JP2013108207A - Magnetic impact absorption in protective body gear - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an impact absorption structure for use in a protective body gear and in the inside thereof.SOLUTION: An impact absorption helmet 100 with the first and second magnetic elements 106 and 108 comprises: a protective shell 102; an interior liner 104 connected to an inner surface of the shell 102, for contact with a wearer's head; and the first and second spaced-apart magnetic elements 106 and 108 disposed between the shell 102 and the interior liner 104. The first and second spaced-apart magnetic elements 106 and 108 oriented such that they are mutually repulsive between the inner liner 104 and the shell 102.

Description

  The present invention relates to a protective body gear (in particular, a helmet) and a shock absorbing structure used therein.

  During sports games or other physical activities, individuals are often exposed to impact forces that can cause severe injury if not at least partially absorbed. Thus, they typically wear protective sporting equipment (eg, helmets, shields, elbow pads, knee pads, etc.). Such protective articles typically comprise shock absorbing structures that are elastically and / or plastically deformed in response to an impact force, thereby mechanically absorbing the shock. To do. For example, many helmets have a crushable foam layer disposed between a rigid or semi-rigid outer shell and an inner lining that conforms the helmet to the wearer's head. More recent helmet designs feature discontinuous compression cells filled with fluid instead of continuous layers, these compression cells by resistively draining fluid through the opening of the cell enclosure. Absorbs shock.

  Unfortunately, mechanical absorption mechanisms are inherently susceptible to wear and tear of the absorption structure, resulting in the performance of these protection mechanisms being impaired over time, and frequent replacement of the protective supplies Is required. The design of the compression cell is similarly susceptible to failure. This is because the shear stress of the exhaust fluid can cause the material surrounding the discharge opening or valve to become brittle and crack, or otherwise lose its mechanical integrity.

  Furthermore, mechanical shock absorbing mechanisms tend to eventually "bottom", i.e., tend to reach a compression state where no more force can be absorbed. As a result, these mechanisms generally need to be designed for a specific range of forces (outside this range, the effectiveness of these mechanisms is significantly reduced). In order to accommodate a wide range of impact forces, it is desirable to provide an absorption mechanism that increases resistance with increasing impact force.

The present invention provides, for example:
(Item 1)
Protective shell;
An inner lining for contacting the wearer's head connected to the inner surface of the shell; and a spaced apart first magnetic element and a second disposed between the shell and the inner lining A first magnetic element and a second magnetic element, wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are oriented to repel each other between the inner backing and the shell. Shock-absorbing helmet with two magnetic elements.
(Item 2)
Further comprising a mechanical restraint on the shell and on the backing, the mechanical restraint for laterally aligning the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element; The helmet described in the item.
(Item 3)
The helmet according to any of the preceding items, wherein the mechanical restraint prevents lateral movement of the magnetic elements at a distance beyond a certain threshold between the magnetic elements.
(Item 4)
The first magnetic element and the second magnetic element have substantially opposite polarities and are attached to opposing inner surfaces of a compression cell disposed between the shell and the inner lining. The helmet according to any one of the above items.
(Item 5)
The above item, wherein the shock absorbing cell is substantially tubular, and wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are respectively attached to an inner floor and an inner ceiling of the substantially tubular cell. A helmet according to any of the above.
(Item 6)
The helmet according to any of the preceding items, wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are disk-shaped.
(Item 7)
The first element and the second element prevent contact between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element in response to an impact force not exceeding a predicted maximum force. A helmet according to any of the above items, having sufficient magnetic strength for the purpose.
(Item 8)
A helmet according to any of the preceding items comprising a plurality of distributed pairs of a first magnetic element and a second magnetic element.
(Item 9)
A helmet according to any of the preceding items, wherein the magnets are spaced along an axis that passes perpendicularly through the inner lining and the shell.
(Item 10)
Protective shell;
An inner lining for contacting the wearer's body connected to the inner surface of the shell; and a spaced apart first magnetic element and a second disposed between the shell and the inner lining A first magnetic element and a second magnetic element, wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are oriented to repel each other between the inner backing and the shell. Protective body gear with two magnetic elements.
(Item 11)
Further comprising a mechanical restraint on the shell and on the backing, the mechanical restraint for laterally aligning the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element; Body gear as described in the item.
(Item 12)
The body gear according to any of the preceding items, wherein the mechanical restraint prevents lateral movement of the magnetic elements at a distance beyond a certain threshold between the magnetic elements.
(Item 13)
The first magnetic element and the second magnetic element have substantially opposite polarities and are attached to opposing inner surfaces of a compression cell disposed between the shell and the inner lining. The body gear according to any one of the above items.
(Item 14)
The above item, wherein the shock absorbing cell is substantially tubular, and wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are respectively attached to an inner floor and an inner ceiling of the substantially tubular cell. The body gear according to any one of the above.
(Item 15)
The body gear according to any one of the above items, wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are disk-shaped.
(Item 16)
The first element and the second element prevent contact between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element in response to an impact force not exceeding a predicted maximum force. A body gear according to any of the preceding items, wherein the body gear has sufficient magnetic strength.
(Item 17)
A body gear according to any of the preceding items, comprising a plurality of distributed pairs of a first magnetic element and a second magnetic element.
(Item 18)
The body gear of any of the preceding items, wherein the magnets are spaced along an axis that passes perpendicularly through the inner backing and the shell.

