Helmet vent bezel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11672295-B2
Application number	US-202017035449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2020
Priority date	Jun 29, 2017
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

A helmet may include a helmet body, a fit system, a bezel, and a hardware retainer. The helmet body may have an outer shell and an energy management layer. The bezel may be separate from the outer shell and coupled to the helmet body at the vent opening of the helmet, encircle the vent opening, and have a hardware opening extending through the bezel and an anchor opening in the bezel adjacent the hardware opening. The hardware retainer may be positioned behind and coupled to the bezel. The hardware retainer may include a hardware receiving aperture aligned with the hardware opening and a hardware retainer cover coupled to a rear side of the hardware retainer. The hardware retainer may further include an anchor recess aligned with the anchor opening. The bezel may be in-molded into the energy management layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A helmet comprising:
a helmet body comprising an outer shell and an energy management layer inside the outer shell, the helmet body comprising a vent opening that extends through the outer shell and the energy management layer;
a helmet strap coupled to the helmet body;
a bezel separate from the outer shell and in-molded into the energy management layer, the bezel encircling the vent opening and having a hardware opening separate and offset from the vent opening and extending through the bezel and an anchor opening separate and offset from the vent opening and adjacent to the hardware opening; and
a hardware retainer embedded in the energy management layer, and positioned behind and coupled to the bezel offset from the vent opening, the hardware retainer comprising a hardware receiving aperture aligned with the hardware opening, an internally threaded nut aligned with the hardware receiving aperture and the hardware opening, and a hardware retainer cover hingedly attached to the hardware retainer and configured to cover a rear side of the hardware receiving aperture, the hardware retainer further comprising an anchor recess aligned with the anchor opening.

2. The helmet of claim 1 , further comprising an accessory connector coupled to the nut for connecting an accessory to the helmet.

3. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the accessory connector defines external threads for engaging the internal threads of the nut.

4. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the hardware retainer is coupled to the bezel by being snapped into the bezel.

5. The helmet of claim 4 , wherein the bezel comprises at least one prong extending rearward of a rear surface of the bezel adjacent the hardware opening, the hardware retainer comprises at least one prong receiver, and the hardware retainer is snapped to the bezel by the at least one prong being received into the at least one prong receiver.

6. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the bezel further comprises a footing extending behind a rear surface of the bezel.

7. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the bezel and the hardware retainer is configured to attach one or more of a strap anchor, a fit system, a comfort liner, and a multi-directional impact protection system to the helmet body.

8. A helmet comprising: a helmet body comprising an outer shell and an energy management layer inside the outer shell, the helmet body comprising a vent opening that extends through the outer shell and the energy management layer;
a helmet strap coupled to the helmet body;
a bezel separate from the outer shell and in-molded into the energy management layer, the bezel encircling the vent opening and having a hardware opening separate and offset from the vent opening and extending through the bezel and an anchor opening separate and offset from the vent opening and adjacent to the hardware opening;
a hardware retainer embedded in the energy management layer, and positioned behind and coupled to the bezel offset from the vent opening, the hardware retainer comprising a hardware receiving aperture aligned with the hardware opening, an internally threaded nut aligned with the hardware receiving aperture and the hardware opening and configured to receive and engage an accessory connector therein, the hardware retainer further comprising an anchor recess aligned with the anchor opening;
an accessory comprising a post configured to be received in the anchor opening and a slot through the accessory adjacent to the post; and
an accessory connector extending through the slot and coupling the accessory to the helmet.

9. The helmet of claim 8 , wherein the accessory connector defines external threads for engaging the internal threads of the nut.

10. The helmet of claim 8 , wherein the hardware retainer is coupled to the bezel by being snapped into the bezel.

11. The helmet of claim 10 , wherein the bezel comprises at least one prong extending rearward of a rear surface of the bezel adjacent the hardware opening, the hardware retainer comprises at least one prong receiver, and the hardware retainer is snapped to the bezel by the at least one prong being received into the at least one prong receiver.

12. The helmet of claim 8 , wherein the bezel further comprises a footing extending behind a rear surface of the bezel.

13. The helmet of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the bezel and the hardware retainer is configured to attach one or more of a strap anchor, a fit system, a comfort liner, and a multi-directional impact protection system to the helmet body.

Assignees

• Bell Sports Inc

Inventors

• Shaffer Samuel J
• Busse Mark A
• Ramirez Rafael T

Classifications

• A42B3/28 Primary

  Ventilating arrangements (A42B3/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A42B3/044

  Lighting devices, e.g. helmets with lamps · CPC title

• A42B3/283

  Air inlets or outlets, with or without closure shutters · CPC title

• A42B3/08

  Chin straps or similar retention devices · CPC title

• A42B3/22

  Visors · CPC title