Helmet and Manufacturing Method

The invention relates to a helmet and to a method for manufacturing same.

It is known from the document US2015/0327617 to form a helmet for working at heights or for mountaineering that is provided with a swivelling neckband. The neckband has a body of curved shape that is fixed to the crown by means of two hinges that are slightly off-center with respect to one another. The body of the neckband is elastically deformable in order to switch between the stowed position and the use position. In the use position, the inner face of the body is designed to come into contact with the occipital part of the user's head. In the stowed position, the inner face is directly facing the inner wall of the crown.

The document US 2021/0321708 discloses a substantially similar helmet configuration, in addition comprising a device for adjusting the headband to improve the adjustment of the helmet to suit the morphological particularities of the user for a fixed crown dimension.

These embodiments are worthy of interest as they enable the space occupation of the helmet to be limited in the storing phases. It is in particular easier to stack the helmets on one another. This improves the integrity of the neckband during the different handling operations when the latter is in the stowed position. It is however apparent that with use, the neckband does not deliver a comfort and precision of adjustment of the same level as helmets having a neckband that is fixed to the crown by three distinct attachments, two lateral attachments and a rear attachment.

The use of a system with three attachments prevents the neckband from being toggled between the stowed position and the use position.

One object of the invention consists in providing a helmet that improves the comfort of a swivelling neckband without impairing its ability to reduce its space occupation in the stowed position.

This problem tends to be overcome by means of a helmet designed for working at heights or for mountaineering comprising:

The helmet is remarkable in that the body is connected to the right attachment point and to the left attachment point by a flexible attachment formed by a flexible textile element or a strip of elastomer material, the flexible attachment being elastically deformable in three-dimensional manner between the body and each of the right and left attachment points.

It is advantageous for the flexible attachment to be formed by said flexible textile element chosen from a webbing, a rope, a fabric or a braid.

Preferentially, said flexible textile element or said strip of elastomer material has an elongation at break of less than 10% in a longitudinal direction.

In advantageous manner, said flexible textile element or said strip of elastomer material has an elongation at break of more than 50% in a longitudinal direction.

In a particular configuration, the flexible attachment is formed by said flexible textile element.

Preferentially, the body is made from plastic material and said flexible textile element has an elongation at break at least twice as great as the elongation at break of the plastic material forming the body.

According to one embodiment, the body is connected to the rear attachment point by a flexible textile element or a strip of elastomer material to form a flexible attachment that is elastically deformable in three-dimensional manner.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a manufacturing method that enables a helmet to be functionalised, improving the safety without increasing the weight of the helmet too greatly.

This result tends to be achieved by means of a method for manufacturing a helmet comprising the following steps:

The method is remarkable in that the body is connected to the right attachment point and to the left attachment point by a flexible textile element or a strip of elastomer material to form a flexible attachment elastically deformable in three-dimensional manner between the body and each of the right and left attachment points.

represent different configurations of a helmet, preferentially a helmet for mountaineering and working at heights. The helmetcomprises a crowndesigned to receive a user's head and a neckband.

The crownis manufactured from a material that is unable to fold onto itself. The crowncan be made preferentially from plastic material, for example from polycarbonate or injected-moulded ABS or from polystyrene or expanded polypropylene, or from any other plastic material, in particular from injection-moulded, thermoformed or foam plastic material.

The crowndefines a crown surface that represents the surface of the median plane of the crown in the thickness direction. The crown surface is a curved surface that is approximately a half-sphere. The cavity defined by the crownis designed to receive a part of the user's head.

The helmetalso comprises a neckbandthat is attached to the crownby three attachment points, a right attachment point, a left attachment pointand a rear attachment point. The right attachment pointattaches the neckbandwith a right lateral part of the crown. The left attachment pointattaches the neckbandwith a left lateral part of the crown. The attachment pointattaches the neckbandwith a rear part of the crown. The right and left parts represent the right and left sides of the user wearing the helmet. The rear part of the crowncorresponds to the part closest to the occipital bone whereas the front part corresponds to the part closest to the forehead.

The neckbandcan be attached directly to the crownor it can be attached to an intermediate part attached to the crown. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in, the neckbandis attached to the right part and to the left part of the crownby means of an adjustment systemconfigured to adjust the circumference of the headband. Advantageously, the adjustment systemenables the right attachment pointand the left attachment pointto be moved with respect to the crown. The attachment pointis preferentially fixed directly to the crown.

The neckbandhas a bodydefining an inner wall designed to come into contact with the occipital region of the user's head. The bodyis installed movable between a first position where the bodyis salient from the crownto define a use position () and a second position where the bodyis installed in the cavity of the crownto define a stowed position (). In the stowed position, the inner face of the bodyis facing the rear inner face of the crown. In the same way as for certain configurations of the prior art, it is particularly advantageous to have a bodythat can be C-shaped, i.e. having a curved shape, and that deforms to move from the use position to the stowed position.

