Aspects of this document relate generally to a helmet with a bezel, and more specifically to a helmet with a bezel positioned near a vent opening of the helmet.
Protective headgear and helmets have wide uses. The usable surface space on the helmet body can be crowded because it often has helmet components such as a fit system and accessories such as a visor or camera attached. The available space on a typical bicycle helmet body, however, is further reduced by vent openings distributed around the helmet body for ventilation purposes. The vent openings also weaken the strength of the vent wall around the openings. When a part is attached to the helmet near a vent opening, the vent wall often blows out from the force exerted by or through the part.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a helmet may comprise a helmet body comprising an outer shell and an energy management layer inside the outer shell, the outer shell comprising a vent opening through the outer shell and the energy management layer, a fit system disposed within the energy management layer and coupled to the helmet body, a bezel separate from the outer shell and coupled to the helmet body at the vent opening, the bezel encircling the vent opening and having a hardware opening extending through the bezel and an anchor opening in the bezel adjacent the hardware opening, and a hardware retainer positioned behind and coupled to the bezel, the hardware retainer comprising a hardware receiving aperture aligned with the hardware opening, a hardware retainer cover coupled to a rear side of the hardware retainer, and an internally threaded nut aligned with the hardware opening and configured to receive and engage an accessory connector therein, the hardware retainer further comprising an anchor recess aligned with the anchor opening, wherein the bezel is in-molded into the energy management layer.
Particular embodiments may comprise one or more of the following. The bezel may further comprise a footing extending behind the bezel. The hardware retainer may be coupled to the bezel by being snapped into the bezel. The bezel may comprise at least one prong extending rearward of the bezel adjacent the hardware opening, the hardware retainer comprises at least one prong receiver, and the hardware retainer is snapped to the bezel by the at least one prong being received into the at least one prong receiver. The accessory connector may be an accessory connector from one of a visor mechanism, a chin guard anchor, a light anchor, and an electronic accessory anchor. The hardware retainer cover may be hingedly coupled to the hardware retainer. At least one of the bezel and the hardware retainer may be configured to attach to the helmet with one or more of a strap anchor, a fit system, a comfort liner, and a multi-directional impact protection system.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a bezel assembly for a helmet may comprise a bezel sized to encircle a vent opening of a helmet and having a hardware opening extending through the bezel and an anchor opening in the bezel adjacent the hardware opening, and a hardware retainer positioned behind and coupled to the bezel, the hardware retainer comprising a hardware receiving aperture aligned with the hardware opening and a hardware retainer cover coupled to a rear side of the hardware retainer, and the hardware retainer further comprising an anchor recess aligned with the anchor opening.
Particular embodiments may comprise one or more of the following. The bezel may further comprise a footing extending behind the bezel. The hardware retainer may be coupled to the bezel by being snapped into the bezel. The bezel may comprise at least one prong extending rearward of the bezel adjacent the hardware opening, the hardware retainer may comprise at least one prong receiver, and the hardware retainer may be snapped to the bezel by the at least one prong being received into the at least one prong receiver. The accessory connector may be an accessory connector from one of a visor mechanism, a chin guard anchor, a light anchor, and an electronic accessory anchor. At least one of the bezel and the hardware retainer may be configured to attach to the helmet with one or more of a strap anchor, a fit system, a comfort liner, and a multi-directional impact protection system.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a helmet may comprise a helmet body comprising an outer shell and an energy management layer inside the outer shell, the outer shell comprising a vent opening through the outer shell and the energy management layer, and a bezel separate from the outer shell and coupled to the helmet body at the vent opening, the bezel encircling the vent opening and having a hardware opening extending through the bezel and an anchor opening in the bezel adjacent the hardware opening, wherein the bezel is in-molded into the energy management layer.
Particular embodiments may comprise one or more of the following. The helmet may further comprise a hardware retainer positioned behind and coupled to the bezel. The hardware retainer may comprise a hardware receiving aperture aligned with the hardware opening and a hardware retainer cover coupled to a rear side of the hardware retainer. The hardware retainer may further comprise an anchor recess aligned with the anchor opening. The bezel may further comprise a footing extending behind the bezel. The hardware retainer may be coupled to the bezel by being snapped into the bezel. The bezel may comprise at least one prong extending rearward of the bezel adjacent the hardware opening, the hardware retainer may comprise at least one prong receiver, and the hardware retainer may be snapped to the bezel by the at least one prong being received into the at least one prong receiver. The accessory connector may be an accessory connector from one of a visor mechanism, a chin guard anchor, a light anchor, and an electronic accessory anchor. The bezel may be configured to attach to the helmet with one or more of a strap anchor, a fit system, a comfort liner, and a multi-directional impact protection system.
