EP0470746A2

EP0470746A2 - Protective helmet with adjustable headband

Info

Publication number: EP0470746A2
Application number: EP91306895A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Adrian Lawrence Spencer Briggs; Ian Trevor Dampney
Original assignee: Helmets Ltd
Current assignee: Helmets Ltd
Priority date: 1990-08-08
Filing date: 1991-07-29
Publication date: 1992-02-12
Also published as: GB9017366D0; EP0470746A3

Abstract

There is disclosed a protective helmet having an outer shell, a lining (10) of impact resistant material, a cradle (24,26,28) of webbing extending within and fastened to the lining and an adjustable headband (42) secured to the lining. The headband comprises a rear headband member which extends adjacent a lower edge (20) along opposite sides (16) and adjacent the rear (14) of the lining and is anchored at opposite ends (52) respectively at forwardly disposed locations of the lining, and, a front headband member (44) pivotally carried at its opposite ends (60) on the rear headband member at opposite sides of the lining whereby the front headband member can be rotated between a first operative position in which it serves as part of the headband a second retracted position within the lining in which space is provided at the front of the lining to enable the helmet to be fitted to the head of a user wearing breathing apparatus over a marginal portion of said apparatus engaging the brow of the user. Also disclosed is a buckle for varying the embrace of the headband.

Description

This invention relates to protective helmets. It is frequently necessary to use breathing apparatus in conjunction with such helmets, in particular, in the case of firemen's helmets and helmets employed in dust laden environments. The type of breathing apparatus normally used comprises a face mask having a visor fixedly supported in and disposed proud of a surround of flexible material, such as natural or synthetic rubber, to which is connected a harness for securing the mask to the head of the wearer so that the mask surround closely fits the brow, cheeks and beneath the chin of the wearer, the mask usually being provided with means for connection to an air line and/or filter means through which air is ingested by the breathing action of the wearer. References herein to "breathing apparatus" are to be understood as references to such apparatus of the kind described.
It is desirable, and perhaps essential, that the surround of the breathing apparatus should fit between the brow of the wearer and the helmet headband the alternative to this involving the undesirable practice of the helmet being replaced on the wearer's head in a position upwardly and rearwardly angled back with respect to the normal operative position thereof in which the helmet is designed to be used. To comply with best practice, therefore, wherein the helmet after fitting the breathing apparatus is replaced in its normal operative position, requires that the helmet headband is extendible to accommodate the surround at the margin of the face mask engaging the brow of the wearer.
One known form of extendible helmet headband includes overlapping ends located at the rear of the helmet which are engaged in a housing of flat tubular configuration and which are formed each with a slot extending longitudinally of the headband and provided along one side thereof with a row of gear teeth, the teeth of one row facing those of the other row. Engageable with the gear teeth of the facing rows is a ratchet wheel which is rotatably mounted on the housing and with which the rows of teeth are engaged so that rotation of said wheel is opposite senses varies the extent of overlap of the ends of the bands to extend or contract the embrace of the headband. The known mechanism described is unduly complex and therefore costly as well as being time consuming to operate. Also on an impact with the helmet occurring, the ratchet wheel may disengage the teeth and extend the headband thus loosening the fit of the headband and even removing the helmet from the wearer's head. In another known form of adjustable headband, the headband is formed with ends that overlap at a side, or each side of the helmet. The free ends of the headband have respectively a series of apertures and a row of studs which engage snapwise with some of said apertures. The headband is fixed at the front thereof to the helmet shell and extension of the band occurs towards the rear of the helmet. This form of headband adjustment is time consuming to operate and the scope of adjustment is limited making the headband difficult to accommodate a sufficient range of head sizes.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a protective helmet provided with an improved adjustable headband to facilitate use of the helmet with breathing apparatus of the kind described. A further object is to provide an improved buckle for readily enabling variation of the size of embrace of the headband of the helmet.
The present invention consists in a protective helmet comprising an outer helmet shell, a lining of impact resistant material within said shell, a cradle of webbing extending within and fastened to said lining and an adjustable headband secured to said lining, characterised in that said headband comprises a rear headband member extending adjacent a lower edge along opposite sides and adjacent the rear of said lining, said rear headband member being anchored at opposite ends respectively at forwardly disposed locations of said lining and a front headband member pivotally carried at opposite ends respectively on said rear headband member at opposite sides of said lining whereby said front headband member can be rotated between a first operative position in which it serves as part of said headband and a second retracted position within said lining in which space is provided at the front of said lining to enable said helmet to be fitted to the head of a user wearing breathing apparatus.
Advantageously, said front headband member in said first operative position is secured at or adjacent its mid-length by a strap to an anchorage in the front of the lining above the headband members, said strap having an outer surface disposed in said first operative position against said lining and an inner surface and spaced first and second hinges respectively adjacent said anchorage and said front headband member of which said first hinge facilitates folding back of said strap to dispose said inner surface thereof against said lining and said second hinge enables folding of said strap to dispose said front headband part at the location thereof connected to said strap against said outer surface of said strap.
Preferably, said rear headband member is formed by two band parts which at rear ends thereof overlap, there being provided means for adjusting the extent of said overlap to fit the embrace of the headband to the head of the wearer.
The invention also consists in a buckle comprising a a body, a first path in said body in which a first band part is fixedly securable and a second path in said body disposed alongside said first path and with said paths in overlying relationship and in which a second band part formed with a row of spaced apart perforations can extend, said body being formed with an abutment which projects into said second path and which, in operation, is engaged in one of said perforations, said body being capable of being flexed to dispose said paths into parallel arcuate form of curvature sufficient to release said abutment from said band perforation in which it is engaged, whereby the band part in said second path can be moved longitudinally relatively to said buckle and said buckle can subsequently be released to enable engagement of said abutment with another of said perforations.
Advantageously, said abutment is formed with a first surface perpendicular to the direction of relative movement of the buckle and the band in said second path and a second surface which tapers said abutment towards an aperture engaging end thereof whereby, in operation, on pulling said end formed with perforations of said band in a direction to reduce the embrace of the band, said band flexes said body and moves along said second path to become disengaged from said abutment and be drawn through said second path to reduce the embrace of said band.
In one form, said body comprises spaced longitudinal members, spaced transverse members formed with respective elongated apertures and a platform which extends between said longitudinal members and between said transverse members and which together with said apertures in said transverse members defines said paths.
Suitably, said buckle is formed as a one piece injection moulding from plastics material.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

