Abstract
A hinge mechanism for attaching ear accessories to a helmet allows an accessory to be attached at a point outside the helmet shell utilizing, for example, a slidable mounting rail, and to reach under the edge of the helmet shell so that the accessory is supported in contact with the wearer's head. The hinge mechanism is well suited for use in connection with military helmets that have a “bulge” or protrusion over the ear.
Claims
1. A mounting facility for a safety helmet having a helmet shell and retention straps affixed thereto, the mounting facility comprising: a fixture, attachable to the helmet shell, for securely receiving a plurality of accessories, wherein the fixture comprises a rail having a recessed retaining groove configured to slidably, adjustably, and simultaneously receive the plurality of accessories thereon; and at least one aperture aligning with at least one existing through-hole in the helmet shell for facilitating common affixation of the mounting facility and retention straps thereto, wherein the fixture extends horizontally and then at a downward angle, and wherein a portion of the fixture which extends at the downward angle includes an attachment feature for accepting at least one different accessory thereon.
2. The mounting facility of claim 1, wherein the fixture has an inner curved surface having a contour conforming to an outer surface of the helmet shell.
3. The mounting facility of claim 1, wherein the recessed retaining groove comprises a flat inner surface and a pair of angled side walls opposed to the flat inner surface.
4. The mounting facility of claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture is disposed proximate to a bottom edge of the fixture.
5. The mounting facility of claim 1 further comprising: a front connecting element coupled to the fixture, the front connecting element including a recessed attachment surface configured to receive an accessory distinct from the plurality of accessories received by the fixture.
6. The mounting facility of claim 5, wherein the fixture is a first fixture and the mounting facility further comprises: a second fixture, attachable to the helmet shell, comprising a rail having a recessed retaining groove configured to slidably, adjustably, and simultaneously receive the plurality of accessories thereon, and wherein the first fixture and the second fixture are connected to one another by the front connecting element.
7. The mounting facility of claim 6, wherein the front connecting element, the first fixture, and the second fixture together encircle approximately three-fourths of an outer surface of the safety helmet.
8. The mounting facility of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional profile of the recessed retaining groove has a dove-tail shape.
9. A helmet comprising: a helmet shell having an outer surface and at least one existing through-hole; and a mounting rail attached to the outer surface of the helmet shell, the mounting rail including at least one aperture aligned with the at least one existing through-hole in the helmet, facilitating common affixation of the mounting rail and retention straps to the helmet, the mounting rail extending horizontally and then at a downward angle relative to a bottom edge of the helmet, a bottom edge of the mounting rail being disposed on the outer surface of the helmet shell above the bottom edge of the helmet, the mounting rail including a recessed retaining groove extending in and along the mounting rail and configured to slidably, adjustably, and simultaneously receive a plurality of accessories thereon.
10. A method comprising: providing a mounting rail including a recessed retaining groove configured to slidably, adjustably, and simultaneously receive a plurality of accessories thereon, the mounting rail having at least one aperture; placing the mounting rail on an outer surface of a helmet; aligning the at least one aperture of the mounting rail with at least one existing through-hole for attaching retention straps in the helmet; and inserting a fastener into the at least one aperture and the at least one existing through-hole to affix the mounting rail to the helmet.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein a cross-sectional profile of the recessed retaining groove has a dove-tail shape.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein placing the mounting rail on the outer surface of the helmet includes positioning a bottom edge of the mounting rail such that the bottom edge of the mounting rail is on the outer surface of the helmet above a bottom edge of the helmet when the mounting rail is affixed to the helmet.
13. The method of claim 10 further comprising: mounting a front connecting element to the outer surface of the helmet; and coupling the front connecting element to the mounting rail.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the mounting rail is a first mounting rail, and wherein the front connecting element is disposed between the first mounting rail and a second mounting rail, the first mounting rail being disposed on a first side of the helmet and the second mounting rail being disposed on a second side of the helmet.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the front connecting element connects the first mounting rail to the second mounting rail.
