US20030182716A1

US20030182716A1 - Helmet

Info

Publication number: US20030182716A1
Application number: US10/112,740
Authority: US
Inventors: De-Ren Wu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-04-02
Filing date: 2002-04-02
Publication date: 2003-10-02

Abstract

A helmet includes a main body, a chin protecting member, and a face shield. The main body has a front opening, a bottom passage, and two opposing connecting portions sticking forwards from two lateral portions; the connecting portions each has a front opening in communication with an inner space thereof. The chin protecting member is pivoted to the lateral portions of the main body from two lateral portions thereof such that a front portion of the chin member can be positioned at a lower part of the opening of the main body so as to protect a chin of a wearer when the chin member is pivoted to an in-use position; the chin member is provided with a lock member for securing the same to the connecting portions of the main body when the chin member is moved to the in-use position. The face shield is pivotally connected to the chin member for covering the front opening.

Description

BACKROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a helmet, more particularly a helmet, of which both the chin protecting portion and the face shield are pivoted to the main body for allowing the user to adjust the position of the same according to the needs.

2. Description of the Related Art

Most motorcycle riders and snowmobilers wear helmets to protect their heads and faces that are provided with a chin protecting portion and a transparent face shield.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional helmet includes a main body 1, and a face shield 14. The main body 1 has an upper vent hole 10, and is provided with a chin protecting portion 12 that is formed together with the other part of the main body 1, and has a lower vent hole. An opening 11 is provided on the front of the main body 1, and the face shield 14 is pivoted to screws connected to screw holes 33 of the main body 1 so that it can cover the opening 11 to protect the wearer's face.

However, the wearer has to first take off the helmet when he wants to eat. And, the manufacturers have to make helmets of various sizes to fit different persons because the stationary chin portions of such helmets hinder putting on of the helmets, resulting in increase of manufacturing cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a helmet, of which the chin portion can be pivoted to a not-in-use position so that the user can put on the helmet easily.

To achieve the advantage, the helmet in the present invention includes a main body, a chin protecting member, and a face shield. The main body has a front opening, a bottom passage, and two opposing connecting portions sticking forwards from two lateral portions; the connecting portions each having a front opening communicating with an inner space thereof. The chin protecting member is pivoted to the lateral portions of the main body from two lateral portions thereof such that a front portion of the chin member can be positioned at a lower part of the opening of the main body so as to protect a chin of a wearer when the chin member is pivoted to an in-use position; the chin member being provided with a lock member for securing the same to the connecting portions of the main body when the chin member is moved to the in-use position. The face shield is pivotally connected to the chin member for covering the front opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [0009]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the conventional helmet; [0010]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the helmet of the present invention; [0011]
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the helmet of the present invention; [0012]
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary exploded view of the lock member of the helmet of the present invention; [0013]
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the helmet of the present invention; and, [0014]
FIG. 6 is a side view of the helmet of the invention with both the chin member and the face shield being moved to the upper position.[0015]