FIGURE 1 is a sectional side elevation of a helmet shell impact resistant lining according to the invention;
FIGURES 2 and 3 are respectively longitudinal sectional elevations illustrating a buckle according to the invention in different operative positions thereof; and
FIGURE 4 is a view from below of the buckle illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

Referring first to Figure 1, a helmet comprises a helmet shell (not shown) within which an impact resistant lining 10 closely fits. The lining has front, rear, side and crown portions 12, 14, 16, 18 and is formed externally above a lower edge 20 thereof with a circumferential shoulder 22. A webbing band 24 encircles exterior of the lining 10 adjacent the shoulder 22 and secured to the band 24 are webbing cradle bands 26 and 28 which pass around the shoulder 22 and lining lower edge 20 into the lining and each of which extends from a front location to a rear location of the liner on the side of the liner opposite said front location. Accordingly the bands 26 and 28 cross at location 30 adjacent the crown part 18 where they are secured together. Further, cradle bands, such as band 32, extend at opposite sides of the lining from band 24 around shoulder 22, lower lining edge 20 and into the lining 10. The bands 26 and 28 are formed respectively with two loops 34 and two loops 36 and the bands, such as band 32, are formed each with a loop 40 at the end thereof remote from band 24. A cord 38 passes through loops 34, 36 and 40 and extending or shortening of the cord 38 varies the depth in the lining at which, in use, a wearer's head is disposed.
A headband 42 of the helmet comprises a front headband member 44 and a rear headband member 46 both suitably formed from flexible semi-rigid plastics material.
The rear headband member 46 extends along the sides 16 and adjacent and below the lower edge 20 of the lining 10 at the rear portion 14 thereof. The member 46 is formed in two parts 48 and 50 which overlap at the rear of the member and which are provided with co-operating adjustable means (not shown) such as studs and complementary apertures to enable extension or shortening of the embrace of the headband. Each of the parts 48 and 50 is formed with front and rear transverse straps 52 and 54 which at their free ends are formed at opposite edges with laterally projecting lugs (not shown). The straps 52 and 54 extend through anchorage apertures 56 and 58 in which they are retained against downward movement by said lugs.
The front headband member 44 extends along the front inner surface of the lining 10 and rearwardly along the side surfaces 16 thereof. Notches 59 are formed in opposite edges of the member at each free end 60 thereof, which extends through an aperture 62 in the member 46 and is retained therein by engagement of said notches with the sides of the corresponding aperture 62. The front headband member 44 is accordingly pivotally mounted on the rear headband member 46.
At its mid-length, the member 44 is formed in one with a strap 64 having an inside surface 65 and an outside surface 67 facing the front of the lining. The strap 64 extends upwardly within the lining 10 and passes through an anchorage aperture 66 in the lining in which it is retained by pairs of lugs 68 and 70 which project laterally from the opposite edges of the strap at the inside and outside surface of the lining 10.
The strap 64 is formed with hinges 72 and 74 respectively adjacent the member 44 and the anchorage aperture 66, each in the form of a transverse line or transverse lines of weakness. Thus upon pivoting of the member 44 relatively to the member 46 from the normal operating position in which the member 44 serves as part of the headband to the retracted position shown in broken lines, the hinge 74 facilitates folding back of the strap to dispose the inner surface 65 thereof against the crown of the lining 10 and the hinge 72 enables folding of the strap to dispose connection of the member 44 and the strap 64 against the outside surface 67 of the strap. The member 44 is thereby locked in its retracted position in which space is afforded at the inside of the front position 12 of the lining for accommodating the surround or marginal part of the mask of the breathing apparatus referred to which engages the forehead of the wearer. The helmet is, therefore, readily adapted for use with said breathing appartus and for normal use after the breathing apparatus ceases to be needed. It will be appreciated also that both in normal use and use with the breathing apparatus the helmet occupies the same disposition relatively to the head of the user.
