NZ752840B2

NZ752840B2 - Mandible guard

Info

Publication number: NZ752840B2
Application number: NZ752840A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Nicolas Desjardins; Bernier Dominic Giroux; Edward R Hall; Stephane Lebel; Pierre Luc Lussier
Original assignee: Galvion Ltd
Filing date: 2017-10-03
Publication date: 2025-01-28

Abstract

helmet assembly (100) having a helmet (102), a mandible guard (104) having a mouth covering portion, and an accessory attachment system (106) that is used to selectively attach and secure the mandible guard to the helmet is disclosed with removably attachable first and second attachment arms (108a, 108b) each extending from a helmet connection region to a mandible guard connection region. The mandible guard is arranged to be detached from a first side of the helmet while remaining secured to a second side of the helmet. The mandible guard may be moved outwardly and away from a wearer as the mandible guard pivots around the accessory attachment system attached to the second side of the helmet. When the mandible guard is secured onto the helmet via the two attachment arms, movement of the mandible guard inwards is prevented and the mouth covering portion maintains a protective position aligned with a midline of the helmet. When the first attachment arm is attached and the second attachment arm is detached, the mandible guard is movable out of the protective position. The mandible guard disclosed enables easier access to the lower half of the user’s face but also allows quick, single-handed reattachment for use in high risk environments.

Claims

1. A helmet assembly comprising: a helmet; a mandible guard having a mouth covering portion; a first attachment arm arranged to removably secure a first side of the mandible guard to the , the first ment arm being removably attachable to the helmet, the first attachment arm extending from a first helmet connection region to a first mandible guard connection region; and a second attachment arm arranged to bly secure a second side of the mandible guard to the helmet, the second attachment arm being removably attachable to the helmet, the second attachment arm extending from a second helmet connection region to a second mandible guard connection region; wherein, when the le guard is secured to the helmet with the first and second attachment arms: the mouth covering portion maintains a protection position in which the mouth covering portion is aligned with a midline of the helmet; and movement of the mandible guard in a direction from a front of the helmet to a back of the helmet is prevented by the helmet assembly; wherein, when the second attachment arm is detached from the helmet and the first ment arm remains secured to the helmet, the mandible guard is movable out of the protection position.

2. The helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein the le guard is hingedly ted to the first attachment arm.

3. The helmet assembly of claim 2, wherein the mandible guard is hingedly connected to the second attachment arm.

4. The helmet assembly of claim 2, wherein the le guard is connected to the first attachment arm via a first hinge, the first hinge defining a first axis of rotation about which the mandible guard rotates relative to the first attachment arm.

5. The helmet assembly of claim 4, n the first hinge includes a first pin that defines the first axis of rotation, wherein the mandible guard is connected to the first attachment arm via 21145914_1 (GHMatters) P114599.NZ a second hinge pin, the second hinge pin defining a second axis of rotation about which the le guard rotates ve to the first attachment arm.

6. The helmet assembly of claim 5, wherein the mandible guard is rotatable about the first and second axes of rotation to a position where an outer surface of the mandible guard is positioned adjacent the first attachment arm.

7. The helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein the mandible guard es first and second mandible guard mounts, each of the first and second mandible guard mounts are fixedly attached to the mandible guard.

8. The helmet assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second helmet connection regions include first and second accessory attachment member mounts, respectively.

9. The helmet assembly of claim 8, wherein the first and second accessory attachment member mounts are secured to first and second helmet mounts, respectively.

10. The helmet assembly of claim 9, wherein the first helmet mount includes a first rail having a first elongate slot, and the second helmet mount includes a second rail having a second elongate slot.

11. The helmet assembly of claim 10, wherein the first accessory attachment member includes a first slidable insert that is insertable into the first elongate slot.

12. The helmet ly of claim 11, n the second accessory attachment member includes a second slidable insert that is insertable into the second elongate slot.

13. The helmet ly of claim 1, wherein, when the second ment arm is detached from the helmet and the first attachment arm remains secured to the helmet, the mandible guard is pivotable out of the protection position by pivoting the mandible guard relative to the first ment arm.

14. The helmet assembly of claim 5, wherein the first and second axes of rotation are ntially perpendicular to the first and second attachment arms. 21145914_1 (GHMatters) P114599.NZ

15. The helmet assembly of claim 5, wherein the first and second axes of rotation are oriented at an angle relative to a plane that is co-planar with an underside of a front-most portion of a front rim of the .

16. The helmet assembly of claim 15, wherein the first and second axes of rotation are oriented at an angle of between about 30 degrees and 60 degrees relative to the plane passing through the underside of the front rim of the helmet.

17. A method comprising: removably ng a first side of a mandible guard to a helmet via a first attachment arm, the first attachment arm ing from a first helmet connection region to a first mandible guard connection region and the first attachment arm being removably attachable to the helmet; removably securing a second side of the mandible guard to the helmet via a second attachment arm extending from a second helmet connection region to a second mandible guard connection region, the second attachment arm being removably attachable to the helmet, wherein the mandible guard has a mouth covering portion, and wherein when the mandible guard is secured to the helmet with the first and second attachment arms, the mouth covering portion is aligned with a e of the helmet, and movement of the mandible guard in a ion from a front of the helmet to a back of the helmet is prevented; detaching the second attachment arm from the helmet; and moving the mandible guard out of the protection position while the first attachment arm remains secured to the helmet.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein moving the mandible guard out of the protection position es ng the mandible guard relative to the first attachment arm.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein moving the mandible guard out of the tion position includes rotating the mandible guard about a first axis of rotation defined by a first hinge connecting the le guard to the first attachment arm.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first hinge includes a first hinge pin that s the first axis of rotation, and wherein moving the mandible guard out of the protection position includes rotating the mandible guard about a second axis of rotation defined by a second hinge pin connecting the mandible guard to the first ment arm. 21145914_1 (GHMatters) P114599.NZ

21. The method of claim 18, wherein moving the mandible guard out of the protection position includes rotating the mandible guard to a position adjacent the first attachment arm.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising: re-securing the second attachment arm to the ; ing the first attachment arm from the helmet; moving the mandible guard out of the protection position while the second attachment arm remains secured to the helmet.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein moving the mandible guard out of the protection position while the second ment arm s secured to the helmet includes rotating the mandible guard relative to the second attachment arm. 21145914_1 (GHMatters) P114599.NZ <::?::)-"">,f 0 / / 0 f ro ! / // !{ rlL ff rl0 / rl /; / / /,/, I//" ,?;;;:,,,,..,1.../ {'""'-, / // /?J···l //" / ,, :? ..-:;.N ........... . ",\W) '1 ,, ," t ,,,, ,,,,,, ?f ,,?,,;. ,,,,__,, v ,, ,,,~-? 1< ://,,,, ro.,? t•i, ?,,,,?; // ? //-./?/•._,<; <:::ti??:1 "'". 0....... ? 1/ i?!?l // / / 1 / //, , {;, // i l9 '4 // .,-... 1. ,:,;,., ; .? / / / ,. t, .,,., ¥•·/''"/,"· // /•• / /.• £;.····t /J I/ . w, • • LL 1 v/I. , h""'?if. 9. i i ... i' ¼ % ,. ,;::_,, .,. .,.,, .. /)4 ? ,,i ,, ,,,.,,,,, ,-,, AS