PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR
A boltless retention system for a protective headgear includes a ballistic helmet portion having an inner surface. A first substrate is boltlessly secured to the inner surface of the ballistic helmet portion and the retention system is boltlessly secured to the first substrate. The retention system includes attachment members, straps, and a nape pad. The attachment members each include a second substrate and a loop. A portion of each strap of the retention system extends through a loop of an attachment member to an adjustable locking member disposed on the strap. The nape pad is secured to a portion of at least two of the straps between the adjustable locking member and the loop. The second substrate of the attachment members are boltlessly secured to the first substrate of the helmet.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/103,560, filed on May 9, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/332,686, filed May 7, 2010. Each of the above-referenced applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates generally to a new and improved apparatus for boltlessly securing a retention system to protective headgear.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a retention system. It finds particular application in conjunction with a protective headgear retention system and will be described with particular reference thereto. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention is also amenable to other applications.
Current protective headgear retention systems typically use standard metallic fasteners, particularly, e.g., bolts, to secure a retention system to a protective headgear, such as, e.g., a helmet. To use such standard fasteners, manufacturers create holes through the protective headgear by, for example, drilling. The fasteners are then secured in the respective holes. Respective straps are then secured to the fasteners. The straps are releasably secured together under a user's chin by, for example, a buckle.
Ballistic resistant protective headgear, such as ballistic helmets for law enforcement and military applications, are primarily comprised of high-performance fiber reinforced composite materials that are not amenable to fabrication processes that could provide an attachment point for the retention system. The helmets with these materials are substantially rigid. In addition, creating the holes in the protective helmet requires additional steps during the manufacturing process. Another consideration is the weight added to the protective helmet by the metallic fasteners.
Many law enforcement and military personnel attach accessories the exterior surfaces of the helmet, such as, for example, a flash light, a camera, a two-way radio, a night vision system, a battery to power the accessories, or the like. Imbalances in the distribution of the weight of the accessories can cause the helmet to shift or creep on the wearer's head. One of the many issues caused by creep is the obstruction of the field of view of the wearer.
Attempts to reduce shifting or creep of helmets have been made. Heavier components may be distributed around the helmet to reduce imbalances that cause creep, for example, by attaching a battery to the rear of the helmet to offset the weight of a vision system attached to the front of the helmet. Even if substantially perfect balance is achieved, however, the increased inertia of the accessorized helmet may cause creep because of slack in the retention system. In response, the wearer may tighten the chin strap of the retention system to reduce slack and increase friction between the helmet and the wearer's head. This, however, causes discomfort and also performs inconsistently because of the variety of conditions affecting the friction between the helmet and the wearer's head, such as, for example, hair cut style and length, sweat, and the shape of and materials used in the pads of the helmet.
The present invention provides a new and improved retention system for protective headgear.
SUMMARYExemplary embodiments of ballistic helmets and retention systems for the same are disclosed herein.
In one embodiment, a boltless retention system for a protective headgear includes a ballistic helmet portion having an inner surface. A helmet substrate is boltlessly secured to the inner surface of the ballistic helmet portion and the retention system is boltlessly secured to the helmet substrate. The retention system includes attachment members, straps, and a nape pad. The attachment members each include a substrate and a loop. A portion of each strap of the retention system extends through a loop of an attachment member to an adjustable locking member disposed on the strap. The nape pad is secured to a portion of at least two of the straps between the adjustable locking member and the loop. The substrates of the attachment members are boltlessly secured to the first substrate of the helmet.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:
This Detailed Description merely describes exemplary embodiments of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention as claimed is broader than the exemplary embodiments, and the terms used in the claims have their full ordinary meaning, unless a limiting definition is expressly provided herein.
With reference to
With reference to
The strap 20 is secured to the substrate 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the strap 20 is secured to the second (front) face 32 of the substrate 16. A third securing means 34 secures the strap 20 to the substrate 16. The third securing means 34 includes a stitching (e.g., a box stitching) that passes through the strap 20 and the substrate 16. In one embodiment, the stitching includes 8-10 stitchings per inch using a T-45 bonded Anefil Nylon® twisted filament thread, or some other relatively strong thread that resists deterioration. Including less than 8-10 stitchings per inch may cause the strap 20 to “pucker” and may (or may not) reduce the strength of the connection of the strap 20 to the substrate 16 (depending on how many fewer stitchings than 8-10 stitchings per inch are used). On the other hand, including more than 8-10 stitchings per inch may cause the connection between the strap 20 and the substrate 16 to weaken by, for example, weakening the substrate 16 and/or the strap 20.
