TECHNICAL FIELD

THIS INVENTION relates to a safety helmet and particularly, although not exclusively, to a safety helmet which has particular utility in water sports.

BACKGROUND ART

Most recreational activities and sports, in particular water sports, are performed outdoors where the participants are exposed to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Participants in recreational activities and sports such as cycling, hang gliding, skate board riding and especially water sports activities such as sailboarding, surfing, yachting, wave skiing, water skiing, canoeing, jet skiing, snow skiing and the like, are all exposed to direct sunlight as well as reflective sunlight from their surrounding environment. It has previously been known to use head gear provided with small peak visors in these activities and sports in order to provide eye and facial protection from the sun. However, such devices only protect a relatively small portion of the face and stop only minimal glare to the eyes. In the case of water sports, a participant subjected to the reflective glare of sunlight from the water would find little protection by the provision of the peak visor since the direction of the reflective sunlight is from below the height of the peak visor. Additionally, the provision of peak visors on head gear can also create difficulties for wearers of such head gear in water sports, whereby the peak visor may interfere with vision and provide a surface which may impede the flow of water or air past the face of the user in activities where such an impediment is undesirable.

For example, a surfer pushing through a wave 01 falling into the water could have his or her head gear removed by the force of the water against the peak visor or at least be subjected to an uncomfortable pulling force .agains the neck of the wearer if such head gear included a chin strap.

As a result of the increasing competitiveness of sports such as sailboarding, surfing and the like, there is a greater need for facial protection from impact with not only the water but also with the apparatus used in the sport. For example, sailboarders now are performing radical forward loops and the like and in many cases are receiving facial injuries from collisions with the sailboard. Similarly, surfers have been encountering similar problems for many years with the recoil of the surfboard as a result of the retention of the surfboard by a leg rope attached to the legs of the surfer.

In addition, people involved in water sports in cold conditions, for example, sailboard riders, surfboard rid¬ ers and the like, also need ear protection from the cold wind and water. Overexposure of the ear to cold wind and water causes exostosis, i.e. bone growth in the ear canal. Headgear such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent Specifica¬ tion No. 4612672 which includes a rubber peak hood and covers for the ears , have a tendency to trap water in the ears but do not provide adequate draining of water therefrom. In order to prevent or mitigate the effects of exσstosis, it is necessary to quickly release water from the ear which has been trapped therein, continuously. In the device disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4612672, the release of water from the ear is not performed efficiently since the drainage hole must be disposed lower than the level of trapped water within the ear canal before

drainage of this trapped water would occur. Thus, it would be necessary to tilt the head of the wearer from one side to the other regularly to alter the disposition of the drain relative to the ear canal to achieve adequate drainage .

Another deficiency with previously designed helmets such as those disclosed in Australian Patent Specification No. 418643, U.S. Patent Specification Nos . 3400407 and 3721994 and European Patent Specification No. EP 15-796 is that inadequate ventilation is provided to the head of the wearer and thus the prolonged wearing of such helmets causes much discomfort to the wearer where the wearer is engaged in an activity causing perspiration or heating of the head area.

Finally, a deficiency with previous designs of helmets as disclosed in the previously cited patent specifications is the inability of those helmets provided with visors to easily clean the visor from a build up in water vapour or droplets on the visor caused by either the breathing of the wearer or from the environment. Helmet designs disclosed in Australian Patent Specification No. 516898 and U.S. Patent Specification No. 3239843 provide complex means for cleaning the visor by means of a heated airflow across the visor face, which is not practical for use in recreational or sporting activities. Additionally, such means proves ineffective in removing solid particles which have become inadvertently deposited on the surface of the visor .

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple but effective design of helmet which

provides protection from impact and also from the effects of ultraviolet radiation to persons engaged in recreational or sporting activities requiring such protec¬ tion.

It is a preferred object of the invention to provide a helmet which has particular, although not exclusive util¬ ity for persons engaged in water sports or recreational activities where there is a need to maintain a clear field of vision.

