US20180084857A1

US20180084857A1 - Adapter for attaching a chin strap to a helmet and an assembly including the same

Info

Publication number: US20180084857A1
Application number: US15/587,630
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul Schiebl
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-09-23
Filing date: 2017-05-05
Publication date: 2018-03-29

Abstract

An adapter for attaching a chin strap to a helmet has a body and a post affixed to the body. The body has a first face and a second face extending in generally parallel relation. The body has an outwardly extending portion projecting outwardly of the portion of the second face. The body includes a threaded receptacle affixed or formed therein. The threaded receptacle opens at the first face and opens at an outer surface of the outwardly extending portion. The post is affixed to the first face of the body and is adapted to receive a snap post buckle of the chin strap thereon.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/398,921, filed on Sep. 23, 2016, and entitled “Universal Chin Guard and Strap Assembly and Adapter for Use Therewith”.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT Not applicable.

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIALS SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to chin guards for use with helmets. More particularly, the present invention relates to straps for securing chin guards. The present invention also relates to an adapter for use therewith.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.

Protective helmets to minimize head injuries have been known and used for many years. For example, football helmet shells have been produced from injection molded ABS, or polycarbonate plastic. Helmets intended for youth usage have usually been produced from ABS plastic, and helmets for adult usage have usually been produced from polycarbonate plastic. ABS plastic is significantly less expensive than polycarbonate, but ABS plastic is not as structurally rigid as polycarbonate. As the level of intensity of contact in youth football is significantly lower than that as the adult level, ABS has been accepted as a satisfactory material for use at the youth level. For adult helmets, however, the structural rigidity of the polycarbonate material is essential to minimize the flex and deformation of the shell under extreme impact conditions. The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) has been responsible for setting minimum performance criteria for football helmets. Through the continuous testing of NOCSAE, it has been established that the rigidity of polycarbonate shells, in comparison to ABS shells, leads to significantly lower IS results. From these tests, it is believed that there is a correlation between the rigidity of the shell material and improved safety performance.
Protection is also improved by the addition of a face mask attached to the helmet. For example, football helmets are usually equipped over the exposed face area with a vinyl coated wire or other metal structure, or an injection molded plastic face mask. The obvious purpose of the face mask is to protect the face of the player from injury, while not obstructing the player's vision unnecessarily. The addition of a face mask can also increase the rigidity of the shell which improves performance. Face masks have been mounted to the exterior surface of the helmet shell behind the front edge of the helmet face opening. Helmet shells are specifically designated with smooth spherical surfaces to allow the shells to glance and slide on impact.
Protective helmets usually include a chin strap to retain the helmet, particularly during impact. In the past, chin straps were frequently constructed using a molded plastic cup made of compression or injection-molded plastic material. A pad, usually of a felt or foam material, was bonded or otherwise attached to the plastic cup. This cup construction is preferable to non-padded chin straps which have been standard equipment on football helmets. Non-padded chin straps do not offer any impact protection to the chin area and only serve to secure the helmet to the player's head. Padded chin cups provide an added measure of protection to the chin from impacts, in addition to securing the helmet to the player's head. Improvement in the impact absorption performance of padded chin straps is desirable. Most molded plastic chin cups currently used are molded in a manner which allows the formed cup to flex to a degree upon impact. An improved construction is a rigid material which does not flex on impact to an undesirable degree, thus distributing the impact force over a larger area of the chin.
One of the problems with existing chin guard assemblies is the relationship between the strap and the chin guard. Certain chin guards have adjustable straps whereby the position of the strap relative to the chin guard can be directly adjusted at the chin guard. Unfortunately, during the strong impacts of football play, the chin guard can slip and move relative to the strap. As a result, the chin guard will be in an undesirable and unsafe location. As such, a need has developed so as to provide a chin guard whereby the strap is positioned in a fixed relationship relative to chin guard. The strap should be suitably affixed in a safe and convenient manner.
