Partial Outer Hard Shell Helmet with Fiber Filled Plastic

Abstract

A helmet may include a helmet body with a plurality of spars separated from each other by a plurality of channels extending from an inner surface of the helmet body to an outer surface of the helmet body, the spars formed primarily of a foamed energy management material. Each of the plurality of spars is separated from at least one adjacent spar of the plurality of spars by a different one of the plurality of channels having a width no greater than 30 mm. At least two spars are separated from each other by an enlarged channel having a width greater than at least 60 mm. At least one shell segment formed of a fiber filled plastic is directly coupled around a majority of its border to the at least two spars separated by the enlarged channel and spanning the enlarged channel.

1 . A bicycle helmet comprising:
 a helmet body comprising a plurality of spars coupled together at a front end of the helmet body and at a rear end of the helmet body, the spars separated from each other between the front end and the rear end by a plurality of channels extending from an inner surface of the helmet body to an outer surface of the helmet body, the spars formed primarily of a foamed energy management material, wherein each of the plurality of spars is separated from at least one adjacent spar of the plurality of spars by a different one of the plurality of channels having a width no greater than 30 mm, measured as a maximum channel width between two immediately adjacent spars; and wherein at least two spars of the plurality of spars are separated from each other by an enlarged channel, of the plurality of channels, the enlarged channel having a width greater than at least 60 mm, measured as a maximum channel width between two immediately adjacent spars of the plurality of spars; and   at least one shell segment formed of a fiber filled plastic and directly coupled around a majority of its border to the at least two spars separated by the enlarged channel and spanning the enlarged channel such that the enlarged channel is beneath the at least one shell segment.   
     
     
         2 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one shell segment comprises at least two shell segments, symmetrically positioned on opposing sides of the helmet. 
     
     
         3 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the enlarged channel comprises a first enlarged channel and the helmet further comprising a second enlarged channel of the plurality of channels, the second enlarged channel having a width greater than at least 60 mm, measured as a maximum channel width between two immediately adjacent spars of the plurality of spars, wherein the at least one shell segment comprises first and second shell segments not connected to each other except through the energy management material, the first shell segment positioned over the first enlarged channel and the second shell segment positioned over the second enlarged channel. 
     
     
         4 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second shell segments each comprise at least one air vent extending through the respective shell segment. 
     
     
         5 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second shell segments are in-molded into the energy management material of the spars about the majority of the respective borders of the first and second shell segments. 
     
     
         6 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one shell segment comprises at least one air vent extending through the shell segment. 
     
     
         7 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the energy management material is at least one of EPS and EPP. 
     
     
         8 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one shell segment is in-molded into the energy management material of the spars about the majority of the border of the at least one shell segment. 
     
     
         9 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one shell segment formed of the fiber filled plastic is formed of a fiber filled thermoplastic comprising fibers longer than 0.5 inches and a fiber fill between 20% and 60%. 
     
     
         10 . A bicycle helmet comprising:
 a helmet body comprising a plurality of spars separated from each other by a plurality of channels extending from an inner surface of the helmet body to an outer surface of the helmet body, the spars formed primarily of a foamed energy management material, wherein a first set of channels of the plurality of channels each comprises a channel opening sized so that a sphere having a radius of 15 mm cannot pass through the channel from outside the helmet body to inside the helmet body without contacting a side of the channel, and at least an enlarged channel of the plurality of channels comprises a channel opening sized so that the sphere having the radius of 15 mm can pass through the channel from outside of the helmet body to inside the helmet body without contacting a side of the channel; and   at least one shell formed of a fiber filled plastic and directly coupled around a majority of its border to at least two spars bordering the enlarged channel and spanning the enlarged channel such that the enlarged channel is beneath the at least one shell.   
     
     
         11 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one shell comprises at least two shells, symmetrically positioned on opposing sides of the helmet. 
     
     
         12 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 10 , wherein the enlarged channel comprises a first enlarged channel and the helmet further comprising a second enlarged channel of the plurality of channels, the second enlarged channel having a channel opening sized so that the sphere having the radius of 15 mm can pass through the channel from outside of the helmet body to inside the helmet body without contacting a side of the second enlarged channel between two immediately adjacent spars of the plurality of spars, wherein the at least one shell comprises first and second shells not connected to each other except through the energy management material, the first shell positioned over the first enlarged channel and the second shell positioned over the second enlarged channel. 
     
     
         13 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second shells each comprise at least one air vent extending through the respective shell and each of the first and second shells are in-molded into the energy management material of the spars about a majority of respective borders of the first and second shells. 
     
     
         14 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 13 , wherein the energy management material is EPS. 
     
     
         15 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one shell formed of the fiber filled plastic is formed of a fiber filled thermoplastic comprising fibers longer than 0.5 inches and a fiber fill between 20% and 60%. 
     
     
         16 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one shell segment comprises at least one air vent extending through the shell segment. 
     
     
         17 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the energy management material is at least one of EPS and EPP. 
     
     
         18 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the energy management material is EPS. 
     
     
         19 . The bicycle helmet of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one shell formed of the fiber filled plastic is formed of a fiber filled thermoplastic comprising fibers longer than 0.5 inches and a fiber fill between 20% and 60%.