Ballistic and Impact Protective System for Military Helmet Assembly

• US 20110113535A1
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Revision Military Incorporated (Revision Military)
• Original Assignee: Revision Military Incorporated (Revision Military)
• Inventors: Lebel, Stéphane, Gendron, Marie-Pierre, Bélanger, Martin, Coomber, Richard, Morency, Stephan
• Application Number:
  US12/875,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20110113535A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 2/422
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/04 Parts, details or accessories of helmets
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/221 Attaching visors to helmet shells, e.g. on motorcycle helmets
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/326 Helmets with movable or separable chin or jaw guard
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 1/04 Protection helmets crash helmets A42B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/04 Aerial barrages
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/04 Lenses comprising decentered structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 3/02 Arrangements for supporting by headgear
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/022 Ophthalmic lenses having special refractive features achieved by special materials or material structures G02C7/049 takes precedence

Abstract

A helmet attachment system is usable to attach a mandible or face or mouth guard. The helmet attachment system can attach other articles such as goggle straps and night vision devices. The helmet assembly includes a front rail that is substantially contiguous with side rails mounted to the helmet which extend rearward to be substantially contiguous with a back rail mounted on the helmet. The side rails are configured to provide attachment locations for further components, such as lights, electronics, communication equipment, etc.

Claims

1. An accessory attachment assembly for a helmet, comprising:

a front support for connecting an accessory to a front portion of a helmet;

a pair of side rails configured to connect to opposite sides of a helmet, each side rail comprising an elastic cord for stabilizing said accessory.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the side rails are connectable with the front support.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each side rail comprises a cord channel, the elastic cord is anchored within the channel.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the cord has a retracted position where the cord is substantially within the channel and an extended position were the cord extends from the channel.

5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the channel has an opening adjacent a front portion of the helmet.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said accessory is a night vision assembly

7. There assembly of claim 1, wherein the accessory is a visor.

8. The assembly of claim 1, comprising:

at least one back rail configured to be mounted to the back of a helmet;

each side rail having a first end and a second end;

the first end of each side rail is connected to the front rail;

the second end of each side rail is connected the back rail.

9. An accessory attachment assembly for a helmet, comprising:

a rear rail for connecting an accessory to a rear portion of the helmet;

the rear rail having a pair of spaced apart connector engagements configured to receive strap connectors of a vision protection accessory.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the rail has a horizontal center and the connector engagements have each a pie-shaped minor recess is included along the periphery of an opening opposite the horizontal center of the rail.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the arc of the pie-shaped recess is orientated so the center of the arc is closer to the horizontal center of the rail than the arc.

12. The assembly of claim 10, comprising:

strap connectors, the strap connectors having hook that is engagable with the pie-shaped minor recesses.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the strap connectors have a base portion, the hook is connected to the base portion, the hook has a hook end that is spaced apart from the base portion.

14. The assembly of claim 9, wherein each side rail comprises a cord channel, and an elastic cord anchored within the channel.

15. The assembly of claim 9, comprising strap connectors which are configured to engage the connector engagements.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the strap connectors are clip connectors, the clip connectors have a strap connecting slot, a base portion and a resilient latch portion.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the latch portion comprises at least one raised area and a recessed area for securing within the connector engagement.

18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the latch portion comprises a recessed area between two raised areas.

19. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the connector engagements comprise a gap, a main guide portion on one side of the gap and a first raised portion between two lateral guiding segments on the opposite side of the gap.

20. The assembly of claim 19, comprising strap connectors configured to engage the connector engagements;

the connector engagements comprise a second raised portion adjacent to the first raised portion;

the strap connectors have a strap connecting slot, a base portion and a resilient latch portion;

the latch portion comprises at least a latch raised area and a recessed area, the latch is depressable by the first raised portion of the connector engagement when the latch is slid into the connector engagement, the recessed area of the latch mates with the first raised area of the connector engagement and the latch raised area mates with the second raised portion of the connector engagement.

21. The assembly of claim 9, comprising:

two side rails configured to be mounted to opposite sides of a helmet, each side rail having a first end and a second end;

a front rail that for connecting to a front portion of the helmet;

the first end of each side rail is connected to the front rail;

the second end of each side rail is connected the rear rail.

the first end of each side rail is connected to the front rail;

the second end of each side rail is connected the back rail.

22. The assembly of claim 9, comprising:

a protective head cap configured to be secured over a users helmet, the cap has side rail engagement members that are configured to receive the side rails and be secured thereto.

23. An accessory attachment assembly for a helmet, comprising:

a center back rail configured to mount on the rear of a helmet, the center rail has a first end portion and a opposite second end portion;

the first and second end portions each have a predefined engagement range;

a first outer rail and a second outer rail;

the first outer rail is configured to engage over the back rail along at least a portion of the first end and the second outer rail is configured to engage over the back rail along at least a portion of the second end;

the outer rails are positionable along the engagement range of the respective first and second end portions.

24. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the outer rails are substantially infinitely positionable along the first and second end of the center back rail respectively within the engagement range of the first and second end portions respectively.

25. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the first outer rail and the second outer rail each comprise anchor apertures, the first and second end portions of the center back rail each comprise anchor openings, the anchor apertures at least partially align with the respective anchor opening when the outer rails are positioned within the engagement range of the first and second end portions respectively.

26. The assembly of claim 25, comprising two fasteners configured to extend through the anchor aperture and the anchor opening on each lateral side of the back rail to secure the first outer rail, the second outer rail, and the center back rail to a helmet.

27. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the first and second outer rails each comprise a side rail engagement for connecting the outer rail to a side rail.

28. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the first and second end portions comprise at least one engagement tab;

the outer rails each comprise at least one corresponding receiving channel, the receiving channel is configured to mate with the engagement tab.

29. The assembly of claim 28, wherein the receiving channel is moveable relative to the engagement tab for adjusting the lateral location of the outer rail relative to the center back rail when the outer rail is not fully secured to the helmet.

30. The assembly of claim 28, wherein the engagement tab comprises forwardly extending tabs and the receiving channel has corresponding forwardly extending recesses.

31. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the first and second end portions each comprise a toothed section;

the first and second outer rails each comprise a toothed section;

the toothed section of the end rail is configured to engage the toothed section of the respective end portion.

32. The assembly of claim 31, wherein the teeth of each toothed section extend vertically and the outer rails are laterally positionable with respect to the center back rail.

33. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the first and second end portions comprise two engagement tabs;

the outer rails each comprise two corresponding receiving channel, the receiving channel is configured to mate with the engagement tab;

the first outer rail and the second outer rail each comprise anchor apertures, the engagement tabs of each end portion form anchor openings, the anchor apertures at least partially align with the respective anchor opening when the outer rails are positioned within the engagement range of the first and second end portions respectively.

34. The assembly of claim 23, comprising:

two side rails configured to be mounted to opposite sides of a helmet, each side rail having a first end and a second end;

a front rail that for connecting to a front portion of the helmet;

the first end of each side rail is connected to the front rail;

the second end of each side rail is connected the rear rail;

the first end of each side rail is connected to the front rail;

the second end of each side rail is connected the back rail.

35. An accessory attachment assembly for a helmet, comprising:

a center back rail configured to mount on the rear of a helmet, the center back rail has a first end portion and a opposite second end portion, the first and second end portions each have a predefined lateral engagement range;

at least one outer rail configured to engage over the back rail along at least a portion of the first end or second end;

the outer rail being positionable along the engagement range of the first or second end portions to adjustably position the outer rail relative to the back rail.