Protective Liner For Helmets And Other Articles
Patent No. US10834987 (titled "Protective Liner For Helmets And Other Articles") was filed by Wavecel Llc on Mar 3, 2017.
What is this patent about?
’987 is related to the field of protective headgear, specifically helmets designed to mitigate both linear and rotational acceleration during impact. Traditional helmets primarily focus on preventing skull fractures, but the brain is more susceptible to rotational acceleration caused by oblique impacts. This patent addresses the need for improved energy absorption to reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury.
The underlying idea behind ’987 is to create a torsional suspension system within a helmet using a floating cellular liner. This liner, made of an anisotropic material, is partially recessed within a more rigid foam shell. The key is that the liner is free to translate and compress in-plane relative to the shell during an impact, effectively dampening rotational forces.
The claims of ’987 focus on a protective helmet comprising an anisotropic cellular liner , a rigid foam liner, and a barrier layer between them. The cellular liner is recessed within the foam liner and held in place by a friction fit. The barrier layer enables the cellular liner to slide relative to the foam liner, allowing for both translation and in-plane compression upon impact.
In practice, when an oblique impact occurs, the cellular liner undergoes a combination of actions. One portion of the liner compresses in-plane against the recess walls, while another portion slides relative to the foam liner. This simultaneous compression and sliding dissipates energy, reducing the rotational acceleration transmitted to the head. The anisotropic properties of the cellular liner, with lower in-plane stiffness, facilitate this energy absorption mechanism.
This design differentiates itself from prior approaches that rely solely on shear deformation or simple sliding layers. Unlike solutions where intermediate layers are fixed, the floating cellular liner allows for both sliding and in-plane compression. This combination provides a more effective way to absorb torsional energy and reduce rotational head acceleration, leading to a significant improvement in impact protection compared to standard helmets.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the early 2010s when '987 was filed, helmets at a time when helmets were typically designed to protect against skull fractures, but there was increasing awareness of the importance of mitigating rotational acceleration of the head during oblique impacts. At this time, systems commonly relied on energy-absorbing materials and structural designs to manage impact forces, when hardware or software constraints made detailed simulation and real-time adjustment of helmet parameters non-trivial.
Novelty and Inventive Step
Claims 1-4 and 7-9 were amended during prosecution. Claims 1-9 were rejected as being unpatentable over prior art references. The applicant's arguments were considered, but the rejections were maintained. The Office action was made final.
Claims
There are 9 claims in this patent, with claim 1 being the only independent claim. The independent claim focuses on a protective helmet that includes an anisotropic cellular liner, a rigid foam liner, and a barrier layer. The dependent claims elaborate on specific features and characteristics of the helmet described in the independent claim, such as the composition and properties of the anisotropic cellular liner and barrier layer, as well as the structure of the rigid foam liner.
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Date
Description
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US10834987
- Application Number
- US15449898
- Filing Date
- Mar 3, 2017
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Apr 9, 2034
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents