Anti-fouling faceshield

Abstract

An Anti-fouling Faceshield is disclosed. The faceshield attaches to a conventional motorcycle helmet. The faceshield is particularly suited to competitive dirtbike racing where large amounts of mud are thrown onto riders' goggles in a short period of time. It is preferably spring-loaded so that the rider need simply pull a release lever to cause the faceshield to flip up and away from the face opening of the helmet. The main faceshield further has an upper shield extending upwardly from it to protect the pivot point/hinge area of the mechanism from being fouled with mud and other foreign bodies.

1 . A faceshield and actuator combination, said actuator attached to a helmet, comprising:
 a faceshield comprising:
 a main mudshield defining a front surface; and 
 an upper mudshield defining a second surface extending from said main mudshield at an angle oblique to said front surface; and 
   an actuator pivotally attached to said main mudshield.   
   
   
       2 . The combination of  claim 1 , wherein said actuator comprises:
 a transverse strut defining a pair of opposing ends, each said opposing end extending through a respective aperture formed in said main mudshield.   
   
   
       3 . The combination of  claim 2 , wherein said transverse strut has a latch tab extending backwardly therefrom. 
   
   
       4 . The combination of  claim 3 , wherein said actuator further comprises a release axle pivotally attached to the helmet, said release axle terminating in a release lever. 
   
   
       5 . The combination of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 biasing means associated with said latch tab and said main mudshield, whereby actuation of said release lever causes said biasing means to drive said main mudshield to pivot about an axis defined by hinge means interconnecting said main mudshield and the helmet.   
   
   
       6 . The combination of  claim 5 , wherein:
 said front surface comprises a front member, said front member comprising an upper edge, a lower edge, and opposing right and left side edges; and   said main mudshield further comprising a pair of opposing side members extending substantially perpendicularly to said front surface from said right and left side edges.   
   
   
       7 . The combination of  claim 6 , wherein said side members further comprise apertures formed therethrough for accepting said ends of said transverse strut therethrough. 
   
   
       8 . An anti-fouling faceshield for attachment to a conventional motorcycle helmet, the helmet comprising a shell defined by a face opening at its front side and a visor extending forwardly from above the face opening and terminating in a tip, the faceshield comprising:
 a main mudshield defining a front surface; and   an upper mudshield defining a second surface extending from said main mudshield at an angle oblique to said front surface to form a visor pocket between said main mudshield and said upper mudshield, said visor pocket configured to accept said visor tip therebetween; and   an actuator pivotally attached to said main mudshield and further configured to be attachable to the inner top of said helmet adjacent to said face opening.   
   
   
       9 . The faceshield of  claim 8 , wherein said actuator comprises:
 a transverse strut defining a pair of opposing ends, each said opposing end extending through a respective aperture formed in said main mudshield.   
   
   
       10 . The faceshield of  claim 9 , wherein:
 said transverse strut further comprises a latch tab extending backwardly therefrom; and   said actuator further comprises a latch plate attached to said helmet underside, cooperatively located to engage a tip end of said latch tab.   
   
   
       11 . The faceshield of  claim 10 , wherein said actuator further comprises a release axle pivotally attached to the underside of said helmet, said release axle terminating in a release lever. 
   
   
       12 . The faceshield of  claim 11 , further comprising a retaining finger extending from an end of said release axle opposite to said release lever, whereby movement of said release lever causes said retaining finger to rotate about said release axle. 
   
   
       13 . The faceshield of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 biasing means associated with said latch tab and said main mudshield, whereby actuation of said release lever causes said retaining finger to release said transverse strut, whereafter said biasing means is free to drive said main mudshield to pivot about an axis defined by hinge means attached to said helmet.   
   
   
       14 . The faceshield of  claim 13 , wherein:
 said front surface comprises a front member, said front member comprising an upper edge, a lower edge, and opposing right and left side edges; and   said main mudshield further comprising a pair of opposing side members extending substantially perpendicularly to said front surface from said right and left side edges.   
   
   
       15 . The faceshield of  claim 14 , wherein said side members further comprise apertures formed therethrough for accepting said ends of said transverse strut therethrough.