1. An aviation helmet comprising:
a helmet having a facial opening;
a brim having a length extending above the facial opening;
a visor elastically coupled to the helmet and extending across at least a portion of the facial opening in a deployed position; and
at least one friction strip mounted along at least a portion of the length of the brim and positioned between the helmet and the visor in the deployed position, the at least one friction strip increasing frictional contact between the visor and the helmet in the deployed position.
2. The aviation helmet according to claim 1, wherein the visor comprises a visor lens and the at least one friction strip directly contacts an inner surface of the visor lens in the deployed position.
3. The aviation helmet according to claim 1, wherein the visor comprises:
a visor lens; and
two or more strap assemblies each having a first portion connected to the visor and a second portion releasably connected to the helmet.
4. The aviation helmet according to claim 3 further comprising:
at least one snap fastener connected to an end of each second portion releasably connecting each of the two or more strap assemblies to the helmet.
5. The aviation helmet according to claim 3, wherein the first portion of each of the two or more strap assemblies comprises an elastic material and the second portion comprises a non-elastic material.
6. The aviation helmet according to claim 3, wherein the second portion of each of the two or more strap assemblies further comprises a length adjustment connector.
7. The aviation helmet according to claim 5, wherein the first portion of each of the two or more strap assemblies is connected to the visor at two points, thereby forming a V-shape of the first portion of each of the two or more strap assemblies.
8. The aviation helmet according to claim 7 further comprising:
a connector coupling the second portion of each of the two or more strap assemblies to the first portion at a point of the V-shape.
9. The aviation helmet according to claim 8, wherein the connector enables the first portion of each of the two or more strap assemblies to float and self adjust the position of the connector with respect to the first portion.
10. The aviation helmet according to claim 5, wherein the first portion is connected to an outside surface of the visor, thereby allowing the visor to lay as close as possible to a surface of the helmet.
11. The aviation helmet according to claim 1, wherein the visor further comprises a visor lens and a thin plate allowing the visor lens to lay close to the helmet, whereby the visor is adapted to integrate with a helmet-mounted bracket.
12. The aviation helmet according to claim 1 further comprising:
an oxygen mask releasably connected to the helmet.
13. The aviation helmet according to claim 3 further comprising lensstrap anti-tear interfaces for covering the two or more strap assemblies on an outer surface of the visor lens.
14. The aviation helmet according to claim 13, wherein the lensstrap anti-tear interfaces have a thickness with respect to a direction of air flow over the helmet during a high speed wind blast.
15. The aviation helmet according to claim 14, wherein the thickness of the lensstrap anti-tear interfaces create a barrier or air dam that acts to stagnate the local air flow around the helmet, the created air stagnation generating additional force against the visor lens that tends to push the same more tightly against the helmet and the at least one friction strip.
16. An aviation helmet having a facial opening, the helmet comprising:
a visor lens having opposing sides and extending across at least a portion of the facial opening of the helmet;
and
at least one strap assembly connected to each opposing side of the visor lens, the at least one strap assembly comprising:
a first elastic portion having at least one end connected to the visor lens;
a strap-to-strap connector receiving and securing the first elastic portion; and
a second non-elastic portion having one end connected to the strap-to-strap connector and another end releasably connectable to the helmet.
17. The aviation helmet according to claim 16, wherein the strap-to-strap connector provides the second non-elastic portion with length adjustment capability.
18. The aviation helmet according to claim 16, wherein the first elastic portion of the at least one strap assembly operates to automatically adjust a position of the strap-to-strap connector with respect to the same.
19. The aviation helmet according to claim 17, wherein the first elastic portion passes through the strap-to-strap connector and further comprises two ends connected to the visor lens so as to form a V-shape of the first elastic portion with respect to the strap-to-strap connector and the visor lens.
20. The aviation helmet according to claim 16 further comprising lensstrap anti-tear interfaces for covering the strap assembly on an outer surface of the visor lens.
21. The aviation helmet according to claim 16 further comprising:
at least one friction strip mounted on a brim of the helmet above the facial opening, the at least one friction strip increasing frictional contact between the visor lens and the helmet when the visor lens is in a deployed position.
22. An aviation helmet comprising:
an aviation helmet having a facial opening;
a visor elastically coupled to the aviation helmet and positionable between a deployed and stowed position, the visor extending across at least a portion of the facial opening in the deployed position; and
at least one friction strip mounted on the aviation helmet between the aviation helmet and the visor in the deployed position, the at least one friction strip engaging and retaining the visor in the deployed position in the presence of ejection andor windblast forces of up to approximately 600 knots equivalent airspeed.
