U.S. patent application number 10/314335 was filed with the patent office on 2004-02-05 for supporting structure of chin-ventilation shutter for full-face type helmet.
Invention is credited to Arai, Michio.
Application Number | 20040019958 10/314335 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 30112927 |
Filed Date | 2004-02-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040019958 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Arai, Michio |
February 5, 2004 |
Supporting structure of chin-ventilation shutter for full-face type
helmet
Abstract
To increase the amount of open air's introduction, have
satisfactory good design and operability, and further increase the
degree of freedom of designing a helmet. Two center points for
turning are provided for opening and closing a chin-ventilation
shutter and the aforementioned center points are capable of being
switched on the way to which the closing condition of the
chin-ventilation shutter is turned to the opening condition
thereof.
Inventors: |
Arai, Michio; (Saitama-ken,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DYKEMA GOSSETT PLLC
FRANKLIN SQUARE, THIRD FLOOR WEST
1300 I STREET, NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Family ID: |
30112927 |
Appl. No.: |
10/314335 |
Filed: |
December 9, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/424 ;
2/410 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 3/223 20130101;
A42B 3/283 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/424 ;
2/410 |
International
Class: |
A42B 001/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 30, 2002 |
JP |
2002-221424 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A supporting structure for supporting by rotating a mouth
shutter for opening and closing ventilation hole formed in a chin
guard of a full-face type helmet for a chin-ventilation shutter
supporting part fixed to a helmet, wherein: two or more turning
center points for opening and closing said chin-ventilation shutter
are provided and said turning center points are switched on a way
to which a closing condition of said chin-ventilation shutter is
turned to an opening condition.
2. A supporting structure according to claim 1, comprising: a
chin-ventilation shutter supporting part fixed to a shell side; a
first guide shaft and a second guide shaft for guiding turning in
any one side of a chin-ventilation shutter being supported in a
rotatable way; an engaging part being formed by plural arc shapes
in accordance with 2 guide axes on another side, wherein: said
first engaging part and said second engaging part formed
continuously thereto for said first guide shaft and a third
engaging part for said second guide shaft are engaged and included
respectively in a movable way, said first guide shaft and said
second guide shaft are guided by said first engaging part and said
third engaging part respectively at a first stage of opening said
chin-ventilation shutter and turning is made about a first central
point being a common center of an arc which both engaging parts
have, and a turning center is switched to a second central point
which said second engaging part has from said first central point
at a time that said first guide shaft reaches at a connecting point
of said first engaging part and said second engaging part and
rotates about said second guide shaft on a way to an opening
operation.
3. A supporting structure according to claim 2, wherein: said first
engaging part and said second engaging part to which said first
guide shaft engages in a movable way and said third engaging part
to which said second guide shaft engages in a movable way are
formed in a grooved shape, and a step is provided in said second
engaging part and said third engaging part formed in a grooved
shape and a crossing portion of both engaging portions is also
formed in order for each axis not to escape to another engaging
part.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a supporting structure of
chin-ventilation shutter for a full-face type helmet.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] In a full-face type helmet, its shell is formed in a shape
of covering a head and a chin portion of a user, and eye opening
part is covered by a face shield, fogging may be caused to inner
surface of the face shield by accumulating heat inside the helmet
in some occasions.
[0005] Thus, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a ventilating hole 100 for
exhausting heat by channeling outside air into the helmet is
provided in a chin guard part 101, and outside air is channeled
from the ventilating hole 100 at the time of driving.
[0006] The ventilating hole 100 is opened and closed if necessary
by a chin-ventilation shutter 102. Commonly, the chin-ventilation
shutter is supported in a rotatable way by having a single turning
center point for turning at the time of opening and closing, and
opening and closing are performed so as to depict a prescribed arc
of a turning locus at the time of opening and closing the
chin-ventilation shutter 102.
[0007] At this time, in order to reduce the face shield fogging and
accumulation of heat inside the helmet, efficiency of channeling
air inside the helmet can be considered by increasing the volume of
channeling outside air inside the helmet. As one of methods
therefor, it is thought that the volume of channeling outside air
is increased by forming a large ventilating hole.
[0008] However, since the size of the chin-ventilation shutter
corresponds to the size of the ventilation hole, if the
chin-ventilation shutter has a supporting shape of the
above-mentioned turning center to be unique, for example, as shown
in FIGS. 9 and 10, the chin-ventilation shutter 102 largely
protrudes outwardly from the surface of the chin guard part 101 in
a condition of opening the chin-ventilation shutter in accordance
with a supporting position of the chin-ventilation shutter 102.
