US3551910A - Neck and head protector for mounting on safety helmets - Google Patents

Abstract

A NECK-PROTECTIVE SHIELD THAT CAN BE REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON HEAD-PROTECTIVE HELMETS. A TRANSPARENT FACE-PROTECTIVE SHIELD THAT CAN BE REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE NECKPROTECTIVE SHIELD.

Description

11511411971 HARAS HKE 3,551,910

NECK AND HEAD PROTECTION FOR MOUNTING ON SAFETY HELMETS Filed Nov. 12, 1968 INVENTOR. I HERBERT A. RASCHKE BY Wa ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,551,910 NECK AND HEAD PROTECTOR FOR MOUNTING 0N SAFETY HELMETS Herbert A. Rasclike, Greenbrae, Califi, assignor to E. D. Bullard Company, Sausalito, Calif. Filed Nov. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 774,650 Int. Cl. A42b 3/00 U.S. Cl. 2-3 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A neck-protective shield that can be removably mounted on head-protective helments. A transparent face-protective shield that can be removably mounted on the neckprotective shield.

This invention relates to head protection for peace officers, and more particularly to attachments for helmets that afford protection of the neck and face when installed on the helmets.

Protection for the top of the head is afforded by many types of presently available helmets. The protection afforded by such helmets is adequate in most situations, but in certain activities additional protection is necessary. Because the instances when additional protection is required are rare, it is not practical to provide unitary headprotective devices that afford complete protection, because infrequent use does not justify the relative discomfort and restriction caused by devices that completely enclose the Wearers head.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a neck-protecting shield that can be installed onto and removed from safety helmets without necessitating permanent modification of the helmet, and without in any way impairing the strength of the helmet. This object is achieved by providing a neck shield that is formed from resilient material of generally U-shape to conform'to the shape of the helmet at the rear and sides thereof. The shield has along its upper edge an inwardly protruding lip that engages the rim of a helmet. The shield has a coil spring or like elastic member spanning the free ends of the U-shaped shield to extend across the front of the helmet and retain the shield in place on the helmet.

Another object is to afford protection to the eyes and face without necessitating permanent modification of the helmet. This object is achieved by providing a transparent face shield that is removably attachable to the front portions of the neck shield. The neck shield is removably secured to the helmet as described above; the face shield, since it is attachable to the neck shield, is thus similarly removably attachable to the helmet. Because the face shield is removably attachable to the neck shield, the neck shield can be used independently of the face shield should such be desired.

These and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a helmet supplied with the protective devices of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and showing a constructional detail of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of a helmet with portions broken away to reveal internal details;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of a neck shield;

FIG, 5 is a top view of the neck shield taken along line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of a face shield according to the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 12 indicates a rigid or hard helmet of conventional form. The helmet terminates at its lower posterior and lateral edge in a rim 14, and has at its forward or anterior portion a visor 16. Interiorly of helmet 12 is a system of head-embracing straps 18 and a lining of energyabsorbing material, such as sponge rubber 20. Such helmet is conventional and not novel.

A neck shield 22 of generally U-shaped form is provided for extending around the lateral and posterior portion of helmet 12. The shield can be made of any rigid, resilient, shatter-resistant material such as steel, aluminum, estherene, fiberglass reinforced resin, and the like. The neck shield includes front regions 22 that overlie the temples of the wearer and that afford protection to the cheekbones of the wearer. Rearwardly of the portions 22] is a region in which are defined a plurality of acoustic openings 24 which are in alignment with the ear of the wearer and parmit the wearer to hear. Extending around the posterior region of the head is a portion 26 that affords protection to the basal region of the skull and the neck. As can be seen most clearly from FIG. 4, the vertical extent of the shield 22 at posterior portion 26 is less than the vertical extent forwardly thereof so as to avoid interference with the normal head movements of the wearer. The interior of the neck shield 22 is lined with energy absorbent material, such as expanded polyurethane foam, which forms padding and absorbs energy. The material 28 is cut out as at 30 opposite acoustic openings 24' to form a sound passage to the wearers ear. Moreover, cutout 30 forms a depression opposite the wearer's ear so that the wearers ear is received in the cut away portion and is not subjected to pressure from energy-absorbing material 28.

