US2871481A - Helmet - Google Patents

Description

1959 H. GERSTIN 2,871,481

HELMET Filed Dec. 10, 1956 INVENTOR. HARRY GERSTIN ATTORNEY HELMET Harry Gerstin, San Fernando, Califl, assignor to American Latex Products Corporation, Hawthorne, Calif., a corporation of California Application December 10, 1956, Serial No. 627,166

6 Claims. (Cl. 26)

The present invention relates to helmets and the like, and more particularly to helmets of the military type which incorporate liners of cushioning and sound absorbent material and in which signal or radio receiving members are inserted.

In helmets of the above-mentioned type, which are provided with earphone members, such members in order to be utilized most etfectively, must be positioned in such a manner that they are in proper alignment with the ear passages of the wearer of the helmet. Due to individual differences in head size, position of the ears, etc., there may be a wide variation in the optimum position for such ear pieces, thus requiring adjustments to be made in the lining or otherwise in positioning the earphone receiving openings therein. This necessitates the manufacture of the liners with the openings for they receivers in a wide variety of positions, or else requires individual modifications or alterations to be made in the liner in order to suitably fit the individual user. This mitigates against any standarization in the manufacture of the liners and means that there cannot be any interchangeability, so that a helmet liner of one particular design will not fit any great number of potential wearers. Obviously this creates problems in the manufacture, supply and storage of these helmets, and greatly increases the cost thereof.

In accordance with the present invention, applicant has discovered a helmet liner construction in which the earphone receiving openings are readily adjustable to correspond to the ear passages of each individual, so that a standardized construction may be fabricated in advance in large quantities without requiring individual structural modification in order to achieve proper alignment of the receiver with the ear passages of the wearer. This objective is achieved by providing a liner of flexible cellular cushioning and sound absorbent material having incorporated rotary adjustable inserts with an opening in which the signal receiver maybe positioned, such opening being so positioned with respect to these inserts that the position of the opening may be readily adjusted by rotation of the insert with respect to the liner so that proper alignment of the receiver with the ear of the wearer will result. These objectives are obtained by providing an opening in each side of the helmet liner corresponding to the general position of the ears of the wearer, and inserting into said opening one or more circular inserts, each being rotatably positioned with respect to the other and with each insert being provided with an off-center earphone receiving opening so that when said inserts are rotated relative to the liner, the earphone receiving opening may be aligned in any desired position over the general area defined by the opening in the liner. In order to achieve a suitable degree of ilexibility of adjustment, two inserts, each provided with ofi-center openings, are preferably inserted within each opening of the liner.

A further important objective is the provision of a helmet liner with adjustable openings or pockets in pressure in constructions where an earphone is not present. In normal wear of insulated helmets over long periods of time, the pressure of the sides of the helmet upon the ears creates a great amount of discomfort. Accordingly, it is desirable that openings into which the ears of the wearer may fit without pressure be provided. As in the case with the positioning of the earphones, the exact position of the opening should desirably be adjusted to correspond to the ears of the wearer, ordinarily necessitating custom fitting or making the liner in numerous types and sizes. By providing the inserts of this present invention with their adjustable feature, each helmet can be adjusted to fit the individual in a simple manner.

The above objectives may be more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings and description thereof which appear below, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a view in elevation of a typical helmet;

Fig. 2 illustrates a view in elevation of the liner of Fig. 1 with openings provided for the adjustable inserts;

Fig. 3 shows a view in perspective of the concentric inserts for the liner;

Fig. 4 shows a plan view of one side of the liner with the inserts in position;

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse cross-section taken through lines 5-5 of Fig. 1, illustrating the liner, the inserts and the earphone in position. I

