Helmet with chin cup

Abstract

A protective helmet including a chin cup with a body and two opposed connecting arms, each connecting arm being connected to the helmet body through a connection allowing relative movement between the connecting arm and the helmet body. A fastening system is selectively movable between a first position where the fastening system restrains the relative movement between the connecting arm and the helmet body and a second position where the fastening system frees the relative movement between the connecting arm and the helmet body along the connection. A method of adjusting a position of a chin cup in a protective helmet is also disclosed.

1 . A protective helmet comprising:
 a helmet body adapted to cover at least part of a head of a wearer, the helmet body including a shell; and   a chin cup for receiving a chin of the wearer, the chin cup having:
 a chin cup body defining an inner surface shaped to receive the chin and an opposed outer surface, 
 two connecting arms engaged to the chin cup body with a respective one of the connecting arms extending from the chin cup body adjacent each one of two opposed sides thereof, each connecting arm being connected to the helmet body through a connection allowing relative movement between the connecting arm and the helmet body, the connection between each connecting arm and the helmet body being defined by a pin member connected to the shell and slidingly received in a slot formed through the connecting arm to define the relative movement; 
 a fastening system for each of the connecting arms, each fastening system including complementary first and second members, the first member being attached to the helmet body and the second member being attached to the connecting arm, at least the first member being selectively movable between a first position where the first and second members are detachably interconnected and the fastening system restrains the relative movement of the pin member in the slot, and a second position where the first and second members are detached and the fastening system frees the relative movement of the pin member in the slot. 
   
     
     
         2 . The helmet as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the pin member includes a shaft supporting a head, the shaft being slidingly received in the slot, the head having larger cross-sectional dimensions than the slot such as to retain the shaft of the pin member engaged in the slot. 
     
     
         3 . The helmet as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first member of each fastening system is provided on a padding layer connected to an inner surface of the helmet body. 
     
     
         4 . The helmet as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the padding layer includes a respective free padding portion extending in proximity of each connecting arm, each free padding portion having a free end including the first member of the fastening system and movable with respect to the inner surface of the helmet body between the first and second positions. 
     
     
         5 . The helmet as defined in  claim 4 , wherein each connecting arm extends at least partly between the inner surface of the helmet body and the respective free padding portion, each free portion including the first member of the fastening system on a surface thereof facing the inner surface of the helmet body and overlaying the connecting arm. 
     
     
         6 . The helmet as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the helmet body includes a mask adapted to cover a face of the wearer and the mask includes a bottom portion adapted to cover a chin of the wearer, the chin cup body being received in the bottom portion with the outer surface facing the bottom portion. 
     
     
         7 . The helmet as defined in  claim 6 , further comprising a strap interconnecting the bottom portion and the chin cup body intermediate the two connecting arms, the strap defining an adjustable length between the chin cup body and the bottom portion. 
     
     
         8 . The helmet as defined in  claim 7 , further comprising an additional fastening system including complementary and detachably interconnectable first and second additional members, the first additional member being attached to the outer surface of the chin cup body and the second additional member being attached to the strap. 
     
     
         9 . The helmet as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second members of each fastening system are complementary members of a hook and loop fastening system. 
     
     
         10 . The helmet as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the two connecting arms are defined by a single elongated member extending through and away from a respective slot defined through the chin cup body adjacent each side thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A protective helmet comprising:
 a helmet body adapted to cover at least part of a head of a wearer; and   a chin cup for receiving a chin of the wearer, the chin cup having:
 a chin cup body defining an inner surface shaped to receive the chin and an opposed outer surface, and 
 two connecting arms engaged to the chin cup body with a respective one of the connecting arms extending from the chin cup body adjacent each one of two opposed sides thereof, each connecting arm having a slot in which a pin member connected to the helmet body is slidingly engaged so as to allow relative movement between the connecting arm and the helmet body along a longitudinal direction of the connecting arm; 
   the helmet body further including a respective fastening member extending adjacent each connecting arm, each fastening member being movable between a first position where the fastening member is engaged to the connecting arm and restrains sliding thereof relative to the helmet body and a second position where the fastening member is free of the connecting arm to allow sliding thereof relative to the helmet body.   
     
     
         12 . The helmet as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the pin member includes a shaft supporting a head, the shaft being slidingly received in the slot, the head having larger cross-sectional dimensions than the slot such as to retain the shaft of the pin member engaged in the slot. 
     
     
         13 . The helmet as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the helmet body includes a mask adapted to cover a face of the wearer and the mask includes a bottom portion adapted to cover a chin of the wearer, the chin cup body being received in the bottom portion with the outer surface facing the bottom portion. 
     
     
         14 . The helmet as defined in  claim 13 , further comprising a strap interconnecting the bottom portion and the chin cup body intermediate the two connecting arms, the strap being detachably connectable to the chin cup body along a plurality of different relative positions defining an adjustable length of the strap between the chin cup body and the bottom portion. 
     
     
         15 . The helmet as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the helmet body includes a shell and a padding layer connected to an inner surface of the shell, and the fastening member is provided on the padding layer. 
     
     
         16 . The helmet as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the padding layer includes a respective free padding portion extending in proximity of each connecting arm, each free padding portion having a free end movable with respect to the inner surface of the shell and including the fastening member. 
     
     
         17 . The helmet as defined in  claim 16 , wherein each connecting arm extends at least partly between the inner surface of the helmet body and the respective free padding portion, each free padding portion including the fastening member on a surface thereof facing the inner surface of the shell and overlaying the connecting arm. 
     
     
         18 . The helmet as defined in  claim 11 , wherein each fastening member is one member of a hook and loop fastening system, the connecting arm including a complementary member of the hook and loop fastening system. 
     
     
         19 . The helmet as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the two connecting arms are defined by a single elongated member extending through and away from a respective slot defined through the chin cup body adjacent each side thereof. 
     
     
         20 . A method of adjusting a position of a chin cup in a protective helmet, the method comprising:
 moving a respective padding portion of the helmet to disengage the respective padding portion from a connecting arm extending from a side of the chin cup;   moving the connecting arm along a connection between the connecting arm and the body of the helmet; and   moving the respective padding portion back in engagement with the connecting arm to restrain relative movement between the connecting arm and the body of the helmet.