16. The method of claim 10 further comprising: sliding a first accessory of the plurality of accessories into the recessed retaining groove of the mounting rail, and sliding a second accessory of the plurality of accessories into the recessed retaining groove of the mounting rail while the first accessory is coupled to the recessed retaining groove.
17. The mounting facility of claim 1, wherein a bottom edge of the fixture is configured to generally align with a top edge of an ear protrusion of the safety helmet when the fixture is affixed to the safety helmet.
18. The mounting facility of claim 6 further comprising: a rear connecting element coupling the first fixture to the second fixture, wherein the rear connecting element is configured to conform to an outer surface of the helmet shell, and wherein the rear connecting element is opposite the front connecting element.
19. The mounting facility of claim 1 wherein the fixture is a first fixture and the mounting facility further comprises: a second fixture, attachable to the helmet shell, comprising a rail having a recessed retaining groove for slidably and adjustably receiving at least one of the plurality of accessories thereon, wherein the rail is configured to simultaneously receive multiple accessories of the plurality of accessories; and a connecting element coupling the first fixture to the second fixture, wherein the connecting element is configured to conform to an outer surface of the helmet shell.
20. The mounting facility of claim 1 further comprises: a front connecting element having a recessed attachment surface and configured to be attached to a front surface of the safety helmet for attachment of an accessory distinct from the plurality of accessories received by the fixture.
21. The mounting facility of claim 1, wherein the recessed retaining groove has a length which extends horizontally along the fixture, and wherein the recessed retaining groove is configured to simultaneously receive the plurality of accessories at different portions along the length of the recessed retaining groove.
22. The mounting facility of claim 1, wherein attachment feature includes one or more threaded holes configured to threadably mount the at least one different accessory therein.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) 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:
(2) FIG. 1a shows the left side of a helmet having a mounting rail;
(3) FIG. 1b shows the left side of a helmet having an alternate mounting rail;
(4) FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the mounting rail shown in FIG. 1b taken along the section 2-2;
(5) FIG. 3a is a cross-section of the mounting rail shown in FIG. 1b taken along the section 3-3;
(6) FIG. 3b is a cross-section similar to FIG. 3a showing an alternative form of the mounting rail of FIG. 1b;
(7) FIG. 4a shows the mounting rail of FIG. 1b with two accessories positioned to be attached;
(8) FIG. 4b shows the mounting rail of FIG. 4a with the two accessories mounted in place;
(9) FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention having additional means of attaching accessories to a first mounting rail;
(10) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the mounting rail of FIG. 5 with an accessory mounted to the front;
(11) FIG. 7 is a view from the back of the helmet of FIG. 5 showing an additional element for containing and/or supporting accessories;
(12) FIG. 8A shows the left side of a helmet incorporating an embodiment of the hinged ear-accessory mechanism of the present invention, with an earphone attached to the helmet and positioned over the wearer's ears for normal use;
(13) FIG. 8B shows the helmet of FIG. 8A with the hinge mechanism and earphone assembly moved downward to an intermediate position;
(14) FIG. 8C shows the hinge mechanism and earphone assembly moved fully downward and outward prior to removing or stowing the earphone;
(15) FIG. 8D shows the manner in which the earphone may be rotated into the stowage position;
(16) FIG. 9 shows a hinge mechanism in accordance with the present invention with an earphone attached;
(17) FIG. 10 illustrates the pivot arm of the hinge mechanism separated from other parts;
(18) FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the hinge mechanism illustrated in FIG. 10;
(19) FIG. 12A shows selected components of a hinge mechanism in order to illustrate the interaction among components;
(20) FIG. 12B shows selected components of a hinge mechanism in order to illustrate interference between components of the hinge mechanism;
(21) FIG. 12C illustrates an alternate embodiment of the adjusting mechanism;
(22) FIG. 13 shows a hinge mechanism assembled with an earphone and attached to a helmet, illustrating the alternate positioning of the assembly at the back of the helmet; and
(23) FIG. 14 shows the pivot arm and connecting members of the hinge mechanism assembled with an earphone and separated from the helmet, positioned to be assembled with a conventional headband for use without the helmet.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(24) For ease of presentation, the present discussion focuses first on a suitable mounting rail to which a hinged ear-accessory retention system may be mounted; preferred embodiments of the ear-accessory retention system itself are then described.