In the past, various patents have issued relating to adjustable chin guard assemblies. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,368, issued on Mar. 3, 1987 to Infusino et al, shows an adjustable chin strap assembly that has a flexible piece of material which forms a chin cup, a pair of support straps slideably attached to the chin cup, two adjustment pieces through the support straps slideably intersect, and a set of four slidable snaps which releasably fasten the support straps to an athletic helmet. The attitude of the flexible chin cup can be adjusted by sliding the adjustment piece along the lengths of the support straps to each side of the chin cup thereby allowing for maximum user comfort.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,274 issued on Aug. 18, 1998 to N. Kraemer, teaches a chin protector for a helmet. This chin protector has an inner member and an outer member. A suspension arrangement is provided for at least partially suspending a portion of the outer member in spaced relationship to a central portion of an inner member. This forms a gap between the inner and outer members.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,932 issued on Jul. 4, 2000 to N. Kraemer, describes a chin strap assembly for use with an athletic helmet. This chin strap assembly has a chin cup member having a flexible strap on each side of the chin cup member. A flexible strap passes through a plurality of slots formed in the chin cup member. In particular, this strap is threaded through the slots of the cup and is adjustably maintained relative to the cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,024, issued on Nov. 19, 2002 to S. P. Grant, shows a protective chin strap device for securing a helmet to a wearer's head. The chin strap includes a hard outer shell, an inner member made of a self-supporting, cushioned material, and straps attached to the outer shell for securing the chin strap to a helmet. The inner member is secured with respect to the outer shell so as to contact the outer shell adjacent to wearer's chin.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,735,160 issued on Jun. 15, 2010, to the present inventor, provides a chin guard apparatus that has a shell with a cup suitable for fitting upon a human chin, a resilient layer received within the cup of the shell and having a periphery overlying the outer peripheral edge of the shell, a first strap affixed to one side of the shell and extending outwardly therefrom, and a second strap affixed to an opposite side of the shell and extending outwardly therefrom. A bladder is affixed to a surface of the resilient layer opposite the shell.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,370, issued on Feb. 15, 2011 to M. M. Winningham, provides a protective chin pad assembly that has an outer shell of a plastic material and straps attached thereto. An inner cushion member is attached to the shell independently of the straps. The shell has an outer surface and an inner surface providing a pocket with a pair of openings formed in the shell between the inner and outer surfaces. The inner cushion member is received in the pocket of the shell. An attachment mechanism has a pair of elongate members extending from an outer surface of the cushion member. Each of the elongate members is received through a separate one of the openings in the shell and coupled outwardly from the outer surface of the shell to releasably attach the cushion member to the shell independently of the straps.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,921,475, issued on Apr. 12, 2011 to Nascimento et al, discloses an impact-attenuating chin protector. The chin protector has a hard outer shell and a narrowed central area. An inner foam member is affixed to the shell. The foam member includes a series of alternating foam columns and recesses with perforations at controlled locations. The inner surface of the foam member is configured so that almost the entire interior surface contacts the wearer's chin. The columns and recesses are configured so that the recesses are located around two pressure points on the chin.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,006,322, issued on Aug. 30, 2011 to the present inventor, teaches a chin guard that has a shell with a cup suitable for fitting upon a human chin and a resilient layer received within the cup of the shell. The resilient layer has a periphery overlying the outer peripheral edge of the shell. The resilient layer has a support layer in surface-to-surface contact with the surface of the shell. A plurality of padded sections are integrally formed with the support layer.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D606,707, issued on Dec. 22, 2009 to the present inventor, shows a chin guard design in which a foam resilient layer has a plurality of bumps formed on the surface thereof.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a chin guard 10 generally as shown in several previous patents to the present inventor. The chin guard 10 includes a cup 12 with a resilient layer 14 positioned therein. Top straps 16 and 18 extend outwardly from the chin guard 10 and are affixed to, preferably, snap post hookups adjacent the temple on the helmet of the wearer. Bottom straps 20 and 22 extend outwardly from the chin guard 10 and are affixed to attachments on the helmet adjacent the jaw or chin of the wearer. In chin guards produced by the present inventor, typically the straps 16 and 20 are a single strap which is threaded through the cup 12 of the chin guard 10. Similarly, straps 18 and 22 are a single strap. This arrangement prevents slippage of the straps and unnecessary adjustments so as to secure the helmet and chin guard to the wearer's head.
Chin guards produced by the present inventor are preferred by many athletes. It is believed that the present inventor supplies approximately 25% of chin guards used by players in the National Football League, for example.
