EP2177124A1 - Helmet comprising a system of microfibres for holding the visor - Google Patents

Abstract

The helmet has a rigid support shell (2) and a movable visor (3) that is moved between two extreme positions. A maintaining system maintains the visor in any position between the two extreme positions by friction between the support shell and the visor, where the friction is realized by primary and secondary microfiber felt members (4) of the maintaining system. The primary member is attached to a helmet holder, and the secondary member is attached to the visor.

Description

The field of the invention relates to helmets comprising at least one support shell and a visor.

A helmet for an aircraft pilot, in particular a weapons plane, is generally multifunctional and is equipped with visors. Such a helmet has a rigid support shell which generally surrounds the top, back and side portions of the wearer's skull. The helmet generally includes visors through which the wearer of the helmet can see his environment; these visors are most often retractable towards the top of the skull and ensure a protection of the face against various aggressions (wind, dust, light or violent lighting, etc ...). For night flights, a night vision system can also be placed in front of the wearer's eyes.

The problem for visor helmets is to maintain the visor at any position. Indeed, because of their weight and severe use constraints on military aircraft, particularly the vibrations and temperature variations, the visors are difficult to maintain. The distance of the center of gravity of the visor from its center of gravity is also a cause tending to cause a descent of the visor.

Existing solutions as represented by the figure 1 are friction braking systems of metal or plastic parts 12 associated with a tightening torque generally positioned at the axes of the visor. This system is difficult to adjust and varies in temperature. It also has the disadvantage of sliding in vibration.

Another holding system is to put notches 11, plastic clips or ball spring, but imposes defined positions. This system is moreover hard enough to maneuver which can then hinder the pilot in his task.

The object of the invention is to provide a visor holding system, and more generally any removable element positioned on the support shell, to improve the holding in driving operation.

More specifically, the invention is a helmet comprising at least one support shell and a movable visor that can move between two extreme positions, characterized in that it comprises a system for holding the visor at any position between the two extreme positions. by friction between the visor and the support shell, the friction being achieved by at least one microfibre felt element.

The microfibre felt elements are of sufficiently large surface to achieve a frictional force between the support shell and the helmet visor for maintaining the visor at any position. The frictional resistance is sufficient for the visor to be maintained at its position regardless of the severe conditions of military flight operation.

Depending on the positions on the helmet where the driver wants the visor is best maintained, the helmet advantageously comprises one or more microfiber felt elements. The microfibre felt elements may be present on the support shell on the outer side of the helmet and / or on the visor on the inner side.

The use of a microfibre felt friction surface advantageously makes it possible to achieve a continuous friction force between the support shell and the visor over the entire displacement of the visor. The pilot can thus maintain the visor at any position by immediate manipulation.

The use of microfiber felt also makes it possible to locate the friction force on the center of gravity of the visor, generally corresponding to the amount of the visor. The friction force needed to maintain the visor at its position then becomes weaker and makes it possible to maintain the visor more effectively. This makes it possible to avoid the noise of mechanisms having too much play in vibration.

Advantageously, the holding system comprises at least two microfibre felt elements, a first element fixed on the support helmet and a second element fixed on the visor.

Advantageously, when the two felt elements are in friction, the orientation of the microfibres of the first felt element is not parallel to the orientation of the microfibers of the second felt element.

Thus, in one embodiment, the microfibres of the felt elements are oriented so that the friction force is higher in a first direction of movement of the visor than in a second direction of movement of said visor.

Advantageously, the kinematics of the visor on the helmet is variable to vary the frictional force when moving the visor from an extreme position to another extreme position. In this way, it is possible to design the holding system so that the visor is very strongly maintained in the usual positions of the visor, that is to say when it is lowered in the working position and when it is going back to the non-use position. Generally, the intermediate positions at these two positions are not used and the microfiber system makes it possible to oppose little friction force in this area of displacement of the visor.

Or, in another embodiment, the microfiber felt is variable in area to vary the frictional force when moving the visor from an extreme position to another extreme position. For example, at a first holding position, the microfiber felt element (s) are such that the friction surface is large. And for positions where the visor is moved and generally little maintained, the friction surface is low.

Advantageously, the braking system comprises at least one microfibre felt element fixed solely on the visor or, in another embodiment, it comprises at least one microfibre felt element fixed solely to the support helmet.

The invention also relates to helmets designed without specific visor and having a microfiber felt element for achieving a frictional resistance with a standard mobile visor.

The invention also relates to visors comprising a microfibre felt element for achieving a frictional resistance with a standard helmet.

