Device to secure belts and similar parts to resin structures, helmets in particular

The device to secure belts and similar parts to resin structures is provided with (Ref. FIG. 4) a block B in elastically yieldable molded material is inserted by snap action in a seat 24 in helmet A engaging forcibly by means grooves and projecting parts 22 in the block itself. One of the ends of the latter is fitted with a flange 12 which engages a recess 26 in the wall of the helmet. Belt C is conveniently and directly secured to block B by folding. The end of said belt, and which is associated with a pin 20. The whole is then inserted into an aperture-slot 18-16 provided in block B and this latter is then introduced in aperture 24.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a device apt to secure belts and similar parts to 
resin structures, helmets, in particular. 
Anchoring of the belts to the helmets is effected, generally, by screws or 
rivets passing through the rigid shell of the helmet and which connect by 
contrast one wall of said shell, for example the external wall, directly 
with the belt or metal plates to which the belt itself is secured, and 
abut with the opposite wall. 
As helmet molded shells are usually made of rigid resins, any tensions 
applied to the belt are transmitted directly to said material and may 
crack it and/or rip off the securing means; in the case of an internal 
metal plate secured by screws on a molded helmet, for example, of 
polycarbonate material, excessively tight screwing may damage the helmet, 
by compression, even during its assembling phase. 
The object of this invention is to obviate the above drawbacks by providing 
a device which, by distributing stresses over a larger area and by the 
adoption of a more elastic material with respect to that of the helmet, 
makes possible a reliable anchorage, apt to withstand stresses or tear of 
high intensity. 
The device according to the invention consists of a molded block, made at 
least in part of material of suitable resilient with respect to the 
material of the helmet and which is inserted in a cavity in the helmet 
itself to retain directly one end of a belt, or indirectly plates or 
buckles to which the belt is in turn anchored. 
The above device also affords the advantage of being adoptable to a single 
type of housing in the helmet, yet being apt to retain the belt or similar 
either directly or indirectly by means of adjustable securing means. 
This fact makes the mass production of helmets which are suitable to be 
fitted with the most convenient elements. 
The device in one of its preferred forms is characterized in that the block 
is equipped at one of its ends with a peripheral flange fitting in a 
groove in one of the walls of the helmet, while the longitudinal walls of 
said block are provided with grooves (or projecting parts) which engage 
foribly and elastically in respective seats in the opposite walls of the 
aperture in the helmet. 
In the domain of this invention, the engagement of said grooves or 
projecting parts in the block with the projecting parts (or grooves in the 
walls of the aperture in the helmet) may be either partial or complete. 
Advantageously, the block is provided with a slotted seat to retain the 
folded end of the belt, associated with a pin, the length of which can be 
at least equal to or greater than the width of the belt; in this latter 
case, the ends of the pin fit in relative recesses in the mid parts of the 
opposite walls of the cavity in the helmet. 
According to one variant the block is provided with at least one through 
hole, substantially perpendicular to the grooves and/or projecting parts, 
to retain a plate carrying the adjustable securing devices for the belt, 
while a screw secures said plate to the block, which in turn, is engaged 
elastically to the walls of the aperture in the helmet. 
In this variant, the head of the lock screw fits in a groove in the flange 
of the block, so that the head of said screw and the flange itself do not 
project from the outer surface of the helmet.

Considering the device shown in the drawings, letter A identifies the resin 
structure, which in our specific case consists of a protective helmet 
retaining by means of device B a belt C or similar part, apt to secure the 
helmet to the wearer's head. 
With reference to the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the device is provided 
with a block 10, made of resilient material, the top part of which 
terminates with a head 12 forming a flange for the purposes that will be 
described infra. 
In the case illustrated, the form of block 10 is substantially 
parallelopipedal and has, along its longitudinal axis, a substantially 
circular housing 14 associated with a slot 16 to connect said housing to 
the lower end of the block. 
In this manner a seat is formed, to retain belt C, specifically the folded 
end 18 of said belt which is thus secured to said block 10 by a pin 20. 
