Apparel – Head coverings – With forced air circulator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-12
2001-11-20
Neas, Michael A. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Head coverings
With forced air circulator
C002S410000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317891
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanical device of combined internal ventilation for protective helmets. More specifically, a ventilation system that is entirely hidden on the inside of the helmet cap, and therefore does not create discontinuities on the external surface of said cap.
2. The Prior Art
As is known, protective helmets usually contain a cap, or external shell, made of rigid and resistant material. Also provided on the front, in correspondence of the eyes, is a wide opening closable by means of a visor that is liftable and made of a transparent material and, in some cases, is also removable.
The so-called integral helmets have, in the inside of the cap a safety padding made from soft material. It is also known that integral helmets, because of their particular structure involve the necessity of being internally ventilated by means of the circulation of an air flow in order to avoid the overheating of the head and/or the formation of condensate due to the perspiration of the user.
In order to provide adequate internal ventilation of the cap, various solutions have been already proposed which are usually based on the principle of capturing air from the outside through openings of various shapes and sizes. These openings are typically placed in the front part of the helmet, above the visor, causing air to circulate between the padding layers by means of canals of various conformations and positions, and then of exhausting it from the helmet back.
A type of integral helmet is also known that includes air intakes in the lower front part. The circulation of air in the inside of the padding and outlet occurs both laterally and at. the top of the cap. In this case, baffles are provided, which are suitable to create a depression capable of drawing warm air from the inside of the helmet and exhausting it towards the outside.
In practice, it has been observed that the known ventilation systems include direct air intakes through openings obtained on the front of the helmet, either by the visor or in the chin protector. These systems usually involve uncomfortable conditions of localized cooling, especially at high speeds, and an insufficient ventilation at low speeds. This is due to the different load losses undergone by the air flow in the canals, the deviation and exhaust openings.
In addition, the internal ventilation devices have the drawback of needing means to activate the opening and closing wings of air intakes. The activators are usually translatable sliders, or the like, emerging from the external surface of the caps. The present systems have drawbacks such as the poor aesthetics and the aerodynamics of the cap, as well as cumbersome cleaning of the same.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an internal ventilation device for helmets for motorcyclists. In particular, for integral helmets, so designed and structured as to be housed in the inside of the helmet cap, substantially disappearing therein. In addition, an internal ventilation combined and adjustable according to need, and conformation such as not to create discontinuities on the external surface of the cap.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an internal ventilation device for helmets that can be easily hooked to the internal surface of the cap and that is highly reliable.
A further object is to provide a ventilation device that is adaptable, in a simple and quick way, to helmets requiring only the direct internal ventilation, i.e., without a system of warm air suction and simultaneous exhaust from the helmet.
These and other objects are achieved by a combined internal ventilation device for helmets for motorcyclists which comprises a first plate-like element, having a substantially polygonal arched form. This first element forms a frontal covering that can be fittingly housed in a corresponding opening in the helmet cap and flush with it.
A second plate-like element, constituting a back covering, which can also be fittingly housed in a corresponding opening in the cap and is located far from said front covering. A bearing plate is anchored under the front covering to define a housing for the kinematic control elements of the ventilation device.
Two air intakes are laterally disposed in the front covering, with respect to an opening located in a central position, and to a further opening designed to house key-means to close the air intakes. The intakes and central opening are closed by wings that can be opened only towards the inside and kept in a closed position through preloaded springs. There is provided a canal that connects the inside of the housing for the control devices to an exhaust opening obtained in the back covering. A wing that can be opened is provided and kept in a closed position by a preloaded spring. The canal forms a duct with the internal surface of the cap. The duct is intended for the suction of warm air from the helmet and for exhausting it towards the outside of the helmet through an exhaust opening.
A sliding plate, with a limited travel, between the front covering and the bearing plate extends in the inside of the duct to allow the activation of the wing closing the exhaust opening of warm air. The sliding plate is provided with means for hooking and unhooking with the end of a positioning lever and a leaf lever so arranged as to allow sequential activation of both the wings of the side intakes and the central. A system of fixed strikers is located between the sliding plate and the front covering and is disposed between the wings of the side inlets and the bearing plate. The positioning lever together with the leaf lever and sliding plate are arranged to allow, by means of a first pressure action on the central wing. The opening of only the two side intake, with return of the central wing to a closing position. A subsequent pressure on the central wing allows stopping in the opening position, the opening of the wing of the warm air exhaust, simultaneous return to a position of total closing of all the wings. This is obtained by a pressure exercised on the key means provided for the closing of all the air intakes. More particularly, the sliding plate is kept pushed towards the back part of the helmet by a preloaded spring placed between the lower bearing plate and the sliding plate.
The positioning lever is centrally hinged on a transversal pin on which also the end of the front central wing is hinged. The positioning lever having an end in contact, through a preloaded spring, with the lower surface of the wing or closing reset key in a closing position. The opposite end being provided with a hook intended for meshing sequentially with two teeth emerging from the sliding plate, in order to realize, by means of subsequent hookings on the teeth, the opening of only the side air intakes, then the opening of the central wing and the simultaneous opening of the warm air exhaust outlet.
The leaf is hinged on the sliding plate so as to undergo a translation at the same time as the translation of the sliding plate only in the opening stage of the side air intakes.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4704746 (1987-11-01), Nava
patent: 4731885 (1988-03-01), Nava
patent: 5093938 (1992-03-01), Kamata
patent: 5212843 (1993-05-01), Kamata
patent: 5388278 (1995-02-01), Taniuchi
patent: 5394566 (1995-03-01), Hong
Collard & Roe P.C.
Neas Michael A.
Opticos S.r.l.
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