(Summary)
Magnetic repulsion can be utilized for shock absorption in protective body gear (eg, helmet).

(Summary)
The present invention generally utilizes magnetic force to absorb impact (or to assist in absorbing impact). In certain embodiments, the protective structures in a helmet or other wearable protective article are two or more opposing, separated along an axis substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the protective article. The magnet is provided. That is, the magnets are oriented so that the impact force applied to the article in the expected direction pushes the magnets toward each other ("substantially perpendicular" means that the axial orientation is Means to deviate less than 30 °, preferably less than 10 °, more preferably less than 3 ° from perfect perpendicular to the surface). The terms magnets are “reverse” or have “substantially opposite polarity” when the magnetic forces between these magnets repel each other (preferably used herein). , The magnetic field lines are substantially antiparallel in the space between these magnets, i.e. including an angle shifted from 180 ° to less than 45 °, preferably less than 15 °, more preferably less than 5 °). Advantageously, shock absorption using a magnetic field, unlike mechanical shock absorption, is not subject to wear and tear of moving parts and can therefore result in a significantly extended life of these protective structures. Furthermore, the repulsive force between the magnets increases as they approach each other so that the resistance increases with increasing impact force and a wide range of impact forces can be effectively absorbed. Furthermore, when these magnets are very close to each other, their repulsive forces tend to cause lateral movement between these magnets (eg, due to minimal residual misalignment or deliberate misalignment). . Thus, the protective structure shifts the two magnets laterally rather than fully compressing them into physical contact. This is generally a desirable effect that contributes to the dissipation of impact force.

  In one aspect, the present invention, in various embodiments, provides a shock absorbing helmet, the shock absorbing helmet being in contact with a protective shell, an inner lining connected to the inner surface of the shell (in contact with the wearer's head). And a pair of magnetic elements disposed between the shell and the inner backing. The magnetic elements are spaced apart (eg, along an axis that passes vertically through the inner lining and the shell), and the magnets repel each other between the inner lining and the shell. Oriented. Their magnetic strength may be sufficient to prevent contact between these magnets as long as the impact force does not exceed the maximum expected force.

  In some embodiments, the helmet further comprises mechanical restraints on the shell and the lining, the mechanical restraints being for lateral alignment of the magnetic elements. These mechanical restraints can prevent lateral movement of these magnetic elements at least at distances between these magnets that exceed a certain threshold. Alternatively, or in addition, these mechanical restraints simply provide a limited amount of lateral movement (this amount is not sufficient to significantly impair mutual repulsion at any distance between the magnets). Sufficient flexibility) to be possible. In some embodiments, these magnetic elements have substantially opposite polarities and are placed on opposing inner surfaces of a compression cell disposed between the shell and the inner backing. The compression cell may be substantially tubular (ie, the top and bottom walls are connected by a side wall structure along their outer perimeter) and installed on its internal floor and ceiling, respectively. It can have only two magnetic elements. These magnetic elements can be disk-shaped. The helmet may comprise a plurality of distributed pairs of opposing magnetic elements.

