U.S. patent application number 10/787423 was filed with the patent office on 2004-09-23 for protective helmet with a system allowing for attachment of interchangeable accessories.
Invention is credited to Oleson, Richard Alan.
Application Number | 20040181856 10/787423 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32965809 |
Filed Date | 2004-09-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040181856 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Oleson, Richard Alan |
September 23, 2004 |
Protective helmet with a system allowing for attachment of
interchangeable accessories
Abstract
A protective helmet with a system allowing for attachment of
interchangeable accessories includes interfaces secured to the
helmet and capable of receiving various pairs of brackets, each
pair of brackets being used to secure a different accessory to the
protective helmet. Although the interfaces are located at
predetermined locations, the brackets are of varying lengths to
ensure a proper pivot axis for the chosen accessory.
Inventors: |
Oleson, Richard Alan;
(Lexington, KY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STITES & HARBISON, PLLC
400 W MARKET ST
SUITE 1800
LOUISVILLE
KY
40202-3352
US
|
Family ID: |
32965809 |
Appl. No.: |
10/787423 |
Filed: |
February 26, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60455792 |
Mar 19, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/424 ; 2/10;
2/422 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 3/225 20130101;
A42B 3/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/424 ;
002/422; 002/010 |
International
Class: |
A42B 003/22 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A protective helmet with a system allowing for attachment of
interchangeable accessories, comprising: at least two interfaces
secured to an interior surface of the helmet, each such interface
defining a slot; and at least two pairs of brackets, each pair of
brackets for attaching a different accessory to the protective
helmet, each bracket having a mating end adapted to be received in
said slot, and each bracket having a pivot point end, the pivot
point end for each of one pair of brackets being a first length for
establishing a first pivotal axis for one of the accessories and
the pivot point end for each of a second pair of brackets being a
second length for establishing a second pivotal axis for a second
of the accessories.
2. The protective helmet of claim 1, wherein the interfaces are
secured to opposite sides of the protective helmet substantially
midway between a front and a rear of the helmet.
3. The protective helmet of claim 1, wherein the first pivotal axis
is substantially midway between the front and the rear of the
helmet.
4. The protective helmet of claim 3, wherein the second pivotal
axis is more forward relative to the first pivotal axis.
5. The protective helmet of claim 3, wherein the second pivotal
axis is more rearward relative to the first pivotal axis.
6. The protective helmet of claim 5, wherein the first of the
accessories is a faceshield and the second of the accessories is
goggles.
7. The protective helmet of claim 1, wherein the mating end of each
bracket includes a prong with a essentially wedge-shaped tab, said
prong flexing when the bracket is inserted into one of the slots
defined by said interfaces, and then returning from its flexed
state when the wedge-shaped tab emerges through said slot, securing
the bracket to said interface.
8. A protective helmet with a system for attaching interchangeable
accessories, comprising: a pair of interfaces secured to an
interior surface of the helmet; a first pair of brackets, each
bracket having a mating end adapted to be secured to one interface
of said pair of interfaces and a pivot point end secured to a first
accessory and establishing a first pivotal axis for the first
accessory relative to the helmet; and a second pair of brackets,
each bracket having a mating end adapted to be secured to one
interface of said pair of interfaces, and a pivot point end secured
to a second accessory and establishing a second pivotal axis for
the second accessory relative to the helmet; wherein said first
pivotal axis and said second pivotal axis are at different
locations relative to the helmet.
9. A protective helmet with a system allowing for attachment of
interchangeable accessories, comprising: at least two interfaces
secured to an interior surface of the helmet; and at least two
pairs of brackets, each pair of brackets being adapted to be
received and retained by the interfaces to attach an accessory to
the protective helmet, wherein each bracket includes a pivot point
end, the pivot point ends of one pair of brackets being a first
length for establishing a first pivotal axis for one accessory, and
the pivot point ends of a second pair of brackets being a second
length for establishing a second pivotal axis for a second
accessory; and wherein said first pivotal axis and said second
pivotal axis are at different locations relative to the helmet.
