Goggle mounting system with removable eyelet

Claim 1

A goggle mounting system for retaining a pair of goggles to a helmet, said goggles having an eyepiece and a strap, the mounting system comprising: a plurality of clips, each clip including: a base shaped to be mounted to said helmet, said base including a slot extending therein; and an eyelet shaped to receive and retain said strap and including a pair of legs extending therefrom and adapted to be received into said slot in said base, each of said legs having a projection extending therefrom adapted to engage a retaining surface of said base upon rotation of said lees in said slot.

Claim 3

A system for retaining a pair of goggles to a helmet, said goggles having an eyepiece and a strap, the retaining system comprising: a plurality of clips, each of said clips being made of a flexible, plastic material, said clips including: a base shaped to be mounted to said helmet and having an oblong slot therethrough defined by a side wall, a pair of locking notches formed in a top surface of said base and oriented transversely to said slot, and helical camming surfaces extending between said side wall at said top surface and said locking notches; and an eyelet having a generally circular ring portion sized to retain said strap therein, a pair of spaced, substantially parallel legs extending from said ring and forming a gap communicating with an interior of said ring such that a strap can be inserted through said gap and into said ring interior, said legs each terminating in a foot extending perpendicular to said leg, said feet extending in directions substantially opposite to each other and including upper bearing surfaces; whereby said eyelet is releasably attachable to said base by aligning said feet lengthwise of said slot and inserting said feet into said slot and rotating said eyelet such that said feet are oriented substantially transversely of said oblong slot, wherein said upper bearing surfaces of said feet bear against said camming surface, said camming surface guiding said feet into said locking notches, and wherein said legs bear against said side wall to retain said eyelet in said base.

Claim 4

A system for retaining a pair of goggles to a helmet, said goggles having an eyepiece and a strap, the retaining system comprising: a plurality of clips, each of said clips being made of a flexible, plastic material, said clips including: a base shaped to be mounted to said helmet and having an oblong slot therethrough defined by a side wall, a pair of locking notches formed in a top surface of said base and oriented transversely to said slot, and helical camming surfaces extending between said side wall at said top surface and said locking notches; and an eyelet having a generally circular ring portion sized to retain said strap therein, a pair of spaced, substantially parallel legs extending from said ring and forming a gap communicating with an interior of said ring such that a strap can be inserted through said gap and into said ring interior, said legs each terminating in a foot extending perpendicular to said leg, said feet extending in directions substantially opposite to each other and including upper bearing surfaces; whereby said eyelet is releasably attachable to said base by aligning said feet lengthwise of said slot and inserting said feet into said slot and rotating said eyelet such that said feet are oriented substantially transversely of said oblong slot, wherein said upper bearing surfaces of said feet bear against said camming surface, said camming surface guiding said feet into said locking notches, and wherein said legs bear against said side wall to retain said eyelet in said base.

Claim 12

A method for retaining a pair of goggles to the lower edge of a helmet, said goggles having an eyepiece and a strap, the method comprising the steps of: selecting at least two clips, each clip having a base shaped to be mounted to said helmet and to receive an eyelet, said base having an oblong slot therethrough, said slot having an inside wall, said clip further including an eyelet having a generally circular ring to retain said strap, a pair of spaced, parallel legs extending from said ring, and a pair of opposed, spaced feet, said feet being shaped to pass through said slot when said feet are oriented lengthwise with said slot; securing each of said bases to said helmet; passing said feet of each eyelet through an associated one of said slots; and rotating each of said eyelets, wherein said legs engage said inside wall and are urged together, causing said legs to exert a force on said inside wall of said slot thereby securing each eyelet in an associated base, and securing said strap in said eyelet.

Claim 13

A method for retaining a pair of goggles to the lower edge of a helmet, said goggles having an eyepiece and a strap, the method comprising the steps of: selecting at least two clips, each clip having a base shaped to be mounted to said helmet and to receive an eyelet, said base having an oblong slot therethrough, said slot having an inside wall, said clip further including an eyelet having a generally circular ring to retain said strap, a pair of spaced, parallel legs extending from said ring, and a pair of opposed, spaced feet, said feet being shaped to pass through said slot when said feet are oriented lengthwise with said slot; securing each of said bases to said helmet; passing said feet of each eyelet through an associated one of said slots; and rotating each of said eyelets, wherein said legs engage said inside wall and are urged together, causing said legs to exert a force on said inside wall of said slot thereby securing each eyelet in an associated base, and securing said strap in said eyelet.

Claim 30

A method for retaining a pair of goggles to a helmet, said goggles having an eyepiece and a strap, the method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of eyelet rings, each eyelet ring having an eyelet hole and a gap providing radial access to the eyelet hole; passing the goggle strap through each of the gaps such that the goggle strap is received within each eyelet hole of each eyelet ring; and removably clipping each eyelet ring to an underside of the helmet, substantially about a ear circumference of the helmet.

Claim 31

A method for retaining a pair of goggles to a helmet, said goggles having an eyepiece and a strap, the method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of eyelet rings, each eyelet ring having an eyelet hole and a gap providing radial access to the eyelet hole; passing the goggle strap through each of the gaps such that the goggle strap is received within each eyelet hole of each eyelet ring; and removably clipping each eyelet ring to an underside of the helmet, substantially about a ear circumference of the helmet.