PROTECTIVE HELMET

Abstract

A safety helmet includes a helmet shell that fits a human head and reaches up to his/her forehead area and a moveable, transparent visor mounted on the helmet shell, wherein an adapter device for attaching helmet attachments is arranged on the helmet shell at the forehead area. A rail leading towards the back of the head designed for the bearing and guidance of the visor is arranged on the adapter device.

Description

The invention relates to a safety helmet according to the generic term of Patent claim 1.

A safety helmet of the aforementioned type, which is intended for military or police use in particular, is generally known in such a way that no special evidence deriving from publications regarding this is required. Such a safety helmet consists of a helmet shell that fits a human head and reaches up to his/her forehead area and a moveable, transparent visor mounted on the helmet shell, wherein an adapter device is arranged on the helmet shell at the forehead area for attaching helmet attachments, such as a night-vision device. In the case of this type of safety helmet, the visor is typically attached to the safety helmet via swivel joints on both sides, whereby, for this purpose, passage openings that impair the safety-related or (here and hereinafter also mentioned:) ‘ballistic’ characteristics of the safety helmet must be provided on the helmet shell.

The object of the invention is to improve a safety helmet of the aforementioned type. In particular, a safety helmet is to be created that exhibits good wear comfort and good ballistic properties despite the use of a heavy, bullet-resistant visor.

The task is achieved by means of a safety helmet of the aforementioned type via features listed in the characterizing portion of Patent claim 1.

According to the invention, it is provided that a rail leading in the direction of the back of the head and designed for bearing and guiding the visor is arranged on the adapter device.

In other words, the solution according to the invention is thereby characterized by the fact that the adapter device existing in such safety helmets, actually intended for the attaching attachments, such as night-vision devices, is now provided or used for the attachment of a rail, wherein this rail extends outside of the safety helmet over the head and is designed as a guide rail for the visor, i.e., the visor, which may be heavy and/or bullet-resistant where applicable, can be pushed backwards along the rail if necessary, ensuring a good balancing of the safety helmet.

In addition, the solution according to the invention brings the advantage that adapters attached to the side of the safety helmet for attaching further helmet attachments are not covered by the visor and can therefore be used well, which is not guaranteed in the case of known solutions where the visor is attached to the side of the safety helmet via swivel joints.

Other favourable further embodiments of the safety helmet according to the invention result from the dependent patent claims. For the sake of completeness, reference is made to the further documents DE 197 21 146 C2 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,540,033 B2.

The safety helmet according to the invention including its favourable further embodiments according to the dependent patent claims is explained in more detail below on the basis of the graphic illustration of a preferred exemplary embodiment.

The figures show:

FIG. 1 in a lateral view from the left, the safety helmet according to the invention with the visor folded down (closed state);

FIG. 2 perspectively, the safety helmet in accordance with FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 in a lateral view from the left, the safety helmet according to the invention with the visor half folded up;

FIG. 4 perspectively, the safety helmet in accordance with FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 in a lateral view from the left, the safety helmet according to the invention with the visor fully folded up (open state);

FIG. 6 perspectively the safety helmet in accordance with FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 in a lateral view from the right, the safety helmet according to the invention only with rail, but without a visor; and

FIG. 8 in a front view, the safety helmet according to the invention with the visor folded down (closed state).

The safety helmet shown in the figures initially consists, in a known manner, of a helmet shell 1 that fits a human head and reaches up to his/her forehead area and a moveable, transparent visor 2 mounted on the helmet shell 1, wherein an adapter device 3 is arranged on the helmet shell 1 at the forehead area for attaching helmet attachments (such as a night vision devices or the like).

In the exemplary embodiment shown, either the helmet shell 1 and/or the visor 2 is bullet-resistant, i.e., this safety helmet is intended for military or police use.

It is essential for the safety helmet according to the invention that a rail 4 leading in the direction of the back of the head for the bearing and guidance of the visor 2 is arranged on the adapter device 3.

Thanks to the rail 4 according to the invention, it is now possible, as is evident from FIG. 5 in particular, to position the visor 2, which is quite heavy in the case of bullet-resistant designs, practically on and no longer only in front of the safety helmet, as is the case with ordinary folding visors. It is essential that a bearing point or a bearing area of the folded-up visor 2 is located in the area of the highest point of the helmet shell 1. Since the safety helmet is therefore mounted on the head of a user in a significantly better manner, this particularly also increases—apart from the improved wear comfort—safety of course when using the helmet.

Again, in other words, the visor 2 is arranged in a closed state in front of a face area of a helmet user and, in an open state, above the face side half of the helmet shell 1.

If one looks at the safety helmet according to the invention a little more precisely, it is initially provided, in a manner known per se, that the adapter device 3 has an interface 5 for attaching the helmet attachments. Being particularly preferred, it is also provided that the rail 4 is connected to the helmet shell 1 via this interface 5.

