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Title:
A LOCKING ASSEMBLY FOR SECURING A HELMET
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2020/049353
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The invention relates to a locking assembly (200) on an helmet including a housing bracket (10) and a ring-like element (20) such that an engaging means (12) on one end of the housing bracket (10) engages the ring-like element (20) and the other end of the housing bracket (10) is fixed securely to the outer shell of the helmet. The locking assembly (200) also comprises a magnet (30) attached to the inner shell of the helmet. The ring-like element (20) of the locking assembly (200) is adapted to be lifted to allow a cable to pass through the ring-like element (20) and then through a closed loop on a fixed object before locking to secure the helmet against theft.

Inventors:
SRIVASTAVA SIDDHARTH (IN)
DUBEY CHANDERKESH (IN)
VISHWAKARMA RAJARAM (IN)
Application Number:
PCT/IB2018/059498
Publication Date:
March 12, 2020
Filing Date:
November 30, 2018
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
STUDDS ACCESS LTD (IN)
International Classes:
A42B3/04; B62J11/00
Domestic Patent References:
WO2012042068A12012-04-05
Foreign References:
FR2511581A11983-02-25
GB1553936A1979-10-17
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
SAHNEY, Garima (IN)
Download PDF:
Claims:
We Claim

1. A locking assembly (200) for securing a helmet, the locking assembly comprising:

a housing bracket (10), and

a ring-like element (20) having a first portion (22) and a second portion (24), wherein the first portion (22) is secured to said housing bracket (10) and said second portion (24) is capable of movement relative to said housing bracket (10),

wherein said housing bracket (10) is fixed securely onto an outer shell of the helmet through a fastener (40).

2. The locking assembly (22) of claim 1 further comprising a magnet (30) attached to an inner shell of the helmet, said magnet positioned to maintain said ring like element (20) placed on the surface of the outer shell of the helmet.

3. The locking assembly (200) of claim 1, wherein the locking assembly (200) is positioned on a lower portion of one side of the outer shell of the helmet.

4. The locking assembly of claim 1 wherein said housing bracket (10) is fixed securely onto the outer shell of the helmet through the fastener (40), wherein at least one portion of said housing bracket is inserted into at least one slot on said outer shell of said helmet.

5. The locking assembly of claim 1 wherein said first portion (22) of the ring like element (20) is attached to said housing bracket (10) via an engaging means (12).

6. The locking assembly of claim 1, wherein the second portion (24) of the ring-like element (20) is operatively adapted to be lifted to allow a cable to pass through said ring-like element (20) to form a loop surrounding a portion of a vehicle so as to secure said helmet to the vehicle.

7. The locking assembly of claim 1, wherein said ring-like element (20) is one of a D-shaped structure, a square shaped structure, a V-shaped structure and a triangle shaped structure.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said fastener (40) is rivet.

Description:
A LOCKING ASSEMBLY FOR SECURING A HELMET

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of locking devices. In particular, the present invention relates to a locking assembly for a helmet so as to secure the helmet against theft.

BACKGROUND

Traffic safety regulations in most countries make it mandatory for two wheeler vehicle riders to wear helmets. While helmets are necessary for proper compliance with law, they serve the more important purpose of safety as on two-wheelers, unlike in cars where seat-belts and airbags help ensure overall driver and passenger safety in case of an accident, helmets are the only safety apparatus which is directed primarily towards preventing serious head injury. Additionally, helmets are also widely used by laborers and workers in a number of industries for protecting one's head from any sort of accidental impact. Helmets usually comprise a hard outer shell with a soft interior padding such that the hard shell serves as a barrier to prevent direct impact to the head from any hard object during an accident and the soft interior padding serves as a shock absorber and lessens the intensity of impact to a large extent.

As good quality helmets are often expensive, theft of helmets is a common problem, particularly if the helmets are left unattended or if not properly secured. The problem is even bigger in case of open face helmets as due to the inherent structural features of open-face helmets, it is very difficult to lock open-face helmets onto the vehicles. Therefore, drivers often need to carry the helmet along with them after reaching their destination. This causes massive inconvenience to riders as helmets are often bulky and unwieldy and therefore, it is not desirable to have to carry the helmet along when leaving the vehicle parked or when finishing a construction activity.

Presently, there are several mechanisms known in the art for locking helmets. For instance, a cable or chain may be used to secure a helmet against theft by fastening a part of a fixed object such as a vehicle to a helmet. The most commonly employed means of attaching the helmet to a part of a vehicle is by running a locking cable/chain through a hole and a closed loop on some part of the vehicle, before interlocking the ends of the cable/chain using a padlock or a combination lock. However, the problem with such a locking device is an opening needs to be specially made in the helmet shell that forms the hole through which the locking cable/chain can be passed. Especially for open face helmets which do not contain a closed loop, creating a hole within the shell of the helmet causes the helmet to become structurally weak, which affects the impact performance of the helmet. Loosening of the outer hard shell, such as in case of a slight break extended through the hole, can lead to a reduction in the strength and the impact performance of the helmet and if the rider meets with an accident, the lack of a strong enough helmet can lead to serious injury to the rider. Another drawback associated with the provision of a hole is that there is unwanted ingress of air/dirt/noise through the hole which causes discomfort to the user while working such as to a construction worker while working on an active construction site or to a rider while riding a vehicle at high speeds.

