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US 10,702,002 B2Granted
Easily adjusted retention system for helmets
AssigneeGentex Corporation
InventorsDavid C. Rogers, Edward R. Hall
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AssigneeGentex Corporation
InventorsDavid C. Rogers, Edward R. Hall
Estimating the term…
Strap buckles for headgear can be independently adjusted by single-handed operation while the headgear is worn. To tighten the straps, the wearer pulls a strap buckle toward the chin. The adjustment preferably involves a 1:1 length-adjustment ratio, such that the strap is shortened substantially by the amount the wearer pulls on the buckle.
A retention system for a helmet, the retention system comprising:
A helmet comprising:
A retention system for a helmet, the retention system comprising:
A retention system for a helmet, the retention system comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
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Parts, details or accessories of helmets: chin straps or similar retention devices
Chin straps or similar retention devices: occipital retention systems
Linings: suspension devices
Hats
About 3 months of term left · ends 2 Feb 2027 (estimated)
This invention relates generally to safety helmets and, in particular, to helmet straps and their adjustment.
Helmets for head protection are worn in a variety of environments and for various purposes. Helmets are often secured to a wearer's head by a flexible chin strap. The chin strap may include multiple segments of flexible strap material that are secured at either side of the helmet and pass below the chin, where the segments are releasably joined. In some helmets the strap segments on either side of the helmet are attached to the helmet at two positions, in front of and behind the wearer's ear. When joined, the two strap segments form a single strap that may be adjusted in length. Many of the available approaches to connecting the strap segments are cumbersome and lack security. In some cases, for example, the wearer must pass one end of the strap through a buckle or a pair of “D-rings” with a return loop, making it difficult to quickly remove the helmet in an emergency. In other cases, a quick release “snap” lacks security due to the possibility of accidental release. Two-finger release mechanisms, while more secure, typically attach to the ends of the strap segments and thus require intervening length in line with the straps. This makes it difficult to place the fastener near the chin, which can be important to the stability of the helmet.
Conventional helmet straps may also be difficult to adjust. If only a single strap is provided on each side of the helmet, for example, the adjustment can be made at the buckle where the straps are joined. If the chin strap has connections at two positions on each side of the helmet, however, the two separate strap segments each need adjustment for length, but generally have no convenient buckle or termination to accommodate such adjustment. A typical approach for adjusting the length of these strap segments is to fix one end of the strap and loop the free end through a buckle or loop, returning it to a ladder-lock adjustment mechanism positioned along the length of strap. By pushing more or less of the free end through the ladder lock, the length of a strap segment is altered. The geometry of this solution dictates that for each inch of length adjustment, the free end must move two inches. The free strap end that extends beyond the ladder lock may be secured with an additional component such as a clasp, or in some designs the wearer can adjust the position of the ladder lock along the strap segment to minimize the length of the exposed strap. In any case, the result is that adjusting the length of helmet straps is neither fast nor convenient and may require removing the helmet and making multiple adjustments, repositioning the ladder lock, and trying the helmet again for proper fit.
In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. Also, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a protective helmet secured to the wearer's head by means of the retention system of the present invention.
FIG. 2a is rear elevational view back showing the nape pad of the present invention.
With reference to FIG. 1, a helmet comprising a rigid helmet shell 51 is positioned on a wearer's head and secured by the retention system of the present invention. The retention system engages the wearer's chin by means of a chin holder 53, which preferably comprises a first member 53a, which passes below the chin, and a second member 53b, which passes between the chin and the lower lip. The chin holder 53 is joined to retention straps using a coupling component 56, a preferred embodiment of which is described below, although any suitable quick-disconnect fitting may be used. The coupling component 56 desirably provides a secure, two-finger-activated device that allows the retention straps to be disjoined on at least one side of the wearer's head to allow the helmet to be worn and removed. In the preferred embodiment, there is only one coupling component 56 on the left or the right side according to the wearer's preference. The coupling component 56 is shown in FIG. 1 on the wearer's left side. Other components on the illustrated left side are found in similar positions on the right side of the retention system.
As may be seen in FIG. 1, the retention system further comprises a forward strap 59 connected to the coupling component 56 and extending upward to the side of the helmet 51 toward the front. The forward strap on the right side or the wearer (not shown) is connected by sewing or other means directly to the chin coupling members 53a, 53b. To facilitate attachment of the forward strap 59 to the helmet shell 51, the strap passes through a slot 65a in a strap anchor 68a and loops back to a strap buckle 71a, which is further described below. As may be seen in more detail in FIG. 4a, the strap anchor 68 is secured to the interior surface of helmet shell 51 with a fastener 74 (e.g., a screw), which first passes through a hole 75 in helmet shell 51 and then through a mounting hole 76 in strap anchor 68, finally engaging a T-nut 77 or similar complementary fastening component on the inside of the helmet 51.
With renewed reference to FIG. 1, the rearward strap assembly comprises a first strap 62 that passes through a ring 78 and loops back to strap buckle 71b, which is preferably identical to buckle 71a and will be described below. The rearward strap assembly further comprises a back strap 80a secured to ring 78 by looping a first end through the ring and sewing or otherwise permanently affixing this first end to back strap 80a, as indicated at 83. The second end of back strap 80a ascends and is secured through slot 65b of anchor 68b. Anchor 68b, in turn, is attached to helmet shell 51 by means of a fastener 74b, in the same manner anchor 68a is secured at the front of the helmet 51.