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This invention concerns a device to protect the cervical vertebrae for use in car and motorcycle racing, the aforementioned device being fitted with means to counteract both the force of inertia, due to strong acceleration, the person may be subjected to, as well as any forces acting on the person as a result of impacts, in the event of an accident, minimising harmful stress to the bone structure.

It is hoped that the said device may be used in civil fields by motorcyclists, as the most common cause of death by accident is the fracture of the cervical vertebrae .

In car racing competitions, the driver is subjected to accelerations that, in normal conditions, may even exceed 6 g, while in the case of impacts following accidents, such acceleration can reach higher values, often in excess of 30 ÷ 40 g.

The helmet, a structure for the head protecting against impacts which may be suffered in the event of an accident, is for the cervical vertebrae a further risk factor as, due to its mass, when the driver's body is subjected to strong accelerations, both under normal racing conditions but above all in the event of an accident, it impresses additional stress on the vertebrae on top of those due to the mass of the head itself.

As is clear, the highest stress levels are reached in Formula 1 vehicles, but also in the lower formulas, in sports cars and prototypes stress continues to be very intense. Particularly intense stress can also be found in motocross competitions. Equally, rather intense stress is also found with rally cars and other modified mass- produced vehicles.

However, stress due to normal competition driving conditions is irrelevant if compared to that caused in an accident, especially when falling from a motorbike, and it is precisely this stress which must be referred to in sizing the means used to reduce damage in the event of an accident. These means however must not impede the driver in his activities. In other words, a device which totally locks the head against a structure in the vehicle would not be feasible as it would prevent the driver from driving efficiently, and would even increase the risk of accident.

The accelerations the head is subjected to during normal racing conditions are essentially longitudinal and transversal. The former occur during variations in speed, while the latter occur during variations in trajectory. When the action of the forces of inertia due to the said accelerations is oriented towards the rear of the vehicle, the reaction is due to the simple resting of the head against the upper part of the seat, while when the said action is oriented towards the front of the vehicle or is transversal, the reaction is due to the straps linking the helmet with parts that are substantially fixed to the structure of the vehicle.

The transversal forces are, in the case of Formula 1 type vehicles and the like, well countered by the very structure of the vehicle, which offers side support very near to the helmet. In modified mass-produced vehicles, on the other hand, the side support is due to lateral wings on the seat, which surround the driver's helmet. However, this kind of protection cannot always be used, as the additional safety structures, fitted generally to this kind of vehicle by regulation, often interfere with the said wings, which must therefore be removed.

In the case of motorcycles, the stress is different, as in the curved stretches of the track, due to the lean of the vehicle and the driver, the result of the centrifugal force and the weight force translates into a thrust which is perceived by the driver as directing substantially downwards.

The patent application MI2010A000991, in the name of the same applicant, describes a device for the protection of the cervical vertebrae for uses in car and motorcycle racing, the said device being fitted with means designed to counter the forces of inertia due to strong accelerations to which the driver is subject, preventing harmful stress on the bone structure, in normal racing conditions, and minimising it in the event of an accident .

The said protection device for cervical vertebrae is of the type including a support substantially fixed to the driver's torso, a helmet, and means that connect the said helmet to the said support, in order to limit the mobility of the helmet with respect to the support, and is characterised by the fact that the said means that connect the helmet to the support, in order to limit the mobility of the helmet with respect to the support, comprise a ring element, or collar, which is designed to fasten the helmet to the support quickly, by means of a rotating coupling with the said support, the mutual rotation between the helmet and the support taking place on an axis, in the cervical vertebrae area, coinciding substantially with the physiological axis of rotation of the cervical vertebrae.

There is however a problem for which the patent application no. MI2010A000991 proposes a solution that is not entirely satisfactory, which is the possibility to adjust the position of the helmet on the support, according to the size of the driver.

A second problem consists of the fact that the said support and the said connecting means, which limit the breadth of oscillation of the helmet, absorb its energy only at the end of the movement, while it would be far more important to absorb it during oscillation, supporting the action of the neck muscles.

In fact the aforementioned patent application proposes a solution for absorbing the kinetic energy of the helmet during oscillation, however the said solution is very complex and costly.

This invention overcomes the problems described by proposing a device, conforming to claim 1, for the protection of the cervical vertebrae, for uses mainly in car and motorcycle racing, of the type which includes a support structure, substantially fixed to the driver's torso, a helmet and means for connecting the said helmet to the said support structure, in order to limit the mobility of the helmet with respect to the support, the said support structure being suited to transfer the thrust from the helmet onto the driver's shoulders, and is characterised by the fact that it includes a support element, the lower part of which connects to the said support structure and the upper part of which connects to the said helmet, and means for adjusting the position of the said support element, with respect to the said support structure, in order to adjust the position of the helmet according to the size of the driver.

The invention also includes means for connecting the said helmet to the said support structure allowing the oscillation of the said helmet, with respect to the support structure, along the longitudinal plane of symmetry, according to an axis of rotation lying perpendicular to the said longitudinal plane of symmetry, positioned in order to allow the ergonomically correct movement of the cervical vertebrae.

