TECHNICAL FIELD

The embodiments of the present invention generally relate to the field of helmets, and, more particularly, the embodiments of the present invention relate to an armour cover that can be removably attached to a ballistic helmet to enhance the protection provided by the ballistic helmet.

BACKGROUND

Ballistic helmets are widely used throughout the world and are available in a wide variety of composite helmets. These composite helmets essentially include two parts: one is a ballistic resistant shell, and another is a harness which is mechanically fastened to the shell. The ballistic helmet is an essential accessory for military and security personnel as it provides protection against blows to the head such as are liable to occur in war, terrorist activities, law enforcement, explosives disposal, climbing and similar situations or ballistic threats.

During a combat situation, the ballistic helmet takes quite the battering which usually results into deformation of the helmet. Moreover, the ballistic helmets known in the art are incapable of providing protection against lethal rifle threats and other such fire-arms. Replacing or replenishing these helmets every time they get damaged is a time consuming as well as an expensive option. Furthermore, the ballistic helmets are quite bulky in nature, and that makes it difficult for a person to continuously wear it for a long time. On the other hand, the lighter ballistic helmets fail to provide adequate protection. Therefore, a helmet cover that can enhance the protection as well as allow the wearer to adjust the weight on the head as per the situation is highly required. In view of the above, there remains a need for an armoured helmet cover that can overcome the above limitations.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an armour cover for a ballistic helmet;

Another object of the present invention is to provide an armour cover for enhancing the Protection provided by the ballistic helmet;

Another object of the present invention is to provide an armour cover that provides protection against lethal rifle ammunitions and other ballistic and non- ballistic impacts;

Another object of the present invention is to provide an armour cover that is easily attachable to a ballistic helmet and easily detachable from the ballistic helmet;

Another object of the present invention is to provide an armour cover that accommodates a plurality of armour plates;

Another object of the present invention is to provide an armour cover that allows a user to adjust the weight of the armour cover; and

Another object of the present invention is to provide an armour cover that has provision for mounting a front mount and side rails.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an armour cover for a helmet is disclosed. The armour cover includes a cover adapted to be removably attached on a shell of the helmet. The armour cover further includes at least one armour plate removably arranged in the cover. The cover includes at least one pocket for receiving the at least one armour plate.

In an embodiment, the armour cover is adapted to be attached on a shell of a ballistic helmet. The armour cover is attachable on a ballistic helmet for enhancing the protection provided by the ballistic helmet.

In an embodiment, the cover is made of at least one of a fabric, an elastomer and a polymer. Such material is selected to provide resistance to low level impacts as well as to keep the armour cover lightweight.

In an embodiment, the cover is adapted to cover a substantial portion of the shell of the helmet. Accordingly, the armour cover provides full protection to the head of the wearer.

In an embodiment, the cover includes one or more mounts for attaching a front mount and side rails. The front rail and side rail are used for attaching various kinds of accessories.

In an embodiment, the at least one armour plate is made of at least one of Ultra- high-molecular-weight polyethylene, ceramics, composites and polymers. These materials are lightweight as well as provide higher level of protection against ballistic and non-ballistic impacts.

In an embodiment, each of the armour plates can be independently arranged on the cover or removed from the cover. Such an arrangement enables a wearer in adjusting the weight of the armour cover. Moreover, such an arrangement enables the wearer in adjusting the level of protection at various areas of the head. It is to be understood that the following detailed description is exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may have been referred by embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

These and other features, benefits, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following figures, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an armour cover on a helmet, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a front view of the armour cover on the helmet, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the armour cover, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS While the present invention is described herein by way of example using embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, and are not intended to represent the scale of the various components. It should be understood that the detailed description thereto is not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim. As used throughout this description, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e. meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense, (i.e. meaning must). Further, the words "a" or "an" mean "at least one” and the word “plurality” means “one or more” unless otherwise mentioned. Furthermore, the terminology and phraseology used herein is solely used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as limiting in scope. Language such as "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," or "involving," and variations thereof, is intended to be broad and encompass the subject matter listed thereafter, equivalents, and additional subject matter not recited, and is not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps. Likewise, the term "comprising" is considered synonymous with the terms "including" or "containing" for applicable legal purposes. Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles and the like is included in the specification solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention.

In this disclosure, whenever a composition or an element or a group of elements is preceded with the transitional phrase “comprising”, it is understood that we also contemplate the same composition, element or group of elements with transitional phrases “consisting of’, “consisting”, “selected from the group of consisting of, “including”, or “is” preceding the recitation of the composition, element or group of elements and vice versa. The present invention is described hereinafter by various embodiments. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, the embodiment is provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the following detailed description, a number of materials are identified as suitable for various facets of the implementations. These materials are to be treated as exemplary, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Referring now to fig. 1 and fig. 2, a perspective view and a front view of an armour cover 100 on a helmet 102 is illustrated, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The armour cover 100 may be removably attachable to a helmet 102 to enhance the protection offered by the helmet 102. In an embodiment, the helmet 102 may be a ballistic helmet. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that a ballistic helmet is used in combat scenarios and therefore, need higher level of protection. The armour cover 100 may be attached on the ballistic helmet to enhance the safety provided by the ballistic helmet. In other words, the armour cover 100 may be attached to the ballistic helmet to increase protection against lethal rifle ammunitions, handgun ammunitions, and other ballistic and non-ballistic impacts.

