Abstract:
A helmet system comprises a base shell, a set of outer shells, said each outer shell selectively and adjustably geared for placement on and over the base shell in an interchangeable mode and position thereon as desired by the wearer, a connector detachably engaging said each outer shell to the base shell, and a first guide rail slot that includes an upwardly extending portion that the outer shell lies on and in, so that the upwardly extending portion extends between the base and the outer shell to form a buffer there between.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a helmet system having an interchangeable outer shell mechanism, more particularly to an improved helmet system with interchangeable outer shells that can be selectively worn over a base helmet without losing helmet safety factors while satisfying a user&#39;s design preferences, esthetic desires, fashion codes or other personalized tastes. 
     The market witnesses the ever changing tastes of helmet users. A recent trend seems to incorporate additional functions to an existing helmet. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,901,104 discloses a helmet shell having one or more light emitting diodes that receives an electric current from batteries to improve recognition on the street. U.S. Pat. No. 7,421,744 discloses a helmet with an acoustic voice chamber integrated within the helmet to allow the motorcycle driver to easily communicate with a rider seated behind the driver. 
     Prior art also shows incorporation of a communication device to a helmet. U.S. Pat. No. 7,003,317 discloses a helmet with a communication cable with internal wire connections to allow cellular phones to operate on a motorcycle riding. 
     An increasing demand on the market is to introduce a helmet that satisfies a user&#39;s changing tastes in esthetic desires, color coordination and fashion codes with all safety factors maintained and improved. Motorcycle owners want to change designs whenever they like or replace damaged shells without having to purchase a new helmet that will ever need to them, barring serious damage. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is contrived to overcome the conventional disadvantages. Accordingly, an objective of the present invention is to provide a helmet system with interchangeable outer covers that can be selectively worn over a base helmet without losing helmet safety factors, thus satisfying a user&#39;s changing tastes. 
     Another objective is to provide a helmet system with interchangeable outer covers, enabling a user to maximize his or her design preferences, esthetic desires, fashion codes or other personalized tastes. 
     A still another objective is to provide a helmet system with interchangeable outer covers, visually satisfying motorbike riders, mountain bikers, skate boarders, horseback riders, roller skaters, and other recreational and professional activities requiring head protection. 
     In order to achieve these and other objectives, the present invention provides a helmet system comprising, a base shell; a set of outer shells, said each outer shell selectively geared on and over the base shell to a user&#39;s taste in an interchangeable mode; a connection means detachably engaging said each outer shell to the base shell; and a first guide rail formed on the base shell to serve as a buffer between the base and outer shells. 
     The connection means is formed such that said each outer shell is detachably snap-hooked to the base shell in rear of the helmet system. Alternately, the connection means may be formed such that said each outer shell is detachably hole-bump engaged to the base shell in front of the helmet system. 
     The detachable hole-bump engagement is elastic to enable a bump-push release to detach the selected outer shell from the base shell. The set of outer shells are color matched to look different from each other. The set of outer shells are formed of one selected from polycarbonate, Kevlar, fiberglass and carbon fiber. The outer shell covers at least three quarters (¾) the base shell when worn over the base shell. 
     The helmet system may further comprise a second guide rail substantially parallel to the first guide rail when viewed atop, in a front to real orientation of the base shell. 
     A support rail may be provided having a groove and formed along a rim of the base shell, wherein the selected outer shell fits in the groove when worn on and over the base shell. 
     In an embodiment, a helmet system according to the present invention comprises a base shell; a set of outer shells, said each outer shell selectively geared on and over the base shell to a user&#39;s taste in an interchangeable mode; a connection means detachably engaging said each outer shell to the base shell; a guide rail formed on the base shell to serve as a buffer between the base and outer shells; a visor detachably attached to the base shell. 
     Preferably, the visor is attached through the outer shell to the base shell by a bump-hole mechanism to provide an additional engagement of the selected outer shell to the base shell. 
     Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the full understanding of the invention can be obtained by the following drawings, detailed description and appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a view showing a interchangeable mechanism of outer shells in a helmet system according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view showing assembly of the helmet system according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a view showing an assembly according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a view showing an assembly mechanism according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along V-V in  FIG. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along VI-VI in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the accompanying drawings, the present invention will now be explained. A helmet system  10  according to the present invention is to introduce an interchangeable outer shell mechanism meeting an esthetic desire, a fashion code and a design satisfaction to motorbike riders, mountain bikers, skate boarders, horseback riders, roller skaters, and other recreational and professional activities requiring head protection. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the helmet system  10  comprises a base shell  20 , a set of outer shells  30 ,  32  and connection means  40 , first and second guides  50 ,  52 , and a visor  60 . Each of the outer shells  30 ,  32  are detachably engaged to the base shell  20  by the connection means  40  which includes outer shell holes  42 , base shell bumps  44 , base shell rear holes  46 , and outer shell snap hooks  48 . Thus, the connection means  40  serves to detachably engage each outer shell  30  to the base shell  20  with an improved security. 
