Full-face helmet

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a full-face helmet that ensures the retention of a shield is not easily released by impact.　A full-face helmet 1 comprises: a full-face type helmet shell 2; a shield 3 that opens / closes a front opening 21 of the helmet shell 2; and a retention device 4 that retains the closed state of the shield 3, and is characterized in that the shield 3 is pivotally supported to the helmet shell 2 by right and left single or composite shafts, the retention device 4 includes a hooking piece 41 provided in the upper part of a chin guard part 22 of the helmet shell 2, a hooked piece 42 provided in the lower part of the shield 3 and capable of being hooked to the hooking piece 41, and a lock piece 43 that prevents the hooked piece 42 hooked to the hooking piece 41 from coming off from the hooking piece 41, and the lock piece 43 is movably attached to the hooking piece 41 between a lock position and a non-lock position.

Description

Full-face helmet

[0001] The present invention relates to a full-face helmet, particularly a full-face helmet provided with holding means for maintaining the closed state of a shield.

[0002] Conventionally, a full-face helmet provided with holding means for holding an openable and closable shield that covers the front opening of the cap body of the full-face helmet in a closed state is known. (Patent Documents 1 to 3)

[0003] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-62528 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-150718 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-110058

[0004] The full-face helmets described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above include a locking mechanism that locks by engagement or fitting by sliding or rotating a lock lever. The full-face helmet of Patent Document 3 above includes a holding device that holds the shield by hooking a hooked piece of the shield on a hooked piece of the cap body. In the full-face helmets described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the shield is held by one engagement, fitting, or hooking, and there is a problem that the holding may be easily released depending on the direction and magnitude of the impact applied to the locking mechanism or the full-face helmet.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a full-face helmet in which the holding of the shield is not easily released by an impact.

[0006] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention has the following configuration: A full-face helmet comprising a full-face helmet body, a shield for opening and closing the front opening of the helmet body, and a retaining device for holding the shield in a closed state, wherein the shield is rotatably supported by the helmet body on left and right single or combined axes, and the retaining device comprises a fastening piece provided on the upper part of the chin guard portion of the helmet body, a retained piece provided on the lower part of the shield that can be fastened to the fastening piece, and a locking piece that prevents the retained piece from coming off the fastening piece, wherein the locking piece is movably attached to the fastening piece between a locked position and an unlocked position.

[0007] The full-face helmet of the present invention has a fastening piece provided on the upper part of the chin guard portion of the helmet body, a receiving piece provided on the lower part of the shield that can be fastened to the fastening piece, and a locking piece that prevents the receiving piece from coming off when fastened to the fastening piece. By attaching the locking piece to the fastening piece so as to be movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, a full-face helmet can be provided in which the shield is not easily released regardless of the direction or magnitude of the impact, through a double retention system of fastening between the receiving piece and the fastening piece and locking of the locking piece.

[0008] This is a side view of the full-face helmet 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the latching piece 41 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the hooked piece 42 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the locking piece 43 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the latching piece 41 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the latching piece 41 and locking piece 43 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the operation of the retaining device 4 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the latching piece 51 and locking piece 53 of Modification 1 of the present invention. This is a side view of the full-face helmet 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the latching piece 41 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the hooked piece 42 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the locking piece 43 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the latching piece 41 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the latching piece 41 and locking piece 43 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the spring 44 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the operation of the retaining device 4 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the closing operation of the retaining device 4 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the opening operation of the retaining device 4 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This figure shows the latching piece 51 and locking piece 53 of a modified example 2 according to the present invention.

[0009] [Embodiment 1] Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the direction of the wearer's face is referred to as front, the opposite side as back, the left side when facing forward as left, the right side as right, the direction of the top of the head as up, and the opposite side as down.

[0010] [Overall Configuration] Figure 1 is a view from the left of a full-face helmet 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, where (a) is the open state of the shield 3, (b) is the state in which the fastening piece 42 is fastened to the fastening piece 41 and the locking piece 43 is unlocked, and (c) is the state in which the fastening piece 42 is fastened to the fastening piece 41 and the locking piece 43 is locked. The full-face helmet 1 has a helmet body 2 molded into a full-face shape, a shield 3 that opens and closes the front opening 21 of the helmet body 2, and a holding device 4 that holds the shield 3 in the closed state.

