Patents Assigned to Southern Impact Research Center, LLC
  • Patent number: 6591428
    Abstract: A fit system positionable adjacent interior portions of a helmet and cranial surfaces of a cranium of a wearer of the helmet proximate the interior portions of the helmet for improving the fit of the helmet to the cranium. The system includes an elongate fluid impervious bladder having a first end including an inlet port in fluid communication with the bladder and a second end remote from the first end. The bladder defines a single continuous fluid flowpath between the first end and the second end for receiving fluid introducible into the bladder through the inlet port for expanding the bladder so that substantially the entire length of the bladder may be expanded to engage mutually facing portions of the cranium of the user and interior portions of the helmet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Southern Impact Research Center, LLC
    Inventors: P. David Halstead, Cherie F. Alexander
  • Patent number: 6530092
    Abstract: An inflatable liner for a helmet. The liner has a first elongated cell and a second elongated cell extending substantially parallel to the first elongated cell. Passages extend through the first divider to permit air to pass between the first and second cells during an impact event. The second elongated cell is divided into separate sub cells and a single air inlet is provided for introducing air into the liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Southern Impact Research Center, LLC
    Inventor: Dean F. Pope
  • Patent number: 6497012
    Abstract: A buckle for receiving a strap member and for snap-fitting to a snap stud located on a helmet. The buckle includes a metal member having opposite ends, with an aperture located between the ends and a slit on either side of the aperture. Each of the slits including a plurality of rugous surfaces suitable for frictionally engaging a strap member positionable there through, and a plastic material substantially encasing the metal member except that at least a portion of the rugous surfaces are not encased by the plastic material and remain exposed, and a region surrounding the aperture of the metal member is not encased and the plastic material located adjacent the aperture defines a barrel configured for receiving and mating in a snap-fit relationship with a snap-stud fastener located on a helmet with which the buckle is to be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Southern Impact Research Center, LLC
    Inventors: Thad Ide, P. David Halstead
  • Patent number: 6481066
    Abstract: A buckle for receiving a strap member and for snap-fitting to a snap stud located on a helmet. In a preferred embodiment, the buckle includes a metal member having opposite ends, with an aperture located between the ends and a slit on either side of the aperture. Each of the slits includes a plurality of rugous surfaces suitable for frictionally engaging a strap member positionable there through, and a plastic material substantially encasing the metal member except that at least a portion of the rugous surfaces and the aperture are not encased by the plastic material and remain exposed. A metal snap is affixed to the buckle by a fastener connectingly associated with the metal snap and the aperture, the metal snap being configured to matingly engage a snap stud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Southern Impact Research Center, LLC
    Inventors: Thad Ide, P. David Halstead
  • Patent number: 6434755
    Abstract: A helmet which includes a substantially rigid shell having a shell thickness defined by a substantially continuous exterior surface spaced apart from a substantially continuous interior surface. A one-piece first shock attenuating member is positioned adjacent to and in substantially in contact with portions of the interior surface of the shell. The first shock attenuating member has a first thickness and a first compression deflection. A plurality of discrete second shock attenuating members are positioned adjacent to portions of the first shock attenuating member and adjacent to and in substantially in contact with portions of the interior surface of the shell. Each second shock attenuating member has a second thickness and a second density, with the second thickness being greater than the first thickness and the second compression deflection being less than the first compression deflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Southern Impact Research Center, LLC
    Inventors: P. David Halstead, Cherie F. Alexander, Thad Ide
  • Patent number: 6370699
    Abstract: A pad including a member provided by a substantially rigid sheet material having a crease formed therein to define first and second member portions that are yieldably positionable relative to one another about the crease and within a defined range of motion, a cushion secured adjacent the first member portion opposite the second member portion, and a covering substantially encasing the yieldable member and the cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Southern Impact Research Center, LLC
    Inventors: P. David Halstead, Cherie F. Alexander
  • Patent number: 6371710
    Abstract: An attachment system including an attachment member having a height and a width with a base and a main body having a height extending away from the base and being substantially flexible along the height thereof and substantially inflexible along its width. The main body includes a plurality of substantially inflexible portions vertically spaced apart from the base and from one another by a plurality of substantially flexible connecting portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Southern Impact Research Center, LLC
    Inventors: Thad Ide, P. David Halstead, Cherie F. Alexander
  • Patent number: 6351853
    Abstract: A fit system positionable adjacent interior portions of a helmet and cranial surfaces of a cranium of a wearer of the helmet proximate the interior portions of the helmet for improving the fit of the helmet to the cranium. The system includes an elongate fluid impervious bladder having a first end including an inlet port in fluid communication with the bladder and a second end remote from the first end. The bladder defines a single continuous fluid flowpath between the first end and the second end for receiving fluid introducible into the bladder through the inlet port for expanding the bladder so that substantially the entire length of the bladder may be expanded to engage mutually facing portions of the cranium of the user and interior portions of the helmet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Southern Impact Research Center, LLC
    Inventors: P. David Halstead, Cherie F. Alexander
  • Patent number: 6178560
    Abstract: A fit system positionable adjacent interior portions of a helmet and cranial surfaces of a cranium of a wearer of the helmet proximate the interior portions of the helmet for improving the fit of the helmet to the cranium. The system includes an elongate fluid impervious bladder having a first end including an inlet port in fluid communication with the bladder and a second end remote from the first end. The bladder defines a single continuous fluid flowpath between the first end and the second end for receiving fluid introducible into the bladder through the inlet port for expanding the bladder so that substantially the entire length of the bladder may be expanded to engage mutually facing portions of the cranium of the user and interior portions of the helmet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Southern Impact Research Center, LLC
    Inventors: Peter David Halstead, Cherie F. Alexander
  • Patent number: D466651
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Southern Impact Research Center, LLC
    Inventors: P. David Halstead, Cherie F. Alexander, Thad Ide