Aspects, embodiments and applications of the disclosure presented here are described below in the drawings and detailed description. Unless specifically noted, it is intended that the words and phrases in the specification and the claims be given their plain, ordinary, and accustomed meaning to those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts. The inventors are fully aware that they can be their own lexicographers if desired. The inventors expressly elect, as their own lexicographers, to use only the plain and ordinary meaning of terms in the specification and claims unless they clearly state otherwise and then further, expressly set forth the “special” definition of that term and explain how it differs from the plain and ordinary meaning. Absent such clear statements of intent to apply a “special” definition, it is the inventors' intent and desire that the simple, plain and ordinary meaning to the terms be applied to the interpretation of the specification and claims.
The inventors are also aware of the normal precepts of English grammar. Thus, if a noun, term, or phrase is intended to be further characterized, specified, or narrowed in some way, such noun, term, or phrase will expressly include additional adjectives, descriptive terms, or other modifiers in accordance with the normal precepts of English grammar. Absent the use of such adjectives, descriptive terms, or modifiers, it is the intent that such nouns, terms, or phrases be given their plain, and ordinary English meaning to those skilled in the applicable arts as set forth above.
Further, the inventors are fully informed of the standards and application of the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 6. Thus, the use of the words “function,” “means” or “step” in the Detailed Description or Description of the Drawings or claims is not intended to somehow indicate a desire to invoke the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 6, to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 6 are sought to be invoked to define the inventions, the claims will specifically and expressly state the exact phrases “means for” or “step for”, and will also recite the word “function” (i.e., will state “means for performing the function of [insert function]”), without also reciting in such phrases any structure, material or act in support of the function. Thus, even when the claims recite a “means for performing the function of . . . ” or “step for performing the function of . . . ,” if the claims also recite any structure, material or acts in support of that means or step, or that perform the recited function, then it is the clear intention of the inventors not to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 6. Moreover, even if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶ 6 are invoked to define the claimed aspects, it is intended that these aspects not be limited only to the specific structure, material or acts that are described in the preferred embodiments, but in addition, include any and all structures, materials or acts that perform the claimed function as described in alternative embodiments or forms of the disclosure, or that are well known present or later-developed, equivalent structures, material or acts for performing the claimed function.
The foregoing and other aspects, features, and advantages will be apparent to those artisans of ordinary skill in the art from the DESCRIPTION and DRAWINGS, and from the CLAIMS.
Implementations will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, where like designations denote like elements, and:
Protective headgear and helmets have been used in a wide variety of applications and across a number of industries, including recreation, sports, athletics, construction, mining, and military defense, to prevent damage to users' heads and brains. Damage and injury to a user can be prevented or reduced by preventing hard objects, sharp objects, or both, from directly contacting the user's head, and also by absorbing, distributing, or otherwise managing energy of an impact between the object and the user's head. Straps or webbing are typically used to allow a user to releasably wear the helmet, and to ensure the helmet remains on the user's head during an impact.
Helmets function to provide protection while minimizing interference with an activity. The shape of a helmet may be adapted to provide both protection and comfort (e.g. ventilation and size). Some helmets are made of two or more bodies of energy-absorbing material to form shapes that would be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in a single molded piece.
Various implementations and embodiments of protective helmets according to this disclosure comprise a protective shell. The protective shell can be made of an energy absorbing material, such as expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polyurethane (EPU), expanded polyolefin (EPO), expanded polypropylene (EPP), or other suitable material. The energy absorbing material can be part of a hard-shell helmet such as skate bucket helmets, motorcycle helmets, snow sport helmets, football helmets, batting helmets, catcher's helmets, or hockey helmets, and include an additional outer protective shell disposed outside, or over, the protective shell. In hard shell applications, the energy absorbing material can comprise one or more layers of energy absorbing material and provide more flexibility than available with conventional in-molded helmets. Alternatively, the energy absorbing material can be part of an in-molded helmet such as bicycle helmet or cycling helmet. As an energy-absorbing layer in an in-molded helmet, the protective shell can comprise rigid materials such as EPS and EPU. An outer shell layer, such as a layer of stamped polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or a polycarbonate shell, can be included on an outer surface of the protective shell of the helmet and be bonded directly to the expanding foam (e.g. EPS as it is expanding such that the foam is molded in the shell).
