FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to safety helmets, and in particular to attachment of accessories that may be optionally mounted onto the helmet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Helmets for head protection are worn in a variety of environments and for various purposes. Accessories may be added to the helmet according to the needs of the wearer and the demands of the use environment. Such accessories may, for example, provide additional protection, as in the case of a face shield; additional capability such as night vision; or communication in the case of earpieces.

Ear accessories (e.g., communications devices integrated within a padded earphone) can be critical in numerous helmet deployments; for example, the need for both protection and communication is particularly important in military, fire-fighter, rescue and similar activities. The prior art includes two approaches: ear accessories built into the helmet, and ear accessories worn separately beneath the helmet. An example of a helmet with built-in earphones is the present military helmet known as the Combat Vehicle Crew (CVC) helmet. Unfortunately, because the earphones add weight and do not function in dismounted operations, and cannot be removed, the vehicle crew members are issued two helmets—the CVC helmet and a standard infantry helmet.

The Modular Integrated Communications Helmet (MICH) supports earphones worn beneath the helmet. The earphones are donned first and the helmet, in use, rests on the wearer's head atop the earphone headband. To accommodate the space required for the earphone headband, the pads within the MICH helmet are removed or repositioned according to the wearer's head shape and size. In some cases this repositioning results in improper fit and/or less protection in the case of impact. Wearers may also experience discomfort due to the extra layer of retention elements separately holding the earphones and the helmet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a hinge mechanism for attaching ear accessories to a helmet. The hinge mechanism allows an ear 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 of the present invention is well suited for use in connection with military helmets that have a “bulge” or protrusion over the ear.

In some embodiments, a pivot arm of the hinge mechanism allows the ear accessory to extend below the edge of the helmet and, alternatively, to fold into a lower-profile configuration for stowage. The pivot arm may include a split ring that facilitates attachment to the posts of standard earphones. In particular, by removing a screw and separating the split ring into two parts, it may be placed around the posts of standard earphones, and secured by reinserting and tightening the screw. By replacing the existing ear-accessory support with the pivot arm of the present hinge mechanism, ear accessories that have already been fielded can be retrofitted in accordance herewith. The pivot arm desirably also provides clearance for any wires exiting the ear accessory and, depending on the application, clearance to access a battery compartment of the accessory.

The overall length of the pivot arm is selected to facilitate positioning and removal of the ear accessory around the edge of the helmet shell. The length from center of the pivot point where the pivot arm joins the connecting member and the center of the split ring may be, for example, between 0.5 inch and 2 inches (e.g., 1.25 inches). The pivot arm may include features that facilitate adjustment of the pressure placed by the ear accessory on the wearer's ear.

In some embodiments, a connecting member is pivotably connected to the pivot arm and slidably joined to a shoulder member, thereby forming an attachment assembly. The pivot arm and connecting member joined together may also be optionally attached to a conventional headband (instead of joining the shoulder member) to support the ear accessory without the helmet. The slidable connection between the connecting member and shoulder member provides adjustment of the ear accessory in height to obtain a comfortable position over the wearer's ear.

A shoulder member may support connection of the hinge mechanism to the helmet, for example, using the slidable mounting rail described below (it being understood that alternative means for attaching the shoulder member to the helmet may be substituted without detracting from the benefits of the present invention). The shoulder member of the hinge mechanism may also provide rotation to allow the ear accessory to rotate to the back of the helmet, facilitating stowage when the accessory is not needed.

A preferred mounting platform (herein referred to as a “mounting rail”) accepts the ear-accessory hinge mechanism and, if desired, additional accessories at desired locations and with positional security. The mounting rail may have slides, threaded holes, or other mounting fixtures suited to securing the accessories. The mounting rail may be configured to present a relatively low-profile protrusion from the helmet using physical surfaces that offer low risk of snagging or being caught in external devices when accessories are not in place. The mounting rail allows for adjustment of the position of the accessories when they are attached to the rail, which desirably accepts more than one optional accessory.

The mounting rail utilizes an interface structure secured to the outer shell of the helmet, providing surfaces for mounting accessories onto the mounting rail instead of directly onto the helmet. In some embodiments, the mounting rail may be secured to the helmet shell using existing through-holes in the helmet shell and the fasteners already employed in connection with helmet-retention components such as straps or headbands. The fasteners may be, for example, rivets or nuts and bolts and may be made from plastic (for light-duty applications), stainless steel, or forge-hardened steel (for helmets providing ballistic protection).

