Protective helmet; Method for mitigating or preventing a head injury

Abstract

Disclosed is a protective helmet and a method for mitigating or preventing a head injury, in which a shock-absorbing, or shock-absorbing and comfort-providing, inner wearing unit, which can comprise liners, comfort pads, protective pads, nubbed cages and/or strapped wearing units (for example spider-shaped wearing elements, wearing straps, head bands or the like), is divided into a shell-side insert and a head-side insert, which can be counter-rotated (preferably starting from application of a predetermined force) in at least one direction, wherein a sliding surface is provided that assumes the function of a rotational surface, so that the angular acceleration introduced by a blow is drastically reduced or prevented because the head-side insert and the shell-side insert, and thus the head of the wearer and the outer helmet shell, can be counter-rotated quickly and without impediment, preferably in all directions.

1 . A protective helmet for a head, comprising an outer shell produced from a hard material, and an inner wearing unit that absorbs an impact to the head and is disposed on an inner face of the outer shell, the inner wearing unit being divided into a shell-side insert and a head-side insert, with a side of the head-side insert facing away from the head comprising a sliding surface at least in some regions, and mutually facing sides of the head-side insert and the shell-side insert corresponding to one another at least partially, the shell-side insert being rotatable relative to the head-side insert in at least one direction. 
     
     
         2 . The protective helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein the sliding surface is a spherical surface and/or a rotationally symmetrical body. 
     
     
         3 . The protective helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein the head-side insert and the shell-side insert have different densities. 
     
     
         4 . A protective helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein densities that occur in head-side insert and/or in the shell-side insert vary. 
     
     
         5 . A protective helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein the head-side insert and/or the shell-side insert have surfaces with no irregularities. 
     
     
         6 . A protective helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein the head-side insert and/or the shell-side insert have golf ball structured surfaces so as to countersink the imprints of nozzles in a EPS shaping process and prevent irregularities on the surface. 
     
     
         7 . A protective helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein an intermediate layer is disposed between the head-side insert and the shell-side insert. 
     
     
         8 . The protective helmet according to  claim 7 , wherein the intermediate layer is rigidly connected to the head-side insert or the shell-side insert. 
     
     
         9 . The protective helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer is harder than the head-side insert. 
     
     
         10 . A protective helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein the head-side insert and/or the shell-side insert are connected to one another by at least one connecting means. 
     
     
         11 . The protective helmet according to  claim 10 , wherein the connecting means comprises at least one predetermined breaking point. 
     
     
         12 . A protective helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein the head-side insert has at least one elevation on the side facing the shell-side insert. 
     
     
         13 . The protective helmet according to  claim 12 , wherein the elevation comprises at least one predetermined breaking point. 
     
     
         14 . The protective helmet according to  claim 12 , wherein the elevation cooperates with a damping means. 
     
     
         15 . A protective helmet according to  claim 12 , wherein the elevation projects into the shell-side insert. 
     
     
         16 . A protective helmet according to  claim 1 , comprising an indicator that indicates that the shell-side insert has rotated and/or is rotated relative to the head-side insert. 
     
     
         17 . A protective helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein the head-side insert and/or the shell-side insert comprise nubbed cages or the like. 
     
     
         18 . A protective helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein the protective helmet is a car racing helmet, a winter sports helmet, a riding helmet, a bicycle helmet, a mountain climbing helmet, an industrial safety helmet, a police helmet, a firefighter's helmet, a jet fighter helmet, a military helmet or the like. 
     
     
         19 . A method for mitigating or reducing a head injury resulting from a blow caused by a rotary motion by means of a protective helmet, the protective helmet comprising an outer shell produced from a hard material and an inner wearing unit that absorbs impact on the head and is disposed on the inner face of the outer shell the inner wearing unit being divided into a shell-side insert and a head-side insert, with a side of the head-side insert that faces away from the head comprising a spherical surface at least in some regions, and the mutually facing sides of the head-side insert and the shell-side insert corresponding to one another at least partially, so that the shell-side insert is rotated relative to the head-side insert by a striking blow. 
     
     
         20 . The method of providing a protective helmet according to  claim 1 .