Abstract:
The invention relates to an adjustable helmet comprising a first and second shell portion adjustably connected together. Each shell features a smooth interference-free sliding surface on which the two shells fit together in an overlapping relationship. The two shells are locked together by a manually operable locking device adapted to engage corresponding anchoring holes. The smooth interference-free sliding surfaces allows easy adjustment of the helmet size.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of adjustable helmets and more specifically, to locking devices used to secure the adjustable helmets in a variety of positions.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Adjustable helmets made up of a front shell, a back shell and fastening means are well known in the field of sports equipment, and especially in the field of hockey helmets. Many of the older adjustable helmets that have a front and back shell use fastening means such as screws and bolts to hold the front and back shells together. One disadvantage of fastening means such as screws and bolts is that the wearer is forced to disassemble the two sections of the helmet in order to make the necessary adjustments to the helmet size. Often, this means that a wearer will have to make more than one adjustment to get the proper helmet size, since the adjustments cannot be made with the helmet on the wearer&#39;s head. A further disadvantage of this type of assembly is that the wearer must have the proper tools on hand, such as a screwdriver, in order to make the necessary adjustments. Often the correct tools are not readily available in situations where they are needed, namely in hockey rinks.  
           [0003]    One attempt at an improved fastening device is demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,776 issued to Bauer Inc. U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,776 describes an adjustable helmet with a front shell, a back shell and a cam shaped locking device that is movable between either one of a locking position and an adjustment position. The overlapping portions of the front shell and the back shell both have engaging members that consist of parallely extending teeth. In the locked position, the two sections of extending teeth engage each other in order to prevent longitudinal displacement of the shells relative to one another. While the adjustable helmet of U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,776 enables the user to adjust the helmet while it is positioned on the wearer&#39;s head, without the need for additional tools, the parallely extending teeth create significant friction between the two shells during adjustment. This friction between the engaging teeth makes it difficult for the wearer to easily slide the two shells into a new selected position.  
           [0004]    Clearly, there exists the need in the industry for an adjustable helmet that can not only be adjusted while positioned on a wearer&#39;s head, without additional tools, but also for a helmet having a front and back shells that can be moved easily relative to one another for accurate size adjustment.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The general object of the present invention is to provide an improved locking device for an adjustable helmet that would allow easy adjustment of the helmet size while the helmet is on a wearer&#39;s head.  
           [0006]    A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved locking device for an adjustable helmet that eliminates the need for adjustment tools.  
           [0007]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved locking device for an adjustable helmet that is movable between a locked position and a release position wherein in the release position there are no frictional interferences between the two sliding surfaces that could obstruct the movement of the two shells.  
           [0008]    As embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention provides an adjustable helmet comprising a first shell having smooth interference-free sliding surfaces and at least one anchoring hole, and a second shell having smooth interference-free sliding surfaces and a series of at least two anchoring holes. The second shell is adjustably connected to the first shell so that the smooth interference-free sliding surfaces of the two shells fit together in an overlapping relationship. The helmet further comprises a locking device comprising at least one tooth. The locking device is movable between a locked position and a release position wherein in the locked position the at least one tooth engages the at least one anchoring hole of the first shell, as well as at least one hole of the series of at least two anchoring holes of the second shell. In the release position the at least one tooth does not engage the at least one anchoring hole of the first shell nor the series of at least two anchoring holes of the second shell, thereby allowing the first shell and the second shell to move in relation to each other along their smooth, interference-free sliding surfaces.  
           [0009]    As embodied and broadly described herein the present invention further provides an adjustable helmet comprising a front shell having smooth interference-free sliding surfaces and anchoring holes, and a back shell having smooth interference-free sliding surfaces and anchoring holes. The back shell is adjustably connected to the front shell so that the smooth interference-free sliding surfaces of the two shells fit together in an overlapping relationship. The helmet further provides a locking device comprising at least one tooth. The locking device is movable between a locked position and a release position wherein in the locked position the at least one tooth engages the anchoring holes of the front shell, as well as the anchoring holes of the back shell. In the release position the at least one tooth is clear of the anchoring holes of the front shell and the anchoring holes of the back shell, thereby allowing the front shell and the back shell to move in relation to each other along their smooth, interference-free sliding surfaces.  
