Method for a protective helmet with movable outer shell relative to inner shell
AssigneeThe University of British Columbia
InventorsPeter Alec Cripton, Timothy Scott Nelson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A helmet is wearable on a user's head for mitigating neck injury. The helmet incorporates an outer member which defines a concavity; an inner member, at least a portion of which is located within the concavity; and a path-motion guide mechanism which couples the inner member to the outer member. The path-motion guide mechanism permits guided relative movement between the inner member and the outer member in response to an impact force. The guided relative movement is constrained to one or more predetermined paths and comprises, for each of the one or more predetermined paths, relative translation and/or rotation between the inner and outer members.
Claims41
A method for mitigating injury, the method comprising:
- providing a helmet wearable on a head of a user, the helmet comprising:
- an outer member, a portion of which is shaped to cover at least one of a crown of the user's head and a back of the user's head, the outer member defining a concavity;
- and an inner member, at least a portion of which is located within the concavity;
- in response to an impact force, facilitating guided relative movement between the inner member and the outer member using a path-motion guide mechanism coupling the inner member to the outer member;
- wherein facilitating guided relative movement between the inner member and outer member comprises constraining the guided relative movement to one or more predetermined paths, each of the one or more predetermined paths involving relative translation and relative rotation between the inner and outer members, wherein the axis of relative rotation moves with the relative translation between the inner and outer members.
A method of mitigating injury, the method comprising:
- providing a helmet wearable on a head of a user, the helmet comprising:
- an outer member defining a concavity;
- and an inner member, at least a portion of which is located within the concavity;
- in response to an impact force, facilitating guided relative movement between the inner member and the outer member using a path-motion guide mechanism coupling the inner member to the outer member, facilitating guided relative movement between the inner and outer members comprising constraining the guided relative movement to one or more predetermined paths, each of the one or more predetermined paths involving relative translation and relative rotation between the inner and outer members, wherein the axis of relative rotation moves with the relative translation between the inner and outer members;
- wherein constraining the guided relative movement to one or more predetermined paths comprises projecting at least a portion of a protrusion into a corresponding slot, the slot dimensioned to constrain movement of the protrusion therewithin;
- and
- wherein the protrusion has a first cross-sectional dimension that is less than or equal to a width of the slot and a second cross-sectional dimension, the second cross-sectional dimension orthogonal to both the first cross-sectional dimension and to a depth of the slot, the second cross-sectional dimension greater than the width of the slot.
A method of mitigating injury, the method comprising:
- providing a helmet wearable on a head of a user, the helmet comprising:
- an outer member defining a concavity;
- and an inner member, at least a portion of which is located within the concavity;
- in response to an impact force, facilitating guided relative movement between the inner member and the outer member using a path-motion guide mechanism coupling the inner member to the outer member, facilitating guided relative movement between the inner and outer members comprising constraining the guided relative movement to one or more predetermined paths, each of the one or more predetermined paths involving relative translation and relative rotation between the inner and outer members, wherein the axis of relative rotation moves with the relative translation between the inner and outer members;
- wherein constraining the guided relative movement to one or more predetermined paths comprises projecting at least a portion of a protrusion into a corresponding slot, the slot dimensioned to constrain movement of the protrusion therewithin;
- and
- wherein constraining the guided relative movement to one or more predetermined paths comprises providing energy-absorbing material in the slot to absorb mechanical energy from the protrusion as the protrusion moves within the slot.
A method of mitigating injury, the method comprising:
- providing a helmet wearable on a head of a user, the helmet comprising:
- an outer member defining a concavity;
- and an inner member, at least a portion of which is located within the concavity;
- in response to an impact force, facilitating guided relative movement between the inner member and the outer member using a path-motion guide mechanism coupling the inner member to the outer member, facilitating guided relative movement between the inner and outer members comprising constraining the guided relative movement to one or more predetermined paths, each of the one or more predetermined paths involving relative translation and relative rotation between the inner and outer members, wherein the axis of relative rotation moves with the relative translation between the inner and outer members;
- wherein constraining the guided relative movement to one or more predetermined paths comprises projecting at least a portion of a protrusion into a corresponding slot, the slot dimensioned to constrain movement of the protrusion therewithin;
- wherein the slot comprises a base portion, the protrusion located in the base portion prior to facilitating guided relative movement between the inner and outer members;
- and
- wherein constraining the guided relative movement to one or more predetermined paths comprises retaining the protrusion in the base portion when the protrusion experiences load forces less than a deployment threshold.
A method according to 37 wherein the bias mechanism comprises one or more of:
- a spring;
- a resiliently deformable material;
- and pressurized fluid.
A method according to 36 wherein retaining the protrusion in the base portion comprises providing one or more breakaway members which extend between the protrusion and one or more slot-defining walls which define the slot, the breakaway members fracturing under load forces above the deployment threshold.
A method according to 36 wherein retaining the protrusion in the base portion comprises providing one or more hinged members and one or more hinge bias mechanisms, each hinge bias mechanism configured to bias a corresponding one of the hinged members in such a manner as to help maintain the protrusion in the base portion.
A method according to 36 wherein retaining the protrusion in the base portion comprises:
- providing a sensor for detecting at least one of force and pressure and one or more actuatable elements for maintaining the protrusion in the base portion;
- and
- connecting a controller to receive output from the sensor and configuring the controller to actuate the actuatable elements in such a manner as to allow the protrusion to move out of the base portion when the controller determines that the output of the sensor is indicative of a load force on the protrusion above the deployment threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.