Adjustment Mechanism and Headband Arrangement for Flexible Helmet Headband

Abstract

An adjustment mechanism and headband arrangement are disclosed herein, the adjustment mechanism including an elongated cord configured for extending around a perimeter of the headband arrangement; and a locking member receiving a portion of the elongated cord and configured to interact with the elongated cord between a locked state, preventing movement of the elongated cord relative to the locking member, and an unlocked state, permitting movement of the elongated cord relative to the locking member, wherein the locking member comprises at least one tooth configured to engage the portion of the elongated cord received in the locking member in the locked state, and wherein the portion of the elongated cord is configured to disengage from the at least one tooth in the unlocked state in response to at least one of the first end and the second end being pulled in the direction of the major longitudinal axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An adjustment mechanism for a headband arrangement, the adjustment mechanism comprising:
 an elongated cord having a first end, a second end, and a length therebetween extending in a direction of a major longitudinal axis, the elongated cord configured for extending around a perimeter of the headband arrangement; and   a locking member receiving a portion of the length of the elongated cord, the locking member configured to interact with the elongated cord between a locked state, preventing movement of the elongated cord relative to the locking member, and an unlocked state, permitting movement of the elongated cord relative to the locking member,   wherein the locking member comprises at least one tooth configured to engage the portion of the length of the elongated cord received in the locking member in the locked state, and   wherein the portion of the length of the elongated cord is configured to disengage from the at least one tooth in the unlocked state in response to at least one of the first end and the second end being pulled in the direction of the major longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         2 . The adjustment mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated cord is made from a tensile material having a resting diameter when the elongated cord is at rest and a biased diameter when at least one of the first end and the second end is pulled, wherein the biased diameter is smaller than the resting diameter. 
     
     
         3 . The adjustment mechanism of  claim 2 , wherein, in the unlocked state, the locking member is configured to allow free traversal of the elongated cord relative to the locking member at the biased diameter, and wherein, in the locked state, the locking member is configured to engage the elongated cord at the resting diameter. 
     
     
         4 . The adjustment mechanism of  claim 1 , further comprising a lug having an opening configured to receive the elongated cord, the lug configured to prevent removal of the elongated cord from the locking member. 
     
     
         5 . The adjustment mechanism of  claim 4 , further comprising a retention member configured to receive a portion of the length of the elongated cord that is not guided around a perimeter of the headband arrangement. 
     
     
         6 . The adjustment mechanism of  claim 5 , wherein the first end and second end of the elongated cord are connected and further configured to be received by the retention member. 
     
     
         7 . The adjustment mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tooth is configured to move in a longitudinal direction in which at least one of the first end and the second end is pulled, thereby allowing free traversal of the elongated cord relative to the locking member. 
     
     
         8 . The adjustment mechanism of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one channel configured to guide a portion of the elongated cord around a perimeter of the headband arrangement. 
     
     
         9 . The adjustment mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the locking member further comprises a moveable element configured move the at least one tooth between a first position, wherein the at least one tooth contacts the elongated cord, thereby preventing movement of the elongated cord relative to the locking member, and a second position, wherein the at least one tooth does not contact the elongated cord, thereby permitting free traversal of the elongated cord relative to the locking member. 
     
     
         10 . The adjustment mechanism of  claim 9 , wherein the locking member further comprises an elastically deformable member configured to bias the moveable element in the first position. 
     
     
         11 . The adjustment mechanism of  claim 10 , wherein the elastically deformable member is disposed within a wedge shaped cavity of the locking member and arranged between the at least one tooth and either an inner wall of the wedge shaped cavity or the moveable element. 
     
     
         12 . A headband arrangement of a safety helmet, the headband arrangement comprising:
 a headband element comprising a perimeter configured to be lengthened or shortened by an adjustment mechanism comprising:   an elongated cord having a first end, a second end, and a length therebetween extending in a direction of a major longitudinal axis, the elongated cord configured to extend around the perimeter of the headband element;   at least one channel configured to guide a portion of the elongated cord around the perimeter of the headband arrangement; and   a locking member receiving a portion of the length of the elongated cord, the locking member configured to interact with the elongated cord between a locked state, preventing movement of the elongated cord relative to the locking member, and an unlocked state, permitting movement of the elongated cord relative to the locking member,   wherein the locking member comprises at least one tooth configured to engage the portion of the length of the elongated cord received in the locking member in the locked state, and   wherein the portion of the length of the elongated cord is configured to disengage from the at least one tooth in the unlocked state in response to at least one of the first end and the second end being pulled in the direction of the major longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         13 . The headband arrangement mechanism of  claim 12 , wherein the elongated cord is made from a tensile material having a resting diameter when the elongated cord is at rest and a biased diameter when at least one of the first end and the second end is pulled, wherein the biased diameter is smaller than the resting diameter. 
     
     
         14 . The headband arrangement of  claim 13 , wherein, in the unlocked state, the locking member is configured to allow free traversal of the elongated cord relative to the locking member at the biased diameter, and wherein, in the locked state, the locking member is configured to engage the elongated cord at the resting diameter. 
     
     
         15 . The headband arrangement of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one tooth is configured to move in a longitudinal direction in which at least one of the first end and the second end is pulled, thereby allowing free traversal of the elongated cord relative to the locking member. 
     
     
         16 . The headband arrangement of  claim 12 , wherein the locking member further comprises a moveable element configured to move the at least one tooth between a first position, wherein the at least one tooth contacts the elongated cord, thereby preventing movement of the elongated cord relative to the locking member in at least one longitudinal direction, and a second position, wherein the at least one tooth does not contact the elongated cord, thereby permitting the free traversal of the elongated cord relative to the locking member. 
     
     
         17 . The headband arrangement of  claim 16 , wherein the locking member further comprises an elastically deformable member configured to bias the moveable element in the first position. 
     
     
         18 . The headband arrangement of  claim 17 , wherein the elastically deformable member is disposed within a wedge shaped cavity of the locking member and arranged between the at least one tooth and either an inner wall of the wedge shaped cavity or the compressible button. 
     
     
         19 . An adjustment mechanism for a headband arrangement of a safety helmet, the adjustment mechanism comprising:
 an elongated cord having a first end, a second end, and a length therebetween extending in a direction of a major longitudinal axis, the elongated cord configured for extending around a perimeter of the headband arrangement; and   a cylindrical locking member comprising at least one tooth arranged circumferentially around an inner surface of the locking member, a rotatable knob, at least one spring arm, and a central post;   wherein the first end of the elongated cord is connected to the headband arrangement and the second end of elongated cord is connected to the central post, the central post configured to wind at least a portion of the elongated cord; and   wherein the locking member is configured to translate a rotational force applied to the rotatable knob to the at least one spring arm and the central post, the at least one tooth is configured to allow a rotation of the at least one spring arm in a first direction in response to a rotational force applied to the rotatable knob, thereby enabling the second end of the elongated cord to wind around the central post, and the at least one spring member is configured to engage the at least one tooth in a second direction, thereby preventing rotation of the central post and engaging the elongated cord in a locked position when no rotational force is applied to the rotatable knob.   
     
     
         20 . The adjustment mechanism of  claim 19 , wherein the elongated cord is made from a tensile material having a resting diameter when the elongated cord is at rest and a biased diameter when at least one of the first end and the second end is pulled, wherein the biased diameter is smaller than the resting diameter,
 wherein the at least one spring arm is connected to a hub member, and the locking member is further configured to translate a rotational force applied to the rotatable knob to the hub member, and   wherein the at least one spring arm is cantilevered and is further configured to disengage the at least one tooth when a rotational force is applied to the rotatable knob in the direction of the engagement.