           [0010]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the present invention provides a locking device comprising a cam member adapted to pivot about an axis that extends in a direction parallel to a side portion of the adjustable helmet and a handle that extends from the cam member and is adapted to allow a user to move the locking device between the locked position and the release position. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1. is a perspective view of an adjustable helmet having a locking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2. is a side view of the adjustable helmet and locking device of FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3. is a side elevation of the adjustable helmet and locking device of FIG. 1, showing in dotted lines the mounting of the back shell to the front shell;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4. is a side elevation of the adjustable helmet and locking device of FIG. 1, showing in dotted lines the mounting of the back shell to the front shell;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5. is an exploded view of the adjustable helmet and locking device of FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6. is a front elevation of the locking device shown in isolation;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7. is an exploded side view of the locking device;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8. is a cross-section of the locking device taken along line  8 - 8  shown in FIG. 6, with the locking device in the closed position;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 9. is a cross-section of the locking device taken along line  9 - 9  shown in FIG. 6, with the locking device in the open position;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 9 b . is a cross-section of the locking device taken along line  9 - 9  shown in FIG. 6, with the locking device in the closed position;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 10. is a front elevation of the locking device in the open position;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 11. is a front, elevation of the locking device showing an alternative embodiment of the locking;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 12. is a locking device of the prior art. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0024]    Shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an adjustable hockey helmet  20  according to the present invention. Adjustable helmet  20  is made up of a front shell  22  and a back shell  24  interconnected together and adapted to move in relation to each other, and two locking devices  26  located on each side of helmet  20  just above the wearer&#39;s ears. Front shell  22  and back shell  24  are preferably made of a relatively rigid material, such as a polycarbonate material, a rigid thermoplastic, or a thermosetting resin in order to provide a strong helmet that will protect a wearer&#39;s head.  
         [0025]    In a preferred embodiment, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, front shell . 22  includes a plurality of ventilation apertures  50  located at various positions. Although FIGS. 1 and 2 show only ventilation apertures  50  in front shell  22 , it should be expressly understood that back shell  24  may also comprise ventilation apertures. While ventilation apertures  50  are not essential to the present invention, they do provide the added comfort of allowing air to circulate around the wearer&#39;s head, thus permitting perspiration to evaporate.  
         [0026]    Also in a preferred embodiment, and as can be seen in FIG. 1, the inside of helmet  20  is lined with padding  27 . Padding  27  is mounted to the inside surfaces of front shell  22  and back shell  24  in order to make helmet  20  more comfortable for the wearer. It is within the scope of the present invention for helmet  20  to have as little, or as much, padding as is necessary for the comfort of the wearer, so long it the padding does not interfere with the movement of front shell  22  and back shell  24 .  
         [0027]    Also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are two downwardly extending sides  37  that extend along the sides of the wearer&#39;s face in front of the wearer&#39;s ears. Sides  37  provide additional protection to the sides of the wearer&#39;s head, and further provide a useful location for connecting straps  31 . At the base of sides  37  are apertures  33  (only the right hand side shows aperture  33 ) through which a strap  31  is looped. The other end of strap  31  is looped into a second aperture  35  located on the base of back shell  24 . Helmet  20  is designed so that the wearer&#39;s ear fits into the area bounded by back shell  24 , sides  37  and straps  31 . Although not shown in the drawings a chin strap is adapted to be attached to each of straps  31 , so that when it is secured beneath the wearer&#39;s chin, helmet  20  is securely fastened onto the wearer&#39;s head.  
         [0028]    Front shell  22  is further equipped with holes  39 , and two screws  29 , both of which can be seen in FIG. 1. Holes  39  are located on downwardly extending sides  37 , and screws  29  are positioned in the center of the portion of front shell  22  that covers the wearer&#39;s forehead. Although not shown in the drawings, both screws  29 , and holes  39 , are adapted to facilitate the attachment of a protective visor to helmet  20 . Screws  29  are adapted to screw into the frame of a sports visor, and holes  39  are adapted to receive securing tabs located on the sides of the visor. Preferably, the visor is of the type wherein the transparent viewing window is hingedly connected to the frame that is screwed into helmet  20 . Therefore, the visor can be moved between an upwards and downwards position. When the visor is in the down position the tabs located on the side of the visor fit inside holes  39  to keep the visor in place. And, when the wearer needs to move the visor out of his or her face, he or she must simply push the visor upwards to release the tabs from holes  39  and push the visor into the upward position.  
         [0029]    As can be seen in FIG. 1, front shell  22  and back shell  24  are designed to be symmetric along the axis dividing the left side of helmet  20  from the right side of helmet  20 . Therefore, in order to avoid repetition, only the right hand side of helmet  20  will be described for the remainder of this description. It should be understood that for all intensive purposes the left side of helmet  20  is identical to the right side of helmet  20 , and therefore anything described below can be found on both sides of helmet  20 .  
         [0030]    As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, front shell  22  is divided into top section  28  and wing sections  30 . Top section  28  covers the front and top of the wearer&#39;s head, and wing sections  30  extend along the sides of the wearer&#39;s head, overlapping the sides of back shell  24 . Wing sections  30  are divided from top section  28  by slots  32 . In a preferred embodiment, back shell  24  slides into slots  32  of front shell  22  so that wings  30  wrap around the exterior sides of back shell  24 , and the top part  28  of front shell  22  lies underneath the top of back shell  24 .  
