Protective helmet

Abstract

An improved protective helmet for use by an infantryman or the like in which a suspension frame of relatively rigid material has a peripheral channel provided at one location around the frame with a slightly inwardly inclined portion adapted to receive a slightly outwardly directed portion of the edge of a rigid outer ballistic helmet body to permit the body to be swung to a position in which the entire edge thereof is received in the channel and in which position the body is securely held by a single fastener. The frame is formed with a plurality of generally upwardly extending fingers which removably receive envelopes carrying pads of resilient material which adapt the frame to accommodate a range of head sizes. A light line or cord is threaded through holes and slots around the frame releasably to secure both the crown assembly straps and the chin strap supports to the frame while maintaining the positions of the strap ends at predetermined locations around the frame. The helmet body is formed of ballistic material sandwiched between rigid molded inner and outer shells.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is: 
     
       1. In a protective helmet an assembly including a hard body having a peripheral edge .Iadd.with an outwardly directed portion.Iaddend., a suspension frame .Iadd.of relatively rigid material.Iaddend., .[.means on.]. said frame .[.forming.]. .Iadd.being formed with .Iaddend.an upwardly opening peripheral channel adapted to receive said edge, .Iadd.said channel having an inwardly directed portion adapted to receive said outwardly directed portion of said edge, at least one of said portions being of such limited circumferential extent as to permit said body to be assembled on said frame without substantial deformation of said channel by inserting said edge portion in said channel portion and then swinging said body to a position at which the remainder of said edge is received in the remainder of said channel, .Iaddend.and means for .[.assembling.]. .Iadd.retaining .Iaddend.said body .[.on.]. .Iadd.in assembled relationship with .Iaddend.said frame. 
     
     
       2. An assembly as in claim 1 in which said .[.assembling.]. .Iadd.retaining .Iaddend.means is readily manually releasable. .[.3. An assembly as in claim 1 in which said assembling means comprises an inwardly-directed portion of said channel and an outwardly-directed edge portion of said 
     
     
        body adapted to be received in said channel portion..]. 4. An assembly as in claim 1 in which said .[.assembling.]. .Iadd.retaining .Iaddend.means 
     
     
        comprises a single manually-operable fastener. .[.5.  An assembly as in claim 1 in which said assembling means comprises an inwardly-directed portion of said channel, an outwardly directed edge portion on said body received in said channel portion and a single manually-operable 
     
     
        fastener..]. 6. An assembly as in claim .[.5.]. .Iadd.4 .Iaddend.in which said channel and .[.body.]. .Iadd.edge .Iaddend.portions are generally 
     
     
        oppositely located with respect to said fastener. 7. An assembly as in claim 6 in which said .[.assembling.]. .Iadd.retaining .Iaddend.means comprises an upwardly-directed extension on said channel, and in which 
     
     
        said fastener comprises a fastener element on said extension. 8. An assembly as in claim 1 including a plurality of upwardly-directed fingers 
     
     
        on said frame within said body. 9. An assembly as in claim 8 in which said fingers are spaced inwardly of said body to inhibit bottoming of said body on the head of a wearer in response to the force of an impact on said 
     
     
        body. 10. An assembly as in claim 9 including a plurality of pads of resilient material and means for detachably mounting said pads on said 
     
     
        fingers between the fingers and the head of a wearer. 11. An assembly as in claim 10 in which said pad-mounting means comprises means forming pockets for receiving said pads and means for detachably securing said 
     
     
        pocket-forming means to said frame. 12. An assembly as in claim 11 in which said pockets are adapted to be slipped over said fingers and in which said pocket-forming means comprises a flap and in which said securing means comprises means for releasably fastening said flap to said 
     
     
        frame. 13. An assembly as in claim 1 including a crown structure and means for detachably connecting a crown structure and means for detachably 
     
     
        connecting said crown structure to said frame. 14. An assembly as in claim 13 in which said crown structure comprises a crown strap, said connecting means comprise means forming loops in the ends of said crown strap and 
     
     
        means carried by said frame for receiving said strap loops. 15. An assembly as in claim 14 in which said strap loop receiving means comprises 
     
     
        a length of cord carried by said frame. 16. An assembly as in claim 15 in which said frame is formed with a plurality of spaced holes, said cord being threaded through said holes, a portion of said cord extending 
     
