Modular protective helmet
The modular helmet's guide mechanism with three guide elements per side addresses jamming and asymmetrical issues, ensuring reliable and fluid chin guard operation through synchronized movement.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHARK SA
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-12
AI Technical Summary
Existing modular helmets suffer from guide mechanism failures due to asymmetrical movements and wear-induced irregularities, leading to jamming and reduced fluidity in chin guard operation.
A guide mechanism with three guide elements per side, including two slides and a male pivot, ensures synchronized movement of the chin guard, preventing asymmetrical positions and maintaining stability through bijective relationships between guide elements and their paths.
The solution provides a reliable and fluid chin guard operation by eliminating jamming and ensuring smooth, quick movement between closed and open configurations.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Modular protective helmet technical field
[0001] The invention relates to a protective helmet, in particular for motorcyclists, of the modular type; a modular helmet being a helmet comprising a shell on which a movable chin guard is mounted.
[0002] It relates more particularly to a modular helmet equipped with a guidance mechanism to guide the chin guard between a closed configuration known as "full-face" and an open configuration known as "jet". Previous technique
[0003] In a known manner, and in particular from patent EP 1 806 986 Bl, a modular helmet has a chin guard with reversible mobility between two configurations which are: - the closed configuration known as "full" in which the chin guard is closed or folded down on the front of the helmet and provides protection for the facial portion of the chin, and the lower part of the face. - the open configuration known as "jet" in which the chin guard is open or raised and held in position on the back of the helmet, beyond the top of the shell, to clear the wearer's face.
[0004] This patent EP 1 806 986 B1 proposes a chin rest guide mechanism comprising two slides arranged on the shell, one on the right and one on the left, in each of which a guide member carried by a corresponding lateral arm, right or left, of the chin rest is guided by sliding motion. Furthermore, each lateral arm of the chin rest also has a slide in which a pivoting member, this time carried by the shell, is guided.
[0005] It is also known, from patent EP 2 478 785 B1, to employ a guide mechanism with four slides, two on the right and two on the left, and in each of the four slides is guided in sliding a guide member carried by one of the two lateral arms of the chin rest, so that each lateral arm carries two guide members sliding respectively in two separate slides.
[0006] Also, in these two prior art helmets, there are always two guide members on the right side and two guide members on the left side, and on each side the two guide members are guided in two separate slides. This technical choice of the guide mechanism, however, has the disadvantage of being susceptible to failure, with one of the guide members becoming blocked or jammed in its corresponding slide, in the event of twisting of the chin guard with a right / left asymmetry, or in the case of a wide face, which can block / brake the opening or closing movement of the chin guard, with a potential risk if the manipulation is carried out while driving.
[0007] This potential malfunction results from the choice of operating method with two guide elements per side, and also partly from the trajectory of the chin bar, which is straight, or practically straight, or slightly curved, at the beginning of its trajectory during opening (or at the end of its trajectory during closing). Also, at the beginning of the opening movement (or at the end of the closing movement), it is possible to slightly translate the chin bar to one side but not the other, so that one of the guide elements advances in the straight or nearly straight section at the beginning of its slide while the other symmetrical guide element does not move, which can compromise the locking symmetry and risk causing a jam.
[0008] Furthermore, the orientation of the trajectory given by the slides at the beginning of the opening movement is oriented rather towards the front of the helmet to advance the chin guard, possibly simultaneously raising it slightly, which is not identical to the direction of the movement given naturally by the user, who will tend to push the chin guard upwards, rather than pull it forwards to open the chin guard.
[0009] Equivalently, the orientation of the trajectory given by the slides at the beginning of the closing movement is oriented rather towards the rear of the helmet to detach the chin guard from the rear of the shell, which is not identical to the direction of the movement given naturally by the user, who will tend to pull the chin guard upwards or even forwards, rather than pulling it backwards to initiate the closing of the chin guard.
[0010] These manipulations carried out classically by users, coupled with the fact that, on each side, each guide element slides in a slide, can lead to the wear of the surfaces of the slides traversed by the guide elements, in particular at the beginning and end of the slides; and once these surfaces are worn, the slides will have irregularities which may significantly impair the proper functioning of the guide mechanism. Summary of the invention
[0011] The invention aims to solve in whole or in part the problems mentioned above, and in particular to offer a guidance mechanism for a chin rest which is more reliable, in the sense that it reduces, or even eliminates, the risks of blocking or jamming.
[0012] Another object of the invention is to have a guidance mechanism offering fluidity for the user in the manipulation and movement of the chin guard, whether opening or closing.