[0009] Accordingly, it may be thought that an angle at the time of
opening fully the chin-ventilation shutter is lessened and the
volume of protruding is lessened. For such a case, the volume of
channeling outside air cannot be increased even if the hole of
ventilation is widened.
[0010] On the contrary, a method in which the chin-ventilation
shutter is opened and closed towards the inside of the helmet can
be considered. For this method, the chin-ventilation shutter
protrudes widely towards the inside of the helmet, thus a space for
the chin-ventilation shutter needs to be kept inside the chin guard
portion and such a method may not be adopted actually from a point
of view of operability for opening and closing.
[0011] That is to say, there may be certain limit to set a central
point for turning the chin-ventilation shutter enabling the volume
of channeling outside air.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The object of the present invention is to provide a
supporting structure of a novel structure chin-ventilation shutter
to enabling the volume of channeling outside air inside the
helmet.
[0013] The technical means thereof is achieved by having a
supporting structure of supporting a chin-ventilation shutter for
opening and closing a ventilating hole provided in a chin guard of
a full-face type helmet about a chin-ventilation shutter supporting
part fixed to the shell side, having two or more central points for
turning for opening and closing the chin-ventilation shutter, and
allowing the aforementioned central portion for turning to switch
on the way to which the chin-ventilation shutter performs an
opening function from a closing condition to an opening condition.
(Claim 1)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a full-face type helmet having
a supporting structure of a chin-ventilation shutter of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a decomposed perspective view of a supporting
structure of a chin-ventilation shutter;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a scale up view of a chief portion;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a scale up view of a chief portion showing an
opening condition;
[0018] FIGS. 5A to 5E are a process view of showing opening and
closing conditions;
[0019] FIG. 6 is another embodiment of each engaging part;
[0020] FIG. 7 is the other embodiment of each engaging part;
[0021] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
first engaging part and the second engaging part;
[0022] FIG. 9 is an another example with a flow regulating plate of
the decomposed perspective view of a supporting structure of a
chin-ventilation shutter;
[0023] FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a conventional supporting
structure; and
[0024] FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a conventional supporting
structure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
[0025] As a structure for embodying the aforementioned claim 1, as
shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, for example, a structure can be made, which
includes: a chin-ventilation shutter supporting part fixed to a
shell side; a first guide shaft (S1) and a second guide shaft (S2)
for guiding turning in any one side of a chin-ventilation shutter
being supported in a rotatable way; an engaging part being formed
by plural arc shapes in accordance with 2 guide axes on another
side, in which: the aforementioned first engaging part (U1) and the
aforementioned second engaging part (U2) formed continuously
thereto for the aforementioned first guide shaft (S1) and a third
engaging part (U3) for the aforementioned second guide shaft (S2)
are engaged and included respectively in a movable way,
[0026] the aforementioned first guide shaft (S1) and the
aforementioned second guide shaft (S2) are guided by the
aforementioned first engaging part (U1) and the aforementioned
third engaging part (U3) respectively at a first stage of opening
the aforementioned chin-ventilation shutter and a turning operation
is performed about a first central point (P1) being a common center
of an arc which both engaging parts have, and a turning center is
switched to a second central point (P2) which the aforementioned
second engaging part (U2) has from the aforementioned first central
point (P1) at a time that the aforementioned first guide shaft (S1)
reaches at a connecting point of the aforementioned first engaging
part (U1) and the aforementioned second engaging part (U2) and
rotates about the aforementioned second guide shaft (S2) on a way
to an opening operation. (claim 2)
[0027] According to the supporting structure of the present
invention, the first central point P1 is a central point for
turning a chin-ventilation shutter 1 for the operation for opening
in FIGS. 5A to 5C. While the first engaging part U1 and the third
engaging part U3 become the condition of FIG. 5C, the turning
center point of chin-ventilation shutter 1 is switched to the
second central point P2, and then the opening operation of FIGS. 5D
to 5E is performed. Then, the volume of protruding the
chin-ventilation shutter 1 outward from the surface of the chin
guard part A1 can be suppressed to the extent of a minimum level in
a full open condition as shown in FIG. 5E and FIG. 4.
[0028] The embodiment of the above-mentioned example is the
embodiment having two turning center points of the chin-ventilation
shutter 1. The present invention is not limited thereto, but the
embodiment, which has more than two turning center points using a
turning center point moving on the way to which the engaging part
turns in the same way as an engaging part (FIG. 7) structured by
connecting, by way of a curved portion having some degrees, a
straight line and an engaging part (FIG. 6) including an arc having
different curvatures, is included therein.
