A helmet is a part of armor or a protective gears individual intended to protect the head from shocks and wounds. The helmets are often provided with a strap avoiding the fall of the helmet: chin-strap (the strap passes under the chin) or mentonnière (the strap passes on the point of the chin).
Initially, the helmets were out of metal. Nowadays, they are out of plastic, and comprise, in general, three parts:
- the interior trimming foams about it which ensures a comfort and a good ventilation (avoids the Heat stroke);
- the solid foam cap, which is crushed by deadening the shock; so the helmets are of single use, i.e. must be changed after each accident;
- the external hull which protects from the penetrating objects and abrasions.
Another important progress to increase the capacity of protection while improving comfort at summer brought by the anatomical design of certain helmets of protection. The traditional helmets treat the cranial impacts in a uniform way and they are tested on false metal heads. The new anatomical helmets were invented in France by Neurochirurgie NS at the end of the XXe century. By using the matter in a way intelligent and adapted to the internal structure of the head they are more powerful while being less bulky.
Soldier - part of armor
The helmet was used by the Guerrier S as of the Antiquité on all the continents. In Europe, according to its form, it bore the name of Bourguignotte, Cabasset, Heaume, salad (often associated with a Gorgerin)… It was used to avoid the blows of sword, blunt weapons (type Masse of weapon) and the arrow S.
With the arrival of the firearms, it became obsolete, just as the remainder of the armor. It reappeared during the First World War, to protect from the wounds caused by the glares of Obus, the Germans having been equipped as of the beginning contrary with the French.
Currently, the helmet remains employed by the armies of the whole world to protect the soldier against the glares (of grenade, of Obus, rocket…) or to deviate a shaving ball, but it is unable to stop a ball striking it of full whip, because being able it of penetration high of these projectiles.
Until in the years 1980, the military helmet was primarily metal. The soldiers in general had a light helmet on which one could add the heavy helmet. The modern helmets are in composite Materials.
Community activity
Firemen
The helmet of firemen protects from heat, of the shocks (progression without visibility) and falls of objects (collapses). It can be associated with a Breathing apparatus insulating (ARI) which makes it possible to breathe even in a smoked out or toxic atmosphere.
The old helmets were in Cuir (the United States) or in Métal (in France: Brass then stainless). The helmets in Plastic were spread in the Années 1980.
In France there exist two types of helmets for firemen:
- the helmet F1 for urban fires: they have a coating of Nickel to reflect heat, and have two visors: a visor anti-projection (used in road Help for example), and a visor gilded against the thermal radiation (the use of the visors is incompatible with the port of ARI); they are maintained by a mentonnière; one can put a cover-nape of the neck out of fabric aluminized, hung by Velcro.
- the helmet F2 for forest fires: it is a lighter helmet, of red color (for the privates); yellow (for under officers) or white (for the officers), and provided with chin-strap and safety goggles.
Building sites and factories
The helmet protects from the fall from objects. In certain companies, the color of the helmet can vary according to the function (operation, workman, engineer, rchitecte, etc…) One can adapt accessories to him, according to the associated risks:- Glasses or visor of protection against projections and heat;
- auditive protections;
- jugular.
Sports, leisures and transport
- Helmet of motor bike: in the event of fall, the helmet is intended to protect from the shock with the natural ground or obstacles, but also to protect from the Abrasion caused by the slip on the roadway. Whatever the shock (accident, falls,…), the helmet must imperatively be changed. Generally, a helmet changes every five years. The helmet of motor bike has also a function of protection of the eyes against the wind, the insects…, even a function of comfort by including/understanding a device of air-conditioning or heating and Haut-parleur S to listen to music or a fellow traveller. However, even more than conveys some, the use of the cellphone must be avoided, because the accident risk is very important.
- others mechanical Sports: it protects from the blows against the amounts of the vehicle in the event of barrels or ejection of the vehicle. In the event of fire in the vehicle it must also protect from heat.
- VTT, Cycling, Roller: it protects the head from the cyclist against the shocks in the event of fall, in the case of cycling on road or track.
- Canoe, Kayak, Sports of water: it protects the head against the shocks under water or the rocks in the event of reversal from the boat or of fall to water. The anatomical design of the helmets new generation (see external bonds) has an particular importance in the water sports because a simple loss of consciousness is often fatal.
- Hockey: it protects from the shocks against the walls, another player or on the ground in the event of fall and against the risk of wound by a metal disc.
- American football: it protects from the possible blows between players, at the time of the frays or the falls.
- Climbing, Speleology: it protects from the falls of stones on the one hand and shocks against the rock; in speleology it is also used as support with a device of lighting.
- Horsemanship: the helmet must protect the head in the event of fall or against branches in forest. The bends is an old model and has a low capacity for absorption of energy. The falls of horse are often accompanied by serious cranial traumatisms. The gravity of the accidents is related on the drop height and the trampling risk by other horses in the event of horse-races. A particular category of accidents comprises a crushing of the jockey by the horse. In this situation, although one meets a rate of intracranial hemorrhages raised, it is not the crushing of the head which of it is responsible but crushing for the body of the jockey. The brain hemorrhage is due to the retrograde venous hyperpression caused by thoraco-abdominal crushing.
- Ski: it protects in the event of violent fall, in particular in practice of the Ski freestyle or Freeride.
Music
See also: audio Helmet
See too
By extension, one also calls helmet various rigid devices related to the head and intended to support various equipment: lighting, ear-phones, auditive protections, etc
External bonds
- the anatomical helmets BiOS
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