Helmets with Facemask Gaskets
A helmet comprises a shell, a gasket, and a facemask. A recessed region is formed on an exterior surface of the shell of the helmet. The gasket is disposed on the recessed region of the shell. The facemask is disposed on the gasket.
The present application is a non-provisional application of, and claims priority to, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/983,116, filed on Apr. 23, 2014 and titled “Face Mask Gasket,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUNDMild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI), commonly referred to as “a concussion,” is an injury that frequently occurs in contact sports, such as football. Sport-related brain injuries have been estimated to occur 1.6 to 3.8 million times every year. Additionally, it is estimated that some football players receive up to 1,500 head impacts per season. Although every impact may not result in MTBI, numerous impacts to the head can result in long-term brain damage through an impact induced neurodegenerative disease known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The present disclosure relates to helmets that protect a wearer's head and reduce the likelihood of the wearer experiencing Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI), Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), or other types of injuries. The helmet in some embodiments comprises a helmet shell, a facemask, and a gasket that is positioned between the helmet shell and the facemask. The gasket is configured to dissipate energy. Thus, when the facemask of the helmet impacts an object, a portion of the energy resulting from the impact is dissipated through the gasket, instead of being transferred to the wearer's head. Because the amount of energy that is transferred to the user's head is less than the amount that would otherwise be transferred if the helmet did not comprise the gasket, the helmet reduces the likelihood of the user experiencing various types of injuries.
In the following discussion, a general description of the system and its components is provided, followed by a discussion of the operation of the same.
With reference to
The helmet 100 shown in
The liner 106 is attached to the interior of the shell 103. The liner 106 provides cushioning for the wearer's head and absorbs impact forces on the helmet 100. The liner 106 in some embodiments comprises a visco-elastic foam that conforms to the wearer's head, thereby providing increased contact surface area and greater protection against impact forces. In some embodiments, the liner 106 is removable to, for example, facilitate cleaning or replacement of the liner 106.
With reference to
The shell 103 also comprises a recessed region 126 along the portion of the exterior surface 113 that defines an opening for the wearer's face. As will be described in further detail below, a portion of the facemask 109 is positioned over the recessed region 126 of the shell 103. The exterior surface 113 of the shell 103 at the recessed region 126 is recessed relative to other portions of the exterior surface 113. In some embodiments, the exterior surface 113 of the shell 103 at the recessed region 126 is recessed by approximately 3-6 millimeters relative to other portions of the exterior surface 113. The recessed region 126 of the shell 103 may be formed along the front perimeter of the shell 103, as shown in
As shown in
With reference to
The facemask 109 shown in
With reference to
The gasket 400 is shaped so that the gasket 400 may be positioned over and aligned with the recessed region 126 of the shell 103. In addition, the gasket 400 is shaped so that the flange 133 of the facemask 109 may be positioned over and cover the gasket 400. In this way, the gasket 400 prevents the facemask 109 from making direct contact with the shell 103.
For the embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, the gasket 400 is constructed by cutting a sheet of gasket material in the shape of the gasket 400. In other embodiments, the gasket 400 may be formed using injection molding processes or other construction techniques. In some embodiments, an adhesive may be disposed on the gasket 400 to facilitate assembly of the helmet 100. For example, an adhesive may be disposed on the surface 406 of the gasket 400 that contacts the facemask 109 and/or the surface 409 of the gasket 400 that contacts the shell 103.
Multiple holes 403a-403d are formed in the gasket 400. Fasteners, such as rivets, bolts, screws, etc., may insert through the holes 403a-403d. In some embodiments, the gasket 400 may comprise grommets that form the holes 403a-403d. Such grommets may be embedded within the gasket 400. Alternatively, the grommets may be attached to the surface 406 of the gasket 400 that contacts the facemask 109 or the surface 409 of the gasket 400 that contacts the shell 103.
With reference to
Next, the facemask 109 is attached to the shell 103. To this end, the facemask 109 may be positioned over the recessed region 126 of the shell 103 and the gasket 400. In particular, the flange 133 of the facemask 109 may be aligned with the recessed region 126 of the shell 103, so that the gasket 400 is positioned between the flange 133 and the recessed region 126 of the shell 103. Thereafter, fasteners, such as rivets, bolts, screws, etc., may be inserted into the respective holes 136a-136f in the facemask 109, holes 403a-403d in the gasket 400, and holes 129a-129e in the shell 103 to thereby retain the facemask 109 to the shell 103. In some embodiments, when the facemask 109 is attached to the shell 103, the exterior surface of the flange 133 of the facemask 109 is substantially flush with the exterior surface 113 of the shell 103.
The above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely examples of implementations to set forth a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure. Disjunctive language used herein, such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, or Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may be either X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and/or Z). Thus, such disjunctive language is not generally intended to, and should not, imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at least one of Y, or at least one of Z to each be present.
Claims
1. A helmet, comprising:
- a helmet shell comprising an exterior surface, wherein a recessed region is formed on the exterior surface of the helmet shell;
- a compressible gasket disposed in the recessed region of the helmet shell; and
- a facemask attached to the helmet shell and the compressible gasket, wherein the facemask is disposed on the compressible gasket.
2. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the compressible gasket prevents the facemask from directly contacting the helmet shell.
3. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the compressible gasket comprises an elastomeric gasket.
4. The helmet of claim 1, further comprising a fastener that retains the facemask to the helmet shell, wherein the fastener extends through a hole that is formed in the compressible gasket.
5. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the compressible gasket comprises a grommet for a fastener that retains the facemask to the helmet shell.
6. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the facemask comprises a flange that directly contacts the compressible gasket.
7. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the helmet comprises an athletic helmet.
8. The helmet of claim 1, wherein the helmet comprises a football helmet.
9. A helmet, comprising:
- a helmet shell;
- a facemask attached to the helmet shell; and
- means for dissipating energy from the facemask, wherein the means for dissipating the energy is disposed between the helmet shell and the facemask.
10. The helmet of claim 9, wherein the means for dissipating the energy prevents the facemask from directly contacting the helmet shell.
11. The helmet of claim 9, wherein the means for dissipating the energy comprises a gasket.
12. The helmet of claim 9, wherein the means for dissipating the energy is embodied as a single component.
13. The helmet of claim 9, wherein the means for dissipating the energy comprises a plurality of components that are separate relative to each other.
14. The helmet of claim 9, wherein the means for dissipating the energy is disposed in a recessed region of the helmet shell.
15. The helmet of claim 9, wherein the facemask comprises a flange that is disposed on the means for dissipating the energy.
16. A method, comprising:
- disposing a gasket on a helmet shell; and
- attaching a facemask to the helmet shell so that the gasket is disposed between the helmet shell and the facemask;
- wherein the gasket is configured to dissipate energy from the facemask.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising inserting a fastener through a hole in the gasket to retain the facemask to the helmet shell.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising cutting the gasket from a sheet of gasket material.
19. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming the gasket from a mold.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein the gasket comprises at least one of a visco-elastic polymeric solid, linear or non-linear elastic, or a viscoplastic solid.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 23, 2015
Publication Date: Oct 29, 2015
Inventors: Gustavus Alston Rush (Starkville, MS), Kyle Leslie Johnson (Starkville, MS), Gus A. Rush, III (Meridian, MS)
Application Number: 14/694,819