GB1586377A - Crash helmet with movable visor - Google Patents

Description

(54) CRASH HELMET WITH MOVABLE VISOR (71) We, KIWI SOCIETE ANONY ME, a Body Corporate organised under the laws of Switzerland, of 6537 Grono, Switzerland, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us. and the method by which it is to be performed, to be described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a crash helmet having a movable visor.

More specifically it relates to a crash helmet provided with an automatically raisable visor, particularly suitable for motor cyclists.

Helmets made of a strong plastics material are known to which is attached a transparent visor which, when riding, protects the motor cyclist's eyes from dust, midges and other extraneous matter.

Generally the visor is linked to the helmet by arms so that when not in use the visor may be raised.

In order to prevent the visor from accidentally rising in use, due to the air, at its sides the visor is generally provided with two pins or other latching members allowing the visor to be movably fixed to the helmet structure.

In the practical use, these helmets present several drawbacks of which the principal one is that both hands are necessary for moving the visor, so that the motor cyclist is compelled to release temporarily the control of his machine. Thus to raise or lower the visor during a race is, with these types of helmets, very dangerous since the raising or lowering operation may cause the motor cyclist to lose control, especially at high speeds.

An object of the present invention is to provide a crash helmet having a visor which maybe operated by one hand only, whereby the motor cyclist may still control his motor cycle with the other hand.

According to the present invention we provide a crash helmet comprising a helmet structure, a visor pivotally attached to said helmet structure at the sides thereof, resilient means at each of said pivots to bias said visor towards a raised position, an inwardly extending projection provided at or near the lower edge of the visor centrally thereof, and a slidable resiliently biased hook member provided on said helmet structure, operable by hand, engaging or latching the projection of said visor when the latter is in the lowered position.

Owing to this particular structure of the helmet and visor, in order to lower the visor, it will suffice to push, by one hand, said visor downwardly thereby engaging the hook member with the projection and then locking said hook member. In order to raise the visor, on the contrary, it will suffice to shift, by one finger, the hook member thereby disengaging the hook member from the visor projection; being free, the visor quickly rises as pushed by the resilient means located at its side linking members.

In order to more completely understand the present invention, the instant movable visor crash helmet will be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein: Figure 1 is a side perspective view of the instant crash helmet, the visor being in a lowered position; Figure 2 is an axial schematic view of the resilient latching member effective to latch or lock the visor to the helmet structure; Figure 3 is a side view of one of the visor linking members; and Figure 4 is an axial section view of the linking member of Figure 3.

Referring particularly to the Figures, the crash-helmet comprises generally a basic structure 10, of known type, provided with an opening for the visor 11. The visor 11, which is pivotally attached to the sides of the structure 10, is provided, at the lower central portion of its inner surface, with an inwardly extending projection 11' and its free ends are movably linked to the structure 10. The helmet opening is covered by the visor when the latter is moved into the lowered position.

Each pivot consists of an internally threaded sleeve 12 which is inserted by pressing into a hole provided through the helmet structure 10. Arranged on said sleeve 12 is a spiral spring 13, one end of which engages a hole 19 of the structure 10.

To each end of the visor 11, resting on the two sides of the structure 10, a plate 14 is fixedly mounted. A threaded pin 15 passing through the plate 14 and screwed into the sleeve 12 provides for the linking of the visor 11 on the structure 10. The other end of each spiral spring 13 is inserted into a hole 20 provided in the associated plate 14.

Into the central portion of the structure 10, beneath the opening therein, a resilient metal strip 25 is inserted, the upper end 16 of said resilient metal strip 25 projecting into the opening and being of hook shape.

Said strip 25 is downwardly urged by a spring 17, fixed between the strip and the structure 10.

A button or pin 18, the head of which is knurled, is rigidly connected with the central portion of the strip 25 and is slidable in a slot in the structure 10. The strip 25 rests on the inner surface of the structure 10 which, near to the hook 16, is of increased thickness and inwardly slanted. By lowering the visor 11 this latter is locked to the structure 10 since the projection 11' of the visor engages the hook 16 of the strip 25 against the bias of the spring 17. To raise the visor it is sufficient to push upwardly, by one finger, the button 18 to unlatch or disengage the hook 16 from the projection 11'. In fact, the hook 16 besides shifting upwardly, also moves to the inside due to the increased structure 10 thickness acting as a guide for the strip 25.

