US3943571A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Protective helmet
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1975-02-07
•
Granted: 1976-03-16
•
Expires: 1995-02-07
Abstract
Abstract A diving helmet including a uniquely designed three element structure and associated connecting and releasing means for quick bail-out, when, for example, the helmet's umbilical cord is damaged, tangled, or cut, to permit quick release and removal of the outer hard hat helmet. The system includes an inner dry hood with a facial opening framed with an oval, tongue-in-groove type seal along with a separate rigid protective outer helmet made up of a hat portion or hard casque and a mask portion with goggles, the two helmet portions being hingedly connected together (note FIG. 2). The hood seal is adapted to match and mate with the goggle mask assembly (note FIG. 3) sustaining the umbilical lines, gas regulators, window etc. to form a dry enclosure therebetween. Sealing pressure between the base of the hard casque and the cushion of oval elastomer of the hood fitting inside the mask and goggle assembly is developed by a set of quick latches, one on each side of the hard casque which engages the mask and goggle assembly on the facial mask portion. The quick latch has an eccentric latching groove which simultaneously fits the water tight tongue and groove seal causing the seal between the hood and the mask and goggle assembly. The quick latch has an eccentric knob for quick release of the mask and goggle assembly and the hard casque from sealing engagement with the inner hood, the outer helmet then being easily removed from around the head of the diver by moving the casque about the hinge connection and away from the head (note FIG. 5).
Inventors
- 👤 Marvin C. Boatman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 01:49
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63C; B63C11/00; B63C11/02; B63C11/04; B63C11/06; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T292/00; Y10T292/08; Y10T292/0801; Y10T292/0848; Y10T292/0849; Y10T292/0854
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
217 words
A diver's helment comprising: flexible, elastic, inner hood means for covering all of the diver's head and neck in relatively close proximity thereto except for the facial portions thereof, said hood means having a facial opening around the area which is placed in proximity to the facial portions of the diver and having a hood sealing member around said opening, said hood means having a constricted neck opening for forming a water-tight seal around the neck portion of the diver; and a separate, rigid, protective outer helmet having a transparent face plate mask portion therein and having a helmet sealing member around said face plate mask portion; said outer helmet and said hood being two structurally separate elements which can be temporarily joined together during use as a diving helmet to form a water-tight seal but which can be relatively easily separated for bail-out purposes; said transparent face plate mask portion and said facial opening being aligned together and said helmet sealing member and said hood sealing member being connected together to form a water-tight seal when said protective helmet and said hood are joined together; the hood and said transparent face place portion forming a dry enclosure around the entire head of the diver when the diving helmet is in use to keep the head dry.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
217 words
A diver's helment comprising: flexible, elastic, inner hood means for covering all of the diver's head and neck in relatively close proximity thereto except for the facial portions thereof, said hood means having a facial opening around the area which is placed in proximity to the facial portions of the diver and having a hood sealing member around said opening, said hood means having a constricted neck opening for forming a water-tight seal around the neck portion of the diver; and a separate, rigid, protective outer helmet having a transparent face plate mask portion therein and having a helmet sealing member around said face plate mask portion; said outer helmet and said hood being two structurally separate elements which can be temporarily joined together during use as a diving helmet to form a water-tight seal but which can be relatively easily separated for bail-out purposes; said transparent face plate mask portion and said facial opening being aligned together and said helmet sealing member and said hood sealing member being connected together to form a water-tight seal when said protective helmet and said hood are joined together; the hood and said transparent face place portion forming a dry enclosure around the entire head of the diver when the diving helmet is in use to keep the head dry.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
89 words
The diving helmet of claim 1 wherein said outer helmet further includes a hat portion which fits over and around the top, sides an back of the diver's head during use; said hat portion and said mask portion of said outer helmet being hingedly connected together to move a total of at least ninety degrees with respect to one another; whereby said outer helmet can easily be removed from around the head of the diver by moving said hat portion about the hinge connection and away from the head.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
73 words
The diver's helmet of claim 1 wherein said mask portion further includes a further secondary seal supplemental to said hood and helmet sealing members, said secondary seal comprising a soft resilient ring gasket placed within said mask portion about and within said helmet sealing member, the face of said ring gasket being in frontal, sealing engagement with the face of the diver when said mask portion and said inner hood are joined together.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
131 words
The diver's helmet of claim 2 wherein said hat portion and said mask portion have an interlocking, controlled latch mechanism including a hat latch portion and a mask latch portion, said mask latch portion including latch engaging means for engaging said hat latch portion for locking said mask and said hat portions together, and said hat latch portion including hand-controlled latch disengaging means for causing said latch engaging means to become disengaged from said hat latch portion, the hand control for said disengaging means being located on said hat portion; whereby the hat portion can be disengaged from said mask portion and moved up from said mask portion about the hinge connection between the two and forward with respect to the diver's head all in one quick, single and continuous motion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