[0029] In the drawings, each engaging part is provided in the
chin-ventilation shutter 1, and each guide shaft is provided in a
shutter supporter 2, the present invention includes a reverse
supporting structure of the embodiment thereof.
[0030] In claim 2, each engaging part can be any form of a hole
structure and a channel structure if each engaging part has a form
of engaging each guide axis.
[0031] Further, in the case of claim 2, as shown in FIG. 8, it is
made possible that the first engaging part (U1) and the second
engaging part (U2) to which said first guide shaft (S1) engages in
a movable way and the third engaging part (U3) to which the second
guide shaft (S2) engages in a movable way are formed in a grooved
shape, and
[0032] a step is provided in the second engaging part (U2) and the
third engaging part (U3) and a crossing portion of both engaging
portions is also formed in order for each axis not to escape to
another engaging part. (claim 3)
[0033] [Preferred Embodiment]
[0034] The embodiment of the present invention is explained
hereinafter with reference to drawings.
[0035] FIG. 1 shows a full-face type helmet A and includes a
ventilating hole A2 that is opened or closed by a chin-ventilation
shutter 1 in a chin guard A1 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0036] The full-face type helmet A of the present embodiment is a
publicly known embodiment which includes a shock absorbing liner C
structured of expanded polystine stylofoam or material having the
same kind of absorbing efficiency inside a shell B formed in the
predetermined shape by fiber-strengthen resin, an inner pad D of a
head portion, which is made of carbamic acid ester provided inside
the shock absorbing liner C thereof in an attachable and detachable
way, cheek pads DL and DR provided in both sides corresponding to
the cheek and chin portions, and a shield E formed in the
predetermined form using a resin plate having a transparent or
colored transparent property and an elastic property.
[0037] The chin-ventilation shutter 1 is supported by a shutter
supporter 2 attached to a chin guard part A1 in a rotatable way,
and its surface is formed as a single face to a surface of the
shutter supporter 2 in a full open condition.
[0038] The chin-ventilation shutter supporter 2 includes a
ventilating hole 3 that is opened and closed by the
chin-ventilation shutter 1 and attached to a through hole A3 that
is opened by the chin guard part A1, and the surface thereof is
formed as a single face to the chin guard part A1.
[0039] The chin-ventilation shutter 1 is supported by the shutter
supporter 2 in a rotatable way by engaging the first guide shaft S1
and the second guide shaft S2 provided in the right and left hand
sides of the chin-ventilation shutter supporter 2 with the first
engaging part U1 and the second engaging part U2 provided in the
right and left hand sides of a shutter 11.
[0040] To give an actual example, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the
first engaging part U1 and the second engaging part U2 are opened
by supporters 1L and 1R integrally formed in the right and left
hand sides of the shutter 11, and the first guide shaft S1 and the
second guide shaft S2 are formed protrusively in supporters 3L and
3R integrally formed so as to face with the aforementioned
supporters 1L and 1R in the right and left hand directions of the
ventilating hole 3. The chin-ventilation shutter 1 is supported by
the shutter supporter 2 in a turning way by engaging the first
guide shaft S1 with the first engaging part U1 and the second guide
shaft S2 with the third engaging part U3 respectively.
[0041] The chin-ventilation shutter 1 is set so as to open and
close by turning at two turning central points of the first central
point P1 and the second central point P2, and it is designed such
that the turning central point is switched to the second central
point P2 from the first central point P1 on the way to which the
opening condition is changed to the closing condition as shown in
FIGS. 5A to 5E.
[0042] In the following, the structure for switching the turning
central point is explained in detail. As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5E,
the first engaging part U1 and the third engaging part U3, in an
opening condition after the closing condition of the
chin-ventilation shutter 1, draw different arcs C1 and C2 having
respective different radii about the turning central point of the
first central point P1 at first. Then, the turning central point is
switched to the second central point P2 having the same axis as the
second guide shaft S2 from the first central point P1 on the way to
which the chin-ventilation shutter 1 is turned to be open. Further,
a shape is formed such that the second engaging part U2 draws an
arc C3 about the turning central point of the second central point
P2 in the turning operation after the second engaging part U2 is
switched.
[0043] The first engaging part U1 and the second engaging part U2
are linked in a point in which the first central point P1 is
switched to the second central point P2.