Description
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application Serial No. 60/455,792 filed Mar. 19, 2003, the entire
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a protective helmet, such
as a hard hat or fire helmet, with a system allowing for attachment
of interchangeable accessories, such as a faceshield or goggles, to
the helmet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A protective helmet, such as a fire helmet or a hard hat,
commonly includes a shell and a suspension contained within the
shell. The shell and suspension cooperate to provide the requisite
level of protection. Specifically, the shell of the protective
helmet causes any force of impact to be spread across the surface
area of the shell. The suspension of the protective helmet
separates the wearer's head from the shell such that there is an
air gap between the shell and the wearer's head that provides for
further attenuation of the force of an impact to the shell. When an
object strikes the shell of the helmet, the shell itself flexes
inward and the straps of the suspension will stretch. The air gap
accommodates the flexing of the shell and stretching of the straps,
but, under normal conditions, prevents the wearer's head from
contacting the shell of the protective helmet.
[0004] Although such "strap" suspension systems are commonly
employed in protective helmets, other force attenuation means may
also be used. For example, foam or similar padding may be secured
to the internal surface of the shell of the protective helmet. The
use of such padding is common in the construction of sports-related
helmets, such as baseball helmets, football helmets, and bicycle
helmets.
[0005] Depending on the application for which the protective helmet
is worn, various accessories may be secured to the protective
helmet, for example, a faceshield, goggles, or a visor. Such
accessories are typically secured to the outer surface of the
protective helmet. Most existing systems do not allow for rapid
attachment and detachment of such an accessory from the protective
helmet. Furthermore, existing systems do not allow various
accessories to be attached at a common location on the outer
surface of the helmet.
[0006] Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a
protective helmet incorporating a system which satisfactorily
addresses the need for rapid attachment and detachment of
accessories to and from the helmet. Additionally, there remains a
need in the art for a protective helmet incorporating a system
which simplifies attachment of such accessories by allowing
attachment at a common location on the outer surface of the
helmet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is a protective helmet with a system
allowing for attachment of interchangeable accessories, such as a
faceshield or goggles. This system includes interfaces secured to
the helmet and capable of receiving various brackets, each bracket
being used to secure a different accessory to the protective
helmet.
[0008] In one exemplary embodiment, an interface is secured on
either side of the helmet on an inside surface of the helmet. Each
such interface has a structure that defines a slot for receiving a
bracket associated with an accessory that is attached to the
helmet. Accordingly, each accessory is provided with appropriate
brackets for the attachment of that accessory, for example, the
faceshield is attached to the helmet with a pair of faceshield
brackets and the goggles are attached to the helmet with a distinct
pair of goggle brackets.
[0009] Regardless of the accessory, each bracket has a mating end
that has three prongs, including a center prong which is capable of
limited flexing relative to two side prongs. Each bracket
additionally has a pivot point end that is secured to the
accessory. To secure an accessory to the protective helmet, the
mating end of each bracket associated with the accessory is
inserted into a corresponding slot defined by one of the
interfaces. As the mating end of each bracket is inserted into the
slot, the bottom edge of the helmet interface contacts a
wedge-shaped tab extending from the center prong of the mating end,
causing a depression or flexing of the center prong relative to the
side prongs. However, once the tab is through the slot, the center
prong can return from its depressed state, locking the bracket into
the interface and securing the accessory to the protective helmet.
To detach the accessory, a wearer simply depresses the tab
associated with each bracket and withdraws the mating end of each
bracket from the slot defined by the respective interface.
[0010] It is important to recognize that the ideal attachment
location for various accessories sometimes differs. For example, a
faceshield is typically designed to pivot about an axis which is
located approximately midway between the front and rear of the
helmet resulting in an arc of movement of the faceshield that is
generally concentric with the wearer's head. However, the location
approximately midway between the front and rear of the helmet is
too far forward for the attachment of goggles. Accordingly, in the
present invention, although the position of the interfaces is fixed
relative to the helmet, the length of the brackets can be altered
for each accessory, ensuring a proper pivot axis for that
accessory. For example, the pivot point end of each faceshield
bracket is designed such that the pivotal axis defined by the
brackets of the faceshield is approximately midway between the
front and rear of the helmet, while the pivot point end of each
goggle bracket is more elongated to provide a more rearward pivotal
axis for the goggle straps.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a
protective helmet made in accordance with the present invention,
the protective helmet having an attached faceshield;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the faceshield of FIG. 1,
detached from the protective helmet and illustrating the two
brackets that facilitate attachment of the faceshield to the
protective helmet of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a enlarged bottom view of a portion of the helmet
of FIG. 1, illustrating the attachment of one bracket of the
faceshield to the protective helmet;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bracket used for
attaching the faceshield to the protective helmet of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the protective helmet of
FIG. 1, having goggles, rather than a faceshield, attached
thereto;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the protective helmet
of FIG. 5;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bracket used for
attaching goggles to the protective helmet of FIG. 5; and
[0018] FIG. 8 is a bottom view of a portion of the helmet of FIG.