Another important advantage over prior art arrangements of the invention is that upon using the breathing apparatus and reverting to normal use of the helmet thereafter no change in the length of the headband embrace is required.
The provision of adjustable means for varying the overlap of the free ends of the parts 48 and 50 has been referred to. Such adjustable means may advantageously take the form illustrated in Figures 2 to 4.
As shown in these drawings, a buckle 80 in the form of a one-piece, plastics injection moulding comprises a body 82 having transverse members 84 connected by longitudinal members 86. The transverse members in elevation are formed with a rectangular aperture 88 which is divided by a platform member 90 which extends between the transverse members and at its longitudinally extending sides is formed in one with the members 86. The side members 84 together with the platform member above and below the platform member provide respective overlying first and second band receiving paths 92 and 94. In the first path 92 are disposed pins 96 and 98 with which holes 99 and 101 in an end of the outer rear headband part 50 engage to secure the part 50 to the buckle. The end of the inner rear headband part 48 extends in the second path 94 and is formed with two like rows 95 and 97 of spaced apart apertures 100 in corresponding apertures of which respective abutments 102 which depend from the platform 90 can engage. The abutments 102 each have a surface 104 normal to the direction of relative movement of the buckle and the rear headband part 48 and a surface 106 at the side of the abutment remote from the surface 104 which tapers the abutment in the direction of the free end thereof.
As shown by the arrows 108 in Figure 2, the buckle 80 can be flexed to arcuate form, in which path 92 lies radially outwardly of path 94, by pressure on the transverse members 84. In this position the rear headband part 48 can be fed through the second path 94, the rear headband part 50 being immovably secured to the platform 90 by the pins 96 and 98 engaged in the holes 99 and 101. When part 48 is located in the second path the members 84 can be released so that the abutments 102 engage, or by slight displacement longitudinally of the band part 48, are made to engage in the nearest apertures 100. If it is desired to tighten the rear headband member 46, the rear headband part 48 is pulled in the direction of the arrow 110 in Figure 3 which causes the part 48 to ride over the abutments 102, and thereby to flex the buckle to the arcuate form referred to, by reason of the edges of the apertues 100 engaging on the abutment surfaces 106 and sliding along those surfaces until disengaged from the abutments. Continued pulling on the band part 48 draws it through the path 94 to the desired position at which it is caused through slight longitudinal adjustment to make the nearest apertures 100 engage the abutments 102.
Because of the disposition of the abutment surfaces it is not possible to extend the embrace of the rear headband part by pulling the rear headband part 48 in the reverse direction of the arrow 110. Therefore, to extend the rear headband part requires that the buckle transverse members 84 are pressed together by applying pressure in the direction of the arrows 108 such pressure effecting bowing of the buckle which releases the rear headband part 48 from the abutments 102. With the buckle thus maintained in its bowed position it can be moved relatively to the rear headband part 48 to extend the embrace of the rear headband member 46 as desired whereupon after release of the buckle which restores it to the unbowed position thereof, slight adjustment of the buckle will cause the abutments 102 to engage the nearest of the apertures 100 if these are not engaged by the unbowing of the buckle.
It will be appreciated accordingly that adjustment of the headband to increase or reduce its embrace can be effected by means of the buckle 80 using one hand only which is useful where a helmet user requires a free hand to operate other equipment.
It will be apparent that the use of the buckle described is not limited to helmet headbands and may be employed generally as a belt buckle.

