TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an orientatable holder/support assembly and components thereof as well as related methodologies and resultant assemblies and uses. More specifically apparatus that allows for the adjustable attachment of an item to an object and more specifically for the use of a light and holders thereof for safety helmets.

BACKGROUND ART

There is frequently a need where an item of headwear such as a safety helmet conveniently . should be associated with an accessory such as a torch or other lighting device. It the case of a lighting device it is important that it is appropriately oriented to take into account the needs of the wearer of the item of headwear. For example, a fireman advancing down a corridor under a pall of smoke may be crouched and therefore the lighting might be better directed in a different direction than would be the case if the person was upright.

European patent application No. 1627181 states that it discloses a lamp fixing device for use on a protection helmet having a support unit integrated on the helmet, and an attaching unit inserted into a guide unit along the engagement direction, and wherein the engagement direction is perpendicular to the sliding direction. However, the means for attaching the lamp fixing device, and the means for indexing the torch to a particular orientation are formed from two separate parts. This requires an increased sized support element. Furthermore, the insertion of the lamp fixing device into the support unit requires both vertical and horizontal movements, something which increases the time in which it takes to attach or replace a lamp into the support unit. When in an emergency situation it is desired that all manipulations are as simple as possible since such situations generally dictate haste.

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It is an object of the present invention to provide a holder and/or support assembly which overcomes or at least ameliorates some of the abovementioned disadvantages or which at least provides the public with a useful choice.

Other objects of the invention may become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention therefore envisages a holder suitable for supporting a torch or other lighting device associable with a mount. Preferably said mount itself is a sociable or integral with an item of headwear. The present invention also relates to the individual components and irrespective of whether or not such components are destined for association with headwear.

The present invention also recognises a need to be able to speedily remove the holder and/or torch or other lighting device from the mount or to reorient the holder and thus the torch or other lighting device and in various aspects of the present invention that is an object of the present invention.

In another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus comprises a first member and a second member, said second member carrying or being as sociable with or adapted to carry a utility such as a torch or other lighting device, and said first member being integral with or being attachable to a support such as, by way of example, an item of headwear,

wherein there is the prospect of association of said first and second members in or from a direction that is substantially normal to a rotational axis that is defined by such engagement, and wherein the nature of the inter-engagement is such as to allow the thus associated members to be rotated about the said rotational axis or an axis parallel thereto (if it is necessarily to partially disengage them to allow rotation), the

members however, having an inter-engagement such that there is a finite number of stable orientations of the second member relative to the first member.

Preferably the first member is provided with features adapting it for insertion or pegging into receiving openings or the like of a safety helmet. Preferably said the first member includes a female receiver of a protuberant member of said second member, said protuberant member of said second member having a wheel like formation having corresponding to the finite orientations appropriate forms on the perimeter thereof.

Preferably the first and second members are press or other fit inter- engageable. And yet a further aspect of the present invention consists in a first member of a kind previously defined whether substantially as hereinafter described with reference to any one or more feature of any one or more of the accompanying drawing or not.

Preferably the second member correspondingly is substantial has hereinafter described in so far as any feature thereof is concerned irrespective of whether or not shown in any one or more of the accompanying drawing.

In a first aspect the invention is an assembly comprising or including a holder, and a mounting component, said mounting component comprising a base and a coupling member, and wherein said holder and said mounting component engage via a friction fit interengaging indexing mechanism, and wherein said interengaging mechanism comprises a rotatable insert and said coupling member, allowing rotation of said holder between indexing positions relative to said mounting component, and wherein the friction fit interengaging indexing mechanism facilitates the rotation of the rotatable insert to favour positioning at said indexing positions.

In a further aspect the invention is an assembly comprising a holder for an item engagable with a mounting component wherein said holder engages with said mounting component via an interengaging mechanism, said interengaging mechanism formed from a rotational insert and a complementary shaped coupling member, and wherein said rotational insert and said coupling member are each formed integrally with one of either said holder or mounting component, and wherein rotation of said holder relative to said mounting component is between indexing positions, said indexing positions provided for by the interaction between the rotatable insert and said coupling member.