As shown in Fig. 1, helmet 10 is provided with a liner 11 and earphones positioned in said liner in alignment with the ears of the wearer. Liner 11 which is shown in Fig. 2 is composed of a suitable cushioning and sound absorbing material, which is preferably a cellular plastic or rubber material, such as polyurethane foam, polyvinyl foam, foam rubber, or the like, formed of sheet material of suitable thickness. This liner is provided with a pair of opposite enlarged circular openings 12 and 12a which correspond in position to the general location of the ears of a person wearing the helmet. The area of these openings is such that they would overlie the ears of almost any person wearing the helmet, regardless of variations in size or position of the ears. Fig. 3 illustrates two circular inserts 13 and 14 preferably formed of the same material as the liner and having the same thickness. Insert 14 has an outer diameter conforming to the diameter of openings 12 and 12a in the liner and is provided with an offcenter opening 15 which corresponds in diameter to the diameter of insert 13. Insert 13 is provided with an off-center opening 16, the diameter of which is such that it will accommodate an earphone of a radio receiver. As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, insert 14 is positioned'within opening lz in the liner, and insert 13 is positioned Within opening 15 in insert 14. The opposite opening 12a in the liner is provided with a similar pair of inserts. Prior to use by the wearer, the position of opening 16 and the corresponding opening in the insert on the opposite side of the liner may then be readily adjusted to conform to the position of the wearer by rotating insert 13 within opening 15 and insert 14 within opening 12 until the exact alignment of the earphone opening with the ear passage of the wearer is obtained. Earphone 17 may be inserted into opening 16 either prior to or subsequent to this adjustment. adjusted either prior to or subsequent to insertion within helmet 10. It is apparent that by means of the planetary adjustability of openings 15 and 16 with respect to opening 12 in the liner, a highdegree of adjustability will result so that an exact alignment of Patented Feb. 3, 1959 At the same time, the liner may be suitably the earphone with the ear of the wearer will result. In-' asmuch' as the liner and the inserts are generally of cellular plastic or rubber material, the resilience and frictional resistance of such materials will prevent displacement of the inserts during use under normal conditions, although adjustment is readily obtained by' rotary pressure upon the inserts when the initial adjustment is made. the same individual, further adjustments will not ordinarily be required although such adjustments may be easily made if the helmet is to be worn by someone else.

While a preferred construction would utilize two concentric inserts to provide a high degree of variablility of adjustment, a single insert would also provide a suitable degree of flexibility.

When the helmet is to be worn without earphones or the like, theposition of openings 16 may be adjusted on opposite sides of the helmet to correspond to the position of the ears of the wearer, so that the ears will be received within the pockets formed by said openings, thus relieving or eliminating pressure upon the ears while the helmet is in use. In such case, opening 16 need not extend all the way through rotatable segment 13 but may merely define a recess or pocket of suitable size and shape to fit over the car, while at the same time providing an insulating cushion between the ear and the side of the helmet. V I

As many widely different modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this in:

vention, it. is to be understood that it is not limited to the specific embodiment described herein except as defined in the appended claims.

The inventor claims:

1. A liner for a helmet having openings to receive signal members in opposite sides thereof in a position adjacent to the ear passages of a wearer of the helmet, which comprises a head conforming sheet of resilient,

flexible material, a circular opening formed in each side of the helmet corresponding to the general position of the ears of the wearer, a circular insert conforming in thickness to the thickness of the linerbeing positioned within each of said openings, each of said inserts having a circular opening in an off-center position, and a second circular insert positioned within each Since each helmet is generally worn by of said off-center openings, said second inserts each being provided with an off-center signal member re ceiving opening whereby the position of said signal member with respect to the ear passages of a wearer may be adjusted by rotary movement of said inserts.

2. A liner according to claim 1, which is formed of a flexible, resilient cellular plastic material.

3. A liner according to claim 2, which is formed of polyurethane foam.

4. A liner for a helmet, having openings in opposite sides thereof in a position adjacent to the ear passages of a wearer of a helmet, which comprises a head conforming sheet of resilient, flexible material, a circular opening formed in each side of the helmet corresponding to the general vposition of the ears of the wearer, a circular insert conforming in thickness to the thickness of the liner positioned within each of said openings, each of said inserts having a circular opening in an off-center position, and a second circular insert positioned within each of said; off-center openings, said second inserts each being provided with an off-center ear receiving opening, whereby the position of said ear receiving openings with respect to the ear passages of a wearer may be adjusted by rotary movement of said inserts.

5. A liner according to claim 4, which is formed of polyurethane foam.

6; In a helmet: a liner; a circular opening in said liner corresponding to the general position of an ear of a wearer; a first circular. insert rotatably positioned within said opening and having its outer edge area in frictional engagement with the inner edge area of said opening; an ofi-center circular opennig formed in said first insert; a second circular insert rotatably positioned within said off-center opening; and an opening for an earphone in, said second insert; the position of said opening being thereby adjustable to correspond to the position of an ear of a wearer by rotation of said inserts.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,378,398 'Fielder June 19, 1945 2,468,267 Mondl Apr. 26, 1949 2,619,639 Hendler Dec. 2, 1952

Images