Abstract:
A quick-release retaining device for securing a faceguard to a helmet shell. A selectively engageable latch structure maintains the retaining device in a closed condition. When the retaining device is urged to the open condition, the faceguard may be moved away from a wearer&#39;s face. The device is biased in the closed condition by a C-shaped clip, and has a sliding-bar feature for additional securement. The sliding bar is further secured by a locking pin.

Description:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of protective helmets, and in particular, to a new and useful device for releasable attachment of a faceguard to a helmet shell. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     In many sports, it is desirable for participants to wear a helmet shell to protect against head injury as a result of collisions. This is particularly the case in youth sports. It may also be desirable to protect the face by providing a generally cage-like faceguard across the front of the helmet shell. This provides frontal protection while retaining substantial frontal visibility. Such combinations of helmet shells and faceguards may be used in a number of sports, including football, lacrosse, baseball, fast-pitch softball, hockey, and the like. 
     In the event of injury, the faceguard may impede the ability of medical personnel to render assistance, as they will be unable to directly access the injured player&#39;s face to conduct tests and render treatment with the helmet shell and faceguard in place. The presence of a faceguard may also make it difficult to administer emergency aid such as, for example, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. While access to the player&#39;s face may be achieved by removing the entire helmet shell with the faceguard attached, such removal may be undesirable in the event of a suspected brain or spinal injury. When such injuries are suspected, the general recommendation is to minimize head and neck movement. To avoid moving the player&#39;s head under such conditions, it may be necessary to remove the faceguard from the helmet shell prior to administering treatment. However, such removal tends to be relatively time-consuming and, in an emergency situation, complex. Thus, there is a need for a faceguard attachment system which permits rapid displacement of the faceguard without requiring removal of the entire helmet shell. 
     U.S. publication no. 2012/0011686 by Duong attempts to address these issues by teaching clips for securing a face mask to an article of head gear, and for releasing the face mask without the need for any special tools or equipment. The reference teaches that the clip may comprise a base and a retaining member that is pivotably coupled to the base. When the retaining member is engaged with the base, structure on the base prevents the retaining member from pivoting open, thus securing the face mask within the clip. To disengage the retaining member and release the face mask from the clip, a user may squeeze or flex a portion of the base, which causes the retaining member to disengage and pivot open. 
     Among other things, the reference fails to teach a shock stabilizer, or any other piece made of a material softer than the base or retaining member. Thus, upon impact there is no “give” in the device and such is important for allowing for effective absorption of impact. 
     U.S. publication no. 2010/0251464 by Parisi also attempts to address the problem. The reference teaches an attachment system for operative connection of a faceguard to a helmet shell with the faceguard being held within a selectively releasable clamp operatively secured to the helmet shell. The attachment system includes a compressible spring clip held in overlying relation to the helmet shell. The spring clip is adapted to selectively clamp a bridge member of the faceguard. A selectively engageable latch structure holds the spring clip in the closed condition. Upon release of the latch structure, the spring clip is urged to the open condition, such that the faceguard may be rotated away from a user&#39;s face. 
     This device relies on a locking-arm-and-latch structure. The locking arm includes an angled head having a half arrowhead profile adapted for receipt through an acceptance slot (see  FIG. 5 ). Impact of sufficient force can cause the locking arm to break and/or fail. The reliance on this structure, thus, presents a significant safety issue, as the faceguard may then fall off during play. 
     Thus, a need remains for further advancements in the field of helmet design, in particular for a face guard securing device which provides optimal securement of the face guard to the helmet, but which can be quickly and easily released. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, one of the various objects of the invention is to provide a device for effectively securing a faceguard to a helmet. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device which allows for quick removal of the faceguard from the helmet. 
     The present invention is a quick-release face guard retaining device having a cooperating base and a latch. 
     The base has an overlying portion and an underlying portion. It has an opening in the underlying portion for connecting the device to a helmet by, for example, a screw and T-nut. 
     There is a grommet located in the opening of the base, the grommet defining a grommet opening. There is, in typical embodiments, a spacer located in the grommet opening. The grommet is typically a shock-absorbing disc. The shock-absorbing disc has a platform base and a raised surface. The raised surface is typically composed of two opposed crescents arranged to accommodate a curvature of the spacer. The grommet is, in certain embodiments, made of SURLYN. 
