Forehead support band for helmets and helmet provided with such forehead support band

Abstract

A forehead support band for work or sports protective helmets, having an elongated structure, and able to assume an arched configuration in the mounted condition on a respective helmet is provided. The structure has at least one fixing appendage, for its fixing to the helmet, interposed between two opposite ends of the structure. The band has two movable connection brackets for the engagement of the structure to the helmet and to a size-adjustment device arranged to engage a user's nape.

Claims

1. A forehead support band for helmets, comprising an extended structure, capable of assuming an arched configuration in the mounted condition on a helmet, the structure having at least one fixing appendage, for its fixing to the helmet interposed between two opposite ends of the structure, and at least two connection brackets for the engagement of the structure to the helmet and to a size-adjustment device arranged to engage a user's nape, each connection bracket having: a first engagement appendage moveably engageable to the helmet; a second engagement appendage rotatably engageable to a respective end of the structure; and a third engagement appendage rotatably engageable to the size-adjustment device; each connection bracket being moveable with respect to the helmet and to the forehead support band between a raised position and a lowered position, the size-adjustment device engaged to the brackets is moveable with respect to the helmet and to the forehead support band between a raised position and a lowered position, and wherein the first engagement appendage of each connection bracket develops transversely with respect to the second engagement appendage and has at least one sliding slot adapted to receive at least one respective sliding constraint element of the helmet.

2. The forehead support band according to claim 1, wherein the first engagement appendage of each bracket is substantially arc-shaped, the sliding slot of the first engagement appendage of each connection bracket being substantially arc-shaped.

3. The forehead support band according to claim 1, wherein the second engagement appendage of each connection bracket develops transversely with respect to the first and third engagement appendages and hasat its free enda constraint element that is rotatably engageable in a constraint seat obtained at the respective end of the structure of the forehead support band.

4. The forehead support band according to claim 3, wherein: the constraint element comprises at least one rotary pin transversely projecting from the end of the second engagement appendage of each connection bracket, on the upper part of which an abutment bar having transversal dimensions greater than the dimensions of the rotary pin lies transversely to the main development of the second engagement appendage itself; and the constraint seat obtained in each of the ends of the structure of the forehead support band is defined by a through-opening having a shape substantially reproducing the shape of the constraint element of the second engagement appendage of the respective connection bracket and developing in the main development direction of the structure of the forehead support band, when the abutment bar of the constraint element of the second engagement appendage of each connection bracket is oriented according to the orientation of the constraint seat of the respective end of the structure, the constraint element is capable of being inserted into and removed from the constraint seat, when the abutment bar of the constraint element of the second engagement appendage of each connection bracket is oriented transversely with respect to the orientation of the constraint seat of the respective end of the structure, the constraint element interferes with the respective end of the structure thus maintaining the structure and the respective connection bracket constrained to each other.

5. The forehead support band according to claim 3, wherein the second engagement appendage of each connection bracket also has an auxiliary constraint element cooperating with the constraint element to hold the respective connection bracket constrained to the respective end of the structure.

6. The forehead support band according to claim 5, wherein the auxiliary constraint element of each connection bracket has a constraint tab that extends from the end of the second engagement appendage of the respective connection bracket on a plane substantially parallel to the lying plane of the respective second engagement appendage and along the main development direction of the latter, so as to touch the surface of the respective end of the structure when the respective connection bracket is mounted on it.

7. The forehead support band according to claim 3, wherein the second engagement appendage has a substantially grid structure with lightening openings.

8. The forehead support band according to claim 1, wherein the third engagement appendage of each connection bracket develops transversely with respect to the main development of the respective second engagement appendage.

9. The forehead support band according to claim 1, wherein each connection bracket has a substantially flat-shaped body.

10. A helmet comprising a structure having at least one substantially convex outer surface and at least one substantially concave inner surface adapted to receive in engagement a user's head; and at least one forehead support band according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Such description will be made herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings, provided for indicative purposes only and therefore not limiting, wherein:

(2) FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a forehead support band mounted on a helmet, in accordance with the present invention;

(3) FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the forehead support band of FIGS. 1 and 2;

(4) FIG. 5 is a front view of the forehead support band of FIGS. 1 to 4;

(5) FIG. 6 is a rear view of the forehead support band of FIGS. 1 to 5;

(6) FIG. 7 is a side view of the forehead support band of FIGS. 1 to 6;

(7) FIG. 8 is a top view of the forehead support band of FIGS. 1 to 7;

(8) FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the forehead support band of FIGS. 1 to 8;

(9) FIG. 10 shows the plane development of the components of the forehead support band of FIGS. 1 to 9;

(10) FIG. 11 is an enlargement in perspective view of a detail of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) With reference to the attached figures, number 1 indicates generally a forehead support band for helmets, in particular work or sports protective helmets.

(12) As can be seen in the attached figures, the forehead support band 1 comprises an elongated structure 2, preferably flexible, able to assume an arched configuration in the mounted condition on a respective work or sports protective helmet 3 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

(13) The structure 2 has at least one fixing appendage 2a, preferably two, for its fixing to the helmet 3, interposed between two opposite ends 2b of the structure 2.

