Single-Layer Padding System

摘要

An impact-absorbing padding system made of a single-layer thermoplastic polyurethane sheet. The bottom of the sheet is flat, and the top side is also flat and has multiple, spaced apart projections. The projections are frustaconal in shape, having a flat top side and an open bottom. At least some of the projections are connected by ribs. The number and height of the ribs varies to achieve variable hardness within the system.

主权项

1. A helmet-and-padding assembly, comprising:
a rigid shell (10) adapted to cover the head of a wearer, the rigid shell (10) having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface having selected concave curvatures at various portions of the shell, the shell having a front portion (14), a crown portion (16), a pair of opposite side portions (18), and a back portion (20); a padding system (12) comprising a plurality of impact absorbing units spaced apart on, and removably attached to the inner surface of the rigid shell, said system (12) comprising:
a front pad (32) removably attached at the front portion (14) of the shell;a crown pad (34) removably attached at the crown portion (16) of the shell;a pair of side pads (36) removably attached at the respective side portions (18) of the shell; anda back pad (38) removably attached at the back portion (20) of the shell; each pad being made of thermoplastic urethane, and comprising: a sheet (42a) having a top side and a bottom side; and a plurality of spaced, impact-absorbing projections (42) integrally formed on the top side of the sheet (42a), each of the projections (42) having a top end positioned away from the sheet (42a) and in the direction of the inner surface of the rigid shell (10), and an open bottom end in the sheet (42a) and having a side wall extending downwardly and outwardly between the top end and the bottom end, the projections (42) having a generally circular cross-section and being resiliently collapsible in a substantially axial direction when subjected to a substantially axial impact load; at least one rib (44), each of the at least one rib (44) being continuous with the top side of the sheet (42a) and extending up along the side wall of at least one projection (42) to a point at least partyway between an edge of the top end of the projection (42) and the top side of the sheet (42a), wherein at least some of the impact-absorbing projections (42) are oriented such that their intermediate walls are inclined to a major incident component of an impacting force, and wherein some of the energy absorbing units cooperate to afford mutual support in absorbing an impacting force.