The technical field generally relates to locking devices and, more particularly, to securely locking or fixing a helmet to a vehicle such as a motorcycle.
Motorcycle riding is popular, and people buy motorcycles out of a passion for the product or lifestyle. Increasingly, there are also riders that are motivated to ride motorcycles for practical reasons such as ease of commute. All of these incentives to ride have made motorcycles a popular means of transportation and recreation. Motorcycle riding also requires some safety measures that the rider must take. There are plenty of essential motorcycle gear that can boost safety, and key among them is the helmet. Wearing a helmet while riding is universally becoming a legal requirement.
A motorcycle helmet is as important a part of the motorcycle as any other component. Thus, carrying a helmet has brought on the issue of what to do with the helmet after parking the motorcycle in a public place. In the absence of a suitable means to secure the helmet to the motorcycle, riders will carry the helmet with them or in some cases leave them with the motorcycle. Carrying the helmet with a person is inconvenient and leaving the helmet unsecured with the motorcycle poses the problem of theft. To that extent, motorcycle enthusiasts and manufacturers have sought to find ways to theft-proof the helmet when left with the motorcycle.
Several approaches have been taken to store the helmet with the motorcycle. Some approaches use a cable and lock design where a cable may be looped through the helmet strap or another opening on the helmet. However, there are drawbacks to this design because the cable or the strap can be cut through, the device is unsightly, and it also needs to be stored away when not in use. Another approach has been to mount a lock device with a D-ring directly onto the motorcycle but the means of attaching the helmet to this lock either requires removably attaching an anchor that can attach to some part of the helmet and then locked into the D-ring or the helmet chin strap can be put through the D-ring. These are not very secure and also do not allow the helmet to rest properly, causing damage to the motorcycle or the helmet itself.
Thus, there remains a need for a device that makes it possible for riders to conveniently store their helmets with the motorcycle in a way that makes its theft difficult and also the helmet and the motorcycle are not damaged when locking the helmet. The present invention addresses the need for an improved device for securely locking a helmet to a vehicle, such as a motorcycle.
Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a device for securely locking an article, such as a helmet to a vehicle, such as a motorcycle.
In a preferred embodiment, the helmet securing device is comprised of a mounting bracket that engages with an anchoring member to securely lock a helmet to a motorcycle. The mounting bracket is configured to be coupled or affixed to a supporting structure. The supporting structure may be a tube-shaped structure on a motorcycle such as a bar that protects the legs of a rider, the handlebar, or any other tube-shaped structure on the motorcycle. The anchoring member is adapted to be fixedly mounted on a hull of a helmet.
The mounting bracket is comprised of a clamp piece, a swivel piece, and a locking device. The clamp piece is comprised of two pieces which are adjoined together around the supporting structure. One of the clamp pieces and the swivel piece are configured with an aperture so that the pieces are affixed to each other with a bolt. The two pieces further include grooves immediately around the apertures on the sides abutting each other, which allows the grooves to engage or disengage with each other when the bolt is tightened or loosened, respectively. The swivel piece is further designed with two parallel extending arms with space between the two such that the locking piece may be positioned between the two arms. The arms and the locking piece are provided with apertures which line up such that a bolt may be passed through to hold the locking piece within the swivel piece. The locking piece may swivel at this position. The locking device has a grooved section with a lock that extends through this section. The grooved section will engage with the anchoring member.
The anchoring member is fixedly mounted to the hull of the helmet. A tab extends upward from the flat piece of the anchoring member and is designed to be complementary to the grooved piece on the locking device such that the grooved section may slide over the tab on the anchoring member. The tab on the anchoring member is further provided with an aperture which engages with the lock on the locking device and when locked.
The presently disclosed helmet securing device provides an improved system for securely locking a helmet to a supporting structure, such as a motorcycle. The system includes the mounting bracket attached to the supporting structure, the anchoring member affixed to the helmet, and sliding the locking piece on the mounting bracket over the anchoring member and locking the two in place with a lock.
The presently disclosed helmet securing device for securely locking a helmet to a supporting structure is further described in the attached drawings and detailed description below.
In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, and the claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.
The term “comprises,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, ingredients, steps, among others, are optionally present. For example, an article “comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B, and C can consist of (i.e., contain only) components A, B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C but also contain one or more other components.
The following description provides preferred exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention. The following description of the preferred exemplary embodiment will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention. It shall be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.
The presently disclosed device enables a rider to securely connect a helmet to a motorcycle when not in use. The device may be attached to the motorcycle and to a back of the helmet, essentially allowing the rider to removably secure the helmet to the motorcycle. The device allows the helmet to be secured to the helmet in such a way as to prevent theft. The helmet securing device is comprised of a mounting bracket that engages with an anchoring member to securely lock a helmet to a motorcycle. The mounting bracket is configured to conform to and be affixed to a supporting structure. The supporting structure may be a tube-shaped structure on a motorcycle such as a bar that protects the legs of a rider, the handlebar, or any other tube-shaped structure on the motorcycle. The tube-shaped structure may have a cross section of any shape including, but not limited to, circular, square, rectangular, oval, triangular, trapezoidal, and polygonal (such as pentagonal, hexagonal, and so forth). The anchoring member is adapted to be fixedly mounted on a hull of a helmet.
In a preferred embodiment, the mounting bracket is comprised of a clamp, a swivel piece, and a locking piece. The mounting bracket may be fashioned from a sufficiently strong material which may include, but is not limited to, steel, aluminum, metal alloys, plastics, resins, and combinations thereof. The clamp may be comprised of two C-shaped pieces which are positioned around the supporting structure and fixed in place with screws adjoining the two C-shaped pieces such as to prevent the clamp from sliding on the supporting structure. In alternate embodiments, the clamp may also be fashioned to conform to the different cross-sectional shapes of the supporting structure.