(14) In detail, the fixing appendages 2a of the structure 2 extend each from a portion of the structure 2 close to the respective end 2b of the latter.

(15) As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 4, 7, 10 and 11, each fixing appendage 2a of the structure 2 hasat a free end 2c thereofat least one respective through-opening 2d, for the constraint of the same to a concave inner surface 3a (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the helmet 3 by means of respective constraint elements (not represented) of the latter.

(16) Advantageously, the forehead support band 1 comprises at least two connection brackets 4 for the engagement of the structure 2 to the helmet 3 and to a size-adjustment device (not represented since it is known) arranged to engage a user's nape.

(17) Each connection bracket 4 has a substantially flat-shaped body.

(18) In detail, each connection bracket 4 is provided with a first engagement appendage 5 moveably engageable to the helmet 3, a second engagement appendage 6 rotatably engageable to a respective end 2b of the structure 2 and a third engagement appendage 7 rotatably engageable by one end of the respective size-adjustment device.

(19) Advantageously, each connection bracket 4 is moveable with respect to the helmet 3 and to the forehead support band 1 between a raised position and a lowered position, therefore also the size-adjustment device engaged to the brackets 4, on the opposite side with respect to the structure 2 of the forehead support band 1, is moveable with respect to the helmet 3 and to the forehead support band 1 between a raised position and a lowered position.

(20) In further detail, the first engagement appendage 5 of each connection bracket 4 develops transversely with respect to the second engagement appendage 6 and has at least one sliding slot 5a adapted to receive in engagement at least a respective sliding constraint element (not represented since it is known) projecting from the inner surface 3a of the helmet 3.

(21) Yet further in detail, the first engagement appendage 5 of each bracket 4 is substantially arc-shaped, which is reproduced also by the sliding slot 5a, which is in turn substantially arc-shaped.

(22) The second engagement appendage 6 of each connection bracket 4 develops transversely with respect to the first and third engagement appendage 5, 7 and has, at its free end 6a, a constraint element 8 that is rotatably engageable in a constraint seat 2e obtained at the respective end 2b of the structure 2 of the forehead support band 1.

(23) In particular, the constraint element 8 comprises at least one rotary pin 8a transversely projecting from the end 6a of the second engagement appendage 6 of each connection bracket 4, on the upper part of which an abutment bar 8b having transversal dimensions greater than the dimensions of the rotary pin 8a lies transversely to the main development of the second engagement appendage itself.

(24) The constraint seat 2e obtained in each of the ends 2b of the structure 2 of the forehead support band 1 is defined by a through-opening having a shape substantially reproducing the shape of the constraint element 8 of the second engagement appendage 6 of the respective connection bracket 4 and developing in the main development direction of the structure 2 of the forehead support band 1.

(25) When the abutment bar 8b of the constraint element 8 of the second engagement appendage 6 of each connection bracket 4 is oriented according to the orientation of the constraint seat 2e of the respective end 2b of the structure 2, the constraint element 8 can be inserted into and removed from the respective constraint seat 2e, thereby facilitating the mounting and removing of the respective connection bracket 4.

(26) When the abutment bar 8b of the constraint element 8 of the second engagement appendage 6 of each connection bracket 4 is oriented transversely with respect to the orientation of the constraint seat 2e of the respective end 2b of the structure 2, the constraint element 8 interferes with the respective end 2b of the structure 2 thus maintaining the structure 2 and the respective connection bracket 8 constrained, as illustrated in the attached figures.

(27) Again with reference to the attached figures, the second engagement appendage 6 of each connection bracket 4 also has an auxiliary constraint element 9 cooperating with the constraint element 8 to hold the respective connection bracket 4 constrained to the respective end 2b of the structure 2. The auxiliary constraint element 9 of each connection bracket 4 advantageously has a constraint tab 9a that extends from the end 6a of the second engagement appendage 6 of the respective connection bracket 4, on a plane substantially parallel to the lying plane of the respective second engagement appendage 6 and along the main development direction of the latter, so as to touch the surface of the respective end 2b of the structure 2 when the respective connection bracket 4 is mounted on it.

(28) Preferably, in order to lighten each connection bracket 4, the respective second appendage 6 has a substantially grid structure with two or more lightening openings 6b.

(29) Again with reference to the attached figures, the third engagement appendage 7 of each connection bracket 4 develops transversely with respect to the main development of the respective second engagement appendage 6 and ends preferably with a free end 7a through which an engagement opening 7b is obtained for hinging a respective end of a respective size-adjustment device.

(30) The forehead support band and the protective helmet provided with the same according to the present invention solve the problems observed in the prior art and achieve important advantages.

(31) Firstly, the described forehead support band has transverse encumbrance, at the size-adjustment device, which is reduced since the connection brackets define extensions of the structure of the band itself without considerable overlapping with it.

(32) The significant reduction of the transverse encumbrance of the band allows a significant improvement of the fit and of the comfort of the helmets also while using additional accessories, such as for example anti-noise earmuffs.

(33) In addition, the presence of the sliding slots of the connection brackets engaged to the helmet allows to make the structure of the band more robust at the size-adjustment device, as well as to define a regular ascending and descending trajectory of the same, since it does not have undesired movements transverse to the trajectory.