Helmet cover assembly having at least one mounting device

• US 10,638,807 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2013
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Long, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kozak, Anne M
• Application Number:
  US14/238,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20150089726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,514 Days
• Field of Search: 2422, 2410, 2 62, 2455, 2421, 2 10, 2411, 224181
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/003 Helmet covers
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/04 Parts, details or accessories of helmets
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/0406 Accessories for helmets
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 1/04 Protection helmets crash helmets A42B3/00

Abstract

A helmet cover includes a cover configured to extend over a helmet and at least one mount attached to the cover. In one embodiment, a backing plate is coupled to the at least one mount and the cover is sandwiched between the backing plate and the at least one mount.

Claims

1. A helmet cover assembly for covering a helmet, the helmet having an exterior surface, an inside surface that is opposite the exterior surface, and a bottom edge, the helmet cover assembly comprising:

a cover comprised of a flexible material and configured to extend over the exterior surface of the helmet, the cover including one or more holes, a left side portion, a right side portion, and a front portion extending between the left side portion and the right side portion;

a shroud mount having a recessed rectangular mounting area configured to receive a night vision goggle (NVG) mount arm, the shroud positioned proximate the front portion of the cover and having an interior curve configured to correspond to a front curve of the exterior surface of the helmet;

a first side rail mount having a first elongated groove configured to receive an attachment in one of a plurality of positions along the length of the first elongated groove, the first side rail mount coupled to the left side portion of the cover, the first side rail mount having an interior curve configured to correspond to a first side curve of the exterior surface of the helmet;

a second side rail mount having a second elongated groove configured to receive an attachment in one of a plurality of positions along the length of the second elongated groove, the second side rail mount coupled to the right side portion of the cover, the second side rail mount having an interior curve configured to correspond to a second side curve of the exterior surface of the helmet;

a first component extending from the first side rail mount to the shroud mount and coupled to the first side rail mount and the shroud mount through the one or more holes in the cover; and

a second component extending from the shroud mount to the second side rail mount and coupled to the shroud mount and the second side rail mount through the one or more holes in the cover,

wherein the helmet cover assembly is configured to be secured to the helmet without any fasteners extending from either of the first or second side rail mounts through the exterior surface of the helmet.

2. The helmet cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the first component comprises a first backing plate coupled to at least one of the first side rail mount and the shroud mount, and wherein the second component comprises a second backing plate coupled to at least one of the second side rail mount and the shroud mount.

3. The helmet cover assembly of claim 2, wherein the left side portion of the cover is sandwiched between the first backing plate and the first side rail mount, and the right side portion of the cover is sandwiched between the second backing plate and the second side rail mount.

4. The helmet cover assembly of claim 2, wherein the first side rail mount and the shroud mount are each coupled to the first backing plate and the second side rail mount and the shroud mount are each coupled to the second backing plate.

5. The helmet cover assembly of claim 2, wherein an outer periphery of the first and second backing plates, respectively, extend past an outer periphery of at least one of the first side rail mount, second side rail mount, and shroud mount.

6. The helmet cover assembly of claim 2, wherein the first and second backing plates are configured to correspond to a contour of the exterior surface of the helmet.

7. The helmet cover assembly of claim 2, wherein the cover is configured to couple the first and second backing plates and the first side rail mount, second side rail mount and shroud mount to the helmet.

8. The helmet cover assembly of claim 2, wherein the first and second backing plates combined are configured to extend at least half way around a periphery of the helmet.

9. The helmet cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a plurality of hook and loop fasteners extending outwardly from a peripheral edge of the cover, the plurality of hook and loop fasteners configured to couple to the inside surface of the helmet.

10. The helmet cover assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one shroud mount fastener extending through the shroud mount and configured to extend through the exterior surface of the helmet and attach the shroud mount to the helmet.

11. The helmet cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover is configured to extend over the entire exterior surface of the helmet.

12. The helmet cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible material is comprised of a non-elastic material.

13. The helmet cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible material is comprised of a fabric.

14. The helmet cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible material is comprised of canvas.

15. The helmet cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more holes are prefabricated in the cover.

16. The helmet cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the component is flexible to conform to a shape of the helmet.

17. A helmet assembly comprising:

a helmet having a bottom edge, an exterior surface, and an interior surface;

a cover comprised of a flexible material extending over the exterior surface of the helmet, extending over the bottom edge of the helmet, and releasably coupled to an inside surface of the helmet by a plurality of hook and pile fasteners extending from a peripheral edge of the cover, the cover including one or more holes, a left side portion, a right side portion, and a front portion extending between the left side portion and the right side portion;

a shroud mount having a recessed rectangular mounting area configured to receive a night vision goggle (NVG) mount arm, the shroud mount coupled to the front portion of the cover and having an interior curve corresponding to a front curve of the exterior surface of the helmet;

a first side rail mount having a first elongated groove configured to receive an attachment in one of a plurality of positions along the length of the first elongated groove, the first side rail mount coupled to the left side portion of the cover, the first side rail mount having an interior curve corresponding to a first side curve of the exterior surface of the helmet;

a second side rail mount having a second elongated groove configured to receive an attachment in one of a plurality of positions along the length of the second elongated groove, the second side rail mount coupled to the right side portion of the cover, the second side rail mount having an interior curve corresponding to a second side curve of the exterior surface of the helmet; and

a component connecting the shroud mount, first side rail mount, and second side rail mount, the component exterior to the exterior surface of the helmet and having an shape corresponding to the exterior surface of the helmet, the shroud mount, first side rail mount, and second side rail mount being coupled to the component by fasteners which extend through the shroud mount, first side rail mount, second side rail mount, through the one or more holes, and through the exterior surface of the helmet.

18. The helmet assembly of claim 17, wherein the component is flexible to conform to a shape of the helmet.

19. A helmet assembly comprising:

a helmet having a bottom edge, an exterior surface, and an interior surface;

a cover comprised of a flexible material extending at least partially over an exterior surface of the helmet and extending over at least a portion of bottom edge of the helmet, the cover including one or more openings to expose one or more portions of the exterior surface of the helmet, the cover including a plurality of hook and loop fasteners extending from a peripheral edge of the cover and coupled to the interior surface of the helmet;

a shroud mount having a recessed rectangular mounting area configured to receive a night vision goggle (NVG) mount arm, the shroud mount positioned proximate a front portion of the helmet and having an interior curve corresponding to a front curve of the exterior surface of the helmet, the shroud mount having at least two fasteners extending through the shroud mount and the helmet to couple the shroud mount to the helmet;

a first side rail mount having a first elongated groove configured to receive an attachment in one of a plurality of positions along the length of the first elongated groove, the first side rail mount positioned proximate a left side portion of the helmet, the first side rail mount having an interior curve corresponding to a first side curve of the exterior surface of the helmet, and the first side rail mount having two fasteners extending through the first side rail mount and the helmet to couple the first side rail mount to the helmet;

a second side rail mount having a second elongated groove configured to receive an attachment in one of a plurality of positions along the length of the second elongated groove, the second side rail mount positioned proximate a right side portion of the helmet, the second side rail mount having an interior curve corresponding to a second side curve of the exterior surface of the helmet, and the second side rail mount having two fasteners extending through the second side rail mount and the helmet to couple the second side rail mount to the helmet; and

a component flexible to conform the shape of the helmet, the component coupling the first side rail mount and the second side rail mount.