Abstract:
The present invention provides a helmet that is convenient in use. The helmet of the present invention includes a main body defining a space receiving a head of a wearer, a holder that is elastically coupled to the main body to be capable of pivoting and has a pushing member, a shield that is detachably coupled to the holder so that the wearer can securely obtain a viewing field, and a locking/unlocking unit that maintains or releases an open state of the holder when the holder pivots to the open state. The helmet structure as above can open and close the face shield by simply pushing the shield upward.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a helmet. More particularly, the present invention relates to a helmet that is designed to have an easily opened and closed face shield installed on a front portion of the helmet and to minimize noise caused by wind resistance. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     When driving or riding a motorcycle or a racing car, a driver or passenger can be protected from an accident by wearing a helmet. 
     Such a helmet includes a main body that protects a head of a user and a face shield that is installed on a front portion of the main body to protect a viewing field of the user. 
     The face shield is installed to pivot in a vertical direction of the main body to enhance a ventilation property. A lever is installed at a side of the face shield to facilitate the pivotal motion of the face shield. 
     The face shield is generally formed of a transparent or translucent synthetic resin. Recently, the face shield has been formed of a material that can screen ultraviolet rays or is colored to block the ultraviolet rays. 
     However, a helmet that is structured to open and close the face shield using the lever is inconvenient since the user has to ascend and descend the lever by himself/herself. 
     Furthermore, in the helmet using the lever, since the lever is structured to protrude, noise is considerably generated by wind colliding with the lever during a high speed drive. 
     The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     The present invention has been made in an attempt to solve the above problems, and is designed to have an easily openable and closable face shield which protects a face of a user and does not generate any noise that may be caused by a unit for opening and closing the face shield. 
     Technical Solution 
     To achieve the objects, the present invention provides a helmet including: 
     a main body defining a space receiving a head of a wearer; 
     a holder that is elastically coupled to the main body to be capable of pivoting and has a pushing member; 
     a shield that is detachably coupled to the holder so that the wearer can securely obtain a viewing field; 
     a locking/unlocking unit that maintains or releases an open state of the holder when the holder pivots to the open state. 
     In a state where a catching projection of the holder is inserted and caught, when the locking/unlocking unit of the exemplary embodiment is further pushed, the catching state of the catching projection of the holder is released. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     The helmet according to the present invention is designed to easily open and close by simply pushing the face shield upward. 
     Furthermore, since the face shield is detachably coupled to the holders that are pivotally installed on the main body, the user can select a face shield suiting his/her taste and assemble the selected face shield. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a helmet according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a view of a face shield opening/closing unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a closing position of a face shield. 
         FIG. 3  is a view illustrating a shield coupling structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are, respectively, a view illustrating a locking/unlocking unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a view illustrating a wire member installing structure related to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a view of the shield opening/closing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating a shield open state. 
         FIG. 7  is a view illustrating a state where the shield opening/closing unit is applied to a main body of the helmet according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a view illustrating a state before a stopper related to the present invention is coupled. 
         FIG. 9  is a view illustrating a state after the stopper related to the present invention is coupled. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following will describe a best mode that can achieve the technical objects of the present invention. 
     In the present exemplary embodiment, the reference number  2  indicates a main body of a helmet. The main body  2  defines a space that can receive a head of a user, and the main body  2  is structured to endure an impact applied from an external side. The main body  2  may be formed in a conventional structure. 
     The main body  2  extends rearward to define a rear surface, thereby protecting top, sides, and rear portions of the head of the user. A face shield  4  is provided on a front portion of the main body  2 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the face shield  4  is formed having a predetermined curvature and provided at both sides with respective coupling protrusions  6 . 
     The coupling protrusions  6  protrude from a surface of the face shield  4  and are detachably coupled to holders  8  that are pivotally coupled to the main body  2 . 
     In order to detachably couple the face shield  4  to the holders  8 , the holders  8  are provided with coupling holes  10  in which the coupling protrusions  6  are respectively inserted. 
     Each of the coupling protrusions  6  is designed to be cut at both sides thereof to have an elastic force. Each of the holders  8  to which the coupling protrusions  6  are coupled, is provided with a guide groove  12  in which the shield  4  can be inserted. Therefore, when the shield  4  is inserted in the guide grooves  12 , the coupling projections  6  are inserted in the coupling holes  10 . 
     In a state where the shield  4  is coupled to the holders  8 , a top portion of the shield  4  and top portions of the holders  8  are positioned in an approximately straight line. 
     Each of the holders  8  is pivotally coupled to the main body  2  by a hinge pin  14  and installed such that the face shield  4  is biased in a closing direction by a spring  16 . 
     The springs  16  are wound around the hinge pins  14  by at least one turn, in a state of which first and second ends of the springs  16  are respectively fixed on the holders  8  and the main body  2 . 
     The holders  8  achieve the coupling to the main body  2  by being substantially fixed on cover members  18  that are securely fixed on the main body  2 . 
     That is, the holders  8  are pivotally coupled to the cover members  18 . Arc-shaped gears  20  are formed on rear ends of the holders  8 . The arc-shaped gears  20  are engaged with pinion gears  22  that are rotatably installed on the cover members  18 , thereby preventing the holders  8  from quickly moving in an opening/closing direction by the biasing force of the springs  16 . 
     A pushing member  24  protrudes from each holder  8 . The pushing state of the pushing members  24  may be maintained or released by stoppers  26  mounted on the cover members  18 . 
     The stoppers  26  are installed on a pivotal motion track of the pushing members  24 . The pushing members  24  have a neck portion smaller than a front end thereof. 
     A conventional one-touch type locking/unlocking mechanism or the like may be used as the stopper  26  of this exemplary embodiment. That is, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , each stopper  16  includes a housing  28  fixed on the cover member  18  and a wire member  30  that is bent in a rectangular shape and pivotally coupled inside the housing  28 . 
