Helmet for preventing concussions

Abstract

A sports helmet for preventing or minimizing head concussions comprising an outer shell and a gas bladder inflated with a gas and secured interiorly of the shell. A pressure relief valve associated with the gas bladder exhausts gas contained in the gas bladder in response to a threshold pressure being realized in the gas bladder in response to the head of the person wearing the sports helmet experiencing an impact.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sports helmet for preventing or minimizing head concussions due to the head of the person wearing the sports helmet experiencing an impact, the sports helmet comprising: an outer shell; an gas bladder inflated with a gas and secured interiorly of the shell and disposed between the head of the person and the outer shell; and a pressure relief valve associated with the gas bladder for exhausting gas contained within the gas bladder in response to a threshold pressure within the gas bladder being exceeded due to the head of the person wearing the helmet experiencing an impact. 
     
     
         2 . The sports helmet of  claim 1  wherein the gas bladder includes a series of spaced apart fingers that wrap around the head of the person wearing the sports helmet. 
     
     
         3 . The sports helmet of  claim 2  wherein the outer shell includes a crown area, a front area, a back area, and two side areas; and wherein the series of spaced apart fingers extend adjacent the crown area, front and back areas, and the side areas. 
     
     
         4 . The sports helmet of  claim 2  further including a series of resilient pads that are secured and disposed between the respective fingers that form the gas bladder. 
     
     
         5 . The sports helmet of  claim 4  wherein each of the fingers includes an inner surface for engaging the head of the person wearing the helmet; and wherein the resilient pads are spaced outwardly from the inner surfaces of the fingers such that in the absence of an impact, the fingers engage the head of the person wearing the sports helmet while the resilient pads are spaced outwardly from the person's head and do not engage the person's head. 
     
     
         6 . The sports helmet of  claim 1  wherein the gas bladder includes an inlet valve for inflating the gas bladder with the gas. 
     
     
         7 . The sports helmet of  claim 1  wherein the sports helmet includes an indicator operatively connected to the pressure relief valve for emitting a signal in response to the actuation of the pressure relief valve. 
     
     
         8 . The sports helmet of  claim 1  wherein the pressure relief valve is configured to automatically close after actuation so as to prevent the gas bladder from being totally or substantially totally deflated. 
     
     
         9 . The sports helmet of  claim 1  wherein the shell includes a crown area, a front area, a back area, and two side areas, and wherein the gas bladder includes a central portion disposed adjacent the crown and wherein the gas bladder further includes a plurality of fingers that radiate from the central portion of the gas bladder and extend downwardly and outwardly about the interior of the sports helmet such that the fingers lie adjacent the front, back and side areas of the outer shell. 
     
     
         10 . A method of preventing or minimizing head concussions with a sports helmet having a main gas bladder and an expansion chamber comprising: in response to a person wearing the sports helmet experiencing a head impact, causing the head of the person wearing the helmet to directly or indirectly increase the pressure in the main gas bladder and when the pressure in the main gas bladder exceeds a first threshold pressure directing at least some of the gas from the main gas bladder to the expansion chamber thereby dampening the impact of the head of the person wearing the sports helmet; and wherein directing at least some of the gas from the main gas bladder to the expansion chamber increases the pressure in the expansion chamber and wherein when the pressure increase in the expansion chamber exceeds a second threshold pressure directing at least some of the gas in the expansion chamber back to the main gas bladder to recharge the main gas bladder. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein there is provided a first pressure relief valve operatively connected between the main gas bladder and the expansion chamber for selectively permitting gas to flow from the main gas bladder to the expansion chamber; and wherein there is a second pressure relief valve operatively connected between the main gas bladder and the expansion chamber for selectively permitting gas to flow from the expansion chamber to the main gas bladder to recharge the main gas bladder. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein both the main gas bladder and the expansion chamber are disposed inside the sports helmet. 
     
     
         13 . A sports helmet for preventing or minimizing concussions comprising: an outer shell; a main gas bladder for holding gas disposed interiorly of the outer shell and positioned in the outer shell such that the main gas bladder is compressed in response to the head of a person wearing the sports helmet experiencing an impact; an expansion chamber for holding gas and communicatively connected to the main gas bladder; a first pressure relief valve operatively connected between the main gas bladder and the expansion chamber; said first pressure relief valve normally closed but configured to open in response to the head of a person wearing the sports helmet experiencing an impact and in response to the pressure in the main gas bladder exceeding a first threshold pressure; wherein when said first pressure relief valve assumes the open position, gas contained in the main gas bladder flows from the main gas bladder through the first pressure relief valve into the expansion chamber; a second pressure relief valve operatively connected between the main gas bladder and the expansion chamber; said second pressure relief valve being normally closed but configured to open in response to the pressure within the expansion chamber exceeding a second threshold pressure; and wherein when the pressure within the expansion chamber exceeds the second threshold pressure, the second pressure relief valve opens and permits gas in the expansion chamber to flow from the expansion chamber through the second pressure relief valve into the main gas bladder to recharge the main gas bladder. 
     
     
         14 . The sports helmet of  claim 13  wherein the main gas bladder and the expansion chamber form a closed loop system that enables gas to circulate back and forth between the main gas bladder and the expansion chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  including automatically recharging the main gas bladder after gas has been transferred from the main gas bladder to the expansion chamber.