     
        between adjacent holes receiving said crown strap loop. 17. An assembly as in claim 16 including means for adjusting the effective length of said 
     
     
        crown strap. 18. An assembly as in claim 1 including a central mesh portion and straps extending from the periphery of said mesh portion and 
     
     
        means for attaching said straps to said frame. 19. An assembly as in claim 18 in which said means for attaching said straps to said frame includes means forming channels in said straps and a cord-like element on said 
     
     
        frame passing through said channels. 20. An assembly as in claim 19 in which each of said straps is formed with a plurality of spaced channels, said cord being selectively received in a corresponding one of said 
     
     
        channels in each of said straps. 21. An assembly as in claim 1 including a crown structure and a plurality of straps extending from the periphery of said crown structure, each of said straps comprising means for attaching its end remote from said periphery to a point along the length of the strap to form a channel therein, and means on said frame adapted to be received in said channel to secure said crown structure to said frame. 
     
     
            An assembly as in claim 21 in which said channel forming means are 
     
     
        adjustable to adjust the effective lengths of said straps. 23. An assembly as in claim 22 in which said .[.loop.]. .Iadd.channel .Iaddend.forming 
     
     
        means is manually operable. 24. An assembly as in claim 23 in which said channel forming means comprises a plurality of knob-like male connector elements on said strap and a plurality of holes in said strap for 
     
     
        receiving said knob-like elements. 25. An assembly as in claim 1 including a crown structure comprising a central portion, front and rear and side arms extending outwardly from said central portion and means for adjustably connecting said front and rear arms to said side arms at points 
     
     
        along the lengths thereof. 26. An assembly as in claim 25 in which said crown structure comprises a plurality of left side arms and a plurality of right side arms, and means for adjustably connecting adjacent ones of said right .Iadd.side .Iaddend.arms and said left side arms to each other at 
     
     
        points along the length thereof. 27. An assembly as in claim 26 in which said connecting means comprises connector pieces extending between said arms, male connector elements on one of the pieces and arms, and holes in the other of the pieces and arms for receiving said connector elements. 
     
     
            An assembly as in claim 27 including respective strap lengths extending from the ends of said arms, means for forming loops at the ends of said arms and means on said frame adapted to be received in said loops. 
     
     
        9. An assembly as in claim 1 in which said body comprises respective hard inner and outer shells and a layer of ballistic material comprising high 
     
     
        elongation high tensile strength fibrous material. 30. An assembly as in claim 29 in which said fibrous material is made from an aromatic polyimide 
     
     
        resin. 31. An assembly as in claim 30 in which said shells comprise a 
     
     
        polycarbonate resin. 32. An assembly as in claim 31 in which said shells 
     
     
        are coated with an elastomer. 33. An assembly as in claim 1 including a chinstrap support and means for detachably connecting said chinstrap 
     
     
        support to said frame. 34. An assembly as in claim 33 in which said chinstrap support comprises a length of fabric formed with a loop in the 
     
     
        end thereof and means on said frame for receiving said loop. 35. An assembly as in claim 33 in which said loop-receiving means comprises a 
     
     
        cord on said frame. 36. A protective helmet assembly including in combination, an outer body comprising ballistic material formed with an edge, a .Iadd.resilient .Iaddend.suspension frame formed with a peripheral channel conforming to the configuration of the edge of said body and formed with a plurality of .[.upwardlydirected.]. .Iadd.upwardly-directed independently flexible .Iaddend.extensions spaced inwardly of said channel, means for attaching said body to said frame with said edge disposed in said channel, a plurality of pads, means for mounting said pads on said extensions between the extensions and the head of the wearer, a crown assembly and means for attaching said crown assembly to said 
     
     
        frame. 37. A protective helmet assembly as in claim 36 in which spacer pad 
     
     
        mounting means manually releasably mounts said pads on said frame. 38. A protective helmet assembly as in claim 36 in which said body attaching means detachably secures said shell to said frame and in which said crown assembly attaching means readily detachably secures said crown structure 
     
     
        to said frame. 39. A protective helmet assembly as in claim 36 in which said body attaching means detachably secures said shell to said frame and in which said pad-mounting means removably mounts said pads on said extensions and in which said crown structure attaching means detachably 
     
     
        secures said crown structure to said frame. 40. A protective helmet assembly as in claim 36 in which said extensions are disposed around substantially the entire periphery of said frame to prevent bottoming of said body on the wearer's head under the force of an impact on said body. 
     