[0011] [Helmet Shell] The helmet shell 2 is a known helmet shell and consists of a shell molded from resin or fiber-reinforced resin (glass fiber reinforced resin, carbon fiber reinforced resin, etc.), an impact-absorbing liner made of expanded polystyrene, etc., attached to the inside of the shell, and interior pads placed inside the impact-absorbing liner. Chin straps (not shown) for securing the full-face helmet 1 to the wearer's head are attached to the inner surfaces of the left and right sides near the lower opening of the helmet shell 2. The front of the helmet shell 2 is provided with a front opening 21 to expose a part of the wearer's face, and a chin guard portion 22 is formed below it to protect the area around the chin. Sealing rubber (not shown) is attached around the entire circumference of the inner peripheral edge 21a of the front opening 21, and is configured to maintain airtightness by being in close contact with the inner surface of the shield 3 when the shield 3 is closed. Shield support members 23 that rotatably support the shield 3 are attached to both the left and right sides of the front opening 21.

[0012] [Shield] The shield 3 is rotatably supported by shield support members 23 attached to both the left and right sides of the front opening 21 of the helmet body 2. In this embodiment 1, although a detailed explanation is omitted, it is configured to rotate on a composite axis. It is also possible to configure it to rotate on a single axis.

[0013] [Holding device] The holding device 4 is a component for holding the shield 3 in a closed state, and has a latching piece 41 attached to the lower outer surface of the front opening 21 at the upper part near the left-right center of the chin guard portion 22 of the helmet body 2, a hooked piece 42 attached near the left-right center of the lower edge of the shield 3, and a locking piece 43 attached to the latching piece 41. In this embodiment 1, the latching piece 41 and hooked piece 42 of the holding device 4 are attached near the left-right center of the chin guard portion 22 and the shield 3, respectively, but are not limited to this, and may be attached at any position between the right end and the left end of the chin guard portion 22 and the shield 3.

[0014] Figure 2 shows a latching piece 41 of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention, with the upper left being a top view, the upper right being a perspective view, the lower left being a front view, and the lower right being a left view. The latching piece 41 has a fixing plate portion 41a, a latching projection portion 41b, and a latching protrusion portion 41c. The fixing plate portion 41a and the latching projection portion 41b are integrally molded from metal or resin. The fixing plate portion 41a has a long shape from left to right, and screw holes for attachment to the chin guard portion 22 are formed on both the left and right sides. The latching projection portion 41b is formed in the left and right center of the fixing plate portion 41a so as to protrude forward when attached to the chin guard portion 22. The latching protrusion portion 41c is attached to the lower surface of the latching projection portion 41b so as to be able to extend and retract, and is biased in the direction of protrusion by a biasing member (not shown), for example, a compression coil spring, housed within the latching projection portion 41b. The latching projection 41c may be integrally formed with the lower part of the latching projection 41b.

[0015] Figure 3 shows a locking piece 42 of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention, with the upper left being a top view, the upper right being a perspective view, the lower left being a front view, and the lower right being a left view. The locking piece 42 has an attachment portion 42a at the top, a locking portion 42b at the bottom, and connecting portions 42c connecting the left and right sides of the attachment portion 42a and the locking portion 42b, all integrally molded from metal or resin. A locking opening 42d is formed in the center of the locking piece 42 by these attachment portion 42a, locking portion 42b, and connecting portions 42c. When viewed from the side, the locking piece 42 is formed in the shape of a thin plate. An engagement recess 42e is formed near the boundary between the locking portion 42b and the left and right connecting portions 42c. This engagement recess 42e is the point that engages with the engagement projection 43e of the locking piece 43, which will be described later.

[0016] Figure 4 shows a locking piece 43 of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention, with the upper left being a top view, the upper right being a perspective view, the lower left being a front view, and the lower right being a left view. The locking piece 43 is integrally molded from metal or resin, comprising two left and right pivot shaft portions 43a, a locking portion 43b, and a support portion 43c connecting the left and right sides of these pivot shaft portions 43a and locking portion 43b. A locking opening 43d is formed in the center of the locking piece 43 by these pivot shaft portions 43a, locking portion 43b, and support portion 43c. When viewed from the side, the locking piece 43 is formed in the shape of a thin plate. Engaging projections 43e are formed at the left and right rear ends of the locking portion 43b. These engaging projections 43e are the points that engage with the engaging recesses 42e of the latched piece 42.

