Abstract:
Ballistic material side elements are shaped to cover portions of a wearer&#39;s face and selectively attached to a ballistic helmet. The side elements cover the sides of the wearer&#39;s head, but leave room to avoid interfering with hearing needs and goggles. These side elements are held in place by connecting them to the existing helmet shell with an encircling strap and band, or to the straps and hardware of the helmet retention system by receiving portions of the straps through loops on the interior of the side elements. A front ballistic member may join the side elements to cover a significant portion of the wearer&#39;s face. The ballistic material is formed of a plurality of layers with a resin and joined by the application of pressure. Higher pressure in the forming of the side elements produces stiff members which stay in place when attached to the helmet.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional App. No. 60/895,654 filed Mar. 19, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to protective headgear in general, and more particularly to ballistic armor for protecting portions of the wearer&#39;s face. 
         [0004]    Penetrating head trauma as the result of projectiles striking the head are among the most severe hazards faced by soldiers and police officers. Such injuries are very often fatal, and where not can cause lasting disability. Metal and leather helmets for protection against bladed and lower velocity projectile weapons have been known since ancient times. The Roman legions employed bronze helmets with cheek guards provided with leather padding. In modern times lightweight helmets have been fabricated from ballistic materials such as Kevlar® phenolic resin treated aramid fabric. Most standard issue combat helmets, such as the U.S. Army Personnel Armor System Ground Troops (PASGT) Helmet, cover the top, rear, and sides of the head, but leave the face of the wearer unprotected. 
         [0005]    Protection for the face has been provided by a large clear bullet-resistant shield or visor mounted to the helmet shell, or other stiff member which wraps around the face. While good for some applications, this solution can be too heavy and cumbersome for the average infantryman. Some of these devices can keep the wearer from being able to correctly sight his weapon by not allowing him to position his head and face in very close proximity with his rifle. Additionally face armor may cover the entire face with a single protective item. There are numerous times when covering the mouth and nose of a soldier is unacceptable, for instance when eating, drinking, or communicating. 
         [0006]    What is needed is face armor that can be mounted to conventional helmets, yet which preserves access to the face as needed for particular tasks. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    A specific arrangement of ballistic material shaped to cover portions of the wearer&#39;s face is configured to selectively attach to a ballistic helmet. This arrangement protects otherwise exposed areas of the wearer&#39;s head. A shape of ballistic material, which may be soft armor, hard armor, or a combination thereof, is attached to each side of the helmet, one right and one left. These shapes cover the sides of the wearer&#39;s head, but leave room to avoid interfering with hearing needs and eye protection devices such as goggles. These shapes are held in place by connecting them to the existing helmet shell or to the straps and hardware of the helmet, retention system. A removable piece of ballistic material may be used to join the left and right pieces and thereby cover a significant portion of the wearer&#39;s face. The ballistic material may be conventional soft armor, i.e., assemblies of ballistic fabric such as those formed from DuPont Kevlar® fibers, fibers of Spectra® ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fibers from Honeywell, or other ballistic material, or hard armor, for example elements fabricated of rigid plates of ceramic, polymer, or metal, or a combination of hard and soft armor. 
         [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to provide face armor which readily and easily attaches to helmets already in the field, without modification to the helmets. 
         [0009]    It is another object of the present invention to provide face armor which protects a significant portion of the head from projectiles, while allowing normal sighting of a weapon. 
         [0010]    It is also an object of the present invention to provide face armor which protects a significant portion of the head from projectiles, while allowing the wearer to talk, drink, and communicate. 
         [0011]    Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a ballistic face armor assembly of this invention as worn by a soldier. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the face armor assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the face armor assembly of  FIG. 1 , taken along section line  3 - 3 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the ballistic face armor assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment ballistic face armor assembly of this invention shown attached to a conventional helmet, with a helmet cover shown partially broken away in section. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a side elevational view, partially broken away in section, of a left side element of another alternative embodiment face armor assembly of this invention with straps of a helmet retention assembly shown in phantom view. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of yet another alternative embodiment face armor assembly of this invention having a removable front panel. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0019]    Referring more particularly to  FIGS. 1-7 , wherein like numbers refer to similar parts, a ballistic face armor assembly  20  is shown in  FIG. 1  as worn by a soldier  22 . The face armor assembly  20  has a rearwardly opening concave front band  24 , best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . The band  24  extends about half-way around a conventional helmet  26 , for example a U.S. Army PASGT helmet, and has a first mounting flange  28  at one end, and a second mounting flange  30  at the other end. A one-and-a-quarter inch long, by one-eighth-inch wide slot  32  is formed in both ends, tilted from the vertical. An elastic 1-inch tall strap  36  is looped through the slots  32  at each end of the band  24 , and is adjusted in length by the buckles  34 . The strap  36  together with the front band  24  defines an encircling loop which is configured to encircle the shell  38  of the helmet  26 . 
