Adjustable helmet chinstrap

Abstract

Presently disclosed embodiments provide a safe and easy way for a child, or other wearer, to independently tighten or loosen the chinstrap on his or her helmet while it remains buckled on his or her head. Disclosed embodiments comprise a knob attached to a side of the chinstrap webbing. The knob is an adjustment mechanism used to loosen or tighten the helmet chinstrap. After the wearer, possibly a child, buckles the helmet chinstrap below his or her chin, the wearer can reach up and twist the knob to loosen or tighten the chinstrap to achieve the proper fit. In some embodiments, each knob may have a cord or the like affixed at one end to an interior assembly and affixed at another end to the chinstrap material. In operation, the chinstrap may be buckled under the chin, and then the knob may be rotated forward, the attached cord is shortened and, thus, the chinstrap may be tightened. In some embodiments, the cording remains locked or set in position due to the operation of a ratchet, or ratchet-type assembly located in the interior of one or more of the knob assemblies where the cording winds. Similarly, when the wearer twists the one or more of the knobs in the opposite direction, the cording lengthens and, thus, loosens the chinstrap until the proper fit is achieved. Again, the cording remains locked or set in position until the knob is twisted again. In this manner, disclosed embodiments allows the wearer to easily and quickly adjust the fit of the helmet as necessary and ensure a proper and safe fit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A helmet comprising:
 a protective cover;   a chinstrap; and   an adjustment knob connected between the protective cover and the chinstrap and wherein rotation of the adjustment knob adjusts the position of the chinstrap.   
     
     
         2 . The helmet of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a cord connected between the chinstrap and the adjustment knob and wherein rotation of the adjustment knob coils or uncoils the cord and adjusts that position of the chinstrap. 
 
     
     
         3 . The helmet of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a lock mechanism to selectively hold the adjustment knob in position after rotation. 
 
     
     
         4 . The helmet of  claim 3  wherein the adjustment knob further comprises:
 a winding disk that upon rotation winds or unwinds a cord connected to the chinstrap; 
 a spring in connection with the winding disk to bias the rotation of the winding disk in a first direction; 
 a ratchet wheel having at least one arm; and 
 an outer shell having a rim with a first portion comprising at least one tooth shaped to engage the at least one arm of the ratchet wheel when the outer shell is in a first position, and a second portion without teeth that allows the spring to rotate the winding disk in the first direction when the outer shell is in a second position. 
 
     
     
         5 . The helmet of  claim 4  wherein the rotation of the winding disk in the first direction causes the cord to unwind. 
     
     
         6 . The helmet of  claim 3  wherein the adjustment knob further comprises:
 a winding disk that upon rotation in a first direction winds a cord connected to the chinstrap and upon rotation in a second direction unwinds the cord connected to the chinstrap; 
 a ratchet wheel comprising at least one first arm at a first location on the ratchet wheel and at least one second arm at a second location on the ratchet wheel; and 
 an outer shell having at least one first tooth at a first location on the outer shell and shaped to engage the at least one first arm on the ratchet wheel when the outer shell is rotated in the first direction and at least one second tooth at a second location on the outer shell and shaped to engage the at least one second arm on the ratchet wheel when the outer shell is rotated in the second direction. 
 
     
     
         7 . The helmet of  claim 6  wherein the rotation of the winding disk in the first direction causes the cord to unwind and rotation of the winding disk in the second direction causes the cord to wind.