Apparel – Guard or protector – For wearer's head
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-22
2001-12-25
Neas, Michael A. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Guard or protector
For wearer's head
C002S425000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332228
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a helmet cover for use with a helmet having through-holes and to a helmet provided with such helmet cover.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Of helmets for bicyclists or for use in other activities, there are helmets of the type having a plurality of through-holes extending thicknesswise within such a range as to ensure a predetermined strength. One major object of the provision of such through-holes is to lighten the weight of the helmet. Recently, it has been a tendency to enlarge each through-hole or increase the number of through-holes. The provision of such through-holes is also advantageous in improving the ventilation of the helmet.
Particularly in winter the helmet user frequently feels cold at the head due to air flow entering the helmet through the through-holes. Further, when it rains in any season, rain water entering the helmet through the through-holes wets the head of the user and hence makes the user feel uncomfortable. Thus, a helmet with protection against cold and rain is being desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a helmet cover which is capable of easily and rapidly providing a helmet having through-holes with protection against cold and rain.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a helmet having such helmet cover.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a helmet cover which enables the helmet to resume its original state easily and rapidly when the protection against cold and rain becomes unnecessary.
It is a fourth object of the present invention to provide a helmet cover which does not become a substantial hindrance in lightening the whole weight of the helmet, reducing the air resistance of the helmet, and the like when the helmet is under the protected condition against cold and rain by the helmet cover.
It is a fifth object of the present invention to provide a helmet cover which is hardly deformable when it provides the helmet with protection against cold and rain.
It is a sixth object of the present invention to provide a helmet cover which does not become a substantial hindrance in the appearance, particularly painting and number display, of the helmet when the helmet is under protection against cold and rain by the helmet cover.
It is a seventh object of the present invention to provide a helmet cover which is capable of modifying the design of the helmet as a whole as well as providing protection against cold and rain.
Thus, according to the present invention there is provided a helmet cover having a configuration to be fitted over a helmet when the helmet cover is fitted thereon.
With this feature, when the helmet cover is fitted on the helmet, through-holes extending thicknesswise through the helmet located in the fitting region are closed with the helmet cover.
The helmet cover may be formed of an appropriate resin material. If a vacuum forming process is employed, the resulting helmet cover has a thickness of 1 mm or less. Such a highly thin helmet cover will not add a substantial weight to the weight of the helmet or a substantial air resistance to the air resistance that is inherent to the helmet.
To fit the helmet cover on the helmet and maintain the fitting condition, it is conceivable to use a dual-faced adhesive tape or the like. However, it is more advantageous to form a plurality of wind splitting recesses each defining a through-hole at the bottom thereof in the helmet and form in the cover a plurality of corresponding wind splitting recesses each shaped to match each corresponding recess of the helmet and close the through-hole defined by the recess.
With this structure it is possible to fit the helmet cover on the helmet and remove it therefrom easily and rapidly and, at the same time, the cover prevents its own deformation by virtue of the rib effect developed by each wind splitting recess. Moreover, fitting and removal of the cover can be repeated as required. In other words, repeated use of the cover is possible.
The wind splitting recess formed in the cover may each be formed with an inwardly protruding portion adapted to protrude into the corresponding through-hole of the helmet. When the through-holes of the helmet are closed by fitting each inwardly protruding portion into the corresponding through-hole, the fitting condition of the cover on the helmet can be reliably maintained, while at the same time the cover can be fitted on and removed from the helmet with ease. If such a inwardly protruding portion is formed at least in front and opposite side portions of the cover, the longitudinal and transverse positioning of the cover on the helmet can be made easily by merely closing the through-holes with the corresponding protruding portions thereby preventing the cover from coming off undesirably due to air pressure or the like.
If the cover is formed of a transparent resin material, the cover does not shade the painting and the like of the helmet and, hence, the helmet with the cover presents substantially the same appearance as without the cover. Further, the cover provides another advantage of protecting the painting of the helmet. Thus, it is possible to use the cover for this purpose only.
Unlike the transparent cover mentioned above, if the cover is differently painted than the helmet, it offers such advantages as to allow the user or other persons to obviously perceive the cover on the helmet and to easily modify the design of the helmet as a whole.
The cover may be configured to be fitted over only a top region or other region of the helmet. If the cover is configured to be fitted over only a portion of the helmet, through-holes in the regions (for example, opposite side regions or a rear region) which are not covered are left open to secure the ventilation of the helmet.
If a wind splitting recess is formed in a rear portion of the cover and a corresponding recess is formed in a rear portion of the helmet, the cover can be closely fitted on the helmet by engaging first the rear recess of the cover with the corresponding recess of the helmet, force-fitting other portion of the cover over the helmet with the rear recess used as a reference point and completing the positioning at recesses located in the front and opposite side portions. In this way the cover provides protection against cold and rain, while the helmet even fitted with the cover maintains its wind splitting effect.
The helmet cover of the present invention may, before fitted on the helmet, be of a configuration such as to facilitate the covering over the helmet (for example, a hollow hemisphere of a size larger than the helmet, or a pouch or sheet formed of a soft plastic). With such configuration, the cover after having covered the helmet can be deformed by a heat treatment so as to be conformably fitted over the helmet in a face contact fashion. Thus, it is possible to provide an enhanced close fitting property with respect to various types of helmets.
These and other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated from the following detailed description to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein.
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patent: 5581819 (1996-12-01), Garneau
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patent: 3037891 (1997-03-01), None
patent: WO9748298A (1997-12-01), None
Neas Michael A.
O.G.K. Hanbai Co., Ltd.
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