     The device also has a shock stabilizer located in a shock stabilizer-receiving groove of the base. The shock stabilizer is of a softer material than the base. For example, the shock stabilizer maybe made of rubber, and the base made from a thermoplastic polymer, such as a hard polycarbonate. 
     The latch is connected to the base in a hinged manner, and has a hooked part at one end. 
     The base, shock stabilizer and latch together define a receiving aperture in a closed condition for securing a faceguard wire in the device. 
     The device also has a clip disposed in between the base and the latch. The clip has curved parts at a first end and at a second end. The clip is secured within a clip-receiving part of the base at the first end and within a clip-receiving part of the latch at the second end. The clip exerts closing forces on the latch and the base, so that, overall, the retaining device is biased to a closed condition. 
     For added security, the present quick release retaining device may be locked. There is a sliding bar located in a bar-receiving groove of the base. The latch also has a sliding bar receiving groove. The groove of the latch is located such that, when the device is in the closed position, the grooves of the base and the latch are aligned. 
     The device is in the locked condition when the sliding bar-receiving grooves of the latch and base are aligned, and the sliding bar is located within a common groove formed by the aligned bar-receiving grooves of the latch and the base. 
     The sliding bar has an opening provided with a pin for enhanced locking. The sliding bar receiving groove of the base is provided with a pin-receiving cavity. The pin and the pin receiving cavity are oriented such that, when the sliding bar is pushed over the latch, the pin slides into the pin-receiving cavity. The pin and the pin-receiving cavity cooperate to provide a resistance to movement of the sliding bar away from the latch. The pin is forced from the pin-receiving cavity upon application of force against the sliding bar greater than the resistance provided by the cooperation of the pin and the pin-receiving cavity 
     The sliding bar may also be used to set the device in an open condition. The device is set in the open condition by pulling the sliding bar from of the aligned bar-receiving grooves, pulling the latch away from the base, pushing the sliding bar back through the a bar-receiving groove of the base so that it extends underneath the latch, and releasing the latch to rest on the sliding bar. 
     The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the quick-release retaining device in a closed, unlocked condition; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the device in the open condition; 
         FIG. 3  is a left side elevational view of the device in the open condition; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the device, taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the base; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the latch; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the shock stabilizer; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the C-shaped clip; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the grommet; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the locking pin; and 
         FIG. 11  is a right side elevational view of the sliding bar. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a quick-release face guard retaining device  10  adapted to hold a face guard wire (not shown) to the shell of a helmet (not shown). 
     As best seen by reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , the retaining device  10  includes a base  12  having a generally hairpin construction. The base has an underlying portion  14  continuous with a curved portion  16  and an overlying portion  18 . The overlying portion  18  consists of two parallel arms  34  which partially extend over the length of the underlying portion  14 . The underside of the base  12  has a concave curvature to accommodate the curvature of a typical sports helmet. 
     The curved portion  16  has a receiving groove Jul. 16, 2014 defined therein which receives a shock stabilizer  22 . As seen in  FIG. 7 , the shock stabilizer  22  has a main portion  24  and a pair of backward-projecting legs  26 . The shock stabilizer  22  is secured to the base  12  by sliding the backward-projecting legs  26  into the receiving groove  20  of the base  12 . The main portion  24  of the shock stabilizer  22  is concave so as to receive and secure a face guard wire. 
     In a typical embodiment, the shock stabilizer  22  is made of a softer material than the material from which the base  12  is made. The relative softness of the shock stabilizer  22  allows for some give, in the event of impact against the faceguard from an axially-opposed force, such as from another helmet or the ground. Preferably, the shock stabilizer  22  is made of rubber and the base  12  is made of a hard polycarbonate. These are non-limiting examples, as the base  12  and shock stabilizer  22  may each be made of any convenient material such that there is a differential in hardness between them. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1-4  and  6 , the retaining device  10  also has a T-shaped top latch  28  secured in a hinged manner to the base  12 . Specifically, lateral projections  72  on the latch  28  sit inside lateral openings  74  in the base  12 . 
