Apparel – Guard or protector – For wearer's head
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-15
2001-07-17
Lindsey, Rodney (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Guard or protector
For wearer's head
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260213
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a helmet for protecting the rider's head, and more particularly, to a mechanism for mounting the face shield to the helmet.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Riders of motor vehicles such as motorcycles and snowmobiles must wear protective helmets. Such protective helmets have an opening in the front of the helmet and a transparent face shield that is mounted to raise and lower over the opening. When the shield is lowered over the helmet opening, it protects the rider from debris, bugs and wind.
A conventional shield connector is structured as follows. Rotation members are formed at both side surfaces of the helmet, both ends of the shield are coupled to the helmet, an additional cover is provided thereon, and bolts are provided for fixation. At a lower inner portion of the shield, a rotation control member having upraised teeth is formed. The shield is assembled to the helmet in such a way that the rotation control member is caught by a catching member formed on the helmet. The shield can be opened or closed being assembled to the helmet.
One example of a prior art face shield mounting system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,329, which issued on Aug. 2, 1994 and is hereby incorporated by reference.
The face shield system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,329 was an improvement over the prior art at that time and has proven to be a very good system. However, experience has shown that further improvements can be made. In the design of the '329 patent, one end of the shield is assembled into one of the rotation members formed at both surfaces of the helmet while the other end of the shield is assembled into the other the rotation members formed at both surfaces of the helmet, and at such a state, bolts are fixed to the rotation members, to thereby install the shield. In addition, the shield is assembled to be movable up and down. However, up and down movement of the shield depends on the fixation condition of fixation mechanism. Further, if the fixation is not rigid, the shield may be detached from the helmet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for connecting a face shield to a helmet. It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved helmet face shield.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an improved shield connector system for a helmet and face shield allows easy and reliable opening and closing of the shield over the front face of the helmet. It also allows convenient assembly of the mechanism on the helmet and convenient and reliable attachment of the shield to the helmet.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a helmet mounting system includes a helmet and a face shield. A shield-receiving unit is mounted on the helmet. The shield-receiving unit has a locker arm and a shield-receiving channel. The face shield is adapted to be mounted to the shield-receiving unit. The face shield has at least one protrusion adapted to engage into the shield-receiving channel. The mounting system has a locked configuration in which the shield protrusion is engaged in the shield-receiving channel and the locker arm is in a locked position, and an unlocked configuration in which the locker arm is moved to an unlocked position relative to the locked position.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a shield connector has at both end surfaces of the helmet a fixation mechanism consisting of an insertion and rotation member and a locker. The shield can be easily, quickly, and firmly assembled to the helmet body just by inserting a connection member of the shield to the fixation mechanism, and the shield can be minimally opened.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a system for removably securing a face shield to a helmet includes a base plate mounted on said helmet, the base plate having a ratchet teeth-engaging tooth and a secondary tooth engagement member. A locking ring is mounted on the base plate, the locking ring having a locking handle and a locking protrusion. The system includes a shield retention member having a shield retention slot and at least one shield retention tab. The shield retention member is rotatably mounted on said helmet. A face shield is provided having a winged circular protrusion and an armed engagement member extending from the circular protrusion, and a ratchet teeth member having ratchet teeth. The shield is mounted onto the helmet such that the winged circular protrusion is inserted in the shield retention slot and is retained in the shield retention slot by the shield retention tab, and the ratchet teeth are engaged with the ratchet teeth engaging indentation. The mounting system has a locked configuration in which the locking handle has been rotated into a locked position and in which the locking protrusion is engaged with the locking arm of the shield, and an unlocked configuration in which the locking handle has been rotated into an unlocked position and in which the locking protrusion is disengaged from the locking arm.
The embodiment may have various additional features. A bias spring may be engaged with the locking handle to bias the system into the locked or unlocked configurations. The ratchet teeth and protrusions may be integrally molded with the shield. The shield retention slot may be defined by resilient walls that expand and/or contract as the shield is mounted onto the helmet. For example, there may be one or more protrusions extending partially across the retention slot. If a circular protrusion is provided on the shield and is inserted into the slot, the slot walls can expand as the protrusion first enters the slot, then contract such that the protrusions extending partially across the retention slot retain the circular protrusion in the slot.
The face shield may have a handle protrusion, the handle protrusion engaging the locking handle, the protrusion moving the locking handle as the shield is raised and lowered on the helmet. The handle protrusion on the shield may comprise the ratchet teeth member.
In accordance with another embodiment, a system for removably securing a face shield to a helmet may include a shield retention unit mounted on the helmet. The unit may have at least one tooth extending therefrom, a locking ring having a locking handle and a locking protrusion, and a shield retention slot. The system includes a face shield having a shield protrusion, an armed engagement member and ratchet teeth. The shield may be mounted onto the helmet such that the shield protrusion is inserted in the shield retention slot, and the ratchet teeth are engaged with said at least one tooth. The mounting system has a locked configuration in which the locking handle has been rotated into a locked position and in which the locking protrusion is engaged with the armed engagement member of the shield, and an unlocked configuration in which the locking handle has been rotated into an unlocked position and in which the locking protrusion is disengaged from the armed engagement member.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a helmet mounting system has a helmet and a shield receiving unit mounted on said helmet, said shield receiving unit having a locker arm and a shield-receiving aperture. The system also has a face shield adapted to be mounted to the shield receiving unit, the face shield having at least one protrusion adapted to engage into the shield-receiving aperture, the mounting system having a locked configuration in which the shield protrusion is engaged in the shield-receiving aperture and the locker arm is in a locked position, and an unlocked configuration in which the locker arm is moved to an unlocked position relative to the locked position.
Another aspect of the invention concerns the shield alone. A shield according to the present invention comprises a mounting protrusion and an armed engagement member extending from the mounting protrusion, and a ratchet teeth member having ratchet teeth. The shield may be any of the m
Eom Ju Sung
Park Jeong Hwan
Hong Jin Crown Croporation
Lindsey Rodney
LandOfFree
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