Shroud attachment

Abstract

A shroud attachment includes a mounting interface that is able to be positioned between a shroud and a helmet shell that the shroud is attached to. The mounting interface includes a rear surface with a contour that matches a contour of the helmet shell and a front surface that has a shape that engages a rear surface of the shroud. An accessory is coupled to the mounting interface and extends outwardly therefrom.

Description

Docket No. 069758-02-5179-WOTITLE

[0001] Shroud AttachmentCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.63 / 746,580 filed January 17, 2025, entitled “Shroud Attachment,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to helmet accessories and, in some embodiments, to an attachment for the shroud mount of a helmet assembly.SUMMARY

[0004] In one embodiment, there is a shroud attachment including a mounting interface configured to be positioned between a shroud and a helmet shell that the shroud is attached to, the mounting interface including a rear surface having a contour configured to match a contour of the helmet shell and a front-surface shaped engage with a rear surface of the shroud, and an accessory coupled to the mounting interface and extending outwardly therefrom.

[0005] In some embodiments, the mounting interface includes a connector configured to connect to an engagement feature of the shroud. In some embodiments, the connector protrudes outwardly from the front surface of the mounting interface and is configured to engage with the engagement features at the rear surface of the shroud. In some embodiments, the connector is positioned on the mounting interface opposite of where the accessory extends outwardly from. In some embodiments, the rear surface of the mounting interface has a generally concave curvature and the front surface thereof has a generally convex curvature.

[0006] In some embodiments, the accessory is positioned relative to the mounting interface such that it is configured to protrude outwardly from a bottom surface of the shroud when the mounting interface is coupled to the shroud. In some embodiments, the accessory is shaped and sized such that it does not extend above the bottom surface of the shroud. In some embodiments, the accessory is a cable clip. In some embodiments, the accessory is a light source and the shroud attachment further comprises an arm extending outwardly from the mounting interface, and the light source is rotatably coupled to the arm. In some embodiments, the light source includes a generally cylindrical housingrotatably coupled to the arm, a first end cap detachably coupled to the housing at a first end thereof and a second end cap detachably coupled to the housing at a second end opposite of the first end, the second end cap including a button that is operable to cause the light source to emit or cease emitting light.

[0007] In another embodiment, there is a shroud attachment including a mounting interface configured to be positioned between a shroud and a helmet shell that the shroud is attached to, the mounting interface including a rear surface having a generally concave curvature, a front-surface shaped engage with a rear surface of the shroud, a connector configured to connect to an engagement feature of the shroud, and an accessory coupled to the mounting interface and extending outwardly therefrom, and the accessory is positioned relative to the mounting interface such that it is configured to protrude outwardly from a bottom surface of the shroud when the mounting interface is coupled to the shroud.

[0008] In another embodiment, there is a shroud mount assembly for a helmet shell, the shroud mount assembly including a shroud configured to be coupled to a helmet shell, and a shroud attachment coupled to the shroud, the shroud attachment including a mounting interface engaged with the shroud at a rear surface thereof, an accessory coupled to the mounting interface and extending outwardly therefrom.

[0009] In some embodiments, the mounting interface includes a rear surface that has a contour that matches a contour of the rear surface of the shroud. In some embodiments, the accessory is positioned below a bottom surface of the shroud and forward of the rear surface.

[0010] In another embodiment, there is a method of connecting a shroud attachment to a shroud, the method including positioning a mounting interface of a shroud attachment between a shroud and a helmet shell, and attaching the shroud to the helmet shell such that the mounting interface is sandwiched between the shroud and the helmet shell.

