Ballistic and Impact Protective Military Helmet Assembly

• US 20120317706A1
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Galvion Ltd. (Galvion Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Revision Military Incorporated (Revision Military)
• Inventors: McGinn, Michael James, Coomber, Richard, Lebel, Stéphan, Hall, Edward R., Giroux Bernier, Dominic, Herman, Curtis
• Granted Patent: US 9,631,899 B2
• 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: F41H 1/08 of plastics; Plastic head-shields

Abstract

A helmet assembly is provided including a front mount configured to attach to the front of the helmet above a brim of the helmet, a mandible for protecting a portion of the user'"'"'s face, a lower edge rim mounting portion such as a halo attached along the lower edge of the helmet for securing the mandible to a helmet and providing power and data conduits. The front mount provides a center top mounting arrangement that operatively connects a center top location of the face shield to a center front mount on the helmet The mount provides frontal bracket portions for mounting accessories. The helmet assembly provides a helmet shell with a curved shape having a surrounding reinforcing ridge. A reeling system is provided for adjusting front and lower chin straps. Other improvements in helmet assemblies are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A helmet assembly, comprising:

a helmet for placing over a wearer'"'"'s head and having a brim above a wearer'"'"'s face;

a front mount attached to a front of the helmet above the brim of the helmet, wherein the front mount comprises at least one bracket portion extending laterally and arranged for mounting an accessory on the bracket portion.

2. The helmet assembly of claim 1, further comprising a mounting arrangement for supporting a visor, the mounting arrangement connected to the front mount, the mounting arrangement movable between a deployed position and a standby position.

3. The helmet assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a mandible guard for protecting a portion of the user'"'"'s face; and

an accessory-mounting rim portion attached along the lower edge of the helmet, said mandible guard mounted to at least a portion of said accessory-mounting rim portion.

4. The helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket portion comprises edge lips on at least two sides of the at least one bracket portion for retaining an accessory.

5. The helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket portion comprises edge lips on at least three sides of the bracket portion for retaining an accessory.

6. The helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket portion comprises, extending in a horizontal direction, a right bracket portion, a left bracket portion and a center portion connecting the right and left bracket portions.

7. The helmet assembly of claim 1, further comprising a center vent through the at least one bracket portion that vents air from inside the helmet to outside the helmet.

8. The helmet assembly of claim 7, further comprising a visor in a closed position against the helmet, wherein the vent is in air flow communication with a passage between the closed helmet visor and the helmet.

9. The helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket portion comprises at least one rearwardly extending lateral accessory engagement portion arranged for mounting an accessory on a side of the helmet.

10. The helmet assembly of claim 9, wherein the at least one rearwardly extending lateral accessory engagement portion comprises a lateral accessory engagement portion on each side of the helmet, each lateral accessory engagement portion being contiguous with one of the right bracket portion and the left bracket portion respectively.

11. The helmet assembly of claim 1, further comprising a heads-up display releasably securable to the at least one bracket portion.

12. The helmet assembly of claim 11, wherein the heads-up display has a retractable display screen that is positioned inside the helmet between a deployed visor and the helmet.

13. The helmet assembly of any of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket portion comprises edge lips on at least two sides of the at least one bracket portion, and further comprising a heads-up display releasably securable to the at least one bracket portion, wherein the heads-up display comprises upper and lower rail lips that extend vertically in opposite directions and that fit behind upper and lower edge lips of the at least one bracket portion to be releasably secured to the front mount.

14. The helmet assembly of claim 1, further comprising a heads-up display having a recessed area with an engagement rail therein for engaging the at least one bracket portion, wherein the heads-up display has a display screen, the display screen has a deployed position generally in front of a user'"'"'s eye and a retracted standby position where the display screen is retracted upwardly to withdraw the display screen from the user'"'"'s view and to withdraw the screen within the heads-up display.

15. The helmet assembly of claim 14, wherein the at least one bracket portion comprises an upper edge lip on an upper edge of the at least one bracket portion and a lower edge lip on a lower edge of the at least one bracket portion, wherein an upper portion of the engagement rail comprises an upward rail lip and the lower portion of the engagement rail comprises a downward rail lip, the upward rail lip engages the inside surface of the upper edge lip of the at least one bracket portion and the downward rail lip engages the inside surface of a the lower edge lip of the at least one bracket portion to secure the heads-up display to the front mount, and the heads-up display has a release mechanism configured such that when the release mechanism is activated, the upward rail lip and the downward rail lip draw closer to each other to release the lips from the edge lips of the at least one bracket portion.

16. The helmet assembly of claim 11, wherein the heads-up display has data and power connections that are connectable with power and data connections within the at least one bracket portion which are in turn in communication with an accessory-mounting rim portion and the power and data connections provided therethrough.

17. The helmet assembly of claim 11, wherein the assembly further includes a visor which can be positioned in a closed position against the helmet, and the display screen is positioned behind the visor when the display screen is in the deployed position.

18. The helmet assembly of claim 14, wherein the recessed area closely conforms to the at least one bracket portion and allows the heads-up display to position the display screen on the interior side of the visor, and a center portion of the heads-up display has a curved profile so as to allow an upward movement of the visor without interference.

19. The helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket portion comprises edge lips on at least two sides of the at least one bracket portion, and further comprising a heads-up display mounted to the at least one bracket portion, wherein the heads-up display has a base unit with a display screen, and the base unit is supported by a supporting mechanism which includes a first arm having a ball mount connection to a first base, the first base having a thumbscrew, the first base connecting to a connecting cylinder, the connecting cylinder connecting to an attachment base, wherein the thumbscrew tightens or loosens the ball connection to allow the manual manipulation of the position of the base unit, the thumbscrew provides compression friction to secure the ball mount connection in place after the ball mount has been manipulated into a desired position by a user, the attachment base has attaching lips at the top and bottom for engaging the two edge lips of the at least one bracket portion to secure the heads up display to the at least one bracket portion.

20. The helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one bracket portion comprises an upper edge lip and a lower edge lip and a recess portion between the upper and lower edge lips, the upper and lower edge lips extending inwardly toward each other, wherein an accessory can be fit beneath the upper and lower edge lips over the recess portion, to be held behind the edge lips to the bracket portion.

21-92. -92. (canceled)