         [0020]    The front band  24  may be thermoformed or injection molded plastic, and need not be a ballistic element, because it extends for the most part over the ballistic shell  38  of the helmet  26 . The band  24  may be formed of sheet material about ⅛ inches thick. The front band  24  brow segment  42  above the wearer&#39;s face is about one-inch tall, and has a rearwardly extending lip  40  which extends rearwardly about ⅜ of an inch, as best shown in  FIG. 3 . The lip  40  extends beneath the lower edge  44  of the helmet shell  38 , and thereby prevents the face armor assembly  20  from riding upwardly on the helmet  26 . 
         [0021]    The ballistic protection is provided to the wearer&#39;s face by two porkchop-shaped side elements  46 ,  48  which are affixed to the downwardly extending mounting flanges  28 ,  30  of the front band  24 , for example by two plastic rivets  52  at each side of the front band. As shown in  FIG. 1 , each side element  46 ,  48  has a vertical segment  54  which is fastened to a mounting flange, and a horizontal segment  56  which extends downwardly and frontwardly. As shown in  FIG. 4 , each side element  46 ,  48  is preferably curved about a generally vertical axis, so that the side elements wrap around the wearer&#39;s face. Each horizontal segment  56  has an upper portion  58  and a lower portion  60  which is recessed inwardly somewhat from the upper portion. This recessing allows the horizontal segments  56  to follow the shape of the wearer&#39;s face, and allows the wearer to shoulder a rifle stock in a conventional fashion, to sight the rifle in the normal manner. 
         [0022]    The side elements  46 ,  48  are thus spaced opposite each other on either side of the front band, and are thus positioned to protect portions of the face of the wearer of the face armor assembly  20 . A T-shaped opening  62  is thus defined in the front of face armor assembly between the two side elements  46 ,  48  and beneath the front band  24 . An eye opening  64  is defined between the vertical segments  54  and above the horizontal segments  56 . The eye opening  64  is preferably sized to allow the wearer of the armor to comfortably wear conventional goggles or other protective eyewear. A central opening  66  is defined below the eye opening  64  and between the forward edges of the two side element horizontal segments  56 . This central opening  66  provides the wearer access to his mouth to permit eating and drinking while wearing the face armor. 
         [0023]    The side elements  46 ,  48  are ballistic armor, preferably formed as an assembly of a plurality of layers of ballistic fabric, such as those formed from DuPont Kevlar®fibers or of Spectra® ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fibers from Honeywell. It is desirable that the side elements be generally rigid, so that they stay in the desired protective position with respect to the wearer&#39;s face. The side elements are approximately one-half inch thick, and are fabricated by cutting multiple layers of the ballistic fabric into the desired shape, and then subjecting the cut fabric layers, which are impregnated with a resin, to high pressures, about 45 tons, and a temperature of about 250 degrees Fahrenheit. The pressure is applied over a form to give the element the desired three-dimensional shape. The resultant element can then be cut on a bandsaw to the desired perimeter, and is preferably coated, for example, with a polyurethane material to protect the edges of the material. 
         [0024]    Because the side elements  46 ,  48 , can come repeatedly into contact with the wearer&#39;s face, the inwardly facing surfaces of the side elements may have a soft or resilient sheet  68  adhered thereto, for example a rubbery sheet, or a synthetic material such as duPont Hypalon® chlorosulfonated polyethylene. 
         [0025]    The face armor assembly  20  may thus be used with conventional helmets, without regard to the helmet retention system of the conventional helmet. It may very rapidly be applied to the helmet, and removed. In an alternative embodiment, not shown, the front band and the side elements can be injection molded of ballistic material such as transparent polycarbonate plastic as a unitary element, to be mounted to a conventional helmet by a similar elastic strap as in the assembly  20 . It should be noted that alternatively, the front band may be a strap of webbing held in tension. 