Certain football helmets on the market today include a recess or opening formed on a surface thereof. This recess is intended to receive various appliances therein. One type of appliance has been utilized in such a recess has been a ratchet mechanism. This item is referred to as a “ratchet hook-up” that can be used with chin straps so as to fix a position of the chin strap relative to the helmet. The ratchet mechanism is removably received within this recess in the helmet in a lower position adjacent to the jaw of the wearer. Unfortunately, this ratchet mechanism and ratchet-type chin strap have proven to be problematic during use. For example, the ratchet mechanism may attach the chin guard too tightly to the chin of the wearer. This can be uncomfortable and distracting. In other circumstances, a tight chin strap can become dislodged during play and can be lodged over the chin or neck of the wearer. It can become very difficult to move or detach the chin guard from the neck back on to the chin. In certain circumstances, the tight strap could possible a choke the wearer. As such, need has developed so as to avoid the use of such a ratchet mechanism on football helmets.
In the past, one approach that has been taken is to replace this ratchet mechanism is to drill holes through the helmet to receive the male threaded screw of a traditional snap post. This is a poor solution because additional holes in a helmet can compromise the integrity of the structure. Additionally, the removal of the ratchet mechanism creates an unsightly gap or irregularity on the surface of the helmet.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an adapter that allows a chin guard to be affixed to a helmet.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an adapter that can be utilized in association with an existing opening or recess in a helmet.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an adapter that avoids drilling holes in the helmet.
It is further object of the present invention to provide an adapter that securely mounts a snap post to the helmet.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adapter that is easy and fast to install.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an adapter that is inexpensive and easy to manufacture.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adapter that better retains the strap onto the helmet.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an adapter that reduces the torque effects to the helmet.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adapter that provides a large area of surface-to-surface contact with the surface of the helmet.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an adapter that presents a smooth and aesthetically pleasing appearance on the surface of the helmet.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an adapter for attaching a chin strap to a helmet. The adapter comprises a body and a post affixed to the body. The body has a first face and a second face in generally parallel relation. The body has a forward edge and a rearward edge. The body includes an outwardly extending portion projecting outwardly of a portion of the second face. A threaded receptacle is formed or affixed to the body. The threaded receptacle opens at the first face and opens at an outer surface of the outwardly extending portion. The post is affixed to the first face of the body. The post is adapted to receive a buckle of the chin strap.
In the present invention, an attachment wheel has a screw extending therefrom. The screw is removably received in the threaded receptacle of the body at the outwardly extending portion.
The body has a generally rectangular configuration with a radiused edge extending between the first face and the forward edge of the body and another radiused edge extending between the first face of the body and the rearward edge of the body. The post is positioned adjacent to the rearward edge of the body. The post has a threaded member extending therefrom. The threaded member is received by the threaded receptacle of the body. The outwardly extending portion is adjacent to the rearward edge of the body. The body is formed of a polymeric material. The outwardly extending portion is generally square or rectangular.
The threaded member of the snap post has a tool-receiving head facing outwardly therefrom. The post includes a metallic ring. The tool-receiving head is positioned centrally of the metallic ring.
The present invention is also an assembly that comprises a helmet having a recess formed on a surface thereof, a body received in the recess of the helmet, and a post affixed to the body. The body has a first face and a second face in generally parallel relation. The body has a forward edge and a rearward edge. The body has an outwardly extending portion projecting outwardly of the portion of the second face. A threaded receptacle is affixed or formed on or in the body. The threaded receptacle opens at the first face and opens at the outer surface of the outwardly extending portion.
The recess of the helmet includes a first recess of a first depth, and a second recess formed within the first recess and having a second depth extending from a bottom of the first recess. The outwardly extending portion is received in the second recess. The second face abuts a surface of the first recess. The first surface of the body is flush with the surface of the helmet. The outwardly extending portion has a thickness approximately equal to the second depth of the second recess.
The assembly further includes an attachment wheel having a screw extending therefrom. The screw is removably received in the threaded receptacle of the body at the outwardly extending portion. The second recess has a hole formed therethrough. The screw of the attachment wheel extends into the hole.
The body has a generally rectangular configuration with a radiused edge extending between the first face and the forward edge and another radiused edge extending between the first face and the rearward edge. The snap post is positioned adjacent to the rearward edge of the body. The outwardly extending portion is adjacent to the rearward edge of the body.
