Patent ID: 11926398
Assignee: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  A | IPC A  B

Claim 0:
1. A helmet, comprising:
an exterior surface;
an interior region for a user's head;
an interior wall within the interior region;
a substantially oval-shaped head-entry opening leading to the interior region;
a substantially oval-shaped neck dam mating surface extending about the substantially oval-shaped head-entry opening;
a front opening;
a face mask seal extending about the front opening;
a face mask removably secured to the face mask seal so as to create a water-tight seal, wherein the face mask comprises a frame, a lens attached to the frame and a pair of face mask latch pins attached to the frame; and
a pair of face mask latch devices attached to the exterior surface of the helmet, wherein each face mask latch device is associated with a corresponding one of the pair of face mask latch pins and wherein each face mask latch device is configurable to a first position to engage the face mask latch pin so as to secure the face mask to the face mask seal and to a second position to disengage the face mask latch pin so as to release the face mask from the face mask seal;
wherein each face mask latch device comprises:
a face mask latch body attached to the helmet proximate to a corresponding face mask latch pin;
a face mask latch casing rotatably coupled to the face mask latch body and having a handle extending therefrom;
a face mask latch disposed between the face mask latch casing and the helmet, said face mask latch having an opening therein and a hook portion configured to grasp the corresponding face mask latch pin; and
a rotatable face mask latch shaft member fixedly attached to the face mask latch casing, said face mask latch shaft member having an offset cam attached to an end thereof, wherein the offset cam is inserted into the opening in the face match latch;
whereby rotation of the face mask latch casing in a first direction causes the hook portion of the face mask latch to move outward away from the face mask latch shaft member and rotate away from the face mask latch pin, thereby releasing the face mask latch pin; and
whereby rotation of the face mask latch casing in a second direction causes the hook portion of the face mask latch to rotate toward the face mask latch pin and move inward toward the shaft member to grasp the face mask latch pin.