In a preferred embodiment, one of the C-shaped pieces of the clamp piece is adapted to be fixedly connected to the swivel piece with a bolt. The bolt is passed through an aperture in the middle of the C-shaped clamp piece and an aperture in the middle of the swivel piece. The clamp piece and the swivel piece both are characterized as having grooves around the apertures on the portions that abut each other such that the grooves engage with each other and hold the pieces in place and prevent them from rotating when the bolt is tightened. Loosening the bolt allows the clamp piece and the swivel piece to loosen and also disengage at the grooves to permit the swivel piece to rotate. This feature provides flexibility to adjust the position of the locking piece which is connected to the swivel piece such that a helmet may rest properly with the support of gravity depending on the location of the supporting structure.
The swivel piece is further connected to the locking piece. The swivel piece is designed with two parallel arms that extend perpendicularly away from the portion that connects to the clamp. This design creates an opening between the two arms so the locking piece may be positioned between the opening. The swivel piece further includes an aperture that extends through each arm and are positioned such that a bolt may be threaded through these apertures. The swivel piece may be characterized as having a swivel end and a rotational end. The rotational end is connected to the C-shaped clamp piece and the swivel end is connected to the locking piece.
In this preferred embodiment, the locking piece is fashioned so it is preferably positioned between the extended parallel arms of the swivel at the swivel end. The locking piece includes an aperture on the end that is arranged between the extended arm of the swivel and positioned such that the apertures on the swivel end and the locking piece align and are connected with a bolt that extends through these pieces. By having the locking piece positioned and arranged as such, the locking piece may swivel with the extended arms of the swivel at the bolt and rest naturally in a position with the support of gravity.
In a preferred embodiment, the locking piece, as the name suggest, also includes a lock. The lock is arranged and positioned at the end opposite the end that connects to the swivel piece. The lock may preferably include, and not be limited to, a push lock. The lock design may also include, and not be limited to, mortise cylinder, rim cylinder, key-in-cylinder, and key-lever locks. The locking piece is also configured to be positioned over and engage with the anchoring member arranged on the helmet. The configuration is characterized by the locking piece having a grooved section on the bottom side which is designed to slide over a protrusion on the anchoring member. The lock is arranged on the top side of the locking member and extends through the grooved section.
In a preferred embodiment, the anchoring member is also a part of the helmet locking device. In this preferred embodiment, the anchoring member may be generally described as a flat plate and have any geometric shape, including and not limited to, circular, square, rectangular, oval, triangular, trapezoidal, and polygonal (such as pentagonal, hexagonal, and so forth). The anchoring member may be fashioned from materials including, and not limited to, rubber, plastics, resins, foam, and combinations thereof. The anchoring member is adapted to be fixed to the shell of the helmet with rivets, and preferably positioned on the back of the helmet near the edge that rests on the nape of a person wearing the helmet.
The anchoring member is designed to engage with the grooved section of the lock piece. The anchoring member has a cooperating portion to the groove of the lock piece that is designed as a tab extending from the plate. The tab on the anchoring member is further configured with an aperture that aligns with the lock on the lock piece. The locking piece and anchoring member are operatively coupled when the locking piece slides over the tab on the anchoring member. The lock is operated by means of a key which as a whole configures locking and unlocking means. The lock is moved into a locked position when it is positioned in the aperture in the tab of the anchoring member. Similarly, the lock is moved into an unlocked position when it is released from the aperture in the tab of the anchoring member.
An exemplary configuration of a helmet locking device is shown in the accompanying figures. With reference to
As illustrated in
The swivel piece 110 is configured to be fixedly connected to the clamp piece 102 and the locking device 120. As shown in
The clamp piece 102 and the swivel piece 110 are configured to be fixedly connected to each other. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The locking piece 120 is configured to be positioned over and engage with the anchoring member 200 which is arranged on the helmet 400. In
The anchoring member 200 is designed to engage with the grooved section 124 of the lock piece 120.
It is also contemplated that the anchoring member 200 can be designed onto the helmet 400 during the manufacturing process of the helmet (not shown in the figures). The anchoring member 200 may be seamlessly integrated into the hull of the helmet 400. It can be appreciated by people skilled in the arts, that other means of incorporating the anchoring member 200 onto the helmet 400 are within this disclosure of the helmet locking device.
Referring back to
With the helmet securely locked to the motorcycle, the rider can safely leave the helmet and avoid the possibility of theft. Although in the foregoing the system has been described exclusively for fixing a motorcycle safety helmet to the motorcycle, the device can be used to secure the helmet to other objects. Without departing from the inventive concept and functionalities of this invention, the helmet securing device could be modified to mount to other structures and also secure other valuable items that may be integrated with this device.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The present invention according to one or more embodiments described in the present description may be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Thus, the description is to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive of the present invention.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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2202472 | Tornblom | May 1940 | A |
2344683 | Dow, Jr. | Mar 1944 | A |
3436936 | Arthur | Apr 1969 | A |
3529451 | McOsker | Sep 1970 | A |
3581531 | Hediger | Jun 1971 | A |
3646786 | Baker | Mar 1972 | A |
3759072 | McLarnon | Sep 1973 | A |
3779597 | Uchida | Dec 1973 | A |
3823856 | Uchida | Jul 1974 | A |
3837545 | Rogers, Jr. | Sep 1974 | A |
4024738 | Pi | May 1977 | A |
4118960 | Lipschutz | Oct 1978 | A |
4201398 | Meier | May 1980 | A |
4274271 | Todd | Jun 1981 | A |
6415635 | Jonasson | Jul 2002 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2014170285 | Oct 2014 | WO |
2017158207 | Sep 2017 | WO |
Entry |
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