The foregoing Section is intended to describe, with particularity, the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It is understood that modifications to these preferred embodiments can be made within the scope of the present claims. As such, the Section should not be construed, in any way, as limiting of the broad scope of the present invention. The present invention should only be limited by the following claims and their legal equivalents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the chin guard assembly of the prior art and, in particular, by the patents of the present inventor.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the adapter of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the adapter of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional side view of the adapter of the present invention as positioned within a recessed of a helmet.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the chin strap and chin guard as used with the adapter of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a ring that secures the chin strap to the chin guard.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing the fastener used to secure the chin strap to the ring of the chin guard.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 2, there shown the adapter 30 in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The adapter 30 includes a body 31 having a first face 36 and a second face (not shown) in generally parallel relation. The body includes a forward edge 33 and a rearward edge 34. The body also includes side edges 32 and 35. As can be seen, there is a curvature extending between the side edge 32 and the rearward edge 34. Another curvature extends between the side edge 32 and the forward edge 33. Another curvature extends between the forward edge 33 and the side edge 35. Another curvature extends between the side edge 35 and the rearward edge 34. These curvatures avoid any sharp corners that could result in damaging contact between the adapter 30 and a human body.
In FIG. 2, a snap post 45 is affixed to the first face 36 of the body 31. The snap post 45 is adapted to receive a snap post buckle attached the chin strap thereon. In particular, the snap post 45 includes a metallic ring 37. It can be seen that a tool-receiving head 39 is located centrally within the ring 37. As will be described hereinafter, the tool-receiving head 39 is associated with a screw that will be received within a threaded receptacle in the body 31. The tool-receiving head 39 securely mounts the snap post 45 to the body 31.
FIG. 3 shows an opposite view of the adapter 30 of the present invention. Importantly, it can be seen that there is an outwardly extending portion 34 is positioned on the second face 41 of the body 31. It can be seen that there is a threaded receptacle 40 affixed to or formed in the body 31. The threaded receptacle 40 will open at the first face 36 and will also open at the outer surface of the outwardly extending portion 38. The outwardly extending portion 38 is generally positioned adjacent to the rearward edge 34 of the body 31. As such, the snap post 45 will also be positioned generally adjacent to this rearward edge 34.
FIG. 4 shows the adapter 30 of the present invention as installed within a recess 43 of a helmet 48. It can be seen that the body 31 has the first face 36 and the second face 41. The first face 36 is in generally parallel relationship with the second face 41. The body 31 includes the forward edge 33 and the rearward edge 34. The outwardly extending portion 38 projects outwardly of a portion of the second face 41. The body has the threaded receptacle 40 formed therein. The threaded receptacle 40 is shown has opening at the first face 36 and at the outer surface of the outwardly extending portion 38.
The snap post 45 is affixed to the first surface 36 of the body 31. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the snap post 45 is adapted to receive the snap post buckle 24 of the chin strap 16 thereon. The chin strap 16 is of a type shown in FIG. 1 of the prior art.
An attachment wheel 44 has a screw 46 extending therefrom. The screw 46 is removably received in the threaded receptacle 40 of the body 31 at the outwardly extending portion 38. In particular, the head of the attachment wheel 44 will cause the surface of the football helmet 48 to be sandwiched between the head of the attachment wheel 44 and the outwardly extending portion 38 of the body 31. As such, the adapter 30 is securely mounted within the recess 43 of the helmet 48.
The body 31 has a generally rectangular configuration. There is a radiused edge extending between the forward edge 33 and the first face 36. Another radiused edge extends between the rearward edge 34 and the first face 36. These radiused edges prevent any sharp areas of contact on the outer surfaces of the adapter 30. This further works to minimize potential for injury when the adapter 30 is applied to the football helmet 48. The body 31 is formed of a polymeric material. The outwardly extending portion 38 (as further shown in FIG. 3) has a generally square or rectangular configuration.
The recess 43 includes a first recessed area 51 and a second recessed area 53. The first recessed area 51 has a first depth. The second recessed area 53 has a second depth extending from the bottom surface of the first recess 51. The outwardly extending portion 38 is received in the second recess. The second face 41 of the body 31 is juxtaposed against the bottom surface of the first recess 51. As such, the first face 36 will be generally flush with the outer surface of the football helmet 48. Once again, since the first face 36 of the body 31 is flush with the outer surface of the football helmet 48, there are no outwardly projecting surfaces which could potentially cause injury. This flush-mounting further enhances the aesthetic appearance of the adapter 30 with respect to the football helmet.
