Mounting rail for attaching accessories to a safety helmet
A hinge mechanism for attaching ear accessories to a helmet allows an accessory to be attached at a point outside the helmet shell utilizing, for example, a slidable mounting rail, and to reach under the edge of the helmet shell so that the accessory is supported in contact with the wearer's head. The hinge mechanism is well suited for use in connection with military helmets that have a “bulge” or protrusion over the ear.
1. A safety helmet comprising:
a helmet shell having an outer surface; and
a mounting rail coupled to the outer surface of the helmet shell, a bottom edge of the mounting rail being disposed above a bottom edge of the helmet shell, the mounting rail configured to securely attach a plurality of accessories to the helmet shell of the safety helmet, the mounting rail comprising:
a body having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending along an axis, and the second portion extending from an end of the first portion at an obtuse angle from the axis such that the body forms a bent shape configured, in use, to partially extend around an ear of a user wearing the safety helmet;
a recessed retaining groove having a dove-tail cross sectional shape, the recessed retaining groove extending into the body, the recessed retaining groove having a length which extends along the axis of the first portion of the body and a height perpendicular to the axis of the first portion, the length being greater than the height, the recessed retaining groove configured to slidably receive at least one of the plurality of accessories thereon at different portions along the length of the recessed retaining groove;
and an interior surface configured to mount to the outer surface of the helmet shell and having a curvature configured to correspond to a curvature of the outer surface of the helmet shell.
2. The safety helmet of claim 1 , wherein the mounting rail is a first mounting rail, the safety helmet further comprising:
a second mounting rail attached to the helmet shell opposite the first mounting rail, the second mounting rail being a mirror image of the first mounting rail.
3. The safety helmet of claim 1 , wherein the mounting rail includes a sloped top edge and a sloped bottom edge, and
wherein the recessed retaining groove is positioned between the sloped top edge and the sloped bottom edge.
4. The safety helmet of claim 1 , wherein the recessed retaining groove comprises an inner surface extending flatly along the length of the recessed retaining groove and a pair of angled side walls opposed to the flat inner surface.
5. The safety helmet of claim 1 further comprising:
an attachment feature on the second portion of the body configured to receive at least another one of the plurality of accessories thereon.
6. The safety helmet of claim 1 , wherein the recessed retaining groove is configured to simultaneously receive two or more accessories of the plurality of accessories.
7. A safety helmet comprising:
a helmet shell;
a retention system having a plurality of retention straps coupled to the helmet shell;
a first mounting rail configured to receive an accessory, the first mounting rail comprising:
a body having a sloped top edge and sloped bottom edge, the body coupled to the helmet shell, the sloped bottom edge being disposed above, and generally aligned with, a bottom edge of the helmet shell, the body having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending along an axis, and the second portion extending from an end of the first portion at an obtuse angle from the axis such that the body forms a bent shape configured, in use, to partially extend around an ear of a user wearing the safety helmet, the second portion including an attachment feature for accepting at least one different accessory thereon;
a recessed retaining groove positioned between the sloped top edge and sloped bottom edge, the recessed retaining groove extending into and along the first portion of the body and configured to slidably receive at least one of a plurality of accessories thereon; and
an interior surface having a contour conforming to an outer surface of the helmet shell; and
a second mounting rail coupled to the helmet shell opposite the first mounting rail, the second mounting rail being a mirror image of the first mounting rail.
8. The safety helmet of claim 7 , wherein the recessed retaining groove has a length which extends horizontally along the body, and
wherein the recessed retaining groove is configured to receive the plurality of accessories at different portions along the length of the recessed retaining groove.
9. A safety helmet comprising:
a helmet shell;
a retention system having a plurality of retention straps coupled to the helmet shell;
a first mounting rail configured to receive an accessory, the first mounting rail comprising:
a body, coupled to the helmet shell, for securely receiving a plurality of accessories, the body having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending along an axis, and the second portion extending from an end of the first portion at an obtuse angle from the axis such that the body forms a bent shape configured in use to partially extend around an ear of a user wearing the safety helmet, the second portion including an attachment feature for accepting at least one different accessory thereon, a bottom edge of the body being disposed above a bottom edge of the helmet shell;
a recessed retaining groove having a length which extends horizontally along the body and having a dove-tail cross sectional shape extending into and along the first portion of the body and configured to slidably and adjustably receive at least one of a plurality of accessories at different portions along the length of the recessed retaining groove; and
an interior surface having a contour conforming to an outer surface of the helmet shell; and
a second mounting rail coupled to the helmet shell opposite the first mounting rail, the second mounting rail being a mirror image of the first mounting rail.
10. The safety helmet of claim 9 further comprising:
a front connecting element including an attachment surface configured to receive an accessory separate and distinct from the accessory received by the first mounting rail.
11. The safety helmet of claim 10 , wherein the front connecting element connects the first mounting rail to the second mounting rail, and
wherein the front connecting element, the first mounting rail, and the second mounting rail encircle approximately three-fourths of the outer surface of the helmet shell.
12. The safety helmet of claim 10 , wherein the front connecting element is disposed between the first mounting rail and the second mounting rail, the first mounting rail being disposed on a first side of the helmet shell and the second mounting rail being disposed on a second side of the helmet shell.