[0017] Figure 5 is an exploded and assembled view of a latching piece 41, which is part of the holding device 4 in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the latching piece 41 and locking piece 43, which are part of the holding device 4 in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, where (a) shows the unlocked state (unlocked state) of the locking piece 43, and (b) shows the locked state of the locking piece 43, with the top figure being a perspective view, the middle figure being a front view, and the bottom figure being a left view, respectively. In this Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 5, the latching piece 41 is composed of two members: a latching portion 411 and a base portion 412. The latching portion 411 and the base portion 412 are integrally molded from metal or resin, respectively. The fixing plate portion 41a is composed of the latching portion 411 and the base portion 412, and the latching projection 41b and the latching protrusion 41c are formed on the latching portion 411. The latching portion 411 and the base portion 412 have a latching portion side groove portion 411d of the latching portion 411 and a base portion side groove portion 412d of the base portion 412, which form a hole 41d when the latching portion 411 and the base portion 412 are assembled.

[0018] With the pivot shaft portion 43a of the locking piece 43 engaged with either the side groove portion 411d of the latching piece or the side groove portion 412d of the base piece, the latching piece 411 and the base piece 412 are assembled and attached to the helmet body 2 with screws, and the latching piece 41 and the locking piece 43 are fixed to the helmet body 2 in the assembled state shown in Figure 6. The locking piece 43 is rotatable up and down around the pivot shaft portion 43a, which is inserted and supported in the hole portion 41d of the latching piece 41. As will be described later, the locking piece 43 is unlocked when rotated upward and locked when rotated downward. The locking piece 43 is rotatable to a position where it contacts the front surface of the latching projection 41c attached to the latching projection 41b, even when the latched piece 42 is not latched to the latching piece 41. The locking piece 43 rotates (moves) between an upper unlocked position (unlocked position) and a lower locked position, such that the inner circumferential surface of the locking opening 43d is aligned with the outer surface of the latching projection 41b.

[0019] Projections 41b1 are provided on both the left and right sides of the latching projection 41b of the latching piece 41, and grooves 43c1 are formed on the inner surfaces of the left and right support portions 43c of the locking piece 43. The grooves 43c1 are formed at the lower part of the support portion 43c, with the lower end opening below the support portion 43c and the upper end forming a stepped portion. In the unlocked state of the locking piece 43, the projection 41b1 of the latching piece 41 is fitted into the groove 43c1 of the locking piece 43, and engages with the stepped portion at the upper end of the groove 43c1, preventing the locking piece 43 from rotating from the unlocked position to the locked position (see Figure 6(a)). When the locking piece 43 is rotated downward from the unlocked position, the stepped portion at the upper end of the groove 43c1 of the locking piece 43 overcomes the projection 41b1 of the latching piece 41, and the locking piece 43 moves to the locked position. When the locking piece 43 is in the locked position, the projection 41b1 of the latching piece 41 abuts from above against the upper edge 43c2 above the groove 43c1 of the support portion 43c of the locking piece 43, preventing the locking piece 43 from rotating from the locked position to the unlocked position (see Figure 6(b)). When the locking piece 43 is rotated upward from the locked position, the upper edge 43c2 of the locking piece 43 goes over the projection 41b1 of the latching piece 41, the projection 41b1 of the latching piece 41 engages with the groove 43c1 of the locking piece 43, and the locking piece 43 rotates (moves) to the unlocked position.

[0020] [Holding Operation] Figure 7 shows the operation of the holding device 4 of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention, where (a) shows the rotational operation of the locking piece 43, and (b) shows the engagement operation of the engaging recess 42e of the hooked piece 42 and the engaging projection 43e of the locking piece 43. The hooked piece 42 is attached to the outer surface of the shield 3 so as to protrude downward from the lower edge near the left and right center of the shield 3, and when the shield 3 is closed, the hooked piece 42 can be hooked onto the hooking piece 41. From the open state of the shield 3, the upper mounting portion 42a of the hooked piece 42 is pushed downward with a finger (for example, one index finger) to fit the hooking opening 42d of the hooked piece 42 onto the hooking projection 41b of the hooking piece 41. Then, the rear surface of the hooked portion 42b of the hooked piece 42 comes into contact with the front surface of the hooking projection 41c, which is retractably attached to the lower surface of the hooking projection 41b of the hooked piece 42. When the mounting portion 42a, etc., is pushed further to the rear in this contact state, the hooking projection 41c retracts into the interior of the hooking projection 41b against the biasing member. The hooked portion 42b then moves to the rear side of the hooking projection 41c, and the rear surface of the hooking projection 41c, which has been pushed out by the biasing member, comes into contact with the front surface of the hooked portion 42b, and the hooked piece 42 is hooked to the hooking projection 41c so that it does not move forward.

