Helmet

Abstract

A helmet that ventilates a user's head more efficiently. The relative movement of the helmet to air in the environment creates an airflow that enters intake openings designed to allow increased amounts of airflow into the helmet. The intake openings are positioned on an inclined plane near a user's forehead such that the intake openings extend upwardly and outwardly away from a user's eyes, thereby reducing the impact of a larger intake opening on the user's field of vision. Inside the intake openings, air is collected in a plenum and then guided into air channels leading into the head cavity. The air channels direct the airflow throughout the head cavity allowing the fresh air from the environment to exchange heat and perspiration from a user's head and are designed to inhibit obstruction of the air channels by the liner. Air channels also direct airflow to an exhaust such that the airflow can remove heat and perspiration from the helmet cavity and the helmet surface adjacent the exhaust is contoured to facilitate removal of air from the helmet. The liner is designed for easier installation and replacement.

1 . A safety helmet for operators of motorized vehicles, the helmet comprising: 
 an outer protective shell having an inner and an outer surface that is sized so as to encompass the head of the operator wherein the outer protective shell defines a eye opening that is positioned proximate the operator's eyes when the operator is wearing the helmet and wherein the outer protective shell defines at least one exhaust opening located adjacent the back of the head of the operator when the operator is wearing the helmet;    an inner protective layer positioned inward of the outer protective shell so as to substantially cover the inner surface of the outer protective shell wherein the inner protective layer includes a plurality of air channels extending from at least one intake positioned adjacent the opening in the eye opening to the exhaust openings wherein the at least one intake is formed in the inner protective layer such that the plane of the intake opening has a component that is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the operator such that air is injected into the plurality of channels as a result of the operator travelling in the direction of travel.    
   
   
       2 . The helmet of  claim 1 , further comprising a liner that is attached to the inner protective layer.  
   
   
       3 . The helmet of  claim 2 , wherein the air channels are formed in an inner surface of the inner protective layer such that the liner is positioned proximate to the liner so that air travelling through the air channels cool the liner.  
   
   
       4 . The helmet of  claim 3 , further comprising at least one channel members extending across the plurality of channels at a location adjacent the forehead of the operator such that the at least one channel member inhibits the liner from entering the channel at a location adjacent the forehead of the operator to thereby occlude air flow.  
   
   
       5 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the inner protective layer and the outer shell define at the eye opening an intake surface which is in fluid communication with the plurality of air channels.  
   
   
       6 . The helmet of  claim 5 , wherein the intake surface extends across substantially the entire width of the eye opening.  
   
   
       7 . The helmet of  claim 5 , wherein a portion of the inner protective layer adjacent the intake surface is removed so as to define an intake plenum wherein air can be accumulated prior to travelling through the plurality of air channels.  
   
   
       8 . The helmet of  claim 7 , wherein five air channels are spaces approximately ¾ inch apart  
   
   
       9 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the outer shell defines a first air flow surface wherein air flows over the first air flow surface at a first rate and a second air flow surface wherein air flows over the second air flow surface at a second rate less than the first rate and wherein the exhaust openings are positioned on the second air flow surface immediately adjacent the interface with the first air flow surface such that a relative vacuum is formed immediately adjacent the exhaust openings in the outer shell to thereby facilitate removal of air from the plurality of air channels.  
   
   
       10 . A safety helmet for operators of motorized vehicles, the helmet comprising: 
 an outer protective shell having an inner and an outer surface that is sized so as to encompass the head of the operator wherein the outer protective shell defines an eye opening that is positioned proximate the operator's eyes when the operator is wearing the helmet and wherein the outer protective shell defines at least one exhaust opening located adjacent the back of the head of the operator when the operator is wearing the helmet;    an inner protective layer positioned inward of the outer protective shell so as to substantially cover the inner surface of the outer protective shell wherein the inner protective layer includes a plurality of air channels formed in an inner surface of the inner protective layer with at least one of the channels extending from at least one intake opening to the at least one exhaust opening;    a liner positioned between the inner protective layer and an operator's head when wearing the helmet and a channel member positioned between the liner and the channels to inhibit the liner from entering the channels to inhibit air flow.    
   
   
       11 . The helmet of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one intake opening is formed in the inner protective layer and positioned adjacent to the eye opening, having an intake plane forming a generally upward angle with respect to the direction of travel of the operator such that air enters the intake as a result of the operator moving in the direction of travel.  
   
