Safety helmet with module ring

• US 8,015,626 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Draeger Safety Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Original Assignee: Draeger Safety Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Inventors: Freitag, Axel, Grassl, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley; Shaun R
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOON, JANE SUJIN
• Application Number:
  US11/383,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20070022520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• Field of Search: 241/0, 2/5, 2/61, 2/62, 2/66, 2/67, 2/68, 242/1, 242/2, 242/5, 2 1/0, 245/2, 434/27, D28/66, D28/95, 224/181, 224/182
• US Class Current: 2/422
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/04 Parts, details or accessories of helmets
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/084 Means for fastening gas-masks to heads or helmets
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 1/04 Protection helmets crash helmets A42B3/00

Abstract

A safety helmet (1) has a circumferential module ring (2), made especially of a thermoplastic plastic. The module ring (2), has a plurality of plug-in slots (3), which are located at spaced locations from one another in the direction of the module ring (2). This provides standardized simultaneous mounting possibilities for various functional accessories with plug elements complementary to the plug-in slots (3).

Claims

1. A safety helmet, comprising:

a helmet shell comprising a peripheral edge surface; and

a circumferential module ring with a plurality of plug-in slots located at spaced locations along said module ring for receiving functional accessories, said circumferential module ring including at least one hooking element and elastic clamping elements for the detachable fastening of said module ring at the lower edge of said safety helmet shell at openings in said helmet shell for connecting said module ring to said helmet shell with said circumferential module ring extending annularly around said helmet shell and said plurality of plug-in slots located at spaced locations along said module ring and disposed at spaced locations extending about a periphery of said helmet shell, said peripheral edge surface defining said openings, wherein at least one of said openings receives one of said elastic clamping elements, said at least one hooking element being provided on one side of said module ring, said elastic clamping elements being provided on an opposite side of said module ring.

2. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plug-in slots are arranged obliquely in said module ring, each of the plug-in slots being located radially outwardly of said peripheral surface of said helmet shell.

3. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plug-in slots are continuous from top to bottom.

4. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plug-in slots have a bottom and are not continuous from top to bottom.

5. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said hooking element and said clamping elements are integral parts of said module ring, one or more of said clamping elements being provided at a front portion of said module ring, said at least one hooking element being provided at a rear portion of said module ring, said front portion being connected to a front portion of said helmet shell via said one or more clamping elements, said rear portion being connected to a rear portion of said helmet shell via said at least one hooking element, one or more of said openings being provided at said front portion of said helmet shell.

6. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plug-in slots have receiving snap-in elements for cooperating with complementary snap-in elements of a functional accessory, so that the functional accessory is detachably fixed in a corresponding said plug-in slot.

7. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said module ring consists of a duroplastic or thermoplastic plastic and an inner surface of said module ring is adapted to a contour of said helmet shell.

8. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said functional accessories each comprise mounting means for mounting in said plug-in slots and comprise any one of a visor, eyeglass strap part, capsule type air protector, breathing mask adapter, light, infrared or video camera, power supply source, badge, tool, communications element, and head-up display.

9. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said module ring is colored or marked in color.

10. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said module ring comprises a cable duct, power source/electronic components and one or more of an antenna, a radio transmitter, a microphone, a sensor, a lamp and/or light.

11. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said functional accessories each comprise mounting means for mounting in said plug-in slots and at least one of said functional accessories comprises a neck protector.

12. A safety helmet, comprising:

a helmet shell;

a circumferential module ring including connection means for connecting said circumferential module ring to said helmet shell in a position extending annularly and fully around said helmet shell, said circumferential module ring comprising a plurality of plug-in slots located at spaced locations in a circumferential direction of said module ring and with said circumferential module ring extending annularly around said helmet shell, said plurality of the plug-in slots being located at spaced locations about said helmet shell with each of the plug-in slots being located radially outwardly of a peripheral surface of said helmet shell, said connection means of said module ring comprising at least one hooking element and elastic clamping elements for the detachable fastening of said module ring at the lower edge of said safety helmet shell at openings in said helmet shell, said circumferential module ring comprising an inner module ring side and an outer module ring side, said inner module ring side being opposite said outer module ring side, said at least one hooking element being provided on said inner module ring side, said elastic clamping elements being provided on said outer module ring side; and

a functional accessory having a portion shaped for being received in one of said plurality of the plug-in slots.

13. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 12, wherein said hooking element and said clamping elements are integral parts of said module ring, said module ring having a front circumferential portion and a rear circumferential portion, said front circumferential portion being located opposite said rear circumferential portion, one or more of said elastic clamping elements being provided on said front circumferential portion, said at least one hooking element being provided on said rear circumferential portion, said helmet shell having a helmet shell front portion and a helmet shell rear portion, said helmet shell front portion being connected to said front circumferential portion via said one more of said elastic clamping elements, said helmet shell rear portion being connected to said rear circumferential portion via said at least one hooking element.

14. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 12, wherein said plug-in slots have receiving snap-in elements for cooperating with complementary snap-in elements of said functional accessory, so that said functional accessory is detachably fixed in a corresponding said plug-in slot.

15. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 12, wherein said module ring consists of a duroplastic or thermoplastic plastic and an inner surface of said module ring is adapted to a contour of said helmet shell.

16. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 12, wherein said functional accessory comprises mounting means for mounting in said plug-in slots and is one of a visor, eyeglass strap part, capsule type air protector, breathing mask adapter, light, infrared or video camera, power supply source, badge, tool, communications element, and head-up display.

17. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 12, wherein said module ring is colored or marked in color.

18. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 12, wherein said connection means comprises an integrally injection molding of said helmet shell to said module ring.

19. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 12, wherein said module ring comprises a cable duct, power source/electronic components and one or more of an antenna, a radio transmitter, a microphone, a sensor, a lamp and/or light.

20. A safety helmet in accordance with claim 12, wherein said functional accessories each comprise mounting means for mounting in said plug-in slots and at least one of said functional accessories comprises a neck protector.