TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a visor for a helmet, and a helmet incorporating the visor. More particularly, the invention relates to a visor which is configured to provide external moisture displacement to improve and increase visibility on moving vehicles.

BACKGROUND

Patent specification No. WO 2015 145 162 A2 discloses a helmet, such as a motorcycle helmet, which includes a helmet body having an opening which provides a viewing window for the wearer. A clear visor is pivotably mounted on the helmet body such that it can be lifted from a closed position covering the window to an open position above the window opening. To remove moisture from the visor when in the closed position the helmet body contains an air channel which which receives pressurised air from an air source, and the air is conducted to a manifold which directs air over the surface of the visor. The air passes through a pivotable connector which connects the visor to the helmet. In a preferred embodiment the known connector has an outer part attached to the visor and an inner part attached to the helmet. The inner part has a tapered recess configured to receive a complimentary shaped projection on the outer part, and a rim formed around the periphery of the inner part can click-engage in a complimentary channel formed around the periphery of the outer projection. When the visor is in the closed position aligned ports in the tapered surfaces of the recess and the projection allow air to pass from the air source to the surface of the visor, but when the visor is opened passage of air through the connector is restricted.

Firm engagement between the two parts of the connector is essential to maintain a good seal and prevent significant loss of air pressure. From time to time visors may need to be replaced, e.g. to replace a clear visor with a tinted one or because the original visor has become scratched or damaged. The ability to quickly and easily replace the visor whilst at the same time ensuring an effective seal would therefore be very useful.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

When viewed from one aspect the present invention proposes a visor for a helmet, the visor having :

- an air delivery element to deliver air to a surface of the visor; - a connector to connect the visor to a helmet, the connector including a first part attached to the visor and a second part for attachment to the helmet, said first and second parts having opposed faces and being relatively rotatable; and

- a passage formed in the connector for conducting air from an external source via the connector to the air delivery element, said passage traveling through the opposed faces of the connector;

wherein the first and second parts of the connector include respective first and second connector elements which are mutually engageable to releasably hold the first and second parts together, and

wherein said first part contains an opening through which the connector elements can be released to disconnect the visor from the helmet.

In a preferred embodiment the opposed faces of the first and second parts are surrounded by a circular projection and complimentary recess which rotatably guide the first and second parts without interlocking.

In a preferred embodiment a resilient element is interposed between the opposed faces of the first and second parts.

The invention also provides a visor having a two-part connector with opposed faces, in which the first part of the connector contains a portion of a passage which opens through a flat area of said opposed faces and the second part of the connector contains a portion of the passage which moves across said flat area with relative rotation of said connector parts.

In a preferred embodiment the second part of the connector includes a tubular sealing element which is resiliently biased against said flat area.

In a preferred embodiment the tubular sealing element is surrounded by a resilient element which permits angular movement thereof.

The invention also provides a visor which includes a two-part connector with opposed faces, in which first and second connector elements are fixed in aligned holes in the opposed faces of the first and second parts.

In a preferred embodiment the first connector element includes a cylindrical plug body with an external annular groove.

In a preferred embodiment the second connector element has a cylindrical socket body with a plurality of latching elements to engage within the external annular groove of the plug body.

In a preferred embodiment the cylindrical socket body carries a axially slidable sleeve to retain the latching elements within the external annular groove.

In a preferred embodiment the sleeve is axially slidable against spring loading to release the latching elements from the external annular groove.

The invention also provides a visor which includes a two-part connector, in which one of the connector parts has an opening which provides access to a sleeve to enable the sleeve to be moved against spring loading .

In a preferred embodiment the opening is disposed at an acute angle to the sleeve.

The invention also provides a visor which includes a two-part connector, in which a first connector part has a projecting boss.

In a preferred embodiment the projecting boss has one or more radial projections which co-operate with a spring element of the second connector part to hold the first and second parts in a plurality of stop positions when the two parts are relatively rotated.

The invention also provides a helmet incorporating the visor.

The invention also provides a helmet having a spring-loaded two-part bayonet connector for supplying air to the helmet from an external source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a motorcycle with a rider wearing a helmet with a visor;

Figure 2 is a general view of the helmet;

Figure 3 is a skeletal side view of the helmet with the visor in a closed position;

Figure 4 is a skeletal detail of a bayonet coupler used at an umbilical port of the helmet;

Figure 5 is a skeletal side view of the helmet with the visor in an open position;

Figure 6 is a general view of the visor, shown separately from the helmet;

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail of a first part of a connector which joins the visor to the helmet body;

Figure 8 is a front elevation of the visor; Figure 9 is an enlarged detail showing a second part of the connector which joins the visor to the helmet body;

Figure 10 is an axial section through the assembled connector, when the visor is attached to the helmet body;