[0013] Thus, the invention proposes a modular protective helmet, for example for motorcyclists, comprising a shell on which a chin guard is movablely mounted, said modular protective helmet comprising a guide mechanism for guiding said chin guard along an opening / closing trajectory between a closed configuration on the front of the shell and an open configuration on the rear of the shell, said guide mechanism comprising two guide plates assembled on the shell on either side of a sagittal plane of the helmet and on which two respective lateral arms of the chin guard are guided, in which each of the two guide plates comprises a first slide and a second slide in which are guided in sliding a first guide member and a second guide member respectively carried by one of the two corresponding lateral arms, with a guide member per slide.
[0014] This modular protective helmet is remarkable in that each of the two guide plates supports a male pivot which is engaged in a female slide provided in one of the two corresponding lateral arms so that said female slide pivots around and slides on the male pivot during the opening / closing trajectory.
[0015] Thus, the invention proposes to have three guide elements per side, which are the first guide member which slides in the first slide, the second guide member which slides in the second slide and finally the male pivot on which the female slide is guided.
[0016] In this way, this helmet offers on each side: - to have on the shell: two paths formed by the first slide and the second slide, and a fixed intermediate point on the shell, formed by the male pivot, around which the chin rest can translate back and forth and pivot during its rotation around the shell; and - to have on the chin guard: the first guide element and the second guide element which move simultaneously, each in their respective path materialized by the first slide and the second slide, and the female slide which allows the translation of the chin guard around the male pivot attached to the cap.
[0017] The presence of two paths in association with the male pivot advantageously avoids the three problematic situations in prior art helmets, namely:
[0018] - the chin rest being positioned at an angle in any position, and at the same time the matting of the surfaces of the slides; - the asymmetrical translation of the chin rest into a given position, along the path.
[0019] - a movement of the chin rest including friction and a lack of fluidity.
[0020] Indeed, having three guide elements per side provides a degree of static stability that prevents the system from operating asymmetrically, in other words, it prevents any asymmetrical movement of the guide elements between the right and left sides. In fact, the stability of the chin rest is ensured at every point along its trajectory because, for each angular position of the chin rest along its path, there is one and only one possible position for the guide elements in their respective slides, and thus the chin rest can be manipulated quickly and smoothly, without fear of jamming or binding.
[0021] According to one feature, for each of the two guide plates, the first slide, the second slide and the female slide associated with its male pivot are shaped so that each position of the chin rest on the opening / closing path corresponds to a unique position of the first guide member in the first slide, of the second guide member in the second slide and of the male pivot in the female slide.
[0022] In other words, the azimuthal pitch position of the chin rest is in a bijective relationship with the positions of the two right-hand guide elements (same on the left), the two guide elements thus moving synchronously along the corresponding slides (that is, along their respective trajectories). Such a feature is advantageous for ensuring that the right-hand guide (in the right-hand slides) and the left-hand guide (in the left-hand slides) are synchronous.
[0023] According to one possibility, considering the opening / closing trajectory of a point on the chin rest, for each position of the chin rest: - a tangent to the opening / closing trajectory on said point, called the opening / closing tangent; - a tangent to the first slide at the position of the first guiding element, called the first tangent; - a tangent to the second slide on the position of the second guiding element, called the second tangent; are such that at least one of the first tangent and the second tangent is not parallel to the opening / closing tangent.
[0024] Thus, the first tangent and the second tangent will never be parallel simultaneously to this opening / closing tangent, and therefore to the trajectory of the chin rest, which prevents any asymmetrical movement of the latter.
[0025] According to another possibility, for each of the two guide plates, its two slides are curvilinear and not rectilinear.
[0026] According to another possibility, for each of the two lateral branches of the chin rest, the female slide is straight.
[0027] According to one feature, for each of the two lateral branches of the chin rest, the first guide member and the second guide member are arranged on either side of the female slide.
[0028] According to another feature, for each of the two lateral branches of the chin strap, the female slide is oblong and extends along a longitudinal axis which passes through the first guide member and the second guide member, so that the first guide member, the second guide member and the male pivot are aligned on this longitudinal axis. Brief description of the drawings
[0029] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a non-limiting example of implementation, made with reference to the accompanying figures in which:
[0030] [Fig-1] is a schematic side view of a modular protective helmet with its chin guard in closed configuration on the front of its shell;
[0031] [Fig.2] is a schematic side view of the helmet of [Fig.1] with its chin guard being opened at eye level from the closed configuration;
[0032] [Fig.3] is a schematic side view of the helmet of [Fig.1] with its chin guard being opened at the level of the forehead;
[0033] [Fig.4] is a schematic side view of the helmet of [Fig.1] with its chin guard being opened at the top of the shell;
[0034] [Fig.5] is a schematic side view of the helmet of [Fig.1] with its chin guard in the open configuration on the rear of the shell beyond its top;
[0035] [Fig.6] is a schematic side view of the chin guard alone of the helmet of [Fig.1];
[0036] [Fig.7] is a schematic top view of the left lateral branch of the chin guard of the helmet of [Fig.1];
[0037] [Fig.8] is a schematic side view of the helmet shell alone from [Fig.1].
