阅读说明：本技术 刚性中空保护壳体 (Rigid hollow protective shell ) 是由 J·卡登斯·巴拉林 X·马特·科迪纳 于 2019-02-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种刚性中空保护壳体(30),所述刚性中空保护壳体(30)包括第一刚性层(10),所述第一刚性层(10)由第一热塑性材料(11)的基体构成,所述基体在其内部包括至少一个长纤维织物层(12),所述长纤维织物选自玻璃纤维、碳纤维和/或芳纶纤维并且包括的总重量为所述第一层(10)的45％和65％之间；所述第一层(10)外部的第二重叠刚性层(20),所述第二层(20)整体地由第二热塑性材料(21)的基体构成,所述第二层(20)包括的总重量为所述壳体(30)的2％和10％之间。(The invention relates to a rigid hollow protective shell (30), said rigid hollow protective shell (30) comprising a first rigid layer (10), said first rigid layer (10) being constituted by a matrix of a first thermoplastic material (11) comprising, inside it, at least one layer (12) of long fiber fabric selected from glass, carbon and/or aramid fibers and comprising a total weight of between 45% and 65% of the first layer (10); a second superimposed rigid layer (20) external to said first layer (10), said second layer (20) being integrally constituted by a matrix of a second thermoplastic material (21), said second layer (20) comprising a total weight of between 2% and 10% of said shell (30).)

1. A rigid hollow protective case (30) comprising:

-a first rigid layer (10), said first rigid layer (10) being constituted by a matrix of a first thermoplastic material (11) comprising at least one layer of long fiber fabric (12) in its interior;

characterized in that, the shell still includes:

-a second superimposed rigid layer (20) external to said first layer (10), said second layer (20) being integrally constituted by a matrix of a second thermoplastic material (21), the total weight of said second layer (20) being between 2% and 10% of said casing (30); and

-the long fibers (12) of the first layer (10) are selected from glass, carbon and/or aramid fibers and comprise a total weight of between 45% and 65% of the first layer (10).

2. Rigid hollow shell according to claim 1, wherein the first thermoplastic material (11) is polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate or polyamide and the second thermoplastic material (21) is polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate or polyamide.

3. Rigid hollow shell according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first thermoplastic material (11) and the second thermoplastic material (21) are plastic materials with different melting points.

4. Rigid hollow shell according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first thermoplastic material (11) and the second thermoplastic material (21) are the same plastic material.

5. A rigid hollow shell according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the long fiber fabric (12) is a non-woven fabric.

6. A rigid hollow shell according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 4, wherein the long fiber fabric (12) is a woven fabric.

7. A rigid hollow shell according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the long fibres (12) are dimensioned.

8. Rigid hollow shell according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first thermoplastic material (11) and/or the second thermoplastic material (12) comprise graphene particles or fibers.

9. Rigid hollow shell according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one long fiber fabric layer (12) is centered with respect to the thickness of the first layer (10), with an identical coating thickness of the first thermoplastic material (11) on both sides.

10. Rigid hollow shell according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first layer (10) comprises additional reinforced areas with a greater number of long fiber fabric layers (12) than the rest of the first layer (10).

11. Rigid hollow shell according to claim 10, wherein the shell (30) is a helmet shell in the shape of a hollow body having a passage opening (31) and a visor opening (32), the passage opening (31) being for the user's head to drill into the inside of the shell, and wherein the additional reinforcing area comprises the shell area around the visor opening (32) and the area around the passage opening (31).

12. Rigid hollow shell according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 10, wherein said shell (30) is selected from:

-a helmet shell having a channel opening (31) and a visor opening (32), the channel opening (31) being for insertion of the user's head;

armour, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist pads, shoulder pads or other personal protective equipment;

boots and skates;

a luggage case;

vehicle, aircraft and watercraft parts;

a racket;

a bicycle frame;

snowboards and snowboards;

surfboards, skateboards and other water sports equipment;

wind turbine components.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of rigid hollow protective casings, such as, for example, protective helmet shells, boots, armour, knee pads, elbow pads, wristbands or even luggage.