(25) Mounting Rail
(26) With reference to FIG. 1a, a helmet shell 51 is shown from the left side of the user's head (the right side having symmetrical features). A mounting rail 55 is included within a fixture preferably fabricated from nylon, polypropylene, or other synthetic plastic using injection molding processes, the bottom edge of which conforms to the bottom edge of the helmet shell 51. The fixture is secured to the exterior of helmet shell 51 by means of fasteners 53 in the front and back. In another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 1b, mounting rail 55 is included within a fixture having a bottom edge that conforms to a convex extension 56 of helmet shell 51.
(27) A recessed groove 57 in the mounting rail 55 slidably accepts a complementary engagement member 59 of a potential accessory, which may be secured by tightening a securing member 60 (e.g., a standard screw, as illustrated, or a thumbscrew, tab-and-slot system, or other suitable engagement mechanism). The engagement member 59 shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b is illustrative only; in practice, it would carry a functional accessory. Virtually any accessory suitable for mounting to the helmet 51 can be designed to have an engagement member complementary to the recessed groove 57.
(28) In FIG. 2 the mounting rail 55 is shown in cross-section, mounted on helmet shell 51. In the illustrated embodiment, the cross-sectional profile of the recessed groove 57 is a dove-tail configuration complementary in cross-section to that of an attaching component 59. The dovetail shape retains the attaching component 59 by means of the angled edges 61, but allows it to slide within the recessed groove 57 to reach a desired position where it is further secured by a tightening screw 64. The ends of the mounting rail 55 desirably slope toward the surface of the helmet shell 51.
(29) As shown in FIG. 3a, the mounting rail 55 provides a geometrical interface between the curving surface of the helmet shell 51 and a straight groove 57. A straight groove 57 is beneficial because it allows attaching component 59 to be formed with simple flat surfaces while still allowing adjustment of the position of the accessory along the length of the groove 57.
(30) On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3b, another embodiment of the mounting rail utilizes a non-straight recessed groove 67. The inner surface of the mounting rail 65 has a contour that conforms to the helmet shell 51, and the recessed groove 67 also approximates the curved surface of the helmet shell 51 but with a constant radius. The curved groove 67 has the benefit of reducing the protrusion at the ends of the mounting rail 55 shown in FIG. 3a. If the recessed groove 67 has a constant radius, the attaching component 59 can have a matching curved shape and still freely slide within the groove 67. The mounting rail 65 provides an interface between differently sized helmets having different amounts of curvature and a groove 67 with a common constant radius (independent of the size and curvature of the helmet). For accessories that do not require the flat surface as shown in FIG. 3a, and thus the lower profile of mounting rail 65 shown in FIG. 3b, a curved mounting rail may be preferred.
(31) FIG. 4a shows the mounting rail of FIG. 1 mounted on helmet shell 5 with two accessories 75 and 80 positioned to be attached. The earphone accessory 75 is described below; a similar earphone can be mounted on the right side of the helmet in a symmetrical mounting rail (not shown). As described below in connection with FIG. 8C, the earphone 75 is attached by a connecting member 77 to the engagement member 79, which can itself be positioned along recessed groove 57 by sliding engagement member 79 therealong and securing it with the thumbscrew 83. Accessory 80 is an illuminator that can be similarly attached by sliding the engagement member 89 within recessed groove 57 and securing it with thumbscrew 83. FIG. 4b shows the mounting rail of FIG. 4a with the two accessories 75, 80 mounted in place.