         [0031]    Both front shell  22  and back shell  24  have smooth, interference-free sliding surfaces that are adapted to be in contact with each other when helmet  20  is secured in a selected position. The interference-free sliding surfaces of the helmet still experience minor unavoidable friction, but can be moved in relation to each other without substantial interference and in a smooth movement.  
         [0032]    The sliding surfaces for front shell  22  are located on the exterior surface of the top  28  of front shell  22  and on the interior surfaces of wings  30 , while for back shell  24 , the sliding surfaces are located on the interior of the top of back shell  24  and on the exterior of the sides of back shell  24 . In this way the sliding surfaces of front shell  22  are in contact with the sliding surfaces of back shell  24  when helmet  20  is secured in a chosen size.  
         [0033]    Front shell  22  and back shell  24  are slidably connected to each other by a slot and peg assembly. As can be seen in FIG. 5, back shell  24  has two long slots  34  and  36 , located at a position slightly above the wearer&#39;s ear. Front shell  22  has two holes  38  and  40  that align with slots  34  and  36  when front shell  22  and back shell  24  are interconnected. Pegs  42  and  44 , which are both made up of two parts  42   a ,  42   b  and  44   a  and  44   b , shown in FIGS. 5, 7 and  8 , extend through slots  34  and  36  and further extend through holes  38  and  40  for assembling front shell  22  and back shell  24 . Slots  34  and  36 , and holes  38  and  40  have a width that is slightly greater than that of the diameter of pegs  42  and  44  so that pegs  42  and  44  can slide easily within slots  34  and  36 . Pegs  42  and  44  are pieced together to assemble front shell  22  and back shell  24 , and are adjusted to leave a very small gap between front and back shell  22  and  24  such that the two may slide relative to one another with minimum friction. The slot and peg assembly allows front shell  22  and back shell  24  to slide backwards and forwards and guides their relative movement. In this embodiment, back shell  24  has long slots  34  and  36  for pegs  42  and  44  to slide within and front shell  22  has holes  38  and  40 . It should be expressly understood that in an alternate embodiment, both front shell  22  and back shell  24  could comprise long slots for pegs  42  and  44  to slide along. Or alternately, back shell  24  could have the two holes for pegs  42  and  44  to fit through and front shell  22  could have the long slots.  
         [0034]    Slots  34  and  36  determine the path of movement of front shell  22  and back shell  24  with respect to each other. As can be seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and  6 , in a preferred embodiment, slots  34  and  36  are oriented in a slightly downward sloping direction from the back to the front of helmet  20 . Alternatively, slots  34  and  36  may be positioned at any angle depending on how front shell  22  and back shell  24  are designed to move in relation to each other. As long as slots  34  and  36  guide front shell  22  and back shell  24  into positions that provide a number of comfortable helmet sizes, they can be in almost any orientation.  
         [0035]    Once a wearer has selected a desired helmet size, front shell  22  and back shell  24  must be securely locked in place so that they are unable to move in relation to each other. For this purpose, adjustable helmet  20  comprises a locking device  26 . As can be seen in FIG. 6, locking device  26  comprises two teeth  76 , and is pivotally attached to wing  30  of front shell  22 . Locking device  26  is movable between a release position and a locked position. In the locked position, as can be seen in FIG. 9 b , locking device  26  is closed so that teeth  76  engage both sets of anchoring holes  52  and  54  thereby blocking all movement between front shell  22  and back shell  24 . In the release position, as shown in FIG. 6, locking device  26  is opened so that teeth  76  do not engage anchoring holes  54  and  52 , and front shell  22  and back shell  24 , can move in relation to each other so that the helmet size can be adjusted.  
         [0036]    The construction and operation of locking device  26  will now be described in more detail. Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that locking device  26  is located at the tip of wing  30 . The assembly of locking device  26  is best illustrated by FIG. 5, which shows that locking device  26  fits inside indented groove  56  of front shell  22 . A hinge element  58  is located underneath the raised portion  64  of wing section  30  (also shown in FIG. 6) and has two attachment members  60  and  62  that extend through wing  30  into indented groove  56 . Attachment members  60  and  62  attach locking device  26  to helmet  20  and act as the pivot points on which locking device  26  rotates.  
         [0037]    As can be seen in FIGS. 1 through 6, in a preferred embodiment, locking device  26  is in the aesthetically pleasing shape of a rounded scalene triangle. Locking device  26  has three unequal sides. As seen in FIG. 5 the longest side  67  of the triangle is the side that is pivotally connected to hinges  62  and  64 . The shortest side  66  is the side that is shielded by the outer surface of wing  30  when locking device  26  is in the locked position. And finally, the third middle-length side  68  is the side that can be held by the wearer to move locking device  26  between its locked position and its release position.  