[0044] A position in which the central point is switched is a
position in which a curved portion U11 of the first engaging part
U1 touches the first guide shaft S1 on the way to which the
chin-ventilation shutter 1 is turned, it is ended to turn about the
turning central portion of the first central point P1, and also an
end portion U31 of the third engaging part U3 touches the second
guide shaft S2. (refer to FIG. 5C)
[0045] The opening and closing operation of the chin-ventilation
shutter 1 based on thus structured supporting structure is
explained with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5E.
[0046] First of all, as shown in FIG. 5A, in the condition in which
the chin-ventilation shutter 1 is closed, the starting portion U12
of the first engaging part U1 touches the first guide shaft S1 and
the second guide shaft S2 is positioned in a position (a starting
portion U32 of the third engaging part U3) where the second
engaging part U2 and the third engaging part U3 cross with each
other.
[0047] Next, the chin-ventilation shutter 1 is turned to be open
after the full closed condition, as shown in FIG. 5B, the first
engaging part U1 and the third engaging part U3 are guided by the
first guide shaft S1 and the second guide shaft S2 and then the
chin-ventilation shutter 1 turns about the turning center point of
the first central point P1.
[0048] Then, when the chin-ventilation shutter 1 turns further, at
the point indicated in FIG. 5C, the curved portion U11 of the first
engaging part U1 touches the first guide shaft S1, the end portion
U31 of the third engaging part U3 touches the second guide shaft
S2, and then the turning center point is switched to the second
central point P2 from the first central point P1.
[0049] If the chin-ventilation shutter 1 is turned to be open from
this point, as indicated in FIG. 5D, the second engaging part U2 is
guided by the first guide shaft S1 and the chin-ventilation shutter
1 turns about the turning center point of the second central point
P2.
[0050] Further, for the full open condition, as shown in FIG. 5E,
the end portion U21 of the second engaging part U2 touches the
first guide shaft S1 and then the chin-ventilation shutter 1 stops
turning.
[0051] According to the supporting structure of the present
embodiment, for the full open condition, it is possible to open the
whole region of the ventilating hole 3 without protruding the top
end portion of the chin-ventilation shutter 1 from the surface of
the shutter supporter 2 in the outer direction.
[0052] FIGS. 6 and 7 explain each case that two or more turning
center points are provided in the chin-ventilation shutter 1.
[0053] At this stage, engaging parts of FIG. 6 are defined as the
first engaging part U10, the second engaging part U20, and the
third engaging part U30 respectively. Engaging parts of FIG. 7 are
defined as the first engaging part U10', the second engaging part
U20', and the third engaging part U30' respectively.
[0054] For the forms of the first engaging part U10 and the third
engaging part U30 of FIG. 6, each curvature of the arc of the
engaging part changes at a halfway point and each turning center
point for turning along the arc having different curvature
exist.
[0055] To give an actual example, the radius of an arc C5 at the
aforementioned halfway turning center point to the end portion is
lengthened than an arc C4 at the starting portion to the halfway
turning center point. Thus, the position of the first central point
P3 as the turning center point of an arc C4 is different from the
second central point P4 as the turning center point of an arc
C5.
[0056] That is to say, the turning center point of the arc C4 is
the first central point P3. When a turning operation is switched to
the turning operation along the arc C5 smoothly from this halfway
turning operation, the turning center point moves to the second
central point P4 from the first central point P3 gradually, thus it
is switched to the second central point P4.
[0057] In this case, there exist plural center points between the
first central point P3 and the second central point P4 because it
is performed to turn along the arc C5 when the turning center point
moves to the second central point P4 from the first central point
P3.
[0058] Then, while it is ended to turn along the arc C5 having the
turning center point of the second central point P4, it is started
to turn along an arc C6 having the turning center point of the
third center point P5.
[0059] Therefore, the turning center points of the chin-ventilation
shutter of the aforementioned embodiment have three points, such as
the first, second, and third center point, and plural center points
existing between the first central point P3 and the second central
point P4. It is also possible to embody a structure in which there
exist three or more turning center points.
[0060] The embodiments of the first engaging part U10', the second
engaging part U20', and the third engaging part U30' of FIG. 7 have
a form structured by connecting plural straight lines ST1 to ST9 by
way of each shape's curved portion.
[0061] This structure is made such that the turning operation is
regulated at the time that each guide shaft touches the curved
portion in turning operation of the chin-ventilation shutter. Using
this regulation, a ratchet function comes to be effective to the
operation of opening the chin-ventilation shutter.
