US3548410A - Airfoil face shield and helmet - Google Patents

Description

Dec-22,1970 lwfmmm 3,548,410

l v AIRFIL FACE SHIELD AND HELMET- l Filed May 1, 1959 Fig.

Jerry f Parker IN l/ IIN'IYIK.

l J Attorney:

United States Patent Olce 3,548,410 Patented Dec. 22, 1970 3,548,410 AIRFOIL FACE SHIELD AND HELMET Jerry W. Parker, 3123 Manand St., Carmichael, Calif. 95608 Filed May 1, 1969, Ser. No. 820,999 Int. Cl. A42b 3/02 U.S. Cl. 2-3 4 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A protective head helmet and transparent face shield rigidly fixed thereto and contoured to cover substantially the entire face area of the wearer. The face shield and helmet or helmet alone includes an upwardly curved airfoil incorporated into the surface thereof to employ air pressure or wind force to hold the helmet down on the head at high speeds.

The present invention generally relates to helmet and face shield structures.

With the increasing popularity of relatively high speed motorcycles, `conventional protective helmets, while satisfactory to a certain degree, do not satisfy the requirements of all users of such equipment. While certain localities have enacted laws requiring the use of safety helmets, one danger encountered by riders of vehicles of this nature is the discomfort and possible injury due to air striking the face of the wearer and the possibility of trash, debris or the like striking the face of the operator. This problem is the discomfort and possible injury due to air striking Some efforts have been made to protect the face of the motorcycle operator by providing a transparent face shield. Such face shields usually include a partial cylindrical transparent member fixed to the helmet with the bottom edge thereof left open. When wearing this type of helmet and other conventional helmets presently on the market, a substantial upward lift is exerted on the helmet by the air and wind especially when traveling at relatively high speeds.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a helmet and face shield having an airfoil incorporated thereon which will eliminate the air lift normally exerted on the helmet by using well-known aerodynamic principles thus providing the wearer with a helmet and face shield which provides better air penetration while forcing the helmet onto the head instead of producing lift.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a face shield and helmet in which the face shield is rigidly fixed t0 the helmet and provided with a shape and contour to cover the face of the wearer and at the same time provide a projecting ledge extending from a point adjacent the center bottom portion of the face shield upwardly and rearwardly along each side of the face shield and helmet thus producing an airfoil which will be engaged by the air and wind when the wearer is traveling at high speed.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a` face shield and helmet having an airfoil incorporated therein which provides the wearer with optimum safety, comfort and styling.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the airfoil face shield and helmet of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the helmet illustrating the airfoil in use;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the face shield and helmet with the face shield and a portion of the helmet illustrated in section to show the structural arrangement thereof;

FIG. 4 is a detailed, plan sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 4-4 of FIG. 3 illustrating further structural details of the face shield and helmet with the airfoil thereon; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the helmet is generally designated by the numeral 10 and the transparent face shield generally designated by the numeral 12 with these two components being fixedly attached to each other in such a manner that the assembled face shield and helmet may be placed on or removed from the head of a wearer in a well-known and conventional manner.

The helmet 10 includes a shell 14 of rigid construction shaped generally in a spherical or curved manner to conform and fit the head of a wearer 16 such as an operator of a motorcycle 18. The shell 14 is provided with a cushioned liner 20 or the like which can be constructed in manner to be replaceable for repair or to enable liners of various colors to be employed. Also provided on the helmet is the usual chin strap assembly generally designated by the numeral 22 which is provided with an adjustable buckle arrangement all of which are well known in the art with the chin strap and buckle assembly meeting all safety specifications required by state law, racing association regulations and the like. The shell 14 may be of any suitable color, provided with metal flake coloring or the like and may be constructed of any suitable relatively lightweight and substantially rigid material having the requisite strength characteristics such as a molded plastic material, glass reinforced resin material or any other material from which protective helmets of this nature are constructed.

