GB2538741A

GB2538741A - Improved helmet

Info

Publication number: GB2538741A
Application number: GB1509005.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lupton Michael
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-05-26
Filing date: 2015-05-26
Publication date: 2016-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 2035-05-26
Also published as: EP3302118A1; GB201509005D0; EP3302118B1; GB2538741B; WO2016189265A1

Abstract

A protective helmet, for example for use by police anti-riot forces, other enforcers of public order, or prison guards, has an outer shell 10 having a smooth protruding ridge 12 5 at its upper rear part to provide inner space for electronic equipment; a visor 20, a flexible seal 30 and a metal band 40, all held on oppositely-positioned hinges. The flexible seal 30 extends to the rear of the hinges and has a lower part 34 in contact with the outside of the visor and an upper part 33 lying at an obtuse angle to the lower part and in contact with the shell so that liquid run-off from the helmet is facilitated. The hinge may feature locking nuts 16, 17 to hold the seal in place and allow re-tightening. The helmet may feature stops 18. The hinges may have a screw-threaded centre to allow a support for a light or camera to be attached. The visor may be formed of polycarbonate and can be held at any position on the shell by friction.

Description

Improved helmet This invention relates to an improved helmet, for example a protective 5 helmet suitable for use by police forces and other services likely to encounter violent attacks.

It is known to provide a protective helmet having a substantial spherical impact resistant shell, a close-fitting visor, and a flame-retardant padded neck guard. The visor can be raised or lowered, and a rubber seal remains in close contact with the outside of the shell at every angle of opening to give protection against liquids thrown from above and behind. An example of such a helmet is the "Defender" helmet supplied by the company MLA.

A requirement of such helmets is a fire test in which petrol is poured over the helmet and set alight -the petrol must self-extinguish in 15 seconds. It is 15 therefore essential that the petrol does not pool or gather anywhere on a o helmet.

CO According to the invention, a protective helmet comprises;- (\J an impact-resistant outer shell having at its upper rear edge a smooth protruding ridge; an impact-resistant transparent visor attached to opposite sides of the shell by hinge means; and a flexible seal around an upper edge of the visor and in contact with the outer shell, the seal extending to the rear of said hinges; all arranged so that whatever the position of the visor on the shell there is a 25 smooth surface for liquid run-off.

Preferably the outer shell is provided with a pair of stops on opposite sides whereby the visor in the closed position is prevented from further downward movement.

Optionally each hinge is arranged with a central aperture into which a 30 support for a camera or a torch can be inserted.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 is a side view of a helmet; Figure 2 is a different view; and Figure 3 is an exploded view of the components shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In Figures 1 and 2, a helmet comprises an impact-resistant outer shell 10, a transparent, impact resistant visor 20, and a flame-retardant, padded neckguard 14.

The shell 10 is very generally spherical in shape but has at its rear upper part a smooth ridge-shaped protrusion 12 providing extra internal volume in which electronic equipment (not shown) can be accommodated.

The visor 20 is part-cylindrical in shape and has a free lower edge 21.

L.0 Around the upper edge of the visor there is a curved flexible seal 30 which extends above the visor 20 so as to contact the front surface of the shell 10. A o metal band 40 holds the seal 30 and the visor 20 in position. The flexible seal CO 30 and the metal band 40 both extend around the sides of the shell 10 to C\I oppositely-positioned hinges 15 where the seal and band are held in place by locking nuts 16,17.

The shell also carries oppositely-positioned stops 18 which prevent the visor 20 from further downward movement. The shell 10 also carries oppositely-positioned grills 19 for audio communication.

Referring now to Figure 3, the visor 20 has at the outer ends of its upper edge 22 a pair of apertures 23 and close to the upper edge a series of 25 perforations 24. The metal band 40 is stirrup-shaped, it also has a pair of apertures 41 at its outer ends, and on its inner surface has a series of studs 42. The flexible seal 30 is also stirrup-shaped and has a pair of apertures 31 at its outer ends and a series of perforations 35. The apertures 23, 31 and 41 all fit over the hinges 15 and the studs 42 in the metal band 40 pass through the 30 perforations 35 and 24 to hold the seal 30 and the visor 20 in position on the shell 10.

The seal 30 has upper and lower parts 33, 34. The lower part 34 lies parallel to the outer surface 25 of the visor 20 close to its upper edge 22 so as to form a seal. The upper part 33 forms an obtuse angle with the lower part 34 and its surface remote from the shell 10 is flat or slightly domed, the 5 arrangement is such that, whatever the position of the visor 20 on the shell, the inner side of the upper part 33 remains in contact with the shell 10. Inspection of figs 1 and 2 shows that any liquid flowing down the shell can easily and quickly run off without pooling. Referring again to Fig 3, the upper part 33 of the seal extends around the hinges 15, maintaining the same angle to the lower part 34 10 so that easy liquid run-off is maintained to the rear of the hinges 15.

The obtuse angle between the upper and lower parts 33, 34 of the seal 30 may be between 130 and 140 degrees, for examplel 35 degrees.

The outer surface of the hinge 15 is screw-threaded, as are the inner surfaces of the locking nuts 16 and 17. The locking nut 17 adjacent the shell 10 has on its perimeter a notch 17A, which allows the use of a key or similar implement to loosen or tighten the nut. The locking nut 18 has a knurled outer edge, allowing the nut to be loosened or tightened manually. In preparation for use of the helmet, the locking nut 17 is tightened until the visor 20 is held by friction whatever its position on the shell. It has been found that over time the nut 17 loosens, so locking nut 16 is used to hold it in position; nut 16 is finger-tightened while nut 17 is prevented from rotating by insertion of a key or the like into the notch 17A.

The shell 10 may be made of impact-resistant glass fibre; the visor 20 may be made of polycarbonate; the flexible seal 30 may be made of rubber and 25 the metal band 40 may be made of aluminium.

The centres of the hinge means 15 may be screw-threaded so that supports for a camera or a torch may be screwed into them, for example one on either side.

The angle of the shell 10 immediately above the seal 30 when the visor is 30 in the closed position is steeply angled to further improve liquid run-off.; this is in comparison with the "Defender" helmet which has a less steep angle.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A protective helmet comprises;-an impact-resistant outer shell having at its upper rear edge a smooth protruding ridge whereby internal volume of the helmet is locally increased; an impact-resistant transparent visor attached to opposite sides of the 10 shell by hinge means; and a flexible seal around an upper edge of the visor and in contact with the outer shell, the seal extending to the rear of said hinges; all arranged so that whatever the position of the visor on the shell there is a smooth surface for liquid run-off.

L.0 15
2. A protective helmet according to claim 1 in which the flexible seal has a lower part lying in contact with an outer surface of the visor and an upper part of said surface above the visor lying in contact with the shell.
3. A protective helmet according to claim 2 in which the upper and lower parts CO extend to the rear of the hinge means.

C 20
4. A protective helmet according to claim 2 or claim 3 in which the upper and lower parts of the seal lie relatively at an obtuse angle between 130 and 140 degrees.
5. A protective helmet according to any preceding claim in which the visor and the flexible seal are held in position on the hinges by pairs of locking nuts.
6. A protective helmet according to any preceding claim in which each hinge means is arranged with a screw-threaded centre into which a support for a camera or a torch can be inserted.
7. A protective helmet according to any preceding claim in which the outer shell is provided with a pair of stops on opposite sides whereby the visor in the closed 30 position is prevented from further downward movement.
8. A protective helmet substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.