[0021] Even when the hooked portion 42b of the hooked piece 42 is hooked onto the hooked projection 41c of the hooked piece 41, the shield 3 can be sufficiently prevented from opening. However, there is a risk that the shield 3 may open if a greater force is applied to the helmet body 2, or depending on the location and direction of the force applied to the helmet body 2. Therefore, in this embodiment 1, a locking piece 43 is provided to more reliably hold the shield in the closed state. When the shield 3 is in the open state, the locking piece 43 is in an unlocked position rotated upward. When the locking piece 43 is in the unlocked state, when closing the shield 3 and fitting the hooked piece 42 onto the hooked piece 41, the locking piece 43 can pass through the hooked opening 42d of the hooked piece 42, and the locking piece 43 does not obstruct the operation of hooking the hooked piece 42 onto the hooked piece 41. With the retaining piece 42 engaged with the retaining piece 41, the locking portion 43b of the locking piece 43 is pressed downward with a finger (for example, one index finger) to rotate the locking piece 43 to the lower locked position, thereby locking the retaining piece 42. The locking piece 43 prevents the retaining piece 42 from coming off the retaining piece 41, thus reliably preventing the retaining piece 42 from coming off the retaining piece 41. As described above, the closed state of the shield 3 can be reliably maintained with only two actions: fitting the retaining piece 42 onto the retaining piece 41 and rotating the locking piece 43 to the locked position.

[0022] The locking of the locking piece 43 effectively prevents the retaining piece 42 from coming off the retaining piece 41. However, there is a risk that the retaining piece 42 may come off if a greater force is applied to the helmet body 2, or depending on the location and direction of the force applied to the helmet body 2. Therefore, in this embodiment 1, an engaging member is formed between the retaining piece 42 and the locking piece 43. As described above, an engaging recess 42e is formed near the boundary between the retaining portion 42b and the left and right connecting portions 42c. This engaging recess 42e is formed to be recessed in the thickness direction when viewed from the side of the retaining piece 42. In addition, engaging protrusions 43e are formed at the left and right rear ends of the locking portion 43b. These engaging protrusions 43e are formed to protrude from the left and right rear ends of the locking portion 43b toward the pivot axis portion 43a. As shown in Figure 7(b), when the locking piece 43 is rotated from the unlocked position (unlocked position) to the locked position while the latched piece 42 is latched to the latching piece 41, the engaging recess 42e and the engaging projection 43e are configured to engage. As indicated by the arrows in Figure 7(b), the trajectory of the latched piece 42 rotating in the direction of disengaging from the latched state and the trajectory of the locking piece 43 rotating in the direction of the unlocked position are in different directions. Even if a large force is applied to the latched piece 42 in the direction of disengaging from the latched state, the engaging recess 42e and the engaging projection 43e will engage securely, more reliably preventing the latched piece 42 from rotating in the direction of disengaging.

[0023] [Release Operation] Place a finger (for example, one index finger) from below onto the locking portion 43b of the locking piece 43 in the locked position, and lift the locking piece 43 upward, rotating the locking piece 43 to the upper unlocked position. At this time, the engaging projection 43e disengages from the engaging recess 42e, and the lock by the locking piece 43 is released. Next, place a finger (for example, one thumb) on the back of the receiving portion 42b at the lower end of the receiving piece 42, and pull the receiving piece 42 upward. At this time, the front surface of the receiving portion 42b comes into contact with the rear surface of the receiving projection 41c of the receiving projection 41b, and when pulled further, the receiving projection 41c retracts into the interior of the receiving projection 41b against the biasing member, and the receiving piece 42b can move to the front side of the receiving projection 41c. Then, the locking opening 42d of the locking piece 42 disengages from the locking projection 41b of the locking piece 41, and the holding state of the holding device 4 is released. In this way, the closed state of the shield 3 can be easily released with only two actions: rotating the locking piece 43 to the unlocked position and pulling it out from the locking piece 42.

[0024] [Modification 1] A modification of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention will now be described. Figure 8 shows a latching piece 51 and a locking piece 53, which are part of the holding device of Modification 1 according to the present invention, where (a) shows the unlocked state of the locking piece 53 and (b) shows the locked state of the locking piece 53, with the upper figure being a perspective view and the lower figure being a view from the left. The full-face helmet of Modification 1 differs from the full-face helmet 1 of Embodiment 1 only in the movement structure of the locking piece; all other configurations are the same as the full-face helmet 1 of Embodiment 1. In this Modification 1, the locking piece 53 is attached to the fixing plate portion 51a of the latching piece 51 so as to slide (move) in the vertical direction, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 8. Although not shown, the locking piece 53 has a sliding support portion formed at the same position as the pivot shaft portion 43a of the locking piece 43 of Embodiment 1, and sliding grooves are formed at two locations on the left and right sides of the fixing plate portion 51a to slidably support the sliding support portion.

