Ratchet mechanism for head protection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12295444-B2
Application number	US-202318331626-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2023
Priority date	Jan 20, 2020
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A ratchet mechanism for a hard hat and method of assembling the same are provided. The ratchet mechanism includes a knob with knob protrusions. The ratchet mechanism also includes a ratchet gear. The ratchet gear includes teeth engagement mechanisms. Each teeth engagement mechanism includes a hooking mechanism and a tooth protrusion. Each hooking mechanism is configured to engage with the knob protrusions. The ratchet mechanism also includes a band housing configured to allow a band to ratchetably move within the housing. The band housing also includes a knob engagement protrusion and a ratchet gear aperture configured with one or more teeth defining a ramped surface. The ratchet gear is disposed on the knob engagement protrusion and includes one or more ratchet gear teeth configured to engage with a set of band teeth on the band, such that the rotation of the ratchet gear tightens or loosens the band during operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ratchet mechanism for a hard hat, the ratchet mechanism comprising:
a knob with a plurality of knob protrusions, wherein the plurality of knob protrusions comprises four knob protrusions that are positioned 90 degrees from one another;
a ratchet gear; and
a band housing configured to allow a band to ratchetably move within the band housing, the band housing comprising:
a knob engagement protrusion; and
a ratchet gear aperture configured with one or more teeth surrounding the ratchet gear aperture, the teeth defining a ramped surface,

wherein the ratchet gear is disposed on the knob engagement protrusion and the ratchet gear further comprises one or more ratchet gear teeth configured to engage with a set of band teeth on the band, such that a rotation of the ratchet gear tightens or loosens the band during operation.

2. The ratchet mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the ratchet gear comprises a plurality of teeth engagement mechanisms, each teeth engagement mechanism comprising a hooking mechanism and a tooth protrusion, wherein each hooking mechanism is configured to engage with one of the plurality of knob protrusions.

3. The ratchet mechanism of claim 2 , wherein each tooth protrusion is configured to engage with one of the one or more teeth of the band housing in an instance in which the ratchet gear is rotated in a specific direction, such that the rotation of the ratchet gear is restricted in an instance in which at least one tooth protrusion is engaged.

4. The ratchet mechanism of claim 3 , wherein each of the teeth engagement mechanism defines a knob protrusion travel area defined between the hooking mechanism and a stopping protrusion, wherein each of the knob protrusions are configured to move within a respective knob protrusion travel area during operation of the ratchet mechanism.

5. The ratchet mechanism of claim 4 , wherein each knob protrusion defines a first position within the knob protrusion travel area and a second position within the knob protrusion travel area, wherein at the first position the knob protrusion engages with the stopping protrusion, such that the ratchet gear is rotated in a first direction, and
wherein at the second position the knob protrusion engages with the hooking mechanism, such that the ratchet gear is rotated in a second direction and one or more tooth protrusions are disengaged from the one or more teeth surrounding the ratchet gear aperture.

6. The ratchet mechanism of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of knob protrusions are equally spaced from one another.

7. The ratchet mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the band housing is configured to receive two ends of the band, such that the ratchet mechanism is configured to retract one or more ends of the band.

8. The ratchet mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the one or more teeth are configured around the ratchet gear aperture, such that a lower portion of the ramped surface of one tooth abuts a higher portion of the ramped surface of another tooth.

9. The ratchet mechanism of claim 1 , wherein a tooth protrusion of the ratchet gear is configured to disengage with the teeth of the band housing in an instance a sufficient rotational force is provided.

10. The ratchet mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the rotation of the ratchet gear teeth loosen or tighten the band based on the rotational direction of the ratchet gear, and wherein the rotation of the ratchet gear teeth in at least one direction is restricted in an instance in which at least one tooth protrusion is engaged with the one or more teeth of the band housing.

11. The ratchet mechanism of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of knob protrusions extend inward.

12. The ratchet mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the ratchet gear comprises a plurality of teeth engagement mechanisms, wherein a hooking mechanism and a tooth protrusion of each of the plurality of teeth engagement mechanisms extend away from each other.

13. The ratchet mechanism of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of teeth engagement mechanisms comprises a stopping protrusion that extends away from a body of the teeth engagement mechanism.

14. The ratchet mechanism of claim 13 , wherein the stopping protrusion, the hooking mechanism, and the tooth protrusion of each of the plurality of teeth engagement mechanisms are configured to rotate in unison.

15. The ratchet mechanism of claim 14 , wherein each tooth protrusion is configured to engage with one of the one or more teeth of the band housing in an instance in which the ratchet gear is rotated in a specific direction, such that the rotation of the ratchet gear is restricted in an instance in which at least one tooth protrusion is engaged.

16. The ratchet mechanism of claim 15 , wherein each of the teeth engagement mechanism defines a knob protrusion travel area defined between the hooking mechanism and the stopping protrusion, wherein each of the knob protrusions are configured to move within a respective knob protrusion travel area during operation of the ratchet mechanism.

17. The ratchet mechanism of claim 16 , wherein each knob protrusion defines a first position within the knob protrusion travel area and a second position within the knob protrusion travel area, wherein at the first position the knob protrusion engages with the stopping protrusion, such that the ratchet gear is rotated in a first direction, and
wherein at the second position the knob protrusion engages with the hooking mechanism, such that the ratchet gear is rotated in a second direction and one or more tooth protrusions are disengaged from the one or more teeth surrounding the ratchet gear aperture.

18. A method of assembling a ratchet mechanism for a hard hat, the method comprising:
allowing a band to ratchetably move within a band housing;
depositing a ratchet gear within a ratchet gear aperture, the ratchet gear comprising a plurality of teeth engagement mechanisms, each teeth engagement mechanism having a hooking mechanism and a tooth protrusion;
engaging the hooking mechanism with one of a plurality of knob protrusions of a knob, wherein the plurality of knob protrusions comprises four knob protrusions positioned 90 degrees from one another; and
coupling the knob to the ratchet mechanism.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the band housing comprises a knob engagement protrusion and the ratchet gear aperture configured with one or more teeth surrounding the ratchet gear aperture, the teeth defining a ramped surface.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein each tooth protrusion engages with one of the one or more teeth of the band housing when the ratchet gear is rotated is a specific direction.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the ratchet gear is disposed on the knob engagement protrusion.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein each knob protrusion moves within a knob protrusion travel area during the operation of the ratchet mechanism.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein the band housing receives two ends of the band.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the ratchet mechanism retracts one or more ends of the band.

Assignees

• Honeywell Safety Products Usa Inc

Inventors

• Gangadhar Durgam
• Arora Bharat Bhushan
• Patil Swapnil Gopal

Classifications

• A42B3/14

  Suspension devices · CPC title

• A42B3/0406

  Accessories for helmets · CPC title

• A42B3/142

  with restraining or stabilizing means, e.g. nape straps (A42B3/085 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A42B3/145 Primary

  Size adjustment devices · CPC title

• F16D41/18

  with non-hinged detent (F16D41/02, F16D41/24 take precedence) · CPC title