Helmet and visor assembly

Abstract

A visor assembly for a helmet including two adjustment mechanisms each including a base portion connectable to a side portion of the helmet and a cover portion. The base portion has an adjustment aperture and at least one support member. The cover portion of each adjustment mechanism is manually displaceable between a secured position engaged with the base portion and an exposed position. The cover portion allows access to the adjustment aperture(s) in the exposed position. The support member(s) of each adjustment mechanism are removably engaged to the respective side end portion of the visor. In the secured position, the cover portion prevents disengagement of the support member(s) from the visor. A method of adjusting the position of the visor is also disclosed.

1 . A helmet, comprising:
 a helmet body adapted to cover at least part of a head of a wearer, the helmet body having a front portion, a rear portion, and two side portions to each cover a respective front, rear, and sides of the head;   an adjustment mechanism on each respective one of the two side portions of the helmet body, each adjustment mechanism comprising:
 a base portion connected to the respective one of the side portions by at least one connection member extending through the base portion and into the respective one of the side portions, the at least one connection member in a first configuration allowing relative motion between the base portion and the respective one of the side portions and in a second configuration fixing a relative position of the base portion with respect to respective one of the side portions, the base portion having at least one support member, and 
 a cover portion manually displaceable between a secured position engaged with the base portion and an exposed position, the cover portion allowing access to the at least one connection member at least in the exposed position; and 
   a visor configured to protect at least part of a face of the wearer, the visor including opposed side end portions, the at least one support member of each adjustment mechanism being removably engaged with a respective one of the side end portions;   wherein in the secured position, at least part of the cover portion of each adjustment mechanism is located outwardly of an outer surface of the visor and prevents disengagement of the at least one support member from the respective one of the side end portions.   
     
     
         2 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein each of the side end portions has a visor aperture defined therethrough, the at least one support member of each adjustment mechanism being removably received through the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions, and wherein in the secured position, the cover portion of each adjustment mechanism prevents removal of the at least one support member from the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions. 
     
     
         3 . The helmet of  claim 2 , wherein each connection member is located within a perimeter defined by the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions such that in the exposed position, each connection member is accessible through the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions. 
     
     
         4 . The helmet of  claim 3 , wherein for each adjustment mechanism, the cover portion in the secured position closes the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions and prevents access to the at least one connection member. 
     
     
         5 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein for each adjustment mechanism, each of the at least one connection member is slidingly received through a respective elongated adjustment aperture defined in the base portion, the at least one connection member in the second configuration engaging a surface of the base portion with a surface of the respective one of the side portions to prevent the relative sliding motion by friction. 
     
     
         6 . The helmet of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one support member of each adjustment mechanism includes a ridge projecting away from the surface of the base portion and defining at least part of a perimeter receivable in a perimeter of the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions. 
     
     
         7 . The helmet of  claim 6 , wherein the ridge has at least one elongated ridge slot extending through a portion of the ridge extending out of the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions, the cover portion engaging the base portion in the secured position upon being inserted through the at least one ridge slot. 
     
     
         8 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion and the cover portion are connected by a hinge, the cover portion rotating about the hinge between the secured and exposed positions. 
     
     
         9 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion and the cover portion are connected by a pivot defining a pivot axis extending perpendicularly to a plane of the base portion, the cover portion pivoting about the pivot axis between the secured and exposed positions. 
     
     
         10 . The helmet of  claim 1 , further comprising a locking mechanism securing the cover portion to the base portion in the secured position. 
     
     
         11 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the cover portion of each adjustment mechanism includes a main body hingedly connected to the base portion, a sliding portion and a locking portion, the sliding portion slidable with respect to the main body and locking portion between a locked position where the sliding portion secures the cover portion to the base portion and an unlocked position where the cover portion is free to move from the secured position to the exposed position, the locking portion including a protrusion removably received and biased in a recess of the sliding portion to prevent movement from the locked position to the unlocked position, the locking portion manually displaceable to remove the protrusion from the recess. 
     
     
         12 . A visor assembly for a helmet, the visor assembly comprising:
 two adjustment mechanisms each comprising:
 a base portion connectable to a respective side portion of the helmet and having at least one an adjustment aperture extending therethrough each sized to receive a respective connection member, the base portion having at least one support member, and 
 a cover portion manually displaceable between a secured position engaged with the base portion and an exposed position, the cover portion allowing access to the at least adjustment aperture at least in the exposed position; and 
   a visor to protect at least part of a face of the wearer, the visor including opposed side end portions, the at least one support member of each of the two adjustment mechanisms being removably engaged to a respective one of the side end portions;   wherein in the secured position, the cover portion of each of the two adjustment mechanisms prevents disengagement of the at least one support member from the respective one of the side end portions.   
     
     
         13 . The visor assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the opposed side end portions of the visor each have a visor aperture defined therethrough, the at least one support member of each of the two adjustment mechanisms being removably received through the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions, wherein in the secured position, at least part of the cover portion of each of the two adjustment mechanisms is located outwardly of an outer surface of the visor and prevents removal of the at least one support member from the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions. 
     
     
         14 . The visor assembly of  claim 13 , wherein each of the at least one adjustment apertures is located within a perimeter defined by the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions such in the exposed position, each of the at least adjustment apertures is accessible through the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions. 
     
     
         15 . The visor assembly of  claim 14 , wherein for each of the two adjustment mechanisms, the cover portion in the secured position closes the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions and prevents access to the at least one adjustment apertures. 
     
     
         16 . The visor assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one support member of each of the two adjustment mechanisms includes a ridge projecting away from the surface of the base portion and defining at least part of a perimeter receivable in a perimeter of the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions. 
     
     
         17 . The visor assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the ridge has at least one elongated ridge slot extending through a portion of the ridge extending out of the visor aperture of the respective one of the side end portions, the cover portion engaging the base portion in the secured position upon being inserted through the at least one ridge slot. 
     
     
         18 . The visor assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the base portion and the cover portion are connected by a hinge, the cover portion rotating about the hinge between the secured and exposed positions. 
     
     
         19 . The visor assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the base portion and the cover portion are connected by a pivot defining a pivot axis extending perpendicularly to a plane of the base portion, the cover portion pivoting about the pivot axis between the secured and exposed positions. 
     
     
         20 . The visor assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a locking mechanism securing the cover portion to at least one of the base portion and the visor in the secured position. 
     
     
         21 . The visor assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the cover portion of each adjustment mechanism includes a main body hingedly connected to the base portion, a sliding portion and a locking portion, the sliding portion slidable with respect to the main body and locking portion between a locked position where the sliding portion secures the cover portion to the base portion and an unlocked position where the cover portion is free to move from the secured position to the exposed position, the locking portion including a protrusion removably received and biased in a recess of the sliding portion to prevent movement from the locked position to the unlocked position, the locking portion manually displaceable to remove the protrusion from the recess. 
     
     
         22 . A method of adjusting a position of a visor relative to a helmet, the method comprising:
 engaging part of each of two base portions in a respective aperture of the visor, each of the two base portions being adjustably connected to a respective side portion of the helmet;   sliding at least one of the two base portions relative to the respective side portion of the helmet while maintaining the part of each of the two base portions engaged in the respective aperture; and   fixing a position of said at least one of the two base portions with respect to the respective side portion of the helmet.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein sliding said at least one of the two base portions and fixing the position of said at least one of the two base portions both include changing a configuration of at least one connection member extending between said at least one of the two base portions and the respective side portion of the helmet, the method further comprising, after fixing the position, covering the at least one connection member to prevent access thereto.