Helmet Visor Support Joint Nesting for Forestry Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing face shields attached to helmets often have support arms that can catch obstacles, leading to impediment or helmet detachment, especially when the visor is folded up, as the upper edge of the visor is far from the helmet, allowing branches or other objects to get caught and tear the visor or helmet off.
Innovation Solution
The face shield design features ring bearing bushes at the ends of the holding arms, which form a protected visor support joint within the helmet outline, with bearing devices that can be plugged into the helmet shell, using a snap-in connection and a spring-loaded locking element to secure the visor in position, ensuring no obstacles can catch on the visor or its support arms in either operational or parking positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the visor is attached to the outside of the helmet shell with support arms, then the visor can be pivoted between operating and parking positions, but obstacles can get caught on the support arms and visor, causing impediment or helmet detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The holding arms are received within cavities in the helmet shell, nesting the support structure inside the helmet outline. This eliminates external protrusions that could catch obstacles while maintaining the pivoting function through internal bearing devices.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of attaching the visor to the outside of the helmet shell, the invention inverts the arrangement by attaching the bearing devices to the inside of the helmet shell and receiving the holding arms within internal cavities. This reverses the traditional external attachment approach to eliminate obstacle entanglement risks.
2Ease of operation
If the visor upper edge is positioned far from the helmet shell, then the visor has sufficient clearance for operation, but branches can easily get between the helmet and visor to tear the visor or helmet off
Solution Approach 1:
The holding arms are nested within cavities in the helmet shell, with the visor frame positioned close to the helmet shell. This nesting arrangement eliminates the large external clearance that previously allowed branches to get caught, while maintaining operational functionality through internal articulation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the bearing devices are fastened to the outside of the helmet shell, then the visor can be attached and pivoted, but the support arms and visor are exposed to obstacles that can catch and tear them
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing devices are attached to the inside of the helmet shell, and the holding arms are received within internal cavities. This nested internal arrangement provides the necessary attachment and pivoting functionality while protecting the support structure from external obstacles.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention inverts the traditional external attachment approach by fastening the bearing devices to the inside of the helmet shell and receiving the holding arms within internal cavities. This reversal protects the support structure from obstacle exposure while maintaining attachment versatility.
4Ease of operation
If the visor is folded up in the parking position, then the visor is not in the way, but the upper edge of the visor creates a large distance from the helmet, allowing obstacles to get caught
Solution Approach 1:
When the visor is folded up to the parking position, the holding arms are received within the cavities in the helmet shell, nesting the visor structure close to the helmet. This eliminates the large external distance that previously allowed obstacles to get caught on the visor upper edge.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design prevents obstacles from catching on the visor or its support arms in both positions, ensuring secure attachment and easy removal, with the visor being snug against the helmet shell, reducing the risk of detachment and providing defined position locking without wear or maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient snap-in finger (73) establishing a latching connection between the bearing device (50) and the helmet shell (36)
Implementation Method 2
a compression spring (78) between the pivot bearing (75) and a shoulder (76) on the rod (72) for generating the spring preload
Implementation Method 3
The spring-loaded locking element (70) comprises a roller rotatably mounted on one end of a rod (72)
Data Source
AI summary
A face guard (33) for fastening to a protective helmet (30), in particular for forestry workers, is described. A visor (132) has two retaining arms (32) and two bearing devices (50), which can be fastened on the inside to a helmet shell (36), for the retaining arms (32) for pivoting the visor (132) between an operating position, in which the visor (132) is swung downwards and protects the face, and a parking position, in which the visor (132) is swung upwards. Each retaining arm (32) extends towards the free end thereof, which can be connected to the bearing device (50), from the visor (132) substantially parallel to and at such a distance from the visor (132) that a slot (37) is formed between the retaining arm (32) and visor (132), through which slot the helmet shell (36) extends in the parking position, and that, in the parking position, the visor (132) is arranged so as to fit snugly on the outer surface of the helmet shell (36).