EP0108694B2 - Retaining device for helmets - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A protective helmet, more particularly for drivers of land vehicles, of the kind comprising : a rigid shell (11) adapted to envelop, with the interposition of appropriate padding, basically the top, rear and side parts of the wearer's head, leaving an opening for seeing through, the shell being substantially stationary relatively to the head when the helmet is in position ; and a bottom front rigid part (12) which is adapted to move forwards relatively to the shell (11) and to be secured thereto by appropriate pivoting and/or locking means (12a, 16, 16', 17, 17a), the bottom front movable part (12) having a bead (19) which, when the part (12) is secured to the shell (11) bears below and around the wearer's chin, characterised in that the shell padding is prolonged rearwardly and downwardly by a padding (20) adapted to fit around the back or the neck and to bear thereon near the wearer's suboccipital fossae (27) ; and when the bottom moving front part (12) is secured to the shell (11) the bead (17) also bears on the wearer's mandibule on both sides so that the padding (20) and bead (19) together bound an opening which extends around the wearer's neck and is considerably narrower than the internal space of the shell.

Description

The present invention relates to an improved device for securing helmets, in particular protective helmets for drivers and passengers of motor vehicles, and in particular two- or three-wheeled vehicles.

More particularly, the invention relates to a protective helmet, in particular for pilots of land vehicles, of the type comprising on the one hand a rigid shell capable of being wrapped, by means of suitable padding, essentially the upper, rear parts. and lateral of the head of the user while leaving an opening for the user to see, this shell being practically fixed relative to the head when the helmet is in place, and on the other hand a single rigid lower and anterior part movable, from the start of its movement, towards the front relative to said shell and suitable for being subjected thereto by appropriate pivoting and / or locking means, said movable lower and front part supporting a support bead which, when said part is secured to said shell, comes to rest under the chin of the user,

Helmets of this general type are described in document DE-A-2 853 260 and US-A-3 362 403, but they do not have padding suitable for fitting around the rear part of the neck as well as take support under the suboccipital fossa of the wearer. Indeed, the padding of the shell of these known helmets extends only at the back of the head, without supporting or protecting the neck of the user. In addition, the opening of known helmets is too large for being able to ensure excellent securing on the wearer's head because said bead is here only a chin support which does not extend as far as the mandible of the user.

Other devices use, in place of the chin strap, two articulated half-shells on either side of the base of the helmet (FR 2 407 679). By closing, they lock under the helmet to secure it on the wearer's head. This solution has the disadvantage that the wearer must move the head to successively open the front part and then the rear part. In addition to the inconvenient side in current use, this system has serious disadvantages for removing the helmet in case of lesions of the cervical vertebrae.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks of known helmets, and above all to ensure that in the event of an accident, the helmet is more reliably retained on the head of the user.

To do this, a helmet of the general type described at the start will, in accordance with the present invention, be essentially characterized in that said padding of the shell is extended, at its rear and bottom part, by padding specific to its support. adjust around the rear part of the neck as well as to take support at the level of the sub-occipital pits of the user, this padding being supported by a rigid extension of the shell, fixed relative to the latter, and in that the mobile part is suitable for also enveloping the lower lateral parts of the screw, so that said bead, when said lower and anterior mobile part is secured to said shell, also comes to bear on each side of the larynx, under the mandible of the user and just in front of the gonic angle, the rigid support parts of said padding and of said bead together defining a non-deformable opening whose edge li berer only the passage to the neck of the user, and which is significantly narrower than the interior space of said shell.

The front part can be disengaged for fitting or removing the helmet in different ways: according to one of the variants proposed, the front part can be completely uncoupled from the helmet (Figure A) and re-coupled by snap-fastening, locking or another on either side of it. According to another variant, this front part can be released by lateral pivoting around a hinge (FIG. B), the closing being effected by snap-fastening of a lock or other system on the opposite part. We can still predict that the front part can move forward by sliding on two slides, and lock internally when closed.

Another particularity is that the front part can tilt forwards around an axis of rotation of the hinge type, for opening movements. This axis can be located above the orifice intended to clear the field of vision (Figure D), or, preferably, below it (Figure C).