In a second aspect the invention is an interengagable rotational assembly able to rotate in at least one plane, and wherein said rotation in at least one plane is between preferred alignments, and wherein said assembly comprises a holder, and a mounting component, said mounting component comprising a base and a coupling member, and wherein said holder and said mounting component engage via an interengaging mechanism, and wherein said interengaging mechanism comprises a rotatable insert and said coupling member, allowing rotation of said holder between indexing positions relative to said mounting component, and

wherein the friction fit interengaging indexing mechanism facilitates the rotation of the rotatable insert to favour positioning at said indexing positions.

In a further aspect the invention is, in combination, a mounting component and headgear (e.g. a helmet) wherein said mounting component may be:

1. formed integrally with said headgear, or

2. affixed to said headgear, and wherein said mounting component includes a coupling member that allows, when in association with a holder, fixed rotation of said holder between a number of adjacent indexing positions. In a further aspect the invention is a mounting component capable of association with a holder, and wherein said clip engages said holder via a complementary arrangement wherein an extension of said holder is at least partially enveloped by a coupling member on said mounting component which enables said holder to be held in place by the coupling member and allows movement of the holder relative to the mounting component between preferred orientations, and wherein the holder, once in a preferred orientation, is held in place by the friction fit provided for by the complementary arrangement of the coupling member of the mounting component that envelops, at least partially, said extension of holder. In a further aspect the invention is a holder comprising a holding means and an extension from said holder, said extension capable of interaction with a mounting component, and wherein said extension is configured to allow indexing with a mounting component such that said holder is held firmly in an indexed position, and is moveable between adjacent positions when sufficient force is applied.

In one embodiment said extension is a substantially circular multi-sided disk. In an alternate embodiment said extension is a ball foot.

In one embodiment said rotatable insert is a multisided insert capable of coupling with said coupling member, and when so engaged, rotatable between indexing positions, the number of indexing positions dependent on the number of sides of said rotatable insert. Preferably said rotatable insert is a disk. Most preferably said rotatable insert is a twelve sided disk.

In an alternate embodiment said rotatable insert is a ball foot indexable with said coupling member.

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In one embodiment said holder is substantially tubular. Preferably an item to be attached is engaged into said holder by insertion of the item or part thereof into the holder.

Preferably said item is a torch. Preferably said coupling member has a slot of a shape complementary to that of said rotatable insert and able to engage with said rotatable insert.

In one embodiment said slot envelops at least part of said rotatable insert when engaged. Preferable said slot envelops at least part of the rotatable insert.

In one embodiment said indexing positions are formed by the interaction of the sides of the rotational insert with the slot such that movement of the rotational insert between said indexing positions causes distortion in said slot favouring a return to an indexing position.

In one embodiment said holder includes as a projection from one of its surfaces the rotatable insert. Preferably said holder and said rotational insert are formed as a single moulded item.

In a further embodiment said coupling member is removably affixed to the object to which it is desired to attach said item. Preferably said object is a helmet.

In an alternate embodiment said coupling member is formed integrally with said object. In preferred forms of the present invention the assembly has any of the features hereinafter described with or without reference to the specific of any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in the use of an assembly as described herein. In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in any assembly of a holder and mounting component wherein movement of said holder relative to said mounting component is between indexing positions, and wherein the resting position of said holder favours towards an indexing position.

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As used herein the term "and/or" means "and" or "or", or both.

As used herein the term "s" following a noun means the singular and/or plural forms of that noun.

Other aspects of the invention may become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

This invention may also be the broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of the parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

The present invention provides an apparatus useful for enabling the removable fixing of an item to an object such as a helmet and wherein said item is able to be rotated relative to said helmet as desired by the user and so that said item, once rotated, remains in the desired orientation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a holder of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the tubular arrangement of the holder formed integrally with the rotational insert,

Figure 2 is a top view of a mounting component of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the coupling member, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a mounting component of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the coupling member,

Figure 4 is a view of the interengagable arrangement of the holder with said mounting component,

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Figure 5 is a view of the interlocking relationship of the rotational insert with the coupling member when held in place in an indexing positions,

Figure 6 is a view of the of the interlocking relationship of the rotational insert an coupling member showing the rotational insert in the transition between indexing positions,

Figure 7 is a side view of the coupling member mounted onto a helmet,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the coupling member and holder assembly mounted onto a helmet, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the coupling member and holder assembly, with torch, attached to a helmet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to Figures 1 to 3 said holder 1 is substantially tubular and able to be engaged via its rotational insert 2 with the coupling member 3 of the mounting component 4. It should be appreciated that the holder 1 can be of any shape or design that enables an item 6 (such as a torch or flashlight) to be engaged with the holder 1. Such alternate embodiment include those known in the art which includes clips, locking mechanisms, magnetic attachments etc.