     A hook member  34  is inserted inside the housing  28  and biased to an external side of the housing by a spring  32 . 
     The hook member  34  includes a pair of folders  36  for fixing or releasing the pushing member  24 . The folders  36  are integrally formed with a locking/unlocking unit  38 . 
     The locking/unlocking unit  38  has passages  40  and  42  through which open ends  31  and  33  of the wire member  30  can pass. The passages  40  and  42  communicate with each other by inclined grooves  44  and  46  that are inclined in opposite directions. 
     The passages  40  and  42  and the inclined grooves  44  and  46  are identically or similarly formed on front and rear surfaces of a main body of the hook member  34  so that the open ends  31  and  33  of the wire member  30  can be respectively located on the passages formed on the front and rear surfaces. 
     The locking/unlocking unit  38  of this exemplary embodiment is illustrated by way of example. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. That is, other similar one-touch type mechanisms may be used as the locking/unlocking unit  38 . 
     The open ends  31  and  33  of the wire member  30  are respectively located contacting the front and rear surfaces of the hook member  34 . The housing  28  is provided at an inside with a groove  48  in which a protrusion  50  of the hook member  34  is inserted. Therefore, although the hook member  34  is biased by the spring  32 , the hook member  34  is not separated from the housing  28 . 
     The pair of folders  36  has arm portions  52  each having an elastic force. Therefore, when the folders  36  move out of the housing  28 , they are widened from each other. When the folders  36  move inside the housing  28 , the folders  36  move close to each other. 
     Therefore, when the pushing member  24  pushes the hook member  34 , the hook member  34  moves into the housing  28 . At this point, the folders  36  move close to each other, by which the pushing member  24  is clamped by the folders  36 . 
     A pressing portion  54  is formed protruding from a lower end of the face shield so that the face shield  4  can move upward by the user pushing the pressing portion  54 . The cover member  18  is provided with a protrusion  56  restricting the pivotal motion of the holder  8 . 
     According to the helmet structure as described, the face shield  4  is installed on the front portion of the main body  2 . In  FIG. 1 , the face shield  4  is in a closed state. 
     In the closed state of the face shield  4  as shown in  FIG. 1 , the pinion gear  22  is engaged with a lower end of the arc-shaped gear  20  of the holder  8 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     In the state of  FIG. 2 , the pushing member  24  formed on the holder  8  is separated from the stopper  26  and biased by the spring  16  counterclockwise in  FIG. 2 . 
     In this state, the face shield  4  cannot rotate counterclockwise anymore by the protrusion  56 . 
     In this state, when the user pushes the shield  4  upward, the holder  8  pivots clockwise about the hinge pin  14 . 
     At this point, the pushing member  24  moves toward the housing  28  of the stopper  26  and contacts the pair of the folders  36 , in the course of which the pushing member  24  pushes the hook member  34 . 
     By the above operation, the hook member  34  moves toward the housing  28  while compressing the spring  32 . 
     At this point, the pair of folders  36  move toward each other while advancing into the housing  28 . Since the pushing member  24  is provided with the neck portion  35  smaller than the front end, the neck portion  35  is fixed by being enclosed by the folders  36  moving toward each other. The state shown in  FIG. 8  changes to the state shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     At the same time, when the hook member  34  moves inside the housing  28 , the front end of the wire member  30  installed in the housing  28  reaches the inclined groove  46  while advancing toward the passage  40  of the hook member  34 . 
     When the shield  4  is not pushed anymore during the above process, the front end of the wire member  30  is hooked on a point P where the inclined groove  44  is connected to another inclined groove  46  (see  FIG. 4B ). 
     The point P is formed in a V-shape so that the front end of the wire member  30  can be hooked therein. 
     Then, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the shield  4  maintains the opened state. 
     In this state where the shield  4  is opened, when the shield  4  is pushed upward, the front end of the wire member  30 , which is located between the inclined grooves  44  and  46 , moves toward the passage  42  while advancing toward the inclined groove  46 . 
     In this state where the shield  4  is opened, when the shield  4  is pushed upward, the front end of the wire member  3 , which is located between the inclined grooves  44  and  46 , moves toward the passage  42  while advancing toward the inclined groove  46 . 
     In this state, when the shield  4  is not pushed, the hook member  34  is pushed out of the housing  28  by the biasing force of the spring  32 . 
     Therefore, the folders  36  catching the pushing member  24  move away from each other to release the pushing member  24  and thus the pushing member  24  moves the shield  4  to the closed position as the holder  8  rotates counterclockwise by the biasing force of the spring  16 . 
     When the face shield  4  is pushed upward as described above, the face shield  4  maintains the open state. When the face shield  4  is further pushed upward, the shield  4  is closed. 
     At this point, a pressing portion  54  is provided to effectively push the face shield  4  upward. The pressing portion  54  is effective when the face shield  4  is pushed upward in a state where it is opened as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     According to the helmet of the exemplary embodiment, the face shield may be selected in accordance with a color, a shape, and the like, and a combination thereof. 
       FIG. 3  shows a coupling unit of the shield. The coupling projections  6  formed on the left and right ends of the face shield  4  have an elastic force by the cutting lines  7 . Therefore, when the coupling projections  6  are pushed into the guide grooves  12  formed on the holders  8 , the coupling projections  6  are fixed in the coupling holes  10 . 
     In this state, when the face shield  4  is pulled after the coupling projections  6  are pressed, the face shield  4  is separated from the holders  8 . Therefore, the face shield  4  can be easily replaced. 
     While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The helmet according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be used by a motorcycle driver or a racing car driver. Therefore, the present invention can be applied in a helmet manufacturing field industry.