In this last version, it will be desirable to position the axis of rotation as high as possible, even modifying the conventional rectangular shape of the opening, to place this axis opposite the projecting part of the nose. Locking in the closed position will be ensured by two side latches.

According to a preferred embodiment, the front part can tilt forwards around two axes of rotation placed laterally on each side towards the rear of the opening intended for the visual field. The locking will also be carried out by two side latches located at the base of the helmet (figure I).

It should be noted that when locking the helmet with the visor folded down, the head is isolated; therefore, an adjustable ventilation system is provided.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description given below by way of purely indicative and non-limiting example, which will make it possible to identify the advantages and the secondary characteristics thereof.

• la figure I est une vue latérale schématique du dispositif d'assujettissement amélioré dans lequel la partie avant rigide est articulée sur le casque par deux axes latéraux ;
• la figure II est une vue latérale en position ouverte ;
• la figure III est une vue en coupe de la vue latérale ; et
• les figures A à D sont des vues schématiques de différentes variantes du casque.

Reference will be made to the appended drawings in which:

• Figure I is a schematic side view of the improved securing device in which the rigid front part is articulated on the helmet by two lateral axes;
• Figure II is a side view in the open position;
• Figure III is a sectional view of the side view; and
• Figures A to D are schematic views of different variants of the helmet.

Referring first to Figure I, we see laterally a helmet 11 of conventional shape shown schematically, dressed with a rigid movable part 12, made in principle of the same material as the shell, on which is attached a visor 13 in transparent or other material, allowing visibility.

The above mobile part is equipped with two stops 14 and 14 '(in symmetry).

It should be noted that the movable part 12 is disposed at the front of the helmet and moves forward and upward relative to its two lateral axes 15 and 15 ′ located next to the two upper angles of the vision slot.

According to the invention, other locations can be retained, as described above. These two joints 15 and 15 ′ Can be produced using rivets and friction washers or the like and join the mobile part 12 to the helmet.

Figure II illustrates an embodiment of the device according to the invention; thus, we see on each side a self-locking locking system 16-16 'cooperating with the fasteners.

The fasteners 17 and 17 'make it possible to maintain the two assembled parts (the mobile part with the helmet). A centering shoulder 18 guides the two parts relative to one another.

The movable part 12, when closed, therefore represents the securing device of the invention.

Returning to Figure I, where we see the assembly in the closed position, the padding 19, made of materials similar to those used for protection in the shell 11, comes to rest under the mandible, thus securing the helmet with the wearer's head. This bead is of course maintained over its entire length by the extension of the rigid part under the mandible, freeing only the passage of the neck.

The front part of the neck is itself protected from the rigid material by the overflow of the bead 19 which can be seen in FIG.

It can be noted that this system, compared to a conventional strap, distributes the holding force, which makes it more comfortable.

To prevent the helmet from pivoting forward on the wearer's head, with the consequence of opening up the aforementioned bead located under the mandible, and thus causing the possible loss of the helmet, a padding 20 (see Figure I) located at the base inferior posterior of the shell 11 will be adjusted around the nape of the neck in the same way and with the same precautions as the aforementioned bead.

The mobile part can be guided and braked in its opening by a specially shaped tongue 21, which will slide in a slide forming an integral part of the helmet. Adjustable aerators 22 will preferably be made for the above reasons.

We can notice that the opening curve XX ' of the movable part 12, due to the choice of the location of the hinge pin 15, voluntarily causes a slight jamming on the chin. This characteristic means that in the event of the helmet being torn off, the mobile part 12 will always have a tendency to close, thus applying no effect in this critical phase, to the closing latch 16 in the unlocking direction, thus ensuring very high security with regard to the helmet.

It should be noted that the force in this case will be essentially supported by the joint 15 as in the conventional case of a strap on its retaining rivets. By cons, the strap has a weak point at its closing loop, which is not the case in the method according to the invention, the device is made in a single rigid piece.

Similarly, the helmet 11 and its movable part 12 thus closing further under the wearer's head than in a conventional helmet and having no sharp angles at this location, there will be less risk of dangerous snagging of the helmet from below in the event of an accident.