A rigid hollow protective shell is a hard element intended to receive an external impact and to distribute the stresses over an area greater than the impact surface, so as to reduce the possible damage caused by said impact to any contents contained in the hollow interior thereof. The housing also has other functions such as, for example, wear resistance.

Typically, a layer of other softer or deformable material (such as a foam or cushioning element) is sandwiched between the shell and the contents of its protected hollow interior, with the aim of absorbing as much of the energy of the impact as possible in the event of an accident and deforming to increase the deceleration distance.

Background

Helmets provided with an outer shell obtained by an injection moulding process of thermoplastic material, which due to its flowability can be easily injected into the mould, thus forming an integral shell of a thickness of a few millimetres and ensuring that the thermoplastic material will completely fill all corners and gaps of the mould, are known.

In the manufacture of this type of shell, generally, a thermoplastic material is used which is cured by the application of heat, so that after moulding, the shell hardens and can be removed from the mould.

However, this solution does not allow the addition of long reinforcing fibres, since said long fibres cannot be introduced into the mould by the injection process in order to ensure their correct distribution.

From document EP2808160, a process for manufacturing an outer shell is also known, which comprises arranging an outer layer formed by a thermoplastic matrix of short fibers and an inner layer formed by a thermoplastic matrix of long reinforcing fibers inside a mold for manufacturing the outer shell.

However, the product described in this document mentions the presence of an outer layer formed of the staple fibres which constitutes the face mask.

The short fibers can create irregular and uneven surface finishes in the final product, which requires a final sanding and polishing step for the shell, increasing the cost of the product.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention relates to a rigid hollow protective shell which protects the contents of its hollow interior from impacts outside the shell.

The purpose of the shell is therefore to receive and resist impacts or scratches in the event of an accident, and to distribute the stresses generated by said impacts over as large an area as possible to reduce the risk of damage to the contents of the hollow space inside, thus providing protection.

Furthermore, the housing may comprise a deformable material inside, which increases the deceleration distance in case of an impact and absorbs as much energy of the impact as possible by its deformation.

The proposed rigid hollow housing comprises:

a first rigid layer consisting of a matrix of a first thermoplastic material, said matrix comprising at least one layer of long fiber fabric inside it.

Thermoplastic polymers have poorer flowability and are more difficult to form than thermally stable polymers; but on the other hand it shows better mechanical properties with respect to impact and, therefore, rigid hollow shells are usually manufactured from thermoplastic polymers injected into a mould by a thermoplastic injection process, which makes possible lower unit costs for the same model of mass/mass industrial products.

However, the inclusion of long fibres in the matrix of the first material makes it impossible to perform the manufacture of said first layer of the hollow shell by means of an injection moulding process, since it is impossible to ensure a correct distribution of said long fibre fabric, which is crucial for ensuring a correct resistance of all parts of the hollow shell.

This is why the inclusion of long fibres in the fabric precludes an injection process, since the long fibres have to be distributed accurately in the mould before the hardening of the first material. A thermoplastic material with better resistance to elasticity, resistance and resilience than thermally stable plastics is proposed, irrespective of the injection moulding process.

The long fibers contained inside the first thermoplastic matrix are extremely resistant to forces, thus avoiding the first thermoplastic matrix from breaking in the event of an impact; and distributes individual stress shocks over a larger surface of the shell, allowing the same or better resistance properties to be achieved with a lighter shell of less material compared to a shell without long fibres.

The proposed hollow shell also comprises the following features not known in the prior art:

a second superposed rigid layer external to the first layer, the second layer consisting of a matrix of a second thermoplastic material, the second layer comprising a total weight of between 2% and 10% of the shell; and

the long fibres of the first layer are selected from glass, carbon and/or aramid fibres and comprise a total weight of between 65% and 45% of the first rigid layer.

