Protective Helmets, Protective Helmet Components and Methods for Manufacturing Protective Helmets, Including Protective Helmets Having an Enlargeable Bell Opening

Abstract

The present invention relates to protective helmets. Embodiments of the invention have been primarily developed to provide protective helmets, protective helmet components and methods for manufacturing protective helmets, including protective helmets having an enlargeable bell opening. For example, embodiments are described by reference to two-part helmets having a hinged connection which permits bell opening enlargement to enable insertion or removal of a human head. One embodiment provides a manufacturing method whereby a protective helmet is formed as a single piece, and then cut into shell portions to which interlocking edge members is subsequently applied, thereby to facilitate reconnection of the shells along an interlocking edge.

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         11 . A method of manufacturing a helmet, the method including:
 forming a primary helmet shell, the helmet shell having a bell opening defined by a bell opening edge;   applying a cutting process to the primary helmet shell thereby to define a first shell component and a second shell component;   for at least one of the first and second shell components, mounting at least one interlocking edge member to an edge of the shell component, being an edge defined by the cutting process; and   constructing a helmet including the at least one of the first and second shell components to which the at least one interlocking edge member is mounted.   
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11  including:
 for each of the for at least one of the first and second shell components, mounting at least one interlocking edge member to an edge of the shell component, being an edge defined by the cutting process; and 
 constructing a helmet including the first and second shell components. 
 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12  including:
 for each of the for at least one of the first and second shell components, mounting a pair of interlocking edge member to an edge of the shell component, being an edge defined by the cutting process. 
 
     
     
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         15 . A method according to  claim 12  wherein the cutting process includes removing one or more shell regions defined between an edge of the first shell defined by the current process and an edge of the second shell defined by the cutting process. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein at least one of the removed shell regions has a width dimension substantially corresponding to a width dimension between the first and second shell components when the helmet is in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 12  wherein the at least one interlocking edge member mounted to the first shell component includes a male region that interlocks with a complementary female region of the at least one interlocking edge member mounted to the second shell component when the helmet is in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 12  wherein the helmet includes a hinge assembly that is configured to enable relative rotation of the first shell component relative to the second shell component, thereby to enable enlargement of the bell opening. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to claimer  18  wherein the helmet includes at least one latch assembly that enable securing of the helmet in the closed configuration. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to claimer  19  wherein the at least one interlocking edge member is mounted to the first shell component along an edge region defined by the cutting process intermediate the hinge assembly and the at least one latch assembly. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the at least one interlocking edge component is formed of resilient material. 
     
     
         22 . A helmet formed by a method according to  claim 11 . 
     
     
         23 . An expandable bell opening helmet having at least one interlocking edge component formed independently of a helmet shell component to which it is fixedly mounted, the helmet movable between: (i) a closed configuration in which the at least one interlocking edge member is engaged with a complementary opposing interlocking edge; and (ii) an open configuration. 
     
     
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         26 . A latch assembly for an expandable bell opening helmet, the latch assembly including:
 a first set of latch assembly components which are configured to be mounted to a first shell component of the expandable bell opening helmet; and   a second set of latch assembly components which are configured to be mounted to a second shell component of the expandable bell opening helmet;   wherein:
 the first shell is movable with respect to the second shell thereby to define an open and closed configuration for the helmet, wherein: in the open configuration the bell opening is expanded; and in the closed configuration the first set of latch assembly components interface with the second set of latch assembly components thereby to lock the helmet in the closed configuration; and 
 the first set of latch assembly components includes: (i) a trappable member receiving region, wherein the trappable member receiving region includes tapered edges configured to guide a trappable member into the trappable member receiving region; and (ii) a biased capture mechanism, wherein the biased capture mechanism is configured to prevent removal of the trappable member in the trappable member receiving region under influence of spring loading; 
 the second set of latch assembly components includes a first plate member that provides the trappable member. 
   
     
     
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         37 . A helmet including a latch assembly according to  claim 26 . 
     
     
         38 . A hinge assembly for an expandable bell opening helmet, the hinge assembly including:
 a first set of hinge assembly components which are configured to be mounted to a first shell component of the expandable bell opening helmet; and   a second set of hinge assembly components which are configured to be mounted to a second shell component of the expandable bell opening helmet, wherein the first set of hinge components is configured to engage with the second set of hinge components thereby to define a hinge that rotates about a hinge axis;   wherein:
 the first shell is movable with respect to the second shell thereby to define an open and closed configuration for the helmet; and 
 the first and second sets of hinge assembly components are mounted to the respective shell components to provide a hinged connection and enable the movement of the first shell with respect to the second shell about the hinge axis. 
   
     
     
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         43 . A helmet including a hinge assembly according to  claim 38 . 
     
     
         44 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the cutting process is applied such that each of the first and second shell components include respective regions of the bell opening edge; and wherein the constructed helmet is movable between: (i) a closed configuration in which the at least one interlocking edge member is engaged with a complementary opposing interlocking edge; and (ii) an open configuration. 
     
     
         45 . A method according to  claim 12  wherein the constructed helmet is movable between: (i) a closed configuration in which the respective at least one interlocking edge members of the first and second shell components are complementarily engaged; and (ii) an open configuration. 
     
     
         46 . A method according to  claim 13  including constructing a helmet including the first and second shell components, wherein the constructed helmet is movable between: (i) a closed configuration in which the pair of interlocking edge members of the first shell component are complementarily engaged with the pair of interlocking edge members of the second shell component and (ii) an open configuration.