5, illustrating the attachment of one bracket of the goggles to the
protective helmet.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The present invention is a protective helmet with a system
allowing for attachment of interchangeable accessories, such as a
faceshield or goggles. This system includes interfaces secured to
the helmet and capable of receiving various brackets, each bracket
being used to secure a different accessory to the protective
helmet.
[0020] Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 5, an exemplary embodiment of
the protective helmet 10 is illustrated, in this case, a fire
helmet. FIG. 1 illustrates the helmet 10 with a faceshield 12
attached thereto using a pair of faceshield brackets 14, 14'
(faceshield bracket 14' is shown in FIG. 2), and FIG. 5 illustrates
the helmet 10 with goggles 16 attached thereto using a pair of
goggle brackets 18 (although only one goggle bracket is shown).
[0021] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 8, an interface 20 is secured
to an inside surface 22 of the protective helmet 10. Although only
one side of the helmet 10 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, there is a
second interface that is the mirror-image of the first interface 20
on the opposite inside surface of the helmet 10. In this exemplary
embodiment, each interface 20 includes a crossbar 24 with two
substantially parallel legs 26, 28 extending therefrom. The
respective legs 26, 28 are integral with or otherwise mounted to
the helmet 10, thereby defining a slot 30 that is interposed
between the inner surface 22 of the helmet 10 and the crossbar 24
of the interface 20. In this exemplary embodiment, the legs 26, 28
and associated crossbar 24 actually extend from and are integral
with an inner ring 23 that supports the suspension 13 of the
protective helmet 10.
[0022] Also, although not essential to the present invention, in
this exemplary embodiment and as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 8,
there is an additional structural member 25 that is secured to the
upper surface of the crossbar 24 which is used as an attachment
point for a portion of a chinstrap 60 (as illustrated in FIG. 3).
Bolts or similar fasteners 61, 62 pass through the structural
member 25, the legs 26, 28 of the interface 20 (which are integral
with the inner ring 23) and the shell of the protective helmet 10
to secure these components relative to one another.
[0023] Turning now to the brackets 14 for attaching the faceshield
12 to the protective helmet 10, and with reference to FIG. 4 (in
which one bracket is illustrated), the bracket 14 is generally
L-shaped and has a mating end 32 adapted to be received in the slot
30 defined by one of the helmet interfaces 20. The mating end 32 of
the bracket 14 includes three prongs 36, 38, 40, the center prong
36 being capable of limited flexing or movement relative to the
side prongs 38, 40. Additionally, the center prong 36 of the
bracket 14 has an integral tab 48, which has a wedge shape, the
importance of which will be discussed below.
[0024] Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 4, the faceshield 12 includes
two lateral appendages 52, 52', which extend to engage the
protective helmet 10. The faceshield brackets 14, 14' each have
pivot point ends 56, 56' which are pivotally secured to the distal
ends of the respective appendages 52, 52'. In this exemplary
embodiment, a threaded bolt or similar fastener (not shown) is
passed through each pivot point end 56, 56' of the faceshield 12
and each bracket 14, 14', and is secured by a nut (not shown) to
effectuate the pivot connection.
[0025] As best illustrated in FIG. 3, to secure the faceshield 12
to the protective helmet 10 requires only the insertion of the
mating end 32 of each bracket 14 into the slot 30 defined by one of
the helmet interfaces 20. As the mating end 32 of each bracket 14
is inserted into the slot 30, the bottom edge of the helmet
interface 20 contacts the wedge-shaped tab 48 extending from the
center prong 36 of the mating end 32, causing a depression or
flexing of the center prong 36 relative to the side prongs 38, 40.
However, once the tab 48 clears the crossbar 24 of the helmet
interface 20, the center prong 36 can return from its depressed
state on the other side of the helmet interface 20. This action
locks the bracket 14 into the interface 20, thereby securing the
faceshield 12 to the protective helmet 10 with the back of the tab
48 of the center prong 36 resting against the edge of the crossbar
24 of the helmet interface 20.
[0026] Referring now to FIG. 7, the brackets 18 for attaching the
goggles 16 to the protective helmet 10 are also generally L-shaped
and have a mating end 34 adapted to be received in the slot 30
defined by one of the helmet interfaces 20. The mating end 34 of
the bracket 18 includes three prongs 42, 44, 46, the center prong
42 being capable of limited flexing or movement relative to the
side prongs 44, 46. Additionally, the center prong 42 of the
bracket 18 has an integral tab 50, which has a wedge shape, the
importance of which will be discussed below.