The diver's helmet of claim 4 wherein said hand control comprises a rotatable elongated knob which is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the side of said hat portion and which is biased in a latch engaging position with its axis of elongation at least generally perpendicular to the main axis of the diver's body when said helmet is in protective use.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
90 words
The diver's helmet of claim 2 wherein said hood sealing member includes an encircling wedge-shaped tongue seal and said helmet sealing member including a like, encircling groove into which said wedge shaped tongue seal fits, and wherein said hat portion and said mask portion mate together with said wedge-shaped tongue seal between them when said hat and mask portions are hinged together, said hat portion including a ridge about its frontal edge which engages the rear of said wedge-shaped tongue seal and drives the tip of it into said groove.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
The diver's helmet of claim 6 wherein said groove is curved in cross-section and the tip of said wedge-shaped tongue seal includes a flexible, curved piece of material which mates up and along the curved surface of said groove in frontal engagement therewith when said hat and said mask portions are hinged together with said tongue seal therebetween.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
The diver's helmet of claim 2 wherein the interior of said hat portion includes a webbing of adjustable straps for fitting said hat portion to the head of the diver, said webbing supporting said hat portion on the head of the diver during protective use of the helmet.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
256 words
A protective helmet of the type used to isolate the head of the user from the exterior ambient comprising: flexible inner hood means for covering all of the user's head and neck in relatively close proximity thereto except for the facial portions thereof, said hood means having a facial opening around the area which is placed in proximity to the facial portions of the user and having a hood sealing member around said opening, said hood means having a head portion and a neck opening and including lower sealing means for forming a fluid-tight seal with the body of the user at a point below the user's head; a separate, rigid, protective outer helmet having a transparent face plate mask portion therein and having a helmet sealing member around said face plate mask portion; said outer helmet and said hood being two structurally separate elements which can be temporarily joined together during use as a protective, environment sealing helmt to form a fluid-tight seal but which can be relatively easily separated for bail-out purposes; said transparent face plate mask portion and said facial opening being aligned together and said helmet sealing member and said hood sealing member being connected together to form a fluid-tight seal when said protective helmet and said hood are joined together; the hood and said transparent face plate portion forming an enclosure free of the exterior ambient around the entire head of the diver when the helmet is in use to keep the head from being in contact with the exterior ambient.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
256 words
A protective helmet of the type used to isolate the head of the user from the exterior ambient comprising: flexible inner hood means for covering all of the user's head and neck in relatively close proximity thereto except for the facial portions thereof, said hood means having a facial opening around the area which is placed in proximity to the facial portions of the user and having a hood sealing member around said opening, said hood means having a head portion and a neck opening and including lower sealing means for forming a fluid-tight seal with the body of the user at a point below the user's head; a separate, rigid, protective outer helmet having a transparent face plate mask portion therein and having a helmet sealing member around said face plate mask portion; said outer helmet and said hood being two structurally separate elements which can be temporarily joined together during use as a protective, environment sealing helmt to form a fluid-tight seal but which can be relatively easily separated for bail-out purposes; said transparent face plate mask portion and said facial opening being aligned together and said helmet sealing member and said hood sealing member being connected together to form a fluid-tight seal when said protective helmet and said hood are joined together; the hood and said transparent face plate portion forming an enclosure free of the exterior ambient around the entire head of the diver when the helmet is in use to keep the head from being in contact with the exterior ambient.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
The diving helmet of claim 9 wherein said hood means further includes a constricted neck opening means for forming a fluid-tight seal around the neck portion of the user.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
89 words
The protective helmet of claim 9 wherein said outer helmet further includes a hat portion which fits over and around the top, sides and back of the user's head during use; said hat portion and said mask portion of said outer helmet being hingedly connected together to move a total of at least ninety degrees with respect to one another; whereby said outer helmet can easily be removed from around the head of the user by moving said hat portion about the hinge connection and away from the head.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
73 words
The protective helmet of claim 11 wherein said mask portion further includes a further secondary seal supplemental to said hood and helmet sealing members, said secondary seal comprising a soft resilient ring gasket placed within said mask portion about and within said helmet sealing member, the face of said ring gasket being in frontal, sealing engagement with the face of the diver when said mask portion and said inner hood are joined together.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
The protective helmet of claim 12 wherein the interior of said hat portion includes a webbing of adjustable straps for fitting said hat portion to the head of the user, said webbing supporting said hat portion on the head of the user during protective use of the helmet.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-03-16 | 1979-09-15 | 1980-03-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-03-16 | 1983-09-15 | 1984-03-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-03-16 | 1987-09-15 | 1988-03-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |