Helmet with lattice liner

Abstract

A helmet is disclosed. The helmet comprises an outer shell defining a cavity to receive a head when worn. The outer shell includes a domed inner surface facing towards the cavity and an opposite outer surface. A liner is disposed in the cavity, the liner having a head facing surface and an outer surface opposite the head facing surface, the outer surface facing towards the domed inner surface of the outer shell. The liner comprises a three-dimensional lattice formed of a plurality of cells and at least one liner skin integrally formed with the three-dimensional lattice, the liner skin forming part of the head facing surface of the liner, the liner skin covering less than an entirety of the three-dimensional lattice so as to define a skinless surface area on the head facing surface of the liner.

1 . A helmet adapted to be worn on a head of a wearer, comprising:
 an outer shell including a first shell portion and a second shell portion displaceable relative to one another to adjust a size of the helmet; and   an energy-attenuating inner liner disposed within the outer shell, the energy-attenuating inner liner including a first liner portion disposed within the first shell portion and a second liner portion disposed within the second shell portion, the first and second liner portions being displaceable relative to each other when the first and second shell portions are displaced;   wherein the first liner portion and the second liner portion each comprise a three-dimensional lattice formed of a plurality of cells and at least one liner skin integrally formed with the three-dimensional lattice, the liner skin defining part of a head facing surface of the energy-attenuating inner liner, the liner skin adapted to contact the head of the wearer, the liner skin covering less than an entirety of three-dimensional lattice of each of the first and second liner portions along the head facing surface to define exposed regions of the three-dimensional lattice free of the liner skin.   
     
     
         2 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the first liner portion and the second liner portion each define a separate padding forming parts of the energy-attenuating inner liner. 
     
     
         3 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the liner skin extends along a periphery of the first liner portion and the second liner portion. 
     
     
         4 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the liner skin protrudes from an adjacent one of the exposed regions of the three-dimensional lattice free of the liner skin. 
     
     
         5 . The helmet of  claim 4 , wherein the liner skin has a radial dimension taken in a direction normal to the head facing surface, at least part of the radial dimension defined radially inward from the adjacent one of the exposed regions of the three-dimensional lattice free of the liner skin. 
     
     
         6 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the liner skin defines an innermost surface of the energy-attenuating inner liner radially offset from the exposed regions of the three-dimensional lattice free of the liner skin. 
     
     
         7 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the energy-attenuating inner liner has an outer shell facing surface and peripheral surfaces extending between the head facing surface and the outer shell facing surface, the head facing surface and the peripheral surfaces defining a peripheral edge of the energy-attenuating inner liner at a junction thereof, the liner skin forming the peripheral edge. 
     
     
         8 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the liner skin has a textured surface defining an array of valleys and peaks. 
     
     
         12 . The helmet of  claim 11 , wherein the textured surface has a maximum thickness differential (MTD) measured from a deepest pit to a highest peak, the MTD times a surface area of the head facing surface of the liner occupied by the skin defines a total texture volume (TTV) including a percentage of volume of material and a complementary percentage of volume of air, the percentage of volume of material being of about at least 60%. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the liner includes at least a front padding adapted to cover at least a forehead and/or a frontal portion of the head of the wearer, the frontal padding defining a sweat gutter configured to channel sweat from between the liner and the forehead of the head of the wearer when the helmet is donned to a region of the liner adapted to be located on a side of a face of the wearer laterally rearward of an eye of the wearer when the helmet is donned, the sweat gutter having:
 a sweat inlet defined by a segment of the skinless surface area surrounded by the liner skin in the head facing surface, the sweat inlet positioned at a location of the liner adapted to extend along a superciliary arch of the head of the wearer, and   a sweat outlet defined by in a segment of a peripheral surface of the liner free of liner skin, the segment of the peripheral surface closer from a side of the helmet than from a sagittal plane of the helmet.   
     
     
         15 . A helmet adapted to be worn on a head of a wearer, the helmet comprising:
 an outer shell defining an outermost impact protection structure of the helmet, the outer shell defining a cavity to receive the head of the wearer when the helmet is worn, the outer shell including a domed inner surface facing towards the cavity and an opposite outer surface; and   a liner disposed in the cavity, the liner having a head facing surface and an outer surface opposite the head facing surface, the outer surface facing towards the domed inner surface of the outer shell, the liner comprising a three-dimensional lattice formed of a plurality of cells and at least one liner skin integrally formed with the three-dimensional lattice, the liner skin forming part of the head facing surface of the liner, the liner skin covering less than an entirety of the three-dimensional lattice so as to define a skinless surface area on the head facing surface of the liner, the liner adapted to at least attenuate an impact energy transferred to the head of the wearer from a force received by the helmet.   
     
     
         16 . The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the outer shell has a plurality of shell members movable relative to each other to adjust a size and/or fit of the helmet on the head of the wearer, wherein the plurality of shell members of the outer shell include a front shell member and a rear shell member slidably engaged with each other such that movement of the front shell member and the rear shell member relative to each other adjust at least a longitudinal size of the cavity. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the outer surface of the liner contacts the inner surface of the outer shell and has a shape complementary to that of the inner surface of the outer shell. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the domed inner surface of the outer shell has areas having a profile protruding towards the head of the wearer when the helmet is worn, the liner skin defining areas of the head facing surface radially offset from the areas having the profile protruding towards the head of the wearer such that the skinless surface area is tangentially offset from the areas having the profile protruding towards the head of the wearer. 
     