In order to provide adequate strength, the substrate 16 is greater than or equal to about 2 inches2. In one embodiment, the substrate 16 is at least 3″×3″. The strap 20 is contemplated to be about ¾″ wide and 5¼″ long. As illustrated, the strap 20 is positioned across the substrate 16 with one of the shorter edges 36 of the strap 20 proximate to an edge 40 of the substrate 16. The strap 20 is also substantially centered on the substrate 16 so that approximately equal portions of the substrate 16 are on either side along the length of the strap 20.
In the illustrated embodiment, the stitching 34 is about 1¾″ long and about ⅝″ wide. One edge 42 of the stitching 34 is between about ⅞″ and about 1″ from an edge 44 of the substrate 16 beyond which the strap 20 extends (i.e., an edge of the substrate 16 that is proximate to the edge of the strap 20). The about ⅞″ or about 1″ between the edge 44 of the substrate 16 and the edge 42 of the stitching 34 provides flexibility to the strap (for added comfort to the user) while maintaining a secure connection between the strap 20 and the substrate 16.
Although the strap 20 is illustrated as secured to the second (front) face 32 of the substrate 16, it is also contemplated that the strap 20 may be secured to the first (back) face 26 of the substrate 16.
The substrate 16 and the strap 20 are of a fabric material. In one embodiment, the strap 20 is a “webbing” material.
The buckle 22 is illustrated as a locking bar (e.g., a ladder lock) securing mechanism to secure the straps 20 beneath a user's chin (e.g., at least one of the straps runs under the user's chin). However, other types of buckles are contemplated.
As discussed above, the second securing means 30 on the front face 32 of the substrate 16 is contemplated to be one portion of a hook-and-loop fastener (e.g., either a hook portion or a loop portion of a hook-and-loop fastener such as a VELCRO® hook-and-loop fastener). The portion of a hook-and-loop fastener on the front face 32 of the substrate 16 provides a means for securing optional one or more pads 46, which are used for providing comfort and achieving a better fit. The pad(s) 46 may be removably secured at various locations on the substrate 16.
One example of the substrate 16 is a VELCRO® Part #151931, which provides a static pull strength of between about 200 pounds and 300 pounds.
With reference to
It is typically desirable for the chinstrap assembly to fail at a load greater than the requirement, but below 300 lbs of force (e.g., to withstand a static pull strength of less than 300 lbs.) to ensure the helmet portion 8 can release under extreme duress to reduce/minimize neck and head trauma. From
It is contemplated that the straps 20″ are secured between the pad 100 and the inner surface of the helmet portion 8″. Two embodiments for securing the straps are illustrated in
It is to be understood that the various sizes, lengths, and designs of the straps 20″ and/or substrates 16″ in
Existing helmet retention systems include nape pads 160 that slide or float along the straps of the retention system. These retention systems allow the nape pad to float so that the wearer can adjust the position of the nape pad for comfort and fit. Some nape pads are significantly larger than the nape pad 160 to attempt to reduce creep of the helmet. Some nape pads are “dog-bone” shaped to conform to the nape of the wearer's neck. These larger or shaped nape pads increase the weight and/or material cost of the retention system, and may be less comfortable than smaller pads.
The retention system 210 is formed by interconnected straps that may be glued or stitched together, for example, according to the stitching patterns discussed above. The straps used in the retention system 210 are narrower than those described above and may be about ⅝″ wide. The stitchings joining the straps may include about 12-15 stitchings per inch. As is shown in
The attachment members 230 each include a substrate 232, a strap 234, and a loop 249. The strap 234 is secured to the substrate 232 with a stitching 236 after being threaded through the loop 249 to secure the loop 249 to the substrate. The stitching 236 includes about 12-15 stitchings per inch. A first side 238 of the substrate 232 includes one half of a hook-and-loop material (i.e. the “hook” portion) and a second side 239 of the substrate 232 includes the opposite half of a hook-and-loop fastener material (i.e. the “loop” portion). When attached to the helmet 200, the first side 238 of the substrate is boltlessly secured to the inner surface of the helmet 200. The second side 239 of the substrate 232 is then exposed to the interior of the helmet 200 to receive pads or other liner components.
Both the left and right assemblies 242, 244 include front straps 246 and rear straps 247 that connect the chin strap 240 to the attachment members 230. The front and rear straps 246, 247 extend from the chin strap 240, through sliding locks 248, through the loops 249 of the attachment members 230, and are then secured to the sliding locks 248. The straps 246, 247 are adjusted by sliding the sliding locks 248 along the straps 246, 247.
The nape pad 220 of the retention system 210 is attached to both of the rear straps 247 between the sliding locks 248 and the loops 249. As can be seen in
During use, the retention system 210 resists forward creep of the helmet. When a load is placed on the exterior of the helmet 200 (e.g. from attached accessories that are out of balance), the helmet 200 begins to creep forward. As the rear of the helmet 200 lifts slightly because of the forward creep, the nape pad 220 remains in position on the wearer's head, exerting a downward force on the portion of the rear straps 247 to which it is attached. This downward force is redirected by the loops 249 to pull upward on the rear straps 247. This tightening force exerted on the rear straps 247 is transferred to the chin strap 240 as a tightening force, resulting in the helmet 200 being pulled downward in the rear to oppose the forward creep.