During its deformation, the bodycan define a “hard point” that enables two distinct stable positions to be defined, the stowed position or the use position. The bodyis of curved shape and moves between the first position and the second position deforming elastically and reversing the radius of curvature of the curved shape. Reversal of the radius of curvature is observed along a radius that extends from the centre of the curve and first enters the outer face or the inner face thereby enabling radii of curvature of opposite signs to be defined. In other words, the body defines a concave or convex surface depending on whether the reference face is the inner face or the outer face for the above-mentioned two positions. The bodyis a rigid element with a certain elastic stiffness. The bodyis preferably a polymer material. When the bodyis between the use position and the “hard point”, the neckbandhas a restoring force that moves the bodyto the use position. When the bodyis between the stowed position and the “hard point”, the neckbandhas a restoring force that moves the bodyto the stowed position. A stable position is defined as a position in which the neckbandremains in the absence of external stress, irrespective of the orientation of the helmet. To leave the stable position, the user applies a force to the bodyto deform the bodyto the “hard point”. The force is directed to oppose the restoring force. Once the “hard point” has been passed, the applied force and the restoring force of the bodyare directed in the same direction to place the bodyin the other stable position. The “hard point” is not a stable position.

To facilitate deformation of the body, without overstressing the other components of the helmet, it is advantageous not to use hinges as was the case in the prior art configuration.

The bodyis connected to the right attachment pointand to the left attachment pointby a flexible textile element or a strip of elastomer material to form a flexible attachment elastically deformable in three-dimensional manner between the bodyand each of the right attachment pointand the left attachment point. The use of a flexible textile element or a strip of elastomer material enables a highly deformable area to be had between the bodyand the right attachment pointand the left attachment point, thereby facilitating deformation of the bodyof the neckbandwith respect to the attachment point.

This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the helmetis equipped with an adjustment systemto adjust the circumference of the headband and that acts on the position of the right and left attachment points. When the right and left attachment points shift, this has the effect of deforming the bodyof the neckbandto take account of the distance separating the two attachment points, i.e. the distance in the right-left direction or the lateral direction YY. As the neckbandis deformed, the deformation kinematics to switch from the stowed position to the use position also change. As a result, the stresses applied on the hinges can be considerably modified depending on the adjustment applied on the headband. To avoid having to form stronger hinges, i.e. that are bulkier and heavier, which is not acceptable for equipment that is worn on the head for several hours, it is advantageous to use a right flexible attachmentand a left flexible attachment.

Whereas the hinge defines a single pivot axis, the strip of elastomer material and the flexible textile element allow relative movements in the three dimensions, thereby enabling deformation of the bodyto be accommodated better when switching between the stowed position and the use position.

It is also apparent that using a strip of elastomer material and a flexible textile enables a compact structure to be kept or even makes it possible to gain in compactness. The thicknesses of the strip of elastomer material and of the flexible textile element can be identical or smaller than the thicknesses of the bodywhile being able to withstand the applied stresses. In addition, the strip of elastomer material and the flexible textile element are elements that can deform in contact with the user's head thereby reducing the risks of injury.

It is particularly advantageous for the strip of elastomer material and the flexible textile element to facilitate deformation in the lateral direction YY, i.e. the direction perpendicular to the median sagittal plane. The lateral direction YY corresponds to the left-right axis, i.e. an axis that extends from the right attachment pointto the left attachment point. Deformation in the lateral direction YY results in the stresses on the right attachment pointand the left attachment pointbeing reduced, which is particularly advantageous when the attachment points are movable by means of the adjustment systemas it enables a compact adjustment systemto be kept.

It is particularly advantageous for the strip of elastomer material and the flexible textile element to facilitate deformation in a transverse direction ZZ illustrated in. What is meant by transverse direction ZZ is a vertical direction when the helmetis worn, and the direction that is parallel to the median sagittal plane and to the median coronal plane of the person wearing the helmet. The median coronal plane separates the front part and the rear part of the crown. In other words, the strip of elastomer material and the flexible textile element can move towards or away from the plane representing the peak of the crownand the plane representing the bottom part of the crown. There again, preferential deformation of the strip of elastomer material and of the flexible textile element reduces the stresses on the attachment points, which is particularly advantageous when the attachment points are connected to an adjustment systemas it enables the compactness of the adjustment systemto be preserved. The front-rear direction is illustrated by the XX axis.

The strip of elastomer material and the flexible textile element at each end of the neckbandare able to deform independently from one another, thereby enabling the deformation and stresses applied to be better managed.

In particularly advantageous manner, the strip of elastomer material and the flexible textile element are able to deform elastically in extension in the longitudinal direction, i.e. the direction that connects the two right and left attachment points, passing through the attachment point. Deformation in extension can increase the value of the circumference of the headband or deform the strip of elastomer material and the flexible textile element to apply a reasonable stress on the head when performing the adjustment phase. Deformation in extension of the strip of elastomer material and of the flexible textile element enhances the ease of adjustment to the morphology of the back of the head.