The second, overlapping rigid layer outside the first layer provides a complete coating of the first layer which improves its resistance and also completely smoothes out any imperfections in the outer surface of the first layer caused by the presence of the long fibers, thereby improving its appearance without further finishing of the shell.

Furthermore, the second rigid layer completely covers any long fibers that may remain on the surface of the first rigid layer, thereby protecting the long fibers and thereby improving the wear resistance properties of the shell.

According to a proposed embodiment, the first thermoplastic material is polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate or polyamide and the second thermoplastic material is polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate or polyamide.

Polypropylene is easier to handle and has good resistance properties, so that only some commonly used additives are needed to improve its fluidity in the molten state, to improve its resistance to impact and ultraviolet radiation, which, however, is difficult to paint.

In contrast, polyethylene requires a lower melting point and exhibits great ease of painting, but requires a more precise additive composition to achieve impact resistance equivalent to that achievable with polypropylene.

The first thermoplastic material and the second thermoplastic material may be the same or different plastic materials, since polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate are plastics compatible with each other, which achieve the correct cohesion between the first layer and the second layer.

It is also contemplated that the first and second thermoplastic materials employed have different melting points; this makes it possible to melt one thermoplastic material during the manufacturing process without melting the other thermoplastic material, the latter requiring higher temperatures, so that the melted material can better penetrate between the fibers constituting the other thermoplastic material before melting it, thus obtaining a more integral and resistant assembly.

Such different melting points can be achieved by using different plastics or using the same plastic but different additives which will give the plastics different melting points.

The long fiber fabric may be a nonwoven fabric in which long fibers are randomly distributed, or a woven fabric in which long fibers are distributed in an ordered manner in weft and warp.

According to a contemplated embodiment, the long fibers are sized, i.e. their surface has been treated to increase their roughness, thereby improving adhesion to the thermoplastic matrix.

Furthermore, it is proposed that the first thermoplastic material and/or the second thermoplastic material comprise graphene particles or fibers in a dopant manner, thereby increasing the resistance thereof.

It is also proposed that the first layer comprises additional reinforcing areas, wherein the number of long fiber fabric layers of the shell is greater than the rest of the first layer.

In the case where the shell is a helmet shell, the additional reinforcing areas will preferably comprise areas around the visor opening and the channel opening of the shell which are weaker due to their geometry than other areas of the shell, or areas where greater mechanical rigidity or elasticity is required due to regulations or helmet geometry.

In other applications, it is also preferred that the additional reinforcing area is concentrated around the opening and in areas of greater mechanical stress.

It is to be understood that any given range of values may be non-optimal at its extremes and that adaptations of the invention may be required so that they are applicable, within the ability of the skilled person.

Additional features of the invention will be presented in the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments.

Drawings

The above and other advantages and features will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which must be interpreted in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, in which:

fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the proposed shell, which in this example is a helmet shell;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a detail of the composition of the proposed housing, showing the different elements constituting the housing, according to a preferred exemplary embodiment;

fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a roller skate incorporating the proposed housing;

FIG. 4 corresponds to an equivalent perspective view of the skate incorporating the proposed housing;

fig. 5 shows a luggage case comprising the proposed housing in its wall.

Detailed Description

The figures show, in an illustrative, non-limiting manner, an exemplary embodiment of the invention comprising a rigid hollow protective housing 30.

Fig. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment, according to which the shell 30 is a helmet comprising an outer shell provided with a passage opening 31 and a visor opening 32; the passage opening 31 is intended for the head of a user to drill into its housing and the visor opening 32 is intended for good visibility therethrough.

Fig. 3 and 4 show further alternative embodiments according to which the shell 30 is a roller skate or ice skate comprising a shell provided with a passage opening 31 (intended for the user's foot to drill into its shell), said shell surrounding and protecting the foot. Some parts of the boot will be made of other materials, such as textile materials.