  In another aspect, the present invention relates to a protective body gear that includes a protective shell, an internal backing connected to the inner surface of the backing, and a pair of magnetic elements. These magnetic elements are arranged between the inner lining and the shell in a repelling orientation. The body gear may comprise or consist of, for example, a chest shield, knee pads, elbow pads, waist pads, or arm shields. The features of the magnetic shock absorbing structure described above in connection with the helmet can be applied to other body gears as well.

  The foregoing will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the invention, particularly when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a portion of a protective gear comprising multiple pairs of opposing magnets between a backing and a shell, according to one embodiment. 2A and 2B are a cross-sectional view and a perspective view, respectively, of a compression cell with an embedded magnet, according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a magnet alignment scaffold according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is an elevation view of a protective helmet having a plurality of distributed compression cells, according to one embodiment.

(Detailed explanation)
Protective body gears according to the present specification typically utilize a reverse polarity permanent magnet to magnetically absorb the impact force. These magnets are naturally occurring magnetic materials, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, or gadolinium (rare earth metals that are ferromagnetic at temperatures below 19 ° C. and strong paramagnetic at higher temperatures), Or artificial alloys or composites (eg, rare earth metal alloys (eg, neodymium-iron-boron and samarium-cobalt), iron oxide ceramics (ferrite), alnico (iron alloys with added aluminum, nickel, and cobalt), Or it can be made from injection molded or flexible resin or vinyl and magnetic powder composites). The magnetic material for any particular application can be selected based on the required magnetic strength, mechanical properties, commercial availability and the price of various materials without undue experimentation. For example, rare earth magnets generally generate the strongest magnetic fields (eg, greater than 1.4 Tesla), but are generally brittle and subject to corrosion and require a protective coating. Alnico magnets are corrosion resistant and can have excellent mechanical properties when sintered and can have high magnetic field strength and complex shapes when cast. Flexible injection molded magnets are generally less strong, but can be manufactured at low cost in complex and flexible shapes, so that the magnet fits the wearer's specific anatomical region May be desirable for use in clothing that requires In general, the magnet type, size, shape, and strength can be readily selected by one skilled in the art based on the intended application. For example, for a helmet used in a particular sport (in which case the predicted maximum impact force can be reasonably determined), a magnet with sufficient magnetic strength will have an impact force that is less than or equal to the predicted maximum force. Can be selected to prevent contact between the magnets. Permanent magnets that are adaptable for use in embodiments of the present invention are readily available commercially from various manufacturers.

In some embodiments, these magnets are located in the shock absorbing article between the outer shell exposed to the impact force and the inner lining that contacts the wearer. For example, FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a layered protective article 100 that includes a backing 104 that substantially conforms to the shell 102 and the wearer's body B, and between the shell 102 and the backing 104. With several pairs of opposing magnets 106, 108 in each compression cell 110. The magnets 106, 108 are aligned and oriented to absorb the vertical component F _n of the impact force F applied to the outer surface of the shell 102. That is, generally the geometric centers of the opposing magnets 106, 108 are separated along a geometric axis 112 that is locally perpendicular to the shell surface. This normal force component F _n then tends to move the opposing magnets 106, 108 towards each other, and its repelling magnetic force resists such movement, thereby absorbing the shock. To do.

  The magnets can be held in a compressible alignment, or a guide structure that restricts lateral movement between the magnets, the respective geometric centers of the magnets, and the separation axes 112. It can be kept on or near. In the illustrated embodiment, the magnets 106, 108 are aligned such that one magnet 106 in each pair is attached to the bottom of the respective compression cell 110, and the other magnet 108 is attached to the ceiling of the respective compression cell 110, and This is accomplished by attaching the cell 110 to the outer surface of the backing 104 and the inner surface of the shell 102. In some embodiments, lateral movement between magnets is allowed (at least within certain limits) with the goal of allowing dissipation of tangential forces against the shell. Such lateral movement, for example, by providing an alignment structure that shifts laterally in response to tangential forces, thereby allowing the shell to move laterally relative to the backing. Can be made easy. In certain embodiments, lateral movement is prevented as long as the opposing magnets are at a distance that exceeds a predetermined threshold, and is allowed when the distance between the magnets falls within this threshold. Such a function can be achieved with guide structures that bend and / or shift laterally only at sufficiently high impact forces.