   
       12 . The helmet of  claim 10 , further comprising at least one plenum positioned between the at least one intake and the at least one air channel such that air passing through the intake can accumulate in the plenum.  
   
   
       13 . The helmet of  claim 10 , wherein the outer shell defines a first air flow surface wherein air flows over the first air flow surface at a first rate and a second air flow surface wherein air flows over the second air flow surface at a second rate less than the first rate and wherein the exhaust openings are positioned on the second air flow surface immediately adjacent an interface between the first air flow surface and the second air flow surface such that a relative vacuum is formed immediately adjacent the exhaust openings in the outer shell to thereby facilitate removal of air from the plurality of air channels.  
   
   
       14 . The helmet of  claim 13 , wherein the first airflow surface includes a raised portion positioned at the interface of the first airflow surface and the second airflow surface designed to exaggerate the difference between the first airflow rate and the second airflow rate.  
   
   
       15 . The helmet of  claim 10 , further comprising a detachable retention mechanism for securing the liner in the interior of the helmet, the detachable retention mechanism comprising: 
 at least one opening extending in a direction that is generally parallel to a perimeter of the eye opening wherein the at least one opening defines a recess with at least one blocking surface that is generally normal to a plane of the at least one opening;    at least one tab having a main body and an engagement surface extending therefrom, wherein the main body is sized so as to be positioned in the recess defined by the opening such that the engagement surface of the tab engages with the blocking surface of the at least one opening so as to inhibit removal of the tab from the opening to maintain the liner in an engaged position with the helmet wherein the tab is deformable such that the tab can be deformed so as to disengage the engagement surface from the blocking surface to permit the tab to be removed from the opening to facilitate removing the liner from the helmet.    
   
   
       16 . A safety helmet for operators of motorized vehicles, the helmet comprising: 
 an outer protective shell having an inner and an outer surface that is sized so as to encompass the head of the operator wherein the outer protective shell defines a eye opening that is positioned proximate the operator's eyes when the operator is wearing the helmet and wherein the outer protective shell defines at least one exhaust opening located adjacent the back of the head of the operator when the operator is wearing the helmet;    an inner protective layer positioned inward of the outer protective shell so as to substantially cover the inner surface of the outer protective shell wherein the inner protective layer includes a plurality of air channels extending from at least one intake positioned adjacent the opening in the eye opening to the exhaust openings,    and wherein the outer shell defines a first air flow surface wherein air flows over the first air flow surface at a first rate and a second air flow surface wherein air flows over the second air flow surface at a second rate less than the first rate and wherein the exhaust openings are positioned on the second air flow surface immediately adjacent the interface with the first air flow surface such that a relative vacuum is formed immediately adjacent the exhaust openings in the outer shell to thereby facilitate removal of air from the plurality of air channels.    
   
   
       17 . The helmet of  claim 16 , wherein the outer shell includes a generally lateral protrusion in a rear portion of the outer surface of the outer shell positioned between the first airflow surface and the second airflow designed to exaggerate the difference between the first rate and the second rate.  
   
   
       18 . A safety helmet for operators of motorized vehicles, the helmet comprising: 
 an outer protective shell having an inner and an outer surface that is sized so as to encompass the head of the operator wherein the outer protective shell defines a eye opening that is positioned proximate the operator's eyes when the operator is wearing the helmet and wherein the outer protective shell defines at least one exhaust opening located adjacent the back of the head of the operator when the operator is wearing the helmet;    an inner protective layer positioned inward of the outer protective shell so as to substantially cover the inner surface of the outer protective shell wherein the inner protective layer includes a plurality of air channels formed in an inner surface of the inner protective layer with at least one of the channels extending from at least one intake opening to the at least one exhaust opening;    a liner including a liner retention mechanism for securing the liner in the interior of the helmet, the detachable retention mechanism comprising:    at least one opening extending in a direction that is generally parallel to a perimeter of the eye opening wherein the at least one opening defines a recess with at least one blocking surface that is generally normal to a plane of the at least one opening;    at least one tab having a main body and an engagement surface extending therefrom, wherein the main body is sized so as to be positioned in the recess defined by the opening such that the engagement surface of the tab engages with the blocking surface of the at least one opening so as to inhibit removal of the tab from the opening to maintain the liner in an engaged position with the helmet wherein the tab is deformable such that the tab can be deformed so as to disengage the engagement surface from the blocking surface to permit the tab to be removed from the opening to facilitate removing the liner from the helmet.    
   
   
       19 . The helmet of  claim 18  wherein the at least one tab has a generally trapezoidal cross section.