[0027] As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the goggles 16 include two
straps 58, one extending from either side of the goggles 16
(although only one strap is illustrated in the Figures). Each of
the goggle brackets 18 include a pivot point end 62 which is
secured to one of the straps 58 by a bolt, rivet or similar
fastener.
[0028] As best illustrated in FIG. 8, to secure the goggles 16 to
the protective helmet 10, the mating end 34 of each bracket 18 is
inserted into the slot 30 defined by one of the helmet interfaces
20. As the mating end 34 of the bracket 18 is inserted into the
slot 30, the wedge-shaped tab 50 of the center prong 42 is
depressed relative to the side prongs 44, 46. Once the tab 50
clears the crossbar 24 of the helmet interface 20, the center prong
42 returns from its depressed state on the other side of the helmet
interface 20, thereby securing the bracket 18, and thus the goggles
16, to the protective helmet 10.
[0029] To detach the faceshield 12 or goggles 16, a wearer simply
depresses the tabs of the associated brackets, and then withdraws
the bracket from the slots 30 defined by the interfaces 20. Such
detachment can be easily accomplished even while the protective
helmet 10 is being worn.
[0030] It is important to recognize that the ideal attachment
location on the protective helmet 10 for various accessories
sometimes differs. For example, one of the challenges in creating a
protective helmet with a system allowing for attachment of
interchangeable accessories is that the ideal attachment location
is different depending on the chosen accessory. For example, a
faceshield 12 is typically designed to pivot about an axis which is
located approximately midway between the front and rear of the
helmet 10 resulting in an arc of movement of the faceshield 12 that
is generally concentric with the wearer's head. However, the
location approximately midway between the front and rear of the
helmet 10 is too far forward for the attachment of goggles 16. In
this regard, if the distal ends of the goggle straps 58 were
attached at this midpoint location on the helmet 10, there would
not be a sufficient distance between the attachment points and the
goggles 16 to allow adjustment of the length of the straps 58 on
each side to permit a comfortable and effective fit for a range of
head sizes, or to permit sufficient elongation of the straps 58 for
storage of the goggles 16 on the front of the helmet 10 when not in
use. Furthermore, when the exemplary system of the present
invention is used with a protective helmet 10 having a brim that is
somewhat wider than the goggles 16, there is a tendency for the
straps 58 to be pulled slightly outward from the goggles 16 to the
attachment point on the helmet 10. If the attachment point on the
helmet 10 is too close to the goggles 16, it can cause the goggles
16 to be stretched outward as the straps 58 are tightened,
preventing the goggles 16 from sealing securely against the
wearer's face, particularly at the ends. However, if the attachment
point on the helmet 10 is distanced to the rear, the straps 58 can
be tightened to allow the goggles 16 to securely seal against the
wearer's face.
[0031] The helmet interfaces 20 of the exemplary embodiment of the
present invention are located approximately midway between the
front and rear of the helmet 10. In this regard, the interfaces 20
are located at the ideal points for pivotal attachment of the two
lateral appendages 52, 52' of the faceshield 12, approximately
midway between the front and rear of the helmet 10. However, the
interfaces 20 are not located at the ideal points for pivotal
attachment of the goggle straps 58. Accordingly, as best
illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pivot point end 62 of each goggle
bracket 18 is elongated to provide a more rearward pivotal
attachment location for each goggle strap 58 on the helmet 10. In
this exemplary embodiment, the brackets 18 move the pivot axis for
the goggles 18 approximately 2.25 inches behind the interfaces
20.
[0032] In summary, both the faceshield bracket 14 and the goggle
bracket 18 are designed to mate with the helmet interface 20;
however, by using differing lengths of the brackets 14, 18, the
location of the pivot axes are altered and can be adjusted
depending on the chosen accessory to be mounted to the protective
helmet 10.
[0033] Lastly, although a faceshield 12 and goggles 16 are shown in
the Figures and referred to in this description, the present
invention contemplates that the system of the present invention
could be used to secure various accessories the protective helmet
10, with the length of the bracket associated with each such
accessory ensuring a proper pivot axis for that accessory. For
example, the ideal attachment location for a visor may be a more
frontward attachment location on the protective helmet.
[0034] It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that further
modifications may be made to the embodiments described herein
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention.
* * * * *