The peripheral edge of the helmet shell 14 is provided with a binding tape or edging 24 with the forward portion of the helmet 10 being cut-away in a manner to define a face opening 26. The face shield 12 forms a protective shield for the face 28 of the wearer and generally is curved and contoured to form a continuation of the curvature and surface of the shell 14 of the helmet 10 with the upper and side periphery of the face shield 12 overlying and conforming with the periphery of the opening 26 as illustrated in FIG. 3. The face shield is constructed of a transparent panel or shell 28 and the periphery thereof which overlaps the helmet shell 14 is fixedly secured thereto by a plurality of fasteners 30 such as rivets or any suitable type of releasable fastener such as a screw-threaded fastener, snap fastener or the like which would enable the face shield to be removed if desired or replaced in the event of damage thereto. The face shield 28 may be constructed of any suitable high impact transparent plastic material or the like and may be clear or provided with.any suitable tint characteristics as may be desired. The bottom edge of the transparent panel or shell 28 is open as at 32 which provides 'access to the interior of the helmet and face shield assembly to facilitate it being placed on the head of the wearer and removed therefrom. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the face shield panel or shell 28 is curved convexly in both a vertical plane and a horizontal plane to conform generally with the shape and configuration of the helmet shell 14.

The face shield panel 28 is provided with an upwardly facing offset flange or ledge 34 which is disposed adjacent the bottom front edge thereof as illustrated in FIG. 3. The ledge 34 curves or inclines upwardly and rearwardly as at 36 and gradually decreases in width. The helmet shell 14 is provided with a similar offset flange or ledge 38 in each upper side portion thereof as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 which also incline or curve upwardly and gradually reduce in width and fiare smoothly into the rear upper portion of the helmet with the rearward end portions of the ledges or flanges 38 curving slightly downwardly as at 40. As illustrated in the drawings, the projecting ledge or flange is a continuous surface from the front bottom portion of the face shield to the rear upper side portions of the helmet. The ledge or flange is formed into the face shield and helmet shell and is downwardly inclined from rather than being perpendicular to its adjacent surface. This outward projecting ledge or flange defines an airfoil upon which air or wind may impinge when the helmet is moving rapidly through the air or wind such as when it is being worn at a relatively high speed. Air impinging from the front of the face shield and helmet against the upwardly inclined and curved surface of the fiange or ledge will produce a downward force on the helmet rather than an upward lifting force thereon thus eliminating the tendency of a helmet being lifted off of the head when traveling at relatively high speed.

The airfoil may, in some instances, be incorporated solely into the face shield. This would enable the face shield to be employed in combination with a smooth surfaced conventional helmet and still obtain benefit from the airfoil by providing a downward force on the helmet and face shield rather than an upward lift thereon when traveling through the air at high speed.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the airfoil may be completely formed in the helmet 50 when it completely encloses the transparent face shield 52. The upwardly and rearwardly inclined and curved external projection 54 is molded or otherwise formed in the shell of helmet 50 when it is being manufactured. The helmet 50 is a full coverage helmet and is sufiicient large on the bottom to slip over the head. The solid periphery of the helmet around the window or face shield 52 enhances the strength and rigidity of the helmet.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A helmet comprising a protective shell for enclosing a portion of the head and provided with an open front, a face shield including a transparent panel extending in overlying relation to the face of the wearer and forming a closure for the open front of the shell, the bottom of the shell being open to receive the head of the wearer when the helmet and face shield is being placed on the head of the wearer or removed therefrom, and an airfoil means incorporated into the helmet for exerting a downward force thereon for holding the helmet downwardly on the head of the wearer, said airfoil means being in the form of an upwardly facing ledge on said helmet with the ledge extending from a point adjacent the bottom of the helmet at the front thereof in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined direction t0 both sides of the helmet thus defining an upwardly facing and upwardly and rearwardly inclined surface for impingement of air when the helment is passing through the air at a relatively high speed for exerting a downward force on the helmet.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein a p0rtion of said surface is located on the face shield and comprises an offset formed in the face shield thus eliminating any sharp projections on the outer surface or the inner surface of the face shield.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said helmet shell includes the remaining portion of said surface which comprises an outward projection defining an inclined surface aligned with and defining a continuation of the surface of the face shield whereby the airfoil means extends upwardly and toward the rear of the helmet at each side thereof whereby a downward force is exerted on both the face shield and helmet to equalize the forces imparted thereto.

4. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said airfoil means is in the form of an upwardly facing outstanding projection on the shell extending from a point adjacent the bottom of the front of the shell below the face shield in said upwardly and rearwardly inclined direction in spaced relation to both side edges of the face shield thus defining said upwardly facing surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,103,667 9/1963 Rogowski 29 3,223,086 12/1965 Denton 2-6X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,059,314 ll/l953 France 2 9 1,054,879 1/1967 Great Britain 2-10 H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 2-10

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