CN106455736B

CN106455736B - Extended field of view for full-face motorcycle helmet

Info

Publication number: CN106455736B
Application number: CN201580024112.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: M.W.洛
Original assignee: Bell Sports Inc
Current assignee: Bell Sports Inc
Priority date: 2014-05-08
Filing date: 2015-05-08
Publication date: 2019-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 2035-05-08
Also published as: EP3139783A4; WO2015172113A1; AU2015255728A1; EP3139783A1; CN106455736A; JP2017517643A; CA2947885A1; US20150320135A1

Abstract

A full-face motorcycle helmet may include a visor opening including an upper edge, a lower edge, and an A-pillar extending between the upper edge of the visor and the lower edge of the visor. The latch may include a recess beginning proximate the a-pillar and a latch height Hc1 within the recess is greater than or equal to 60 millimeters (mm) and a latch height Hc2 outside and proximate the recess is greater than or equal to 70 mm. The height Hr of the depression may be greater than or equal to 5mm, within a distance range of 15-60 mm. The recess may further comprise a step between the bottom of the recess and the top of the recess, the step having a length less than or equal to 35 mm.

Description

Extended field of view for full-face motorcycle helmet

Related patent application

The benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 61/990,633 entitled "Expanded Field of View for Full-face Helmet" (extended Field of View for Full-face motorcycle helmets), filed 5, month 8, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, is claimed.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a helmet having an extended field of view for a full-face helmet and methods of making and using the same.

Background

Protective headgear and helmets have been used in a wide variety of applications and across a variety of industries, including use in athletic activities, athletics, construction, mining, military defense, and other fields to prevent damage to the head and brain of a user. The use of a helmet that prevents hard or sharp objects from directly contacting the user's head can avoid or reduce injury to the user. The use of helmets that absorb, disperse or otherwise manage impact energy also avoids or reduces injury to the user.

Fig. 1 shows a conventional helmet or full-face motorcycle helmet 10 as known in the art. Helmet 10 includes a helmet body 12, which typically includes one or more layers of protective padding or energy absorbing material (including a hard outer shell and a foam inner liner). The optional visor or shield 14 may be rotatably connected to the helmet body 12 using one or more hinges or pivots 15 that may allow the shield 14 to rotate between an open or raised position and a closed or buckled position. Fig. 1 shows the shield 14 in a closed or buckled position such that the bottom edge 16 of the face shield 14 contacts or rests against a portion of the clasp 17, such as the top edge of the clasp 17. The latches 17 of the full-face helmet 10 provide protection for the entire face, including the chin, face and under the head of the user. In particular, the latches 17 can provide protection and energy absorption against frontal impacts, while the helmet without the latches provides less protection and energy absorption. A viewing aperture (faceport) or opening 18 through the helmet 10 provides visibility to the user through the viewing aperture 18 and optionally through the visor 14, which may also be referred to as the helmet user's field of view (FOV).

Helmets, such as helmet 10, have typically been tested in the past for both safety and field of view. There is a trade-off between additional protective helmet material, which enhances energy management during impact to improve safety, and field of view, which is reduced with additional protective helmet material. To ensure adequate safety and field of view, regulatory authorities have enacted some guidelines to ensure that proper balance is maintained. For example, europe has adopted the ECE test standard for detecting field of view. The field of view is measured for the helmet wearer, user or rider to ensure that sufficient or desired safety and field of view is provided for the user.

Disclosure of Invention

There is a need for an improved full-face motorcycle helmet. Accordingly, in one aspect, a full-face motorcycle helmet may include a hard outer shell and an energy-absorbing material disposed within the hard outer shell. The full-face motorcycle helmet may further include a visor opening extending through the hard shell to the interior space of the helmet, the visor including an upper edge, a lower edge defined by an upper edge of the non-removable latch, the visor further defined on the first side by an a-pillar extending between the upper edge and the lower edge of the visor, the visor having a height Ha. The latch may include a recess beginning proximate the a-pillar and a latch height Hc1 within the recess is greater than or equal to 60 millimeters (mm) and a latch height Hc2 outside and proximate the recess is greater than or equal to 70 mm. The recess may have a height Hr (in the range of 15-60 mm) greater than or equal to 5mm between the bottom of the recess and the top of the recess, wherein the recess may further comprise a step between the bottom of the recess and the top of the recess having a length less than or equal to 35 mm.

The full-face motorcycle helmet may also have a catch height Hc1, which is the minimum catch height within the recess. The maximum height (Ha max) of the viewing aperture may be equal to or less than 80 mm. The full-face motorcycle helmet may also include a rearmost point of the eye disposed within the lower half of the a-pillar height Ha. The maximum radius of curvature between the a-pillar and the bottom of the recess may be less than or equal to 50 mm. The full-face motorcycle helmet may also include a face shield retractably connected to the full-face helmet over the visor.

In another aspect, a full-face motorcycle helmet may include a hard outer shell and an energy-absorbing material disposed within the hard outer shell. A sight opening may extend through the hard shell to the interior space of the helmet, the sight opening including an upper edge, a lower edge defined by the upper edge of the latch, the sight opening further defined on the first side by an a-pillar extending between the sight opening upper edge and the sight opening lower edge, the sight opening having a height Ha. The latch may include the recess beginning adjacent the a-pillar, and the recess may have a height Hr (in the range of 10-60 mm) between the bottom of the recess and the top of the recess that is greater than or equal to 3 mm. The latch may include a step between the bottom of the recess and the top of the recess having a length less than or equal to 40 mm.

