Helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly and adjustable chin strap retention system

Abstract

Disclosed are helmet and adjustable chin strap assemblies that include an adjustable chin strap retention system that solve some or all of the problems of the prior art. Specifically, disclosed are helmets and adjustable chin strap assemblies that include a helmet shell and a chin strap retention system, where the chin strap retention system includes a chin strap or chin strap cable and an actuator that can be manipulated by the wearer using one hand to selective shorten or lengthen the chin strap or chin strap cable in real time while the wearer is wearing the helmet and engaging in an activity. The chin strap or chin strap cable can be configured to cleanly and simply connect to the helmet shell, with two opposing ends of the chin strap or chin strap cable being attached to an inner component, an outer component, or between the inner and outer components of the helmet shell.

1 . A helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly, comprising:
 a helmet shell configured to at least partially cover a wearer's head, wherein the helmet shell includes:
 an outer component and an inner component; 
 a front and a back; and 
 a left side region and a right side region; and 
   an adjustable chin strap retention system including:
 a chin strap or chin strap cable having two opposing ends, a first end configured to attach to the left side region and a second end configured to attach to the right side region; and 
 an actuator configured to attach to the left or right side region of the helmet shell and be operably connected to the chin strap or chin strap cable so that actuating the actuator selectively increases or decreases a length of the chin strap or chin strap cable relative to the left and right side regions of the helmet shell in order to selectively loosen or tighten the chin strap or chin strap cable, respectively. 
   
     
     
         2 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the chin strap or chin strap cable comprises a chin strap cable, and wherein the chin strap cable comprises either a single-stranded cable or a dual-stranded cable, wherein when the chin strap cable comprises a dual-stranded cable, the helmet further comprises a length-equalizing wheel disposed on or in the helmet shell. 
     
     
         3 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 2 , further comprising a retention sheath that at least partially enclose the chin strap cable, wherein the retention sheath is stiffer than the chin strap cable in order to maintain the chin strap cable in a desired position relative to the helmet shell. 
     
     
         4 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a slider, detent, spring pump, ratchet system, wheel, or other means for selectively increasing or decreasing the length of the chin strap or chin strap cable. 
     
     
         5 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the actuator is attached to the outer component of the helmet shell at a first side region of the helmet shell and operably attached to one of the opposing ends of the chin strap or chin strap cable, with the opposing end of the chin strap or chin strap cable being attached to an opposite side region of the helmet shell. 
     
     
         6 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 1 , the chin strap retention system further comprising a truss pair, wherein a first truss of the truss pair is attached to the left side region of the helmet shell and a second truss of the truss pair is attached to the right side region of the helmet shell, each truss extending a distance away from the shell, wherein the first and second ends of the chin strap or chin strap cable are fed through the first and second trusses, respectively, of the truss pair. 
     
     
         7 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the chin strap or chin strap cable includes first and second Y-shaped helmet attachment structures, each configured to attach to a respective left or right side region of the helmet shell and each comprising a first section configured to attach to the helmet shell forward of a wearer's ear and a second section configured to attach to the helmet shell behind the wearer's ear. 
     
     
         8 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the Y-shaped helmet attachment structures comprise fabric or molded plastic. 
     
     
         9 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the chin strap or chin strap cable comprises a single continuous strap or cable with no buckle or other attachment feature configured to be positioned adjacent to a wearer's chin. 
     
     
         10 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the helmet shell includes a channel, groove, or space configured to house or receive a portion of the chin strap or chin strap cable when shortened or lengthened by the actuator. 
     
     
         11 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a pinion gear connected to or forming part of the chin strap or chin strap cable at or near one of the two opposing ends and being positioned in or adjacent to the left side region or the right side region of the helmet shell. 
     
     
         12 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the actuator is a wheel configured to engage the pinion gear such that selectively rotating the actuator in a first direction shortens the chin strap or chin strap cable and rotating the actuator in an opposite direction lengthens the chin strap or chin strap cable. 
     
     
         13 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an anchor sleeve disposed in one of the left side region or the right side region and configured to receive an end of the chin strap or chin strap cable opposite an end of the chin strap or chin strap cable operably connected to the actuator. 
     
     
         14 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a second anchor sleeve configured to receive the end of the chin strap or chin strap cable operably connected to the actuator, wherein the actuator passes through the second anchor sleeve to maintain communication with chin strap or chin strap cable. 
     
     
         15 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator is removably attached to the helmet shell such that removal of the actuator detaches the end of the chin strap or chin strap cable operably connected to the actuator from the helmet shell and facilitate installation and removal of the helmet shell to and from the wearer's head. 
     
     
         16 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 1 , wherein an end of the chin strap or chin strap cable opposite to the end attached to the actuator is removably attached to the helmet shell such that detaching that end of the chin strap or chin strap cable from the helmet shell facilitates installation and removal of the helmet shell to and from the wearer's head. 
     
     
         17 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the chin strap or chin strap cable comprises webbing and padding on at least a portion of the chin strap or chin strap cable. 
     
     
         18 . A helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly, comprising:
 a helmet shell configured to at least partially cover a wearer's head, wherein the helmet shell includes:
 an outer component and an inner component; 
 a front and a back; and 
 a left ear area and a right ear area; 
   an adjustable chin strap retention system including:
 a chin strap or chin strap cable having two opposing ends, each attached to the helmet shell at respective left and right ear areas of the helmet shell; and 
 an actuator connected to one of the left or right ear area and being operably connected to a first one of the two opposing ends of the chin strap or chin strap cable so that actuating the actuator selectively increases or decreases a length of the chin strap or chin strap cable relative to the left and right side regions of the helmet shell in order to selectively loosen or tighten the chin strap or chin strap cable, respectively. 
   
     
     
         19 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the actuator comprises a slider, detent, spring pump, ratchet system, wheel, or other means for selectively increasing or decreasing the length of the chin strap or chin strap cable. 
     
     
         20 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 16 , wherein a second one of the two opposing ends of the chin strap or chin strap cable is releasably attached to the shell. 
     
     
         21 . A method of using the helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of  claim 16 , comprising:
 placing the helmet shell over a portion of a wearer's head with the chin strap in a lengthened and loosened configuration;   actuating the actuator of the adjustable chin strap retention system to shorten the length of the chin strap or chin strap cable and tighten the chin strap or chin strap cable relative to the wearer's chin; and   selectively loosening or tightening the chin strap or chin strap cable while wearing the helmet shell to further optimize fit of the helmet shell.