From the above description and the Figures of the accompanying drawings, the simple structure and the functionality of the movable visor crash helmet of the present invention are self-evident.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A movable visor crash helmet, comprising a helmet structure, a visor pivotally attached to said helmet structure at the sides thereof, resilient means at each of said pivots to bias said visor towards a raised position, an inwardly extending projection, provided at or near the lower edge of the visor centrally thereof, and a slidable resiliently biased hook member provided on said helmet structure, operable by hand, engaging or latching the projection of said visor when the latter is in the lowered position.

2. A movable visor crash helmet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resilient means at the pivots each consist of a spiral spring engaged on a pivot sleeve, the ends of said spiral spring being fixed to the helmet structure and to the visor respectively.

3. A movable visor crash helmet as claimed in claim 2, wherein said visor, at each side thereof, is provided with a plate through a hole of which a threaded fixing pin screwed to the sleeve fixed to the helmet structure extends, said spiral spring being located on said sleeve.

4. A movable visor crash helmet as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said hook member consists of a resilient metal strip, located inside the helmet at the central portion thereof beneath the opening for the visor, said strip being biased by a spring and having its hooked portion extending into said opening, said strip being provided with a finger button slidable in a slot provided through the helmet structure.

5. A movable visor crash helmet as claimed in claim 4, wherein the helmet structure, near to the hook of said strip, has a thickened portion with the inner surface slanted to the inside of the helmet, thereby forming a slanted guide on which said blade is able to slide and move inwardly of the helmet during a release movement thereof.

6. A movable visor crash helmet as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. structure 10, is provided, at the lower central portion of its inner surface, with an inwardly extending projection 11' and its free ends are movably linked to the structure 10. The helmet opening is covered by the visor when the latter is moved into the lowered position. Each pivot consists of an internally threaded sleeve 12 which is inserted by pressing into a hole provided through the helmet structure 10. Arranged on said sleeve 12 is a spiral spring 13, one end of which engages a hole 19 of the structure 10. To each end of the visor 11, resting on the two sides of the structure 10, a plate 14 is fixedly mounted. A threaded pin 15 passing through the plate 14 and screwed into the sleeve 12 provides for the linking of the visor 11 on the structure 10. The other end of each spiral spring 13 is inserted into a hole 20 provided in the associated plate 14. Into the central portion of the structure 10, beneath the opening therein, a resilient metal strip 25 is inserted, the upper end 16 of said resilient metal strip 25 projecting into the opening and being of hook shape. Said strip 25 is downwardly urged by a spring 17, fixed between the strip and the structure 10. A button or pin 18, the head of which is knurled, is rigidly connected with the central portion of the strip 25 and is slidable in a slot in the structure 10. The strip 25 rests on the inner surface of the structure 10 which, near to the hook 16, is of increased thickness and inwardly slanted. By lowering the visor 11 this latter is locked to the structure 10 since the projection 11' of the visor engages the hook 16 of the strip 25 against the bias of the spring 17. To raise the visor it is sufficient to push upwardly, by one finger, the button 18 to unlatch or disengage the hook 16 from the projection 11'. In fact, the hook 16 besides shifting upwardly, also moves to the inside due to the increased structure 10 thickness acting as a guide for the strip 25. From the above description and the Figures of the accompanying drawings, the simple structure and the functionality of the movable visor crash helmet of the present invention are self-evident. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A movable visor crash helmet, comprising a helmet structure, a visor pivotally attached to said helmet structure at the sides thereof, resilient means at each of said pivots to bias said visor towards a raised position, an inwardly extending projection, provided at or near the lower edge of the visor centrally thereof, and a slidable resiliently biased hook member provided on said helmet structure, operable by hand, engaging or latching the projection of said visor when the latter is in the lowered position.

2. A movable visor crash helmet as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resilient means at the pivots each consist of a spiral spring engaged on a pivot sleeve, the ends of said spiral spring being fixed to the helmet structure and to the visor respectively.

3. A movable visor crash helmet as claimed in claim 2, wherein said visor, at each side thereof, is provided with a plate through a hole of which a threaded fixing pin screwed to the sleeve fixed to the helmet structure extends, said spiral spring being located on said sleeve.

4. A movable visor crash helmet as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said hook member consists of a resilient metal strip, located inside the helmet at the central portion thereof beneath the opening for the visor, said strip being biased by a spring and having its hooked portion extending into said opening, said strip being provided with a finger button slidable in a slot provided through the helmet structure.

5. A movable visor crash helmet as claimed in claim 4, wherein the helmet structure, near to the hook of said strip, has a thickened portion with the inner surface slanted to the inside of the helmet, thereby forming a slanted guide on which said blade is able to slide and move inwardly of the helmet during a release movement thereof.

6. A movable visor crash helmet as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.