The full-face motorcycle helmet may also have a catch height Hc1 in the recess and adjacent the a-pillar that is the minimum catch height in the recess. The maximum height (Ha max) of the viewing aperture may be equal to or less than 95 mm. The full-face motorcycle helmet may also include a rearmost point of the eye disposed within the lower half of the a-pillar height Ha. The maximum radius of curvature between the a-pillar and the bottom of the recess may be less than or equal to 50 mm. The full-face motorcycle helmet may also include a face shield retractably connected to the full-face helmet over the visor. The latch can also have a latch height Hc1 greater than or equal to 60mm within the recess and a latch height Hc2 greater than or equal to 65mm outside and adjacent the recess.

In another aspect, a full-face motorcycle helmet may include a hard outer shell and an energy-absorbing material disposed within the hard outer shell. A sight opening may extend through the hard shell to the interior space of the helmet, the sight opening including an upper edge, a lower edge defined by the upper edge of the latch, the sight opening further defined on the first side by an a-pillar extending between the sight opening upper edge and the sight opening lower edge, the sight opening having a height Ha. The latch may include a recess that begins adjacent the a-pillar and has a height Hr between a bottom of the recess and a top of the recess that is greater than or equal to 3 mm. The latch may include a step between the bottom of the recess and the top of the recess having a length less than or equal to 40 mm.

The full-face motorcycle helmet may also have a catch height Hc1, which is the minimum catch height within the recess. The maximum height (Ha max) of the viewing aperture may be equal to or less than 95 mm. The eyehole last point may be disposed within the lower half of the a-pillar height Ha. The full-face motorcycle helmet may also include a maximum radius of curvature between the a-pillar and the bottom of the recess of less than or equal to 50 mm. A mask is retractably connected to the full-face helmet over the viewing aperture. The latch can also have a latch height Hc1 greater than or equal to 60mm within the recess and a latch height Hc2 greater than or equal to 65mm outside and adjacent the recess.

Drawings

Fig. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a protective full-face motorcycle helmet known in the prior art.

Fig. 2 shows a protective full-face motorcycle helmet with test lines and field of view (FOV) reference.

Fig. 3A and 3B show exterior views of a full-face motorcycle helmet with an improved field of view.

Fig. 4A to 4C show the relationship between the various parts of the helmet visor and the field of view or field of view requirements.

Fig. 5A and 5B show various projections of an improvement to the field of view of a motorcycle helmet.

Fig. 6A and 6B show an apparatus for measuring the field of view of a motorcycle helmet.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure, aspects and implementations thereof are not limited to the specific helmet or material types or other system component examples or methods disclosed herein. Many additional components, manufacturing and assembly procedures consistent with helmet manufacture known in the art may be envisioned for use with particular implementations of the present disclosure. Thus, for example, although particular implementations have been disclosed, such implementations and implementation components may include any components, models, types, materials, versions, numbers, and/or the like known in the art for such systems and implementation components consistent with the intended operation.

The words "exemplary," "example," or various forms thereof are used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" or "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Furthermore, the examples are provided solely for purposes of clarity and understanding and are not intended to limit or restrict the disclosed subject matter or relevant portions of this disclosure in any way. It should be understood that numerous additional or alternative examples having different scopes may be presented herein, but have been omitted for purposes of brevity.

While this disclosure is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the disclosed methods and systems and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the disclosed concepts to the embodiments illustrated.

The present disclosure provides apparatus, devices, systems, and methods for providing full-face motorcycle helmets that may optionally include or require the inclusion of non-removable clasps and visors. In some embodiments, the full-face motorcycle helmets described herein can be formed without a mask, such as for motorcycle helmets or endurance racing helmets, which in the past did include a mask, but which were used in combination with goggles or eye protectors that were separate from the helmet or not integrally formed with the helmet. In these cases, improvements to the field of view ("FOV") may not be applicable because the helmet visor, rather than the visor, limits the user's field of view. Where the visor limits the field of view, a similar effect can be achieved by adjusting the visor in a similar manner to that done for a helmet visor.

Generally, protective helmets including the full-face motorcycle helmet described above can include a hard outer shell, an impact pad, and a comfort pad. The rigid shell may be formed by injection molding using carbon fibers and may comprise Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic or other similar or suitable material, or any other suitable material. The housing may be sufficiently rigid to resist impact and puncture, as well as meet relevant safety testing standards. In some cases, the housing may also be sufficiently flexible that it can deform slightly during an impact to absorb energy through deformation, thereby facilitating energy management.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional profile view of a conventional helmet or full-face motorcycle helmet 20 worn by a user 22, similar to helmet 10. Fig. 2 also includes additional detail representing the area of the field of view 24 of the user 22. The forward field of view 24 includes a lower boundary, surface or edge 26 that is above and does not intersect a lower edge 28 of the viewing aperture 21. Similarly, the forward field of view 24 includes an upper boundary, surface or edge 30 that can remain above the eyes of the user 22 and below and not intersect with an upper edge 32 of the viewport opening 21.