Surrounding the upper edge of neck shield 22 is a reentrant lip 31 which forms around the upper edge of the face shield a concavity 32 that is complementary with hat rim 12. Spanning the forward ends of neck shield 22 is a coil spring 33, or a like elastic member, which coil spring extends around the anterior portion of the helment above the visor 16. Neck shield 22 and spring 33 are proportioned so that the spring is stressed when the neck shield is in place on the helmet; consequently, the spring retains concavity 32 in embracing relationship to rim 14. It will be obvious that the neck guard can be removed by moving it rearwardly against the force of spring 33 until lip 31 clears rim 14 to permit disengagement of concavity 32 from the rim.

In many situations encountered by peace officers, face protection is desirable. For the majority of occasions, however, face protection is unnecessary. As a consequence, a permanently installed face shield is not practicable. For removably installing a face shield, the present invention includes at the forward upper region of neck shield 22 fastening elements 34a and 34b. T-shaped bracket 35 having connector elements 36a and 36b which are complementally engageable with connector elements 34a and 34b is provided for attachment onto the neck shield. The end of the leg of T-shaped bracket 35 forms one element of a conventional pivotal joint 37, the other end of which is formed by a rigid U-shaped bracket 38 which corresponds to the outer shape of visor 16. Removably attached to the U-shaped bracket 38 is a transparent face-protective shield 40 which is retained onto U-shaped bracket 38 by means of conventional snap fastener member 42, a well-known expedient.

The vertical extent of T-shaped bracket 35 is sufficient to position the U-shaped bracket 38 at such vertical position that it contacts visor 16 throughout the length of the U-shaped bracket. Such complete contact is desirable in avoiding entry of foreign objects behind face shield 40. Connector elements 34a 34b, 36a, and 36b are not novel per se, but their inclusion in the present invention is important in that they permit the neck shield 22 to be installed onto helmet 12 either with or without the face shield. The provision of two cooperating connectors on each side of the face shield bracket not only improves the security of mounting, but assures that pivotal movement will take place only at pivotal joint 37 when the face shield is moved to an upper position, shown in broken lines in FIG. 6.

Thus it will be seen that the present invention provides a neck shield and a face shield that can be mounted onto and removed from existing helmets without requiring any alteration of the existing helmets. The neck shield and the face shield are of a relatively compact nature so that they can be carried by peace officers and installed onto the helmet only at such times as their employment appears necessary. The apparatus for attaching the shields to a helmet is of sufiicient strength that unintended removal of the shield is unlikely.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be obvious that other adaptations and modifications can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A neck guard for attachment to the rim of a rigid helmet of the type that has a visor projecting forwardly thereof comprising a generally U-shaped body of resilient material shaped to conform to the posterior portion of the helmet so as to cover the basal region of the head, the back and sides of the neck, the ears, and the temples of the wearer; said U-shaped body having an integral portion thereof formed with an inwardly opening groove around the upper edge thereof from affording engagement with the posterior portion of said helmet rim; and an elongate coil spring attached to the free ends of said body for spanning the anterior portion of said met, said coil spring constituting the sole means for retaining said neck guard on said helmet in order to afford ready removal of said neck guard.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said body is lined with resilient cushioning material, portions of said cushioning material being cut out opopsite the ears of the wearer to define ear receiving cavities, said neck guard being apertured at said cut out to form acoustic openings to the exterior of said guard.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said body includes a pair of first snap members mounted adjacent the upper front region thereof, a transparent face shield, and means including second snap members that are complementary with said first snap members for securing said face shield onto said body.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said face shield securing means comprises an inverted T-shaped member having a horizontal leg and a vertical leg projecting upwardly therefrom, said second snap members being mounted on opposite ends of said horizontal leg, and means forming a pivot connection mounted on said vertical leg at a level corresponding to the helmet rim.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,364,662 1/1921 Wagner 23 2,963,708 12/1960 Herbine et al 210X 3,042,927 7/ 1962 Mauro et al. 2--3 3,239,842 3/1966 Marchello 23 3,436,760 4/ 1969 Molitoris 26 FOREIGN PATENTS 489,730 10/1918 France 2--10 helmet above the visor to retain said guard on said hel- A. R. GUEST, Primary Examiner

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