Wright device

Abstract

This invention consists of a system that attaches to the helmet and an attachment system to the shoulder harness. Collectively called The Wright Device. The helmet attachment consists of a release buckle, web strapping, hooks, and adjusting slides. The hooks are attached to the eye opening of the helmet at three places. Two are at the sides of the eye port and one is at the center of the top of the eye port. The side hooks are connected by a continuous piece of webbing and adjusted to the helmet by the adjuster slides on the webbing. The hook centered in the middle of the top of the eye port is attached to the release buckle by a continuous piece of webbing. The release buckle reaches the bottom of the helmet in the rear, and is attached to the webbing strap between the side eye ports by sewing the two straps together. The attachment to the shoulder harness is by two straps that go from the release buckle attachment to two adjustors mounted on the shoulder harness. Webbing pieces are used in the shoulder harness adjusters to fill the adjuster.

1 . A head and neck support device for an occupant of a high performance vehicle with a shoulder harness over shoulders of the occupant and a helmet on a head of the occupant and with a horizontal level center of gravity of the head and helmet combined at about eye level of the occupant which comprises: 
 a. a restraining means including webbing straps attached to the eye opening of the helmet at three locations by means of webbing hooks, two at both sides of the eye opening which are load bearing and one at the top of the eye opening which also is load bearing, either of which can carry the load and as such are redundant and are attached to each other at the back of the helmet just above and attached through;    b. an intermediate attachment consisting of a buckle and attachment from a non-retractable seat belt which is part of;    c. a tethering system attached between the helmet and the shoulder harness consisting of webbing straps connected to an adjuster mounted on the shoulder harness wherein the tethering means provides a restraint and wherein during normal vehicle operation or in a crash, the device transmits forces to the restraining means from the tethering means and the load bearing surfaces of the restraining means transmit forces from the restraining means to the shoulder belts of the shoulder harness to allow the shoulder harness to provide resistance to the tethering means through the restraining means thereby reducing the motions of the head relative to the torso and forces being transmitted to the neck of the occupant which may cause fatigue and injury in vehicle operation or in a crash.    
     
     
         1 . The restraining means in  claim 1  wherein the device is adjustable to fit the helmet by means of adjusters.  
     
     
         2 . The restraining means in  claim 1  wherein the device may use a fourth webbing hook at the bottom of the back of the helmet.  
     
     
         3 . The restraining means in  claim 1  wherein velcro is used to attach parts of the webbing to the helmet.  
     
     
         4 . The restraining means in  claim 1  wherein the top webbing strap is one continuous piece.  
     
     
         5 . The restraining means in  claim 1  wherein the side webbing strap can be continuous and sewn to the top strap at the back of the helmet just above the intermediate attachment release buckle or two pieces attached to the top strap by a ring attached to the top strap by adjusters just above th intermediate attachment release buckle.  
     
     
         6 . The intermediate attachment in  claim 1  wherein the release buckle may be modified for remote release.  
     
     
         7 . The tethering system in  claim 1  wherein the tether is adjustable to fit by means of the webbing straps attached to the intermediate attachment.  
     
     
         8 . The tethering system in  claim 1  wherein the tether may be connected to: 
 a. the roll cage by means of wrapping around a roll bar tube  
 b. the car by means of fasteners with seat belt hardware  
 c. a full body harness.