It is another preferred object to provide protection from the long term effects of exposure to ultraviolet radiation, salt water and the like, so as to obviate or at least mitigate the occurrences of facial skin cancer, pterygums and exostosis with participants in water sports or the like.

It is also a preferred object to obviate or at least mitigate the disadvantages and inefficiencies of previous designs of helmets described above.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a safety helmet comprising a substantially rigid shell for fitting upon a wearer's head and having an open front to expose the face of the wearer;

a substantially lune-shaped visor pivotally mounted to said shell and moveable between a closed position and an open position, wherein in said closed position said visor substantially closes said open front and is generally contiguous with said shell to substantially cover the face of said wearer, and in said open position said visor is disposed within said shell and conforms to the contour of said shell to expose the face of said wearer without

interfering with the fitting of said shell upon said wearer's head; and

wiper means disposed at the interface between said shell and said visor such that during movement of said visor between said open position and said closed position said wiper means wipes across the face of said visor.

Preferably, the helmet includes an inner frame mounted within said shell to define a lime shaped cavity across said helmet to accommodate said visor when in the open position and permit movement of said visor along said cavity to the closed position.

Preferably, the helmet includes head retention means comprising a resilient hood adjustably mounted within said shell to retain said wearer's head.

Preferably, the hood comprises discrete segments including a top cover for covering the parietal portion of the wearer's cranium, a back support for covering the occiputal portion of the wearer's cranium, pair of side covers for covering the ears and the temporal portion of the wearer's cranium, a front band for covering the frontal portion of the wearer's cranium, and a bottom strap for engaging the mandible of the wearer, whereby said segments are detachably and adjustably connected relative to each other so as to retain the wearer's head.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood in the light of the following description of one specific embodiment of the invention. The description is made with reference to the following drawings wherein:-

Figure 1 is a side view of the helmet positioned upon the head of a wearer with the visor in the open position;

Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 with, the visor in the closed position;

Figure 3 is a front view of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the helmet showing in exploded arrangement the provision of communication means and a chin guard;

Figures 5, 6 and 7 show respectively the perspective views of the shell, inner frame and head retention means in an exploded arrangement relative to each other;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the shell of the helmet with the visor in the closed position;

Figure 9 is a front sectional view taken along section A-A of Figure 8 showing the position of the inner frame within the shell;

Figure 10 is a front view of Figure 8;

Figure 11 is a sectional side elevation taken along sec¬ tion B-B of Figure 10 showing the position of the inner frame within the shell;

Figure 12 is a front view of the helmet comprising the shell, inner frame and head retention means, with the visor in the open position;

Figure 13 is a sectional side elevation taken along sec¬ tion C-C of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation taken along section C-C of Figure 12 with the top cover, back support and bottom strap of the head retention means removed; and

Figure 15 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along sec¬ tion D-D of Figure 13.

B-EST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The embodiment is directed towards a helmet which is particularly suited to use in water sports and as shown in the drawings, generally comprises an outer shell 1, a vi¬ sor 2, an inner frame 3 and a head retention means 31.

The shell 1 is preferably moulded from poly-carbonate plastic to provide sufficient rigidity to protect the head of a wearer from an impact with an object. The shell is provided with an open front to expose the face of a wearer and a rear arch over the neck area of the wearer to allow for rearward movement of the head of the wearer relative to the shoulders. The shell is otherwise shaped to cover the cranium and ears of the wearer. The outer surface of the shell 1 is contoured to the shape of the head of the wearer to provide aerodynamic efficiency and has a lune shaped ridge 'formation 33 extending from one side of the helmet to the other. A series of apertures 26 are disposed at regularly spaced intervals along the front face of the ridge to provide an entry for fluid flow along the surface of the helmet into the confines of the shell for ventilation purposes. A plurality of upper apertures 24 are provided along the upper surface of the shell away

from the ridge 33 to direct fluid flow into the shell for ventilation. In addition, a plurality of lateral apertures 27 are provided at each side of the shell for the same effect and also to facilitate hearing of the wearer. The shell is also provided with a plurality of latitudinally extending reinforcing ribs 25 along the upper surface adjacent to the upper apertures 24 for strengthening purposes.