A preferred embodiment of the mounting rail comprises a molded component conforming to the shape of the outer shell of the helmet. In some versions, the bottom edge of the rail fixture (which itself includes one or more rails) conforms to the bottom edge of the helmet, while in other versions, the entire fixture is raised on the side of the helmet, residing, for example, over (and conforming to at least a portion of) a bulge or other protrusion or discontinuity in the helmet. The rail fixture desirably spans a sufficient circumference of the helmet shell to overlap at least two existing through-holes provided for securing retention components thereto. The mounting rail may then be secured to the helmet shell by sharing fasteners with the retention components using these through-holes. A benefit of this embodiment is that the mounting rail can be added to already-manufactured helmets by providing the appropriate mounting rail with mounting holes at the dimensions of the existing through-holes in the helmet. If necessary, modified fasteners, which may be longer than the standard fasteners, can be provided to secure both the mounting rail and the existing retention components using the existing through-holes. Avoiding the need for additional through-holes to secure the mounting rail means that the safety features of the shell are not altered. It should be stressed, however, that the use of existing through-holes is by no means necessary. Other approaches such as co-molding or thermo-bonding with the shell, bonding using adhesives, or a combination of adhesives and one or more fasteners can be used to secure the mounting rail to the helmet shell (or to fabricate it integrally therewith).

As used herein, the term “rail” refers to a mounting facility with parallel boundaries, and which slidably accepts a complementary engagement member. The preferred embodiment of the mounting rail includes a recessed groove open on at least one end and preferably on both ends. Accessories having an engagement member complementary to the recessed groove may be attached to the mounting rail by sliding the engagement member into the mounting-rail groove and securing it in place. The preferred cross-sectional profile for the groove is flat on the surface toward the helmet with angular side walls; this configuration is sometimes referred to as a dove-tail recessed groove. The opening width of the groove may range from 0.25 to 1.0 inch (and is preferably 0.75 inch) with walls angled inward from 30° to 60° (and preferably at 45°). The dovetail shape retains the attaching component by means of the angled walls, but the profile may be any suitably retentive shape (such as an “L” or “T” shape) having edges that slidably retain an attaching component, allowing it to reach a desired position where it is secured into place. Means for securing the position of the mounting element are well known in the art and may include, for example, a “thumbscrew” tightener or a “tab-and-slot” engagement mechanism.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention relates to a mounting facility for a safety helmet of the type having a bulge or protrusion on a side thereof to form a cavity therein, where the cavity extends to a terminal edge of the helmet and overlies a wearer's ear. The mounting facility comprises a fixture configured for attachment to the helmet above the bulge and, attached to the fixture, an articulating arm assembly for receiving an ear accessory. The arm assembly facilitates insertion of the ear accessory into the cavity and its removal therefrom around the terminal edge.

In some embodiments, the articulating arm assembly includes a joint mechanism facilitating rotational downward and inward movement of the ear accessory relative to the terminal edge. The joint mechanism may comprise first and second hinges, and the articulating arm assembly may comprise a flexible member that resists outward movement of the ear accessory relative to the wearer's head, thereby holding the ear accessory in contact with the wearer's head. The articulating arm assembly may also comprise means for adjusting a distance between the ear accessory and the terminal edge of the helmet. The mounting facility may further comprise means facilitating rotation of the articulating arm to place the ear accessory behind the helmet and/or means for adjustably limiting rotation of at least one of the hinges.

In a second aspect, the invention relates to an articulating arm assembly for use with a safety helmet of the type that has a bulge or protrusion on a side thereof to form a cavity therein, where the cavity extends to a terminal edge of the helmet and overlies a wearer's ear. The arm assembly comprises means for engaging an ear accessory and means facilitating insertion of the ear accessory into the cavity and its removal therefrom over the terminal edge. The articulating arm assembly may comprise a flexible member that resists outward movement of the ear accessory relative to the wearer's head, thereby holding the ear accessory in contact with the wearer's head, and/or means for adjusting a distance between the ear accessory and the terminal edge of the helmet.

In a third aspect, the invention relates to a safety helmet comprising a bulge or protrusion on a side thereof to form a cavity therein, the cavity extending to a terminal edge of the helmet and overlying a wearer's ear, a fixture attached to the helmet above the bulge and, attached to the fixture, an articulating arm assembly for receiving an ear accessory. The arm assembly facilitates insertion of the ear accessory into the cavity and its removal therefrom over the terminal edge. The helmet may include other features as described above.