Fig. 2 also illustrates how a line or plane on the head of the user 22 or on a test head model is positioned relative to a line or plane on the helmet 20 as a way to define and arrange a desired or appropriate fit between the helmet 20 and the user 22. For example, fig. 2 shows a test line or plane 34, such as a Snell J test line or plane indicating the portion of the helmet 20 that may be subjected to destructive testing. For example, by transferring test line 34 from the test head model to the outer surface of helmet 20, test line 34 may be used as part of a helmet safety standard such that the location or position of the test line is formed on or associated with the helmet for impact testing. For example, impact testing can be performed by impacting the helmet 20 on or over the test line 34.

The relative position between the test head model or user 22 head and the outer surface of the helmet 20 can be established by using a reference plane or line 36, which is coextensive with the base plane, frankfurter plane, or ear orbit plane of the user 22 head, and by using a Head Position Index (HPI) relative to a point or plane of the helmet, such as the upper edge 32 of the sight hole 18 in the front of the helmet 20. The reference plane 36 may be defined by anatomical features of the head or head model of the user 22, such as by a plane passing through the lowest point of the left orbit (or left orbit of the skull or lower edge of the orbit) and also passing through the midpoint of the upper edges of the left and right external auditory meatus or the upper edge of each ear canal or external auditory meatus. The HPI defines a distance between a reference plane 36 of the test head model or the head of the user 22 and a portion of the helmet 20, such as a portion of the helmet 20 indicated or defined by a test line 34, which may be a front portion of the upper edge 32 of the sight hole 18 of the helmet 20. The HPI may include any suitable distance based on the characteristics and needs of a particular user, including distances in the range of 35-65mm, 40-55mm, or about 47 mm. In fig. 2, HPI is shown as the distance between the reference plane 36 and the upper edge 32 of the viewing aperture 18.

Fig. 3A and 3B illustrate side profile views of a full-face motorcycle helmet 50 according to the present disclosure. The helmet 50 includes a helmet body 51, which may include one or more layers of protective padding or energy absorbing material, including a hard outer shell 52 and a foam inner liner, and a latch 58. An optional visor or shield 54 can be rotatably connected to the helmet body 51 and disposed between the body 51 and the catch 58. The visor 54 may be connected to the helmet body 51 using one or more hinges or pivots 55 that may allow the visor 54 to rotate between an open or raised position and a closed or buckled position. Fig. 3A and 3B show the face shield 54 in a closed position such that a bottom edge 56 of the face shield 54 contacts or rests against a portion of the latch 58, such as on top of the latch 58. The boundaries of the viewing aperture 70 can be seen through the face mask 54 in fig. 3A and 3B for ease of reference. The catch 58 may be attached to the body 51 of the helmet 50 by being integrally formed with the body 51, or by being a separate piece that may be permanently or releasably attached to the body 51. The latches 58 of the full-face helmet 50 provide protection to the entire face, including the chin, face, and under the head of the user. In particular, the clasps 58 can provide protection and energy absorption against frontal impacts, while the claspless helmets provide less protection and energy absorption, particularly for the face and head fronts of the user.

In other words, the sight hole 70 may be formed as an opening through the helmet 50 to separate or dispose the body 51 and the catch 58 therebetween. The viewing aperture 70 may provide visibility or a field of view for the user when viewed through the viewing aperture 70 and optionally through the face mask 54. Fig. 3A shows one embodiment of a helmet 50 depicted as a full-face street-style helmet that includes a face shield 54. in another embodiment, the full-face helmet 50 may be formed as an off-road style helmet or other suitable helmet without the face shield 54.

Fig. 3A and 3B also show that the viewing aperture 70 includes a lower edge, surface or border 72, an upper edge, surface or border 80, and an a-pillar 81 that may be attached at the back or back of the viewing aperture 70, between the lower edge 70 and the upper edge 80, or extend therebetween. As is known in the art, the location of the a-pillar 81 is provided where the latch 58 is connected to the body 51 of the helmet 50, which is generally adjacent to the location of the user's ear when the helmet 50 is worn by the user.

The a-pillar 81 or the viewing aperture 70 adjacent the a-pillar 81 has a height Ha extending from the upper edge 80 of the viewing aperture 70 to the lower edge 72 of the viewing aperture 70. The height Ha may be measured in a direction that is perpendicular to the upper edge 80 of the viewport 70, the lower edge 72 of the viewport 70, or the reference line 36, or includes a relative angle of 90 ° to the upper edge of the viewport, the lower edge of the viewport, or the reference line. In other cases, the height of the A-pillar 81 may be measured at the end of the headband or the radius end of the upper and lower rounded corners of the viewport 70, which may be located at the intersection between the A-pillar 81 and the viewport upper and lower edges 80 and 72, respectively. The maximum radius of curvature between the a-pillar and the bottom of the recess may be less than or equal to 50mm, 40mm, 30mm, 20mm, and (in some cases) about 10mm, such as in the range of 6-11 mm. Alternatively, the intersection point 93 is determined by extending the line of the a-pillar 81 and the viewport lower edge 72 until they intersect, and the height Ha of the a-pillar 81 may be measured between the upper edge of the viewport 80 and the intersection point 93. When measuring height Ha based on intersection point 93, height Ha may be measured in a direction perpendicular to reference line 36 and may be measured as the distance from intersection point 93 to reference line 36 or upper eye edge 80. Thus, in some cases, the height Ha will be measured in a direction parallel to the a-pillar 81.