The attached Appendix shows individual components of an exemplary boltless retention system. The Appendix is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the specific details, the representative apparatus, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant's general inventive concept.
Claims
1. A boltless retention system for a protective headgear, the boltless retention system comprising:
- a ballistic helmet portion having an inner surface;
- a helmet substrate boltlessly secured to the inner surface of the ballistic helmet portion;
- a retention system boltlessly secured to the helmet substrate, the retention system comprising: a plurality of attachment members having a substrate, an attachment strap, and a loop; a plurality of retention straps; and a nape pad; wherein each retention strap extends through a loop of an attachment member and is secured to itself with an adjustable locking member; and wherein the nape pad is secured to a portion of at least two of the retention straps between the adjustable locking member and the loops;
- wherein the attachment substrate is boltlessly secured the helmet substrate.
2. The boltless retention system of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is an epoxy.
3. The boltless retention system of claim 1, wherein the attachment strap is secured to the attachment substrate by a stitching.
4. The boltless retention system of claim 3, wherein the stitching includes about 12 stitches to about 15 stitches per inch.
5. The boltless retention system of claim 4, wherein the attachment substrate is about 3 inches by about 2.5 inches.
6. The boltless retention system of claim 4, wherein the attachment strap is substantially centered on the attachment substrate.
7. The boltless retention system of claim 4, wherein the stitching is about 1 inch long and about ½ inch wide.
8. The boltless retention system of claim 1, wherein the retention strap extends around a wearer's chin to secure the wearer's head in the ballistic helmet portion.
9. A boltless retention system for a protective headgear, the boltless retention system comprising:
- a ballistic helmet portion having an inner surface;
- a helmet substrate boltlessly secured to the inner surface of the ballistic helmet portion;
- a pad boltlessly secured to the helmet substrate;
- a retention system boltlessly secured to the helmet substrate, the retention system comprising: a plurality of attachment members having a substrate, an attachment strap, and a loop; a plurality of retention straps; and a nape pad; wherein each retention strap extends through a loop of an attachment member and is secured to itself with an adjustable locking member; and wherein the nape pad is secured to a portion of at least two of the retention straps between the adjustable locking member and the loops;
- wherein the attachment substrate is boltlessly secured the helmet substrate; and
- wherein the pad is at least partially secured to at least one attachment substrate.
10. The boltless retention system of claim 9, wherein the attachment substrate is secured to the helmet substrate and the pad with a hook-and-loop fastener.
11. The boltless retention system of claim 9, wherein the helmet substrate is secured to the inner surface of the ballistic helmet portion with an adhesive.
12. The boltless retention system of claim 11, wherein the adhesive is an epoxy.
13. The boltless retention system of claim 9, wherein the attachment strap is secured to the attachment substrate by a stitching.
14. The boltless retention system of claim 13, wherein the stitching includes about 12 stitches to about 15 stitches per inch.
15. The boltless retention system of claim 44, wherein the attachment substrate is about 3 inches by about 2.5 inches.
16. The boltless retention system of claim 44, wherein the attachment strap is substantially centered on the attachment substrate.
17. The boltless retention system of claim 44, wherein the stitching is about 1 inch long and about ½ inch wide.
18. The boltless retention system of claim 9, wherein the retention strap extends around a wearer's chin to secure the wearer's head in the ballistic helmet portion.
19. A boltless retention system for a protective headgear, the boltless retention system comprising:
- a ballistic helmet portion having an inner surface;
- a helmet substrate boltlessly secured to the inner surface of the ballistic helmet portion with an adhesive;
- a retention system boltlessly secured to the helmet substrate, the retention system comprising: at least one attachment member having a substrate, an attachment strap, and a loop; at least one retention strap; and a nape pad; wherein the at least one retention strap extends through the loop of the at least one attachment member and is secured to itself with an adjustable locking member; and wherein the nape pad is secured to a portion of the at least one retention strap between the adjustable locking member and the loop;
- wherein the attachment substrate is boltlessly secured to the helmet substrate; and
- wherein a separation force of greater than 150 pounds is required to separate the retention strap from the ballistic helmet portion.
20. The boltless retention system of claim 19, wherein the attachment strap is secured to the attachment substrate with a stitching.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 19, 2016
Publication Date: May 12, 2016
Inventors: Donald F. Roberts (Newark, NJ), Yoav Kapah (Granville, OH)
Application Number: 15/000,875