Headpiece assembly having removable ballistic shell and bump shell with suspension assembly

Abstract

A headpiece assembly for use with a night vision mounting arm includes a bump shell and an interior suspension assembly for seating on the head of a human. A mounting bracket is secured to the front of the bump shell for removably attaching the night vision mounting arm to the bump shell. A ballistic shell has a bottom forming an opening and a coupling mechanism for removably securing the ballistic shell to the bump shell when the ballistic shell is placed over the bump shell. The ballistic shell has a front and a notch extending upwardly from the opening into the front for receiving the mounting bracket when the ballistic shell is placed over the bump shell so as to permit the night vision mounting arm to be attached to the bump shell during use of the ballistic shell.

1 . A headpiece assembly for use with a night vision mounting arm on a head of a human, comprising a bump shell having a front and a rear, an interior suspension assembly adapted for seating on the head of the human to permit the bump shell to be worn by the human, a mounting bracket secured to the front of the bump shell for removably attaching the night vision mounting arm to the bump shell, a ballistic shell having a bottom forming an opening, and a coupling mechanism for removably securing the ballistic shell to the bump shell when the ballistic shell is placed over the bump shell, the ballistic shell having a front and a notch extending upwardly from the opening into the front for receiving the mounting bracket when the ballistic shell is placed over the bump shell so as to permit the night vision mounting arm to be attached to the bump shell during use of the ballistic shell. 
     
     
         2 . The headpiece assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the suspension assembly is removably attached to the bump shell. 
     
     
         3 . The headpiece assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling mechanism includes a slot and deflectable clip connection and a ratchet connection. 
     
     
         4 . The headpiece assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the front includes two positions adjacent the mounting bracket and opposite one another, the slot and deflectable clip connection is positioned on the rear of the bump shell, and the ratchet connection includes two ratchet strips each located at one of the two positions. 
     
     
         5 . The headpiece assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the slot and deflectable clip connection includes a slot penetrating the bump shell and a deflectable clip in a corresponding position on the ballistic shell configured to engage the slot and the ratchet strips are in respective corresponding positions on the bump shell and the ballistic shell and are configured to engage each other. 
     
     
         6 . The headpiece assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the deflectable clip is configured for disengaging from the slot by pressing on and deflecting the clip. 
     
     
         7 . The headpiece assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a rear attachment device configured for attachment to one of the bump shell and the ballistic shell. 
     
     
         8 . The headpiece assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the rear attachment device includes a securing surface configured for receiving and attaching equipment. 
     
     
         9 . The head piece assembly of  claim 8  for use with straps, wherein the securing surface further includes slots for receiving the straps. 
     
     
         10 . The headpiece assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the bump shell and the ballistic shell each include a rear edge and a rear parietal area and the rear attachment device includes at least one hook configured to engage the rear edge of one of the bump shell and the ballistic shell and a concave surface configured for adhered engagement with the rear parietal area of one of the bump shell and the ballistic shell. 
     
     
         11 . The headpiece of  claim 1  wherein the head has frontal and parietal regions and wherein the suspension assembly includes a unitary impact protection element adapted for seating on the head and having a top portion having a shape that closely contours at least the upper portion of the frontal and parietal regions of the head. 
     
     
         12 . The headpiece of  claim 11 , wherein the frontal and parietal regions have a shape and wherein the impact protection element is provided with an outer convex surface having a shape resembling the shape of at least the upper portion of the frontal and parietal regions and a cavity extending upwardly into the impact protection element formed from an inner concave surface for engaging at least the upper portion of the frontal and parietal regions of the head and having a shape resembling at least the upper portion of the frontal and parietal regions. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the impact protection element has a rear portion depending from the upper portion and having a shape that closely contours the rear portion of the parietal region of the head. 
     
     
         14 . A ballistic headpiece for use by a human having a head and with a night vision mounting arm, a bump shell having a front, an interior suspension assembly for seating on the head of the human to permit the bump shell to be worn by the human, and a mounting bracket secured to the front of the bump shell for removably attaching the night vision mounting arm to the bump shell, comprising a ballistic shell having a bottom forming an opening and a coupling mechanism for removably securing the ballistic shell to the bump shell when the ballistic shell is placed over the bump shell, the ballistic shell having a front and a notch extending upwardly from the opening into the front for receiving the mounting bracket when the ballistic shell is placed over the bump shell so as to permit the night vision mounting arm to be attached to the mounting bracket during use of the ballistic shell without removing the mounting bracket from the bump shell. 
     
