Field of invention

The present invention concerns a comfort padding and a helmet comprising the comfort padding.

Background

The understanding of how oblique impacts affects the brain of a person is increasingly growing and so also the different ways of taking care of oblique impacts towards helmets. Different solutions have been provided, such as having a sliding layer arranged between a shell and an energy absorbing layer, or between two energy absorbing layers. According to EP 244082 an attachment device for attachment to a wearer ^' s head is pro- vided, which is fixed to the inside of the energy absorbing layer, and where a sliding occurs between the attachment device and the inside of the energy absorbing layer. In WO2013/10473 a bladder comprising a low friction liquid or gel is shown which is provided to manage the angular forces separately from the compressive forces. The compressive forces are to be man ^¬ aged by the liner.

Summary of the invention

The aim of the present invention is to provide a functionally effective yet cost effective way of providing increased head safety for a person carrying out any type of sport or the like needing a helmet.

The solution according to the present invention is to provide a shearing and sliding movement closer to the person' s head by having the shearing and sliding movement to occur within comfort padding instead of in the helmet. Usually a helmet com ^¬ prises an outer shell (although optional), an energy absorbing layer (often called a liner) and on the innermost side of the

160012PC energy absorbing layer, facing the wearer, at least one comfort padding. The comfort padding may be one piece reaching to dif ^¬ ferent positions inside the helmet or several patches at de ^¬ sired positions to add comfort for the wearer between the head and the energy absorbing layer, which usually is made of EPS or sometimes EPP, although other materials are conceivable, too. A comfort padding has an overall flat configuration in one plane. When attached in a helmet it follows the innermost surface of the helmet, which will make up a plane of shearing movement .

Shearing movement comprises all movements roughly in the plane of the comfort padding and comprises specifically also sliding movement, all occurring within the comfort padding. The shear- ing plane may, depending on the position in the helmet and size of the comfort padding, be almost flat to curved.

A comfort padding has usually a fabric material both at a side to be attached against the inside surface of the helmet and at a side to abut against a wearer's head. Between the fabric sides a polymer foam is provided. Comfort paddings are usually attached in a fixed yet detachable way, which may be accom ^¬ plished by means of using hook and loop material, such as Velcro ^® .

According to a first aspect of the present invention is a comfort padding configured to be attached at an innermost sur ^¬ face of a helmet, which is facing a wearer's head, for providing a shearing and sliding movement in the comfort padding in re- sponse to an oblique force applied to the helmet in use. The comfort padding comprises a fabric or nonwoven inner and outer layer, which are stretchable, and at least two layers of mem ^¬ brane material between the inner and outer layer. Between the two membrane layers there is a lubricant material such as gel

160012PC or liquid. The membrane layer has a low friction surface al ^¬ lowing for a sliding movement between at least the outer layer and the membrane material. According to an embodiment a sliding movement is possible be ^¬ tween the inner layer and the membrane layer having a low friction surface.

According to an embodiment the comfort padding comprises lay- ers, seen from the inner side facing a wearer's head in use, the stretchable fabric or nonwoven material, open cell polymer foam, a membrane layer, lubricant material, another membrane layer, and the stretchable fabric or nonwoven material, pro ^¬ vided facing the innermost surface of the helmet.

Preferably the fabric is breathable and the polymer foam is an open cell polymer foam in order not to let the wearer become too sweaty at the comfort padding.

According to an embodiment at least the membrane layers are interconnected along the rims so as to provide a closed and fluid tight space, in between the membrane layers, comprising at least a fluid. The inner and outer layers may be intercon ^¬ nected along the rims. Preferably all the layers are intercon ^¬ nected along the rims .

According to an embodiment an extra layer of fabric or nonwoven material is positioned between the open cellular foam and the membrane layer. The extra layer of fabric or nonwoven material between the open cellular foam and the membrane layer has preferably a low friction surface.

160012PC According to an embodiment a surface configured to attach to the innermost side of a helmet is loopy or roughened in order to attach to for example hook material, such as Velcro. According to a second aspect of the present invention a helmet is provided, comprising

- an energy absorbing layer, comprising at least one part, having an outer side facing away from a wearer's head and an innermost side facing the wearer' s head, - at least one piece of comfort padding according to the inventive idea, provided at the innermost side of the energy absorbing layer.

Thus an inventive comfort padding have been provided which has superior possibilities to handle oblique impacts due to the cooperating shearing of the gel or liquid and the sliding between at least the outer layer and membrane layer, i.e. both shearing and sliding, within the comfort padding. Since both the sliding and the shearing occurs inside the comfort padding the rotational force of the oblique impact will be handled as close to the head as possible thus limiting the torque of the head. Additionally, the comfort padding will take up radial forces, too, especially when using a gel and preferably an open cell foam.

Description of the drawings

The present invention will now be described in more detail under referral to the attached drawings, in which

Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of a comfort padding in cross sectional view.

Fig. 2 shows a further embodiment of a comfort padding in cross sectional view.

Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of a comfort padding in cross sectional view.

160012PC Fig. 4 shows one embodiment of a comfort padding in cross sectional view having interconnected rims.

Fig. 5 shows a cross section of an embodiment of a padding having interconnected rims .

Fig. 6 shows a cross section of a further embodiment of a padding having interconnected rims .

Fig. 7 shows a cross section of an embodiment of a padding during an oblique impact.