In addition it should be appreciated that the holder 1 can be formed separately or integrally with the rotational insert 2. It should be appreciated that any accessory could thus be attached to the helmet 7 via the coupling member 3 of the mounting component 4 so long as the accessory has a rotational insert 2 that is complementary to the coupling member 3.

It is also possible to use the rotational insert 2 coupling member 3 assembly to act as a retention mechanism for attachment of multiple shell helmets such as disclosed in PCT/GB2004/004290. For example, each shell (with the exception of the innermost layer) can have on its interior surface one of the above members that is complementary to the member on the outer surface of the adjacent inner shell layer. For example, if the mounting component 4 is located on the outside surface of

the inner most shell, then a torch could be attach to it by using the holder 1 having the complementary shaped rotation insert 2 that inserts into the coupling member 3. If an further level of helmet shell is required, then the holder 1 can be removed and the next shell placed over the inner shell. The outer shell can thus have on its inner surface a complementary shaped member similar to the rotational insert 2 that inserts into the coupling member 3 of the inner helmet shell. The outer surface of the outer helmet can also have on it the coupling member 3 such that a torch (or any accessory) can now be transferred to the outer surface of the outer helmet.

Both the holder 1 and rotational insert 2 can be formed out of any appropriate material or combination thereof such as a plastics, fibreglass, plastic composite reinforced with fibreglass or Aramid materials, metal, wood etc.

As seen in Figure 1, said rotational insert 2 is a substantially circular multi- sided disk integrally moulded with said holder 1. Said rotational insert 2 is engagable within the coupling member 3 as shown in Figure 4. Once engaged the complementary nature of the coupling member 3 holds said rotational insert 2 firmly in place.

The mounting component may have on its inner surface a mechanism to keep the rotational insert in place, such as for example a projection.

When in use, the interengagement of the rotational insert 2 and/or holder 1 with the mounting component 4 is performed by the user sliding the rotational insert 2 into the coupling member 3 such that the rotational insert 2 is held within the walls 5 of the coupling member 3.

As seen in Figure 5 the rotational insert 2 is held firmly in place in an indexing position owing to the complementary nature of the coupling member 3. The side walls 5 of the coupling member are in close proximity with the sides of the rotational insert 2 preventing passive rotation of the holder 1 relative to the mounting component 4.

When desired, a user can easily cause rotation of the rotational insert 2. As seen in Figure 6, when the holder 1 is rotated relative to the mounting component 4,

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the rotational insert 2 passes through a transitional phase between two adjacent preferred alignments. Such movement causes distortion of the side wall 5 of the coupling member 3 hence encouraging rotation of the rotational insert 2 to a preferred alignment. Whilst a twelve sided rotational insert is shown in the attached figures it should be appreciated that a rotational insert 2 with any number of sides can be used, so long as they allow the rotational insert 2 to be held firmly in place when in a preferred alignment.

The number of preferred alignments is related to the number of sides of which the rotational insert 2 is formed. For example, as shown in the attached figures, a twelve sided rotational insert 2 comprises 11 possible preferred alignments.

Other embodiments could include a ball foot indexable with the coupling member. As seen in Figure 7 an assembly of the present invention can is attachable to an object such as a helmet and once attached can received an item 6 such as a torch (as seen in Figure 8).

If desired the mounting component 4 can be separated from the helmet 7, and in such an embodiment the mounting component 4 is therefore able to be removed and attached from the helmet 7. Many different methods can be used form attaching the mounting component to the helmet such as clips, magnets, lock-and-key arrangement, Velcro etc. As shown in Figure 3, projections 8 on the base of the mounting component 4 can be used such that they engage or peg into complementary holes on the helmet. It should be appreciated that the mounting component 4 can be permanently fixed to the helmet 7, or indeed, could be formed integrally with the helmet 7.