     
         21 .- 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the skinless surface area is surrounded by the liner skin such that the three-dimensional lattice is exposed in the skinless surface area from an interior of the helmet. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the liner skin extends along a periphery of the head facing surface, between the periphery and the skinless surface area, and the liner has a peripheral surface extending between the head facing surface and the outer surface, a junction between the head facing surface and the peripheral surface defining a peripheral edge, the liner skin covering the peripheral edge, the three dimensional lattice visible along the peripheral edge on the peripheral surface. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the liner skin protrudes from an adjacent portion of the liner that is in the three-dimensional lattice, and the liner skin has a radial dimension taken in a direction normal to the head facing surface, at least part of the radial dimension defined radially inward from the adjacent one of the exposed regions of the three-dimensional lattice free of the liner skin. 
     
     
         30 .- 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein a texture of the textured surface defined by the array of valleys and peaks defines evenly distributed dimples, the textured surface has a maximum thickness differential (MTD) measured from a deepest pit to a highest peak, the textured surface having the MTD progressively decreasing out towards edges of the surface area of the head facing surface of the liner occupied by the liner skin. 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . The helmet of  claim 41 , wherein the textured surface defines a fade out margin extending over a distance between 2 and 13 times the MTD. 
     
     
         44 .- 48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the three dimensional lattice includes a network of struts interconnected at nods, the struts having a diameter gradient in a thicknesswise direction of the liner from the outer surface to the head facing surface of the liner, the struts adjacent the outer surface having a smaller average diameter than that of the struts adjacent the head facing surface. 
     
     
         50 . The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the liner has a peripheral surface extending between the head facing surface and the outer surface, the three dimensional lattice includes a network of struts interconnected at nods, the struts at the peripheral surface being thicker than the struts within a corpus of the liner between the head facing surface and the outer surface. 
     
     
         51 . The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the three dimensional lattice includes a network of struts interconnected at nods, the struts originating from respective ones of the nods extend away therefrom in different directions, the three-dimensional lattice having a greater proportion of the struts oriented normal to the domed inner surface of the outer shell at a first selected location within the helmet than at a second selected location within the helmet. 
     
     
         52 .- 53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the liner includes a plurality of paddings forming respective parts of the head facing surface of the liner, the liner includes at least a front padding adapted to cover at least a forehead and/or a frontal portion of the head of the wearer, aha rear padding adapted to cover at least a rear portion of the head of the wearer, a top padding adapted to cover at least a top portion of the head of the wearer, a crown padding adapted to cover at least a crown portion of the head of the wearer, and side paddings adapted to cover at least respective side portions of the head of the wearer. 
     
     
         55 .- 57 . (canceled) 
     
     
         58 . The helmet of  claim 54 , wherein the front padding has a first zone defining a layer of the front padding stacked on a second zone of the front padding, the three-dimensional lattice in the first zone having a Voronoi geometry and the three-dimensional lattice in the second zone has a serpentine geometry. 
     
     
         59 . The helmet of  claim 54 , wherein the rear padding has a first zone, a second zone and at least a third zone, each defining parts of the rear padding and extending from the head facing surface to the outer surface of the liner, wherein the three dimensional lattice includes a network of struts interconnected at nods, the three dimensional lattice in the first zone, the second zone and the third zone having a Voronoi geometry, at least in the first zone the struts being thinner than the struts in the second and third zones. 
     
     
         60 . The helmet of  claim 54 , wherein the top padding has a first zone defining a layer of the top padding stacked on a second zone of the top padding, the three-dimensional lattice in the first zone having a Voronoi geometry and the three-dimensional lattice in the second zone has a serpentine geometry having a stiffness in a thickness-wise direction greater than the three-dimensional lattice in the first zone. 
     
     
         61 . The helmet of  claim 54 , wherein the crown padding has a first zone defining a layer of the crown padding stacked on a second zone of the crowd padding, the three dimensional lattice in the first zone having a Voronoi geometry and the three dimensional lattice in the second zone having a serpentine geometry. 
     
     
         62 .- 63 . (canceled) 
     
     
         64 . The helmet of  claim 54 , wherein the front padding include hinges defined in the head facing surface and in the outer surface, at least part of the hinges in the head facing surface extends transverse to the hinges in the outer surface. 
     
     
         65 . (canceled) 
     
     
         66 . The helmet of  claim 15 , wherein the three-dimensional lattice includes first zones composed of cells having a predominately Voronoi geometry and second zones composed of cells having a predominately serpentine geometry. 
     
     
         67 . (canceled) 
     
     
         68 . The helmet of  claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of liner shims disposed within the cavity, the plurality of liner shims secured to the domed inner surface of the outer shell, the plurality of liner shims contacting the outer surface of the liner. 
     
     
         69 .- 70 . (canceled) 
     
     
         71 . The helmet of  claim 14 , wherein the sweat gutter is a first sweat gutter, the front padding having a second sweat gutter, the second sweat gutter fluidly connected to the sweat inlet of the first sweat gutter through the front padding, the second sweat gutter having a central sweat outlet defined in another segment of the peripheral surface of the liner located in a zone intersecting the sagittal plane of the helmet, the central outlet separated from the sweat outlet of the first sweat gutter by a portion of the liner skin extending on the peripheral surface of the liner between the sweat outlet of the first sweat gutter and the central outlet.