Another well-known way of attaching the helmet to a part of the vehicle is by way of the locking mechanism provided on the strap of the helmet. However, this particular mechanism is a lot less secure, as it is very easy to cut a helmet strap which is usually made of a synthetic/clothing material such as Nylon. Thus, when using this mechanism for locking the helmet down, chances of helmet theft increase manifold. There are a few other devices also known in the art, but these usually involve using expensive, cumbersome and complicated helmet attachments.

Therefore, it is well-understood that the currently known mechanism to lock helmets are not fool-proof solutions which can ensure the safety of helmets from theft without compromising on the safety provided by helmets. Accordingly, there arises a need for improved devices/mechanisms for securing articles such as helmets that are highly efficient and effective in minimizing the risk of helmet theft while also keeping the safety features of the helmet intact. It is desirable to have devices/mechanisms which are not only tamper-proof but which also do not adversely affect the structural integrity of the helmet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This section is provided to introduce certain objects and aspects of the disclosed invention in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In view of the shortcomings of existing problems, as discussed in the background section, it is apparent that there exists a need for developing an improved locking structure that are non- intrusive to the functionality of the helmet, resistance to wear and tear and also cost-effective. The present invention addresses said problems and provides an inexpensive and efficient locking assembly which is fixed in the outer shell of the helmet for securing the helmet to thereby avoid the risk of the helmet from being stolen and thus permitting the user to leave the helmet at the vehicle/site as desired.

Accordingly, the present invention relates to a locking assembly for securing a helmet, the locking assembly comprising a housing bracket, and a ring-like element having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the ring-like element is secured to said housing bracket and the second portion is capable of movement relative to said housing bracket. Further, the housing bracket is fixed securely onto an outer shell of the helmet through a fastener.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the locking assembly further comprises a magnet attached to an inner shell of the helmet. The magnet is positioned so as to maintain said ring like element placed on the helmet.

In another embodiment of the invention, the locking assembly is positioned on a lower portion of one side of the outer shell of the helmet.

In another embodiment of the invention, first portion of the ring like element is attached to said housing bracket via an engaging means on the housing bracket.

In still another embodiment of the invention, the housing bracket is fixed securely onto the outer shell of the helmet through the fastener by inserting at least one portion of said housing bracket into at least one slot on the outer shell of the helmet.

In still another embodiment of the invention, second portion of the ring-like element is operatively adapted to be lifted to allow a cable to pass through said ring-like element to form a loop surrounding a portion of a vehicle so as to secure said helmet to the vehicle.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the ring-like element is one of a D-shaped structure, a square shaped structure, a V-shaped structure and a triangle shaped structure.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the fastener through which the housing bracket is fixed securely into the outer shell of the helmet is a rivet.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as limiting the invention, but the possible variants of the present invention are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages.

Figure 1A illustrates picture of an exterior part of a helmet including one of the locking means known in the prior art.

Figure IB illustrates picture of an interior part of a helmet including one of the locking means known in the prior art.

Figure 2 illustrates a locking assembly for securing a helmet, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 3 illustrates a side position of the helmet including the locking assembly secured in said helmet, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 4 illustrates a side view of the helmet including the locking assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 4A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the helmet including the locking assembly taken along the line A-A' of figure 3.

Figure 4B illustrates an enlarged view of the section B of the locking assembly of the helmet, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figures 5A, 5B and 5C illustrate exemplary variations of the shape of the locking assembly for securing a helmet, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description of carrying out the invention is not intended to limit the scope of the description to the precise form or forms detailed herein. Instead in the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that the disclosed embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. Referring to figure 1A and IB, a locking mechanism for helmets as known in the prior art is shown. Figure 1A shows a view of an exterior part of the helmet with a hole provided in the helmet shell itself, through which a cable may be passed. Figure IB shows a view of an interior part of such helmet with a hole provided throughout the layers of helmet. This arrangement not only caused the helmet to become structurally weak but also causes ingress of dust/noise. The present invention provides a locking assembly, by means of which a helmet may be safely secured to an object, in particular a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, scooter, scooters, tricycles or bicycles. While the embodiments of the present invention may be described in the context of a helmet used by riders of vehicles, however, it should be appreciated that, where the context allows, these features are also applicable to the vast majority of helmets of any kind, including, but not limited to, a construction helmet, a safety helmet, a motorcycle helmet, a scooter helmet, and a skull cap helmet.