[0011] In some embodiments, the shroud attachment includes an accessory coupled to the mounting interface and extending outwardly therefrom, and attaching the shroud to the helmet shell causes the shroud attachment to be positioned below the shroud. In some embodiments, the accessory does not extend above the shroud. In some embodiments, the mounting interface includes a rear surface having a contour configured to match a contour of the helmet shell and a front-surface shaped engage with a rear surface of the shroud.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The following detailed description of embodiments of the shroud attachment will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings of exemplary embodiments. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

[0013] In the drawings:

[0014] Fig. l is a perspective view of a helmet assembly including a shroud and a shroud attachment in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the shroud attachment of Fig. 1;

[0016] Fig. 3 is a partial exploded view of the shroud attachment of Fig. 1;

[0017] Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of the shroud attachment of Fig. 1;

[0018] Fig. 5 is a top-elevational cross-sectional view of a portion of the helmet assembly of Fig. 1;

[0019] Fig. 6 is a rear perspective view of the shroud and shroud attachment of Fig. 1;

[0020] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the helmet assembly of Fig. 1, illustrating a method of connecting the shroud attachment to the shroud;

[0021] Fig. 8 is a front perspective view of a shroud attachment in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0022] Fig. 9 is a rear perspective view of the shroud attachment of Fig. 8.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Helmets for head protection are worn in a variety of environments and for various purposes. The primary purpose of a helmet is to mitigate the effects of impact on the user’s head. Helmets used in military applications are designed to provide comprehensive protection against various threats, including ballistic, blunt, and blast impacts. Helmets used in military applications and other applications also often include accessories mounted to the helmet to provide additional functionalities that may be desirable to a user. Rail mounts may be attached to side surfaces of helmets for coupling accessories such as, but not limited to, communications earcups, power supplies, and illumination devices to the helmet. Shroud mounts may be attached to the front surface of a helmet in order to couple accessories such as night vision goggles, binoculars, visors, and other optical accessories thereto.

[0024] Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout, there is shown in Figs. 1-7 a shroud attachment, generally designated 100, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The shroud attachment 100 may be configured to couple to a shroud mount that is coupled to a helmet shell. In some embodiments, the shroud attachment 100 is configured to be mounted to a helmet shell via engagement of the helmet shell with the shroud. In some embodiments, the shroud attachment 100 is configured to be sandwiched between a helmet shell and a shroud. In some embodiments, the shroud attachment 100 is configured to couple an accessory to the shroud while allowing another accessory to be coupled to the mounting plate of the shroud.

[0025] Referring to Figs. 1-2, there is shown a shroud attachment 100 configured to be coupled to a helmet shell 10 and / or a shroud 12. The helmet shell 10 may be a helmet shell for use in a variety of environments and for various purposes, including, but not limited to, adventure activities, sporting, industrial safety, and police or military purposes. In some embodiments, the helmet shell 10 may be any type of head protection helmet shell known in the art. For example, a helmet shell 10 may be included in a standard infantry ballistic helmet, an advanced combat helmet (ACH), an enhanced combat helmet (ECH), a modular integrated communications helmet (MICH), a tactical ballistic helmet (TBH), a lightweight marine helmet, a police general-duty helmet, a personnel armor system for ground troops (PASGT), an aircrew helmet, a fixed-wing aircrew helmet, a rotary-wing aircrew helmet, an HGU-56 / P rotary-wing helmet or an HGU-55 / P fixed-wing helmet.

[0026] The shroud 12 may be a mounting apparatus configured to be positioned at the front of a helmet shell 10 and to couple one or more accessories to the helmet shell 10. The shroud 12 may include an accessory interface 14 for coupling accessories to the helmet shell 10. For example, the accessory interface 14 is configured to couple accessories such as, but not limited to, night vision goggles (NVGs), cameras, and / or binoculars to the helmet shell 10. The accessory interface 14 may be accessible at the front surface 16 of the shroud 12, which faces away from the helmet shell 10 when the shroud 12 is coupled thereto. The shroud 12 may be coupled to the outer surface 18 of the helmet shell 10.

[0027] The shroud attachment 100 may include a mounting interface 102 and an accessory 104 coupled to the mounting interface 102. The mounting interface 102 may be configured to couple the shroud attachment 100 to the shroud 12. In some embodiments, the mounting interface 102 is configured to be positioned between the shroud 12 and the helmet shell 10 while the shroud 12 is attached to the helmet shell 10, as discussed in more detail below. The mounting interface 102 may be configured to couple to the shroud 12 without the use of the accessory interface 14 of the shroud12, which is configured to directly receive accessories. Accordingly, the shroud attachment 100 may be coupled to the shroud 12 via the mounting interface 102 while an accessory 104 is simultaneously coupled to the shroud 12 via the accessory interface 14 at the front surface 16 thereof.

