Helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly and adjustable chin strap retention system
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 and an actuator that can be manipulated by the wearer using one hand to selective shorten or lengthen the chin strap in real time while the wearer is wearing the helmet and engaging in an activity. The chin strap can be configured to cleanly and simply connect to the helmet shell, with two opposing ends of the chin strap 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 having a left ear area and a right side region having a right ear area; and
an adjustable chin strap retention system including:
a continuous chin strap with no buckle configured to be positioned adjacent to the wearer's chin;
a Y-shaped connector configured to attach the continuous chin strap to either the left side region or the right side region of the helmet shell, wherein the Y-shaped connector is integrally formed with a first end of the continuous chin strap;
a V-shaped connector configured to attach the continuous chin strap to either the left side region or the right side region of the helmet shell that is opposite the Y-shaped connector, wherein the V-shaped connector is slidably connected to a second end of the continuous chin strap, wherein each of the Y-shaped connector and the V-shaped connector includes a rear tether rigidly or rotatably connected to helmet shell rearward of a wearer's ear and a front tether rigidly or rotatably connected to helmet shell forward of the wearer's ear; and
an actuator operably connected to the second end of the continuous chin strap and attached to the helmet shell in a location where one of the tethers of the V-shaped connector is connected to the helmet shell,
wherein manually actuating the actuator by the wearer selectively moves the second end of the continuous chin strap toward or away from the helmet shell in order to selectively tighten or loosen the continuous chin strap relative to the wearer's chin,
wherein the Y-shaped connector and V-shaped connector, when the continuous chin strap is attached to the helmet shell, position the continuous chin strap under the wearer's chin when selectively tightening or loosening the continuous chin strap.
2 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is selectively detachable from the helmet shell to permit selective decoupling of the second end of the continuous chin strap from the helmet shell.
3 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a retention member configured to slidably secure the continuous chin strap against the V-shaped connector and to position the continuous chin strap in a position against the wearer's jaw.
4 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a manually rotatable wheel that is operably connected to the continuous chin strap so that manual rotation of the wheel by the wearer in a first direction selectively tightens the continuous chin strap and manual rotation of the wheel by the wearer in an opposite direction selectively loosens the continuous chin strap.
5 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a pinion gear connected to or forming part of the continuous chin strap, wherein the actuator includes a wheel configured to engage the pinion gear such that selectively rotating the wheel in a first direction tightens the continuous chin strap and rotating the wheel in an opposite direction loosens the continuous chin strap.
6 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a lock configured to temporarily lock the actuator and maintain a tightness or looseness of the continuous chin strap while the actuator is locked.
7 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 1 , wherein the continuous strap is a monolithic molded component.
8 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 1 , wherein the Y-shaped connector and the V-shaped connector are each a monolithic molded component.
9 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 1 , wherein the helmet shell includes a channel, groove, or space on a side of the helmet shell adjacent to the actuator configured to house or receive a portion of the second end of the continuous chin strap when the continuous chin strap is selectively tightened or loosened by manual actuation of the actuator by the wearer.
10 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the continuous chin strap is coupled to the actuator by means of a flexible cable or wire.
11 . 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 having a left ear area and a right side region having a right ear area;
an adjustable chin strap retention system including:
a continuous chin strap having a first end and a second end and extending between the left ear region and the right ear region, and wherein the continuous chin strap does not contain a buckle that is configured to be positioned adjacent to the wearer's chin;
a first V-shaped connector and a second V-shaped connector positioned at the left side region and the right side region, respectively, the first V-shaped connector and the second V-shaped connector each comprising a first tether and a second tether, wherein the first tether and the second tether both directly attach to the helmet shell at a first end and are attached together at a second end;
a retention member configured to secure the continuous chin strap to a tether of either the first V-shaped connector or the second V-shaped connector;
an actuator connected to one of the left side region or the right side region and being operably connected to the first end of the continuous chin strap, wherein the actuator is configured to selectively tighten or loosen the continuous chin strap relative to the wearer's chin; and
a single release mechanism positioned on the left side region or right side region of the helmet shell opposite the actuator, wherein the single release mechanism is configured to releasably connect the second end of the continuous chin strap to the helmet shell,
wherein the V-shaped connectors, when the continuous chin strap is attached to the helmet shell, maintain the continuous chin strap under the wearer's chin when selectively tightening or loosening the continuous chin strap.
12 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 11 , wherein the single release mechanism is directly secured to the helmet shell.
13 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 11 , wherein the single release mechanism is a buckle.
14 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the actuator that is directly connected to the first end of the continuous chin strap is removably connected to the helmet shell to enable the wearer to decouple the first end of the continuous chin strap from the helmet shell to facilitate installation and removal of the helmet shell to and from the wearer's head while the first V-shaped connector and second V-shaped connectors remain secured to the helmet.
15 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 11 , wherein the actuator comprises a manually rotatable wheel that is operably connected to the continuous chin strap so that manual rotation of the wheel by the wearer in a first direction selectively tightens the continuous chin strap and manual rotation of the wheel by the wearer in an opposite direction selectively loosens the continuous chin strap.
16 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first V-shaped connector is a first monolithic molded component, and the second V-shaped connector is a second monolithic molded component.
17 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first end of the continuous chin strap is coupled to the actuator by means of a flexible cable or wire.
18 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 11 , wherein one of the first or second V-shaped connectors and the continuous chin strap are a single monolithic molded component.
19 . 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 having a left ear area and a right side region having a right ear area; and
an adjustable chin strap retention system including:
a continuous chin strap with no buckle configured to be positioned adjacent to a wearer's chin;
a Y-shaped connector configured to attach the continuous chin strap to either the left side region or the right side region of the helmet shell, wherein the Y-shaped connector is integrally formed with a first end of the continuous chin strap;
a V-shaped connector configured to attach the continuous chin strap to either the left side region or the right side region of the helmet shell that is on a side opposite the Y-shaped connector, wherein the V-shaped connector is slidably connected to a second end of the continuous chin strap, wherein the Y-shaped connector and the V-shaped connector each includes a rear tether rigidly or rotatably connected to helmet shell rearward of a wearer's ear and a front tether rigidly or rotatably connected to helmet shell forward of the wearer's ear;
a retention member configured to slidably connect the second end of the continuous chin strap to the V-shaped connector and to position the continuous chin strap in a position against the wearer's jaw; and
an actuator coupled to the second end of the continuous chin strap, the actuator being positioned where a tether of the V-shaped connector is attached to the helmet shell,
wherein manually actuating the actuator by the wearer selectively increases or decreases a length of the continuous chin strap relative to the left ear region and right ear region of the helmet shell in order to selectively loosen or tighten the continuous chin strap, and
wherein at least a portion of the actuator, that is directly connected to the second end of the continuous chin strap, is removably connected to the helmet shell to enable the wearer to decouple the second end of the continuous chin strap from the helmet shell while the first end of continuous chin strap and the Y-shaped connector remain attached to the helmet shell.
20 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 19 , wherein the actuator comprises a manually rotatable wheel that is operably connected to the continuous chin strap so that manual rotation of the wheel by the wearer in a first direction selectively tightens the continuous chin strap and manual rotation of the wheel by the wearer in an opposite direction selectively loosens the continuous chin strap.
21 . The helmet and adjustable chin strap assembly of claim 19 , wherein the retention member is configured to be releasable from the V-shaped connector in order to decouple the second end of the continuous chin strap from the V-shaped connector, and wherein the actuator is selectively detachable from the helmet shell to permit selective decoupling of the second end of the continuous chin strap from the helmet shell.