The armour cover 100 includes a cover 104 and at least one armour plate (not visible in drawings) removably arranged in the cover 104. The cover 104 is removably attachable on a shell 106 of the helmet 102. The cover 104 may cover a substantial portion of the shell 106 of the helmet 102. In an embodiment, embodiment, the cover 104 may entirely cover the shell 106 of the helmet 102. In another embodiment, the cover 104 may cover certain portion of the shell 106 of the helmet 102. For example, as shown in fig. 1 and fig. 2, the cover 104 is covering a front, a rear and the sides of the helmet 102 as these portions are more susceptible to various ballistic and non-ballistic impacts. Further, the cover 104 may also extend over the ears to provide protection. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the cover 104 may be manufactured in different shapes and sizes depending on the shape and size of the helmet 102 on which it is to be attached. In certain embodiments, the cover 104 may be manufactured in a free size and may include a provision to adjust itself to the size of the helmet 102. Moreover, the cover 104 may be manufactured in different colours and graphics to suit different types of helmets 102. In certain embodiments, the cover 104 may have a camouflage pattern that can be used by defence personnel.

In an embodiment, the cover 104 may include one or more mounts for attaching a front mount and side rails. The front mount and the side rails may enable a wearer to attach necessary accessories such as, but not limited to, goggles, night vision goggles, binoculars, monocular, video cameras, still cameras, recorders, visors, face shields, communication devices etc. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that such accessories are required during combat. Therefore, in order to avoid holding such accessories in the arms, the cover 104 is provided with the front mount and the side rails where these accessories may be mounted. In an embodiment, the one or more mount may be stitched to the front and sides of the cover 104. In another embodiment, the one or more mount may be fastened to the cover 104 via any fastener known in the art. In certain embodiments, the cover 104 may have openings at a front and side for accessing the mounts already provided on the shell 106. In such cases the cover 104 is designed in such a manner that the front and the sides are kept open for the mounts on the shell 106.

The cover 104 may be removably attached to the shell of the helmet by fastening means. It should be noted that the fastening means may include any detachably fastening means known in the art. In an embodiment, the fastening means may be provided on an internal surface of the cover 104. For example, the internal surface of the cover 104 and the outer surface of the shell 106 may include a hook and loop fastener. In another embodiment, the fastening means may be provided on a rim of the cover 104. For example, the cover 104 may include one or more snap locks on the rim that engages the rim of the helmet. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the fastening means will be such that the cover 104 can be easily attached and detached from the helmet 102. This will enable the wearer to detach the armour cover 100 from the helmet 102 as and when required. Some of the examples of the fastening means may include, but may not be limited to, hook and loop fasteners, straps, snaps, textiles, webbing, thread, fabric, adhesive etc.

According to an embodiment, the cover 104 may be made of fabric. Specifically, the cover 104 may be made of a multi-layered penetration resistant fabric. In such a case, the cover 104 may take the shape of the shell 106 when arranged on the helmet 102. In another embodiment, the cover 104 may be made of elastomer or polymer. It should be noted that the material selected for the cover 104 may be lightweight so as to reduce the overall weight of the armour cover 102. Moreover, the cover 104 may also provide Level III A protection against impacts.

Referring to fig. 3, a perspective view of the armour cover 100 is illustrated, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The cover 102 includes at least one pocket for receiving the armour plate. Specifically, the cover 102 may include a plurality of pockets on the outer surface for receiving a plurality of the armour plates. In an embodiment, the pockets may be arranged so as to cover the entire shell of the helmet. In another embodiment, the pockets may be provided only on the portion that needs to be protected from ballistic impacts. In an embodiment, the pocket may include an additional layer having an opening for inserting the armour plate. In an embodiment, each of the pockets may be opened and closed via a chain such that the user may open the pocket via the chain, insert the armour plate and close the pocket. Similarly, for removing the armour plate, the user may open the pocket, remove the armour plate and close the pocket via the chain. It should be noted that the pocket may be opened and closed via any means known in the art and may not be limited to chains.

The armour plates may be accommodated in the cover 102 via the pocket provided in the cover. According to an embodiment, the cover 102 may include a plurality of pockets wherein each pocket may accommodate an armour plate. For the purpose of explanation, when the armour plates are accommodated in all the pockets, the armour plates may entirely cover the helmet shell. It should be noted that the shape of the armour plates may be such that they align with the shape of the shell 106. It should be further noted that the shape of each of the armour plates may vary, and will be similar to the area of the helmet shell where it is arranged. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the user may have the option whether they want to arrange all the armour plates, or arrange the armour plates at selective areas of the helmet. For example, in high risk situations, a wearer may cover the entire shell 106 by accommodating all the armour plates, whereas in low risk situations, the wearer may partially cover the shell by accommodating the armour plates at specific areas that are susceptible to attacks. The above arrangement may enable a user to adjust the overall weight of the armour cover 102 thereby adjusting the weight on the head according to the situation. According to an embodiment, the armour plates may be made of material such as, but not limited to, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), various types of ceramics, composites, polymers.

It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that helmets play a very crucial role during combat situations. In a situation like war, the helmets are supposed to provide adequate protection against rifle and handgun bullets. The armour cover 100 may be implemented to the existing helmets in order to provide adequate protection against such impacts. For example, the armour cover 100 may withstand an impact of lethal rifle ammunitions such as 7.62 x 39, 7.62 x 51, 7.62x 25, 5.56 x 45, 7.62 x 54 calibers. Further, the armour cover 100 may be a removable cover, which allows the user to get rid of unnecessary weight in less threatening situations. The user may also have an option to adjust the weight of the armour cover according to the situation.

Various modifications to these embodiments are apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. The principles associated with the various embodiments described herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the description is not intended to be limited to the embodiments but is to be providing broadest scope of consistent with the principles and the novel and inventive features disclosed or suggested herein. Accordingly, the invention is anticipated to hold on to all other such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the present invention and appended claims.