[0028] The accessory 104 may be an item or component configured to be used in conjunction with the helmet shell 10 and / or shroud 12. For example, and as illustrated in Figs. 1-2, the accessory 104 may be a light source. However, it should be understood that the accessory 104 is not limited to only light sources and that it may be another type of accessory (e.g., a cable clip, a communications module, a global positioning system (GPS) module, or a camera) for use with a protective helmet. In some embodiments, the accessory 104 is positioned relative to the mounting interface 102 such that it protrudes outwardly from a bottom surface 20 of the shroud 12 when the mounting interface 102 is coupled to the shroud 12. For example, and as illustrated in Fig. 1, the accessory 104 protrudes from the bottom surface 20 of the shroud 12 while the mounting interface 102 is sandwiched between the shroud 12 and helmet shell 10. In Fig. 1, the mounting interface 102 is obscured from view by the shroud 12 and helmet shell 10. In some embodiments, the accessory 104 is sized and shaped such that it does not extend above the bottom surface 20 of the shroud 12. For example, and as illustrated in Fig. 1, the accessory 104 is positioned entirely below the bottom surface 20 of the shroud 12. The accessory 104 may be sized, shaped and / or positioned relative to the mounting interface 102 such that it does not obscure the accessory interface 14 at the front surface 16 of the shroud 12. Accordingly, the accessory 104 may be coupled to the shroud 12 simultaneously with another accessory 104 coupled to the shroud 12 via accessory interface 14.

[0029] Referring to Figs. 2-3, the shroud attachment 100 may include an arm 106 configured to receive the accessory 104. In some embodiments, the shroud attachment 100 includes two or more of arms 106 configured to receive the accessory 104. The arms 106 may be fixedly coupled to the mounting interface 102. In some embodiments, the arms 106 and mounting interface 102 are integrally formed. In some embodiments, the accessory 104 is rotatably coupled to the arms 106. For example, the accessory 104 may be rotatable about a central axis A defined by the arms 106. In some embodiments, the accessory 104 being rotatable about the central axis C enables a user to adjust the direction of a light emitted therefrom in at least one direction.

[0030] In some embodiments, the accessory 104 includes a generally cylindrical housing 108, a first end cap 110 coupled to a first end of the housing 108 and a second end cap 112 coupled to the second end of the housing 108. The first and second end caps 110 and 112 may be detachably coupled to the housing 108 such that the housing 108 may be coupled to or decoupled from the arms106. In some embodiments, the housing 108 encloses therein one or more electronic components of the light source. For example, the housing 108 may contain therein a power source (e.g., battery), circuitry, light panels, and / or light bulbs of the light source. In some embodiments, at least one of the first and / or second end caps 110 and 112 is in communication with the light source such that a user may interact with the first end cap 110 and / or second end cap 112 to control the operation of the light source. For example, the second end cap 112 includes a button 114 that is operable to cause the light source to emit or cease emitting light.

[0031] Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, the mounting interface 102 may have a rear surface 116 configured to generally match the contour of the helmet shell 10 and a front surface 118 configured to engage with the shroud 12. The contour of the rear surface 116 may generally match the contour of the outer surface 18 of the helmet shell 10. For example, the rear surface 116 may have a generally concave curvature that corresponds to the convex curvature of the outer surface 18 of the helmet shell 10. In some embodiments, the curvature at the rear surface 116 of the mounting interface 102 is substantially congruent with a curvature of the helmet shell 10 where the mounting interface 102 is to be positioned.

[0032] Referring to Fig. 5, a cross-sectional view of a portion of the helmet shell 10, shroud 12 and shroud attachment 100 is shown. In some embodiments, the contour at the rear surface 116 of the mounting interface 102 generally matches the contour at the rear surface 22 of the shroud 12. When coupled to the shroud 12, the rear surface 116 of the mounting interface 102 may be generally flush with the rear surface 22 of the shroud 12. The shroud 12 may include the recess 24 open at the rear surface 22 within which the mounting interface 102 may be received. When coupled to the shroud 12, the rear surface 116 of the mounting interface 102 may substantially fill the recess 24 such that the rear surfaces 116 and 22 form a generally continuous surface. The front surface 118 of the mounting interface 102 may have a generally convex curvature. In some embodiments, the convex curvature of the front surface 118 generally matches the curvature of the recess 24 within which the mounting interface 102 is positioned.

