is particularly important in a motorsports environment where occasional crashes may result in fire or traumatic injury and mandated structural and safety designs can hinder rescue efforts.
The wings 120 are adapted for communication with a frontal web configured for encircling a torso of the wearer for exerting a counterforce in response to a forward impact. The frontal web is defined by a network of straps 40, sometimes referred to as a “seat belt,” for securing the wings for maintaining the headpiece upright against the frontal impact via force transferred through the coupling 150. The wings 120 and the integrated coupling 150 are adapted to maintain rigidity in response to the impact force, in which the headpiece 110 has an attachment to a helmet 10 for restraining the helmet 10 against the impact force.
A plurality of protrusion joint blocks 138-1 . . . 138-2 (138 generally) define a headpiece side of the coupling 150, and include mating surfaces 160-1 . . . 160-2 (160 generally) for attachment to a corresponding side of the coupling. In the example arrangement of
In the examples shown herein, the coupling 150 further includes the protrusion 152 or other load bearing member configured to engage a corresponding receptacle on an opposed surface of the wing 120, and a release mechanism, discussed further below, for disengaging the wings 120 from the headpiece 110. The release mechanism is responsive to a release control operable to commence disengagement of the wings 120 from the headpiece 110 to facilitate exiting or removal of the driver from the vehicle. In the example herein, the load bearing member further comprises a plurality of dowels (protrusions 152) adapted to engage a corresponding receptacle on an opposed wing or headpiece.
The protrusions 152 are arranged in-line so as to avoid imparting a rotational capability to the wings 120, as might be possible with a single round protrusion 152. Alternate protrusion shapes may include rectangular mortise-and-tenon construction, or other shape (hex, square) that provides rotation resistance for avoiding a tendency of the headpiece 110 to rotate forward relative to the wings 120 in response to a forward impact. For ease of comfort and wearing, the rigid frame 130 is typically encapsulated or molded in a resilient or cushioning exterior.
A locking pin 165 engages a locking shaft 170 or other suitable securing mechanism for resiliently fixing the coupling 150 and preventing unintended separation of the joint blocks 138, 148. The locking pin 165 is non-load bearing for merely securing the protrusions 152 with the receptacles 154, and includes a spring-loaded or resilient member 162 for engaging a detent 172 in the locking shaft 170. The locking shaft 170 is an extended aperture aligned between the joint blocks 138, 148, and retains the locking pin 165 via forces exerted by the spring-loaded member 162 and a lip 164 larger than a diameter of the locking shaft 170 for securing the joint block 148. The locking pin 165 is attached to a tether 166 for permitting operator/wearer withdrawal of the locking pin 165 to disengage the joint blocks 138, 148 and release the wings 120 from the headpiece 110.
In particular configurations, therefore, the release mechanism may be a detent 172 secured shaft or member transgressing the headpiece 110 and each wing 120 in a direction unopposed from the impact force. The release mechanism may include a release pin 165 passing through a bore in each of the wings 120 and through a corresponding bore in the headpiece 110, such that the corresponding bores being aligned when the wings engage the headpiece.
The release mechanism maintains the wings 120 and headpiece 110 in fixed engagement pending an impact, and is thereafter quickly disengageable as it may need to permit separation by an injured or partially immobilized driver. The release control is activated by a manual action such as a hand pull (tether), or other suitable action such as a button or lever. In the example shown, the release control comprises a detent 172 secured member or pin 165 responsive to an extraction force exerted in a predetermined direction, in which the extraction force is sufficient to overcome a resistance of the detent 172, such as a tether 166 pulled by the driver.
Since the close confines of a competition vehicle afford little side clearance, a driver typically has greater clearance in the forward facing direction. Accordingly, in a particular configuration, the predetermined direction for pulling the tether 166 is forward from the wearer, and the detent secured member (pin 165) is responsive to a tether 166 disposed in the predetermined direction.
The locking pin 165 may take alternate forms and/or orientations. The locking pin 165 may be disposed through a front facing locking shaft 170, for permitting the wearer to extract the locking pin 165 via a forward motion, rather than a sideway pulling. A forward motion may be easier in a narrow cockpit of a race car or if crash damage limits a range of sideways movement, for example. Another alternate configuration may include an exterior latch on the surface of the joint blocks 138, 148 having a latch engage a slot or lip on the opposed joint block 138, 148. Alternate configurations may employ a variety of release controls, such as electromagnetic, magnetic, hydraulic, pneumatic or fluidic based separation forces, for disposing or forcing the wings 120 out of engagement with the headpiece 110.
While the system and methods defined herein have been particularly shown and described with references to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.
