Impact helmet

Abstract

A protective headgear having multiple functional layers or functional cells. The protective headgear may have various layers or cells to prevent penetration, absorb energy, and provide chemically-activated cooling in response to an impact. The protective headgear may also have a separate outer shell. The protective headgear may further have sensors for detecting impact levels to the headgear. The sensors may be operatively connected to actuating devices within the headgear for actuating the chemically-activated cooling in response to an impact. The sensor may also be operatively connected to a wireless transmitter device for conveying impact data to a remote monitoring device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective headgear comprising:
 an outer shell;   a penetration prevention layer;   a deformable energy absorbent layer; and   a chemically-activated cold pack layer.   
     
     
         2 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the outer shell is made of a polymer material. 
     
     
         3 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the penetration prevention layer includes a polymer-based fiber material. 
     
     
         4 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable energy absorbent layer includes a plurality of energy absorbing springs. 
     
     
         5 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable energy absorbent layer is permanently deformable. 
     
     
         6 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable energy absorbent layer is resilient. 
     
     
         7 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable energy absorbent layer includes a plurality of permanently deformable cells interspersed with a plurality of resiliently deformable cells. 
     
     
         8 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the chemically-activated cold pack layer is configured to dissolve a solid material in an endothermic reaction in response to the protective headgear experiencing an impact equal to or greater than a defined impact level. 
     
     
         9 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the penetration prevention layer lines an inner side of the outer shell, the deformable energy absorbent layer lines an inner side of the penetration prevention layer, and the chemically-activated cold pack layer lines an inner side of the deformable energy absorbent layer. 
     
     
         10 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable energy absorbent layer is configured to disperse energy from a localized non-penetrating blunt impact on the outer shell throughout the deformable energy absorbent layer. 
     
     
         11 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the penetration prevention layer is configured to be attachable to and detachable from at least one of the outer shell, the deformable energy absorbent layer, or the chemically-activated cold pack layer. 
     
     
         12 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable energy absorbent layer is configured to be attachable to and detachable from at least one of the outer shell, the penetration prevention layer, or the chemically-activated cold pack layer. 
     
     
         13 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the chemically-activated cold pack layer is configured to be attachable to and detachable from at least one of the outer shell, the deformable energy absorbent layer, or the penetration prevention layer. 
     
     
         14 . The protective headgear of  claim 8 , further comprising one or more sensors configured to detect an impact level of an impact to the protective headgear. 
     
     
         15 . The protective headgear of  claim 14 , further comprising one or more actuating devices configured to activate the cold-pack layer in response to the one or more sensors detecting an impact equal to or greater than the defined impact level. 
     
     
         16 . The protective headgear of  claim 14 , further comprising a wireless transmitter device operatively connected to the one or more sensors and configured to receive impact level data from the one or more sensors and wirelessly transmit the impact level data to a remote monitoring device. 
     
     
         17 . A protective headgear comprising:
 an outer shell; and   an integrated energy absorbent and coolant layer configured as a plurality of interspersedly distributed cells, wherein the plurality of interspersedly distributed cells includes a plurality of permanently deformable energy absorbent cells, a plurality of resiliently deformable energy absorbent cells, and a plurality of chemically-activated cold pack cells.   
     
     
         18 . The protective headgear of  claim 17 , further including a penetration prevention layer positioned between the outer shell and the integrated energy absorbent and coolant layer. 
     
     
         19 . The protective headgear of  claim 18 , wherein the penetration prevention layer includes a polymer-based fiber material. 
     
     
         20 . The protective headgear of  claim 17 , wherein the outer shell is made of a polymer material. 
     
     
         21 . The protective headgear of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of chemically-activated cold pack cells are configured to dissolve a solid material in an endothermic reaction in response to the protective headgear experiencing an impact equal to or greater than a defined impact level. 
     
     
         22 . The protective headgear of  claim 18 , wherein the penetration prevention layer is configured to be attachable to and detachable from at least one of the outer shell and the integrated energy absorbent and coolant layer. 
     
     
         23 . The protective headgear of  claim 17 , wherein the integrated energy absorbent and coolant layer is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the outer shell. 
     
     
         24 . The protective headgear of  claim 17 , wherein the integrated energy absorbent and coolant layer is manufactured using, at least in part, a three-dimensional (3D) printing process. 
     
     
         25 . The protective headgear of  claim 17 , wherein the integrated energy absorbent and coolant layer is manufactured using, at least in part, an additive manufacturing process. 
     
     
         26 . The protective headgear of  claim 21 , further comprising one or more sensors configured to detect an impact level of an impact to the protective headgear. 
     
     
         27 . The protective headgear of  claim 26 , further comprising one or more actuating devices configured to activate one or more of the cold-pack cells in response to the one or more sensors detecting an impact equal to or greater than the defined impact level. 
     
     
         28 . The protective headgear of  claim 26 , further comprising a wireless transmitter device operatively connected to the one or more sensors and configured to receive impact level data from the one or more sensors and wirelessly transmit the impact level data to a remote monitoring device.