     
         1. A protective helmet assembly as in claim 36 in which said extensions are disposed generally along the front and rear of said frame and in which 
     
     
        said frame is formed with earcup supports. 42. A protective helmet assembly including in combination, a body comprising ballistic material and having an edge formed with a slightly outwardly-directed portion at one location therearound, a suspension frame of relatively rigid material formed with a peripheral channel conforming to the configuration of said body edge and having a slightly inwardly-direction portion at a location therearound corresponding to the location of said body portion, said channel portion adapted to receive said body portion to permit said body to be swung to an assembled position at which said body edge is received in said channel, means for releasably holding said body in said attached position, said frame being formed with a plurality of upwardly-directed extensions spaced inwardly of said channel so as to lie relatively closely adjacent to the head of a wearer, pocket-forming means adapted to be slipped over said extensions, spacers of resilient material in said pocket-forming means between said extensions and the wearer's head, means for detachably securing said .[.envelope-forming.]. .Iadd.pocket-forming .Iaddend.means to said frame, a crown structure comprising a crown strap having loops in the ends thereof, and means on said frame for releasably 
     
     
        receiving said loops. 43. A protective helmet assembly as in claim 42 in which said frame is formed with a plurality of holes spaced around said frame, and in which said loop receiving means comprises a cord threaded through said openings, portions of said cord between adjacent openings 
     
     
        receiving said loops. 44. A protective helmet assembly as in claim 43 including a chinstrap support comprising a length of material having a loop in the end thereof, said frame being formed with a slot, a portion of said cord extending through said slot being threaded through said 
     
     
        chinstrap support length loop. 45. A protective helmet as in claim 42 in which said extensions are disposed around substantially the entire periphery of said frame to prevent bottoming of said body on the wear's head under the force of an impact of said body. .[.46. In a protective helmet an integrally formed crown structure comprising a central mesh-like portion, a plurality of straps around said central portion and means forming respective passages in said straps..]. .[.47. A structure as in claim 46 including means forming a plurality of spaced passages in each of 
     
     
        said straps..]. .[.48.  A structure as in claim 46 in which said passage forming means is adjustable..]. .[.49. A structure as in claim 48 in which said passage forming means comprises a plurality of knob-like connector elements at one location along the length of each strap and a plurality of holes at other locations along the length of said strap, said holes adapted selectively to receive said connector elements to permit 
     
     
        adjustment of the effective length of a strap..]. 50. In a protective helmet a crown structure including an integrally formed member comprising a central portion and front and back and side arms extending outwardly therefrom, .Iadd.a frame, means for securing said arms to said frame, .Iaddend.and means for adjustably connecting said front and back arms to said side arms at points along the lengths of said arms .Iadd.intermediate 
     
     
        said central portion and said frame.Iaddend.. 51. .[.A.]. .Iadd.In a protective helmet a .Iaddend.crown structure .[.as in claim 50 in which.]. .Iadd.including an integrally formed member comprising a central portion and front and back and side arms extending outwardly therefrom, and means for adjustably connecting said front and back arms to said side arms at points along the lengths of said arms, .Iaddend.said connecting means .[.comprises.]. .Iadd.comprising .Iaddend.a respective connector element associated with each pair of arms to be connected, male connector elements on one of said connector elements and said pair of arms, and a plurality of holes in the other of said connector elements and said pair of arms for 
     
     
        selectively receiving said connector elements. 52. A crown structure as in claim 51 in which said member comprises straps extending outwardly from 
     
     
        the ends of said arms and means forming loops in said straps. 53. A crown structure as in claim 52 in which said loop-forming means comprises selectively interengageable connector elements on said strap for adjusting 
     
     
        the effective length of said strap. 54. A crown structure as in claim 52 in which said member comprises a plurality of left side arms and a plurality of right side arms, said structure including connectors for adjustably joining adjacent side arms at points along the length thereof. .Iadd.55. An assembly as in claim 1 in which both of said portions are of limited circumferential extent. .Iaddend.