The opposite longitudinal walls of block 10 are shaped so as to form at 
their lower edges enlargements 22 for blocking purposes, and which will be 
described infra. 
Supporting structure A, that is, one of the lateral parts of the helmet in 
the case considered, is provided with a quadrilateral aperture 24 
corresponding to the contour of block 10 and which terminates, at the 
external surface of the helmet, with a circular groove 26 housing flange 
12 of the top part of said block. 
The opposite longitudinal walls 28 of quadrilateral opening 24 are shaped 
so as to have an inclination converging in the downward direction, so that 
the lower edges of said walls will form teeth apt to engage resilient the 
opposite grooves of the longitudinal walls of block 10, above enlarged 
parts 22. 
It is evident that the securing of belt C to helmet A: i.e. firstly the 
user forms loop 18 at the end of belt C and introduces in said loop pin 
20, the length of which, in this case, is substantially equal to the width 
of belt C. These parts are then inserted in housing 14-16 of block 10 so 
that the tract formed by the double belt projects outwardly from the block 
through slot 16. 
After this, block 10, on which the belt is fitted, is introduced forcibly 
into opening 24 so that flange 12 will fit in circular groove 26, at the 
same level as the outer surface of helmet A when block 10 is engaged in 
opening 24, the longitudinal opposite edges of the walls of said opening 
24, resiliently engage with the slots above enlargements 22 thereby 
ensuring retention of the tail of the belt within slot 16: the end of belt 
C is thus firmly secured to the structure of the helmet. 
In order to facilitate the engagement as well as disengagement of block 10 
of aperture 24, the longitudinal side walls of said block are provided 
with transversal 30, to increase the resilienty of the block. 
Considering the variant illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 in which equal or 
corresponding parts are identified with the same reference symbols, 
opening 24a of the helmet is provided, toward its internal part with a 
peripheral enlargement 32, the walls of which are substantially shaped as 
the side walls of block 10a; specifically, the longitudinal ends of the 
peripheral enlargement 32 are shaped so as to be coupled to the blocking 
enlargement 22 of block B. 
In this variant, pin 20a is of greater length with respect to the width of 
belt C and the projecting ends of said pin fit in notch 27 in the opposite 
side walls of opening 24a of the helmet: a further blocking element for 
belt C to the helmet is thus formed, to afford furhter safety. FIG. 5 is 
yet a further variant of the invention in which block 10b is provided with 
a flange 12b the contour of which is equal to that of said block to be 
level with the outer surface of helmet A. Also in this case belt C is 
retained directly by the block 10b by a loop 18b in the eyelet of which is 
inserted a pin 20b which may be of length equal to or greater than the 
width of belt C, as already considered. 
In this variant, ribs 22b and grooves 32b are more pronounced, to ensure 
securing by snap action of device B to helmet A. 
FIG. 6 shows another variant of device B which may be inserted in groove 
24e in helmet A, and altogether similar to opening 24b in FIG. 5. 
In this variant block 10c is provided with a through hole 44, preferably 
polyzonal, into which fits a projecting part 46 of equal shape, in a plate 
50; belt C is secured in said plate in the known manner, for example, the 
plate may be provided with a slot to retain the belt or it may constitute 
the base plate for an anchoring means for adjustable retention of belt C. 
In the case illustrated, plate 50 is provided with perforated tabs 52 apt 
to retain a set of 3 pins on which belt C is wound. 
Plate 50 is secured to helmet A by engagement against base 56 of block 10c 
by means of a screw 60 the head of which fits in groove 64 in flange 12c. 
Screw 60 directly engages polygonal projecting part 46 or by nut 48. 
It should be noted that with the type of connection contemplated in FIG. 6, 
plate 50 engages base 56 of block 10c thereby to distribute the 
compression stresses which would otherwise be exerted between the internal 
and outer faces of helmet A. 
In practice the details of embodiment and end uses of the device may in any 
case vary without departing from the scope and domain of the patent 
invention.