The present invention relates to a visor for use with motorcycle, bicycle or general purpose helmets.
Visors are frequently used with helmets, such as motorcycle, bicycle or general purpose helmets, to protect the helmet wearer's field of vision from sun light. However, these visors, including those shown in
The present invention relates to a new, improved visor for use with motorcycle helmets, bicycle helmets or other types of helmets. The opaque or shaded visor is configured to be flexible and removable, and is configured to be rotated up or down to be in or out of the field of vision of the helmet wearer. The visor is also configured for lateral movement in order to block sunlight coming towards the helmet wearer from a particular angle.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the visor comprises a shield with a plurality of openings, a plurality of locking elements, such as snaps, each locking element with a plurality of openings, and a bar or rod inserted through the openings in the shield and the openings in the locking elements to secure the bar to each of the shield and the locking elements. The visor is secured to a helmet by the locking elements, which may correspond to a set of locking elements present on the helmet. The shield and locking elements may be further secured to the bar by adding end caps to each end of the bar that have a circumference greater than the openings of the shield or locking elements, or by modifying the curvature of the bar at the ends of the bar, such that the shield and locking elements cannot be easily slid off of the bar without bending the bar into a consistent curvature.
In this embodiment, the visor shield is configured to be pivoted or flipped into and out of a lowered and raised position, depending on whether the helmet wearer requires the visor to block sunlight from the wearer's field of vision. The shield can also be shifted along the bar laterally to block sunlight coming from a particular direction.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, there is a visor comprising a bar, at least one locking member having an attachment portion with an opening formed therein configured to receive the bar and a locking element configured to be secured to a corresponding locking element on a motorcycle helmet, and a shield having corresponding attachment portions with corresponding openings formed therein also configured to receive the bar, so that the shield pivots about the axis of the bar for flipping or rotating up and down by a motorcyclist in order to protect a motorcyclist's eyes from the sun, and also so the shield slides laterally along the axis of the bar for adjusting from side-to-side by the motorcyclist depending on the relationship between the direction the motorcyclist is traveling and the angle of the sun.
The at least one locking member according to the first embodiment of the invention comprises three locking members, each having a respective attachment portion with a respective opening formed therein configured to receive the bar. Each locking member has a respective locking element configured to be secured to a respective locking element on a motorcycle helmet. The at least one locking member according to the first embodiment of the invention may comprise a female locking member configured to be secured to a respective male locking element on the motorcycle helmet. Alternatively, the at least one locking member may comprise a male locking member configured to be secured to a respective female locking element on the motorcycle helmet.
The shield according to the first embodiment of the invention has two corresponding attachment portions, each corresponding attachment portion having a respective corresponding opening formed therein configured to receive the bar, so that the shield can pivot about the axis of the bar for flipping or rotating the shield up and down in order to protect a motorcyclist's eyes from the sun, and also so the shield can slide laterally along the axis of the bar for adjusting the shield from side-to-side depending on the relationship between the direction the motorcyclist is traveling and the angle of the sun. The opening in the attachment portion of the shield may contain within the opening a bushing to facilitate sliding of the shield along the bar.
The shield according to the first embodiment of the invention is configured from an opaque or see-through sunglass-like material so that the shield forms a sunglass to protect a motorcyclist's eyes from the sun.
The bar according to the first embodiment of the invention is configured to flex so that the visor can be adapted and affixed to the motorcycle helmet. The bar is configured to have a curvature that corresponds to a curvature of the motorcycle helmet so the visor can be adapted and affixed to the motorcycle helmet. The bar comprises ends, each end configured with a respective bend to prevent the at least one locking member and the shield from sliding off the bar.
The visor according to the first embodiment of the invention comprises end caps configured to be received on and glued or frictionally engage ends of the bar to prevent the at least one locking member and the shield from sliding off the bar.
According to a second embodiment of the invention, there is a visor kit having components for assembling together so as to form a helmet visor, comprising: a bar, at least one locking member having an attachment portion with an opening formed therein configured so as to receive the bar, and also having a locking element configured so as to be secured to a corresponding locking element on a helmet, and a shield having a corresponding attachment portion with a corresponding opening formed therein also configured so as to receive the bar, so the shield pivots about the axis of the bar for flipping or rotating up and down by a user in order to protect the user's eyes from the sun, and also so the shield slides laterally along the axis of the bar for adjusting from side-to-side by the user depending on the relationship between the direction the user is traveling and the angle of the sun. The bar, the at least one locking member and the shield are easily assembled together so as to form a helmet visor.