     The latch  28  has a hooked part  30 . In the locked position, the hooked part  30  presses the faceguard wire against the underlying portion  14  of the base  12  and against the shock stabilizer  22 . 
     Thus, when the hooked part  30  is in contact with the base  12 , the latch  28 , the base  12 , and the shock stabilizer  22  define a receiving aperture  32  for enclosing the wire of a faceguard. In a preferred embodiment, the receiving aperture  32  has an arcuate cross-section. However, it is within the scope of the invention for the receiving aperture  32  to have a cross section of any convenient shape, in accordance with the profile of the particular faceguard wire to be accommodated. 
     The base  12  and the latch  28  are further secured by a substantiality C-shaped clip  46 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 8 , the clip  46  has curved parts  38 ,  40  at either end, so that it may be secured within a clip-receiving groove  42  of the base  12  at one end and within a clip-receiving groove  44  of the latch  28  at the other end. The clip  46  exerts constant closing forces on the latch  28  and the base  12 , so that the retaining device  10  is biased to the closed condition. 
     The retaining device  10  is also provided with a sliding bar  48  located in a bar-receiving groove  50 . As best seen in  FIG. 5 , the bar-receiving groove  50  is formed in the overlying portion  18  of the base  12 . There is also a bar-receiving groove  52  in the upper side of the latch  28 . When the retaining device  10  is in the locked condition, bar-receiving grooves  50 ,  52  are aligned, and the sliding bar  48  is located within a common groove formed by the bar-receiving grooves  50 ,  52 . The sliding bar is optionally provided with multiple ridges  76  for ease of sliding. 
     As noted, the clip  46  exerts constant closing forces on the latch  28  and the base  12 , which biases the retaining device  10  in the closed condition. In order to set and maintain the retaining device in an open condition, a user moves the sliding bar  48  out of the aligned bar-receiving grooves  50 ,  52 . The user then pulls the hooked part  30  of the latch  28  away from the underlying portion  14  of the base  12 . With the latch  28  in a raised position, the user pushes the sliding bar  48  back through the bar-receiving groove  50  in the overlying portion  18  of the base  12 , so that it extends underneath the latch  28 . When the latch  28  is released, it rests on the sliding bar  48 , leaving the retaining device  10  in the open condition. 
     As an added feature for securing the sliding bar  48  over the latch  28 , the sliding bar  48  has a hole  66  which is provided with a locking pin  68 . In operation, when the sliding bar  48  is pushed over the latch, the pin  68  slides into a receiving cavity  70  in the overlying portion  18  of the base  12 , and locks into place. This feature provides an additional measure for keeping the latch  28  down, in event of impact against the faceguard. When the sliding bar  48  is deliberately pushed away from the latch  28  with sufficient force, the pin  68  is forced out of the receiving cavity. 
     Typical embodiments include a grommet  58  located in an opening  78  in the base. The retaining device  10  may be secured to a sports helmet by a screw  100  passed through an opening  56  in the grommet  58 . The screw  100  is passed further into a T-nut  110  inside the sports helmet (not shown). The screw  100  and T-nut  110  fix the base  12  to the helmet shell. In certain of these embodiments, there is a spacer  60  located in the opening  56  of the grommet  58 . 
     In typical embodiments, the grommet  58  is shock-absorbing disc having a two-tiered structure, including a platform base  62  and a raised surface  64 , as best understood with reference to  FIG. 9 . The raised surface  64  is composed of two opposed crescents arranged to accommodate curvature of the spacer  60 . The raised surface  64  is disposed in surrounding relation to the opening  56 . 
     As best observed in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the raised surface  64  protrudes slightly above the surface of the base. Thus, when the screw  100  is moved into the opening  56 , the raised surface  64  may apply an upward biasing force against the underside of the screw head  100   a  to aid in forming a locked relation between the retaining device  10  and the underlying helmet shell. That is, the raised surface  64  acts as a wedge which is held in compression between the helmet shell and a downwardly facing surface of the screw head  100   a . With the raised surface  64  held in compression between the helmet shell and a downwardly facing surface of the screw head  100   a , slippage is minimized between the retaining device  10  and the underlying helmet shell. 
