Fastening system for the openable chinguard of a helmet

Abstract

 In a fastening system for the chin guard of an openable helmet, the chin guard (3) is pivotally attached, by means of pins (4) disposed in the side walls of the outer shell (2) of the helmet, so as to be able to be raised and lowered, the fastening system of the chin guard comprising two fastening devices (10, 110) disposed respectively in the lower right and left part of the outer shell (2) of the helmet, each fastening device comprising engagement means (11, 13) integral with the outer shell and engageable with engagement means (21) integral with the chin guard (3) and locking/unlocking means (16) that can be operated manually to lock/unlock the fastening between said engagement means (11, 13) integral with the outer shell and said engagement means (21) integral with the chin guard, the locking/unlocking means (16) of one (110) of the fastening devices being urged by elastic means (30) to remain normally in the locking position.

Description

[0001] The present invention refers to a fastening system for the chin guard of an openable helmet.

[0002] Various types of openable helmets for motorcycles and other vehicles are available on the market at present. Said helmets provide a chin guard which is pivotally attached to the side walls of the helmet so as to be able to be opened and closed according to the user's needs. For closure of the chin guard two fastening devices are provided in the side walls which lock the chin guard in the closed position.

[0003] The main disadvantage of said devices for fastening of the chin guard is that to open them it is necessary to use both hands to press simultaneously two buttons disposed in the side parts of the helmet, which release the respective fastening devices. Consequently these helmets prove dangerous, since the user is obliged to remove both hands from the handle bar, when he/she wants to raise the chin guard during use of the motorcycle.

[0004] To overcome said drawback, helmets are known having an openable chin guard, which have only one button located in the front portion of the chin guard. Such button is connected to complicated linkages which simultaneously release the two side fastening devices.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a fastening system for the chin guard of an openable helmet that is practical, versatile and simple to make.

[0006] This object is achieved in accordance with the invention with the characteristics listed in appended independent claim 1.

[0007] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are apparent from the dependent claims.

[0008] The fastening system for the chin guard of a helmet according to the invention provides two fastening devices disposed on the right and left of the helmet. Each fastening device provides a slot which receives a pin positioned in the side part of the chin guard, protruding inwardly. Each fastening device further provides a lever for locking the pin in the slot when the chin guard is closed.

[0009] The lever of one fastening device (preferably the left-hand one) is normally in a closed position because it is urged by spring means and the lever of the other fastening device (preferably the right-hand one) can be operated manually to pass from a closing position to an opening position.

[0010] Thus for closure of the helmet it is sufficient to lower the chin guard and operate the lever of the right-hand fastening device for closure whilst the lever of the left-hand fastening device automatically goes into the closing position thanks to the action of the elastic means. For opening of the helmet on the other hand, it is sufficient to manually position the right-hand lever in the opening position and then push the left hand lever into the opening position with one finger of the left hand and at the same time lift the chin guard with another finger of the same hand.

[0011] The advantages of the device according to the invention are apparent in that it allows raising/lowering of the chin guard using only one hand, without the risk of removing both hands from the handle bar of the vehicle.

[0012] Further characteristics of the invention will be made clearer by the detailed description that follows, referring to a purely exemplary and therefore non-limiting embodiment thereof, illustrated in the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic, front view of the helmet with the fastening system for the chin guard according to the invention, in which the chin guard is in the closed position;

Figure 2 is a side view of the helmet of Figure 1 with the chin guard in the open position, taken in the direction of the arrow D (user's right side);

Figure 3 is a side view of the helmet of Figure 1 with the chin guard in the open position, taken in the direction of the arrow S (user's left side);

Figure 4 is a view like that of Figure 2, in which the chin guard is in the closed position;

Figure 5 is a sectional view, partially broken off, along the line of section V-V of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view, partially broken off, along the line of section VI-VI of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a view like that of Figure 3, in which the chin guard is in the closed position.

[0013] The fastening system for the chin guard of an openable helmet according to the invention is described with the aid of the Figures.