• La figure 1 représente un casque de pilote d'aéronef tel que décrit dans l'art antérieur.
• La figure 2 représente en partie le casque comportant la coque rigide et la visière sur laquelle est collé un feutre microfibres.
• La figure 3 représente sur le dessin du haut un schéma partiel du casque et les forces en interaction lors d'un mouvement de la visière du casque pour un système de maintien au niveau de l'axe de rotation de la visière et un système de maintien au niveau de la visière par un feutre microfibres. Sur le dessin du bas, le casque représente la visière positionnée aux deux positions extrêmes.
• La figure 4 représente le casque comportant un feutre microfibres sur le montant de la visière.
• La figure 5 le casque comportant deux éléments de feutre microfibres en vis-à-vis.
• Les figures 6a et 6b représentent un casque comportant des éléments de microfibres ayant des formes diverses.

The invention will be better understood and other advantages will become apparent on reading the description which follows given by way of non-limiting example and by virtue of the appended figures among which:

• The figure 1 represents an aircraft pilot helmet as described in the prior art.
• The figure 2 is partly the helmet with the rigid shell and the visor on which is glued a microfiber felt.
• The figure 3 represents on the top drawing a partial diagram of the helmet and the forces interacting during a movement of the visor of the helmet for a holding system at the level of the rotation axis of the visor and a maintenance system at the level of the visor by a microfiber felt. In the bottom drawing, the helmet represents the visor positioned at the two extreme positions.
• The figure 4 represents the helmet with a microfiber felt on the visor post.
• The figure 5 the helmet having two elements of microfiber felt vis-à-vis.
• The Figures 6a and 6b represent a helmet comprising microfiber elements having various shapes.

The invention is particularly intended for aircraft pilot helmets. Existing solutions, as described on the figure 1 , propose visor holding systems 13 by mechanical means 11 and 12 difficult to manipulate, imprecise and inefficient for maintaining the visor during vibration and temperature change.

The visor helmets for an aircraft pilot generally comprise a rigid support helmet and a movable visor capable of rotating about an axis positioned on the middle of the helmet.

The invention is innovative in view of the existing solutions by proposing a solution for maintaining the visor 3 by felt elements microfiber 4. The figure 2 shows a mode of application in which the microfibre felt 4 is fixed on the visor 3. Preferably, the microfibre felt is glued on the central part of the visor so that the friction force is located at the center of gravity of the visor. In this way, the friction force does not need to be high.

On existing systems, the holding system usually performs the braking of the visor on the axes of rotation of the visor. Given the difference between the center of gravity of the visor and the braking means, the force required to maintain the visor is important. At the slightest tightening gap, a loss of force may appear and cause play to the visor and therefore a gradual descent if it is in the raised position. This is why under conditions of vibration or strong temperature change, these holding systems are quickly taken in default.

The figure 3 illustrates the interaction forces for a holding system 23 according to the prior art positioned at the axis of rotation of the visor and for a microfiber felt holding system 31 fixed on the visor 3. The force exerted by the weight the visor is represented by the arrow P. For the holding system 23, the torque required to maintain the visor 3 is equal to the distance 22 multiplied by the force f1. For the holding system with the microfiber felt 31, the necessary torque is equal to the distance 21 multiplied by the force f2. The length 21 being greater than the length 22, the force f2 caused by the microfiber felt is small compared to the force f1 to exert the same holding torque of the visor. In the case of the holding system 23, the torque is identical regardless of the position of the visor.

The use of microfibre felt elements has the advantage of allowing the addition of holding point at variable positions and preferably for positions where the visor is generally maintained. A helmet visor rotates between two extreme positions 6 and 7 as described in the bottom drawing. figure 3 . A pilot usually seeks to keep his visor in the down position 6 or raised position 7. To achieve this purpose, the felt elements are then placed so that the friction force is greater at these two positions.

A microfiber felt is composed of an adherent face, preferably glue, and a face comprising the microfibers performing the friction. Depending on the density, rigidity and length of the microfibers, the friction force is more or less high. The surface of the felt element also makes it possible to adjust the frictional force. The frictional force can also be adjusted by designing the kinematics of the visor so that it is more or less in friction with the felt elements according to the positions of the visor.

It is possible to implement different solutions for the realization of a friction force between the support shell and the visor. Indeed, it is possible to fix microfibre felt only on the helmet, only on the visor or both on both vis-à-vis.

The figure 4 represents a partial diagram of the helmet. On this solution, the felt 41 is fixed on the amount of the visor 3 at the upper central level on the side facing the rigid shell 2 of the helmet. Thus the microfibres of the felt 41 exert a frictional force on the shell 2 of the helmet when the visor is moving between the two extreme positions of displacement. In this configuration of simple friction, regardless of the position of the visor 3 relative to the rigid shell, the friction force is the same. The felt is positioned on the upper amount of the visor so that it is also in contact when the visor is in the down position 6.

