Patent ID: 8056150
Filing Date: 2011-11-15
Classification: A42B

Abstract:
1. A protective helmet, comprising: a hard shell portion for covering and providing protection to a wearer's head; a lining secured to an inner side of said hard shell portion; and an adjustment mechanism comprising a lower rear shell portion coupled to said hard shell portion, said lower rear shell portion including an adjustment outer housing having a clutch mechanism and an inner housing having an adjustment mounting pad, wherein an inner surface of said lining and an inner surface of said adjustment mounting pad define an interior region; wherein said clutch mechanism is manually engageable to adjust a size of said interior region and wherein said clutch mechanism substantially prevents the adjustment of said size of said interior region in the absence of said manual engagement, wherein said clutch mechanism comprises: an adjustment knob that is rotatable in a first direction and a second direction, said first direction opposite said second direction, said adjustment knob including a first flange portion and a second flange portion; a pinion having a plurality of teeth and an inner lobe; a clutch element; the adjustment inner housing joined with said clutch element; a torsion spring coupled around and engaged with said clutch element and including a first spring tine and second spring tine, said first spring tine adjacent and adapted to engage at least one of said first flange portion and said inner lobe, said second spring tine adjacent and adapted to engage at least one of said second flange portion and said inner lobe; a strap having a middle portion, a first end and a second end, wherein said middle portion of said strap is coupled to at least one of said hard shell portion and said lining; wherein said first end and said second end each have a middle region including a plurality of teeth, wherein at least one of said plurality of teeth of each of said first end and said second end is adapted to engage at least one of said plurality of teeth of said pinion; wherein the rotation of said adjustment knob in said first direction causes said torsion spring to increase in radius and decrease spring forces executed by the torsion spring on said clutch element, thereby allowing said pinion to rotate in said first direction, wherein the rotation of said pinion in said first direction causes said plurality of teeth of said pinion to rotate in said first direction, thereby causing said first end of said strap and said second end of said strap to move so that said size of said interior region is decreased; and wherein the rotation of said adjustment knob in said second direction causes said torsion spring to increase in radius and decrease spring forces executed by the torsion spring on said clutch element, thereby allowing said pinion to rotate in said second direction, wherein the rotation of said pinion in said second direction causes said plurality of teeth of said pinion to rotate in said second direction, thereby causing said first end of said strap and said second end of said strap to move so that said size of said interior region is increased.