Light reflective protective headwear

Abstract

Protective headwear (e.g., helmet) is provided with patterned reflective surfaces that are highly reflective and resist rough handling. The reflective surface is produced by sealing a reflective sheet between a base and a cover layer that includes a pattern, to protect the reflective sheet from the environment. The protective headwear can reflect light in different colors. A method for cost-effectively producing reflective objects by injection molding is also provided.

We claim:  
     
         1 . Protective headwear to be worn by a wearer, the article of headwear comprising: 
 a shell member having an internal volume sized and shaped to receive the head of a wearer, said shell member including: 
 a molded base;  
 a cover sheet including a pattern defined by areas that are transparent to optical radiation passing through the cover sheet and other areas that are opaque to the optical radiation, wherein the cover sheet is contiguous and substantially covers the base,  
 a contiguous reflective sheet arranged between the base and the cover sheet and sealed between the base and the cover sheet.  
   
     
     
         2 . The protective headwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the cover sheet includes a patterned sheet defining the transparent and opaque areas, with the patterned sheet arranged between the cover sheet and the reflective sheet.  
     
     
         3 . The protective headwear according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the base and the cover sheet is made of plastic.  
     
     
         4 . The protective headwear according to  claim 3 , wherein the plastic is substantially impervious to at least one of air and moisture.  
     
     
         5 . The protective headwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the reflective sheet comprises a metal.  
     
     
         6 . The protective headwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the reflective sheet selectively reflects a spectral range of the optical radiation.  
     
     
         7 . The protective headwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the cover sheet selectively transmits a spectral range of the optical radiation.  
     
     
         8 . The protective headwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the molded base is made of polyurethane.  
     
     
         9 . The protective headwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the reflective sheet is a dielectric stack.  
     
     
         10 . The protective headwear according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the transparent areas and the opaque areas have spectrally selective optical characteristics.  
     
     
         11 . The protective headwear according to  claim 10 , wherein the spectrally selective optical characteristics include light transmission at least two different colors.  
     
     
         12 . The protective headwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the pattern defines an ornamental design.  
     
     
         13 . The protective headwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the pattern defines a logo.  
     
     
         14 . The protective headwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the pattern defines an alphanumeric pattern.  
     
     
         15 . A method for producing protective headwear that reflects optical radiation, the method comprising: 
 placing in a first molding die defining an outer shape of the protective headwear a patterned cover sheet having areas that are transparent to the optical radiation passing through the cover sheet and other areas that are opaque to the optical radiation, and shaping the cover sheet to conform to the outer shape;    placing a reflective sheet on the shaped cover sheet;    injecting a molding material between the reflective sheet and a second molding die that faces the reflective sheet and defines an inner shape of the protective headwear; and    molding the molding material to form the protective headwear,    the reflective sheet being sealed between the cover sheet and the protective headwear.    
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the molding material is polyurethane.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the patterned cover sheet comprises a transparent cover sheet and a patterned sheet in contact with the cover sheet.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein at least portions of the pattern selectively transmit a spectral range of the optical radiation.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the reflective sheet selectively reflects a spectral range of the optical radiation.  
     
     
         20 . An article for reflecting optical radiation comprising: 
 a base;    a cover sheet including a pattern defined by areas that are transparent to the optical radiation passing through the cover sheet and other areas that are opaque to the optical radiation, wherein the cover sheet is contiguous and substantially covers the base,    a contiguous reflective sheet arranged between the base and the cover sheet and sealed between the base and the cover sheet.    
     
     
         21 . The object according to  claim 20 , wherein the base is a shaped object.  
     
     
         22 . The object according to  claim 21 , wherein the shaped object is a molded object.  
     
     
         23 . The object according to  claim 22 , wherein the molded object is made of polyurethane.  
     
     
         24 . The object according to  claim 21 , wherein the shaped object is a protective head cover.  
     
     
         25 . A method for producing a shaped object reflecting optical radiation, comprising the steps of: 
 placing a patterned cover sheet having areas that are transparent to the optical radiation passing through the cover sheet and other areas that are opaque to the optical radiation, in a first molding die and shaping the cover sheet to conform to the shape of the first molding die;    placing a reflective sheet on the shaped cover sheet; and    injecting a molding material between the reflective sheet and a second molding die facing the reflective sheet to form the shaped object,    wherein the reflective sheet is sealed between the cover sheet and the shaped object.    
     
     
         26 . A method for producing a reflective shaped object comprising the steps of: 
 forming a shaped object;    covering the shaped object with a reflective sheet;    covering the reflective sheet with a cover sheet that includes a pattern having areas that are transparent to the optical radiation passing through the cover sheet and other areas that are opaque to the optical radiation,    so that the reflective sheet is sealed between the shaped object and the cover sheet.    
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the pattern is provided on a patterned sheet arranged between the cover sheet and the reflective sheet.  
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the cover sheet is made of plastic.