The present invention describes a locking assembly for securing a helmet. The helmet includes an outer shell and an internal lining of padding material to protect the user against an impact/shock. In an embodiment, the helmet is an open face helmet.

Referring to figure 2, the locking assembly 200 comprises a housing bracket 10 having an engaging structure 12 and an enlarged forward head 14 and a ring-like element 20 having a first portion 22 and a second portion 24. The locking assembly 200 further comprises a magnet 30. In an embodiment, the ring-like element is a D-shaped element. The locking assembly 200 may be made up of any material essentially metallic so that the locking assembly may not be severed by means of any sharp edged tool such as a knife. Particularly, the ring-like element 20 may be further made up of a metal essentially ferromagnetic so that the ring-like element is pulled by the magnetic force of the magnet and held in a closed position i.e. on the surface of the outer shell, when not in use. Such an arrangement achieves the sleek and flush fitting of the helmet. The magnet 30 is attached to the inner side of the shell i.e. between the outer shell and the internal lining of padding. The magnet 30 may have a specific minimum and maximum strength based on the requirement. In an embodiment, the magnet is a permanent type neodymium iron boron magnet with pulling strength of N35 and a power range of 2000 GAU88. The first portion 22 of the ring-like element 20 is secured to said housing bracket 10 via an engaging structure 12 present on one side of the housing bracket 10. The second portion 24 of the ring-like element 24 is capable of movement relative to the housing bracket 10. The second portion 24 of the ring-like element 20 is operatively adapted to be lifted to form an opening to receive a cable so as to form a loop around a fixed object.

The forward head 14 of the housing bracket 10 is mounted/integrated on the outer shell of the helmet through a fastener 40. The second portion 24 of the ring-like element 20 is engaged with the engaging means 12 of the housing bracket 10 before the at least one portion (forward head 14) of the housing bracket 10 is inserted in the at least one slot on the outer shell of the helmet. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing bracket of the helmet is riveted on the outer shell of a helmet. As cutting of 3-4mm shell is highly time-consuming and a very difficult task, moreover cutting the riveted area may result in loss of protection to user's head, therefore, riveting the helmet provides the maximum protection. The rivet may be plated with nickel and the plating may pass cast test for 24 hours.

Further, as shown in figure 3, the locking assembly 200 is present on a lower portion of one side of the helmet. As shown in figure 3, the locking assembly 200 is integral part of the outer shell of the helmet such that the outer shell is depressed to accommodate the locking assembly 200 within the shell. Further, the second portion 24 of the ring-like element 20, as can be seen, is adapted to be moveable up and down to co-operate with and receive a cable whereby the helmet may be secured by forming a loop around the ring-like element with the cable and surrounding a portion of a vehicle.

The method of using the locking mechanism includes winding a cable around the fixed object such as a portion of a vehicle and passing the cable through the second portion of the ring like element to form a loop surrounding the portion of a vehicle so as to secure said helmet to the vehicle. The cable may be a metallic cable. The locking assembly prevents removal of the helmet from the cable. The cable may include a lock structure embedded on it at one end which is locked with the other end of the cable after passing the cable through the opening formed through lifting the second portion of the ring like element and a portion of a vehicle. In one embodiment, the cable is a resilient cable constructed from steel. In one embodiment, the cable is optional and the helmet may be locked by way of a lock used directly into the locking assembly without using a cable. The shape of the enlarged members can have many variations without materially departing from the inventive subject matter.

Figure 4 shows a side view of the helmet including the locking assembly 200. In other embodiments of the invention, the locking assembly may be present at anywhere on the rear strip 50 or on the external plate 60 of the helmet. A cross sectional view of the helmet including the locking mechanism taken along line A-A (in figure 4) is shown in Figure 4A. As shown in the figure 4A, the inside of the helmet as viewed from the top is shown with the locking assembly residing on the lower portion of side of the outer shell. The locking assembly is present in a section identified as B in the figure 4A. The enlarged view of the locking assembly as shown in section B is further shown in figure 4B. The magnet 30 is shown adjacent to the locking assembly which maintains the second portion of the ring-like element 20 resting on the outer shell. Figure 4B also displays a helmet locking strip 70.

Figure 5A, 5B and 5C illustrates exemplary variations of the shape of the locking assembly 200 for securing a helmet, including a D-shaped structure, a square-shaped structure and a triangle shaped structure.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the locking assembly described herein above helps in avoiding theft of the helmet without causing intrusion in the design of the helmet so as to not affect the protection to the user's head. In one embodiment, the locking assembly as disclosed by the present invention is such that the locking assembly cannot be tampered with and hence providing a simple yet effective method of preventing theft of helmets.

The size, shape and type of the assembly and its components and materials for producing thereof may vary according to the size and type of the helmet to be manufactured as well as the lock.

It is to be understood that the above described embodiments are merely illustrative of numerous and varied other embodiments which may constitute applications of the principles of the invention. Such other embodiments may be readily devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention and it is our intent they be deemed within the scope of our invention.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.