Claims

A protective helmet comprising an outer helmet shell, a lining (10) of impact resistant material within said shell, a cradle (24,26,28) of webbing extending within and fastened to said lining and an adjustable headband (42) secured to said lining, characterised in that said headband comprises a rear headband member (46) extending adjacent a lower edge (20) along opposite sides (16) and adjacent the rear (14) of said lining, said rear headband member being anchored at opposite ends (52) respectively at forwardly disposed locations of said lining and a front headband member (44) pivotally carried at opposite ends (60) respectively on said rear headband member at opposite sides of said lining whereby said front headband member can be rotated between a first operative position in which it serves as part of said headband and a second retracted position within said lining in which space is provided at the front of said lining to enable said helmet to be fitted to the head of a user wearing breathing apparatus.
A helmet as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that retaining means (64,70,72) are provided for securing said front headband member in said retracted position thereof.
A helmet as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that said front headband member in said first operative position is secured at or adjacent its mid-length by a strap (65) to an anchorage (66) in the front of the lining above the headband members, said strap having an outer surface (67) disposed in said first operative position against said lining and an inner surface (65) and spaced first and second hinges (74,72) respectively adjacent said anchorage and said front headband member of which said first hinge facilitates folding back of said strap to dispose said inner surface thereof against said lining and said second hinge enables folding of said strap to dispose said front headband part at the location thereof connected to said strap against said outer surface of said strap.
A helmet as claimed in Claim 3, characterised in that said strap is formed in one with said front headband member and said hinges are formed by weakening said strap along respective lines which extend transversely to said strap.
A helmet as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that said rear headband member is further anchored at locations (58) on opposite sides of and towards the rear of said lining.
A helmet as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that said rear headband part is formed by two band parts (48,50) which at rear ends thereof overlap, there being provided means for adjusting the extent of said overlap to adapt the embrace of the headband to the head of the wearer.
A buckle characterised by a body (80), a first path (92) in said body in which a first band part (50) is fixedly securable and a second path (94) in said body disposed alongside said first path and with said paths in overlying relationship and in which a second band part (48) formed with a row of spaced apart perforations (100) can extend, said body being formed with an abutment (102) which projects into said second path and which, in operation, is engaged in one of said perforations, said body being capable of being flexed to dispose said paths into parallel arcuate form of curvature sufficient to release said abutment from said band perforation in which it is engaged, whereby the band part (48) in said second path can be moved longitudinally relatively to said buckle and said buckle can subsequently be released to enable engagement of said abutment with another of said perforations.
The buckle as claimed in Claim 7, characterised in that said abutment is formed with a first surface (104) perpendicular to the direction of relative movement of the buckle and the band in said second path and a second surface (106) which tapers said abutment towards an a perforation engaging end thereof whereby, in operation, on pulling said band part (48) formed with said perforations in one direction, said band part (48) which is pulled flexes said body and moves along said second path to become disengaged from said abutment and be drawn through said second path to a position where on release of said pulled band part re-engagement in another of said perforations by said abutment can the place.
The buckle as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8, characterised in that two abutments (102) spaced transverseley with respect to said paths are provided for engagement with apertures (100) of two parallel rows of apertures which extend along said second band part.
The buckle as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 9, characterised in that said body comprises spaced longitudinal members (86), spaced transverse members (84) formed with respective elongated apertures (88) and a platform (90) which extends between said longitudinal members and between said transverse members and which together with said apertures (88) in said transverse members defines said paths (92,94).
The buckle as claimed in Claim 10, characterised in that said abutment or abutments (102) extend from said platform into said second path.
The buckle as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, characterised in that on a side of said platform defining said first path are provided means for securing an end of said first band part.
The buckle as claimed in any of Claims 7 to 12, characterised in that said buckle is formed as a one piece injection moulding from plastics material.