IP Library Granted Patent US 6,978,523
Granted Patent B2
US 6,978,523 · App. 10/627,066 · Granted Dec 27, 2005

Post attachment device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,978,523
App. No.
10/627,066
Granted
Dec 27, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

A post attachment device for connecting a helmet to a head and neck support. The device includes a post anchor having a base, a button, a resilient member, a post, a retainer and a catch having a slot with a larger first section connected by a channel to a smaller second section. The button is positioned in an indention in the base with the resilient member positioned therebetween. The post extends through the button, the base and the helmet. The retainer is secured on the post adjacent the inner surface of the helmet. To secure the post attachment device, the catch is orientated over the post. The button is then depressed into the base while the catch is moved backwards to move the post into the second section of the slot.

Claims (35)

1. An attachment device for connecting a head and neck support device to a helmet, which comprises:

(a) a base having a front surface with an indention and a back surface with an opening extending therebetween for positioning on the helmet with the back surface of the base adjacent an outer surface of the helmet and the opening of the base aligned with a hole in the helmet;

(b) a button having a front surface and a back surface and an opening and positioned in the indention of the front surface of the base with the back surface adjacent the base and with the opening of the button aligned with the opening of the base wherein when the button is depressed, the button moves into the indention of the base and the front surface of the button is flush with the front surface of the base adjacent the indention;

(c) a resilient member positioned between the base and the button for biasing the button in a direction away from the base;

(d) a post, having opposed first and second ends with a head at the first end, for positioning through the openings of the button and the base and the hole in the helmet so that the second end of the post is adjacent an inner surface of the helmet;

(e) a retainer for mounting on the second end of the post adjacent the inner surface of the helmet for securing the post in position in the hole in the helmet; and

(f) a catch for connecting to the head and neck support device and having an opening for connecting to the head of the post by positioning the head of the post through the opening.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the post has a connector section adjacent the head and wherein the connector section has a size less than the size of the head.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the connector section has a pair of opposed and parallel flat sections.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the head has a pair of opposed and parallel flat sections adjacent and parallel to the pair of flat sections of the connector section.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein the head has an indicator line spaced between and parallel to the pair of flat sections of the connector section.

6. The device of claim 3 wherein a width of the connector section between the flat sections is less than a width of the opening of the catch.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the opening of the catch has a first section and a second section, wherein a width of the first section is greater than a width of the second section and greater than a width of the head of the post and wherein the width of the second section is less than the width of the head of the post.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the post has a connector section adjacent the head, wherein a width of the connector section is less than the width of the head of the post and wherein the width of the connector section is less than the width of the second section of the opening of the catch so that the connector section is able to slide into the second section of the opening of the catch.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the connector section has a cylindrical shape so that when the connector section is in the second section of the opening of the catch, the catch can rotate around the connector section of the post.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein a channel having parallel sides connects the first section of the opening of the catch to the second section of the opening of the catch, the channel having a width between the sides less than a width of the first section and less than a width of the second section, wherein the post has a connector section adjacent the head, the connector section having a pair of opposed and parallel flat sections, and wherein the width of the channel is greater than a width of the connector section between the flat sections so that the connector section can be moved between the first and second sections of the opening through the channel.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the connector section has an essentially cylindrical shape with curved sections spaced between the flat sections, wherein a diameter of the connector sections between the curved sections is greater than the width of the connector section between the flat sections and the width of the channel between the sides so that the flat sections of the connector section must be parallel to and spaced between the sides of the channel when the post is moved from the first section to the second section of the opening through the channel.

12. The device of claim 7 wherein the catch has a recess extending around a portion of a perimeter of the second section of the opening, wherein a size of the recess is greater than a size of the head of the post to allow the head to extend into the recess when the post is in the second section of the opening and the catch is connected to the post.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the catch is connected to the head and neck support device by a strap.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein a size of the back surface of the base adjacent the outer surface of the helmet is greater than a size of the hole in the helmet.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein a size of the retainer adjacent the inner surface of the helmet is essentially similar to the size of the back surface of the base adjacent the outer surface of the helmet.