  2A and 2B illustrate in greater detail an exemplary shock absorbing cell 200 (which can be used in place of cell 110). The cell 200 includes an enclosure 202 that forms a substantially parallel top plate 204 and bottom plate 206 connected by a tubular sidewall structure 208. As shown, the top plate 204 and the bottom plate 206 can be circular, and the connecting sidewall structures 208 can be rotationally symmetric. However, the shape of the enclosure is not important. Other geometric shapes are also possible (eg, the top and bottom plates can be rectangular and connected by a side wall structure having four wall segments). The enclosure 202 can be made from a polymeric material (eg, a thermoplastic) and can be injection molded as a single part or as multiple parts. For example, the top plate 204 and the sidewall structure 208 may form one molded unit that is thermally bonded, glued, or other to another molded bottom plate 206. It is attached by the method.

  The enclosure 202 may comprise a semi-flexible flange or lip 210 (projecting from the inner surface of the top plate 204 and the bottom plate 206) that fits the magnets 106, 108 and these magnets At least in part, thereby holding these magnets against the internal surfaces of the plates 204,206. This configuration facilitates the insertion of pre-manufactured magnets in one step (eg, by press-fitting these magnets into the space between the inner surface and the lip). Alternatively, these magnets can be screwed, glued or clamped to, for example, the top and bottom plates, or any of a variety of other ways that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Can be attached.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, these magnets can be substantially disk-shaped. That is, it may have flat, substantially parallel top and bottom surfaces with dimensions greater than the thickness of the disc (the surfaces may be circular, but not necessarily). . This shape provides a high degree of homogeneity of the magnetic field in the space between the magnets, which can be advantageous to provide uniform resistance at least during the initial compression stage. In addition, a thin disk-shaped magnet helps to minimize the overall thickness of the protective structure, which is desirable to reduce the bulk of the helmet, for example, in a helmet. However, other magnet shapes can also be used. For example, in some embodiments, these magnets may be spherical or hemispherical. When hemispherical, the flat surface is attached to the compression cell enclosure and the curved surfaces face each other, resulting in a magnetic repulsion that increases steadily as the magnets approach each other. In certain embodiments, these two opposing magnets have different but complementary shapes. For example, one magnet may have a bowl-like shape, and its concave surface may face an opposing spherical magnet. The spherical magnet is sized to fit inside the fold, leaving a uniform gap between the opposing magnet surfaces.

  Magnetic shock absorption can be combined with various mechanical shock absorption mechanisms. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the sidewalls 208 of the enclosure 202 can themselves resist compression of the cell 200 at least during the initial stages, thereby contributing to shock absorption. . Further, the cell 200 may include a fluid (eg, air) that is resistively exhausted through one or more openings 212 in the enclosure (typically, the top wall 204 or the bottom wall 206). Providing an additional absorption mechanism.

  The structure that aligns the magnets does not necessarily have to completely surround the magnets 106, 108. Rather, in some embodiments, the magnets 106, 108 can be attached to an open frame or scaffold. One example is illustrated in FIG. The alignment scaffold 300 may comprise several legs, which are connected by, for example, a star-shaped or ring-shaped top and bottom part, on which the magnets 106, 108 are located. It is attached. In the example shown, three legs are connected to the three ends of the approximately Y-shaped top and bottom portions. As the magnets 106, 108 are pushed closer together, the legs of the alignment scaffold 300 can bend. This scaffold can also allow these legs to tilt somewhat to one side, which can result in lateral movement between the two magnets. Thus, the scaffold is desirably stiff enough to help resist the impact force, but flexible enough to bend and move without breaking. An alignment structure, such as the scaffold 300 illustrated in FIG. 3, can be manufactured at low cost, for example, with injection molded plastic, but made from a variety of other materials (eg, thin metal sheets). May be. Other structural implementations of the alignment structure and the guide structure are also envisioned. For example, the magnet may be held at both ends of the spring in a loop of the spring structure.

