US3849801A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Protective gear with hydraulic liner
Assignee: R HOLDINGS CORP
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Filing: 1972-12-20
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Granted: 1974-11-26
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Expires: 1992-12-20
Abstract
Abstract Protective gear such as head gear for use in sports, industry, and the military, etc. includes a one-piece molded protective outer shell such as a helmet shell with a hydraulic energy absorbing liner which has an array of interconnected compressible vinyl walled compartments arranged around a central crown compartment with shock and energy dissipating fluid in the interconnected compartments. Each of the compartments is provided with a porous insert or surge mitigator of open-celled foam, which throttles fluid flow within the compartments as the compartments are compressed and deformed upon impact, thus to absorb or dissipate energy. The porous inserts also prevent sloshing of fluid and retain some fluid in the compartments at all times, preventing complete collapse of one or more compartments during impact. In preferred embodiments, the fluid includes hydraulic liquid.
Inventors
- 👤 M Holt
- 👤 W Tomczak
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 11:51
CPC Classifications
A; A42; A42B; A42B3/00; A42B3/04; A42B3/10; A42B3/12; A42B3/121
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
Protective gear comprising an outer shall, a hydraulic liner for said shell having an array of interconnected collapsible hydraulic fluid containing compartments, hydraulic fluid in said compartments, the interconnection of one compartment with another allowing displacement of hydraulic fluid from a deformed compartment to other compartments in said array, deformable highly porous hydraulic fluid surge mitigating means having substantial void space in said compartments for throttling hydraulic fluid flow within a compartment and between said interconnected compartments caused by deformation of said compartment and to dissipate and absorb the energy causing the deformation and to retain hydraulic fluid in the deformed compartment regardless of the displacement of some hydraulic fluid to other compartments.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
113 words
Protective gear comprising an outer shall, a hydraulic liner for said shell having an array of interconnected collapsible hydraulic fluid containing compartments, hydraulic fluid in said compartments, the interconnection of one compartment with another allowing displacement of hydraulic fluid from a deformed compartment to other compartments in said array, deformable highly porous hydraulic fluid surge mitigating means having substantial void space in said compartments for throttling hydraulic fluid flow within a compartment and between said interconnected compartments caused by deformation of said compartment and to dissipate and absorb the energy causing the deformation and to retain hydraulic fluid in the deformed compartment regardless of the displacement of some hydraulic fluid to other compartments.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
Protective gear in accordance with claim 1 wherein said surge mitigating means comprises reticulated inserts providing a multiplicity of hydraulic fluid passages and obstructions to hydraulic fluid flow which causes a pressure drop during movement of hydraulic fluid within the insert.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
Protective gear in accordance with claim 2 wheRein said porous insert is constructed of open-celled foam.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
Protective gear in accordance with claim 3 wherein said foam is a polyurethane resin.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
Protective gear in accordance with claim 1 wherein said array includes forward, rear and side arrays of compartments arranged around a crown compartment and means defining hydraulic fluid passages interconnecting each of said compartments in each of said arrays and interconnecting each array with said crown compartment.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
Protective gear in accordance with claim 1 in which said compartments also contain air.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
Protective gear in accordance with claim 1 in which the fluid volume occupied by the hydraulic fluid is in excess of one-half of the total available space within said array.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
Protective gear in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hydraulic fluid surge mitigating means substantially occupies the volume of said compartment.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
Protective gear in accordance with claim 1 including an intermediate sizing liner between said hydraulic liner and said shell.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
123 words
Protective head gear comprising an outer covering, an energy absorbing liner for said covering including an array of fluid compartments, hydraulic fluid in said compartments, fluid passages interconnecting adjacent compartments to allow displacement of hydraulic fluid from a deformed compartment to other compartments in said array and deformable highly porous means having substantial void space occupying the major portion of the volume of each of said compartments to provide a controlled resistance to movement of hydraulic fluid within said compartment and between said compartments and to retain a quantity of hydraulic fluid in said compartments during use of the head gear nothwithstanding substantial deformation of a compartment due to impact and the tendency of hydraulic fluid to be displaced from said deformed compartment.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
123 words
Protective head gear comprising an outer covering, an energy absorbing liner for said covering including an array of fluid compartments, hydraulic fluid in said compartments, fluid passages interconnecting adjacent compartments to allow displacement of hydraulic fluid from a deformed compartment to other compartments in said array and deformable highly porous means having substantial void space occupying the major portion of the volume of each of said compartments to provide a controlled resistance to movement of hydraulic fluid within said compartment and between said compartments and to retain a quantity of hydraulic fluid in said compartments during use of the head gear nothwithstanding substantial deformation of a compartment due to impact and the tendency of hydraulic fluid to be displaced from said deformed compartment.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
Protective head gear in accordance with claim 10 in which said fluid compartments also contain air.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
Protective head gear in accordance with claim 11 in which the air comprises less than one-half and the hydraulic fluid comprises in excess of one-half of the total available space within said compartments.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
135 words
Protective head gear comprising an outer shell shaped to receive a wearer''s head, an energy absorbing liner for said shell comprising an array of interconnected deformable compartments, the interconnection of one compartment with another allowing displacement of hydraulic fluid from a deformed compartment to other compartments in said array, hydraulic fluid in said compartments, and deformable highly porous resilient hydraulic fluid surge mitigating means having substantial void space materially filling the space within said compartments, said means providing a plurality of fluid orifices and flow obstructions to cause energy dissipating pressure losses upon movement of the hydraulic fluid through said orifices and around said obstructions as a result of deformation of said compartments, said surge mitigating means retaining hydraulic fluid in a deformed compartment regardless of the displacement of some hydraulic fluid to other compartments.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
135 words
Protective head gear comprising an outer shell shaped to receive a wearer''s head, an energy absorbing liner for said shell comprising an array of interconnected deformable compartments, the interconnection of one compartment with another allowing displacement of hydraulic fluid from a deformed compartment to other compartments in said array, hydraulic fluid in said compartments, and deformable highly porous resilient hydraulic fluid surge mitigating means having substantial void space materially filling the space within said compartments, said means providing a plurality of fluid orifices and flow obstructions to cause energy dissipating pressure losses upon movement of the hydraulic fluid through said orifices and around said obstructions as a result of deformation of said compartments, said surge mitigating means retaining hydraulic fluid in a deformed compartment regardless of the displacement of some hydraulic fluid to other compartments.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
53 words
Protective head gear in accordance with claim 10 in which said array includes compartments at opposite sides of the wearer''s head, whereby hydraulic fluid displaced from a deformed compartment at one side of the wearer''s head will migrate through said fluid passages to a compartment at the other side of the wearer''s head.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
53 words
Protective head gear in accordance with claim 13 in which said array includes compartments at opposite sides of the wearer''s head, whereby hydraulic fluid displaced from a deformed compartment at one side of the wearer''s head will migrate through said fluid passages to a compartment at the other side of the wearer''s head.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-11-25 | 1978-05-27 | 1978-11-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-11-25 | 1982-05-27 | 1982-11-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-11-25 | 1986-05-27 | 1986-11-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |