Magnetic hose coupling for helmet forced air hose

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11339904-B2
Application number	US-201816166051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2018
Priority date	Oct 19, 2018
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

A magnetic hose coupling system for a helmet includes first and second coupling conduit segments magnetically coupled to each other. The first segment includes a hinged clamp at a first end to attach to a forced air intake barb on a motorsport helmet and an angled polygonal mating surface at a second end with magnetic attractors in the polygonal mating surface. The second segment includes an internally threaded first end to attach to a forced air hose and an angled polygonal mating surface at a second end with magnetic attractors in the polygonal mating surface. The polygonal mating surfaces of the first and second segments magnetically couple together and resist rotational and sheer movement of the first and second segments with respect to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetic hose coupling system for a helmet, comprising:
a first coupling conduit segment configured to magnetically couple to a second coupling conduit segment, the first coupling conduit segment having:
a first end comprising a hinged clamp having a body, and a clasp hingedly coupled to the body, the first end comprising an internal ridge sized and adapted to receive and engage with a groove on a forced air intake barb on a motorsport helmet when the first end is coupled to the motorsport helmet, the hinged clamp proximate the first end; and
a second end, distal to the first end, the second end comprising a leading edge extending between inner and outer walls of the first coupling conduit segment, the leading edge comprising a first hexagonal mating surface and an annular ring extending inward at the leading edge from the outer wall, the leading edge further comprising a magnetic attractor at a surface of the first hexagonal mating surface on each of six sides of the first hexagonal mating surface; and

the second coupling conduit segment having:
a first end internally threaded and adapted to connect to a forced air hose; and
a second end, distal to the first end, the second end comprising a leading edge extending between inner and outer walls of the second coupling conduit segment, the leading edge comprising an annular ring extending inward at the leading edge from the outer wall, the leading edge further comprising a second hexagonal mating surface comprising a magnetic attractor at a surface of the second hexagonal mating surface on each of six sides of the second hexagonal mating surface, the second hexagonal mating surface angled to mate with the first hexagonal mating surface of the first coupling conduit segment; and

a longitudinal axis centered in both the second end of the first coupling conduit segment and the second end of the second coupling conduit segment;
wherein the magnetic attractors of at least one of the first hexagonal mating surface and the second hexagonal mating surface comprise magnets flush with the respective hexagonal mating surface at which it exists, the first hexagonal mating surface and the second hexagonal mating surface forming an angle with the longitudinal axis that is less than 80 degrees.

2. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the angle is less than 70 degrees.

3. The magnetic hose coupling system for the helmet of claim 1 , wherein the angle is 60 degrees or less.

4. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic attractors are each planar facets of the respective hexagonal mating surface at which it exists.

5. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 1 , further comprising a motorsport helmet with a forced air intake barb having at least one groove on an outer surface of the intake barb, wherein the at least one groove is seated against the internal ridge of the first end of the first coupling conduit segment.

6. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 1 , further comprising a seal ring positioned on the leading edge of either the first coupling conduit segment or the second conduit coupling segment that is positioned between the first coupling conduit segment and the second coupling conduit segment when the first hexagonal mating surface is mated with the first hexagonal mating surface.

7. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of one of the first and second hexagonal mating surfaces is inside of the other of the first and second hexagonal mating surfaces when the first coupling conduit segment is magnetically coupled to the second coupling conduit segment.

8. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic attractors for both the first and second hexagonal mating surfaces are magnets.

9. A magnetic hose coupling system for a helmet, the magnetic hose coupling system comprising:
a first coupling conduit segment configured to magnetically couple to a second coupling conduit segment, the first coupling conduit segment having:
a first end adapted to receive a forced air intake barb on a motorsport helmet when the first end is coupled to the motorsport helmet; and
a second end, distal to the first end, the second end comprising a leading edge between inner and outer walls of the first coupling conduit segment, the leading edge comprising a first polygonal mating surface and a first plurality of magnetic attractors each on different planar facets of the first polygonal mating surface; and

the second coupling conduit segment having:
a first end adapted to connect to a forced air hose; and
a second end, distal to the first end, the second end comprising a leading edge between inner and outer walls of the second coupling conduit segment, the leading edge comprising a second polygonal mating surface a second plurality of magnetic attractors each on different planar facets of the second polygonal mating surface, the second plurality of magnetic attractors positioned to align with the first plurality of magnetic attractors first polygonal mating surface; and

a longitudinal axis centered in both the second end of the first coupling conduit segment and the second end of the second coupling conduit segment;
wherein at least a portion of the plurality of magnetic attractors of at least one of the first polygonal mating surface and the second polygonal mating surface comprise magnets, the first polygonal mating surface and the second polygonal mating surface forming an angle with the longitudinal axis that is 80 degrees or less.

10. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 9 , wherein the first end of the first coupling conduit segment further comprising a clamp hingedly coupled to the first coupling conduit segment, the clamp movable between an open position in which the first coupling conduit segment is open and sized to receive the air intake barb of the helmet, and a closed position in which the first coupling conduit segment is closed.

11. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 9 , the leading edge of each of the first and second coupling conduit segments further comprising an annular ring positioned to mate with each other when the first polygonal mating surface and the second polygonal mating surface are mated.

12. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 11 , further comprising an annular seal positioned between the leading edges of the first and second coupling conduit segments when the first polygonal mating surface and the second polygonal mating surface are mated.

13. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 9 , wherein the first end of the second coupling conduit segment is internally threaded.

14. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second polygonal mating surfaces comprise at least five planar facets.

15. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 14 , wherein each of the first and second polygonal mating surfaces comprises at least six planar facets.

16. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 9 , wherein the angle is 70 degrees or less.

17. The magnetic hose coupling system for the helmet of claim 9 , wherein the angle is 60 degrees or less.

18. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 9 , further comprising a motorsport helmet with a forced air intake barb having at least one groove on an outer surface of the intake barb, wherein the at least one groove is seated against an internal notch of the first end of the first coupling conduit segment.

19. The magnetic hose coupling system of claim 9 , wherein at le

Assignees

• Bell Sports Inc

Inventors

• Ghodrati Arvand
• Hilgenberg William A
• Bischofberger Allen A

Classifications

• F16L37/004 Primary

  using magnets · CPC title

• A42B3/328

  with means to facilitate removal, e.g. after an accident · CPC title

• F16L21/06

  with a divided sleeve or ring clamping around the pipe ends (flanged joints F16L23/00; couplings of the quick-acting type F16L37/00) · CPC title

• A42B3/286 Primary

  with forced flow, e.g. by a fan · CPC title

• F16L15/006

  with straight threads · CPC title