[0033] Referring to Figs. 2, 5 and 6, the mounting interface 102 may include a connector 120 configured to connect to an engagement feature 26 of the shroud 12. The connector 120 may protrude outwardly from the front surface 118 of the mounting interface 102. In some embodiments, the mounting interface 102 includes two connectors 120. The two connectors 120 may be positioned along the front surface 118 opposite of one another. In some embodiments, the number of connectors 120 matches the number of engagement features 26 of the shroud 12. In some embodiments, the connectors 120 are positioned along the mounting interface 102 and shaped andsized to generally match the position, shape and / or size of the engagement features 26 of the shroud 12. The engagement features 26 may be positioned along the rear surface 22 of the shroud 12. In some embodiments, the engagement features 26 are recesses accessible at the rear surface 22 of the shroud. In some embodiments, the shroud 12 and shroud attachment 100 may form a shroud mount assembly. In some embodiments, the shroud 12 and shroud attachment 100 may be packaged together as a shroud mount assembly or shroud mount kit. In some embodiments, the accessory 104 extends outwardly from a bottom side of the mounting interface 102. In some embodiments, the connector 120 is positioned on the mounting interface 102 opposite of where the accessory 104 extends outwardly from. For example, the accessory 104 is coupled to the mounting interface 102 at a bottom side thereof opposite of the connectors 120, which extend outwardly from an upper side of the mounting interface 102.

[0034] Referring to Fig. 7, there is illustrated a method of connecting the shroud attachment 100 to the shroud 12. As illustrated, the method may include positioning the mounting interface 102 of the shroud attachment 100 between the shroud 12 and the helmet shell 10. The method may further include attaching the shroud 12 to the helmet shell 10 such that the mounting interface 102 is sandwiched between the shroud 12 and the helmet shell 10. For example, and as illustrated in Fig. 5, the mounting interface 102 is shown sandwiched between the shroud 12 and the helmet shell 10. Further to this example, the connectors 120 of the mounting interface 102 are received within the engagement features 26 of the shroud 12, thereby retaining the shroud attachment 100 in a position relative to the shroud 12 and helmet shell 10.

[0035] Referring to Figs. 8-9, there is shown a shroud attachment, generally designated 200, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The shroud attachment 200 may be generally the same as shroud attachment 100 except that the accessory 204 may be a cable clip. The shroud attachment 200 includes a mounting interface 202 that is substantially the same as the mounting interface 102 and for the sake of brevity will not be described again in detail. In some embodiments, the mounting interface 202 includes connectors 220 substantially the same as connectors 120. The accessory 204 may be integrally formed with the mounting interface 202. In some embodiments, the shroud attachment 200 is configured to couple to the shroud 12 in generally the same manner as described above with regard to Figs. 1-7 and shroud attachment 100. The cable clip accessory 204 may detachably retain a cable (e.g., a communications cable or a power cable) therein.

[0036] The term “about” or “approximately” is used herein to provide literal support for the exact number that it precedes, as well as a number that is near to or approximately the number thatthe term precedes. In determining whether a number is near to or approximately a specifically recited number, the near or approximating unrecited number may be a number, which, in the context in which it is presented, provides the substantial equivalent of the specifically recited number. It should be appreciated that all numerical values and ranges disclosed herein are approximate values and ranges, whether “about” is used in conjunction therewith. It should also be appreciated that the term “about,” as used herein, in conjunction with a numeral, refers to a value that may be ±0.01% (inclusive), ±0.1% (inclusive), ±0.5% (inclusive), ±1% (inclusive) of that numeral, ±2% (inclusive) of that numeral, ±3% (inclusive) of that numeral, ±5% (inclusive) of that numeral, ±10% (inclusive) of that numeral, or ±15% (inclusive) of that numeral. It should further be appreciated that when a numerical range is disclosed herein, any numerical value falling within the range is also specifically disclosed.