In some embodiments, the direction of the height Ha may be parallel to or aligned with the y-axis or vertical axis, as also indicated in fig. 3A and 3B. The y-axis can be aligned with or contained within a sagittal plane of the user or a sagittal plane of the helmet 50 that extends in a direction between the top 64 of the helmet 50 to the bottom 66 of the helmet 50. An x-axis or horizontal axis is also shown in fig. 3A and 3B and throughout the figures, which may be completely or substantially perpendicular or orthogonal to the y-axis, and may be contained within the sagittal plane of the user or the sagittal plane of the helmet 50, which extends from the front or front 60 of the helmet to the rear or rear of the helmet 50.

Since the upper edge of the sight hole is typically used to position the helmet relative to the user's head, eyes, or both, measuring the height Ha of the field of view from the upper edge 80 of the sight hole 70 can be a convenient measurement process. The upper edge of the helmet visor is a feature used by many certification authorities in specifying test lines and vision requirements. Exemplary certification organizations include the international organization for standardization (ISO), ECE testing standards (commonly used in europe), the department of transportation (DOT) of the united states, and the snell memorial Foundation (a non-profit organization devoted to the research, education, testing, and development of helmet safety standards). Based on the reference plane on the test head model, the certification authority may specify a height or Head Position Index (HPI) for the helmet, as discussed above in connection with fig. 2. For example, ECE uses the upper visual plane and the upper edge of the viewport of the helmet to specify positions on the head model. The height Ha of the sight hole 54 of the helmet 50 may be greater than or equal to 60mm, 65mm, 70mm, 75mm, or other similar measurements.

The catch 58 can have one or more heights Hc that can extend from the lower edge 72 of the sight hole 70 to the neck or bottom 66 of the helmet 50. The height Hc of the latch is measured perpendicular to the lower edge 72 of the sight hole 70 or perpendicular to the lower edge of the latch 58 (such as at the bottom of the helmet 66 along the neck opening). Thus, Hc1 may be measured within recess 71 perpendicular to lower edge 75 of viewing aperture 70. The height Hc1 may be greater than or equal to 60mm, 61mm, 62mm, 63mm, 64mm, 65mm, 70mm, 75mm, 80mm, 85mm, or other similar measurements. Similarly, Hc2 may be measured perpendicular to the lower edge 73 of the viewport 70 outside of and proximate to the recess 71. Height Hc2 may be greater in height than Hc1, such that height Hc2 may be 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 11mm, 12mm, or other similar measure greater than height Hc 1. In some embodiments, the height Hc1 taken adjacent or proximate to the a-pillar 81 is the smallest of all latch heights (Hcmin) taken within the recess 71 when compared to all heights along the length of the latch 58.

Fig. 3A and 3B show that the helmet 50 may be formed by a lower edge 72 of the sight hole 70, which includes a depression, notch, or countersink 71. A recess 71 is formed proximate to the a-pillar 81 at or at the intersection of the height Ha of the viewing aperture 70 and the height Hc of the latch 58 to prevent the lower edge 72 of the viewing aperture 70 from having a straight or continuous curved line or arc as in conventional helmets, such as the lower edge 19 of the viewing aperture 18 or the bottom edge 16 of the visor 14 of the helmet 10 shown in fig. 1. Rather, the bottom edge 72 includes a front portion 73 and one or more rear portions 75 of the bottom edge 72, wherein the rear portions 75 may be vertically offset by a stepped shape or portion 76 extending between the front and rear portions 73, 75 of the lower edge 72. The dashed line 74 shows such an extension: the lower edge 72 may extend to the a-pillar 81 if there is no step 76 and recess 71 extending to the rear 75 of the lower edge 72 in the recess 71.

Accordingly, the height Hr of the recess 71 may be measured between the dashed line 74 and the rear portion 73 of the lower edge 72. In other words, by way of example and not limitation, the recess 71 may have a height Hr extending between the bottom of the recess and the top of the recess, the height Hr being greater than or equal to 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm or 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm, 17mm or 20mm, and the length being in the range of 5-60mm or 10-50mm or 15-45 mm. As one non-limiting example, in some cases, the height Hr may be less than or equal to 15 mm.

The length Lr of the recess 71 may extend between the a-pillar 81 and the junction of the front 73 and the step 76. The length of the step 76 between the bottom of the recess and the top of the recess is less than or equal to 40mm, 35mm, 30mm, 25mm, 20mm, 15mm, 10mm or 5 mm. The stepped shape 76 may have any suitable slope, angle, shape, curve, radius, pattern, taper or radius, convex or concave or include both concave and convex portions. The stepped shape 76 may be formed by one or more steps and includes a vertical component that may be perpendicular to the lower edge 72 of the viewing aperture 60, perpendicular to one or more of the bottom 75 of the recess 71 proximate or at the edge of the recess 71, the top 73 of the recess 71, or perpendicular to an imaginary line 74, which may be a projection of the top 73 of the recess or an extension of the lower edge 72 of the viewing aperture 70. The vertical component of the step 76 may be purely vertical or may be a portion of a vector that includes a vertical component and is inclined or angled between the bottom 75 of the recess and the top 73 of the recess, as shown in fig. 3A and 3B.

