Ballistic and impact protective system for military helmet assembly

A helmet and mandible combination comprising:

• a helmet;
• a visor lens;
• the helmet including a channel, and the channel having an open mouth;
• a mandible removably retained on the helmet by a pin removably retained in the channel at a location higher on the helmet than at least a portion of the visor lens, the pin being removable through the open mouth;
• wherein:
• the channel is arranged to permit the pin to be slid downward to the location at which the pin is removably retained;
• and
• the pin has a longitudinal direction, and the pin is removable through the open mouth in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the pin.

A helmet and mandible combination comprising:

• a helmet including a left channel and a right channel on opposite sides of the helmet and having a brim, each of the left and right channels having an open mouth;
• left and right attachment bases configured to be carried by the helmet on opposite sides of the helmet, wherein the left attachment base includes a first pin which is slidable and rotatable within the left channel, and is removable from the left channel via the open mouth of the left channel, and the right attachment base includes a second pin which is slidable and rotatable within the right channel, and is removable from the right channel via the open mouth of the right channel;
• and
• a mandible attached to the left and right attachment bases,
• wherein the attachment bases are pivotally attached to the helmet at tops thereof and are braced on lower ends thereof against the helmet brim.

A helmet and mandible combination comprising:

• a helmet including a left channel and a right channel on opposite sides of the helmet and having a brim, each of the left and right channels having an open mouth;
• left and right attachment bases configured to be carried by the helmet on opposite sides of the helmet, wherein the left attachment base includes a first pin which is slidable and rotatable within the left channel, and is removable from the left channel via the open mouth of the left channel, and the right attachment base includes a second pin which is slidable and rotatable within the right channel, and is removable from the right channel via the open mouth of the right channel, and wherein each of the left and right attachment bases abut the helmet brim when the attachment bases are attached to the helmet;
• and
• a mandible attached to the left and right attachment bases,
• wherein the first pin is removable from the left channel through the open mouth in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the first pin, and the second pin is removable from the right channel through the open mouth in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the second pin;
• and
• the mandible and attachment bases are configured so that the mandible remains attached to the left and right attachment bases when the mandible has been removed from the helmet and the first and second pins have been removed from the left and right channels, wherein the helmet includes a visor lens, and the open mouths of each of the first channel and the second channel are positioned higher on the helmet than at least a portion of the visor lens.

A helmet and mandible combination comprising:

• a helmet including a left channel and a right channel on opposite sides of the helmet and having a brim, each of the left and right channels having an open mouth;
• left and right attachment bases configured to be carried by the helmet on opposite sides of the helmet, wherein the left attachment base includes a first pin which is slidable and rotatable within the left channel, and is removable from the left channel via the open mouth of the left channel, and the right attachment base includes a second pin which is slidable and rotatable within the right channel, and is removable from the right channel via the open mouth of the right channel, and wherein each of the left and right attachment bases braces against the helmet brim when the attachment bases are attached to the helmet;
• and
• a mandible attached to the left and right attachment bases,
• wherein the first pin is removable from the left channel through the open mouth in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the first pin, and the second pin is removable from the right channel through the open mouth in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the second pin;
• and
• wherein the attachment bases are pivotally attached to the helmet at tops thereof and are braced on lower ends thereof against the helmet brim.

A helmet and mandible combination comprising:

• a helmet including a left channel and a right channel on opposite sides of the helmet and having a brim, each of the left and right channels having an open mouth;
• left and right attachment bases configured to be carried by the helmet on opposite sides of the helmet, wherein the left attachment base includes a first pin which is slidable and rotatable within the left channel, and is removable from the left channel via the open mouth of the left channel, and the right attachment base includes a second pin which is slidable and rotatable within the right channel, and is removable from the right channel via the open mouth of the right channel, and wherein each of the left and right attachment bases abut the helmet brim when the attachment bases are attached to the helmet;
• and
• a mandible attached to the left and right attachment bases,
• wherein the first pin is removable from the left channel through the open mouth in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the first pin, and the second pin is removable from the right channel through the open mouth in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the second pin;
• the mandible and attachment bases are configured so that the mandible remains attached to the left and right attachment bases when the mandible has been removed from the helmet;
• and
• the helmet includes a visor lens, and the open mouths of each of the first channel and the second channel are positioned higher on the helmet than at least a portion of the visor lens.