Shield fixing structure in helmet

Abstract

A shield fixing structure in which convenience in shield fixing or removing operation is further improved while superior effect in the fixing structure is being assured. This fixing structure is set such that when the stopper is oppositely faced against the passing notch at its full-opened upper limit position, the holding part holds the state to enable a turning of the shield over the full-opened upper limit position of the shield.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A shield fixing structure for attaching a shield to a helmet, the shield fixing structure having two components, one attached to each side of said helmet with said shield extending therebetween, each of said components comprising: 
 a male engagement member capable of being connected to the helmet, said male engagement member having a stopper for restricting movement of said shield;    a female engagement member movably connected to the male member, said female engagement member having a fixing part for attaching said two components with said shield; and    a passing notch for opposing said stopper when said shield is rotated to an open position from a closed position, and for passing over said stopper when said shield is rotated to a removal position for removal from said helmet,    wherein said components are mirror images of one another and are located on opposite sides of said helmet, each end of said shield is attached with said female engagement members which provide a base for rotation of said shield, said shield is capable of being rotated between a closed position and an open position, and is also capable of being removed from said helmet.    
     
     
         2 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said fixing part further comprises an engagement protuberance that is slidably engaged with said male engagement member.    
     
     
         3 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said female engagement member has a pivot part;    said shield rotates about said pivot part when being changed from one position to another, and when being removed from said helmet.    
     
     
         4 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 said pivot part further comprises a hub and a guide piece;    said male engagement member further comprises an inlet;    said hub having central axis about which said hub rotates;    said pivot part is in rotating engagement with said male engagement member,    wherein when said pivot part was rotated about said hub and said guide piece coincides with said inlet, said female engagement member is capable of being removed from engagement with said male engagement member thereby allowing the shield to be removed from the helmet.    
     
     
         5 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 4 , wherein: 
 said engagement protuberance has a notch,    wherein said stopper passes through said notch when said shield is being removed from said helmet.    
     
     
         6 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 5 , wherein: 
 said stopper has a protrusion with a vertical surface and a slant surface; and    said stopper has a lever that causes said stopper to move when operated,    wherein said protrusion of said stopper passes through said notch when said shield is being removed from said helmet, and abuts said engagement protuberance when said shield is moved to an open position.    
     
     
         7 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said male engagement member has a supporting part that is engaged with said pivot part of said female engagement member;    said supporting part facilitates the rotation of said male engagement member about said pivot part of said female engagement member.    
     
     
         8 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 7 , wherein: 
 said male engagement means further comprises a guide plate with notched edge with a plurality of arcuate shaped notches; and    said female engagement means further comprises a resilient piece having at least one arcuate shaped edge,    wherein said resilient piece matingly engages said notched edge of said guide plate when said shield is rotated from one position to another position, and    said resilient piece generates a resilient force when said supporting part is engaged with said pivot part which causes the outer circumferential surface of said resilient piece to be pushed against said engagement part.    
     
     
         9 . A shield fixing structure for attaching a shield to a helmet, the structure comprising: 
 a helmet;    a shield;    two shield fixing components, each of said shield fixing components comprising: 
 a male engagement member capable of being connected to the helmet, said male engagement member having a stopper for restricting movement of said shield;  
 a female engagement member movably connected to the male member, said female engagement member having a fixing part for attaching said female engagement member with said shield; and  
 a passing notch for opposing said stopper when said shield is rotated to an open position, and for passing over said stopper when said shield is rotated to a position wherein it can be removed from said helmet,  
   wherein said shield fixing components are located on opposite sides of said helmet and attache said shield to said helmet.    
     
     
         10 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 9 , wherein: 
 said fixing part further comprises an engagement protuberance that is slidably engaged with said male engagement member.    
     
     
         11 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 10 , wherein: 
 said female engagement member has a pivot part;    said shield rotates about said pivot part when being changed from one position to another, and when being removed from said helmet.    
     
     
         12 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 11 , wherein: 
 said pivot part further comprises a hub and a guide piece;    said male engagement member further comprises an inlet;    said hub having central axis about which said hub rotates;    said pivot part is in rotating engagement with said male engagement member,    wherein when said pivot part was rotated about said hub and said guide piece coincides with said inlet, said female engagement member is capable of being removed from engagement with said male engagement member thereby allowing the shield to be removed from the helmet.    
     
     
         13 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 12 , wherein: said engagement protuberance has a notch, 
 wherein said stopper passes through said notch when said shield is being removed from said helmet.    
     
     
         14 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said stopper has a protrusion with a vertical surface and a slant surface; and    said stopper has a lever that causes said stopper to move when operated,    wherein said protrusion of said stopper passes through said notch when said shield is being removed from said helmet, and abuts said engagement protuberance when said shield is moved to an open position.    
     
     
         15 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 said male engagement member has a supporting part that is engaged with said pivot part of said female engagement member;    said supporting part facilitates the rotation of said male engagement member about said pivot part of said female engagement member.    
     
     
         16 . The shield fixing structure according to  claim 15 , wherein: 
 said male engagement means further comprises a guide plate with notched edge with a plurality of arcuate shaped notches; and    said female engagement means further comprises a resilient piece having at least one arcuate shaped edge,    wherein said resilient piece matingly engages said notched edge of said guide plate when said shield is rotated from one position to another position, and    said resilient piece generates a resilient force when said supporting part is engaged with said pivot part which causes the outer circumferential surface of said resilient piece to be pushed against said engagement part.    
     
     
         17 . A shield fixing structure to be installed at a front surface of a main body of a helmet, said shield fixing structure in which only when engagement protuberances are contacted with stoppers at the full-opened upper limit position of the shield and the engagement protuberances ride over the stoppers, guide pieces of hubs installed at fixing parts of the shield are released in their engagement with the engagement steps formed in hub supporting notches of the engagement male members arranged at right and left sides of the helmet and can be removed from the inlet formed at the notch for fitting or removing the guide pieces characterized in that: 
 the engagement protuberances are formed with passing notches having a size as one in which the stoppers can pass, the stoppers are integrally engaged with the engagement male members slidably and biased in such a direction as one in which they are always removed from the notches such that they are coincided with and removed from the passing notches;    the stoppers are held by the holding parts holding the positions coinciding with the passing notches above the full-opened upper limit position of the shield through operation of the operating part to be slid against the biasing force at the full-opened upper limit position of the shield, the engagement with the engagement protuberances is released to enable the shield to be turned upward from the full-opened upper limit position to the releasing enabled position and in turn when the shield is turned up to the releasing enabled position and removed from it and when the shield is lowered form the ful-opened upper limit position as it is without being turned up to the releasing enabled position, the stoppers are released from the holding parts and returned back to an initial state by said biasing force.