Figure 11 is a general view, partly cut-away, showing quick-release parts of the connector; and

Figure 12 is general view of a modified form of the visor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring firstly to Fig.1, a rider 12 is seated upon a motorcycle 10. It will be appreciated however that the invention is applicable to other vehicles such as scooters, bicycles, quad bikes, buggies, cars and the like. The rider 12 is wearing a helmet 22 having a helmet body 24 and a visor 26. A port 28 at the base of the helmet is connected via umbilical tubing 32 to a battery powered air pump 30 which is worn on the rider's body. This gives the rider good freedom of movement and avoids the need for an auto-winding umbilical reel. The air pump is arranged to pump air along the umbilical tubing 32 to the helmet 22. The visor 26 incorporates an air delivery manifold 34 which receives air from the port 28. In use, air from the air pump 30 is pumped along the umbilical tubing 32 to the air delivery manifold 34 which directs the air onto the surface of the visor 26 to displace droplets of water or mist from the external surface of the visor.

Referring to Fig. 2, on opposite sides of the helmet 22 the visor 26 is pivotably connected to the helmet body 24 by a pair of substantially identical connectors 36, only one of which is shown in the drawing. The connectors 36 allow the visor 26 to be pivotally moved from a closed position, as shown, to a raised or open position. A rider will typically use the helmet with the visor in the closed position when riding at speed so that the visor protects their eyes from wind, rain and particles of dust, grit or pollen, but when the motorcycle is not moving, or moving more slowly, the rider might raise the visor to the open position to achieve better vision.

Referring to Fig. 3, the umbilical port 28 is located at one side of the helmet 22. Since the air pump is worn on the body of the rider rather than being fixed to the motorcycle the umbilical port is configured to provide a simple but positive connection using a releasable bayonet coupler 40 shown in Fig. 4. The coupler 40 has a female part 41 which is attached to the helmet and a male part 42 incorporating a spigot 43 which is a firm push fit into the end of the umbilical tube 32. A flange 44 separates the spigot 43 from a tubular shank 45 having a pair of diametrically opposed wing projections 46 and 47 which are followed by a step 48 which forms a leading end 49 of reduced diameter. The female part 41 contains a bore 51 with opposed notches 52 and 53 to receive the projections 46 and 47 when the shank 45 of the male part is inserted into the bore. A compression spring 54 inside the bore 51 contacts the step 48 so that the male part must be inserted against spring pressure. When the male part has been inserted far enough it can be rotated to enable the wing projections 46 and 47 to enter opposing recesses 56 and 57 within the bore, thus providing a positive engagement action. An O-ring seal 58 is retained within the bore 51 to provide an air tight seal with the shank 45. If the rider desires to remove the helmet the male part 42 is rotated in a reverse sense until the spring 54 causes the male part to be ejected from the bore. Thus, the bayonet coupler ensures that the umbilical tube is either positively engaged with the port 28 so that there is no risk of air leakage, or fully released.

Referring back to Fig. 3, the port 28 is in fluid communication with both of the connectors 36, on opposite sides of the helmet, via an internal branched conduit 60 which is integrally formed with the helmet. In this embodiment the air delivery manifold 34 is an elongate tubular structure extending along a top edge of the visor 26 and is preferably formed integrally with the visor. The manifold 34 contains an air duct 61 which communicates with the connectors 36 at each end of the manifold and may have a plurality of outlets 62, or a single outlet slot, to direct air onto the external surface of the visor 26. When the visor 26 is raised to the open position as shown in Fig. 5 the connectors 36 operate to close off or restrict the flow of air to the manifold 34 as explained below. This ensures that air no longer flows over the visor, which could cause water droplets, dust or debris to be blown directly into the eyes of the rider, particularly if the visor is raised when the motorcycle is in motion.

The visor 26 can be seen in greater detail in Fig. 6 and 8, including the configuration of the manifold 34 and the air outlets 62 together with a first part 70 of the connectors 36. The first connector parts 70 are preferably integrally formed with the visor, although they may be attached to the visor using an adhesive for example. Each connector part 70 has a generally planar inwardly-directed face 71 surrounded by a projecting circular wall 72, and a generally frusto-conical outwardly directed face 73. As can be seen more clearly in the enlarged detail of Fig. 7, a hole 74 is formed within the connector part 70, with its axis perpendicular to the face 71 and to the plane of the circular wall 72. The hole 74 opens through face 71 via a shallow boss 75 co-axial with the wall 72. A lower face of the boss 75 is formed with three circumferentially arranged rounded tooth projections 76 which project radially into a shallow recess 77. Diametrically opposite the recess 77 there is an arcuate flat-bottomed recess 78 which extends parallel to the circular wall 72. A passage 79, which communicates with the air duct 61 of the manifold 34, opens at one end of the recess 78.