     
         15 . The ballistic headpiece of  claim 14 , further comprising a tiered reinforcing element positioned on the front of the bump shell, wherein the mounting bracket is positioned on the tiered reinforcing element and the ballistic shell is configured for overlapping the reinforcing element. 
     
     
         16 . The ballistic headpiece of  claim 15 , wherein the reinforcing element has a ledge and the ballistic shell includes a lip extending around the periphery of the notch for overlapping the ledge of the reinforcing element. 
     
     
         17 . The ballistic headpiece of  claim 14  for use with ancillary equipment rails, wherein the ballistic shell includes a plurality of perforations for attachment of ancillary equipment rails. 
     
     
         18 . The ballistic headpiece of  claim 14 , wherein the ballistic shell includes a rear edge, the bump shell includes a slot, and the coupling mechanism includes a clip positioned along the rear edge and configured to engage a the slot on the bump shell. 
     
     
         19 . The ballistic headpiece of  claim 18 , wherein the ballistic shell includes an inner surface, the rear edge includes a diverging rear edge, and the clip includes a tab secured to the inner surface extending downward along the diverging rear edge of the ballistic shell and allowing for pressingly releasing the clip from the bump shell. 
     
     
         20 . The ballistic headpiece of  claim 19 , wherein the tab of the clip further includes an engagement feature configured for engaging the slot. 
     
     
         21 . The ballistic headpiece of  claim 18 , wherein the coupling mechanism further includes a ratchet strip positioned on the ballistic shell and a corresponding ratchet strip positioned on the bump shell, the ratchet strip on the ballistic shell being positioned on the inner surface thereof and in the front of the ballistic shell and configured for engagement with the corresponding ratchet strip on the bump shell. 
     
     
         22 . A suspension assembly for use with a headpiece by a human having a head with frontal and parietal regions, comprising a unitary impact protection element adapted for seating on the head and having a front portion having a shape that closely contours at least the frontal region of the head and a top portion and rear portion together depending from the front portion and having a shape that closely contours the parietal region of the head and a mounting assembly for positioning the protection element on the head. 
     
     
         23 . The suspension assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the unitary impact protection element is made from an impact attenuating material. 
     
     
         24 . The suspension assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the impact attenuating material is foam. 
     
     
         25 . The suspension assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the mounting assembly includes at least one strap extending over the unitary impact protection element. 
     
     
         26 . The suspension assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the mounting assembly includes a headband having a length, the at least one strap being connected to the headband and the headband including an adjustment mechanism for changing the length of the headband for facilitating retention of the suspension assembly on the head of the human. 
     
     
         27 . The headpiece of  claim 22 , wherein the frontal and parietal regions have a shape and wherein the impact protection element is provided with an outer convex surface having a shape resembling the shape of at least a portion of the frontal and parietal regions and a cavity extending upwardly into the impact protection element formed from an inner concave surface for engaging at least a portion of the frontal and parietal regions of the head. 
     
     
         28 . A bump shell assembly for use with ancillary equipment adapters and a ballistic shell by a human to protect a head during combat, comprising an outer body having a bottom forming an opening adapted to receive the head of the human and a suspension assembly coupled to the body and at least partially disposed in the body for seating on the head so as to permit the body to be worn by the human during combat, the body having an exterior convex surface and at least one recessed surface recessed below the convex surface for receiving the ancillary equipment adapters whereby the ballistic shell can be worn over the body when the ancillary equipment adapters are removed from the body. 
     
     
         29 . The bump shell assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the convex surface includes at least one side surface and the at least one recessed surface is recessed below the at least one side surface. 
     
     
         30 . The bump shell of  claim 29 , wherein the convex surface includes first and second opposite side surfaces and the at least one recessed surface includes first and second recessed surfaces recessed respectively below the first and second side surfaces. 
     
     
         31 . The bump shell assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the at least one recessed surface is planar. 
     
     
         32 . The bump shell assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the convex surface includes a channel with a recessed surface, the channel configured for retaining and slidably receiving at least one of the ancillary equipment adapters. 
     
     
         33 . The bump shell assembly of  claim 32 , wherein the channel includes a trapezoidal cross-section having an open top and a bottom formed by the at least one recessed surface, the bottom having a width and the open top having a width smaller than the width of the bottom. 
     
     
         34 . The bump shell assembly of  claim 33 , wherein the channel has a length and the cross-section of the channel is substantially constant along the length of the channel for permitting sliding engagement of the ancillary equipment adapters in the channel. 
     
     
         35 . The bump shell assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the at least one recessed surface includes perforations extending through the outer body. 
     
     
         36 . The bump shell assembly of  claim 35 , wherein the channel includes a side wall and the convex surface includes a row of perforations, the row extending longitudinally along the side wall of the channel.