[0025] In this modified example 1, the holding operation involves hooking the retaining piece (not shown, but having the same configuration as the retaining piece 42 in Embodiment 1) onto the retaining piece 51, then pressing the locking portion 53b of the locking piece 53 downward with a finger (for example, one index finger) to slide the locking piece 53 to the lower locked position and lock the retaining piece. The locking piece 53 prevents the retaining piece from coming off the retaining piece 51, thus reliably preventing the retaining piece from coming off the retaining piece 51. Protrusions 51b1 are provided on both the left and right sides of the retaining projection 51b of the retaining piece 51. In the unlocked state of the locking piece 53, the protrusions 51b1 of the retaining piece 51 abut against the support portion 53c of the locking piece 53 from below, preventing the locking piece 53 from moving from the unlocked position to the locked position (see Figure 8(a)). Furthermore, when the locking piece 53 is in the locked position, the projection 51b1 of the latching piece 51 abuts against the support portion 53c of the locking piece 53 from above, preventing the locking piece 53 from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position (see Figure 8(b)). Between the unlocked position and the locked position, the support portion 53c moves over the projection 51b1.

[0026] In this modified example 1, although not shown in the figures, similar to Embodiment 1, the retaining piece has an engaging recess and the locking piece 53 has an engaging projection. When the locking piece 53 is slid from the unlocked position to the locked position while the retaining piece is engaged with the retaining piece 51, the engaging recess and the engaging projection engage. The trajectory of the retaining piece rotating in the direction of disengaging from the engaged state and the trajectory of the locking piece sliding in the direction of the unlocked position are in different directions of movement. Even if a large force is applied to the retaining piece in the direction of disengaging from the engaged state, the engaging recess and the engaging projection engage securely, more reliably preventing the retaining piece from rotating in the direction of disengaging. These engaging recess and engaging projection allow for more reliable retention of the shield 3. Then, a finger (for example, one index finger) is placed from below on the locking portion 53b of the locking piece 53 in the locked position, and the locking piece 43 is lifted upward, sliding the locking piece 53 to the upper unlocked position. At this time, the engaging projection disengages from the engaging recess, and the lock by the locking piece 53 is released.

[0027] [Embodiment 2] Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 mainly in its locking mechanism.

[0028] [Overall Configuration] Figure 9 is a view from the left of the full-face helmet 1 of Embodiment 2 according to the present invention, where (a) is the open state of the shield 3, (b) is the state in which the fastening piece 42 is fastened to the fastening piece 41 and the locking piece 43 is unlocked, and (c) is the state in which the fastening piece 42 is fastened to the fastening piece 41 and the locking piece 43 is locked. The full-face helmet 1 has a helmet body 2 molded into a full-face shape, a shield 3 that opens and closes the front opening 21 of the helmet body 2, and a holding device 4 that holds the shield 3 in the closed state. The helmet body 2 and shield 3 have the same configuration as in Embodiment 1, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0029] [Holding device] The holding device 4 has a hooking piece 41, a hooked piece 42, and a locking piece 43, similar to the first embodiment. In this second embodiment, the hooking piece 41 and the hooked piece 42 of the holding device 4 are attached to the left and right centers of the chin guard portion 22 and the shield 3, respectively, but they are not limited to this and may be attached to any position between the right end and the left end of the chin guard portion 22 and the shield 3.

[0030] Figure 10 shows the latching piece 41 of Embodiment 2 according to the present invention, with the upper left figure being a top view, the upper right figure being a perspective view, the lower left figure being a front view, and the lower right figure being a left view. The latching piece 41 has a fixing plate portion 41a, a latching projection portion 41b, and a latching protrusion portion 41c. The fixing plate portion 41a is elongated from left to right, and screw holes for attachment to the chin guard portion 22 are formed on both the left and right sides. The latching projection portion 41b is formed in the left and right center of the fixing plate portion 41a so as to protrude forward when attached to the chin guard portion 22. In this Embodiment 2, unlike Embodiment 1, the latching protrusion portion 41c is integrally formed on the lower part of the latching projection portion 41b. The latching protrusion portion 41c may be attached to the lower surface of the latching projection portion 41b so as to Embodiment 1, and may be configured to be biased in the direction of protrusion by a biasing member housed within the latching projection portion 41b.