The outwardly extending portion 38 has a thickness approximately equal to the second depth of the second recess 53. A hole through a hole 55 exists in the wall of the second recess 53. This hole 53 allows the screw 46 of the attachment wheel 44 to extend into the threaded receptacle 40. It can be seen that the threaded receptacle 40 both receives the tool-receiving head 39 used to secure the snap post 45 and also serves to receive the screw 46 of the attachment wheel 44.
The adapter 30 is easily mounted within the recess 43. First, any appliance that previously existed within the recess 43 is removed. The adapter 30 is placed within the recess 43 so that the outwardly extending portion 38 resides in the second recess 53 and such that the body 31 resides in the first recess 51. The attachment wheel 44 can then be positioned on the opposite side of the helmet 48. The screw 46 will extend into the threaded receptacle 40 and rotated until the head of the attachment wheel 44 abuts the surface of the football helmet 44. This will securely mount the body 31 in its proper position within the recess 43. After attachment, the snap post buckle 24 can be snapped on to the snap post 45 such that the chin strap 16 is secured to the football helmet 48.
Importantly, in the present invention, the adapter 30 actually positions the snap post 45 and the outwardly extending portion 38 in a rearward position. As such, the forwardly extending portions of the adapter 30 serve to provide further resistance against any torquing effects that can be applied to the helmet and/or to the chin strap. When a pulling force is applied to the snap post 45, the forwardly extending surfaces of the adapter 30 create a cantilever-effect on the adapter 30 so as to resist these forces. Since all of the surfaces of the adapter 30 are relatively smooth and since the adapter 30 extends generally flush with the outer surface of the helmet 48, any potential damaging contact between sharp edges of the adapter 30 are avoided.
FIG. 5 shows the chin strap and chin guard assembly 50 that can be used with the present invention. The assembly 50 preferably contains the cup 12 and resilient layer 14 of the traditional chin guard 10. Straps 16 and 18 are shown as extending outwardly from the cup. 12. The straps 16 and 18 has snap post buckles 24 and 26 affixed thereto for attachment to the high snap posts which are present on all helmets.
The assembly includes rings 52 and 54 in place of conventional bottom straps. The rings 52 and 54 can be of any suitable shape, however FIG. 6 shows a unique form of the rings used in association with the present invention. Straps 56 and 58 extend outwardly from the rings 52 and 54. Preferably, the straps 56 and 58 are easily removable. FIG. 5 shows how the fastener 59 is present on the straps 56 and 58. The fastener 59 may be in the form of a Chicago screw or the removable attachment. Rivets or other non-removable attachments may also be used. Traditional buckles 60 are attached to the straps 56 and 58. These traditional buckle 60 are for attachment to snap post hookups. As shown in FIG. 5, the chin guard an strap assembly 50 can be utilized with conventional helmets having snap post hookups on both the upper and lower ends.
FIG. 6 illustrates the ring 52 used for securing the strap 56 to the cup 12. In particular, the ring 52 is of a generally oval configuration with generally straight sides 70 and 72 with curved outer ends 74 and 76. As such, the ring 52 will have straight surfaces that are received by the strap portion extending from the cup 12 and with the strap 56. This serves to avoid the curvature associated with conventional D-rings. It is believed that the straight sides 70 and 72 will minimize wear and tear on the strap portion and strap. These straight sides 70 and 72 also serve to properly orient the strap 56 relative to the helmet. Ring 54 will have a similar configuration as used with strap 58.
FIG. 7 shows how the strap 56 is secured to the ring 52. In particular, there is a portion 80 that will wrap through the interior of the ring 52 and extend so as to lie against the side 82 of strap 56. Typically, the strap 56 will have holes that are aligned. As such, the Chicago screw 84 can be inserted through the holes. The female portion 86 of the Chicago screw 84 will extend through the hole so as to open at the opposite side of the portion 80. The male portion 88 of the Chicago screw 84 can be threadedly received within the female portion 86 and then rotated until the respective heads 90 and 92 will be strongly abutting the outer surfaces of the strap 56. As a result, the portion 80 will be fixedly and removably secured to the surface 82 of the strap 56.
The configuration of FIG. 6 allows the strap 56 to be removable from the ring 52. It is only necessary to unscrew the male portion 88 from the female portion 86 of the Chicago screw 84. The portion 80 of the strap 56 can then slide outwardly of the interior of the ring 52. This configuration is important with certain types of helmets. Often, it is desirable to join the strap 56 to the interior strap configuration of a XENITH™ helmet. As such, the interior strap configuration of the XENITH™ helmet can be connected to the cup for the 12. Also, if there are other unique helmet configurations with different strapping mechanisms, the ring 52 is adapted so as to uniquely receive such straps.
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof. Various changes in the details of the illustrated construction can be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the true spirit of the invention. The present invention should only be limited by the following claims and their legal equivalents.

