WO2013029080A1

WO2013029080A1 - Helmet accessory

Info

Publication number: WO2013029080A1
Application number: PCT/AU2011/001118
Authority: WO
Inventors: James GILLEN
Original assignee: Gillen James
Priority date: 2011-08-30
Filing date: 2011-08-30
Publication date: 2013-03-07

Abstract

Apparatus for altering the physical appearance of a helmet (10) comprising a substrate (14) adapted to, in use, be securely but releasably attached to the helmet (10), said substrate (14) having means (16) thereon for enabling the releasable but secure attachment thereto of a cover (26) to enable the helmet (10) to be physically changed in appearance.

Description

HELMET ACCESSORY

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to helmets and refers particularly, though not exclusively, to a method and apparatus for the attachment of covers to helmets. Background of the Invention

Helmets, in particular bicycle helmets, have been made compulsory throughout Australia. There have been many designs proposed although it is clear that market forces are now dictating that certain styles and designs of bicycle helmets are proving far more popular and therefore other styles and designs are being slowly withdrawn from the market. Most helmets are not very attractive to look at and coupled with the advent of high fashion clothing for riding of bicycles, the helmet has become part of the fashion industry. The only proposals thus far for being able to alter the basic shape or colouring of the helmet are covers of a stretch fabric material which are merely placed directly over the helmet and merely alter the colour of the helmet. There is no attempt to change the physical appearance of the helmet.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for attachment to a bicycle helmet to be able to alter its physical appearance.

Reference to any prior art in the specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia or any other jurisdiction or that this prior art could reasonably be expected to be ascertained, understood and regarded as relevant by a person skilled in the art.

As used herein, except where the context requires otherwise the term 'comprise' and variations of the term, such as 'comprising', 'comprises' and 'comprised', are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps. Summary of the Invention

With the above and other objects in mind, the present invention provides apparatus for altering the physical appearance of a helmet comprising a substrate adapted to, in use, be securely but releaseably attached to the helmet, said substrate having means thereon for enabling the releaseable but secure attachment thereto of a cover to enable the helmet to be physically changed in appearance.

Advantageously, the substrate includes a plurality of attachment means to enable secure and releasable attachment to the helmet. The attachment means are preferably provided by hook-and-loop strips, double-sided tape, gluing, suction cups, or any other suitable secure, releasable attachment means. Complementary attachment points are preferably also provided on the helmet.

In one embodiment, the attachment means are provided by a plurality of straps, each strap being attached at one end thereof to the substrate, and being provided at the other end with a hook that engages a lower edge of the helmet to releasably secure the substrate to the helmet. The straps may be adjustable in length and may be elasticised.

In another embodiment of the invention, the substrate includes an upper component and a lower component. The lower component preferably takes the form of a skirt that is beatable under a lower edge of the helmet to releasably secure the substrate to the helmet. The skirt may comprise a net fabric. The skirt may at least partially comprise an elasticised material.

The cover also preferably includes a plurality of attachment means to enable secure and releasable attachment to the substrate. The attachment means on the cover may be provided by hook-and-loop strips, double-sided tape, hooks, or gluing. Advantageously, complementary cover attachment means are provided on the substrate. The invention also provides a method of changing the physical appearance of a helmet comprising attaching in a releaseable but secure manner to the helmet a substrate, and attaching in a releaseable but secure manner to said substrate a cover so as to alter the physical appearance of said helmet. In a preferred embodiment, the helmet is a bicycle helmet.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In order that the invention may be fully understood there shall now be described with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings preferred constructions of bicycle helmets incorporating covers and the like according to the present invention. The description is by way of non-limitative example only and is with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a helmet incorporating a first embodiment of the present invention prior to attachment of the cover;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment;

Figure 4 is a partial side view of the second embodiment;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment;

Figure 6 is a side view in partial section of the third embodiment with the cover in place; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment;

Figure 8 is a plan view corresponding to the embodiment of Figure 7; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment;

Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a cover attached; and

Figure 11 is a side view in exploded form of Figure 10.

Description of Preferred Embodiments To refer to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a bicycle helmet generally designated as 10 and having straps 12 to enable the helmet to be held onto the head of a wearer. The helmet 10 has a substrate 14 placed thereon. The substrate 14 is attached to the helmet at locations 11. As can be seen from Figure 2, the substrate has three lobes 18, 20 and 22 with there being an attachment means 16 at the end of each lobe. The attachment points 16 may be of any suitable form. The substrate 14 may be attached at each point 16 by virtue of gluing, or by a "velcro" (hook and loop) strip which is attached to the helmet 10 by double-sided tape and which attaches to a corresponding "velcro" strip held to the underneath of the substrate 14 at the appropriate location by either glue or double-sided tape; alternatively any other suitable secure but releaseable attachment mechanism may be used.

