Protective headgear and protective armour and a method of modifying protective headgear and protective armour

Protective headgear comprising:

• a shell having an inwardly facing surface which in use faces the head of a user of the headgear and an outwardly facing surface which in use faces away from the head of a user;
• an outer layer which overlies at least a portion of the outwardly facing surface of the shell;
• and
• means for fixedly attaching the outer layer to a remainder of the headgear at one or more locations, wherein
• the outer layer is configured so as to fail when a force greater than a selected threshold is received on an outer surface of the headgear which acts in an at least part tangential direction to the outer surface of the headgear to rotate the headgear and the head of the user, and
• upon failure of the outer layer, the received force causes at least part of the outer layer receiving the force to move relative to the shell in a manner which is similar to the protective movement of the human scalp relative to the skull.

Protective armour comprising:

• a base layer having an inwardly facing surface which in use faces the body of a user of the armour and an outwardly facing surface which in use faces away from the body of a user;
• an outer layer which overlies at least a portion of the outwardly facing surface of the base layer;
• and
• rupturing means for fixedly attaching the outer layer to a remainder of the armour at one or more locations, wherein:
• the rupturing means is configured so as to fail when a force greater than a selected threshold is received on an outer surface of the armour which acts in an at least part tangential direction to rotate the armour and the body of the user, and
• upon failure of the rupturing means at the one or more locations, the received force causes at least part of the outer layer receiving the force to move relative to the base layer in a manner which is similar to the protective movement of the human scalp relative to the skull.

Protective armour comprising:

• a base layer having an inwardly facing surface which in use faces the body of a user of the armour and an outwardly facing surface which in use faces away from the body of a user;
• an outer layer which overlies at least a portion of the outwardly facing surface of the base layer;
• and
• means for fixedly attaching the outer layer to a remainder of the armour at one or more locations, wherein:
• the outer layer is configured so as to fail when a force greater than a selected threshold is received on an outer surface of the armour which acts in an at least part tangential direction to the outer surface of the armour to rotate the armour and the body of the user, and
• upon failure of the outer layer, the received force causes at least part of the outer layer receiving the force to move relative to the base layer in a manner which is similar to the protective movement of the human scalp relative to the skull.

A method of modifying existing protective headgear wherein:

• an outer layer is provided to overlie at least a portion of an outwardly facing surface of the existing protective headgear;
• and
• rupturing means are provided for fixedly attaching the outer layer to the existing protective headgear at one or more locations,
• the rupturing means being configured so as to fail when a force greater than a selected threshold is received on an outer surface of the modified headgear which acts in an at least part tangential direction to rotate the modified headgear and the head of the user, and
• upon failure of the rupturing means at the one or more locations, the received force causes at least part of the outer layer receiving the force to move relative to the outwardly facing surface of the existing protective headgear in a manner which is similar to the protective movement of the human scalp relative to the skull.

A method of modifying existing protective headgear wherein:

• an outer layer is provided to overlie at least a portion of an outwardly facing surface of the existing protective headgear;
• and
• means is provided for fixedly attaching the outer layer to the existing protective headgear at one or more locations,
• the outer layer being configured so as to fail when a force greater than a selected threshold is received on an outer surface of the modified headgear which acts in an at least part tangential direction to the outer surface of the modified headgear to rotate the modified headgear and the head of the user, and
• upon failure of the outer layer, the received force causes at least part of the outer layer receiving the force to move relative to the outwardly facing surface of the existing protective headgear in a manner which is similar to the protective movement of the human scalp relative to the skull.

A method of modifying existing protective armour wherein:

• an outer layer is provided to overlie at least a portion of an outwardly facing surface of the existing protective armour;
• and
• rupturing means are provided for fixedly attaching the outer layer to the existing protective armour at one or more locations,
• the rupturing means being configured so as to fail when a force greater than a selected threshold is received on an outer surface of the modified armour which acts in an at least part tangential direction to rotate the modified armour and the body of the user, and
• upon failure of the rupturing means at the one or more locations, the received force causes at least part of the outer layer receiving the force to move relative to the outwardly facing surface of the existing protective armour in a manner which is similar to the protective movement of the human scalp relative to the skull.

A method of modifying existing protective armour wherein:

• an outer layer is provided to overlie at least a portion of an outwardly facing surface of the existing protective armour;
• and
• means is provided for fixedly attaching the outer layer to the existing protective armour at one or more locations,
• the outer layer being configured so as to fail when a force greater than a selected threshold is received on an outer surface of the modified armour which acts in an at least part tangential direction to the outer surface of the modified armour to rotate the modified armour and the body of the user, and
• upon failure of the outer layer, the received force causes at least part of the outer layer receiving the force to move relative to the outwardly facing surface of the existing protective armour in a manner which is similar to the protective movement of the human scalp relative to the skull.