DE20304931U1 - Golfing cap, has shock absorbing reinforced elastic middle layer with air holes and breathable inner layer - Google Patents

Abstract

Beneath the outer material of the cap is a middle layer with the same shape as the outer layer and comprising a plastic layer having a thickness of 2-4 mm and containing a star-shaped mesh of length and cross-direction reinforcing parts with its midpoint at the top of the cap. The plastic material for the middle layer is sufficiently elastic to be able to absorb the impact of a golf ball without being compressed so much that the golf ball hits the head. The middle layer contains at least 11 air holes measuring 3-6 mm in size in an area of 4 x 3 cm. The total weight of the middle layer is 100-200 g. An inner layer comprising a breathable membrane is provided, sweat being transported via the inner layer to the outer layer. The inner layer is secured to the bottom edge of the cap, preferably via a hook and loop fastener band. A tensile band with a clasp preferably made from lightweight metal is used to alter the size of the cap. The visor (1) is bonded to the middle layer. The outer material is a water repellant, breathable textile membrane having the same shape as a typical cotton golfing cap.

Description

Jutta Naumann
Allgäuer Str.89
86199 Augsburg
Utility model application

Golf safety cap for children and adults Problem Description:

Unfortunately, when playing golf, it can happen that golfers (both children and adults),
can be hit by a golf ball from a player approaching from behind. These are players who tee off too early and do not keep a safe distance, or who are unable to estimate their own playing strength or the effective length of the ball because they have not been playing the sport for very long. It can also happen that a ball from a parallel course accidentally flies sideways towards the person concerned and a person is injured on the head. As soon as a golfer realises that he is endangering others, he is obliged to at least call FORE across the golf course to the player concerned so that he can react and hold his hands above his head protectively. But in reality it is the case that the call FORE usually reaches the person concerned far too late, several hundred metres away, and he has no opportunity to get away. This is why children or adults can suffer head injuries.
Types of injuries that can occur are:

1. Traumatic brain injury

2. Lacerations on the head

3. Concussion

Golf helmets are already known from previous publications, for example in the
DE 196 36 009 Al .
The features of these golf helmets are :

1. Material: Styrofoam and plastic - this creates too much heat build-up.
The air holes are not sufficient for good ventilation.

Styrofoam can become brittle immediately if stored improperly, meaning that accident protection is no longer guaranteed. When used by children, the material must be robust enough to withstand handling.

2. Shape: The neck protector hits the back of the shoulder girdle during the golf swing because the shape is too low. This can cause the safety strap that sits on the chin to slip and the helmet to lose its protective function on the head; protection is therefore no longer guaranteed.

The present invention therefore has the task of protecting all golfers from all types of head injuries, which are hit by a flying golf ball (due to high flight speed) and are no longer able to react quickly enough to avoid it.)

Another function is that the middle layer of the helmet can be easily checked for damage after a possible ball impact.
The objects are achieved with the features of patent claim 1.
The material (feather-light)

Outer layer : Waterproof and breathable textile membrane. The outer layer
should have the shape of a standard golf cap.

Middle layer : plastic thickness, 2-4mm, at least one transverse reinforcement as seam,
which runs from the right to the left ear, and at least one longitudinal reinforcement as a seam, at the points where the plastic is welded together, in order to be able to form the shape of the head, but also to obtain stable intermediate supports, which run from the circumference of the head approximately every 10 cm in a star shape to the middle of the head. These go from the middle of the frontal brain to the middle of the parietal brain/neck.
The distance between the individually arranged air holes is 0.5-3cm.
The individual air holes have a diameter of 3 mm to 6 mm and

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appear sieve-like across the entire middle layer of the helmet. The sieve-like arrangement of the air holes ensures good air circulation to prevent excessive sweating under the middle plastic layer, but also to keep the overall weight of the plastic middle layer as low as possible. The total weight of the safety cap should only be max. 100-200 grams heavier than a conventional cotton golf cap.

The plastic is soft-elastic, dampening and springy (to slow down and dampen the speed of the ball, like a trampoline effect with impact absorption to prevent the head from being hit directly).

Inner layer:

Material like the outer layer is made of a breathable textile membrane, which transports sweat from the head to the outside.