The advantages of the invention therefore lie in the possibility to adjust the protective device to the actual size of the driver, allowing the head to move in an ergonomically correct manner.

The device according to the invention is obviously also applicable in the driving field.

The invention will now be described, for the illustrative purposes but not limited thereto, according to the preferred embodiment, referring to the attached figures, in which:

• figure 1 is a side and front view of a safety device for the protection of the cervical vertebrae, according to the invention;

• figure 2 is an exploded view of the device shown in figure 1;

• figures 3 (a, b) show the device according to the invention respectively with the helmet released from and connected to the support; • figures 4 (a, b) show the oscillation of the helmet along the longitudinal plane of symmetry;

• figure 5 shows and elastic element connecting the support structure and the helmet.

Referring to figures 1 and 2, (1) is used to indicate a safety device, according to the invention, for the protection of the cervical vertebrae. The said device

(1) substantially includes a support structure (2), fixed to the driver's torso, a helmet (3) and means for connecting the helmet (3) to the support structure (2), the said means allowing the oscillation of the said helmet (3), with respect to the said support structure

(2) , along the longitudinal plane of symmetry a, according to an axis of rotation y, perpendicular to the said plane c.

According to a preferred embodiment, the said means of connecting the helmet (3) to the support structure (2), allowing the oscillation of the said helmet (3), include an open oscillating collar (4), which connects at the same time to both the support structure (2) and the helmet (3) , being fitted with means that allow the oscillation of the said open oscillating collar (4), with respect to the said support structure (2), along the longitudinal plane of symmetry a and according to the said axis of rotation y, and means connecting the said helmet (3) to the said open oscillating collar (4), allowing the head to rotate around an axis z which, in the cervical vertebrae area, substantially coincides with the physiological axis of rotation of the cervical vertebrae.

More specifically, the said physiological axis of rotation of the cervical vertebrae is the axis around which the driver's neck rotates spontaneously, when the driver is sitting in the seat, without any other form of constraint .

In practice the collar (4) oscillates, with respect to the support structure (2) , according to the said y axis. The helmet (3), connected to the oscillating collar (4), oscillates together with it.

The said axis of rotation y is perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of symmetry a and its position, to be determined using the methods of biomechanics, is such that allows the ergonomically correct longitudinal oscillation of the head.

The support structure (2) has a form that is suited to being worn on the driver's back and is shaped in such a way that the upper part (5) of the said structure (2) is designed to discharge the downwards thrust from the helmet (3) onto the driver's shoulders.

In the case of use in car driving, there are preferably slots (6) and (6a), through which the seat belts pass, to ensure better adherence of the structure (2) to the driver's body. In the case of use in motorcycle riding, the support structure (2) may be integrated into the protective suit (not illustrated) .

Both the support structure (2), and the oscillating collar (4) must be light and as thin as possible to minimise their dimension. Moreover, to allow for easy wear, the support structure (2) is preferably assured a certain elasticity, in order to rest better on the driver's back, while ensuring appropriate structural strength. For these reasons both the support structure (2) , and the oscillating collar (4) are, preferably, made from composite material, for example kevlar, carbon or glass fibre, or combination thereof, impregnated with thermosetting resins (for example epoxy, polyesters, vinyl esters) or thermoplastic resins (for example PEEK, PES, PA) .

The said means, suitable to allow the oscillation of the said open oscillating collar (4) with respect to the said support structure (2), (enlargement of fig. 2) include a pair of pins (7), each of which is inserted at the same time into a hole (8) made in the oscillating collar (4) and in a corresponding hole (9) made in the upper part of the support structure (2), the said holes (8) and (9) being coaxial to the said y axis.

On each of the pins (7) a spacer (10) is preferably inserted, which has the function of maintaining the collar (4) at a distance from the support structure (2), in order to allow the free rotation of the said collar (4) with respect to the said support structure (2).

According to a preferred embodiment, there are several holes (8) on the collar (4), for example three, in order to be able to adjust the position of the helmet

(3) to the effective measurements of the driver. The said holes (8) are aligned, as indicated in fig. 2, in such a way that the y axis, which joints two opposite holes (8), is always horizontal and perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of symmetry a .

To increase the possibility of adjusting the position of the helmet (3) with respect to the support structure (2), it is also possible to increase the number of holes (9) (not illustrated) present in the upper part of the support structure (2), the said holes (9) being aligned in order to maintain the perpendicularity of the y axis with the a plane.

The said third means, for connecting the said helmet (3) with the said open oscillating collar (4), include latch hooks (11) , preferably of the quickly operating variety, arranged along the lower edge of the helmet (3) , which hold a substantially circular guide (12), fixed to the oscillating collar (4), to allow the helmet (3) to rotate, with respect to the oscillating collar (4), according to a z axis that substantially coincides with the said physiological axis of rotation z of the cervical vertebrae .

The said substantially circular guide (12) is open at the front in order to insert the neck inside the said circular part (12) and rests on a plane (12a) that is perpendicular to the physiological axis of rotation of the cervical vertebrae z, the said axis passing through the geometrical centre of the said circular guide (12) .