Claims
1. In a safety harness assembly for restraining head movement of a wearer against impact based injury, a restraint comprising:
- at least one wing adapted for frontal engagement with the wearer;
- a headpiece adapted to restrain the wearer; and
- a coupling for detachably engaging the wings to the headpiece, the coupling adapted for withstanding a force generated by the impact.
2. The restraint of claim 1 wherein the wing further comprises detachable wings, the coupling maintaining attachment to the headpiece in response to a forward impact.
3. The restraint of claim 2 wherein the coupling further comprises:
- a load bearing member, the load bearing member configured to engage a corresponding receptacle;
- a release mechanism for disengaging the wings from the headpiece; and
- a release control operable to commence disengagement of the wings.
4. The restraint of claim 2 wherein the coupling further comprises a plurality of opposed mating surfaces, the opposed mating surfaces having complementary structures for securing the wings to the headpiece by a flush engagement of the opposed mating surfaces.
5. The restraint of claim 3 wherein the load bearing member further comprises at least one protrusion, the protrusion adapted to engage a corresponding receptacle on an opposed surface.
6. The restraint of claim 5 wherein the load bearing member further comprises a plurality of dowels adapted to engage a corresponding receptacle on an opposed wing or headpiece.
7. The restraint of claim 3 wherein the release mechanism is a detent secured member transgressing the headpiece and each wing in a direction unopposed from the impact force.
8. The restraint of claim 3 wherein the release mechanism comprises a release pin passing through a bore in each of the wings and through a corresponding bore in the headpiece, the corresponding bores being aligned when the wings engage the headpiece.
9. The restraint of claim 7 wherein release control comprises a detent secured member responsive to an extraction force exerted in a predetermined direction, the extraction force sufficient to overcome a resistance of the detent.
10. The restraint of claim 9 wherein the predetermined direction is forward from the wearer, and the detent secured member is responsive to a tether disposed in the predetermined direction.
11. The restraint of claim 3 wherein the release mechanism includes at least one of electromagnetic, magnetic, hydraulic, pneumatic or fluidic based separation forces.
12. The restraint of claim 2 wherein the wings are adapted for communication with a frontal web, the frontal web configured for encircling a torso of the wearer for exerting a counterforce in response to a forward impact, the frontal web securing the wings for maintaining the headpiece upright against the frontal impact via force transferred through the coupling.
13. The restraint of claim 2 wherein the wings and the coupling are adapted to maintain rigidity in response to the impact force, the headpiece having an attachment to a helmet for restraining the helmet against the impact force.
14. The restraint of claim 3 wherein the frontal web further comprises a flexible belt having attachment to a vehicular safety cage at a plurality of restraint points.
15. The restraint of claim 1 wherein the wing and the headpiece further comprise a homogenous molding integrated with the coupling.
16. A method of restraining a vehicle occupant against frontal impact injury, comprising:
- attaching a helmet to a headpiece adapted to restrain the wearer;
- engaging, with the headpiece, at least one wing adapted for frontal engagement with the wearer; and
- securing the wings with a coupling for detachably engaging the wings to the headpiece, the coupling adapted for withstanding a force generated by the frontal impact and maintaining attachment to the headpiece in response to a forward impact,
- the wings responsive to a release mechanism for disengaging the wings from the headpiece subsequent to the frontal impact.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the coupling further comprises:
- a load bearing member, the load bearing member configured to engage a corresponding receptacle;
- a release mechanism for disengaging the wings from the headpiece; and
- a release control operable to commence disengagement of the wings.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the coupling further comprises a plurality of opposed mating surfaces, the opposed mating surfaces having complementary structures for securing the wings to the headpiece by a flush engagement of the opposed mating surfaces.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein the release mechanism is a detent secured release pin transgressing the headpiece and each wing in a direction unopposed from the impact force, the release pin passing through a bore in each of the wings and through a corresponding bore in the headpiece, the corresponding bores being aligned when the wings engage the headpiece.
20. A method of molding a safety restraint, comprising
- forming at least one wing adapted for frontal engagement with the wearer;
- forming a headpiece adapted to restrain the wearer; and
- integrating the formed headpiece and wing with a coupling for detachably engaging the wings to the headpiece, the coupling adapted for withstanding a force generated by a frontal impact of a vehicle,
- the coupling maintaining attachment to the headpiece in response to the forward impact, and responsive to a release mechanism for disengaging the wings from the headpiece subsequent to the frontal impact.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 11, 2014
Publication Date: Jul 14, 2016
Inventors: Allen H. Hoffman (Sterling, MA), Anthony J. Begins (Milton, VT), Kerrie Maron (Willow Grove, PA), Korapat Lamsam (Bangkok)
Application Number: 14/250,805