The visor 2 is preferably formed of tinted poly-carbonate plastic for resisting ultraviolet radiation and is generally lune shaped. The visor is pivotally mounted to the shell by means of a pin 28 extending through an aperture 20 and is movable between an open position shown at Figure 1 of the drawings and a closed position as shown at Figure 2. The visor is shaped to be generally contiguous with the shape of the shell so as to substantially cover the face of the wearer. The surface of the visor is curved to conform with the curvature of the shell so that the visor may be retracted or moved into the closed position within the confines of the shell without interfering with the fitting of the shell upon the wearer's head.

The inner frame 3 is preferably formed of highly compressed polystyrene material, but may also be formed of a polycarbonate plastic. The inner frame 3 is itself lune shaped to correspond with the inner contour of the shell. The frame is of an open lattice type structure having a front longitudinal portion 35, a rear longitudinal portion 37 and a plurality of latitudinally extending ribs 39 which inter-connect the front and rear longitudinal portions. The ribs 39 extend sufficiently to provide support for the parietal portion of the wearer's cranium and prescribe an outer surface for the

frame which is marginally spaced from the inner surface of the shell 1 to define a lune shaped cavity 41 across the helmet. The cavity 41 accommodates the visor 2 when disposed in the open position and allows movement of the visor, latitudinally along the cavity to the closed position.

The frame 3 is pinned to the outer shell 1 by means of the pins 28 accommodated within apertures 20 of the frame and shell disposed at opposite ends of the frame, fixed pins 12 accommodated within apertures 13 and 14 of the frame and shell respectively, disposed generally rearwardly of the pins 28, and a rear pin 23 disposed centrally at the top of the frame and shell, rearwardly of the cavity 41.

The frame is provided with a pair of guides at oppositely spaced apart locations along the front longitudinal portion 35. The guides project inwardly from the inner surface of the frame to each define an eye for locating the head retention means 31 within the helmet in a manner to be described later.

A wiper means is disposed at the interface between the shell 1 and the visor 2 and comprises two halves 4 and 5. One half 5 is fixedly mounted to the shell proximate the periphery of the open front and has inwardly projecting blades to engage the external face of the visor. The other half 4 is fixedly mounted to the outer surface of the inner frame directly opposite to the one half 5 so as to define a space therebetween. The other half 4 is also provided with a plurality of blades which engage the internal face of the visor.

The head retention means 31 essentially comprises a flexible hood which is adjustably mounted within the shell

and inner frame of the helmet to retain the wearer's he? ^' d therein. The hood comprises discrete segments which include a top cover 15, a back support 16, a pair of side covers 8, a front band 17 and a bottom strap 18. The top cover 15, rear support 16 and front band 17 are preferably formed of resilient neoprene material to provide comfort, insulation and support for the head of the user. The side covers 8 are principally made of substantially non- extendible, flexible plastic which are integrally attached to the top cover 15 to provide both resilient and semi rigid covering at the sides of the wearer. The bottom strap 18 is formed of any suitable flexible but substantially non-extendible material which has adequate strength to retain the head of the wearer within the retention means.

The top cover 15 has a sufficient arcuate extent to cover the parietal ^" portion of the wearer ^! s cranium and extend down either side of the helmet to cover the temporal portion of the wearer's cranium in combination with the side covers 8. The top cover 15 is provided with a plurality of holes 43 arranged in a matrix across the top longitudinal extent of the cover for ventilation purposes. The top cover 15 is also provided with detachable and adjustable fastening means for fastening the cover to the shell or inner frame. In the present embodiment, this fastening means takes the form of a velcro strip, one part 10 of which is disposed upon the leading peripheral edge of the cover and the other part 11 of which is disposed opposite thereto along the leading peripheral edge of the inner frame. The top cover 15 is also provided with holes 49 on either side to encircle the ears of the wearer, and rearwardly and forwardly extending lateral flaps 44a and 44b respectively, disposed beneath the holes 49 and which are adhered or welded to the inner surface of

the side covers 8. Thus the top cover is further fastened to the inner frame by the pins 12 at either side which are respectively affixed to the rearwardly extending lateral flaps 44b.