[0031] Figure 11 shows a locking piece 42 of Embodiment 2 according to the present invention, where the upper left is a top view, the upper right is a perspective view, the middle left is a front view, the middle right is a left view, and the lower right is a perspective view. The locking piece 42 has an attachment portion 42a at the top and a locking portion 42b at the bottom, and connecting portions 42c connecting the left and right sides of the attachment portion 42a and the locking portion 42b, all integrally molded from metal or resin. A locking opening 42d is formed in the center of the locking piece 42 by these attachment portion 42a, locking portion 42b, and connecting portions 42c. When viewed from the side, the locking piece 42 is formed in the shape of a thin plate. An engaging projection 42f is formed near the boundary between the locking portion 42b and the left and right connecting portions 42c. This engaging projection 42f is the part that engages with the engaging projection 43f of the locking piece 43, which will be described later.

[0032] Figure 12 shows a locking piece 43 of Embodiment 2 according to the present invention, where the upper left is a top view, the upper right is a perspective view, the middle left is a front view, the middle right is a left view, and the lower right is a perspective view. The locking piece 43 is integrally molded from metal or resin, with a pivot shaft portion 43a, a locking portion 43b, and a support portion 43c connecting the left and right sides of the pivot shaft portion 43a and the locking portion 43b. A locking opening 43d is formed in the center of the locking piece 43 by these pivot shaft portion 43a, locking portion 43b, and support portion 43c. When viewed from the side, the locking piece 43 is formed in the shape of a thin plate. Engaging projections 43f are formed at the left and right rear ends of the locking portion 43b. These engaging projections 43f are the points that engage with the engaging projections 42f of the latched piece 42.

[0033] Figure 13 is an exploded and assembled view of a latching piece 41, which is part of the holding device 4 in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Figure 14 is a diagram showing the latching piece 41 and locking piece 43, which are part of the holding device 4 in Embodiment 2 of the present invention, where (a) shows the locking piece 43 in the unlocked state and (b) shows the locking piece 43 in the locked state, with the top figure being a perspective view, the middle figure being a view from the front, and the bottom figure being a view from the left. In this Embodiment 2, as in Embodiment 1, the latching piece 41 is composed of two members, a latching portion 411 and a base portion 412, as shown in Figure 13. The latching portion 411 and the base portion 412 are integrally molded from metal or resin, respectively. The fixing plate portion 41a is composed of the latching portion 411 and the base portion 412, and the latching projection 41b and the latching protrusion 41c are formed on the latching portion 411. The latching portion 411 and the base portion 412 have a latching portion side groove portion 411d of the latching portion 411 and a base portion side groove portion 412d of the base portion 412, which form a hole 41d when the latching portion 411 and the base portion 412 are assembled.

[0034] In this second embodiment, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, a spring 44 (elastic member) that biases the locking piece 43 to a locked state is interposed between the latching piece 41 and the locking piece 43. The spring 44 is a double torsion spring, with two coil sections fitted onto both ends of the pivot shaft portion 43a of the locking piece 43, with both ends locked to the base portion 412, and the connecting portion of the two coil sections locked to the locking portion 43b of the locking piece 43. Note that the spring 44 is not limited to a double torsion spring; two torsion springs may be used in pairs, or one torsion spring may be used, or any known spring may be appropriately selected and used. When the pivot shaft portion 43a of the lock piece 43, to which the spring 44 is attached, is engaged with either the side groove portion 411d of the latch portion or the side groove portion 412d of the base portion, the latch portion 411 and the base portion 412 are assembled and attached to the helmet body 2 with screws, the latch piece 41 and the lock piece 43 are fixed to the helmet body 2 in the assembled state shown in Figure 14.

[0035] Figure 16 shows the operation of the holding device 4 of Embodiment 2 according to the present invention, where (a) shows the operating range of the locking piece 43, and (b) shows the engagement state of the engaging projection 42f of the hooked piece 42 and the engaging projection 43f of the locking piece 43. The locking piece 43 is rotatable up and down around a pivot shaft portion 43a that is inserted and supported in the hole portion 41d of the hooked piece 41. As will be described later, the locking piece 43 is in an unlocked state when rotated downward and in a locked state when rotated upward. The locking piece 43 also rotates (moves) between an upper locked position and a lower unlocked position (unlocked position) such that the inner circumferential surface of the lock opening 43d is aligned with the outside of the outer surface of the hooking projection 41b. As shown in Figure 16(b), when the shield 3 is closed, the hooked portion 42b of the hooked piece 42 engages with the hooking projection 41c of the hooked piece 41. Furthermore, when the locking piece 43 is in the locked state, the engaging projection 42f of the latched piece 42 engages with the engaging projection 43f of the locking piece 43.