Contemplated as part of this disclosure is a bezel that reinforces the vent opening of a helmet while also including a receptacle configured to receive an accessory connector therein or be used as a connector to connect other components of the helmet so that additional in-molded parts are eliminated. While needing to withstand significant impact energy, helmets have many parts that need to be in-molded. Therefore, space on the helmet is at a premium. In conventional methods of helmet construction, parts generally perform one task. Integrating components together to serve multiple purposes and reinforce each other can reduce the space problem. Bezel assembly embodiments disclosed herein integrate several structures and purposes into a single assembly, decreasing the overall stack height of the components and the number of separate components in the helmet.
A helmet 100, as illustrated in
The bezel 110, as illustrated in
The hardware retainer 112 illustrated in
A hardware retainer 112 may further comprise a nut 122, internally threaded with internal threads 134 (
When the hardware retainer 112 in the embodiment of
The bezel and/or the bezel assembly may be constructed as separate parts and the parts may be assembled together through mechanisms such as being snapped, being glued, or other mechanisms know to a person skilled in the art. In some instances, the bezel and/or the bezel assembly may be constructed as one piece.
Besides reinforcing a vent opening, a bezel and/or a bezel assembly can be used to connect components of the helmet to the helmet body. Helmet components such as a fit system, a strap anchor, a comfort liner, or a multi-directional impact protection system may be attached to the helmet at the bezel through pins, magnets, glue, or any other mechanisms known to a person skilled in the art. The hardware retainer cover 120 may further comprise a connector for attaching a fit system, a strap anchor, a comfort liner, or a multi-directional impact protection system onto the helmet. The connector can also be configured to attach the components directly to the bezel. When attaching a helmet component to the helmet body, the bezel can be used alone or together with the hardware retainer, and the hardware opening of the bezel can be used alone or together with the anchor recess of the bezel.
The bezel assembly and/or the bezel can also be used to attach an accessory to the helmet body.
An accessory connector 140 may comprise a threaded portion 132, which comprises external threads 156, and a cap 144. In the example of
The attachment of an accessory to the helmet through the bezel through the engagement of internal and external threads is only an example of attaching an accessary to the helmet through the bezel. An accessory can be attached to the helmet through the bezel through mechanisms other than the engagement of the internal and external threads, such as the accessory connector can be snapped into the hardware opening, or the accessory can be attached to the bezel through pins, magnets, glue, or any other mechanisms known to a person skilled in the art. When attaching an accessory to the helmet, the bezel can be used alone or together with the hardware retainer, and the hardware opening of the bezel can be used alone or together with the anchor recess of the bezel.
The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the disclosed methods and systems. The presently-disclosed implementations are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative, and not intended to limit the broad aspect of the disclosed concepts to the embodiments illustrated.
Many additional components and manufacturing and assembly procedures known in the art or consistent with helmet manufacture are contemplated for use with particular implementations in this disclosure. For example, although particular implementations are disclosed, such implementations and implementing components may comprise any components, models, types, materials, versions, quantities, and/or the like as is known in the art for such systems and implementing components, consistent with the intended operation.
In places where the description above refers to particular implementations of protective helmets, it should be readily apparent that a number of modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. All changes that come within the meaning of and range of equivalency of the description are intended to be embraced therein.
The word “exemplary,” “example” or various forms thereof are used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” or as an “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Furthermore, examples are provided solely for purposes of clarity and understanding and are not meant to limit or restrict the disclosed subject matter or relevant portions of this disclosure in any manner. It is to be appreciated that a myriad of additional or alternate examples of varying scope could have been presented, but have been omitted for purposes of brevity.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/638,121, filed on Jun. 29, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15638121 | Jun 2017 | US |
Child | 17035449 | US |