23. The aviation helmet according to claim 1, wherein the at least one friction strip is comprised of rubber.
24. The aviation helmet according to claim 1, wherein the at least one friction strip includes a tacky surface.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A vibration isolator assembly interposed between associated first and second surfaces of a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
a structural exo-skeleton bracket dimensioned to extend between the associated first and second surfaces for transferring forces therethrough, the bracket including means for securing the bracket to one of the associated first and second surfaces, wherein the bracket includes first and second bracket portions each including travel limiter support portions that receive a travel limiter therein that limits travel of an elastic wall portion of the damping assembly, the travel limiter support portions providing a double thickness wall at an attachment region with the travel limiter; and
a damping assembly received in the exo-skeleton bracket that is protected from the transferred forces by the exo-skeleton bracket, the damping assembly including the elastic wall portion secured to a metal retainer and a shell forming a housing, the elastic wall portion having a major portion of its periphery received in the exo-skeleton, bracket, and means for securing the damping assembly to the other of the associated first and second surfaces; and
a subassembly received therein and separating first and second chamber portions, the subassembly including
an inertia track assembly including a housing having an elongated channel with first and second ends in fluid communication between opposed first and second surfaces thereof, respectively, and at least one opening that is also in fluid communication between the first and second surfaces thereof,
a diaphragm received adjacent the at least one opening of the inertia track assembly, and
an elastomeric member overlying the inertia track assembly.
2. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 1 wherein the bracket includes first and second bracket portions, the first bracket portion having a continuous surface extending between the travel limiter support portion and the securing means.
3. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 2 wherein the first and second bracket portions are joined along a seam offset from the continuous surface.
4. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 2 wherein the securing means includes spaced attachment points.
5. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 1 further comprising a travel limiter assembly that limits movement of the damping assembly, the travel limiter assembly including a resilient portion that tunes the force versus displacement ratio of the vibration isolator assembly.
6. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 1 wherein the damping assembly includes an elastic wall portion and a shell forming a housing, the housing including first and second chambers divided by an elongated channel that permits selective communication between the first and second chambers.
7. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 1 wherein the subassembly further comprises a cover plate received over the inertia track assembly having an opening extending therethrough in fluid communication with the first end of the inertia track channel, and dividing the subassembly into first and second subchambers.
8. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 7 wherein the cover plate further comprises at least one further opening that extends therethrough.
9. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 8 wherein the diaphragm is interposed between the at least one opening in the inertia track assembly and the cover plate.
10. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 7 wherein the first subchamber is located between the elastomeric member and the cover plate.
11. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 10 wherein the second subchamber is located between the cover plate and the inertia track assembly.
12. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 1 wherein the first chamber portion is enclosed by a first elastomeric wall member and the subassembly.
13. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 1 wherein the channel has a circuitous path that includes first and second 180\xb0 portions that interconnect inner and outer orbits of the channel.
14. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 1 wherein the subassembly is selectively removable from the damping assembly without compromising assembly integrity of the damping assembly.
15. The vibration isolator assembly of claim 1 wherein the damping assembly includes a fluid mount having an elastic wall portion and a shell forming a housing, the shell having a local contact that abuttingly engages one of the associated first and second surfaces to limit vibration therebetween.
16. A vibration isolator assembly interposed between associated first and second surfaces of a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
a structural exo-skeleton bracket dimensioned to extend between the associated first and second surfaces for transferring forces therethrough, the bracket including means for securing the bracket to one of the associated first and second surfaces; and
a damping assembly received in the exo-skeleton bracket that is protected from the transferred forces by the exo-skeleton bracket, the damping assembly including an elastic wall portion secured to a metal retainer and a shell forming a housing, the elastic wall portion having a major portion of its periphery received in the exo-skeleton, bracket, and means for securing the damping assembly to the other of the associated first and second surfaces;
a subassembly received therein and separating first and second chamber portions, the subassembly including
an inertia track assembly including a housing having an elongated channel with first and second ends in fluid communication between opposed first and second surfaces thereof, respectively, and at least one opening that is also in fluid communication between the first and second surfaces thereof,
a diaphragm received adjacent the at least one opening of the inertia track assembly, and
an elastomeric member overlying the inertia track assembly; and
a travel limiter assembly that limits movement of the damping assembly, the travel limiter assembly including a rubber sleeve received thereover that tunes the force versus displacement ratio of the vibration isolator assembly.