Impact reducing sport equipment

Abstract

A sport equipment for absorbing and dispersing, at least in part, an impact force, thereby reducing the impact force. The sport equipment can be a helmet having an outer shell, an inner shell, and a tensile sheet located between the outer and inner shells. The outer shell includes an interior side featuring a plurality of outer shell detents extending out therefrom. The inner shell includes an exterior side featuring a plurality of inner shell detents extending toward the outer shell. The tensile sheet is configured to dissipate and redirect, randomly directed impact force applied to the outer shell, to a tensile loading directed along a respective longitudinal axis of the tensile sheet. The outer and inner shells are in a spaced apart relationship with and movable to each other. The outer shell detents extend toward the inner shell.

What is claimed as being new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows: 
     
         1 . A sport equipment comprising:
 an outer shell;   an inner shell in a spaced apart relationship with said outer shell to define a gap therebetween; and   a tensile sheet located in said gap, said tensile sheet being capable of transforming at least a portion of an impact force applied to one of said outer shell and said inner shell to a tensile loading directed along at least a portion of said tensile sheet;   wherein at least one of said outer shell and said inner shell has a plurality of extensions facing toward said tensile sheet, and at least one of said outer shell and said inner shell has a plurality of recesses defined adjacent said tensile sheet and having a configuration capable of receiving at least one of said extensions, respectively;   wherein at least one of said extensions features at least one apex contactable with said tensile sheet.   
     
     
         2 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 1 , wherein said extensions and said recesses have corresponding shapes. 
     
     
         3 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 2 , wherein said extensions feature sides tapering toward said apex. 
     
     
         4 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 1 , wherein said recesses are adjacent said tensile sheet to define an open space in communication with said tensile sheet. 
     
     
         5 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 1 , wherein said tensile sheet is secured to one of said outer shell, and said inner shell. 
     
     
         6 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 1  further comprising at least one fastener having a configuration capable of pulling said outer shell and said inner shell together. 
     
     
         7 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 1  further comprising a coupling member connecting a portion of said outer shell to a portion of said inner shell. 
     
     
         8 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 7 , wherein said coupling member is deformable. 
     
     
         9 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 8  further comprising at least one fastener having a configuration capable of pulling said outer shell and said inner shell together, said fastener is received through said coupling member. 
     
     
         10 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 1 , wherein said extensions and said recesses are included with said outer shell and said inner shell, with said recesses being adjacent to at least one of said extensions of said outer shell and said inner shell, respectively. 
     
     
         11 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 10 , wherein each of said extensions of said outer shell have a configuration capable of contacting a first side of said tensile sheet, and each of said extensions of said inner shell have a configuration capable of contacting a second side of said tensile sheet opposite said first side. 
     
     
         12 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 11 , wherein said extensions and said recesses of said outer shell and said inner shell are offset from each other so that at least a portion of at least one of said extensions of said outer shell is receivable in at least one of said recesses of said inner shell, respectively. 
     
     
         13 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 1  further comprising an inflatable member having a configuration capable of applying pressure against said tensile sheet. 
     
     
         14 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 13 , wherein said tensile sheet wraps around a peripheral edge of said inner shell. 
     
     
         15 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 14 , wherein said inflatable member is received in a groove defined adjacent said peripheral edge of said inner shell, a portion of said inflatable member has a configuration capable of extending out from said groove and of contacting said tensile sheet. 
     
     
         16 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 1 , wherein said gap is filled with an impact absorbing material. 
     
     
         17 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 1 , wherein said sport equipment is a helmet. 
     
     
         18 . The sport equipment as according to  claim 17 , wherein said helmet further comprises padding attached to an interior side of said inner shell. 
     
     
         19 . A method of using a sport equipment to reduce an impact force applied to said sport equipment, said method comprising the steps of:
 a) locating a tensile sheet in a gap defined between an outer shell and an inner shell that are in a spaced apart relationship with each other;   b) moving said outer shell toward said inner shell upon an impact force applied to said outer shell;   c) contacting at least an apex of at least one extension of at least one of said outer shell and said inner shell with at least one portion of said tensile sheet, said extension extending toward said tensile sheet;   d) deforming said portion of said tensile sheet by said extension toward a recess defined in at least one of said outer shell and said inner shell, respectively, said recess being located adjacent a side of said tensile sheet opposite said extension;   e) transforming a first portion of said impact force to a tensile loading directed along said tensile sheet; and   f) transferring a second portion of said impact force to said inner shell from said tensile sheet.   
     
     
         20 . The method as according to  claim 19 , wherein said extension features sides tapering toward said apex.