(32) FIG. 5 shows another mounting rail affixed to a helmet shell 51. In this embodiment the mounting rail 55 on the left side of the helmet (shown) is extended forward by a front connecting element 94, which joins with the mounting rail 55 on the right side of the helmet (not shown). The entire mounting rail thus encircles three-quarters of the helmet shell 51 and is secured by means of five fasteners 53, two on each side and one in the front, which desirably penetrate the shell using the through-holes shared with retention components (not shown). This embodiment may comprise additional attaching features, it being understood that any particular version may have some, but not necessarily all of the attaching features illustrated. In addition to the recessed groove 57 already described, this embodiment has one or more threaded holes 97, which serve as mounting points for an accessory that can be threadably mounted therein. An attachment surface 99 on the front connecting element 94 accepts accessories such as PVS-14 night vision goggles to the front of the helmet. A hole 101a on the left side of the front connecting element 94 can be used in conjunction with a similar hole 101b on the right side to provide a hinged mounting point in the front for an additional accessory (see FIG. 6). Finally, a slot 103 allows a rear connecting element 107 to be attached as further described in connection with FIG. 7.
(33) FIG. 6 shows a face-protection accessory 105 hingeably affixed to the mounting rail of the present invention using holes 101a and 101b. The face-protection accessory 105 may be further supported by a bumper 107 that braces against the helmet shell 51. Mounting holes 101a, 100b provide a secure, hinged attachment to the helmet, allowing the face-protection accessory 105 to be hinged upward and out of the way when not needed.
(34) With reference to FIGS. 5 and 7, a rear connecting element 107 is designed to mate with slot 103a in mounting rail 55 on the left side and to extend around the back of the helmet shell 51 to a similar slot 103b on the mounting rail on the right side of the helmet. The rear connecting element 107 is desirably slightly compliant and conformal with the outer shell 51 such that when a tension is established between the two slots 103a and 103b, the rear connecting element 107 comes into close contact with the shell 51. This rear connecting element 107, which creates a bridge under tension between left-side and right-side mounting rails, allows the rails to better resist dislodgement by horizontal or rotational forces. The tension may be established by a pair of over-the-center latches 110a, 110b, which have ends adapted to fit into slots 103a, 103b, respectively, and to move hingeably downward (as indicated by the arrows) so as to snap against connecting element 107. Alternatively, tension can be provided by other suitable means known in the art such as tightening screws that pull two parts of the rear connecting element 107 together to contract its length. Accessories may be attached externally to the rear connecting element 107 using any of the attaching features as described above in connection with FIG. 5. Alternatively, rear connecting element 107 can provide a protected space for smaller accessories, such as electronic components, which can be stored within the space within the rear connecting element 107 or between it and the outer shell 51.
(35) Ear-Accessory Retention System
(36) The general operation of an ear-accessory retention system in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGS. 8A-8C. FIG. 8A shows the left side of a helmet shell 51, the right side having symmetrical features and requirements. A hinge mechanism in accordance with the present invention, generally indicated at 120, is attached to a mounting rail 55, which is itself attached to the helmet shell 51 by means of fastener 53. The hinge mechanism 120 supports an ear accessory (specifically, in the illustration, an earphone) 75, and allows the earphone 75 to extend below the terminal edge 122 of the helmet 51. It also allows the earphone 75 to fit against the wearer's ear with the cavity formed by the protrusion or bulge 125 of the helmet 51.
(37) FIG. 8B shows the hinge mechanism 120 in an intermediate position, as may be the case when the wearer is engaging or removing the earphone 75. Pulling the earphone 75 causes a pivot arm 130 to rotate as the earphone slides downward away from the wearer's ear. With the pivot arm 130 fully rotated to a downward position, the earphone 75 can pass out of the cavity and beneath the edge 122 of the helmet shell 51.
(38) As shown in FIG. 8C, rotating the earphone around its attachment post facilitates further clearance from the wearer's head. From this position, the wearer can move the hinge mechanism 120 to a stowage position described below, along the trajectory shown in FIG. 8D, or can completely remove the hinge mechanism 120 by loosening thumbscrew 83 and sliding engagement member 79 out of the recessed groove 57 of mounting rail 55.