     In preferred embodiments, the grommet  58  is composed of SURLYN, but other materials maybe used such as any synthetic or natural material that may be shaped when soft and then hardened, including many types of resins, resinoids, and polymers (Nylon, Polyester, Acetal, Polypropylene). These may be used, alone or in combination. 
     In preferred embodiments, the base  12  has a width of about 0.800 inches to 1.000 inches, and most preferably has a width of about 0.890 inches in the region which houses the grommet  58  and about 0.830 inches in the region where the hinged connection is formed with the latch  28 . The base  12  has a preferred height in the range of about 0.850 inches to about 1.050 inches, and most preferably has a height of about 0.934 inches. The base  12  has a preferred length of about 1.300 inches to 3.300 inches, and most preferably a length of about 2.270 inches. The distance from the edge of the overlying portion  18  of the base  12  downward to the underlying portion  14  is preferably in the range of about 0.200 inches to about 0.400 inches, and most preferably about 0.320 inches. The distance between the parallel arms  34  of the overlying portion  18  is preferably in the range of about 0.300 inches to about 0.500 inches, and most preferably about 0.390 inches. 
     The latch  28  has a preferred height in the range of about 0.450 inches to 0.650 inches, and most preferably 0.560 inches. The latch  28  has a preferred length in the range of about 1.250 inches to about 1.450 inches and most preferably a length of about 1.360 inches. The width of the latch  28  from one end of the hooked part  30  to the other is preferably in the range of about 0.700 inches to 0.900 inches and most preferably about 0.790 inches. The width of the latch  28  from the ends of lateral projections  72  is preferably about 0.500 inches to 0.700 inches, and most preferably 0.580 inches. The width of the latch in the area between the hooked part  30  and the lateral projections  72  is preferably about 0.300 inches to 0.500 inches and most preferably about 0.380 inches. 
     The C-shaped clip  46  has a thickness preferably in the range of about 0.050 inches to 0.250 inches and most preferably about 0.140 inches. The C-shaped clip  46  has a width preferably of about 0.275 inches to 0.475 inches and most preferably about 0.375 inches. The C-shaped clip  46  preferably has a height of about 0.550 inches to about 0.750 inches and most preferably about 0.670 inches. 
     The shock stabilizer  22  preferably has a length, measured from the edge of the backward-projecting legs  26  to the edge of the main portion  24  of about 0.200 inches to about 0.400 inches and most preferably about 0.310 inches. 
     The grommet  58  has a diameter of about 0.300 inches to about 0.500 inches, and preferably about 0.380 inches. The grommet opening  56  preferably has a diameter in the range of about 0.200 inches to 0.400 inches, and most preferably about 0.316 inches. The height of the platform base  62  is preferably about 0.050 inches to about 0.150 inches, and most preferably about 0.100 inches. The length of the platform base  62  is preferably about 0.600 inches to 0.800 inches and most preferably 0.710 inches The height from the top of the raised surface to the bottom of the platform base  62  is preferably about 0.100 inches to 0.300 inches, and most preferably about 0.188 inches. 
     The spacer  60  preferably has a diameter of about 0.330 inches to about 0.300 inches and most preferably about 0.313 inches. The diameter of the opening of the spacer is preferably about 0.170 inches to 0.160 inches and most preferably 0.166 inches. 
     The height of the sliding bar  48  is preferably about 0.075 inches to 0.150 inches and most preferably about 0.125 inches. The width of the sliding bar  48  is preferably about 0.200 inches to 0.3000 inches and most preferably about 0.246 inches. The length of the sliding bar  48  is preferably about 0.300 inches to about 0.500 inches and most preferably about 0.410 inches. 
     The pin  68  preferably has a height of about 0.7500 millimeters to 0.250 millimeters, and most preferably about 0.500 millimeters. 
     While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles. It will also be understood that the present invention includes any combination of the features and elements disclosed herein and any combination of equivalent features. The exemplary embodiments shown herein are presented for the purposes of illustration only and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Thus, all the features of all the embodiments disclosed herein are interchangeable so that any element of any embodiment may be applied to any of the embodiments taught herein.