Foldable helmet

Abstract

The present invention relates to a helmet and protector elements for protecting a user's head. The helmet being flexible and/or foldable and comprising a head-fitting element (2), having an outer surface and an inner surface, a plurality of protector elements (3) arranged and attached at preselected positions on the outer surface of the head-fitting element to provide a helmet, which has at least a front portion (11), a middle portion (12) and a back portion (13) that are separated by a gap (4). The protector element when attached to a helmet provides an absorption of a force received during an impact to a level reducing the risk of a trauma of a user.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A flexible helmet for protecting a user's head along and above a periphery of the user's skull extending from the frontal bone of the user's skull to the occipital bone of the user's skull, the flexible helmet comprising:
 a flexible head-fitting element made from a textile adapted for vapour transportation, the flexible head-fitting element having an outer surface and an inner surface, and wherein the flexible head-fitting element is configured to have a shape fitting the user's head;   a plurality of protector elements arranged and attached at preselected positions on the outer surface of the flexible head-fitting element to provide the flexible helmet, the flexible helmet having at least a front portion, a middle portion and a back portion separated by gaps; a protector element of the plurality of protector elements comprising
 a base having a bottom surface adapted to be attached to the flexible head-fitting element, and 
 an outer element having an outer surface and being arranged on the base opposite to the bottom surface, the outer element made from another material than said base, or the outer element having a higher density than said base. 
   
     
     
         25 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 24 , further comprising one or more vapour transporting spacing elements, the one or more vapour transporting spacing elements arranged and fluidically connected to at least the outer surface of the flexible head-fitting element, the one or more vapour transporting spacing elements protruding from the outer surface of the flexible head fitting element and abutting side surfaces of at least the base of the plurality of protector elements, wherein the one or more vapour transporting spacing elements are configured to prevent collapse of the gaps. 
     
     
         26 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 25 , wherein an outer surface of the one or more vapour transporting spacing elements are water-repelling. 
     
     
         27 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 24 , wherein the flexible helmet has a thickness in the range of 10-20 mm. 
     
     
         28 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 24 , wherein at least one of the front portion, the middle portion, and the back portion comprises a plurality of protector elements arranged and attached at preselected positions separated by a longitudinal gap. 
     
     
         29 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 24 , wherein the base of the plurality of protector elements further comprises a cavity adapted to receive an intermediate element. 
     
     
         30 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of protector elements further comprises an intermediate element sandwiched between the base and the outer element, and optionally wherein the outer element covers an outer surface of the intermediate element. 
     
     
         31 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 30 , wherein (i) the intermediate element comprises a material different from the base or (ii) the density of the intermediate element is different from the density of the base. 
     
     
         32 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 30 , wherein the intermediate element has a preselected structure configured to be elastic deformable in response to a force received through the outer element during an impact, and wherein the preselected structure is one of a lattice structure or a honeycomb-like structure. 
     
     
         33 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 30 , wherein the intermediate element is made from a thermoplastic elastomer material, the intermediate element optionally comprising a non-Newtonian additive. 
     
     
         34 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 30 , wherein a stiffness of the outer element is higher than a stiffness of the intermediate element, and wherein the stiffness of the intermediate element is higher than a stiffness of the base. 
     
     
         35 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 24 , wherein the outer element is made from a thermoplastic polymer material. 
     
     
         36 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 24 , wherein the flexible helmet is a foldable helmet adapted to be folded to a closed configuration by folding along one or more of the gaps. 
     
     
         37 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 24 , wherein the helmet is foldable to a closed configuration by at least the front portion and/or the back portion being folded inwardly towards the middle portion of the helmet. 
     
     
         38 . The flexible helmet according to  claim 25 , wherein the spacing element is configured to be elastically deformed when the helmet is in a closed configuration. 
     
     
         39 . A method of manufacturing a flexible helmet, the method comprising:
 determining a head size of the flexible helmet, said head size corresponding to the head size of a user,   providing a flexible head-fitting element from a vapour transporting textile, the flexible head-fitting element corresponding to said head size,   determining a layout of gaps and a plurality of protector elements along an outside area of the flexible head-fitting element,   fixating the plurality of protector elements to an outer surface of the flexible head-fitting element in a pattern based on said layout.   
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , the method further comprising:
 providing one or more vapour transporting spacing elements on the outer surface of the flexible head-fitting element corresponding to the layout of the gaps, the vapour transporting elements protruding from the outer surface of the flexible head-fitting element defining a pattern; and   arranging a plurality of protector elements within the pattern defined by the one or more vapour transporting spacing elements and/or the pattern based on the layout.   
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 39 , the method further comprising:
 providing a flexible adhesive for the fixation of the plurality of protector elements to the flexible head-fitting element.   
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein a protector element is comprised of three elements, and wherein the method further comprises
 providing a base having a bottom surface adapted to be fixated to the outer surface of the flexible head-fitting element,   providing an intermediate element on a surface of the base opposite to the bottom surface,   providing an outer element covering at least the intermediate element.   
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein a protector element is comprised of three elements, and wherein the method further comprises:
 providing a base having a bottom surface adapted to be fixated to the outer surface of the flexible head-fitting element,   embedding an intermediate element at least partially within a surface of the base opposite to the bottom surface,   providing an outer element covering at least the intermediate element.