Safety Helmet Visor Mechanism With Spring-Loaded Position Lock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing visor mechanisms for protective helmets, particularly for emergency services, fail to reliably and quickly move between protective and retracted positions, and are prone to unintentional movement, posing safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A visor mechanism with a sliding mechanism and a locking arrangement that allows the visor to be moved into position with one hand and securely locked, using a spring-loaded locking mechanism that engages with semi-cylindrical recesses on a cover, ensuring the visor remains in place until manually released.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a sliding mechanism is used to move the laser guard between extended and retracted positions, then the visor can be selectively positioned, but the mechanism is prone to unintentional movement and lacks reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-loaded locking mechanism is pre-loaded to automatically engage with the semi-cylindrical recesses when the visor reaches the extended or retracted position, preventing unintentional movement before it can occur
Solution Approach 2:
The visor mechanism serves itself by automatically locking into position through the spring-loaded detent system that engages with the recesses, eliminating the need for additional manual intervention to maintain position
2Speed
If the visor is moved quickly into position, then protection is provided immediately, but the mechanism may not securely lock and could move unintentionally
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-loaded locking mechanism is pre-loaded to automatically engage with the semi-cylindrical recesses when the visor reaches the extended or retracted position, preventing unintentional movement before it can occur
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element absorbs excess kinetic energy from quick visor movement and provides a cushioning force that ensures smooth, controlled engagement with the locking recesses, preventing impact-related locking failures
3Reliability
If a complex locking mechanism is added to prevent unintentional movement, then reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is merged with the sliding mechanism itself by incorporating spring-loaded detents that engage with recesses formed in the helmet shell, eliminating the need for separate locking components
Solution Approach 2:
The semi-cylindrical recesses serve multiple functions: they guide the visor during sliding movement and simultaneously serve as locking engagement points for the spring-loaded detents, reducing the need for separate structural elements
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
Enables quick and reliable movement of the visor between extended and retracted positions, preventing unintentional changes and enhancing safety by ensuring the visor stays in the desired position without additional manual intervention.
Implementation Method 1
a spring-loaded locking mechanism that engages with semi-cylindrical recesses on a cover
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a visor mechanism for a safety helmet, in particular for emergency services, comprising a visor (1), which is slidably mounted relative to an outer shell (4) of the safety helmet in order to cover a front region of the safety helmet, and comprising a visor adjuster (5), which is coupled to the visor (1) so that the visor (1) can be slid by a sliding actuation of the visor adjuster (5). The invention is characterised in that the visor mechanism has a locking assembly (6) coupled to the visor (1) and the visor adjuster (5), which locking assembly (6), when locked, blocks the sliding of the visor (1), and which locking assembly (6), when released, allows the visor (1) to slide, and in that the locking assembly (6) can be released by a release actuation of the visor adjuster (5). The invention also relates to a safety helmet comprising a visor mechanism of this type.