The final point of the viewing aperture along the a-pillar 81 can be determined by placing the helmet 50, or any other full-face motorcycle helmet, on an ISO-57 head model and positioning the helmet according to the ECE standard on the ISO-57 head model, with the upper edge 80 of the viewing aperture 70 being located on the front of the helmet 60, just touching the upper boundary 30 or 83 of the desired field of view. The vertical laser may move forward from the center of the ISO-57 head model until the laser first contacts a portion of the a-pillar 81, thereby determining the last point of the a-pillar. For the helmet 50, the last point of the A-pillar 81 will be located below or in the bottom half of the height of the A-pillar 81, or below or in the bottom third of the height of the A-pillar, or the intersection point 93, or the lower edge 75 of the viewing aperture 70, within 0-30mm, 0-20mm, or 0-10 mm.

In contrast to the features of the recess 71 described above, the bottom edge of the viewing aperture of a conventional motorcycle helmet does not include a partial downward cut or notch located immediately adjacent the a-pillar, as described herein in connection with the recess 71. In contrast, the lower edge of a conventional sight hole in a endurance or cross-country helmet typically includes a straight or continuously sloped lower edge without the stepped design, positioning and location described herein in connection with the recess 71.

Similar to the lower edge 72 of the viewing aperture 70, the bottom edge 56 of the visor 54 need not have a straight edge or a continuous curved line or arc, as does the bottom edge 16 of the visor 54 of the helmet 10. Rather, the bottom edge 56 may follow, mirror, or match the contour of the lower edge 68 of the viewport opening 70. The shape of the bottom edge 56 and the lower edge 72 may include a single step 76 or a plurality of steps 76, such as two, three, or any desired number of steps 76. By including the recess 71, the field of view of the helmet 50 and the user can be increased without adjusting the position of the a-pillar 81 or sacrificing the strength or energy management of the latch 58. Thus, by tilting the lower edge 72 of the sight hole 70, the field of view of the user and helmet 50 may be increased, while also reducing blind areas for the user or the helmet.

As shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the upper edge 80 of the viewing aperture 70 need not match or mirror the lower edge 72 of the viewing aperture 70. Rather, the upper edge 80 of the sight hole 70 may be formed as a line or curve that includes a straight, flat, or continuous form without any stepped shape or depression. The upper edge 80 of the sight hole 70 may be parallel to the x-axis of the helmet 50 or may be angled upward from the a-pillar 81 to the front face 60 of the helmet 50, as shown in fig. 3A and 3B, to increase the forward and upward visibility or field of view of the helmet 50.

Following fig. 3A and 3B, fig. 4A shows a visual representation of the improved field of view for the user and the helmet when the helmet includes the improvements discussed above with respect to helmet 50. More specifically, fig. 4A illustrates how the field of view of a rider or helmet wearer 90 wearing a helmet 92 can be improved by adjusting the lower edge 94 of the sight hole 96 to include a recess 98, shown by dashed lines, similar or identical to the recess 71. Fig. 4A shows the head of the helmet wearer 90 within the helmet interior space, and also shows that the space of the recess 98 is opaque, failing to show how the area 90 behind the rider or the rear of the coronal plane of the rider 92 is blocked within the area of the recess 98 without transparent or open areas or recesses. Assuming that the rider 90 is on his motorcycle, the field of view of the rider 90 is increased substantially anywhere, for the rider 90, the increased field of view of the rider 90 is particularly apparent when turning around to "check for blind spots" before the rider 90 moves laterally (such as when changing lanes during riding). As shown in fig. 4A, by utilizing a lower edge 94 that is not recessed at the bottom of the recess 98, the lower edge 94 may disadvantageously reduce the rider's functional field of view and increase the blind area of the helmet and rider 90. The discovery of this unexpected result or the area occupied by the indentations 71 or 90 allows the addition of different structural features or indentations within the helmets 50 and 92, respectively, to take full advantage of the unexpected result.

As shown in fig. 4A, the gain in field of view of the rider 90 and helmet 92 is not only in the lateral direction of the motorcycle rider 90; rather, when the rider 90 is seated upright or upright on the motorcycle, the area behind the rider 90 is also included. In contrast to conventional techniques, an increased field of view is achieved behind the motorcycle behind the rider 90 without the need to adjust the form or position of the A-pillar 100 of the helmet 92.

Furthermore, the unexpected result of improving the field of view by forming the recess 71 or 98 also stems in part from the discovery or recognition of the biomechanical motion patterns of the bicycle or motorcycle rider. The biomechanical profile includes the fact that: when the rider twists or tilts his head down (his chin towards the torso of the body) while rotating the head left or right, the rider will see more of the posterior and left or right parts than if he just rotated the head left or right without twisting or tilting his head down. An improved field of view from the biomechanical model described above may be experienced by the following steps. First, standing or sitting down with one or more objects behind. Second, trying to turn the head to the left or right while keeping the head fully upright, and at the same time noting how many objects can be seen. Next, the head is tilted downward (chin towards torso), and then repeated to try to turn the head left or right, and note how many objects can now be seen and the differences from the previous. The biomechanics mentioned above allow more objects to be seen behind or objects placed further behind when tilting the head downward and rotating than when the head is upright and rotating.

Thus, by employing the recesses 71 and 98 and the biomechanical motion patterns described above, and improving the helmet field of view to match or coincide the tilt and swivel position of the rider's head, the rider 90 will experience an improved field of view even while wearing the helmet 92. Thus, regardless of whether the rider is in a bent over position or an upright position, the field of view may be widely improved for most or all types of bicycle or motorcycle rides, including street, rail, or other types of rides. By reducing the blind spot of the rider 90, the risk of contact with another vehicle or object and an accident is reduced. A motorcycle rider wearing a helmet 92 with a recess 98 (or a helmet 50 with a recess 71) will have less blind spots than a conventional street style full-face motorcycle helmet and will be better able to detect other vehicles and obstacles while maintaining thicker latches and better protection.