(39) The various components of the hinge mechanism 120 are shown in FIG. 9. Pivot arm 130 includes a yoke 130a and a split-ring cap 130b. A split-ring screw 135 (see FIG. 11) holds the components 130a, 130b together, and with the two components joined, the pivot arm 130 rotatably engages a post 142 extending from the earphone 75. A shoulder screw 148 secures the yoke 130a to the connecting member 77 and is dimensioned so that when fully tightened against shoulder nut 153 (see FIG. 12A), it does not pinch too tightly, leaving clearance for the yoke 130a to rotate relative to the connecting member 77. The body of connecting member 77 and the edges 155 thereof form a C-shaped channel into which the shoulder member 160 is slidably received. A pair of tabs 167 formed on shoulder member 160 slide into complementary slots 169 through connecting member 77. The tabs 167 are flexibly joined to shoulder member 160 so that they can be deflected under manual pressure. To releasably engage the shoulder member 160 to the connecting member 77, the tabs 167 deflect as they enter slots 169 and then snap into place. The slidable connection between the connecting member 77 and shoulder member 160 provides adjustment of the earphones 75 in height and may be freely sliding, or maintained by a friction fit, or preferably provided with multiple positions by forming small indentations along the body of connecting member 77 near the slots 169 with resilient indexing features (e.g., as described below in connection with FIG. 14) formed on the body of shoulder member 160 (not shown), such that they “click” from one indentation to the next. To adjust for a comfortable position of the earphones 75 over the wearer's ears, the wearer manually slides connecting member 77 up or down relative to shoulder member 160 to adapt to different head shapes and ear heights. Yoke 130a is preferably curved (as indicated at 173) so that when the earphone 75 is positioned over the wearer's ear, the microphone 176 is not blocked.
(40) With reference to FIG. 10, the pivot arm 130 of the hinge mechanism is shown separated from other components. Yoke 130a is shown mated with split-ring cap 130b, forming a split-ring hole 179. This hole 179 may have an internal ring or ridged structure and is sized to receive the post 142 of a standard earphone 75 (see FIG. 9). The yoke 130a has an indentation 182 suitably cut into the split-ring area to provide clearance for an earphone electrical cable exiting the earphone 75 near the post 142 (as described below in connection with FIG. 13). An arm hole 185 is located at the other end of yoke 130a to receive shoulder screw 148, which rotatably attaches the pivot arm 130 to the connecting member 77 (as best seen in FIG. 9). The distance between the center of split-ring hole 179 and the center of arm hole 185 is indicated by dimension A. Preferably, dimension A ranges from 0.5 inch and 2 inches (e.g., 1.25 inches) in order for the mechanism to be easily operated by the helmet's wearer.
(41) With reference to FIG. 11, a counter-sunk hole 188 has a through-hole diameter sized so that the shaft of split-ring screw 135 passes through, and may also have a larger-diameter recess to allow the head of split-ring screw 135 to rest below the surface of split-ring cap 130b to avoid protrusions. A keyed feature 191a and a complementary groove feature 191b are formed in pivot arm components 130a, 130b, respectively, to index the two components one to another. When split-ring screw 135 is inserted into countersunk hole 188 and screwed into the threaded hole 193, the components 130a, 130b are drawn together with key feature 191a received within the groove feature 191b. Removing the split-ring screw 135 and separating the pivot arm into two parts 130a, 130b allows these components to be placed around the post 142 of standard earphones 75 (see FIG. 9), and secured by reinserting and tightening split ring screw 135.
(42) FIG. 12A shows pivot arm 130 and a mirrored symmetrical version of this part 130′ connected to a connecting member 77 with a shoulder screw 148 and a shoulder nut 153. Shoulder nut 153 is desireably a “T-nut” with a low profile to avoid interference with the earphone 75 (not shown). To facilitate tightening the shoulder screw 148, connecting member 77 has a blocking feature 196 that keeps shoulder nut 153 from rotating. Shoulder member 160 is shown assembled together with connecting member 77, with the body of shoulder member 160 retained in the channels formed by edges 155. Shoulder member 160 is designed to rotate about an axis passing through a detent ring 202, which is formed with protruding features. A wave washer (not shown) is used to force the protruding features of detent ring 202 in contact with similar or complementary features so that rotational movement of shoulder member 160 occurs in approximately 15° increments.
