Systems and Methods for Providing an Assembly for Releasably Connecting an Inner Helmet and Outer Helmet Shell

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for a helmet shell mounting assembly. A system includes a mounting component and a locking slider configured to interface with the mounting component when in an engaged position to secure an outer helmet shell to an inner helmet, where when the locking slider is in the disengaged position, the outer helmet shell is removable from the inner helmet and the mounting component.

It is claimed: 
     
         1 . A helmet shell mounting assembly, comprising:
 a mounting component;   a locking slider configured to interface with the mounting component when in an engaged position to secure an outer helmet shell to an inner helmet, wherein when the locking slider is in the disengaged position, the outer helmet shell is removable from the inner helmet and the mounting component.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting assembly is configured to provide separation of the outer helmet shell and the inner helmet when the mounting assembly is subjected to greater than a threshold tensile load. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the mounting assembly comprises a weak point, wherein the weak point is configured to fracture when subjected to at least the threshold tensile load. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the outer helmet shell is configured to be removed from the inner helmet when the weak point is fractured or when the locking slider is moved to a disengaged position. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the locking slider comprises a transverse locking slider that is configured to substantially span a width of the mounting component when the locking slider is in the engaged position. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the mounting component comprises a channel configured to receive the locking slider when the locking slider is in the engaged position. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the mounting assembly includes a retention mechanism for retaining the locking slider at or near the mounting component when the locking slider is in a disengaged position. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an anchor;   wherein an extending portion of the anchor is configured to pass through the outer helmet shell via a through hole, wherein the extending portion of the anchor is configured to be received by the mounting component, and wherein the locking slider is configured to retain the extending portion of the anchor within the mounting component when in the engaged position.   
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the anchor comprises:
 the extending portion of the anchor; and   a retention portion;   wherein the retention portion is larger than the through hole such that the retention portion is configured to reside on one side of the through hole while the extending portion is configured to extend through the through hole for retention by the locking slider once received by the mounting component.   
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the extending portion comprises a plurality of hooks. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the locking slider comprises an anchor trapping region, wherein the anchor trapping region includes a recess configured to partially surround an upper portion of at least one of said plurality of hooks and a retention surface configured to be positioned above a lower portion of said at least one of said plurality of hooks so as to limit an ability to extract said at least one of said plurality of hooks from the mounting portion when the locking slider is in the engaged position. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an accessory mount connected to the retention portion of the anchor,   wherein the accessory mount comprises a connector for interfacing with a helmet accessory such that the helmet accessory is retained in position on an outside portion of the outer helmet shell.   
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the accessory comprises one or more of:
 a user or equipment identifier, a badge, a light, a radio, a sensor, a GPS device, ear protection, a visor, and a face shield.   
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising an accessory connected to the retention portion of the anchor. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the locking slider includes a notch or a protuberance configured to interface with the mounting portion to hold the locking slider in the engaged position until the locking slider is subjected to more than a threshold force to disengage the locking slider. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the outer helmet shell comprises a full brim fire helmet, a full brim construction helmet, or a cap style construction helmet. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the inner helmet comprises an inner portion that is configured to conform to a head of a user, wherein the inner helmet further comprises an outer portion that comprises a shock absorbing material. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting component is permanently attached to the inner helmet. 
     
     
         19 . A method of interfacing an outer helmet shell to an inner helmet, comprising:
 threading an anchor through a through hole of an outer helmet shell into a mounting component connected to an inner helmet;   sliding a locking slider into the mounting component into an engaged position to secure a portion of the anchor within the mounting component.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the outer helmet shell is disengaged from the inner helmet by either:
 sliding the locking slider into a disengaged position such that the anchor can be removed from the mounting component; or   subjecting one of the mounting component, the locking slider, and the anchor to more than a predefined tensile load to induce a fracture of said one of the mounting component, the locking slider, and the anchor.