     The set of outer shells  30 ,  32  are selected and geared on and over the base shell  20  to a user&#39;s taste in an interchangeable mode. The helmet system  10  applies to a half helmet or an open-faced helmet. The base shell  20  may irreparably have a polystyrene foam therein and connected to a standard strap. 
     For a better performance, first and second guide rails  50 ,  52  are formed on the base shell  20  to serve as a buffer between the base and outer shells  20 ,  30 . The guide rails  50 ,  52  may further serve as an air buffer between the base and outer shells  20 ,  30  to solidify the helmet structure and system and provide a better cushion at an unexpected accident and hit. In a preferred version, the second guide rail  52  is formed substantially parallel to the first guide rail  50  when viewed atop, in a front to real orientation of the base shell  20 . 
     The connection means  40  is formed such that each outer shell  30 ,  32  is detachably snap-hooked to the base shell  20  in rear of the helmet system  10 . Alternately, the connection means  40  may be formed such that each outer shell  30 ,  32  is detachably hole-bump engaged to the base shell  20  in front of the helmet system  10 . In specific, when the selected outer shell  30  is worn over the base shell  20 , the bumps  44  is snapped in the holes  42  in front of the helmet system  10  whereas the hooks  48  of the outer shell  30  become detachably hooked in the holes  46  in rear of the helmet system  10 . 
     The detachable hole-bump engagement may be formed elastic to enable a bump-push release to detach the selected outer shell  30  from the base shell  20  where the bumps  44  are pushed up to remove the outer shell  30 . 
     In a preferred version, the rear side of the outer shell  30  may be first pushed down onto a rear side of the base shell  20  to get hooked in by the rear hook-hole mechanism, which is then followed by a pushdown of the outer shell  30  onto the corresponding front side of the base shell  20 . 
     A plurality of outer shells with a variety of different colors may be formed into a predetermined set of outer shells with color match to look different from each other. The set of outer shells may be formed of one selected from polycarbonate, Kevlar, fiberglass and carbon fiber. 
     The outer shell  30  may cover the whole part of the base shell. It is recommended that outer shell  30  cover at least three quarters (¾) the base shell when worn over the base shell  20 . 
     The helmet system  10  may further comprise a support rail  70  having a groove  72  and formed along a rim  74  of the base shell  20 , wherein the selected outer shell  30  fits in the groove  72  when worn on and over the base shell  20 . Here, the support rail  70  is fixed to the base shell  20 . In a preferred version, a protrusion  73  are formed on each inner side of the groove  72  to provide an additional safety grip to the outer shell  30 . 
     In an embodiment, the visor  60  is attached through the outer shell  30  to the base shell  20  by a bump-hole mechanism to provide an additional engagement of the selected outer shell  30  to the base shell  20 . In specific, the outer shell  30  is attached or worn on and over the base shell  20  and thereafter the visor  60  is detachably engaged to the inner shell  20  with the outer shell  30  squeezed between the visor  60  and the base shell  20 . For example, a receptor  62  inwardly formed on each side of the visor  60  may receive therein the corresponding base shell bump  44  through the outer shell hole  42 . 
     The helmet system  10  may keep most of the basic structural design of a half helmet or an open-faced helmet, but instead of a standard single shell, the system  10  provides two or more separate shells. The division of the standard shell into two separate shells is what makes this unique to standard motorcycle helmets. The base shell can be attached to the polystyrene foam as if a shell is on a standard helmet, but the outer shell is free standing. Individually, the shells are thinner than a standard shell, but together they are of standard thickness that meets regulations/standards (ex. USA FMVSS  218 ). The shells can be made of polycarbonate plastic or composite material (Kevlar, fiberglass, carbon fiber, etc). 
     Aside from the two-part shell, the other unique parts to this helmet system are the snap system of the shells, the guiding grooves on the base shell, and the two-slot rubber beading. The snap system keeps the outer shell securely attached to the base shell. The posterior and interior of the base shell have notches (female) and the outer shell has corresponding protruding snaps (male). When the outer shell is placed over the base shell, the male snaps of the outer shell locks into the notches of the inner shell to secure the shells together. In order to guide the outer shell, the base shell has grooves that make it easy for the snaps to slide into place and to prevent damage to the base shell. The two-slot rubber beading along the helmet allows for two shells instead of the standard single slot rubber beading. 
     For helmets with attachable visors, the base shell and the outer shell have holes for the visor to be screwed in to the helmet. The outer shell locks into the base shell normally and then the visor is screwed in to the helmet afterwards. 
     The concept of a two-part shell helmet could work with many other systems designed to attach the outer shell to the base shell. A screw system using screws to attach the two shells would be a viable option for secure attachment. Just as a visor is attached to a helmet, the shells would have holes that allows for a screw. Clip systems could attach the shells together using the concept of a clip on the base shell that swings over the outer shell to lock the two together. A variety of other notch systems such as indentions instead of incisions or differing notch placements could also be used. A slot system where a protruding disks or similar male part on the outer shell slides into slots on the base shell could be used. This helmet system employs simple, unique concepts to dynamically change the static, standard motorcycle helmet. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.