DETAILED DESCRITION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a helmet of the present invention includes a [0016] main body 4, a chin member 5, and a transparent face shield 7. The main body 4 has a front opening 44, a bottom wearing passage 48, and two opposing connecting portions 47 sticking forwards from two lateral portions. Locating trenches 43 are formed on the lateral portions. The connecting portions 47 each has an outer lateral plate 471, and an inner lateral plate 470 combined together; a front opening being formed at the front side of each of the connecting portions 47 to communicate with an inner space of the portions 47. The main body 4 further has a vent hole 46, a pair of buttons 42 on the inner sides of the lateral portions, and screw holes 40 on the lateral portions; locating holes 41 being formed beside the screw holes 40. An inner cushion 45 is disposed in the main body 4, and secured in position by means of the buttons 42.
The [0017] chin protecting member 5 has two lateral portions, and a front portion; the lateral portions each has a hole 50, a locating pole 52 near the hole 50, a pivotal hole 53, fixing holes 54 beside the hole 53, and a holed engaging protrusion 55 on the outer side. The chin member 5 is pivoted to the lateral portions of the main body from two lateral portions thereof with pivotal elements 6 being passed through the hole 50 and connected to the hole 40 of the main body 4; the pivotal elements 6 each having an outer end recess 60, two stopping portions 621, 622, a toothed slot 623, and inner locating projections 61; the projections 61 are passed into the holes 41; the slot 623 is mounted around the pole 52 with the toothed edges engaging the pole 52 so that the chin member 5 can be pivoted on the pivotal elements 6 with an equal increment of angle. Thus, the front portion of the chin member 5 can be positioned at a lower part of the opening 44 of the main body 4 so as to protect the chin of a wearer when the chin member 5 is pivoted to an in-use position.
The [0018] chin member 5 is provided with a lock member 57, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, for securing the same to the connecting portions 47of the main body 4 when the chin member 5 is moved to the in-use position; the lock member 57 includes a pair of movable locking elements 574 and a control part 571; the control part 571 being pivoted to a stationary portion 5710 secured to the chin member 5; the control part 57 being connected to the locking elements 574 by means of a connecting rod 572 so that the locking elements 574 can move towards the front portion of the helmet when the control part 571 is operated; the locking elements 574 being biased towards a rear portion of the helmet by means of springs 573, which are connected to projections 5741 of the locking elements 574 from one end, in order for engaging ends 5742 thereof to respectively engage the front openings of the connecting portions 47 of the main body 4 when the chin member 5 is pivoted to the in-use position, thus preventing the chin member from falling off the in-use position. In addition, two stationary elements 575 are disposed adjacent to the locking elements 574, and fixed to the chin member 5; the stationary elements 575 each having a plurality of guiding blocks 5752, and positioning blocks 5754 for guiding the locking elements 574; the stationary elements 575each having a front locating ends 5754, which are capable of first passing through the openings of the connecting portions 47 of the main body 4 for helping the engaging ends 5742 of the locking elements 574 to engage the connecting portions 47 when the chin member 5 is moved to the inuse position. The stationary elements 575 can be each provided with a projection 5751 for holding the other ends of the springs 573 in position.
The [0019] face shield 7 has two ring-like portions 70 at lateral sides that are provided with a central hole 71; stopped projections 72, and teeth are formed on the edge of the hole71. The face shield 7 is pivoted to the pivotal hole 53 of the chin member 5 by means of two positioning elements 73, which are passed into the holes 71, and connected to the fixing holes 54 of the chin member 5 from insertion projections 74 thereof; the positioning elements 73 is provided with corresponding teeth 75, and stopping projections 76 for the teeth ofthe hole 71, and the stopped projections 72 respectively so that the pivotal movement of the shield 7 is restricted and that the shield 7 can be adjusted with an equal increment of angle due to the teeth.
[0020] Covering plates 8 can be fitted to the lateral sides of the chin member 5 to cover the pivotal elements 6 and the positioning elements 73. Screws (not shown) are screwed into holes 83 of the plates 8, and the holes 53 to fix the elements 73, and the covering plates 8 in position. The plates 8 are provided with engaging poles 84 to pass into the holed protrusions 55. The face shield 7 always can be pivoted on the chin member 5 no matter what position the chin member 5 is positioned at.
And, a user can easily put on the helmet when the [0021] chin member 5 is moved to an upper position to not hinder the user passing his head through the wearing passage 48.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made thereto, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. [0022]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A helmet, comprising:

a main body having a front opening and a bottom passage, said main body having two opposing connecting portions sticking forwards from two lateral portions, said connecting portions each having a front opening communicating with an inner space thereof;

a chin protecting member being pivoted to the lateral portions of said main body from said two lateral portions thereof so as for a front portion of said chin member to be positioned at a lower part of said opening of said main body and to protect a chin of a wearer when said chin member being pivoted to an in-use position, said chin member being provided with a lock member for securing the same to said connecting portions of said main body when said chin member being moved to the in-use position; and,

a face shield being pivotally connected to said chin member for covering said front opening.

2. The helmet as recited in claim 1, wherein said lock member includes a pair of movable locking elements and a control part, said control part is pivoted to said chin member, said control part is connected to said locking elements by means of a connecting rod so that said locking elements can move towards said front portion of said helmet when said control part is operated, and said locking elements are biased towards a rear portion of said helmet by means of springs so as to respectively engage said front openings of said connecting portions of said main body when said chin member is pivoted to the in-use position, thus preventing said chin member from falling off the in-use position.

3. The helmet as recited in claim 2, wherein two stationary elements are disposed adjacent to said locking elements, said stationary elements each has a plurality of guiding blocks for guiding said locking elements, and said stationary elements each has a front locating ends capable of first passing through said openings of said connecting portions of said main body for helping the engaging ends of said locking elements to engage said connecting portions when said chin member is moved to the in-use position.