Fig. 4B and 4C provide additional detail as to why the depressions 71 and 98 can improve the field of view in accordance with the above-described biomechanical motion of the rider without being limited by relevant helmet safety standards, such as those disclosed herein. Fig. 4B illustrates a plurality of visual criteria 82-85 for the field of view within the helmet 50. More specifically, fig. 4B shows a backward field of view boundary 82 of snell and ECE visual criteria, an upper field of view boundary 83 shared by snell and ECE visual criteria, a lower field of view boundary 84 of ECE visual criteria, and a lower field of view boundary 85 of snell visual criteria.

Fig. 4C shows a two-dimensional profile view similar to the viewport view shown in fig. 4B. Fig. 4C shows the viewing aperture 70 of the helmet and the area between the upper edge 80 and the lower edge 72 of the helmet. The enlarged region of the viewport 70 shows that within the viewport 70 is an adjusted field of view region 86, which may be defined at least in part by an adjusted viewport opening 87 at the front of the viewport and an adjusted upper edge 88 of the viewport opening. Fig. 4C also shows a non-adjusted field of view region 89 adjacent to and below the adjusted field of view region 86. The unadjusted field of view region 89 may be derived at least in part from the unadjusted height Ha of the viewing aperture 81. Thus, the non-adjusted field of view region 89 allows for improved field of view by adding the recess 71, while also allowing for a large or increased thickness of the latch comparable to the conventional latch thickness of street style full-face motorcycle helmets.

In contrast, conventional full-face street helmet (such as helmet 10 shown in fig. 1) are designed and manufactured to have a robust protective function by including a robust non-removable latch, while also providing adequate visibility. However, the goals of robust protection and good visibility have been conflicting, with more protection resulting in lower visibility and higher visibility resulting in less protection, provided a compromise between the two is reached. As a result, conventional full-face street helmet designs provide reduced visibility or field of view as a compromise for more protection and energy absorption.

The addition of the recess 71 allows for improved protection, perception of improved protection, or both by providing a thicker or thicker latch that also includes structural features of the recess 71 to provide specific targeting gains for the user's field of view, such as those field of view improvements shown in fig. 5A and 5B. Conventional techniques by riders and helmet manufacturers fail to recognize the gain obtainable by a recess such as recess 71 and even erroneously attribute reduced rearward visibility to the upper portion of the a-pillar 81. In other words, the limited field of view is tolerable or, in some cases, is due to the spacing or distance between the upper portion of the a-pillar 81 and the position of the user's eyes within the helmet, or the spacing or distance between the a-pillar 81 and the front face 60 of the helmet 50. However, because of current testing standards, such as those shown in FIG. 4C, which relate to the upper and front portions of the sight hole 70, a recess 71 may be introduced into the bottom rear portion of the sight hole to take full advantage of the unexpected results of having improved visibility and robust latch thickness. Compared to helmets with improved field of view (such as helmets 50 and 92) discussed above, conventional removably latched helmets (including street removably latched helmets and helmets with extremely simple latch designs) provide one or more of the following: less protection, less perceptual protection, smaller field of view, and smaller field of view of the target for backward visibility.

Fig. 5A and 5B illustrate examples of how changes to the sight hole 70, such as adjusting the lower edge 72 of the sight hole 70 to include a recess 71 or 98, may be systematically correlated with the field of view of the rider 90. Because positioning and testing of the helmet (such as helmet test lines, user ground plane, and HPI) are standard, the shape, size, and location of the sight hole 70 or 96 can be correlated to the field of view of the rider 90.

Fig. 5A and 5B present perspective views of a rider 90 wearing a helmet 92 along with an increased field of view 102 of the rider 90 due to the provision of a recess 98 adjacent the a-pillar 100 along the lower edge 94 of the helmet 92. As presented in fig. 5A and 5B, the field of view 102 is a spatial projection of a portion of the field of view of the rider 90 wearing the helmet 92 with the recess 98 and without the recess 98. The reference numbers for the various portions of the field of view 102 correspond to those for the helmet 92, but with a prime ('). Thus, fig. 5A and 5B illustrate a first top surface 94 'and a second bottom surface 98', respectively, which are projections of a lower limit of the field of view 102 when the user 90 is wearing a helmet 92 that does not include or includes the recess 98 as part of the lower edge 94 of the helmet 90. The first surface 94' represents a lower or outer limit of the field of view 102 of a rider 90 wearing a conventional helmet design that includes a straight or constantly angled lower eye rim that does not include the recess 98. The second planar surface 98' represents a lower or outer limit of the field of view 102 of the rider 90 wearing the helmet including the recess 98. Thus, the volume, area, distance, or space 106 between the first surface 94 'and the second surface 98' represents or illustrates the increased field of view 102 experienced by the wearer 90 in the event that the lower edge 94 of the viewport 96 includes the depression 98. In other words, the volume 106 between the first surface 94 'and the second surface 98' represents a blind area experienced by the wearer 90 without the lower edge 94 of the sight hole 96 including the recess 98.

