Apparel – Guard or protector – For wearer's head
Patent
1992-01-24
1993-08-24
Crowder, Clifford D.
Apparel
Guard or protector
For wearer's head
2424, 12820123, A42B 300
Patent
active
052377075
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to safety helmets and, more specifically, to safety helmets including breathing apparatus incorporated within the helmet.
Safety helmets, for use with breathing apparatus incorporated within the helmet, generally totally encase the head of the wearer and include a see-through panel with an annular seal surrounding the said panel and extending into the helmet. The said annular seal, when the helmet is in use, extends into pressure contact with the face of the wearer to form a seal across the forehead, down the sides of the face and across the chin. Thus, the seal forms an isolated volume between the face of the wearer and the see-through panel and means are provided for supplying air to said volume and exhausting spent air therefrom when the helmet is in use.
The helmet also includes flexible resilient means, intended to contact the rear of the head of the wearer, to force the wearer's face into pressure contact with the said annular seal, thus to maintain said isolated volume.
Such a helmet is, hereinafter, referred to as "a helmet of the type defined".
A problem with helmets of the type defined resides in inserting the wearer's head into the helmet between the face seal and the resilient means and this problem has been solved in prior art helmets by forming the helmet in two parts, a front part and a rear part, connected by a hinge at the crown of the helmet. The see-through panel and the annular seal are supported in the front part and the resilient means are contained in or anchored to the rear part, whereupon by hinging the two parts open the head of the wearer can be inserted into or removed from the helmet and, when in use, the two helmet parts are secured together by fasteners.
A serious disadvantage with the prior art multi-part shell helmets arises in the sealing of the joint between the helmet parts in the closed position and, for example, such multi-part helmets as have been proposed in the past have failed to meet the many test procedures specified for certain applications, for example fire-fighting applications, and therefore such prior art helmets have very limited uses.
The present invention seeks to provide a safety helmet, of the type defined capable of meeting all the requirements for all applications for such helmets.
According to the present invention there is provided a safety helmet of the type defined comprising a one-piece shell, characterised in that the flexible resilient means include a first pad and flexible resilient straps extending from the pad to anchor locations within the helmet, said flexible resilient straps serving to locate the said first pad in a position to engage the rear regions of the wearer's head when the helmet is in use.
Preferably the safety helmet is characterised in that the shell has a front to rear dimension greater than one and one half times the front to rear dimension of the wearer's head, and more preferably more than one and three quarter times the front to rear dimension of the wearers head.
In a preferred embodiment said flexible resilient straps are arranged to support the said first pad in pressure contact with the rear regions of the wearer's head to maintain the wearer's face in pressure contact with the annular face seal.
Preferably said flexible resilient straps are arranged to be stretchable towards the rear regions of the shell to allow the head of a wearer to readily enter the helmet between the annular face seal and the said first pad.
In a preferred embodiment the safety helmet is characterised by a second pad, in the upper regions of the helmet, said second pad being supported by flexible resilient straps fixed to anchor locations within the helmet and serving as a crown protection for the wearer.
In a preferred embodiment the upper regions of the said first pad are hingedly connected to the rear regions of the second pad.
Preferably said first pad includes stiffeners and said pad extends outwardly of the opening to the helmet to facilitate stretching of the resilient straps for fitting or removing the helmet to a
REFERENCES:
patent: 3130415 (1964-04-01), Colley
patent: 3167069 (1965-01-01), Lobelle
patent: 3221339 (1965-12-01), Correale, Jr.
patent: 3366972 (1968-02-01), Wise et al.
patent: 3438060 (1969-04-01), Lobelle et al.
patent: 3624663 (1971-11-01), Jones
patent: 3789427 (1974-02-01), Aileo
patent: 4549541 (1985-10-01), Sundahl
patent: 4713844 (1987-12-01), Westgate
Aran Fire & Safety (U.K.) Ltd.
Crowder Clifford D.
Neas Michael A.
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