(43) Further illustrated in FIG. 12A (with alternate embodiments shown in FIGS. 12B and 12C) is a stop feature 210 that mechanically interferes with connecting member 77 to stop rotation of the pivot arm 130 (or 130′) relative to the connecting member 77. The degree of allowed rotation can be critical to the amount of pressure holding the earphones 75 (see FIG. 8A) against the wearer's head. Without the stop feature 210, the pivot arm 130, 130′ would be able to continue rotation toward connecting member 77, thereby allowing the earphone 75 to fall away from the wearer's head. The stop feature 210 prevents rotation beyond the point illustrated in FIG. 12A.
(44) The alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 12B allows for adjustment of the rotational interference of pivot arm 130 relative to connecting member 77. Adjustment of this rotation may be desirable to accommodate for tolerance of the fabricated parts, differences in helmet sizes, and differing fixation positions of the engagement member 79 onto the helmet 51, or simply to accommodate personal preference. In FIG. 12B, shoulder screws 148 are tightened into a cam nut 212 (instead of the shoulder nut 153). Cam nut 212 may be rotated by the user and held in place while tightening shoulder screw 148 to cause more or less interference with stop feature 210.
(45) In the further alternative illustrated in FIG. 12C, the shoulder screw 148 is secured with shoulder nut 153 as previously shown in FIG. 12A. An adjusting screw 215 threads into threaded hole 193 of yoke 130a (or 130a′). Turning adjusting screw 215 varies the amount of interference between pivot arm 130 (or 130′) and connecting member 77, thereby adjusting the amount of rotation.
(46) FIG. 13 shows the hinge mechanism of the present invention mounted on a helmet 51 and rotated to the stowage position. Also visible in FIG. 13 is earphone electrical cable 217, which exits from the back side of the earphone 75 where pivot arm 130′ clamps around earphone post 142. The hinge mechanism 120 is secured to the helmet by engagement member 79, which is held in recessed groove 57 of mounting rail 55 and secured with thumbscrew 83. A compression screw 226 holds shoulder member 160 to the engagement member 79. The compression screw 226, together with a wave washer and compression nut (not shown), places shoulder member 160 and its detent ring 202 (see FIG. 12A) in compression so that the shoulder member will retain its position (i.e., resist rotation once positioned by the wearer). To move the hinge mechanism from the position of FIG. 8A to that shown in FIG. 13, the wearer (i) pulls downward on the earphone 75, causing pivot arm 130 to rotate downward to the position shown in FIG. 8C; (ii) pulls further to cause the connecting member 77 to slide downward relative to the shoulder member 160; (iii) rotates shoulder member 160 toward the back of the helmet until the earphones 75 are against the back of the helmet shell 51; and (iv) slides connecting member 77 toward the front of the helmet so that the earphone 75 does not cross the mid-line of the helmet, thereby providing room for the corresponding earphone on the other side of the helmet to have a similar stowage position on its side of the back.
(47) FIG. 14 shows pivot arm 130 and connecting member 77 detached from the helmet and positioned to be slidably joined to a headband 229, facilitating use of the supported earphones 75 without a helmet. The headband 229 has a pair of tabs 231 with the same dimensions and functions as tabs 167 on the shoulder member 160 (see FIG. 9). The tabs 231 can be momentarily depressed to insert the headband 229 into the channel of connecting member 77 such that the tabs 231 slide in the slots 169. Indexing feature 234 “clicks” against small indentations formed along the body of connecting member 77 near the slots 169 to provide multiple adjustment positions to accommodate the size of the wearer's head.
(48) Having described certain embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments incorporating the concepts disclosed herein may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as only illustrative and not restrictive.