         [0038]    As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, locking device  26  comprises four main components, namely cam surfaces  78  and  80 , clevis members  72 , a handle  74  and anchoring teeth  76 . Closed cam surface  78  and open cam surface  80  can be seen in FIG. 9 b , which shows locking device  26  in its locked position. When in the locked position, closed cam surface  78  rests against the raised surface  64  of wing  30 . And as can be seen in FIG. 9, when locking device  26  is in its release position, open cam surface  80  rests against the raised surface  64  of wing  30 . In the release position cam surface  80  ensures that locking device  26  does not fall back into the locked position inadvertently.  
         [0039]    The four clevis members  72  that fit around hinge members  60  and  62  can be seen clearly in FIG. 6. Each clevis member  72  comprises a hole  82  that lines up with holes  84  in hinge members  60  and  62 . Once clevis members  72  are positioned around hinge members  60  and  62  so that holes  82  and  84  line up, a pin-like device  86  is slid through the holes, thereby attaching locking device  26  to helmet  20 . In a preferred embodiment, as can be seen in FIG. 10, pin-like member  86  is in the form of a coiled spring clip that is in its rest position when it is inserted inside holes  82  and  84 . This ensures that pin  86  will not fall out accidentally, since it would need to be manually compressed in order to be removed. In an alternate embodiment, shown in FIG. 11, the pin is a wire clip  87  in the shape of a dovetail.  
         [0040]    As can be seen in FIG. 10, teeth  76  of locking device  26  are located towards the short side  66  of the scalene triangle. In a preferred embodiment of the invention there are two teeth  76  that in the locked position engage with the series of anchoring holes  52  and  54 . Teeth  76  ensure that front shell  22  and back shell  24  are securely locked together when locking device  26  is in the locked position. It should be expressly understood that locking device  26  may include as many or as few teeth as is necessary to adequately secure front shell  22  and back shell  24  together.  
         [0041]    The final section of locking device  26  is handle  74  that can be seen clearly in FIGS. 7 through 9 b . handle  74  extends from side  67  to the surfaces of both the short side  66  and the middle-length side  68 . Handle  74  is held by the wearer at middle length side  68  in order to move locking device  26  between its locked position and its release position.  
         [0042]    As described above, both front shell  22  and back shell  24  each comprise anchoring holes  54  and  52  that are adapted to lie on top of each other. When helmet  20  is positioned in its largest size, the two forward-most anchoring holes  53 , which are shown in FIG. 5, will be in alignment with the two holes  54  of front shell  22 . Similarly, when helmet  20  is positioned in its smallest size, the rear-most holes  51  of back shell  24  will be in alignment with the two holes  54  of front shell  22 .  
         [0043]    In the locked position shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 b , teeth  76  engage holes  54  of front shell  22  and any two consecutive holes of the series of holes  52 . In the release position shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, teeth  76  of locking device  26  are not inserted within the two holes  54  of front shell  22 , nor any of the series of holes  52  of back shell  24 . Therefore, in the release position the wearer is able to easily slide front shell  22  and back shell  24  with respect to each other in order to establish a desired helmet size. It is clear from FIGS. 9 and 10 that when locking device  26  is in the release position, there is nothing to interfere with the sliding movement of the two shells. As can be seen in FIG. 12, which shows the locking device of the prior art, the prior art helmet has extruding ridges and teeth that rub against each other, causing undue friction and limiting the movement of the two shells when the wearer wishes to adjust the helmet size.  
         [0044]    It should also be noted that slots  34  and  36 , that receive pins  42  and  44  are in a wavy shape that creates enlarged areas and contracted areas. This shape facilitates the movement of pegs  42  and  44  within slots  34  and  36  so that when pegs  42  and  44  are guided into the enlarged portions of slots  34  and  36 , the anchoring holes  54  of front shell  22  are aligned with the anchoring holes  52  of back shell  24 .  
         [0045]    In operation, a wearer who puts on helmet  20  and realizes that it is too large or too small, does not need to remove helmet  20 . The wearer must simply reach up and grasp handle  74  and pull upwards so that locking device  26  moves into the release position. Once locking device  26  is in the release position, the wearer can expand or contract the size of helmet  20  by pushing or pulling shells  24  and  22  in relation to each other. As the two shells move, pegs  42  and  44  move from enlarged portion to enlarged portion within wavy slots  34  and  36 . Pegs  42  and  44  will naturally jump from one enlarged portion to another within wavy slots  34  and  36  which correspond to the positions at which teeth  76  naturally align with holes  52  and  54 . Therefore, the wearer will be able to align teeth  76  with holes  52  and  54  by feel, since when the wearer is not pulling or pushing, pegs  42  and  44  will naturally be in a position that aligns teeth  76  with holes  52  and  54 .  
         [0046]    The above description of preferred embodiments should not be interpreted in a limiting manner since other variations, modifications and refinements are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.