[0038] [Detailed description of an embodiment of the invention]
[0039] The helmet 1 illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 is a modular protective helmet, suitable for a motorcyclist, and it comprises a shell 2 on which are movable a screen (not illustrated) and a chin guard 3.
[0040] The shell 2 has symmetry with respect to a sagittal plane of the helmet 1, and comprises two opposing lateral parts 20, arranged on either side of the sagittal plane of the helmet 1, with a lateral part 20 on the right side and a lateral part 20 on the left side, respectively. The shell 2 also has a vertex 21 arranged in the sagittal plane of helmet 1 and forming the highest point of shell 2 when it rests on a horizontal plane.
[0041] This helmet 1 is said to be modular in the sense that its chin guard 3 can be moved between: - a closed configuration (visible in [Fig. 1]) in which the chin guard 3 is closed at the front of the helmet 1 (at the level of the wearer's chin when worn) in order to give the helmet 1 a so-called "full-face" configuration; and - an open configuration (visible on [Fig.5]) in which the chin guard 3 is positioned on the rear of the shell 1 beyond the top 21 of the shell 2 (at the level of the back of the head, or even at the level of the nape of the neck, of its wearer when worn) in order to give the helmet 1 a so-called "jet" configuration.
[0042] The chin rest 3 has a central portion 35, of curved shape, which carries reversible locking means adapted to cooperate with complementary means provided on the shell 2 in order to lock the chin rest 3 on the shell 2 in the closed configuration.
[0043] The chin guard 3 also includes two lateral arms 30, which extend the central portion 35 to the right and left, on either side of the sagittal plane of the helmet 1. These two lateral arms 30 are movablely mounted on the two opposite lateral parts 20 of the shell 2, with respectively one lateral arm 30 on the right side and one lateral arm 30 on the left side.
[0044] The helmet 1 is equipped with a guide mechanism to guide its chin guard 3 along an opening / closing trajectory 9 between the closed and open configurations, and vice versa; the opening / closing trajectory 9 illustrated in [Fig.4] corresponds to the trajectory of a point P of the chin guard 3. This opening / closing trajectory 9 is not entirely circular by combining rotation and translation.
[0045] This guide mechanism comprises two guide plates 5 assembled on the shell 2 on either side of the sagittal plane, with one guide plate 5 on the right and one guide plate 5 on the left. These two guide plates 5 are fixedly attached, for example by screwing, to the two respective lateral parts 20 of the shell 2.
[0046] On each of the two guide plates 5 are provided two slides 51, 52; with therefore two slides 51, 52 per guide plate 5. Thus, each of the two guide plates 5 comprises a first slide 51 and a second slide 52; the two slides 51, 52 on the right and the two slides 51, 52 on the left being arranged symmetrically on either side of the sagittal plane of the helmet 1.
[0047] For each of the two guide plates 5, the two slides 51, 52 are curved and not rectilinear; they are also continuous and without bifurcation. The first slide 51 is arranged above the second slide 52 and it has a general U-shape inverted, while the second slide 52 has a general U-shape right-side up.
[0048] This guide mechanism comprises, on each of the two lateral arms 30 of the chin rest 3, two guide members 31, 32 which are guided by sliding in the two slides 51, 52 of the corresponding guide plate 5, i.e. the guide plate 5 disposed on the same side of the sagittal plane; with one guide member 31, 32 per slide 51, 52. For each of the two lateral arms 30, the two guide members 31, 32 are fixed on an inner face of the lateral arm 30.
[0049] Thus, each of the two lateral branches 31 of the chin rest 3 supports a first guide member 31 which is guided in sliding in the first slide 51 of the corresponding guide plate 5, and a second guide member 32 which is guided in sliding in the second slide 52 of the corresponding guide plate 5.
[0050] These guide members 31, 32 are rolling members (for example of the ball bearing type, roller bearing, needle bearing type) or sliding members (for example of the sliding pad type), which are fixed on the corresponding lateral arm 31, for example by screwing.
[0051] Thus, the guiding mechanism comprises four guide members 31, 32, including two guide members 31, 32 on the right lateral arm 31 for sliding in the two right-hand slides 51, 52 and two guide members 31, 32 on the left lateral arm 31 for sliding in the two left-hand slides 51, 52. The right-hand and left-hand guide members 31, 32 are arranged symmetrically on either side of the sagittal plane of the helmet 1.