[0037] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the exemplary embodiments shown and described above without departing from the broad inventive concepts thereof. It is to be understood that the embodiments and claims disclosed herein are not limited in their application to the details of construction and arrangement of the components set forth in the description and illustrated in the drawings. Rather, the description and the drawings provide examples of the embodiments envisioned. The embodiments and claims disclosed herein are further capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Specific features of the exemplary embodiments may or may not be part of the claimed invention and various features of the disclosed embodiments may be combined. Unless specifically set forth herein, the terms “a”, “an” and “the” are not limited to one element but instead should be read as meaning “at least one”. Finally, unless specifically set forth herein, a disclosed or claimed method should not be limited to the performance of its steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the steps may be performed in any practical order.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A shroud attachment comprising:a mounting interface configured to be positioned between a shroud and a helmet shell that the shroud is attached to, the mounting interface including a rear surface having a contour configured to match a contour of the helmet shell and a front-surface shaped engage with a rear surface of the shroud; andan accessory coupled to the mounting interface and extending outwardly therefrom.

2. The shroud attachment of claim 1, wherein the mounting interface includes a connector configured to connect to an engagement feature of the shroud.

3. The shroud attachment of claim 2, wherein the connector protrudes outwardly from the front surface of the mounting interface and is configured to engage with the engagement features at the rear surface of the shroud.

4. The shroud attachment of claim 3, wherein the connector is positioned on the mounting interface opposite where the accessory extends outwardly from.

5. The shroud attachment of claim 2, wherein the rear surface of the mounting interface has a generally concave curvature and the front surface thereof has a generally convex curvature.

6. The shroud attachment of claim 1, wherein the accessory is positioned relative to the mounting interface such that it is configured to protrude outwardly from a bottom surface of the shroud when the mounting interface is coupled to the shroud.

7. The shroud attachment of claim 6, wherein the accessory is shaped and sized such that it does not extend above the bottom surface of the shroud.

8. The shroud attachment of claim 1, wherein the accessory is a cable clip.

9. The shroud attachment of claim 1, wherein the accessory is a light source and the shroud attachment further comprises an arm extending outwardly from the mounting interface, and wherein the light source is rotatably coupled to the arm.

10. The shroud attachment of claim 9, wherein the light source includes a generally cylindrical housing rotatably coupled to the arm, a first end cap detachably coupled to the housing at a first end thereof and a second end cap detachably coupled to the housing at a second end opposite of the first end, the second end cap including a button that is operable to cause the light source to emit or cease emitting light.

11. A shroud attachment comprising:a mounting interface configured to be positioned between a shroud and a helmet shell that the shroud is attached to, the mounting interface including a rear surface having a generally concave curvature, a front-surface shaped engage with a rear surface of the shroud, and a connector configured to connect to an engagement feature of the shroud; andan accessory coupled to the mounting interface and extending outwardly therefrom, wherein the accessory is positioned relative to the mounting interface such that it is configured to protrude outwardly from a bottom surface of the shroud when the mounting interface is coupled to the shroud.

12. A shroud mount assembly for a helmet shell, the shroud mount assembly comprising:a shroud configured to be coupled to a helmet shell; anda shroud attachment coupled to the shroud, the shroud attachment comprising:a mounting interface engaged with the shroud at a rear surface thereof; and an accessory coupled to the mounting interface and extending outwardly therefrom.

13. The shroud mount assembly of claim 12, wherein the mounting interface includes a rear surface that has a contour that matches a contour of the rear surface of the shroud.

14. The shroud mount assembly of claim 12, wherein the accessory is positioned below a bottom surface of the shroud and forward of the rear surface.

15. A method of connecting a shroud attachment to a shroud, the method comprising:positioning a mounting interface of a shroud attachment between a shroud and a helmet shell; andattaching the shroud to the helmet shell such that the mounting interface is sandwiched between the shroud and helmet shell.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the shroud attachment includes an accessory coupled to the mounting interface and extending outwardly therefrom, andwherein attaching the shroud to the helmet shell causes the shroud attachment to be positioned below the shroud.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the accessory does not extend above the shroud.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the mounting interface includes a rear surface having a contour configured to match a contour of the helmet shell and a front-surface shaped engage with a rear surface of the shroud.

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