The back support 16 is provided to cover the occiputal portion of the wearer's cranium and is also provided with detachable and adjustable fastening means for fastening the same to the shell. The back support is disposed adjacent to the rear of the top cover 15 and is shaped so as to combine with the top cover to form openings therebetween for ventilation purposes of the occiputal portion of the head. The fastening means are also in the form of velcro strips one part 45 of which is disposed in a triangular arrangement on the back support and the other part 47 of which is mounted in opposite locations on the inner surface of the shell 1.

The side covers 8 are disposed to cover the ears and the temporal portion of the wearer's cranium to not only protect these parts of the head of the wearer from physical impact but also to prevent access of the wind to the ears of the wearer. Furthermore, means are provided for preventing the retention of water in the proximity of the ears. The side covers are each formed essentially of two parts, one part comprising a flexible and substantially non-extendible frame 46, and the other part comprising a resilient skin 51 of neoprene material. The frame 46 is formed with a central hole 50 through which the ear of the wearer may project, and has a front upward projection 53 to cover the temple region of the wearer, a front downward projection 54 and a rear downward projection 55. Each frame 46 is adhered or welded to the outer surface of the respective sides of the top cover 43 so that the holes 50 of the frames align with the holes 49

of the top cover, and the remainder of the frames are co¬ extensive with the sides of the top cover. The skin 51 is adhered or welded around the periphery of each hole 50 of the frames to form a pouch 19 in each side cover which accommodates the ears of the wearer. A drain 7 is disposed in the region of each pouch 19 which communicates with the base of the outer ear canal of the wearer. The drain 7 is formed by adhering or welding the skin 51 of material about the entire periphery of the hole 50 except for a small opening provided at the base thereof towards the anterior of the pouch. The opening is accentuated by the provision of a small recess 56 formed in the frame 46, which communicates with the hole 50 and by the formation of a pucker in the skin over this recess. The hole 49 is sufficiently large to accommodate the ear flap of the wearer and the drain 7 is disposed so as to communicate with the outer ear canal of the ear when the ear is disposed within the pouch 19.

The side covers are attached to the frame and shell by means of the pin 12 and also by the front band 17 co¬ operating with the front upward projection 53 of the side covers. The front upward projection 53 of the side covers is provided with a longitudinally extending slit 56 through which a corresponding guide 6 of the inner frame may protrude. -The manner by which the head band co¬ operates with the side cover to fix the same shall be described hereinafter.

The front downward projections 54 are each terminated with a slot 67 or fastener 69 to provide a fixing point for the ends of the bottom strap 18. Similarly, the rear downward projections 55 are each terminated with a slot 68 to provide a fixing point for the ends of a rear strap 29.

The rear strap 29 may be provided with suitable means for adjustment and is included to allow support of the neck of the wearer and assist in retentioning of the head within the helmet .

The front band 17 is adapted to cover the frontal portion of the wearer's cranium across the forehead and is provided with a pair of opposing straps at opposite ends of the band. The band is provided with detachable and adjustable fastening means at each end of the straps and centrally to fasten the same to the top cover 15. The straps 57 are each of sufficient size to be threaded through the eye formed by the guide 6 of the inner frame when the guide is protruding through the slot 55 of the corresponding side cover and thus function to pin the upwardly extending portions 53 of the side covers to the inner frame 3. Thus the guides 6 ultimately repose in juxtaposition between the side covers 8 and the top cover 15, and are additionally padded from the head of the wearer by the provision of a hem 58 along the leading front edge of the top cover.

