Multi-body helmet construction with shield mounting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10757995-B2
Application number	US-201715832684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2017
Priority date	Mar 7, 2014
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A helmet can comprise an upper-body and a lower-body nested within the upper-body. An opening can be formed within a front portion of the helmet and disposed between an outer surface of the upper-body and an inner surface of the lower-body. A first magnet can be encased within the upper-body or the lower-body and adjacent the opening. A shield can comprise a shield mount and a second magnet coupled to the shield mount that is sized to fit within the opening and to be releasably coupled to the first magnet. The first magnet and the second magnet can be self-aligned in direct alignment with eyes of a user. A third magnet can be disposed above the first magnet and aligned with the second magnet on an outer surface of the helmet out of sight from eyes of the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A helmet comprising:
an upper-body;
a lower-body nested within the upper body and having an outer shell such that a lower portion of the outer shell is not covered by, and remains exposed with respect to, the upper-body;
an opening formed within a front portion of the helmet and disposed between the upper-body and the lower-body;
at least one first magnet encased and in-molded within the upper-body without extending into the opening, the at least one first magnet disposed between an outer surface of the upper-body and the opening or the at least one first magnet encased and in-molded within the lower-body without extending into the opening, the at least one first magnet disposed between the inner surface of the lower-body and the opening; and
a shield comprising a shield mount and at least one second magnet coupled to the shield mount that is sized to fit within the opening and to be releasably magnetically coupled to the at least one first magnet.

2. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first magnet comprises a surface that is substantially coplanar with a surface of the opening.

3. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein:
the upper-body comprises an upper energy-absorbing material comprising expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polyurethane (EPU), or expanded polyolefin (EPO); and
the lower-body comprises a lower energy-absorbing material comprises EPP, EPS, EPU, or EPO.

4. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first magnet and the at least one second magnet are self-aligned with respect to each other such that the shield magnetically couples within the opening in direct alignment with eyes of a user to prevent twisting of the shield while magnetically coupled to the at least one first magnet.

5. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one first magnet comprises:
a first helmet magnet encased within the upper-body or the lower-body, and
a second helmet magnet encased within the upper-body and horizontally offset from the first helmet magnet when the first helmet magnet is encased within the upper body, and the second helmet magnet encased within the lower-body and horizontally offset from the first helmet magnet when the first helmet magnet is encased within the upper body; and

the at least one second magnet comprises:
a first shield magnet coupled to the shield mount, and
a second shield magnet coupled to the shield mount and horizontally offset from the first shield magnet.

6. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one first magnet comprises a horizontally elongate shape; and
the at least one second magnet comprises a horizontally elongate shape corresponding to the at least one first magnet to prevent twisting of the shield.

7. A helmet comprising:
an upper-body;
a lower-body nested within the upper body and having an outer shell such that a lower portion of the outer shell is not covered by, and remains exposed with respect to, the upper-body;
an opening formed within a front portion of the helmet and disposed between the upper-body and the lower-body;
at least one first magnet in-molded within the upper-body, the first magnet disposed between an outer surface of the upper-body and the opening or the at least one first magnet in-molded within the lower-body, the at least one first magnet disposed between the inner surface of the lower-body and the opening; and
a shield comprising a shield mount and at least one second magnet coupled to the shield mount that is sized to fit within the opening and to be releasably magnetically coupled to the at least one first magnet.

8. The helmet of claim 7 , wherein the at least one first magnet comprises a surface that is substantially coplanar with a surface of the opening.

9. The helmet of claim 7 , wherein:
the upper-body comprises an upper energy-absorbing material comprising expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polyurethane (EPU), or expanded polyolefin (EPO); and
the lower-body comprises a lower energy-absorbing material comprises EPP, EPS, EPU, or EPO.

10. The helmet of claim 7 , wherein the at least one first magnet and the at least one second magnet are self-aligned with respect to each other such that the shield magnetically couples within the opening in direct alignment with eyes of a user to prevent twisting of the shield while magnetically coupled to the at least one first magnet.

11. The helmet of claim 7 , wherein:
the at least one first magnet comprises:
a first helmet magnet encased within the upper-body or the lower-body, and
a second helmet magnet encased within the upper-body and horizontally offset from the first helmet magnet when the first helmet magnet is encased within the upper body, and the second helmet magnet encased within the lower-body and horizontally offset from the first helmet magnet when the first helmet magnet is encased within the upper body; and

the at least one second magnet comprises:
a first shield magnet coupled to the shield mount, and
a second shield magnet coupled to the shield mount and horizontally offset from the first shield magnet.

12. The helmet of claim 7 , wherein:
the at least one first magnet comprises a horizontally elongate shape; and
the at least one second magnet comprises a horizontally elongate shape corresponding to the at least one first magnet to prevent twisting of the shield.

13. A helmet comprising:
an upper-body;
a lower-body nested within the upper body;
an opening formed between the upper-body and the lower-body;
at least one first magnet encased within the upper-body, the at least one first magnet disposed between an outer surface of the upper-body and the opening or the at least one first magnet encased within the lower-body, the at least one first magnet disposed between the inner surface of the lower-body and the opening; and
a shield comprising a shield mount and at least one second magnet coupled to the shield mount that is sized to fit within the opening and to be releasably magnetically coupled to the at least one first magnet.

14. The helmet of claim 13 , wherein the at least one first magnet comprises a surface that is substantially coplanar with a surface of the opening.

15. The helmet of claim 13 , wherein the at least one first magnet and the at least one second magnet are self-aligned with respect to each other such that the shield magnetically couples within the opening in direct alignment with eyes of a user to prevent twisting of the shield while magnetically coupled to the at least one first magnet.

16. The helmet of claim 13 , wherein:
the at least one first magnet comprises:
a first helmet magnet encased within the upper-body or the lower-body, and
a second helmet magnet encased within the upper-body and horizontally offset from the first helmet magnet when the first helmet magnet is encased within the upper body, and the second helmet magnet encased within the lower-body and horizontally offset from the first helmet magnet when the first helmet magnet is encased within the upper body; and

the at least one second magnet comprises:
a first shield magnet coupled to the shield mount, and
a second shield magnet coupled to the shield mount and horizontally offset from the first shield magnet.

17. The helmet of claim 13 , wherein:
the at least one first magnet comprises a horizontally elongate shape; and
the at least one second magnet comprises a horizontally elongate shape corresponding to the at least one first magnet to prevent twisting of the shield.

Assignees

• Bell Sports Inc

Inventors

• Jacobsen Gregg T

Classifications

• A42B3/185 Primary

  Securing goggles or spectacles on helmet shells · CPC title

• A42B3/063

  using layered structures · CPC title

• A42B3/32

  Collapsible helmets; Helmets made of separable parts {; Helmets with movable parts, e.g. adjustable} · CPC title

• A42B3/221 Primary

  Attaching visors to helmet shells, e.g. on motorcycle helmets · CPC title