[0014] With reference to Figure 1, a helmet, indicated as a whole with reference numeral 1, comprises an outer shell 2 made, for example, of ABS by injection moulding. Situated beneath the outer shell 2, in a substantially per se known manner, is an inner shell made of foamed polystyrene which is lined with a padding of foamed polyurethane and fabric intended to come into contact with the user's head.

[0015] A chin guard 3 is pivotally mounted on the outer shell 2, by means of pins 4 fixed to the two lateral ends of the outer shell 2, substantially level with the ears of the user who wears the helmet 1. In this manner, by exerting upward pressure on the bottom part of the chin guard 3, the chin guard 3 rises, turning around the axis of the pins 4.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, between the front lower edge of the outer shell 2 and the front top edge of the chin guard 3 an opening is defined to allow visibility for the user who wears the helmet 1. The profile 5 of said opening is covered by a rubber seal and the opening is covered by a visor 6 of transparent material, such as injection-moulded polycarbonate, for example. The visor 6 is pivotally attached to the chin guard 3 by means of two pins, disposed laterally, substantially level with the temples of the user who wears the helmet.

[0017] In the lower edge of the visor 6 two protruding lunettes 8 are provided which face two flared parts 9 provided in the chin guard 3, so as to facilitate raising of the visor 6 by the user who can press on the protruding lunettes 8 by placing his/her fingers in the flared parts 9. In this manner, with an upward pressure exerted on the protruding lunettes 8, the visor 6 is raised, turning around the axis of its own pins.

[0018] Figure 2 shows the helmet 1, seen from the right of the user who wears it, with the chin guard 3 raised, in which the fastening device 10 for the chin guard according to the invention can be seen disposed in the bottom edge of the side part of the outer shell 2. The fastening device 10 comprises a mounting plate 11 fixed integrally, by means of three screws 12, to the outer shell 2. The mounting plate 11 provides a slot 13 which defines a substantially rectangular corridor or passage with an entry opening 14 larger in size with respect to the rectangular corridor.

[0019] Beneath the slot 13, between the mounting plate 11 and the outer shell 2, a seat 15 is defined in which an operating lever 16 is received. The operating lever 16 has a stem 17, disposed inside the seat 15 and pivoted at the end thereof, by means of a pin 18, to the outer shell 2. The stem 17 ends in a head or pushbutton 19 which protrudes outwardly from the seat 15 so as to be able to be manually operated by the user. In a central position the stem 17 provides a retaining tooth 20 protruding in the direction of the slot 13. The retaining tooth 20 is substantially crescent-shaped with a substantially convex front surface (the one facing towards the entry slot or opening 14) and a substantially concave rear surface.

[0020] The lever 16 can assume an opening position, shown in Figure 2, in which the retaining tooth 20 is contained in the seat 15 and does not protrude into the cam slot 13 and a closing position (Figure 4) in which the retaining tooth 20 protrudes into the cam slot 13. The user, by pushing the head 19 of the lever 16 upward, places the lever 16 in the closing position and, by pushing the head 19 of the lever 16 downward, places it in the opening position.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, in the right hand part of the chin guard 3 there is provided a pin 21 which protrudes toward the inside of the chin guard 3, so that when the chin guard 3 is lowered, the pin 21 engages in the corridor 13. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the pin 21 has a substantially T-shaped longitudinal section, in which the part of the pin 21 with a larger diameter has a slightly smaller diameter with respect to the width of the entry opening 14 and the part of the pin 21 with a smaller diameter has a slightly smaller diameter with respect to the width of the slot 13.

[0022] Figure 3 shows the helmet 1, seen from the left of the user who wears it, with the chin guard 3 raised, in which like or corresponding elements are designated with the same reference numerals as those previously described and are not further described. As can be seen from Figure 3, the shape of the fastening device 110 disposed on the left of the helmet is perfectly symmetrical with that of the fastening device 10 disposed on the right of the helmet.