[0062] Further, for this structure, strictly speaking the
chin-ventilation shutter cannot move as a turning movement since
the chin-ventilation shutter moves along each straight line, but
the chin-ventilation shutter performs the movement nearly the same
as the turning movement in view of the whole movement of the
chin-ventilation shutter.
[0063] That is to say, since it is performed to try to turn by
moving along each straight line, a gap is caused during the
movement thereof. In general, it can be judged that it is performed
to turn about the turning center point of a turning center point P6
and center point P7.
[0064] Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention has two
or more turning center points.
[0065] Although the first engaging part U1 and the second engaging
part U2 of the aforementioned embodiment are explained as through
holes, it is possible for the present invention to have a channel
structure arbitrarily as shown in FIG. 8.
[0066] In the following, although the embodiment of the first
engaging part and the second engaging part having the channel
structure of the present invention are explained hereinafter,
reference characters U1', U2' and U3' are used to the first
engaging part, the second engaging part, and the third engaging
part of the present invention respectively.
[0067] Further, the reference characters S1' and S2' are used to
the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft respectively.
[0068] For the basic outer shape, the first engaging part U1', the
second engaging part U2', and the third engaging part U3' are
totally the same as the first engaging part U1, the second engaging
part U2, and the third engaging part U3 respectively.
[0069] The height position of the bottom face U3 of the third
engaging part U3' is positioned in one step lower position than the
bottom face U4 of the first engaging part U1' and the second
engaging part U2'. Accordingly, a wall face type step difference W
is formed around the third engaging part U3'.
[0070] The first guide shaft S1' has an approaching length to a
bottom portion U4 of the first engaging part U1'. The second guide
shaft S2' has an approaching length to the bottom portion U3 of the
third engaging part U3'. The second guide shaft S2' is held by the
aforementioned step difference W and it is kept to be securely
engaged to the inside of the third engaging part U3'.
[0071] According to the present embodiment, in the same way as the
aforementioned embodiment, for the full open condition, the whole
area of the ventilating hole 3 can be opened without letting the
top end portion of the chin-ventilation shutter 1 protrude in the
outer direction from the surface of the shutter supporter 2.
Besides, the second guide shaft S2' can be maintained in the third
engaging part U3' more securely by the step difference W.
[0072] FIG. 9 is another embodiment of the chin-ventilation shutter
1.
[0073] The chin-ventilation shutter 1 of the embodiment is
provided, at the rear portion of the shutter 11, with a flow
regulating plate 12 for use in regulating flow of running wind
flowing into the helmet at the ventilation port.
[0074] A first engaging part U1 and a second engaging part U2 of
the embodiment are constructed to have a grooved shape shown in
FIG. 8.
[0075] The flow regulating plate 12 is comprised of a first flow
regulating plate 12A fixed and attached over supporters 1L, 1R
integrally formed at both right and left portions of the shutter
11, and a second flow regulating plate 12B vertically installed
over the central part of the first flow regulating plate and the
shutter.
[0076] The first flow regulating plate 12A divides the ventilation
port into an upper segment and a lower segment at a substantial
central location, and the second flow regulating plate 12B divides
the lower portion of the ventilation port divided into two upper
and lower segments into a right segment and a left segment at a
substantial central location.
[0077] In accordance with the chin-ventilation shutter 1
constructed as above, the running wind flowed into the helmet
through the ventilation port can be concentrically flowed into the
helmet by the flow regulating plate 12 without being dispersed.
[0078] As described above, the present invention can open, for the
full open condition of the chin-ventilation shutter, the whole area
of a ventilating hole without letting the top end portion of the
chin-ventilation shutter protrude in the outer direction from the
surface of the shutter supporter.
[0079] Therefore, it is possible to increase the amount of outside
air's channel, also have straightforward visual appearance.
[0080] Further, according to the invention recited in claim 2, it
is possible to provide concretely a supporting structure having the
aforementioned effects.
[0081] Further, according to the invention recited in claim 3, in
addition to the aforementioned effect, the second guide shaft is
kept securely in the third engaging part by a step difference, thus
it is made real to have excellent effects when the chin-ventilation
shutter is securely guided and turned without letting the second
guide shaft protrude from the third engaging part at the time of
opening the chin-ventilation shutter.
[0082] Having described specific preferred embodiments of the
invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be
appreciated that the present invention is not limited to those
precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications can
be effected therein by one of ordinary skill in the art without
departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the
appended claims.
* * * * *