The said latch hooks (11) are preferably of the type fitted with a safety system that prevents any not explicitly controlled opening of the latch hook itself.

According to a preferred embodiment, when the said latch hooks (11) are closed, there is a certain amount of clearance between the latch hooks (11) and the guide (12), the said clearance allowing the driver's head to oscillate further, both along the longitudinal plane a and the transversal plane. This clearance is obviously necessary to allow oscillation on the transversal plane, considering the fact that on the longitudinal plane oscillation is in any case permitted by the oscillating coupling, along the y axis, between the support structure (2) and the oscillating collar (4) .

The extent of the oscillation, which must consider any clearance between the latch hooks (11) and the guide (12), must be determined using biomechanical methods, to ensure the maximum mobility of the head, compatibly with the need to prevent any movements which could be hazardous for the cervical vertebrae.

Figures 3 (a, b) illustrate the device (1) according to the invention with the latch hooks (11) open (fig. 3a) and with the latch hooks (11) closed (fig. 3b) .

Figures 4 (a, b) illustrate the device according to the invention with the helmet (3) leaning forwards (fig. 4a) and with the helmet (3) leaning backwards (fig. 4b) . The figures illustrate only the extension β due to the oscillation of the oscillating collar (4) on the pins (7) .

The oscillation on the transversal plane, due substantially to the clearance between the latch hooks (11) and the guide (12), will advantageously be +10°.

The maximum extension of the rotation of the z axis on the plane o, according to the y axis, which must also consider any clearance between the latch hooks (11) and the guide (12) , is limited by biomechanical considerations. In fact it is in any case advisable to allow the head to oscillate forwards and backwards to the maximum permitted limits, compatibly with the need to remain within the physiological limits of the backbone, the said limits varying from person to person. In practice it is possible to indicate a longitudinal extension β, due to the oscillation of the oscillating collar (4) on the pins (7) and the clearance between the latch hooks (11) and the guide (12), of ±15°.

For use in cars, the head is, under normal conditions of use, slightly bent forwards. It follows that, starting from the said position, the helmet (3) will oscillate in a very similar manner in both directions .

For use with motorbikes, the position of the head, in normal conditions of use, greatly depends on the type of motorcycle used. In the case of sports motorcycles, the head leans strongly backwards, and therefore starting from the normal position of use, its extension will be slight backwards and longer forwards. In the case of cruisers and scooters, the posture is very similar to that in a car.

According to a preferred embodiment, the upper part of the support structure (2) ends with an element (13), in the shape of an collar open at the front, on which are made the said holes (9), on the y axis, the said open collar (13) connected via the said pair of pins (7) to the said open oscillating collar (4), to which the helmet (3) is connected.

The said open collar (13) may be fixed to the rest of the structure (2) . According to an embodiment, the said open collar (13) is part of a flexible element (14) which is connected to the structure (2) , the flexibility of the said element (14) aiming to limit the stress on the driver's torso.

The said element (14) is preferably connected to the structure (2) with a viscoelastic element (15) in between which is connected to the structure (2) and tightens the element (14), preferably with the help of a cover (16), as it has a kind of serration (17), on the edges of the said viscoelastic element (15), which fits into a corresponding serration (18) on the edge of the element (14). Where present, the cover (16) would have the function of pressing the element (14) onto the structure (2), preventing the serrations (17) and (18) from coming loose .

By fitting slots (19) on the said viscoelastic element (15), it is possible to adjust the position of the cover and, conseguently, the position of the element (14), in order to adapt the device (1) to fit the driver.

A further adjustment (not illustrated) of the position of the element (14) with respect to the structure (2), can be obtained by moving the element (14) along the viscoelastic element (15) to fit into the teeth. In this case the serrated sides of the element (14) must be parallel, in order to allow the correct coupling with the teeth of the viscoelastic element (15) the serrated edges of which are also parallel, in order to assure the correct coupling between the support element (14) and the viscoelastic element (15).

Not only does the element (14) further limit the stress on the driver's torso, it allows the system to dampen the vibrations from the helmet (3) on the support structure (2), the said vibrations being due to the dynamics of the vehicle on the road, or in the case of motorcycle uses, also aerodynamic effects.

In practice the said viscoelastic element (15) absorbs at least part of the energy of the said vibrations and any impacts suffered by the driver, through the helmet (3), in the event of an accident, the said absorption of energy translating into a reduction of the stress on the driver's bone and muscle structure.

As is evident from the above description, the protection device according to the invention allows the practically free rotation of the head and a limited oscillation of the head on the longitudinal plane of symmetry and the transversal plane. The said oscillation, thus limited, and therefore suitable for protecting the cervical vertebrae from excessive deformation which could compromise their integrity, is however sufficient to ensure the required mobility for an effective and comfortable use of the protection device.

The invention has been described for illustrative purposes but not limited thereto, according to a preferred form of implementation. Technical experts in the sector may find many other forms of implementation, all falling within the field of protection covered by the following claims.