Fig. 8 shows a comfort padding in a helmet, seen in a cross sectional view.

Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

In Fig. 1 a comfort padding 1 is shown per se. It comprises a first layer, an outer layer 2, which is to be positioned closest to a helmet, at the innermost surface of a helmet, such as an energy absorbing layer. The outer layer 2 is a layer of fabric or nonwoven material and it is preferably stretchable.

Fig. 1 also shows a second, an inner, layer 3, which is to be positioned closest to a wearer's head 16. Also this layer 3 is a layer of fabric or nonwoven material and preferably stretch ^¬ able. The material is preferably a material which feels nice and comfortable against the skin of the wearer. It could also have wicking properties in order to lead sweat from the wearer into the material and thereafter vaporisation of the sweat. The two layers 2, 3 may be of the same material but not neces ^¬ sarily.

In between the two layers 2, 3 two layers of membrane material 5, 5' are provided. There between a lubricant material 8 is present, such as gel or liquid, which may provide a shearing movement in reaction to an oblique force. It is preferred to use a gel. These membranes 5, 5' are preferably impervious to fluids. The edges 7 of at least the membranes 5, 5' may be

160012PC fluid tight interconnected, for example by means of welding, see Fig. 4. Preferably the inner and outer layers 2, 3 are also interconnected along its edges 6, although it is not nec ^¬ essary, as can be seen in Fig. 5-6. All the layers and membranes may be connected in the same rim if desired (not shown) .

At least one of the membrane layers 5, 5' has a low friction surface and thus will allow for a sliding movement, between at least the outer layer 2 and the membrane layer 5, in response to an oblique impact. Preferably also the inner membrane layer 5' has a low friction surface allowing a sliding movement between the inner layer 3 and the membrane layer 5' . Thus the sliding movement will occur within the comfort padding 1. In Fig. 2 a further embodiment of the comfort padding 1 is shown in cross sectional view. In the present figure an open cell polymer layer 12 is positioned between the inner layer 3 and one of the membrane layers 5' . Preferably the membrane layer 5' has a low friction surface and thus will allow for a shearing movement, i.e. sliding movement, between the membrane layer 5' and the open cell polymer layer 12 in response to an oblique impact. Thus additional sliding movement will occur within the comfort padding 1. The open cell polymer foam will provide comfort to the wearer and also facilitate sweat vaporisation.

In Fig. 3 an additional fabric or nonwoven material layer 13 is shown. It is provided between the membrane layer 5' and the layer of open cell polymer foam 12. Also in this embodiment it is preferred that the membrane layer 5' has a low friction surface and thus will allow for a shearing movement, i.e.

160012PC sliding movement, between the membrane layer 5' and the addi ^¬ tional fabric or nonwoven material layer 13 in response to an oblique impact. In Fig. 4 a further embodiment of the comfort padding 1 is shown in cross sectional view. In the present figure the two membrane layers 5, 5' are interconnected along their rims 7. Thus a closed volume 8 comprising at least a lubricating fluid or gel is provided. Preferably the inner and outer layers 2, 3 are interconnected, too, along its edges 6, either at the same rim 7 (not shown) or at a second, outer rim 15, as shown in Fig. 5 and 6.

In Fig. 5 and 6 two different embodiments of conceivable com- fort paddings are shown. In Fig. 7 it is shown when a helmet 9 is exposed to an oblique impact and how the comfort padding 1 may move in addition to the inner shearing and sliding movements. The comfort padding 1 may roll somewhat, up to the fastening/connection 15 to an innermost side 14 of an energy absorbing layer 10 of a helmet 9. It is not a sliding movement between the comfort padding 1 and the inside 14 of the energy absorbing layer 10 since the comfort padding 1 is fastened/connected to the inside 14, for example by means of Velcro. For example, the connection 15 does not cover the full area of the comfort padding but instead only a portion in order to render partial rolling of the comfort padding possible. In case the oblique impact is stronger, the comfort padding 1 may start to be torn off from the inside 14 of the energy absorbing layer 10, see also Fig. 8. This rolling movement is possible due to the stretchable inner and outer layer 2, 3.

As the person skilled in the art understands it is possible to mix, pick and choose from the suggested materials in any way as long it is not contradicting the inventive idea of a shearing

160012PC movement within the comfort padding in response to an oblique impact .

The membrane layer material having a low friction surface may be any material having a coating of a low friction material or made of a material having low friction itself.

The open cell foam may be a foam of Polyethylene (PE) or sim ^¬ ilar, having a density between 10-50 kg/m ³ . The low density open cell polymer foam may be a foam of Polyethylene (PE) or similar having a density between 5-40 kg/m ³ .

The shearing movement is preferably at least 5 mm, preferably at least 5-10 mm and most preferred at least 10 mm or more.

In all shown embodiments it is preferred that the inner 2 and outer layer 3 is made of a flexible and stretchable fabric or nonwoven material. It is preferably knitted and may comprise yarn of elastan, lycra, spandex, polyester or nylon.

In Fig. 8 at least one comfort padding 1 of any embodiment of the present invention is provided at the innermost surface 14 of a helmet 9. The helmet 9 comprises an energy absorbing layer 10 and preferably an outer shell 11.

The presently described embodiments are only examples and shall not be seen as limiting the scope of the invention, which is presented in the claims.

160012PC