         [0026]    An alternative embodiment face armor assembly  70  is shown in  FIG. 5 . The face armor assembly  70  includes a flexible fabric helmet cover  72  which encircles portions of the helmet shell  38  of a conventional helmet  26  and is attached to the shell in a conventional fashion, for example by an elastic lower band, by snap or hook-and-loop fastener straps, etc. The helmet  26  has a conventional helmet retention assembly  74  comprised of a number of adjustable straps which secure the helmet to the wearer&#39;s head. The retention assembly  74  has two front straps  76  which extend downwardly from the sides of the helmet, and which are joined to nape straps  78  which extend rearwardly to extend around the sides of the wearer&#39;s head and which are connected to rear straps which are connected to the rear of the helmet. The front straps  76  and the nape straps  78  are connected by chin straps  80  which extend from a buckle  82  which allows the quick release of the helmet from the wearer. The front straps  76  extend downwardly from adjustment buckles  81  which are connected by short straps, not shown, to fasteners  83  engaged with the helmet shell. 
         [0027]    The helmet cover  72  is provided with attachment patches  84  of one part of a two-part hook-and-loop fastener material such as VELCRO fastener manufactured by Velcro Industries B.V. The attachment patches  84  may be curved strips of material fixed to the outwardly facing surface  86  of the cover on opposite sides of the helmet. 
         [0028]    The attachment patches serve to mount two side elements  88 ,  90  to the helmet cover. Each side element  88 ,  90  is comprised of a flexible fabric bag  92  or pouch which has an interior compartment  94  formed between an inner sheet  96  and an outer sheet  98  sewn together. A shaped ballistic element  100  is contained within the compartment  94 . The ballistic element  100  may be conventional soft armor, for example a multiplicity of layers of ballistic fabric glued together and formed under pressure into the desired shape. The ballistic fabric sheets may also be co-formed with a plastic sheet stiffening layer of nylon, polyethylene, or a thermoplastic material, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,392, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
         [0029]    The fabric bag  92  has a wing  102  which extends upwardly from the ballistic element  100 , and an attachment patch  104  is sewn to an inwardly facing surface  106  of the inner sheet  96  on the wing. The attachment patch  104  is the other part of the two-part hook-and-loop fastener to mate with the attachment patch  84  on the cover  72 . The side elements may thus be removably engaged with the helmet cover. 
         [0030]    To restrict the displacement of the side elements with respect to the helmet shell, each side element  88 ,  90 , has a loop  108  defined by a strip of webbing  110  which is sewn to the inner sheet  96  of the fabric bag  92  in the lower forward corner. Each loop  108  is positioned to receive a portion of a front strap  76  which extends downwardly from the helmet assembly. Because the front straps are secured to the wearer&#39;s head, the engagement of the ballistic elements with the front straps serves to position the side elements for protection of portions of the face of a person wearing the helmet assembly. 
         [0031]    The shape of the side elements  88 ,  90  where they project from the helmet may be generally similar to the shapes of the side elements  46 ,  48 , of the face armor assembly  20 . Thus each side element has a vertical segment and a horizontal segment which extends downwardly and frontwardly, and is preferably curved about a generally vertical axis, so that the side elements wrap around the wearer&#39;s face. Each horizontal segment has an upper portion and a lower portion which is recessed inwardly somewhat from the upper portion. 
         [0032]    It should be noted that the helmet cover attachment patches  84  may be supplied sewn to a helmet cover, or alternatively, the mounting patches may have a high-strength adhesive backing with a peel-off release layer, thereby allowing the mounting patches to be attached to pre-existing helmet covers in the field. Moreover, the fabric bag, rather then being sewn from sheets of fabric, may be fabricated of compression molded foam pieces on one or both sides of the ballistic element. 
         [0033]    An alternative embodiment side element  112  of another alternative embodiment face armor assembly is shown in  FIG. 6 . The side element  112  is a side element to be mounted to the left side of a wearer&#39;s face. A similar, but mirror image, side element may be mounted to provide protection for the right side of a wearer&#39;s face. The side element  112  is intended for attachment to a conventional helmet assembly with helmet retention system such as the one illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0034]    The side element  112  has a shaped ballistic element  114  enclosed within a bag, or otherwise surrounded by a protective covering, such as by gluing a piece of fabric  116  to the exterior of the ballistic element, and a cut sheet of rubber-like material  118  to the interior. The fabric  116  and material  118  define a compartment within an enclosure for the ballistic element. The ballistic element  114  is preferably an assembly of layers of ballistic material in soft armor as described above, but may also be a hard armor element. The side element  112  has a vertical segment  122  which extends downwardly and a horizontal segment  124  which extends downwardly and frontwardly. The entire side element  112  is preferably curved about a generally vertical axis, so that the side element wraps around the wearer&#39;s face. As with the above embodiments, the side element  112  may be formed such that the horizontal segment has an upper portion and a lower portion which is recessed inwardly somewhat from the upper portion, to conform more closely to the wearer&#39;s face and to allow a rifle to be brought closer to a wearer&#39;s face. 