The visor 100 according to the present invention is configured for use with a helmet 200. In the particular embodiments referenced herein and seen in
As seen in
In the embodiment shown in the Figures, the shield 104 is substantially rectangular in shape and is flexible so as to curve during assembly into the form required by the curve of the snap bar 102 and/or helmet 200. The shield 104 can be opaque or tinted in order to protect the wearer's eye line from sunlight, while allowing the wearer to see through the shield 104. Although the shield 104 can be configured with any particular set of dimensions, in the preferred embodiment shown in the Figures, the shield 104 has a height that is sufficient to protect the wearer's eyes from sunlight without requiring a full face mask and has a width that is sufficient to protect the wearer's eyes from sunlight coming from a particular direction, such as the left, right or center of the user, without requiring the shield 104 to span the entire length of the snap bar 102. For example, the dimensions of the shield 104 shown in the Figures are approximately 2.5 inches by 5.25 inches. The shield 104 may be made of any flexible and pliable material.
The shield 104 is configured with a plurality of openings 116, 122 which are substantially tubular and are configured to secure the openings 116, 122 on the snap rod 102. The snap rod 102 and shield 104 are dimensioned such that the snap rod 102 can be inserted through the openings 116, 122 found on attachment portions 120, 126, respectively, during the assembly of the visor 100, or by the user of the visor 100. In alternative embodiments, the shield 104 may be secured on the snap rod 102 by only one such opening, or by more than the openings 116, 122. Each of the openings 116, 122 may comprise a bushing 118, 124. As seen in
The visor 100 comprises a plurality of snaps 106, 108, 110 configured to secure or lock the visor 100 to the helmet 200. In a preferred embodiment, the snaps 106, 108110 are female snaps that are configured to mate with male snaps (not shown) that are present on the helmet 200. As a result of the snaps 106, 108, 110, the visor 100 can be removed from the helmet 200 when not in use or to be used with other helmets. In alternative embodiments, the visor 100 may use an alternative element or set of elements to lock the visor 100 in place on the helmet 200. Additionally, the visor 100 may comprise a variable number of such elements depending on the particular helmet. For example, if the helmet comprised only two male or female snaps for mating to the visor 100, the one of the snaps 106, 108, 110 can be removed from the visor 100 by either the user or during the manufacture of the visor 100 so that the visor 100 can be adaptable for use with different kinds of helmets.
Each of the snaps 106, 108, 110 comprises a snap body 128, 134, 140 comprising the snap or other attachment means, and an attachment portion 130, 136, 142 with an opening 132, 138, 144. The openings 132, 138, 144 are substantially tubular and are configured to secure the each of the snaps 106, 108, 110 on the snap rod 102. The snap rod 102 and openings 132, 138, 144 are dimensioned such that the snap rod 102 can be inserted through the openings 132, 138, 144 during the assembly of the visor 100. Each of the openings 132, 138, 144 may comprise a bushing (not shown), similar to bushings 118, 124 to further facilitate the sliding of the snaps 106, 108, 110 along the snap bar 102.
The visor 100 is configured such that when the snap bar 102 is secured to the helmet 200, it provides a static point around which the shield 104 can pivot. When the user of the visor 100 desires to have the shield 104 lowered to block sun light, the user can easily flip the shield 104 into the down position, shown for example in
The visor 100 is further configured such that the shield 104 and snaps 106, 108, 110 can be moved along the snap bar 102 as necessary. For example, if the user of the visor 100 has the sun on one particular side of the user, the shield 104 can be slid to that side of the snap bar 102 to block the sunlight coming from that direction, as shown in
As shown in the Figures, the orientation of the snaps 106, 108, 110 relative to the shield 104 can also be adjustable depending on the relative height of the shield 104 desired by the user of the visor 100. In the embodiment shown in
While there have been shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices and methods described may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto. Furthermore, in the claims means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures. Thus although a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents in that a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure wooden parts together, whereas a screw employs a helical surface, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail and a screw may be equivalent structures.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/851,881 filed on Mar. 15, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61851881 | Mar 2013 | US |