[0036] [Holding Operation] Figure 17 shows the holding operation (closing operation) of the holding device 4 of Embodiment 2 according to the present invention, and the holding operation proceeds in the order of (a), (b), (c), and (d). The latching piece 42 is attached to the outer surface of the shield 3 so as to protrude downward from the lower edge near the left and right center of the shield 3, and when the shield 3 is closed, the latching piece 42 can be latched onto the latching piece 41. As shown in Figure 17(a), from the open state of the shield 3, the upper mounting portion 42a of the latching piece 42 is pushed downward with a finger (for example, one index finger) to move the shield 3 to the closed state so that the latching opening 42d of the latching piece 42 fits onto the latching projection 41b of the latching piece 41. At this time, the locking piece 43 is in the upper locked position by the spring 44. As shown in Figure 17(b), the lower surface of the engaging projection 42f of the retained piece 42 contacts the upper surface of the locking portion 43b of the locking piece 43 in the locked position from above. As shown in Figure 17(c), as the retained piece 42 is further pushed downward, the locking piece 43 is pushed downward in the direction of the unlocked position (unlocked position) against the biasing force of the spring 44. When the locking piece 43 is pushed down to near the unlocked position, the engagement between the lower surface of the engaging projection 42f of the retained piece 42 and the upper surface of the locking portion 43b of the locking piece 43 is released, and the locking piece 43 rotates to the upper locked position due to the action of the spring 44. As shown in Figure 17(d), when the locking piece 43 rotates to the locked position, the engaging projection 43f of the locking piece 43 passes over the engaging projection 42f of the retained piece 42, and the lower surface of the engaging projection 43f and the upper surface of the engaging projection 42f engage. (See also Figure 16(b)) At this time, the hooked portion 42b of the hooked piece 42 moves to the rear side of the hooking projection 41c of the hooked piece 41, and the front surface of the hooked portion 42b engages with the rear surface of the hooking projection 41c.

[0037] Even when the hooked portion 42b of the hooked piece 42 is hooked onto the hooked projection 41c of the hooked piece 41, the shield 3 can be sufficiently prevented from opening. However, there is a risk that the shield 3 may open if a greater force is applied to the helmet body 2, or depending on the location and direction of the force applied to the helmet body 2. Therefore, in this embodiment 2, a locking piece 43 is provided to more reliably hold the shield in the closed state. When the shield 3 is in the open state, the locking piece 43 is in a locked position rotated upward. When the locking piece 43 is in the locked position, when closing the shield 3 and fitting the hooked piece 42 onto the hooked piece 41, the locking piece 43 can be pushed downward by the hooked piece 42 as described above, and the locking piece 43 does not interfere with the operation of hooking the hooked piece 42 onto the hooked piece 41. Furthermore, in this second embodiment, the spring 44 biases the locking piece 43 toward the locked position, and when the retained piece 42 is engaged with the retaining piece 41, the locking piece 43, which has been pushed down to near the lower unlocked position, returns to the upper locked position. Therefore, the locking piece 43 can be rotated to the locked position simply by pushing down the retained piece 42. In other words, in this second embodiment, the shield 3 can be locked in the closed position with only one action: pushing down the retained piece 42 and engaging it with the retaining piece 41. As described above, this second embodiment can achieve the effect of locking the shield 3 more reliably with a simple operation.

[0038] [Release Operation] Figure 18 shows the release operation (opening operation) of the retaining device 4 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and the release operation proceeds in the order of (a), (b), and (c). As shown in Figure 18(a), in the locked state of the shield 3, the engaging projection 42f of the retained piece 42 is engaged with the engaging projection 43f of the locking piece 43, and the retained piece 42b of the retained piece 42 is engaged with the engaging projection 41c of the retaining piece 41. When the locking piece 43 is pushed down from the locked position to the unlocked position with a finger (for example, one index finger), the engaging projection 43f pushes down the engaging projection 42f, and the engagement between the two is released. At this time, the engaging projection 42f, i.e., the retained piece 42, is pushed down, and the shield 3 is biased in the opening direction by the sealing rubber attached around the entire circumference of the inner edge 21a of the front opening 21 of the helmet body 2. As a result, the engagement between the retained portion 42b of the retained piece 42 and the retaining projection 41c of the retaining piece 41 is released, and the retained piece 42 moves slightly forward. As shown in Figure 18(b), the upper surface of the engaged projection 43f of the pushed-down locking piece 43 comes into contact with the lower surface of the engaged projection 42f of the retained piece 42, which has moved forward, from below, and the movement of the locking piece 43 to the upper locked position by the spring 44 is inhibited. As shown in Figure 18(c), with the engaging projection 43f in contact with the engaging projection 42f from below, the shield 3 can be moved to the open position by placing a finger (for example, a thumb) on the back of the retaining portion 42b at the lower end of the retaining piece 42 and pulling the retaining piece 42 upward.

