Patent ID: 8631512

Claim:
An eye protector mountable to a protective helmet for use by a firefighter or other emergency worker, the protective helmet having a brim, the eye protector comprising: a mount bracket mounted to the brim; an eye shield movable between a storage position extending along the brim and a usage position extending downward from the brim to shield the eye of a wearer; a hinge to connect the eye shield to the mount bracket for movement between the storage and usage positions; a spring engaged with the eye shield and the mount bracket to resist movement of the eye shield from the storage position and from the usage position; and at least one torsion member having a first end engaged with the eye shield at a first location and a second end engaged with the eye shield at a second location spaced from the first location, the first and second ends being twisted by a desired amount relative to each other with the at least one torsion member in an unrestrained state, the at least one torsion member being subjected to a torsion force by twisting of the at least one torsion member from the unrestrained state by the engagement at the first and second locations, the torsion force generating a reaction force on the eye shield at the second location that urges the eye shield toward the brim in the storage position.