Protective helmet

Abstract

A diving helmet including a uniquely designed three element structure and associated connecting and releasing means for quick bail-out, when, for example, the helmet's umbilical cord is damaged, tangled, or cut, to permit quick release and removal of the outer hard hat helmet. The system includes an inner dry hood with a facial opening framed with an oval, tongue-in-groove type seal along with a separate rigid protective outer helmet made up of a hat portion or hard casque and a mask portion with goggles, the two helmet portions being hingedly connected together (note FIG. 2). The hood seal is adapted to match and mate with the goggle mask assembly (note FIG. 3) sustaining the umbilical lines, gas regulators, window etc. to form a dry enclosure therebetween. Sealing pressure between the base of the hard casque and the cushion of oval elastomer of the hood fitting inside the mask and goggle assembly is developed by a set of quick latches, one on each side of the hard casque which engages the mask and goggle assembly on the facial mask portion. The quick latch has an eccentric latching groove which simultaneously fits the water tight tongue and groove seal causing the seal between the hood and the mask and goggle assembly. The quick latch has an eccentric knob for quick release of the mask and goggle assembly and the hard casque from sealing engagement with the inner hood, the outer helmet then being easily removed from around the head of the diver by moving the casque about the hinge connection and away from the head (note FIG. 5).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.