[0039] In this second embodiment, the spring 44 biases the locking piece 43 toward the locked position. Even when the locking piece 43 is pushed down to the unlocked position, it attempts to return to the locked position. However, as described above, the engaging projection 43f of the locking piece 43 contacts the engaging projection 42f of the retained piece 42, preventing it from returning to the locked position. Therefore, it is not necessary to hold the locking piece 43 in the unlocked position with a finger or the like, making the unlocking operation easier. Thus, the opening operation of the shield 3 can be easily performed with only two actions: rotating the locking piece 43 toward the unlocked position and pulling up the retained piece 42. As described above, this second embodiment can achieve the effect of easily unlocking the shield 3, which is locked more securely, and opening it.

[0040] [Modification 2] A modification of Embodiment 2 according to the present invention will now be described. Figure 19 shows a latching piece 51 and a locking piece 53, which are part of the holding device of Modification 2 according to the present invention, where (a) shows the unlocked state of the locking piece 53 and (b) shows the locked state of the locking piece 53, with the upper figure being a perspective view and the lower figure being a view from the left. The latching piece 51 and the locking piece 53 of this Modification 2 have the same configuration as the latching piece 51 and the locking piece 53 of Modification 1. In this Modification 2, the upper position of the locking piece 53 is the locked position, and the lower position is the unlocked position. It is also possible to configure the locking piece 53 to be biased toward the upper locked position by a spring, as in Embodiment 2. Furthermore, the latching projection 51c may be formed integrally with the lower part of the latching projection 51b, as in Embodiment 2.

[0041] Although Embodiment 1, Modification 1, Embodiment 2, and Modification 2 of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any design changes, etc., that do not depart from the gist of the present invention are also included. Furthermore, Embodiment 1, Modification 1, Embodiment 2, and Modification 2 can be combined by utilizing each other's technologies, as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in their purpose and configuration.

[0042] 1 Full-face helmet 2 Helmet shell 21 Front opening 21a Inner edge 22 Chin guard 23 Shield support member 3 Shield 4 Retaining device 41 Hooking piece 41a Fixing plate 41b Hooking projection 41b1 Projection 41c Hooking protrusion 41d Hole 411 Hooking part 411d Hooking part side groove 412 Base 412d Base side groove 42 Hooked piece 42a Mounting part 42b Hooked part 42c Connecting part 42d Hooked opening 42e Engaging recess 42f Engaging protrusion 43 Locking piece 43a Rotating shaft part 43b Locking part 43c Support part 43c1 Groove 43c2 Upper edge 43d Locking opening 43e Engaging projection 43f Engaging projection 44 Spring 51 Locking piece 51a Fixing plate 51b Locking projection 51b1 Projection 51c Locking projection 53 Locking piece 53b Locking part 53c Support part

Claims

1. A full-face helmet comprising a full-face helmet shell, a shield for opening and closing the front opening of the helmet shell, and a retaining device for holding the shield in a closed state, wherein the shield is rotatably supported by the helmet shell on left and right single or combined axes, and the retaining device has a latching piece provided on the upper part of the chin guard portion of the helmet shell, a retained piece provided on the lower part of the shield that can be latched onto the latching piece, and a locking piece that prevents the retained piece from coming off the latching piece, wherein the locking piece is attached to the latching piece so as to be movable between a locked position and an unlocked position.

2. The full-face helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking piece is rotatably attached to the latching piece.

3. The full-face helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking piece is slidably attached to the latching piece.

4. The full-face helmet according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking piece is biased in the direction of the locked position by an elastic member.

5. A face helmet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that an engaging projection is formed on the locking piece and an engaging recess is formed on the latched piece, and when the locking piece is in the locked position, the engaging projection engages with the engaging recess.

6. A face helmet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that an engaging projection is formed on each of the locking piece and the latching piece, and when the locking piece is in the locked position, both engaging projections engage.

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