  Magnetic shock absorbing structures such as those described above can be advantageously used in various applications including, for example, protective body gear, vehicle dashboards, and shock absorbing seats. FIG. 4 illustrates a protective helmet 400 comprising a plurality of compression cells 402 distributed between the shell and the helmet backing as one exemplary application. Each compression cell 402 may comprise a pair of magnets of opposite polarity, eg, as described above with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B. In some applications (eg, knee pads), a pair of magnets may be used. Further, in some embodiments, a single magnet may face multiple, typically smaller, magnets.

  Specific embodiments of the invention have been described above. However, it is clearly noted that the invention is not limited to these embodiments, but rather additions and modifications to those explicitly described herein are also within the scope of the invention. . Further, the features of the various embodiments described herein are generally not mutually exclusive, and can be used in various permutations and combinations (such permutations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention). It should be understood that a combination may exist (even if not explicitly stated herein). Indeed, variations, modifications and other implementations of what is described herein will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention should not be defined only by the above illustrative description.

100 Protective article 102 Shell 104 Backing 106, 108 Magnet 110 Compression cell

Claims (18)

Protective shell;
An inner lining for contacting the wearer's head connected to the inner surface of the shell; and a spaced apart first magnetic element and a second disposed between the shell and the inner lining A first magnetic element and a second magnetic element, wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are oriented to repel each other between the inner backing and the shell. Shock-absorbing helmet with two magnetic elements.   A mechanical restraint is further provided on the shell and on the backing, the mechanical restraint being for lateral alignment of the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element. Item 1. The helmet according to item 1.   The helmet of claim 2, wherein the mechanical restraint prevents lateral movement of the magnetic elements at a distance beyond a certain threshold between the magnetic elements.   The first magnetic element and the second magnetic element have substantially opposite polarities and are attached to opposing inner surfaces of a compression cell disposed between the shell and the inner lining. The helmet according to claim 1.   The shock absorbing cell is substantially tubular, and the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are respectively attached to an inner floor and an inner ceiling of the substantially tubular cell. 4. The helmet according to 4.   The helmet according to claim 5, wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are disk-shaped.   The first element and the second element prevent contact between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element in response to an impact force not exceeding a predicted maximum force. The helmet according to claim 1, which has sufficient magnetic strength for the purpose.   The helmet of claim 1, comprising a plurality of distributed pairs of a first magnetic element and a second magnetic element.   The helmet of claim 1, wherein the magnets are spaced along an axis that passes perpendicularly through the inner lining and the shell. Protective shell;
An inner lining for contacting the wearer's body connected to the inner surface of the shell; and a spaced apart first magnetic element and a second disposed between the shell and the inner lining A first magnetic element and a second magnetic element, wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are oriented to repel each other between the inner backing and the shell. Protective body gear with two magnetic elements.   A mechanical restraint is further provided on the shell and on the backing, the mechanical restraint being for lateral alignment of the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element. Item 10. The body gear according to Item 10.   The body gear of claim 11, wherein the mechanical restraint prevents lateral movement of the magnetic elements at a distance beyond a certain threshold between the magnetic elements.   The first magnetic element and the second magnetic element have substantially opposite polarities and are attached to opposing inner surfaces of a compression cell disposed between the shell and the inner lining. The body gear according to claim 10.   The shock absorbing cell is substantially tubular, and the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are respectively attached to an inner floor and an inner ceiling of the substantially tubular cell. 13. The body gear according to 13.   15. A body gear according to claim 14, wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are disk-shaped.   The first element and the second element prevent contact between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element in response to an impact force not exceeding a predicted maximum force. The body gear according to claim 10, wherein the body gear has a sufficient magnetic strength.   11. A body gear according to claim 10, comprising a plurality of distributed pairs of first magnetic elements and second magnetic elements.   The body gear of claim 10, wherein the magnets are spaced along an axis that passes perpendicularly through the inner lining and the shell.

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