Reason: The sweat that always occurs when wearing a hat and increases with physical activity and exposure to the sun is transported through the breathable membrane from the inner layer via the air holes in the middle layer to the outer layer and released to the outside. The inner layer can be separated using a Velcro strip in the lower part, where the drawstring for closing the hat is located, so that after a golf ball hits the hat, you can check whether the plastic middle layer is still intact and not brittle.

Shape :

The golf safety cap should have the usual shape of a golf cap. The middle plastic cover has the same shape. The plastic is welded together at the seams, which (at a distance of 10 cm from the head circumference of the lower edge, converge in a star shape towards the middle of the head); these are reinforced in order to be able to model the shape of the head. This increases the surface tension (as a basic grid). A main seam runs from the frontal brain (center of the forehead) to the parietal brain (center of the back of the head) as a longitudinal seam.

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Between these main seams, the other seams run in a star shape at a distance of 10 cm towards the middle of the head.

A seam from the right to the left ear as a cross seam, so that this acts like a protective grille. At the same time, the plastic on the other perforated areas is soft-elastic, so that if a golf ball penetrates, the impact is cushioned. Soft-elastic describes the material in the sense that when the golf ball hits, the plastic acts as a spring and at the same time springs back, does not break and can possibly drill into the skull.

There are so many air holes at the distances described above, distributed like a sieve over the entire surface, to prevent heat build-up, while at the same time ensuring a high level of impact protection.

A reinforced, breathable textile band is sewn into the lower part of the golf cap, which is folded over the inner layer along the entire inner edge to avoid pressure points. It can only be closed at the back of the head with a drawstring fastener to ensure the optimal fit for every head size. This takes into account that as children grow, the golf safety cap can be worn for as long as possible and the cap does not fall off the head while playing. Finally, the golf safety cap is also offered with various designs for children and special designs for adults, so that when you buy this product, it does not look any different from a conventional golf cap and you can therefore take advantage of the head protection.

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The invention is explained by way of example with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows:

The hat from the side:

The golf cap has a sun visor (l). It has reinforced cap seams (2) in the outer cotton layer and a described plastic reinforcement in the visor (3).

Figure 2

Side view of the plastic middle layer:

Sieve-like arrangement of the air holes (4) with the reinforced longitudinal suture from the frontal brain to the parietal brain (5) and the transverse suture from the left to the right ear (6).

These seams are arranged in a grid-like pattern from the circumference of the head to the middle of the head.

Figure 3

Back view of outer layer with drawstring (7) and fastener (8) and hole between drawstring and fastener (9).

Figure 4

Inside view with drawstring (7) and closure (8)

Claims (1)

1. Golf safety cap for children and adults, consisting of an outer layer with a water-repellent and breathable textile membrane, the shape of the outer layer corresponding to that of a conventional cotton golf cap with sun visor, characterized in that - beneath the textile, water-repellent and breathable outer layer there is a middle layer which has the same shape as the outer layer, whereby the middle layer consists of a 2-4 mm thick plastic with transverse and longitudinal reinforcements which converge in a star-shaped grid to the uppermost middle part of the head, - the plastic of the middle layer is soft-elastic, whereby the term soft-elastic describes the material of the plastic on the basis of its damping and spring-back properties, whereby the plastic has the ability to give way to the impact of the golf ball in a dampening manner in order to reduce the impact of the ball in a spring-back manner and at the same time not to be compressed so much that the golf ball hits the head, and that a surface tension is present despite a sieve-like arrangement of air holes across the entire middle layer of the helmet, whereby the plastic of the entire middle layer is continuously permeated with air holes in a sieve-like manner, whereby at least 11 holes with a size of 3-6 mm are incorporated into a surface section of 4 × 3 cm, and whereby the total weight of the middle layer is 100 g-200 g, and that - an inner layer consists of a breathable membrane, wherein the sweat from the head is transported away via the inner layer to the outer layer, wherein the inner layer is attached to the lower edge of the golf cap, in particular with a Velcro fastener, and is removable for material inspection of the middle layer after ball impact, and the golf cap is provided with a removable drawstring which is incorporated into the lower edge of the golf cap to ensure a firm fit for different head sizes, wherein the drawstring has a clasp, in particular made of light metal, in order to be able to pull it together and adapt it to the given head shape, and the golf cap has a sun visor which is connected to the described plastic middle layer.