Enduro mountain biking chin bar
AssigneeBell Sports, Inc.
InventorsErin Kyle Ellison, Eamon Briggs, Benjamin Warren Penner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bicycle helmet system comprising a helmet and a chin bar is disclosed. The chin bar is removably coupled to the helmet and wrapped circumferentially around a portion of the helmet. The chin bar may include a rear buckle configured to tighten the chin bar around the helmet. The chin bar may also include two side buckles that engage with side recesses on the helmet when the chin bar is removably coupled to the helmet. The chin bar may also include two alignment protrusions positioned to engage with alignment recesses on the helmet when the chin bar is removably coupled to the helmet.
Claims16
A unitary chin bar configured to removably attach to a helmet, wherein the chin bar comprises
- a front portion and a back portion integrally formed as a single piece;
- and opposing terminating ends at the back portion thereof, a first side coupling, and a second side coupling opposite the first side coupling, each of the first and second side couplings comprising a base, a top and a lever rotatably engaged to the base and the top rotatably operable about an axis parallel to the base between an open position and a closed position, wherein the base is configured to releasably engage with the helmet at respective first and second side recesses of the helmet and the top is drawn toward the base when the lever is in the closed position;
- wherein the chin bar is configured to wrap circumferentially around and overlap an outer surface of the helmet at a bottom rear of the helmet and extend forward of the helmet only at a bottom of an open front side of the helmet when the chin bar is attached to the helmet;
- and
- wherein the opposing terminating ends are configured to extend to the rear of the helmet and directly attach to each other through a rear coupling configured to tighten the chin bar circumferentially against the outer surface of the helmet in a closed position and configured to loosen the chin bar circumferentially against the outer surface of the helmet in an open position so that the chin bar is removable from the helmet while the helmet is worn by a mountain biker.
A unitary chin bar configured to removably attach to a helmet having an outer surface, an open front side, and first and second side recesses on respective left and right sides of the helmet and first and second front receivers on respective left and right sides separate from and proximate to each of the respective first and second side recesses of the helmet, wherein the chin bar is configured to cover a portion of the open front side of the helmet and comprises
- a front portion and back portion integrally formed as a single piece;
- and opposing terminating ends at the back portion thereof configured to wrap around and overlap the outer surface of the helmet only along a bottom rear of the helmet, the chin bar further comprising a buckle on each side of the chin bar, each buckle comprising a buckle base sized to fit within the respective first and second side recesses on opposing sides of the helmet and a top configured to be drawn toward the base in a closed position and moved away from the base in an open position, wherein each buckle is configured to engage the chin bar to the helmet in the closed position, and release the chin bar from engagement with the helmet in the open position;
- wherein each buckle further comprises a buckle lever movable about an axis parallel to the base between the open position and the closed position;
- wherein the chin bar further comprises a rear coupling at the opposing terminating ends of the chin bar, the rear coupling directly attaching the opposing terminating ends of the chin bar to each other and operable between an open position and a closed position that reduces the circumference of the chin bar and tightens the chin bar circumferentially against the outer surface of the helmet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.