Claims

I claim:

1. An adapter for attaching a chin strap to a helmet, the adapter comprising:

a body having a first face and a second face in generally parallel relation, said body having a forward edge and a rearward edge, said body having an outwardly extending portion projecting outwardly of a portion of said second face, said body having a threaded receptacle affixed or formed therein, said threaded receptacle opening at said first face and opening at an outer surface of said outwardly extending portion; and

a post affixed to said first face of said body, said post adapted to receive a buckle of the chin strap thereon.

2. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising:

an attachment device having a screw extending therefrom, said screw being removably received in said threaded receptacle of said body at said outwardly extending portion.

3. The adapter of claim 1, said body having a generally rectangular configuration with a radiused edge extending between said first face and said forward edge and another radiused edge extending between said first face and said rearward edge.

4. The adapter of claim 1, said post positioned adjacent to said rearward edge of said body.

5. The adapter claim 1, said post having a threaded member extending therefrom, said threaded member being received by said threaded receptacle of said body.

6. The adapter of claim 1, said outwardly extending portion being adjacent to said rearward edge of said body.

7. The adapter claim 1, said body being formed of a polymeric material.

8. The adapter claim 1, said outwardly extending portion having a generally square or rectangular configuration.

9. The adapter claim 5, said threaded member of said post having a tool-receiving head facing outwardly therefrom, said post having a metallic ring thereon, said tool-receiving head positioned centrally of said metallic ring.

10. An assembly comprising:

a helmet having a recess formed thereon;

a body having a first face and a second face and face in generally parallel relation, said body having a forward edge and a rearward edge, said body having an outwardly extending portion projecting outwardly of a portion of said second pace, said body having a threaded receptacle affixed or formed therein, said threaded receptacle opening at said first face and opening at an outer surface of said outwardly extending portion, said body being received in said recess of said helmet; and

a post affixed to said first face of said body.

11. The assembly of claim 10, said recess comprising:

a first recess having a first depth; and

a second recess formed within said first recess and having a second depth extending from a bottom of said first recess.

12. The assembly of claim 10, said outwardly extending portion received in said second recess, said second face abutting a surface of said first recess.

13. The assembly of claim 10, said first face of said body being flush with said surface of said helmet.

14. The assembly claim 11, said outwardly extending portion having a thickness approximately equal to the second depth of said second recess.

15. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising:

an attachment device having a screw extending therefrom, said screw being removably received in said threaded receptacle of said body at said outwardly extending portion, said second recess having a hole formed therethrough, said screw of said attachment wheel extending through said hole.

16. The assembly of claim 10, said body having a generally rectangular configuration with a radiused edge extending between said first face and said forward edge and another radiused edge extending between said first face and said rearward edge.

17. The assembly of claim 10, said post positioned adjacent to said rearward edge of said body, said outwardly extending portion being adjacent to said rearward edge of said body.

18. The assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

a chin strap having a buckle thereon, said buckle being releasably received by said post.

19. The assembly of claim 18, further comprising:

a chin guard connected to said chin strap at a location away from said post buckle.

20. The assembly of claim 19, said chin guard having a ring mounted thereto, said chin strap having a looped portion received by said ring.