         [0035]    A flexible strap  126  is fixed to the sheet of material  118 . The strap  126  may be a conventional strip of webbing which extends upwardly from the vertical segment of the side element  112 . By threading the strap  126  through the adjustment buckle  81  on the helmet shell  38 , the side element is connected to the conventional helmet assembly  26  and positioned at the appropriate height with respect to the wearer&#39;s face. The side element is configured for mounting to the retention assembly  74  of the conventional helmet. An inverted L-shaped slot  138  is positioned generally in the middle of the sheet  118 , and a three-sided slot  140  is positioned above and rearwardly of the inverted L-shaped slot  138 , defining a middle segment  154  of the sheet between the L-shaped slot and the three-sided slot. A short securement slot  142  is positioned above and rearward of the three-sided slot  140 . A securement tab  144  is sewn to the sheet  118  to extend upwardly from the inverted L-shaped slot  138 . The securement tab  144  is a strip of elastic webbing which is folded over and sewn at its far end to define a catch  146 . The securement tab  144  may be passed through a central segment  148  of the three-sided slot  140  and out the securement slot  142 , such that the catch  146  engages in the securement slot. Two slots  120  are formed in the lower forward corner of the horizontal segment  124  which are spaced from one another to define a loop  128  which receives a portion of a chin strap  80 . 
         [0036]    To mount the side element  112  to the retention assembly, the chin strap  80  is passed through the three-sided slot  140  and then out through the inverted L-shaped slot  138 , over the surface of the sheet  118 , and through the loop  128 . The side element  112  is positioned such that the front strap  76  extends upwardly through the upper segment  150  of the three-side slot  140 , and the nape strap  78  extends rearwardly through the lower segment  152  of the three-sided slot. The securement tab  144  is then engaged in the securement slot  142 , which serves to prevent the release of the front strap  76  and the nape strap  78  from the element, and to thereby retain the side element in place. The sheet  118  is attached to the fabric  116  or to the ballistic element in such a way that the sheet is free from the ballistic element where necessary to allow the straps of the retention assembly to pass beneath the sheet  118 . 
         [0037]    For additional ballistic protection, a front element  130 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , may be removably mounted between the two side elements  112 ,  132 . The front element  130  may have a single ballistic element retained within an enclosing bag, but preferably has multiple ballistic elements, to permit the front element  130  to be hinged and folded to the side. The front element  130  has side straps  134  which have hook-and-loop fastener which releasably engages with compatible hook-and-loop fastener attachment patches  136  on the exteriors of the side elements  112 ,  132 . The patches  136  on the side elements may be in the form of straps which engage with the front element side straps  134  on two surfaces to give a more secure attachment. The front element  130  may thus be entirely removed from the face armor assembly, or may be folded to either side and stored in a folded condition on whichever side element is desired. The front element  130  may be provided with various patches of hook and loop fastener, not shown, to permit it to be retained in a folded stored configuration on either of the side elements. A similar front element may also be mounted to the other face armor assemblies  20 ,  70 . 
         [0038]    It should be noted that a helmet strap kit could be constructed with the armored portion at time of manufacture and would not require the ability to be “added on” to an existing helmet retention system. 
         [0039]    It should be noted that in place of the front band and strap shown in  FIG. 1  in the face armor  20 , which serve as a connector to the helmet, alternatively the front band can be provided with bolt openings which permit the front band to be mounted to a conventional helmet shell, such as is shown in  FIG. 5 , which is typically provided with bolts  83  which attach the helmet retention assembly to the helmet shell, by engagement of the holes in the band with the preexisting bolts. Thus to mount the face armor to the helmet, existing bolts are removed and passed through the openings in the front band, and reinserted. In such a case no strap is required. 
         [0040]    It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.