Fig. 5A and 5B differ from each other due to the relative angles or positions of the rider 90 and the helmet 92. Fig. 5A shows the relative gain in the field of view 102 of the rider 90 when the rider 90 is in a normal upright sitting position. Fig. 5B shows the relative gain in the field of view 102 of the rider 90 when the head of the rider 90 is in a downward twist position. Thus, FIG. 5A shows the rider 90 seated in a straight sitting position, with forward looking eyes, looking parallel to the base or transverse plane of his body, wherein the transverse plane of the rider 90 body is the plane that divides the rider 90 body into upper and lower parts, which is perpendicular to the coronal and sagittal planes. Thus, the view shown in FIG. 5A shows the field of view 102 of the rider 90 seated in a straight-seated position with the direction of binocular fixation parallel to the plane or horizontal plane of the road below it. In other words, the transverse plane of the head of the rider 90 is not only parallel (or substantially parallel) to the transverse plane of the motorcycle on which the user is riding, but also parallel (or substantially parallel) to the surface on which the motorcycle is riding. When the rider 90 is seated in this manner, the additional or increased volume 106 of the field of view 102 is at the rider's lateral lower left and lower right. The increased volume 106 of the field of view 102 may also (to a lesser extent) be located behind or behind the rider's coronal plane, which is a plane that divides the rider's body into two parts, ventral and dorsal.

Similarly, fig. 5B shows the gain of the volume 106 of the field of view 102 when the rider 90 is in a twisted position with the head twisted slightly downward, with the neck bent toward the torso (such as with the chin tilted). The position of the rider 90 shown in fig. 5B, which illustrates how the head is twisted and tilted downward while riding, may form an acute angle between the base plane and the transverse plane of the rider's motorcycle, or between the base plane and the plane on which the wearer's motorcycle is riding. In addition, the volume 106 of the field of view 102 when the rider 90 is in an inclined position and the head is twisted improves the visibility and field of view of surrounding traffic conditions or obstacles, thereby improving the basic operation of changing lanes.

Another way of visualizing or representing the increased field of view 102 of a given helmet is shown and described in connection with fig. 6A and 6B. Fig. 6A shows a test head model 110 mounted at a fixed distance from screen 112. The screen 112 may be opaque, transparent, or translucent. Test head model 110 may be connected to a base or support 114 that is connected to screen 112 by mechanical fasteners 116 or other suitable means. While shown as a generic form, the head model 110 may have a size and shape that fits into and is configured to be able to be placed within a helmet, such as the helmet 50 or the helmet 92. The screen 112 may be any desired shape and remain stable while capturing one or more light fields 118, thereby providing a consistent baseline for comparing different helmets placed over the test head model 110 to each other. In some embodiments, the screen 112 may have a curvature or arc to provide a constant or fixed distance between the lights 111 disposed within the head model 110 to represent the eyes of the helmet wearer.

The field of view for a given helmet can be approximated by placing the helmet over the head model 110 and projecting light with the lights 111 positioned in the positions of both eyes of the helmet wearer. Reversing the direction of the light from entering the helmet to the user's eyes to exiting the lamp 111 through the helmet's sight hole to the screen 112, the light field 118 will project a field representing the helmet wearer's field of view, thereby indicating what the user will be able to see.

Fig. 6B shows a view of the screen 112, which is similar to the view of the screen 112 shown in fig. 6A. Fig. 6B differs from fig. 6A in that it shows an opaque type screen 112 through which the test head model 110 cannot be seen. Fig. 6B illustrates a screen 112 that includes a first indicia or outline 120 that illustrates a non-limiting example of a conventional field of view available to a conventional helmet, such as the conventional helmet 10 of fig. 1. The screen 112 also includes a second indicia or outline 122 that shows a non-limiting example of the improved field of view available to a helmet having an improved field of view, such as the helmet 50 or 90.

The first and second markers 120, 122 may be captured in any suitable manner, such as by tracking the light field 118, or making the screen 112 from a photosensitive material. Regardless of how the first and second indicia 120, 122 are captured, the first and second indicia 120, 122 may correspond to or capture the size and shape of the field of view for a given helmet based on the helmet-specific eyehole geometry. The area under or outside the first mark 120 and the second mark 122 may represent an invisible area, such as a blind area 124 indicated by a hatched pattern in fig. 6B.

Comparing the difference between the first marker 120 and the second marker 122 relative to the blind zone 124 shows how the offset 126 (similar to the volume 106) corresponds to the improved field of view for a particular helmet or eyehole. After the first and second indicia 120, 122 have been captured, the curved screen 112 may be detached from the mechanical fasteners 116, laid flat or placed in a single plane. The first and second indicia 120, 122 in flat or two-dimensional (2D) form from the screen 112 may be imported into mapping, charting or imaging software (such as Adobe Illustrator) for measuring, quantifying or calculating the size of the increased field of view of the measured helmet, as well as comparing the field of view of different helmet designs.

Thus, the helmet design advantageously improves energy management and field of view, allowing the wearer to wear the helmet from the design position without having to adjust the helmet, i.e., without having to adjust the position of the helmet a-post; also, the strength and size of the securing catch need not be sacrificed while the helmet shield can still be part of a helmet, such as a full-face street-style helmet. Advantageously, improved field of view can be achieved by controlling the height Ha of the viewing aperture adjacent the a-pillar, including controlling the height Hc of the latch to be greater than 60mm, and the height Hc to be aligned with the height Ha (where the ratio of Ha to Hc is greater than or equal to 0.85), and by forming a recess in the lower edge of the latch adjacent the a-pillar.