Furthermore, being particularly preferred, it is provided that an auxiliary interface 6 corresponding to the interface 5 is provided on the rail 4 for the attachment of the helmet components on the forehead area side in accessible manner, i.e., thanks to this requirement, it is ensured that helmet components, such as a night-vision device, can be attached to the safety helmet despite the mounted rail 4.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the rail 4 is additionally attached to a brim 1.1 of the helmet shell 1 attached to the forehead area. More precisely, being particularly preferred, it is provided that the rail 4 is attached to the brim 1.1 of the helmet shell 1 using a band 9. Thereby (not shown separately), preferably, a fastening element matching the brim 1.1. of the helmet shell 1, in particular, a hook element, is provided at the rail-facing end of the band 9.

Furthermore, being particularly preferred, the visor 2 is attached to a frame part 7 at its face-side end or upper brim, wherein, in addition, a guide device 8 interacting with the rail 4 is preferably provided on the frame part 7.

This guide device 8 is (see, for example, FIG. 4) preferably composed of two guide sections 8.2 extending parallel to on another, accommodating the rail 4 between them.

Furthermore, being particularly preferred, it is provided that the rail 4 comprises guide grooves pointing outwards on both sides 4.1 and the guide device 8, in particular, the guide sections 8.2, comprises inward-facing guide elements 8.1 that fit into the guide grooves 4.1.

Furthermore, being particularly preferred, it is provided (see, for example, FIG. 7) that the guide groove 4.1 beginning in the forehead area extends at least to the middle of the helmet shell 1 (preferably even slightly beyond).

Furthermore, two preferably cone-shaped guide elements 8.1 are provided for each guide groove 4.1. Thereby, with the visor 2 folded down, preferably the one guide element 8.1 is arranged in a first guide groove section 4.1.1 and the other guide element 8.1 is arranged in a second guide groove section 4.1.2, wherein, in addition, as can be seen from FIG. 7 in particular, the two guide groove sections 4.1.1, 4.1.2 are at an angle to each other. These requirements lead to the fact that the visor 2 is first moved forward when folded up and only then upwards (see, in particular, FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 or 2, 4 and 6).

In order to be able to move the visor 2 on the safety helmet as far back as possible, as explained previously, it is also preferably provided that the guide groove 4.1 has a length that is at least three times as long as a distance between the two guide elements 8.1.

In order to achieve a high tilting stability, it is also preferably provided, as shown in the figures, that the rail is designed as a double rail consisting of two interconnected single rails, wherein, in addition (and this also applies to constructions without double rail), it is ultimately preferably provided that the rail 4 is wider than the adapter device 3 (wider refers here to a horizontal extension direction when using the safety helmet).

REFERENCE LIST

• 1 helmet shell
• 1.1 brim
• 2 visor
• 3 adapter device
• 4 rail
• 4.1 guide groove
• 4.1.1 first guide groove section
• 4.1.2 second guide groove section
• 5 interface
• 6 auxiliary interface
• 7 frame part
• 8 guide device
• 8.1 guide element
• 8.2 guide section
• 9 band

Claims

1. A safety helmet comprising a helmet shell that fits a human head and reaches up to his/her forehead area (1) and a moveable, transparent visor (2) mounted on the helmet shell (1), wherein an adapter device (3) for attaching helmet attachments is arranged on the helmet shell (1) at the forehead area,

wherein

a rail (4) leading towards the back of the head designed for the bearing and guidance of the visor (2) is arranged on the adapter device (3).

2. The safety helmet according to claim 1,

wherein the adapter device (3) has an interface (5) for attaching the helmet attachments,

wherein

the rail (4) is connected to the helmet shell (1) via the interface (5).

3. The safety helmet according to claim 2,

wherein

an auxiliary interface (6) corresponding to the interface (5) is provided on the rail (4) at the forehead area in an accessible manner for the attachment of the helmet components.

4. The safety helmet according to claim 1,

wherein

the rail (4) is wider than the adapter device (3).

5. The safety helmet according to claim 1,

wherein

the visor (2) is attached on its face side to a frame part (7) and a guide device (8) interacting with the rail (4) is provided on the frame part (7).

6. The safety helmet according to claim 5,

wherein

the rail (4) comprises guide grooves (4.1) pointing outwards on both sides and the guide device (8) comprises inward-facing guide elements (8.1) that fit into the guide grooves (4.1).

7. The safety helmet according to claim 6,

wherein

two guide elements (8.1) are provided for each guide groove (4.1).

8. The safety helmet according to claim 7,

wherein

the guide groove (4.1) has a length that is at least three times as long as a distance between the two guide elements (8.1).

9. The safety helmet according to claim 1,

wherein

the rail (4) is additionally attached to a brim (1.1) of the helmet shell (1) opposite the forehead area.

10. The safety helmet according to claim 1, wherein in a closed state the visor (2) is arranged in front of a face area of a helmet user,

wherein

in an open state the visor (2) is arranged above the front half of the helmet shell (1).