[0052] Furthermore, this guidance mechanism comprises: - for each of the two guide plates 5, a male pivot 53 which is rigidly supported by the guide plate 5; and - for each of the two lateral branches 30 of the chin rest 3, a female slide 33 which is in the form of a straight groove formed in the lateral branch 30 and disposed between the first guide member 31 and the second guide member 32, so that the associated male pivot 53 (that on the same side) is engaged in said female slide 33 so that said female slide 33 is both pivoting around the male pivot 53 and sliding on the male pivot 53.
[0053] As can be seen in [Fig.6], the female slide 33 is straight and oblong and extends along a longitudinal axis which passes through the first guide member 31 and the second guide member 32, so that, as can be seen in Figures 1 to 5, the first guide member 31, the second guide member 32 and the male pivot 53 are aligned on this longitudinal axis.
[0054] Thus, on each side of the helmet 1, the guide mechanism includes the first guide member 31 which slides in the first slide 51, the second guide member 32 which slides in the second slide 52, and the male pivot 53 which is engaged in the female slide 33, so that the chin guard 3 can slide and pivot on and around the male pivot 53 which is fixed while the guide members 31, 32 slide in their respective slides 51, 52.
[0055] For each of the two guide plates 5, the first slide 51, the second slide 52 and the female slide 33 associated with its male pivot 53 are shaped so that at each point of the opening / closing trajectory 9 there corresponds a unique position of the first guide member 31 in the first slide 51, of the second guide member 32 in the second slide 52 and of the male pivot 53 in the female slide 33.
[0056] With reference to [Fig.4], considering the opening / closing trajectory 9 of point P of the chin rest 3, for each position of the chin rest:
[0057] - a tangent T9 to the opening / closing trajectory 9 on said point P, called opening / closing tangent T9; - a tangent Tl to the first slide 51 at the position of the first guide element 51, called the first tangent Tl; - a tangent T2 to the second slide 52 on the position of the second guide element 52, called the second tangent T2;
[0058] are such that at least one of the first tangent T1 and the second tangent T2 is not parallel to the opening / closing tangent 9.
Claims
Demands
1. Modular protective helmet (1), for example for motorcyclists, comprising a shell (2) on which a chin guard (3) is movably mounted, said modular protective helmet (1) comprising a guide mechanism for guiding said chin guard (3) along an opening / closing trajectory (9) between a closed configuration at the front of the shell and an open configuration at the rear of the shell (2), said guide mechanism comprising two guide plates (5) assembled on the shell (2) on either side of a sagittal plane of the helmet and on which two respective lateral arms (30) of the chin guard (3) are guided, in which each of the two guide plates (5) comprises a first slide (51) and a second slide (52) in which are guided in sliding motion a respective first guide member (31) and a second guide member (32) carried by one of the corresponding two lateral arms (30),with a sliding guide element, said modular protective helmet (1) being characterized in that each of the two guide plates (5) supports a male pivot (53) which is engaged in a female slide (33) provided in one of the two corresponding lateral arms (30) so that said female slide (33) pivots around and slides on the male pivot (53) during the opening / closing trajectory (9).
2. Modular protective helmet (1) according to claim 1, wherein, for each of the two guide plates (5), the first slide (51), the second slide (52) and the female slide (33) associated with its male pivot (53) are shaped so that each position of the chin guard (3) on the opening / closing trajectory (9) corresponds to a unique position of the first guide member (31) in the first slide (51), of the second guide member (32) in the second slide (52) and of the male pivot (53) in the female slide (33).
3. Modular protective helmet (1) according to claim 2, wherein, considering the opening / closing trajectory (9) of a point (P) of the chin guard (3), for each position of the chin guard (3): - a tangent to the opening / closing trajectory (9) at said point (P), called opening / closing tangent (T9); - a tangent to the first slide (51) at the position of the first guide member (31), called first tangent (T1); - a tangent to the second slide (52) at the position of the second guide member (32), called second tangent (T2); are such that at least one of the first tangent (T1) and the second tangent (T2) is not parallel to the opening / closing tangent (T9).
4. Modular protective helmet (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, for each of the two guide plates (5), its two slides (51, 52) are curvilinear and not rectilinear.
5. Modular protective helmet (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, for each of the two lateral arms (30) of the chin guard (3), the female slide (33) is straight.
6. Modular protective helmet (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, for each of the two lateral arms (30) of the chin guard (3), the first guide member (31) and the second guide member (32) are arranged on either side of the female slide (33).
7. Modular protective helmet (1) according to claim 6, wherein, for each of the two lateral arms (30) of the chin guard (3), the female slide (33) is oblong and extends along a longitudinal axis which passes through the first guide member (31) and through the second guide member (32), so that the first guide member (31), the second guide member (32) and the male pivot (53) are aligned on this longitudinal axis.