The fastening means at the end of the straps 57 are also in the form of velcro strips, one part of which is mounted to the outer face of each strap and the other part 59 is mounted to the inner surface of the top cover behind the guide 6 of the inner frame in the manner shown at Figures 13 and 14 of the drawings. The centrally disposed fastening means is also in the form of a velcro strip, one part 61 of which is provided on a strip 9 which extends from the low periphery of the band to beyond the upper periphery of the band and the other part of which is provided by the co-operating parts 10 and 11 of the fastening means of the top cover. Thus, the strip 9 is interposed between the fastening means of the top cover to

enable attachment of the front band to both the inner frame and the top cover simultaneously, and allow for height adjustment of the band along the forehead of the wearer.

The band is also provided with a series of holes 63 disposed intermediate the opposing straps 57 for ventilation purposes across the forehead.

The bottom strap 18 is provided with fastening means at either end to attach to the front downward projection 54 of each side cover 8 so as to engage the mandible of the wearer. In the present embodiment, one side cover 8 is provided with a slot 67 on its front downward projection 54 to receive one end of the strap 18. The other side cover has its front downward projection 54 fitted with one part 71 of a quick release latch, the other part 73 of which is provided at the terminal end of the bottom strap 18. A buckle 69 is provided on the one end of the strap to fix the strap to the slot 67.

The other part 73 of the quick release latch has suitable adjustment means incorporated therein to adjust the length of the strap so as to retention the underside of the wearer's mandible when fastened. The bottom strap is provided with a broadened portion 75 intermediate its opposing ends which has a central longitudinally extending slot 77 formed therein. The slot 77 is disposed so as to situate along the junction between the neck and the mandible of the wearer so as to facilitate support of the helmet upon the wearer without detracting from the comfort of the wearer.

In the present embodiment, the helmet can be provided with bi-directional or uni-directional communication means for

communicating to a remote location or vice versa. The communication means 79 is shown at Figure 4 and incorporates a microphone mounted at one end of an arm 81, a transmitter (not shown) for transmitting voice messages from the wearer of the helmet to a remote location, an earphone (not shown) and a receiver for receiving messages from a remote location. An aerial (not shown) may be incorporated into the design of the shell 1 to facilitate communications .

The helmet may also be provided with a chin guard 23 as shown at Figure 4 of the drawings to provide protection to the chin of a wearer, if required.

In operation, the helmet initially has the various segments of the head retention means adjusted relative to the shell 1 and the inner frame 3 so as to intimately engage the head of the wearer whilst maintaining comfort. Upon obtaining the required adjustment by virtue of the various fastening means incorporated into the segments, the helmet may be positioned over the head of the wearer for use and the bottom strap 18 fastened by means of the quick release latch. The visor may then be simply moved to the closed position as shown at Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings to present clean inner and outer surfaces by the action of the wiper means. If desired, the visor can be _. , adjusted to any intermediate position between the open fully open and fully closed positions by virtue of the frictional engagement of the halves of the wiper means upon the visor 2. If any water vapour or drops situate upon the surface of the visor whilst engaged in a recreational or sporting activity, the surface of the visor may simply be cleaned by moving the visor to the open position as shown at Figure 1 of the drawings so as

to allow the wiper means to wipe the water vapour or drops from both the inner or outer surfaces of the visor .

In addition, ventilation of the ^' head is maintained by allowing air to circulate through the various holes and apertures provided in the shell, inner frame and head retention means, without accessing the region of the ears.

In activities or sports where foreign matter such as sand is deposited within the helmet, the helmet can be easily cleaned by detaching the various fastening means of the head retention means so as to expose the inner confines of the shell and frame.

An important advantage of the present embodiment in addition to the provision of the wiper means for the visor, is the segmented design of the head retention means, which allows for adjustment to suit the particular size and shape of the head of the wearer. Furthermore the provision of a substantially non-extendible frame within the side covers and a non-extendible bottom strap, when fastened, provides a fixed helmet which cannot be removed from the head, whilst the flexibility and resiliency of the remainder of the head retention means enables intimate engagement with the head to mitigate water and wind entering the ears . Thus protection of the head is maintained without foregoing freedom of movement.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiment herein described. In particular, the material from which the various components of the helmet are formed can be altered to suit the particular application undertaken or changed in accordance with conventional design techniques.