Headgear with shield retainer
A headgear assembly including a body configured to fit on a head of a wearer, and a shield coupled to the body. The shield is movable between an extended position where the shield is positioned to cover at least part of a face of the wearer, and a retracted position where the shield is positioned to not cover the face of the wearer, or to cover less of the face of the wearer compared to when the shield is in the extended position. The assembly further includes a retaining mechanism including a first circumferentially extending surface located on one of the body or the shield, and a second circumferentially extending surface located on the other one of the body or the shield. The first and second surfaces are configured to be able to engage each other when the shield is in the retracted position to selectively retain the shield in the retracted position.
1 . A headgear assembly comprising:
a body configured to fit on a head of a wearer;
a shield coupled to the body, the shield being movable between an extended position where the shield is positioned to cover at least part of a face of the wearer, and a retracted position where the shield is positioned to not cover the face of the wearer, or to cover less of the face of the wearer compared to when the shield is in the extended position; and
a retaining mechanism including a first surface located on one of the body or the shield, and a second surface located on the other one of the body or the shield, wherein the first and second surfaces are configured to be able to engage each other when the shield is in the retracted position to selectively retain the shield in the retracted position, wherein at least part of the retaining mechanism is manually adjustable and configured such that after manual adjustment is complete, a force required to move the shield away from the retracted position is thereby modified.
2 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the first surface includes a lip located on the body and the second surface includes a rib located on the shield, and wherein the first surface and second surface both extend circumferentially.
3 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the first surface and the second surface are configured to engage each other by at least one of frictional engagement or by interengaging shapes or by interlocking shapes to selectively retain the shield in the retracted position.
4 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the retaining mechanism includes a third surface, wherein the third surface is configured to be able to engage one of the first or second surfaces to retain the shield in an intermediate position between the extended position and the retracted position.
5 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the shield is pivotable about an axis between the extended position and the retracted position, and wherein the at least part of the retaining mechanism is adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the axis to adjust the engagement between the first and second surfaces, to thereby modify the force required to move the shield away from the retracted position.
6 . The assembly of claim 5 wherein the first surface is coupled to or forms part of a retaining arm, wherein the retaining arm is coupled to the body by a threaded shaft, wherein the threaded shaft is configured such that rotation of the threaded shaft moves the retaining arm and the first surface in the direction perpendicular to the axis.
7 . The assembly of claim 5 wherein the retaining mechanism includes a third surface, wherein the third surface is configured to be able to engage one of the first or second surfaces to retain the shield in an intermediate position between the extended position and the retracted position, and wherein the retaining mechanism is configured such that adjustment of the retaining mechanism in the direction perpendicular to the axis adjusts the engagement between the third surface and the one of the first or second surfaces, to thereby adjust a force required to move the shield away from the intermediate position.
8 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the first surface is coupled to the body, and wherein the first surface adjustable in a vertical direction relative to a gravitational frame of reference when the assembly is worn upon a top of the head of the wearer, to thereby adjust the engagement between the first and second surfaces, to thereby adjust a force required to move the shield away from the retracted position.
9 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the headgear is a helmet and the body includes a rigid outer shell and an inner casing, wherein the shield is configured to be at least partially positioned between the shell and the casing when the shield is in the retracted position, and wherein the shield is transparent or translucent.
10 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the shield is pivotally coupled to the body at a pair of pivot points, and wherein the retaining mechanism is spaced away from both pivot points.
11 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the first and second surfaces are configured to engage each other when the shield is in the retracted position to selectively retain the shield in the retracted position such that a user can manually apply the force to the shield, to thereby move the shield away from the retracted position.
12 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the retaining mechanism includes a threaded shaft, and wherein the retaining mechanism is configured such that rotation of the threaded shaft modifies the force required to move the shield away from the retracted position.
13 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least part of the retaining mechanism is manually adjustable and configured such that after manual adjustment is complete such that a user is no longer manually operating the retaining mechanism, the force required to move the shield away from the retracted position is thereby modified.
14 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the retaining mechanism is configured to engage the shield and retain the shield in the retracted position, and wherein the shield is manually movable from the retracted position to the extended position when a sufficient manual force is applied to the shield without operation of the retaining mechanism.
15 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the assembly is configured such that the retaining mechanism does not engage the shield when the shield is in the extended position.