16. An attachment device for connecting a head and neck support device to a helmet, which comprises:

(a) a base, having a front surface and a back surface with an opening extending therebetween, for positioning on the helmet with the back surface of the base adjacent to an outer surface of the helmet and the opening of the base aligned with a hole in the helmet;

(b) a button having an opening and positioned adjacent the front surface of the base with the opening of the button aligned with the opening of the base;

(c) a resilient member positioned between the front surface of the base and the button for biasing the button in a direction away from the base;

(d) a post, having opposed first and second ends with a head at the first end, for positioning through the openings of the button and the base and the hole in the helmet so that the second end of the post is adjacent an inner surface of the helmet;

(e) a retainer for mounting on the second end of the post adjacent the inner surface of the helmet for securing the post in position in the hole in the helmet; and

(f) a catch for connecting to the head and neck support device and having an opening with a first section and a second section for connecting to the head of the post by positioning the head of the post through the opening wherein a width of the first section is greater than a width of the second section and greater than a width of the head of the post, wherein the width of the second section is less than the width of the head of the post, wherein the catch has a recess extending around a portion of a perimeter of the second section of the opening and wherein a size of the recess is greater than a size of the head of the post to allow the head to extend into the recess when the post is in the second section of the opening and the catch is connected to the post.

17. An attachment device for connecting a head and neck support device to a helmet, which comprises:

(a) a base having a front surface and a back surface with an opening extending therebetween for positioning on the helmet with the back surface of the base adjacent an outer surface of the helmet and the opening of the base aligned with a hole in the helmet;

(b) a button having an opening and positioned adjacent the front surface of the base with the opening of the button aligned with the opening of the base;

(c) a resilient member positioned between the front surface of the base and the button for biasing the button in a direction away from the base;

(d) a post having opposed first and second ends with a head having a pair of opposed and parallel flat sections at the first end and having a connector section adjacent the head, wherein the connector section has a size less than a size of the head, the connector section having a pair of opposed and parallel flat sections adjacent and parallel to the pair of flat sections of the head for positioning through the openings of the button and the base and the hole in the helmet so that the second end of the post is adjacent an inner surface of the helmet;

(e) a retainer for mounting on the second end of the post adjacent the inner surface of the helmet for securing the post in position in the hole in the helmet; and

(f) a catch for connecting to the head and neck support device and having an opening for connecting to the head of the post by positioning the head of the post through the opening.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 24, 2021
From: AEA DEBT MANAGEMENT LP, AS SECOND LIEN COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.; DRAKE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, LLC
Reel/Frame 058205/0949 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 24, 2021
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS FIRST LIEN COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.; DRAKE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, LLC
Reel/Frame 058205/0900 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME NO.: 035063/0897 Recorded Nov 19, 2020
From: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION
To: SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 054523/0463 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2015
From: SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 035063/0897 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY AGREEMENT (SENIOR SUB) Recorded Feb 24, 2015
From: FIFTH THIRD BANK
To: SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 035089/0876 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY AGREEMENT (SENIOR) Recorded Feb 24, 2015
From: FIFTH THIRD BANK
To: SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 035089/0748 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 2013
From: HUBBARD/DOWNING, INC.
To: SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 029756/0297 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (SENIOR SUBORDINATED DEBT) Recorded Nov 30, 2012
From: SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.
To: FIFTH THIRD BANK
Reel/Frame 029383/0733 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (SENIOR DEBT) Recorded Nov 29, 2012
From: SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.
To: FIFTH THIRD BANK
Reel/Frame 029383/0312 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 9, 2003
From: DOWNING, JAMES R.; TIDWELL, SAMUEL VINCENT, SR.; CALDWELL, STEVE L.
To: HUBBARD/DOWNING, INC.
Reel/Frame 014464/0720 →