Figure III illustrates a preferred embodiment according to the invention, consisting of extending the lower part of the helmet as a whole (shell and movable front part) by a sufficiently large return 23, and more particularly facing the neck and the larynx , this return being lined internally with an absorption layer 24 and a layer of honeycomb foam 25, more flexible for comfort, this in order to avoid that the edge of the edge of the helmet, during the possible and brutal rotation of it, following a shock, does not come to traumatize the larynx or the cervical vertebrae. The curve of this return will be plotted as a function of the apparent center of rotation 〈〈 C R 〉〉 of the helmet, the latter being located approximately in the vicinity of the geometric center of the upper hemisphere of the helmet.

It will be noted that during the deformation of the internal absorption layers of a part of the helmet, this center of rotation may vary slightly.

To further improve the quality of the securing of the helmet on the wearer's head, without however hampering the comfort of the wearer, the lower part of the helmet can be used which returns under the head and under the mandible at four privileged points: firstly for the front part of the helmet, on each side, under the mandible, just in front of the gonic angle and on each side of the larynx 26; in fact, at this point, at the opening of the jaw, the displacement of the mandible is slight, unlike that recorded at the tip of the chin, thus making it possible to release it a little below, while keeping support in front of the chin 28.

With regard to the rear part of the helmet, the support is carried out at the level of the suboccipital fossa 27, on each side of the muscular masses surrounding the vertebrae, thus making it possible to further release the nape at the very delicate level of the cervical vertebrae.

The invention finds an interesting application in the safety of cyclists, motorcyclists and racing drivers.

Claims (7)

1. A protective helmet, more particularly for drivers of land vehicles, of the kind comprising on the one hand a rigid shell (11) adapted to envelop, with the interposition of an appropriate padding, essentially the top, rear and side parts of the wearer's head, leaving for him an opening for seeing through, this shell being substantially stationary relatively to the head when the helmet is in position, and on the other hand a single bottom and front rigid part (12) which is adapted, as from the beginning of its displacement, to move forwards relatively to the shell (11) and to be secured thereto by appropriate pivoting and/or locking means (12a, 16, 16', 17, 17a), the said bottom and front movable part (12) supporting a backing bead (19) which, when the part (12) is secured to said shell (11) bears under the wearer's chin, characterised in that the padding of the shell (11) is prolonged rearwardly and downwardly by a supporting padding (20) adapted to fit around the back of the neck and to bear thereon near the wearer's suboccipital fossae (27), this padding being supported by a rigid continuation of the shell, stationary relatively to said shell, in that the movable part (12) is also adapted to wrap the side and bottom parts of the wearer's face so that, when the bottom and front moving part (12) is secured to the shell (11), the bead (19) also bears under the wearer's mandibule on both sides of his larynx, and just in front of the gonion, the rigid supporting parts of said padding (20) and of said bead (19) defining together an undeformable opening the edge of which gives only passage to the wearer's neck, and which is considerably narrower than the internal space of the shell.
2. A helmet according to claim 1, characterised in that the opening for looking through is disposed between the shell (11) and the moving part (12) and the latter is completely separable from the shell (11) and can be secured thereto solely by the locking means (17, 17a ; Fig. A).
3. A helmet according to claim 1, characterised in that the opening for looking through is disposed between the shell (11) and the moving part (12) and the latter can pivot laterally on the shell (11) around a substantially vertical pivot (12a), in which event the locking means are disposed on that side of the shell (11) which is remote from the side carrying the pivot (12a ; Fig. B).
4. A helmet according to claim 1, characterised in that the part (12) can pivot on the shell (11) around a substantially horizontal pivot (15).
5. A helmet according to claim 4, characterised in that the opening for looking through is disposed in the front part of the shell (11) and the pivot (12a ; Fig. C) is disposed near the bottom front edge of the opening so that the moving part (12) can pivot downwardly around the pivot (12a).
6. A helmet according to claim 4, characterized in that the opening for looking through is disposed in the front part of the part (12), in which event the pivot (12a) is disposed near the top front edge of the shell (11 ; Fig. D).
7. A helmet according to claim 4, characterised in that the opening for looking through is disposed between the top front edge of the shell (11) and the top front edge ot the moving part (12), in which case the pivot (15, 15'; Fig. 1) is disposed near the top back corner of the opening.

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