16 . A headgear assembly comprising:
a body configured to fit on a head of a wearer;
a shield coupled to the body, the shield being movable between an extended position where the shield is positioned to cover at least part of a face of the wearer, and a retracted position where the shield is positioned to not cover the face of the wearer, or to cover less of the face of the wearer compared to when the shield is in the extended position; and
a retaining mechanism including a first surface located one of the body or the shield, and a second surface located on the other one of the body or the shield, wherein the first and second surfaces are configured to be able to engage each other when the shield is in the retracted position to selectively retain the shield in the retracted position, wherein the retaining mechanism includes a third surface, wherein the third surface is configured to be able to engage one of the first or second surfaces to retain the shield in an intermediate position between the extended position and the retracted position, wherein the third surface is located on the shield and is configured to be able to engage the one of the first or second surfaces located on the body, and wherein the third surface is oriented parallel to and spaced away from the one of the first or second surfaces on the shield.
17 . A headgear assembly comprising:
a body configured to fit on a head of a wearer;
a shield coupled to the body, the shield being movable about an axis between an extended position where the shield is positioned to cover at least part of a face of the wearer, and a retracted position where the shield is positioned to not cover the face of the wearer, or to cover less of the face of the wearer compared to when the shield is in the extended position; and
a retaining mechanism including a first surface located on one of the body or the shield, and a second surface located on the other one of the body or the shield, wherein the first and second surfaces are configured to be able to engage each other when the shield is in the retracted position to selectively retain the shield in the retracted position, wherein at least part of the retaining mechanism is adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the axis to adjust the engagement between the first and second surfaces, to thereby adjust a force required to move the shield away from the retracted position, wherein the first surface is coupled to or forms part of a retaining arm, and wherein the retaining arm is coupled to the body by a threaded shaft that is configured such that rotation of the threaded shaft moves the first surface relative to the second surface.
18 . The assembly of claim 17 wherein the first surface is located on the body, and wherein the first surface is adjustable in a vertical direction relative to a gravitational frame of reference when the assembly is worn upon a top of the head of the wearer to thereby adjust the force required to move the shield away from the retracted position.
19 . The assembly of claim 17 wherein the first surface is coupled to or forms part of a retaining assembly, wherein the retaining assembly is adjustable to thereby adjust the force required to move the shield away from the retracted position, and wherein at least part of the retaining assembly is aligned with a lateral centerline of the body.
20 . The assembly of claim 17 wherein the first and second surfaces each extend circumferentially, wherein the first and second surfaces are each aligned in an associated horizontal plane relative to a gravitational frame of reference when the assembly is worn upon a top of the head of the wearer.
21 . The assembly of claim 17 wherein the headgear assembly is configured such that rotation of the threaded shaft, that moves the first surface relative to the second surface, thereby modifies a force required to move the shield away from the retracted position.
22 . A headgear assembly comprising:
a body configured to fit on a head of a wearer;
a shield coupled to the body, the shield being movable between an extended position where the shield is positioned to cover at least part of a face of the wearer, and a retracted position where the shield is positioned to not cover the face of the wearer, or to cover less of the face of the wearer compared to when the shield is in the extended position; and
a retaining mechanism including a first surface located on one of the body or the shield, and a second surface located on the other one of the body or the shield, wherein the first and second surfaces are configured to be able to engage each other when the shield is in the retracted position to selectively retain the shield in the retracted position, wherein the retaining mechanism includes an actuator located on the body that is rotatably adjustable to adjust the engagement between the first and second surfaces, to thereby adjust a force required to move the shield away from the retracted position.
23 . The assembly of claim 22 wherein the first surface is coupled to or forms part of a retaining arm, wherein the retaining arm is coupled to the body by the actuator which includes a threaded shaft, wherein the actuator is configured such that rotation of the actuator moves the retaining arm and the first surface relative to the second surface to thereby adjust the force required to move the shield away from the retracted position.
24 . The assembly of claim 22 wherein the shield is pivotable about an axis, and wherein the retaining mechanism is adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the axis to adjust the engagement between the first and second surfaces, to thereby adjust the force required to move the shield away from the retracted position.
25 . The assembly of claim 22 wherein the first and second surfaces each extend circumferentially, wherein the first and second surfaces are each aligned in an associated horizontal plane relative to a gravitational frame of reference when the assembly is worn upon a top of the head of the wearer.