The connectors 36 also include a second part 80 which is attached to or integrally formed with the helmet, shown in Fig. 9. Each second connector part 80 has a generally planar outwardly-directed face 81 surrounded by an outer annular recess 82 and an inner annular channel 83. A hole 84 is formed within the connector part 80, opening centrally of the face 81 within a shallow recess 85. The lower part of the recess 85 is bounded by a flexible spring element 86 having circumferentially extending notches 87 directed into the recess 85. Diametrically opposite the spring element 86 there is a passage 88 containing a rubber grommet 89 which in turn receives a top-hat shaped ptfe sealing member 90. This passage 88 communicates with the air conduit 60 within the helmet body 24.

When the two connector parts 70 and 80 are brought together, as shown in the sectional view of Fig. 10, the cylindrical wall 72 of the visor connector part 70 locates within the annular recess 82 of the helmet connector part 80, guiding relative rotation between the two parts 70 and 80. An O-ring 92 is interposed between the opposing faces 71 and 81, located in the annular channel 83, providing a small amount of resilience between the opposing parts. The sealing member 90 bears against the flat bottom face of the arcuate recess 78, assisted by a second O-ring 93. The grommet 89 permits a small amount of angular movement of the sealing member 90 to ensure that full sealing contact is maintained with the bottom of the recess 78. The rounded tooth projections 76 of the visor connector part 70 engage the notches 87 of the spring element 86 to retain the visor in the raised position and also provide a number of intermediate holding positions of the visor. When the visor is in the closed position the passages 79 and 88 are aligned allowing air to be conducted through the connector from the air pump 30 to the air delivery manifold 34.

The two connector parts 70 and 80 are held together by a two-part quick-release connector 94 having respective first and second connector elements 96 and 98, also seen in Fig.s 7 and 9, which are mutually engaged to hold the first and second connector parts together. The first connector element 96 is bonded within the hole 74 of the visor connector part 70 and the second connector element 98 is bonded within the hole 84 of the helmet connector part 80.

The internal structure of the quick-release connector 94 can be seen in Fig. 11. The first connector element 96 includes a cylindrical plug body 101 with an external annular groove 102. The plug body 101 projects centrally, with clearance, within the hole 74 (Fig. 7). The second connector element 98 has a cylindrical socket body 105 with an external annular groove 106. A plurality of latch elements, typically three ball latches 108, are held captive in respective tapered holes 109 by a sleeve 110 which is slidably received within the external recess 106. The sleeve 110 is urged towards an adjacent end of the socket body by a spring 111 within the recess 106. At the opposite end from spring 111 the sleeve 110 has an internal annular recess 112, but in its normal condition the sleeve holds the ball latches 108 such that they project into the interior of the socket body, as shown. However, if the sleeve is slid back to compress the spring 111 the recess 112 becomes aligned with the balls 108 so that they may retract from the interior of the socket body. In this condition the plug body 101 can be inserted into socket body 105 until the balls 108 enter the external groove 102. The sleeve 110 returns to its rest position under the action of spring 111. The sleeve again holds the ball latches within the groove 102, which thereby prevents withdrawal of the plug body 101.

Referring again to Fig. 8, the second connector element 98 is bonded within the hole 84 such that the socket end projects from the face 81 and the sleeve 110 can be slid back to release the ball latches as described. When the two connector elements 96 and 98 are brought together as in Fig. 9 the plug body 101 is retained within the socket body 105 by the ball latches 108, thereby firmly but rotatably holding the two connector parts together and maintaining an effective seal between the two connector passage portions 79 and 88. It can also be seen that the first connector part 70 contains an access hole 120 which intercepts the side of the central hole 74 at an acute angle. This enables a connector release pin to be inserted through the access hole 120 and used to slide the sleeve 110 against its spring loading, thereby allowing the ball latches 108 to retract from the groove 102. The plug body 101 can then be withdrawn from the socket body 105 enabling the two connector parts 96 and 98 to be released. The visor can thus be removed from the helmet.

It be noted that the connectors 36 are mainly on the outer surface of the visor with minimal projection inside the visor. This reduces potential discomfort for the wearer and also ensures that the thickness of the internal padding can be maximised in the region of the connectors.

Although the visor described above has the manifold 34 extending along its top edge it would also be possible as in Fig. 12 for the manifold 34 to extend along the bottom edge of the visor and direct air upwards over the visor. This configuration might be preferable to expel water droplets over the top of the helmet rather than downwards towards the body of the rider.

Whilst the above description places emphasis on the areas which are believed to be new and addresses specific problems which have been identified, it is intended that the features disclosed herein may be used in any combination which is capable of providing a new and useful advance in the art.