Ballistic and impact protective system for military helmet assembly

Abstract

A helmet assembly including a mandible bracket configured to connect a mandible to a helmet, with at least one strap connected to the mandible bracket and configured to extend from the mandible bracket to a helmet. The assembly includes at least one strap guide having a strap engaging portion connected to the strap along a length of the strap for connecting the strap to a helmet. The strap guide is removably attachable to the helmet, and in some embodiments the strap guide may be attached and/or removed through movement along a lengthwise direction of the strap, including in a horizontal direction. The assembly may secure an accessory other than a mandible to the helmet, and sufficient force on the accessory may remove the strap guide from the helmet.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An accessory attachment assembly for a helmet, comprising:
 at least one strap guide configured to connect a strap with a helmet;   the strap guide having a fastener engaging portion for releasably receiving a fastener secured to a rear portion of a helmet, and a strap holding portion configured to hold a strap relative to the guide.   
     
     
         2 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener engaging portion comprises a first channel having an open end opposite a closed end. 
     
     
         3 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the first channel has at least one locking nub located along a length of the channel between the open end and the closed end to secure a portion of the fastener between the locking nub and the closed end. 
     
     
         4 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the fastener engaging portion has an upper second channel located adjacent to the first channel, the second channel having a width that is greater than the first channel. 
     
     
         5 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the second channel is a fastener head receiving channel. 
     
     
         6 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the strap holding portion comprises at least one strap slot configured to receive a strap through the strap slot, the strap slot adjacent to the first channel. 
     
     
         7 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the strap holding portion comprises at least two strap slots configured to receive a strap through the strap slots, the strap slots located on opposite sides of the first channel. 
     
     
         8 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the strap holding portion comprises at least two strap slots configured to receive a strap, the strap slots located on opposite sides of the second channel. 
     
     
         9 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the first channel is configured to be located under a head of a fastener, the second channel is configured to engage at least a portion of the head of a fastener, and wherein the first and second channels are slide channels configured to slidably receive a fastener. 
     
     
         10 . An accessory attachment assembly for a helmet, comprising:
 at least one mandible bracket configured to connect a mandible to a helmet;   at least one strap connected to the mandible bracket and configured to extend from the mandible bracket to a rear portion of a helmet;   at least one strap guide having a strap engaging portion connected to the strap along a length of the strap, and a fastener engaging portion configured to connect to a fastener attached to a helmet.   
     
     
         11 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 10 , comprising first and second strap connectors configured to connect at a rear of a helmet;
 the at least one mandible bracket comprises first and second mandible brackets configured to connect a mandible to a helmet, and wherein   the at least one strap comprises first and second straps, the first strap connected to the first mandible bracket at a first end of the first strap and the first strap connector at an opposite second end of the first strap, the second strap connected to the second mandible bracket at a first end of the second strap and to the second strap connector at an opposite second end of the second strap; and wherein   the at least one strap guide comprises first and second strap guides, the first strap guide connected to the first strap between the first mandible bracket and the first strap connector and configured to be secured by a fastener to a rear portion of a helmet, the second strap guide connected to the second strap between the second mandible bracket and the second strap connector and configured to be secured by a fastener to a rear portion of a helmet.   
     
     
         12 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 10 , comprising a mandible configured to be positioned about a user's mandibular region, the mandible attached to the mandible bracket. 
     
     
         13 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 10 , comprising a mandible mount configured to be attached about a front opening of a helmet, the mandible bracket connected to the front mount. 
     
     
         14 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the front mount comprises a mandible mounting channel, the mandible bracket has a pin configured to be received in the mounting channel to provide a pivotable connection of the mandible to the helmet. 
     
     
         15 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the mandible bracket is pivotably connected to the mandible mount. 
     
     
         16 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 11 , comprising a mandible configured to be positioned about a user's mandibular region, the first and second mandible brackets attached to opposite sides of the mandible;
 the mandible has a deployed position and a raised position, the straps having a connected position where the first strap connector is attached to the second strap connector, and a released position; the straps when in the connected position secure the mandible in the deployed position.   
     
