WO1995020887B1

WO1995020887B1 - Crash helmet with improved fixing system and safety locking system of the visor

Info

Publication number: WO1995020887B1
Application number: PCT/IT1995/000011
Authority: WO
Filing date: 1995-01-27
Publication date: 1995-08-24

Abstract

A crash helmet for motor-cyclists with a visor fixing system made up by an annular projection (9) integral with the visor (8), two recesses (11a, 11b) formed on said annular projection (9), and two fins (12a, 12b) integral with the base element (2) mounted on the crash helmet. A cover element (13) is mounted on the base element (2) by means of sliders (14a, 14b) engaging respective seats obtained on the base element. The cover element has a limit stop which prevents the visor from rotating to the position in which the fins (12a, 12b) are aligned with the recesses (11a, 11b), because in that case the annular projection (9) would detach itself from the circular groove (10) of the base element (2). The crash helmet has also a safety locking system of the visor and a ventilation system, which are both improved.

Claims

887 PC /0001AMENDED CLAIMS[received by the International Bureau on 1 August 1995 (01.08.95); original claim 1 amended; original claim 11 cancelled; new claims 3 and 6-9 added; original claim 2 unchanged; original claims 3, 4, 5-10 and 12 renumbered as claims 4, 5 and 10-16 (6 pages)]

1. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists, comprising a fixing system for the visor, a safety locking system for the visor, an internal ventilation system, characterized in that said fixing system comprises an annular projection (9) of the visor (8), with cavities or interruptions (11a, lib), and respective projections or fins (12a, 12b) integral with the base element (2) which is mounted on the crash helmet, said annular projection (9) being slidable below said fins (12a, 12b) , inside an annular guide or groove of large diameter (10) having lateral walls for improving the stability of the visor and obtained on the base element (2), whereby a small cover element (13) is mounted on said base element (2) so as to be flush with said visor (8) and so as to prevent, by means of a limit stop integral with it, said fins (12a, 12b) to be again aligned with their corresponding cavities (11a, lib); said safety locking system located inside the base element (2) and being surrounded by the groove (10) which consequently has a larger radius comprising a lower pawl (24) which has a lower protrusion (32), said pawl (24) being continuously biased by a spring (23) against the annular projection (9) and locking the visor (8) in its closure position when the protrusion (32) of the pawl (24), after having climbed up a slanted surface (30), engages a concavity (31) obtained on the annular projection (9) ; the pawl (24) pressing the visor (8) against the seal of the crash helmet because of the fact that said protrusion (32) of the pawl (24) does not reach the bottom of the concavity (31) ; said ventilation system comprising a channel (35) which is formed along the boundary line between a lower part (34) and an upper part (33) of the inner polystyrene coating, a plurality of through holes (37) disposed radially and which provide a communication between said channel (35) and the inside of the crash helmet, and a plurality of second lateral through holes (38, 39, 40), the first of them (38) being realized on the crash helmet's shell, the second (39), on the base element (2), and the third (40), on the small cover element (13), whereby said second through holes (38, 39, 40) are aligned and provide a communication between the inside of the channel (35) and the surrounding atmosphere on the surface of the crash helmet at the center of the lateral surface.

2. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to claim 1, characterized in that said cover element (13) is locked on the base element (2) by means of sliders (14a, 14b) whose lower parts (16a, 16b) engage respective seats (51, 52) obtained on the base

3. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said cover elements (13) on both sides of the crash helmet, are flush with the external surface of the visor.

4. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spring (23) which biases the lower pawl (24) against the annular projection (9) of the visor (8), is a helicoidal spring which is contained, together with the lower pawl (24), inside spaces (26, 27) obtained in the base element (2).

5. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises two pawls (19, 24), an upper one (19) and a lower one (24) both located inside the base element (2) and being surrounded by the groove (10) which provide an adjustment of the visor (8), whereby the upper one (19) serves to define intermediate positions of the visor (8), and the lower one (24) serves to lock the visor in its closure position by pressing it at the same time against the crash helmet's seal, whereby both pawls (19, 24) cooperate to produce an enhanced closing effect in the closed position of the visor.

6. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to claim 1, 4, 5 characterized in that all opening and closure mechanisms of the visor are positioned inside a circular region having a great diameter and obtained on the visor (8) .

7. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to claim 1, characterized in that said base element (2) has two adjustment screws (6a, 6b) for the position of the visor (8) , whereby the lower adjustment screw (6b) is immediately accessible, without removing the cover element (13), but simply lifting the visor (8).

8. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to claim 1, characterized in that said circular guide (10) which has lateral walls, is located adjacent to the seal of the visor (8) .

9. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to claim 1, characterized in that the pawls (19, 24) cooperate in order to firmly retain the visor in its closure position, and in order to disengage the pawls (19, 24) it suffices to displace the visor without the need of carrying out any additional manual release operation.

10. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said channel is realized indifferently on the upper part (33) or on the lower part (34) in a central position (35), or in a lateral position (35') in the zone bounded by the shell (36) of the polystyrene coating, during moulding of said part.

11. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said through hole (40) obtained on the cover element (13) may be opened or closed by a slider (41) which does not project out of the corresponding guide track obtained on the small cover element (13).

12. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the annular projection (9) of the visor (8) has a teeth row (22) which engages an upper pawl (19) which slides along an upper space (18) obtained in the base element (2) , being biased against said annular projection (9) by a second helicoidal spring (17) which is also lodged inside said upper space (18), the teeth row (22) allowing the locking of the visor (8) in an intermediate position with respect to the closure or completely open position.

13. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to claim 10, characterized in that along the channel (35) and at the site of said holes (37) of the channel (35), there are obtained various recesses (42) on the two parts (33, 34) of the polystyrene coating, said recesses (42) conveying the air inside the crash helmet towards said holes (37) and thus in the channel (35) .

14. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said through holes (40) of the cover element (13) for discharging air to the atmosphere, are exactly located in the region where the velocity during the motion, of the air surrounding the helmet, is greatest and its pressure is a minimum, that is on the lateral surface of the crash helmet, near the center of this lateral surface.

15. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure exerted by the visor (8) on the seal of the crash helmet, can be adjusted by means of the force exerted by the helicoidal spring (23) associated to the lower pawl (24), whose protrusion (32) slides along the concavity (31) inside which said protrusion (32) will be located when the visor (8) is in its closure position, whereby said lower pawl does not reach the bottom of the concavity (31).

16. Crash helmet for motor-cyclists, characterized in that said through holes (37) are disposed in a radial direction around the head of the motor-cyclist. STATEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 19

We would like to point out that the characteristic exposed in the claims 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9 now added can be easily recognized in the fig. 1 and 2 and in the text from page 7 to page 13 so that no new matter was included.

For better comprehension it should be inserted at page 7, after line 13, of the specification!

"It is most important to point out that the lower screw 6b can be loosened in order to adjust the visor without any preliminary operation, apart from slightly lifting the visor, the screw is immediately accessible.

The screw 6a which is used less often, requires instead the removal o the cover element 13 for the adjustment".

At page 9 of the specification, after line 12, should be inserted:

"According to the present invention, both the pawls 19, 24 and the springs 17, 23 stopping and locking the visor in the closed position i.e. all mechanisms employed for these purposes, are enclosed by the guide 10 and the cooperating annular projection 9 for pivotal movemen of the visor.

Thus, the diameter of the circular guide 10 and the annular projectio

9 is consistently enlarged with respect to a situation in which there is just a pivot pin around which the visor rotates, while said mechanisms are located outside.

This construction contributes to increase the stability of the visor, also because of the fact that besides the larger diameter the guide 1 has two lateral walls which prevent any radial displacement of the ring portion 9 with respect to the center of the base element 2. Thus, the annular projection 9 and the base element 2 are always perfectly coaxial and stable during its movement.

Since the cover element 13 has no part of it which protrudes outwardl beyond the external surface of the visor, the streamline of the crash helmet is excellent.

Thus, even if the cover element is important in order to prevent the visor from disengaging itself and must be present as a separate element for this purpose, the external surface of the visor behaves aerodynamical ly as if it were continuous.

Moreover, as shown in Fig. 1, the circular guide 10 passes close to the window formed on the shell 1. This implies that the visor, which would gradually tend to recuperate its original shape thereby slightl moving away from the seal, is prevented from doing so, and is firmly held against the seal.

The present invention employing metallic springs 17, 23 as resilient means, has the advantage of being more efficient and reliable than click teeth stop mechanisms using resilient parts made of synthetic resin, expecially during warm seasons.

When the visor has been lowered by the hand until the pawl 24 engages the cavity 31, no further operation is required, such as the displacement of an external slider or the like, in order to safely lock the visor. The pawl 24 together with the pawl 19, as already described, completely locks the visor.

Also, when the visor should be opened it is necessary only to act wi the hand on the visor and the pawl 24 which works in combination wit the pawl 19 disengages automatically without any further manual operation. "