Helmet Visor Quick-Release Clip with Thumbscrew
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional visor mounting systems for helmets are cumbersome, requiring tools for removal and prone to losing small parts, making them time-consuming and frustrating to install and remove, especially in situations where quick changes are needed during games or injuries.
Innovation Solution
A helmet attachment assembly featuring a clip with a thumbscrew connector and a rotatable thumbwheel that secures and releases the visor without tools, using a C-shaped channel for cage bars and co-molded materials for cushioning and ease of use, allowing for universal application on either side of the face mask.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional clips with screws are used to secure the visor, then the visor is firmly attached to the helmet, but the removal process becomes time-consuming and requires tools
Solution Approach 1:
The clip mechanism transitions from a static screw-fastened state to a dynamic quick-release state. The spring-loaded arm can be rapidly actuated by a simple pulling motion on the release mechanism, allowing the clip to spring open and release the visor in seconds, whereas conventional screws require tool insertion, screwing, and complete removal of multiple parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the time-consuming screw removal step and tool requirement from the visor attachment system. By using a spring-loaded clip with an integrated release mechanism, the system eliminates the need for screwdrivers and the sequential process of removing screws from multiple clips, reducing visor removal to a single simple action.
2Reliability
If conventional clips with multiple parts are used, then the visor can be securely mounted, but the complexity of the mounting arrangement increases and parts may be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple separate components (clip body, fastening mechanism, release mechanism) into an integrated assembly where the spring-loaded arm and release mechanism work as a unified system. This consolidation reduces the number of discrete parts that could be lost during assembly or disassembly, while maintaining secure visor mounting through the coordinated action of the integrated components.
3Ease of operation
If parallel arms are used in conventional clips, then the clips can engage the face mask bars, but the arms may pinch the user's fingers during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The clip arms transition from rigid parallel structures to dynamic, spring-loaded components that can flex and adjust during installation. The spring mechanism allows the arms to flex outward to accommodate finger placement and then spring inward to engage the face mask bar, eliminating the pinching hazard while maintaining secure engagement.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a universal mounting arrangement is designed, then it can accommodate various cage sizes, but the design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clip design incorporates adjustable parameters including variable arm lengths, adjustable spring tension, and flexible positioning mechanisms that can be modified to accommodate different face mask cage sizes. These parameter changes allow the same basic clip design to adapt to various cage configurations without requiring multiple specialized clip types, achieving universality through adjustable design features.
Data Source
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AI summary
A visor assembly for use with a helmet having at least one face mask bar comprises a visor and a mounting bracket. The visor is configured to provide a shield associated with the face mask bar. The mounting bracket is configured to secure the visor to the face mask bar. The mounting bracket includes a clip and a thumbscrew removably connected to the clip. The clip defines a channel configured to receive the face mask bar. A threaded receptacle is positioned on the clip. The thumbscrew includes a threaded post connected to a thumbwheel. The threaded post is configured to threadedly engage the receptacle of the clip and releasably retain the thumbscrew on the clip. The threaded post of the thumbscrew is configured to extend through a hole of the visor and into the receptacle. When the thumbwheel is rotated, the thumbwheel clamps the visor between the thumbwheel and the mounting bracket.