     
         17 . The accessory attachment assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the fastener engaging portion comprises a first channel having an open end opposite a closed end; and the strap holding portion comprises at least two strap slots configured to receive a strap, the strap slots located on opposite sides of the first channel. 
     
     
         18 . A method of securing a face protector to a helmet, comprising :
 connecting a face protector about a front portion of the helmet by face protector brackets;   bringing straps connected to the face protector from opposite sides of the face protector to the rear of the helmet;   sliding each of one or more strap guides onto a fastener attached to the helmet, each of the one or more strap guides being attached to one of the straps; and   connecting the straps together at a rear of the helmet.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the act of connecting is performed before the step of sliding. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the act of sliding comprises the step of sliding a channel of the strap guide between the head of the fastener and the surface of the helmet until the fastener is placed between at least one locking nub of the channel and the end of the channel. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the act of sliding comprises sliding each of the one or more strap guides horizontally onto a fastener attached to the helmet. 
     
     
         22 . An accessory attachment assembly for a helmet, comprising:
 at least one strap guide configured to connect a strap with a helmet;   the strap guide having one of a fastener and a fastener engaging portion for releasably receiving the other of a fastener and a fastener engaging portion secured to a portion of a helmet, the strap guide further having a strap holding portion configured to hold a strap relative to the guide.   
     
     
         23 . An accessory attachment assembly for a helmet, comprising:
 at least one mandible bracket configured to connect a mandible to a helmet;   at least one strap connected to the mandible bracket and configured to extend from the mandible bracket to a rear portion of a helmet;   at least one strap guide having a strap engaging portion connected to the strap along a length of the strap, and a fastener or a fastener engaging portion configured to connect to the other of a fastener or a fastener engaging portion that is attached to a helmet.   
     
     
         24 . A method of securing a face protector to a helmet, comprising :
 connecting a face protector about a front portion of the helmet by face protector brackets;   bringing straps connected to the face protector from opposite sides of the face protector to the rear of the helmet;   sliding each of one or more strap guides onto a fastener or fastener engaging portion attached to the helmet,   each of the one or more strap guides being attached to one of the straps; and   connecting the straps together.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein connecting the strap together comprises connecting the straps together at a rear of the helmet. 
     
     
         26 . A method comprising:
 disconnecting a connector which is connecting two strap portions of an accessory-securing strap that is arranged to be mounted to a helmet;   exerting a force on an accessory that is being secured by the strap arrangement; and   through the exertion of force on the accessory, disengaging at least one strap guide from the helmet, the strap guide holding a strap portion of the two strap portions.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein exerting a force on the accessory pulls on each of the two strap portions, which each in turn pull a respective strap guide off of an associated engaging portion that is attached to the helmet. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the two strap portions are arranged horizontally on the helmet when the strap guides are engaged with the helmet. 
     
     
         29 . An accessory attachment assembly for a helmet, comprising:
 a strap to secure an accessory to a helmet;   a first strap guide holding the strap relative to the first strap guide, the first strap guide including a first engaging portion to engage with a second engaging portion which is connected to the helmet, wherein when the first strap guide is attached to the helmet through the engagement of the first and second engaging portions, the assembly is constructed and arranged such that a force on the strap along a lengthwise direction of the strap and more than a threshold force disengages the first engaging portion from the second engaging portion.   
     
     
         30 . The accessory attachment assembly as in  claim 29 , wherein the strap includes a first strap portion and a second strap portion, and the assembly further comprises a connector to connect the first and second strap portions together. 
     
     
         31 . The accessory attachment assembly as in  claim 30 , wherein the first strap guide holds the first strap portion relative to the first strap guide, and further comprising a second strap guide which holds the second strap portion relative to the first strap guide, the second strap guide including a third engaging portion to engage with a fourth engaging portion which is connected to the helmet, wherein when the second strap guide is attached to the helmet through the engagement of the third and fourth engaging portions; wherein
 the assembly is constructed and arranged such that a force on the strap along a lengthwise direction of the strap and more than a threshold force disengages the third engaging portion from the fourth engaging portion.   
     
     
         32 . The accessory attachment assembly as in  claim 31 , wherein the first engaging portion includes a channel having an open end, and the second engaging portion includes a fastening element attached to the helmet.