In the above examples, embodiments, and detailed description reference examples, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that other helmets and manufacturing devices and examples can be mixed with or substituted for the helmets and manufacturing devices and examples provided, which are provided as virtually any component consistent with the intended operation of the available method, system, or implementation. Accordingly, for example, although specific component examples may be disclosed, such components may include any shape, size, style, type, model, version, category, grade, measurement, concentration, material, weight, quantity, and/or the like consistent with the intended purpose, method, and/or system of a particular implementation. Where the above description refers to particular embodiments of a one-piece, slip-free strap adjustor for a helmet, it will be apparent that many modifications can be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and that the embodiments and implementations are applicable to other appliance technologies and equipment technologies as well. Accordingly, the disclosed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention and within the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. A full-face motorcycle helmet comprising:

a rigid outer shell;

an energy absorbing material disposed within the rigid outer shell; and

a sight opening extending through the hard shell to an interior space of the helmet, the sight comprising an upper edge, a lower edge, the lower edge defined by an upper edge of a non-removable latch, the sight further defined on a first side by an a-pillar extending the entire distance between the upper edge of the sight and the lower edge of the sight, the sight having a height (Ha) measured between the upper edge of the sight and the lower edge of the sight, the a-pillar comprising a vertical portion extending from a fillet at a lower corner of the sight to a fillet at an upper corner of the sight, the vertical portion of the a-pillar being perpendicular to a reference line coextensive with a base plane of a test head model;

wherein the latch includes a recess beginning proximate the A-pillar and has a latch height (Hc1) within the recess of greater than or equal to 60 millimeters (mm) and a latch height (Hc2) outside the recess and proximate the recess of greater than or equal to 70mm, and a ratio of viewport height to latch height (Ha: Hc1) of greater than or equal to 0.85;

wherein the recess has a height (Hr) between a bottom of the recess and a top of the recess of greater than or equal to 5mm over a distance range of 15-60mm, wherein the recess may further comprise a step between the bottom of the recess and the top of the recess, the step comprising a length of less than or equal to 35mm, the step being a transition from an upper edge front of the non-removable lock to the recess.

2. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 1, wherein the catch height (Hc1) is a minimum catch height within the recess.

3. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 1, wherein the maximum height of the visor (Ha max) is equal to or less than 80 mm.

4. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 1, further comprising a maximum radius of curvature between the a-pillar and the bottom of the recess that is less than or equal to 50 mm.

5. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 1, further comprising a face shield retractably connected to the full-face helmet over the visor.

6. A full-face motorcycle helmet comprising:

a rigid outer shell;

an energy absorbing material disposed within the rigid outer shell; and

a sight opening extending through the hard shell to an interior space of the helmet, the sight comprising an upper edge, a lower edge, the lower edge defined by an upper edge of a latch, the sight further defined on a first side by an A-pillar extending between the upper edge of the sight and the lower edge of the sight, the sight having a height (Ha);

wherein the catch includes a recess that begins adjacent the A-pillar and has a height (Hr) greater than or equal to 3 millimeters (mm) between a bottom of the recess and a top of the recess within a distance range of 10-60 mm;

wherein the catch comprises a step between the bottom of the recess and the top of the recess, the step comprising a length less than or equal to 40mm, the step being a transition from an upper edge front of the non-removable catch to the recess.

7. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 6, wherein a catch height (Hc1) within the recess and adjacent to the A-pillar is a minimum catch height within the recess.

8. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 6, wherein the maximum height of the visor (Ha max) is equal to or less than 95 mm.

9. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 6, further comprising a rearmost point of the visor, the rearmost point being disposed within a lower half of the a-pillar height Ha.

10. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 6, further comprising a maximum radius of curvature between the A-pillar and the bottom of the recess that is less than or equal to 50 mm.

11. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 6, further comprising a face shield retractably connected to the full-face helmet over the visor.

12. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 6, wherein the latch further comprises a latch height (Hc1) within the recess of greater than or equal to 60mm and a latch height (Hc2) outside and adjacent to the recess of greater than or equal to 65 mm.

13. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 7, wherein the ratio of the height of the visor to the height of the latch (Ha: Hc1) is greater than or equal to 0.85.

14. A full-face motorcycle helmet comprising:

a rigid outer shell;

an energy absorbing material disposed within the rigid outer shell; and

wherein the catch includes a recess that begins adjacent the A-pillar and has a height (Hr) between a bottom of the recess and a top of the recess that is greater than or equal to 3 millimeters (mm);

15. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 14, wherein the catch height (Hc1) is a minimum catch height within the recess.

16. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 14, wherein the maximum height of the visor (Ha max) is equal to or less than 95 mm.

17. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 14, further comprising a rearmost point of the visor, the rearmost point being disposed within a lower half of the a-pillar height Ha.

18. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 14, further comprising a maximum radius of curvature between the a-pillar and the bottom of the recess that is less than or equal to 50 mm.

19. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 14, further comprising a face shield retractably connected to the full-face helmet over the visor.

20. The full-face motorcycle helmet of claim 14, wherein the latch further comprises a latch height (Hc1) within the recess of greater than or equal to 60mm and a latch height (Hc2) outside and adjacent to the recess of greater than or equal to 65 mm.