[0023] A difference is given by the fact that in the fastening device 110 disposed on the left hand side of the helmet is a fork spring 30 disposed around the pin 18 of the end of the stem 17 of the operating lever 16. Said spring 30 causes a counter clockwise rotation of the operating lever 16 around the pin 18. In this manner the operating lever 16 is pushed upward assuming, under normal conditions, a closed position, that is to say the retaining tooth 20 protrudes into the slot 13. Consequently the user, by pushing the head 19 of the operating lever 16 downward, brings it into the opening position, that is to say with the retaining tooth 20 disposed inside the seat 15 and not protruding into the slot 13.

[0024] Figures 4 and 7 show the left and right hand fastening devices 10, 110 when the chin guard 3 is lowered. In this situation the fixing pins 21 of the chin guard disposed to the left and the right are both at the end of the respective corridors 13. The left and right hand operating levers also are in the closing position with the respective retaining teeth 20 retaining the respective pins 21. In this case the left hand operating lever 16, through the action of the spring 30, automatically goes into the closing position, ensuring safety locking of the chin guard, whereas the right hand operating lever 16 must be raised by the user to position itself in the closing position.

[0025] To raise the chin guard, the user must therefore perform the following operations. Firstly with the right hand he must lower the right hand operating lever 16 to bring it into the opening position. Then with the left hand the user lowers the left hand operating lever 16 and at the same time raises the chin guard. This operation can be performed with one hand, for example by pressing the head 19 of the left hand lever with the thumb of the left hand and at the same time raising the chin guard with the index finger of the left hand.
Clearly the position of the fastening devices 10, 110 of the chin guard can be inverted, for example for helmets intended for users who prefer to work on the helmet with the right hand.

[0026] Numerous variations and modifications of detail within the reach of a person skilled in the art can be made to the present embodiment of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fastening system for the chin guard of an openable helmet, the helmet (1) comprising a chin guard (3) pivotally attached, by means of pins (4), disposed in the side walls of the outer shell (2) of the helmet, so as to be able to rotate around the axis of said pins in order to be able to pass from a raised position to a lowered position, the fastening system of the chin guard comprising two fastening devices (10, 110) disposed respectively in the right and left bottom part of the outer shell (2) of the helmet, each fastening device comprising engagement means (11, 13) integral with the outer shell (2) able to engage with engagement means (21) integral with the chin guard (3) and locking/unlocking means (16) which can assume a locking/unlocking position to lock/unlock the coupling between said engagement means (11, 13) integral with the outer shell and said engagement means (21) integral with the chin guard, the locking/unlocking means (16) of one (10) of the fastening devices being manually operable to pass from the locking position to the unlocking position and the locking/unlocking means (16) of the other fastening device (110) being urged by elastic means (30) to remain normally in the locking position and being manually operable to pass into the unlocking position.

2. A fastening system according to claim 1, characterized in that said engagement means integral with the outer shell (2) are a plate (11) comprising a slot (13) and said engagement means integral with the chin guard (3) are a pin (21) able to engage into said slot (13).

3. A fastening system according to claim 2, characterized in that said slot (13) is substantially rectangular in shape and has an entrance opening (14) slightly larger in size to facilitate entry of said pin (21).

4. A fastening system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said locking/unlocking means are a lever (16) which provides retaining means (20), said lever (16) being pivoted by means of a pin (18) in the outer shell (2) of the helmet.

5. A fastening system according to claim 4, characterized in that said lever (16) is disposed below said slot (13).

6. A fastening system according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that said retaining means is a tooth (20) protruding from said lever in the direction of said slot (13).

7. A fastening system according to claim 6, characterized in that said tooth (20) has a substantially convex front surface so that abutment against said pin (21) integral with the chin guard causes lowering of the lever into the opening position and a substantially concave rear surface so that abutment against said pin (21) integral with the chin guard does not cause lowering of the lever into the opening position.

8. A fastening system according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that said lever (16) is connected to a head o pushbutton (19) protruding outwardly from the chin guard (3) so as to be able to be operated by the user.

9. A fastening system according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that said elastic means (30) are a fork spring disposed around said pin (18) of the lever (16).

Drawing