It must be noted throughout the specification that for each attachment point 16 the basic requirement is that the substrate 14 is held securely in place but must be able to be removed. The attachment point 16 should not interfere in any way with the operation of the helmet 10.

This is clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4 where the substrate 14 is attached to the helmet 0 at locations 11 by virtue of suction cups 24. The suction cups attach to the helmet 10 in the usual manner to thus retain the substrate 14 in a secure but releaseable manner to the helmet 10. To now consider Figures 5 and 6, where the helmet 10 has a substrate 14 attached thereto, the substrate 14 comprises an upper component 13 and a lower component 15. The lower component 15 attaches to the helmet 10 by having an elasticized skirt 17 which locates under the lower edge of the helmet 10. The substrate 14 may be made of any suitable material such as, for example, lycra at the lower region 15 and any suitable light-weight material such as, for example, a woven cotton in the upper portion 13. It is important that the upper portion 13 be able to allow ventilation through any ventilation holes in the helmet 10.

Figure 6 shows that a hat 26 can be attached over the helmet 10 by being secured in a releaseable but secure manner to the substrate 14. With the lower portion 15 being made of a lycra material, the hat 26 could merely be held in place by being a tight fit. The hat illustrated is that form of hat which would be sold under the registered trade mark "Akubra". However, any form of hat could be used. Furthermore, the hat may be held in place by "velcro", hook-and-loop strips, or other suitable attachment means.

Turning now to Figures 7 and 8, there is shown a helmet 10 to which is attached a substrate 14. The substrate 14 is of reduced height and has three adjustable straps 28 with a hook 30 at the lower end of each of them and which can locate around the lower rim 32 of the helmet 10. In this way the substrate 14 can act as before. The straps 28 may be adjustable in length or, as shown, be of an elastic material. Turning now to Figure 9, the helmet 10 has a lower rim 32, as in the previous embodiment. The substrate 14 consists of an upper portion 13 and a lower portion 15 which in this instance is in the form of a net, preferably of an elasticized material, and which can locate under the rim 32. In this way an open-weave format is allowed so that any cover 26 or the like can be attached by being releaseably attached to the net lower portion 15. Naturally, in this form of lower portion 15, a small hook attached to the cover 26 may be the most appropriate way as it could then hook onto the net portion 15. As a variation, the entire substrate could be of elasticized net, with three "Velcro" strips being used as an attachment. Figures 10 and 11 show how alternative covers 26 can be attached to a helmet 10 in which a substrate 14 of the embodiments of Figure 1 through to 4 has been attached. In this particular instance the cover 26 is in the form of the "Mickey Mouse ears" which have been popular throughout the world for many years. The cover 26 is attached to the substrate 14 in any of the methods which have been previously described including hook-and-loop strips, double-sided tape, or any other suitable means. The substrate 14 is attached to the helmet 10 at locations 16, as has been previously described, with in the present instance "velcro" strips being used. Whilst there has been described in the foregoing description several preferred constructions of the method of apparatus for altering the physical appearance of a bicycle helmet, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many variations or modifications in details of design or constructions may be made without departing from the specific nature of the invention as will be understood from a fair reading of the foregoing description.

Claims

1. Apparatus for altering the physical appearance of a helmet comprising a substrate adapted to, in use, be securely but releasably attached to the helmet, said substrate having means thereon for enabling the releasable but secure attachment thereto of a cover to enable the helmet to be physically changed in appearance.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes a plurality of attachment means to enable secure and releasable attachment to the helmet.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the attachment means are provided by hook-and-loop strips, double-sided tape, or gluing.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the attachment means are provided by suction cups.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein complementary attachment means are provided on the helmet.

6. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the attachment means are provided by a plurality of straps, each strap being attached at one end thereof to the substrate, and being provided at the other end with a hook that engages a lower edge of the helmet to releasably secure the substrate to the helmet.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the straps are adjustable in length.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the straps are elasticised.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes an upper component and a lower component, and wherein the lower component is a skirt locatable under a lower edge of the helmet to releasably secure the substrate to the helmet.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the skirt comprises a net fabric.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the skirt at least partially comprises elasticised material.

12. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover includes a plurality of attachment means to enable secure and releasable attachment to the substrate.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the attachment means are provided by hook-and-loop strips, double-sided tape, hooks, or gluing.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein complementary cover attachment means are provided on the substrate.

13. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the helmet is a bicycle helmet.

14. A method of changing the physical appearance of a helmet comprising attaching in a releasable but secure manner to the helmet a substrate, and attaching in a releasable but secure manner to said substrate a cover so as to alter the physical appearance of said helmet.