Fig. 5 shows another alternative embodiment according to which the shell 30 constitutes the shell of the luggage case.

Other embodiments of the proposed rigid hollow shell are also conceivable but not shown in the figures as boots, ankle supports, knee pads, elbow pads, wristbands, armour or even boxes or lids.

In the case where the shell 30 is the shell of a helmet, the dimensions of the passage opening 31 and of the visor opening 32 are generally smaller than the maximum dimensions of the hollow interior of the shell, so that the manufacture of said shell requires a complex external mould and an equally complex internal mould allowing its expansion, and/or an inflatable internal mould.

The same happens for the other previously enumerated applications of the shell 30, which have access openings to the hollow interior thereof smaller than the maximum interior dimension, requiring complex molds for the manufacture thereof as well.

Suitable materials for the shell 30 include a first layer 10, which first layer 10 is composed of a matrix of a first thermoplastic material 11, including doped polypropylene (with additives to improve resistance to impact and ultraviolet radiation and to improve its fluidity in the molten state).

In said matrix of the first thermoplastic material 11 there is included at least one fabric layer 12 woven from long fibres, which forms a fabric strip such as that shown in fig. 2.

The fabric strip is distributed so as to cover all the surfaces of the casing 30 with at least one of said fabric layers. In some reinforced areas, several overlapping layers of fabric are included to increase the resistance of the reinforced area. In the case of shell 30 being an outer shell, the reinforced areas will correspond at least to the periphery of the channel opening 31 and the visor opening 32, while in other applications of shell 30, the reinforced areas will also correspond to adjacent areas of any openings they contain.

The total weight of the reinforcing long fibers 12 will be at least 45% and at most 65% of the weight of the first layer, the remaining weight corresponding to the first thermoplastic material 11.

The fabric formed by said long fibers 12 will be centered with respect to the thickness of the first layer 10, i.e. it will have a coating of the first thermoplastic material 11 of equal or similar thickness on both sides.

In another embodiment (not shown), the long fibers 12 are arranged in the shape of a non-woven fabric, randomly interwoven, to achieve an effect similar to that obtained with woven fibers.

The presence of long fibers 12 embedded in the first thermoplastic material 11 may cause defects in the surface finish of the first layer 10 of the shell; thus, it is proposed that a second layer 20 comprising an outer coating integrally formed from a matrix of a second thermoplastic material 21, in this example also polypropylene, absent reinforcing fibres, is required, which second layer represents at most 10% and at least 2% of the total weight of the outer shell.

The second embodiment will be identical to the first embodiment, but replacing the first material 10 or the second material 20 with polyethylene, which has a melting point lower than that of polypropylene.

The third proposed embodiment will also be identical to the first embodiment, but using polyethylene as the first and second materials, both requiring a lower melting point.

Alternatively, it is contemplated that polypropylene may be used as the first material and polyethylene terephthalate may be used as the second material, or polyethylene terephthalate may be used as both the first and second materials.

According to another embodiment one of the materials is polyamide or both materials are polyamide.

Furthermore, it is contemplated that both the first thermoplastic material 11 and the second thermoplastic material 21 may include a low percentage of graphene particles or fibers as an additive that increases the resistance of the outer shell.

Whatever the product used as the first and second thermoplastic materials 11, 21, it will be convenient for the two materials to have different melting points, which may be achieved by additives or selection of the materials. This allows for a more controllable manufacturing process and improved integration of multiple layers.

It should be understood that different components constituting the invention described in one embodiment may be freely combined with components described in other different embodiments, as long as there is no adverse factor in the combination, although such combination has not been explicitly described.

Any of the articles explained can be manufactured by defining the same housing in a mould, the interior of which comprises an inflatable bag against the inner wall of the housing. In addition, a means for heating the mold or mold assembly is provided and the inflatable bag is disposed within the furnace.