INTEGRATED HELMET AND MASK STRUCTURE

• US 3,833,935 A
• Filed: 05/22/1972
• Issued: 09/10/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Figgie International, Inc. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: John J. Mitchell Jr, William K. Ansite
• Inventors: Ansite, William K., Mitchell, John J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunne, G. F.
• Application Number:
  US05/255,838
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 128/141,142,146.7,142.3,142.2,142.5 2/6
• US Class Current: 2/6.2
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/228 for military or aviation applications protection helmets F41H1/04; breathing masks or helmets A62B18/00
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/288 with means for attaching respirators or breathing masks
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 10/00 Flight suits helmets in general A42B3/00; breathing helmets A62B18/00

Abstract

For flying personnel there is provided a hard shell helmut suitably padded and held out of close contact with the head. An integrated visor assembly has an articulated attachment to the helmet movable between an operative position over the wearer'"'"''"'"'s face and a lifted position extending over the top of the helmut removed from the face. Compound leverage elements making up the attachment determine a path of movement for the visor assembly such that it travels an irregular path allowing it to first lift clear of contact with the face and then travel upwardly to its lifted position. An inflatable seal extends around the perimeter of the visor assembly, the seal being inflated with air from the oxygen supply for the breathing mask when in operation over the face of the wearer and being collapsed when deflated providing additional clearance for ease of removal from the face and for storage in its lifted position.

Claims

2. An integrated helmet and mask structure for the head and face of a wearer comprising a hard helmet shell, a visor assembly having an articulated attachment on each side to the helmet shell, each said articulated attachment comprising a first moving connection between the helmet shell and an upper end of the visor assembly determinative of a first path of movement of the visor assembly relative to the helmet shell and a second moving connection between the helmet shell and the lower end of the visor assembly determinative of a second path of movement of the visor assembly relative to the helmet shell, said visor assembly comprising an eye area shell section adapted to surround the eyes of the wearer and an oral-nasal area shell section adapted to surround the mouth and nose of the wearer, and a visor cover on the upper portion of the helmet shell forming a space beneath itself and the helmet shell for reception of the eye area shell section when the visor assembly is raised to a position clearing the face of the wearer, said first moving connection comprising means forming a slot in the visor cover and a pivot pin on the eye area shell section and located in said slot, said pivot pin having a pivoting and sliding connection to said visor cover, said second moving connection comprising an arm, one end of said arm having a pivotal attachment to the oral-nasal shell area shell section, and the other end of said arm having a pivotal attachment to the helmet shell.

3. An integrated helmet and mask structure as in claim 2 wherein said arm is longitudinally extendable and includes spring means biased to retract said arm whereby to pull said shell sections against the face of the wearer.

4. An integrated helmet and mask structure for the head and face of a wearer comprising a hard helmet shell, a visor assembly having an articulated attachment on each side to the helmet shell, each said articulated attachment comprising a first moving connection between the helmet shell and an upper end of the visor assembly determinative of a first path of movement of the visor assembly relative to the helmet shell and a second moving connection between the helmet shell and the lower end of the visor assembly determinative of a second path of movement of the visor assembly relative to the helmet shell, said visor assembly comprising an eye area shell section adapted to surround the eyes of the wearer and an oral-nasal area shell section adapted to surround the mouth and nose of the wearer, and a visor cover on the upper portion of the helmet shell forming a space beneath itself and the helmet shell for reception of the eye area shell section when the visor assembly is raised to a position clearing the face of the wearer, said first moving connection comprising means forming a slot in the visor cover and a pivot pin on the eye area shell section and located in said slot, said pivot pin having a pivoting and sliding connection to said visor cover, said second moving connection comprising a pair of lever arms, one end of one of said arms having a pivotal attachment to the oral-nasal area shell section, one end of the other of said arms having a pivotal attachment to the helmet shell, said arms having a pivotal joint therebetween.

5. An integrated helmet and mask structure as in claim 4 wherein one of said arms has an extension extending beyond said pivotal joint to a location removed from the helmet shell and accessible to the wearer for manipulation of the position of said visor assembly.

6. An integrated helmet and mask structure for the head and face of a wearer comprising a hard helmet shell, a visor assembly having an articulated attachment on each side to the helmet shell, each said articulated attachment comprising a first moving connection between the helmet shell and an upper end of the visor assembly determinative of a first path of movement of the visor assembly relative to the helmet shell and a second moving connection between the helmet shell and the lower end of the visor assembly determinative of a second path of movement of the visor assembly relative to the helmet shell, the connection between the helmet shell and the lower end of the visor assembly being separate from and at a location remote from the connection of the upper end of the visor assembly to the shell, said first moving connection comprising a first lever arm with a pivotal connection between one end of said first arm and an upper portion of the visor assembly, a second lever arm with a pivotal connection between one end of said second lever arM and a lower portion of the visor assembly, and a third arm with a pivotal connection between one end of said third arm and the helmet shell, other ends respectively of said first and second lever arms having pivotal connections to the third lever arm at spaced locations thereon.

7. An integrated helmet and mask structure as in claim 6 wherein said third lever arm has an extension extending beyond the pivotal connections respectively to said first and second lever arms whereby to enable manipulation of said visor assembly by the wearer.

8. An integrated helmet and mask structure for the head and face of a wearer comprising a hard helmet shell, a visor assembly having an articulated attachment on each side to the helmet shell, each said articulated attachment comprising a first moving connection between the helmet shell and an upper end of the visor assembly determinative of a first path of movement of the visor assembly relative to the helmet shell and a second moving connection between the helmet shell and the lower end of the visor assembly determinative of a second path of movement of the visor assembly relative to the helmet shell, said helmet shell comprising a head receiving receptable and ear receiving receptables, said first moving connection comprising a track on the helmet shell and a sliding shoe on the visor assembly in sliding engagement with said track, said second moving connection comprising an arm with a pivotal connection between one end of said arm and the helmet shell and a fixed connection between the other end of said arm and the visor assembly.

9. An integrated helmet and mask structure as in claim 8 wherein there is a stiff band interconnecting each ear receiving receptacle and the head receiving receptacle at the rear portion of said head receiving receptacle, and a relatively stiff band interconnecting the ear receiving receptacle and the head receiving receptacle at the side portion of said head receiving receptacle, and wherein the pivotal connection of said arm is a connection to the ear receiving receptacle.