The figure 5 represents a partial diagram of the helmet comprising two microfiber felt elements, one 42 positioned on the shell of the helmet 2 and the other 41 positioned on the visor. Of course, the microfibre felt elements of the helmet shell are positioned on the outer face of the shell. This embodiment of the maintenance of the visor achieves a double friction when the felts are vis-à-vis. The interaction of the microfibers 41 and 42 exerts a better hold than the simple friction on a smooth surface. For the friction force to be constant regardless of the position of the visor, it is necessary that all the surface of the helmet shell between the extreme positions of the visor is covered with microfiber. Preferably this surface, on the displacements 44 and 43 of the visor, is of width identical to the width of the microfiber felt 41 fixed on the visor.

The holding system is not limited to two microfiber elements. If the wearer of the helmet requires a strong hold only in particular positions of the visor, several microfiber elements are fixed on the shell of the helmet 2. For example, if the wearer only desires a strong hold in the low position 6, for avoid vibration of the visor 3, and a strong hold in the raised position 7, to avoid vibration and lowering of the visor, the holding system is designed to include a first microfibre felt element at the upper level of the helmet shell, for maintaining the visor in the up position, a second element on the front of the helmet, for maintaining the visor in the lower position, and a third element on the amount of the visor. Preferably, for a felt holding system positioned vis-a-vis, the microfibers are of short length, commonly called short pile velvet.

In this type of configuration, the direction of the microfibers relative to the friction surface may be different depending on the felt elements, especially between the felt elements positioned on the visor and those positioned on the helmet shell. For example, the fibers have a non-perpendicular direction relative to the friction surface for the felt elements positioned on the helmet. This arrangement makes it possible to have a low friction in one direction of displacement of the visor and a strong friction in the opposite direction. This possibility is particularly useful to promote the recovery of the visor and maintain a strong hold in the downward movement of the visor.

To vary the friction force between the visor 3 and the shell 2, one solution is to vary the friction surface on the displacement of the visor. The Figures 6a and 6b represents, by way of non-limiting example, two examples of felt form. The figure 6a shows a felt element 43 of trapezoidal shape and the figure 6b represents a felt element 45 having a broad rounded end and a smaller rectangular end, the felt having a shape resembling a vertical section of a bulb. In these two modes, the felt element 41 attached to the visor 3 is of identical shape. Preferably, the friction surface is wider on the upper level of the shell to cancel the force exerted by the weight of the visor.

The holding system comprising microfibre felt fills the desired objectives. Indeed, the friction force exerted between the helmet and the visor can be flexible depending on the field of application and the wearer of the helmet. This holding system also allows to exert a constant and constant force leaving the possibility to the wearer of the helmet to maintain the visor at any position. Depending on the type of microfibre felt used and depending on the orientation of the microfibres, the friction force is also adjustable allowing a forward direction and a strongly braked direction for the visor. This braking system is also lighter and more imposing than the holding systems presented in the prior art. In the field of aeronautics, where helmets incorporate many electronic elements, this type of maintenance is very advantageous.

The invention can also be applied to helmets comprising several visors, in particular those comprising a visor tinted to protect from the sun and a clear information projection visor. The invention applies to visor helmets generally and relates to the field of aeronautics such as automotive or any other field for which an individual requires protection of the skull.

Claims (10)

Helmet comprising at least one support shell and a movable visor capable of moving between two extreme positions, characterized in that it comprises a system for holding the visor at any position between the two extreme positions by friction between the visor and the shell support, the friction being achieved by at least one microfibre felt element. Helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding system comprises at least two microfibre felt elements, a first element fixed on the support helmet and a second element fixed on the visor. Helmet according to claim 2, characterized in that, when the two felt elements are in friction, the orientation of the microfibres of the first felt element is not parallel to the orientation of the microfibers of the second felt element. Helmet according to claim 3, characterized in that the microfibres of the felt elements are oriented so that the friction force is higher in a first direction of movement of the visor than in a second direction of movement of said visor. Helmet according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the kinematics of the visor on the helmet is variable to vary the frictional force when moving the visor from an extreme position to another extreme position. Helmet according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the microfiber felt is of varying surface to vary the frictional force when moving the visor from an extreme position to another extreme position. Helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that the braking system comprises at least one microfibre felt element fixed only on the visor. Helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that the braking system comprises at least one microfibre felt element fixed only to the helmet. Helmet, characterized in that it comprises a microfibre felt element making it possible to achieve a frictional resistance with a standard mobile visor. Helmet visor, characterized in that it comprises a microfibre felt element making it possible to achieve a frictional resistance with a standard helmet.

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