In preferential manner, the strip of elastomer material and the flexible textile element are able to undergo considerable deformations, for example the flexible textile element or the strip of elastomer material has an elongation at break of more than 50% in the longitudinal direction. The high degree of deformability of the right flexible attachmentand of the left flexible attachmentfacilitates deformation of the body

What is meant by textile element is an element that can be woven, braided or knitted. The textile material is preferentially chosen from a webbing, a fabric, a braid, or a tangle of threads or fibres of any kind. The braid can be a flat braid and/or a tubular braid. The webbing can be a flat webbing and/or a tubular webbing. The fabric can comprise a single layer or several layers.

Depending on the materials used, it is possible to have a textile material that presents a great flexibility in the transverse direction and in the lateral direction in both directions, and that only allows a very small extension in the longitudinal direction or even does not allow any extension in the longitudinal direction. The textile material can be a rope or a hyperstatic strap, i.e. with an elongation at break percentage of less than 4%. It is also possible to have a dynamic strap or rope, i.e. with an elongation at break percentage of less than 15% or even less than 10%. It is advantageous to use the same materials as for climbing ropes, for example polyamide or polyester. In view of the materials used, the forces in play to adjust the neckbandto the user's head mean that the deformation is nil or very slight. In this embodiment, adjustment to the morphology of the head is almost entirely performed by the adjustment system, and the flexibility of the textile material or of the elastomer material enables a highly deformable attachment to be achieved to facilitate deformation of the body between the stowed position and the use position.

In a preferential embodiment, the body is made from plastic material, preferably from the same materials as those used in the prior art to form a deformable body. The flexible textile element has an elongation at break at least twice greater than an elongation at break of the plastic material forming the body. Elongation of the flexible textile element or of the elastomer material makes adjustment to the user's head easier by limiting the length of the textile element or of the elastomer material.

In an alternative embodiment, the bodyis made from plastic material and the flexible textile element has an elongation at break at least twice lower than the elongation at break of the plastic material forming the body. When the neckbandis stressed to adjust the latter to the morphology of the user's head, the textile material does not deform in the longitudinal direction and the bodydeforms to fit the shape of the head better.

Depending on the configurations, the bodycan be connected to the rear attachment pointby a flexible textile element or a strip of elastomer material to form a flexible attachment that is deformable in three-dimensional manner, or it can be connected by a hingethat defines a pivot axis of the body with respect to the crown.

The use of a flexible textile element or a strip of elastomer material enables a movement of the bodyto be had with respect to the crownin three distinct directions. This facilitates deformation of the bodybetween the use position and the stowed position.

These embodiments are particularly advantageous as they facilitate deformation of the bodybetween the stowed position and the use position.

In the stowed position, the bodyis installed inside the crownand is attached by means of the three attachments that comprise at least two flexible attachments. The weight of the bodyis small so that it does not allow a deformation or a large deformation of the textile element or of the elastomer strip that would have the effect of making the bodyhang outside the crown.

As the bodycan deform more easily between the stowed position and the use position, it is possible to use a bodythat is more encompassing, i.e. a bodyhaving a radius of curvature that is closer to the radius of curvature of the crownand/or a bodyof greater length. The length of the bodyis measured in the circumference direction. For example, the neckbandextends over at least 30% of the circumference of the crown, preferentially at least 40% and even more preferentially at least 50%. As the bodycan be larger, the bodycan extend over at least 20% of the circumference of the crown, preferentially at least 30% and even more preferentially at least 40%.

The use of a flexible textile element or an elastomer strip that allows an elongation in the longitudinal direction, and preferentially an elongation of more than 50%, enables the length of the flexible textile element and of the elastomer strip to be reduced. The bodycan extend over a larger distance, thereby providing a better support of the rear part of the head.

The length of the bodyis considerably greater than the distance between the right attachment pointand the left attachment point. Advantageously, the length of the bodyis greater than the sum of the distance between the right attachment pointand the left attachment point, of the length of the left flexible attachmentand of the length of the right flexible attachment. The greater length of the bodyenables a stable stowed position and a stable use position to be had.illustrates a neckbandin a flat configuration.illustrates the same neckbanddeformed to represent the stowed position whereasillustrates the use position.

In the embodiments illustrated in, the neckbandis a monolithic element that has a bodyextended at each end by a flexible textile element or an elastomer strip and then by an attachment termination. Preferentially, the sum of the length of the bodyand of the flexible textile elements or elastomer strips is equal to or slightly smaller than the circumferential distance separating the right attachment pointand the left attachment point. For example, the value of the sum is less than 5% to 10% of the circumferential length.

In advantageous manner, the flexible textile element or the elastomer strip has a first end fixed to the bodyand a second end fixed to an attachment termination. The two attachment terminationsare fixed to the crownor to the adjustment system.

The neckbandis preferentially provided with an additional attachment termination that secures the neckbandto the crownto form the rear attachment point.

The method for manufacturing the helmetcan be presented in the following manner. A crownis provided defining a cavity designed to receive a user's head. A neckbandis also provided having a bodydefining an inner wall designed to come into contact with the occipital region of the user's head.

The neckbandis attached to the crownby means of a right attachment pointattaching the neckbandwith a right lateral part of the crown, a left attachment pointattaching the neckbandwith a left lateral part of the crown, and a rear attachment pointattaching the neckbandwith a rear part of the crown.