US20080184465A1

US20080184465A1 - Protective cap and earmuff assembly

Info

Publication number: US20080184465A1
Application number: US11/702,352
Authority: US
Inventors: Shi Ming Chang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-02-05
Filing date: 2007-02-05
Publication date: 2008-08-07

Abstract

A protective cap and earmuff assembly is disclosed to include a headband having radial teeth at two sides, a protective cap, which has two sets of radial teeth angularly adjustably meshed with the radial teeth of the headband and locked with retaining split bolts, two support bars respectively detachably fastened to the headband at two sides, a head strip adjustably coupled between the support bars, two forks respectively pivoted to the support bars, and two ear cushions respectively supported on the forks.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates human protection devices and more particularly, to a protective cap and earmuff assembly that allows adjustment of the angle of the protective cap relative to the headband and the elevation of the earmuff relative to the headband.
2. Description of the Related Art
A regular protective cap and earmuff assembly comprises an earmuff for protecting the user's ears against noises, and a protective cap fastened to the headband of the earmuff for protecting the user's face. This design of protective cap and earmuff assembly is not adjustable to fit different users. Therefore, different sizes of protective cap and earmuff assemblies shall be used for different users of different sizes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a protective cap and earmuff assembly, which is adjustable to fit different users of different sizes
According to one aspect of the present invention, the protective cap and earmuff assembly comprises a protective cap, a headband, and an earmuff. The protective cap has two mounting through holes at two sides and a plurality of engagement teeth radially arranged around each mounting through hole. The headband comprises two mounting strips respectively extended from the two distal ends thereof, each mounting strip having a mounting through hole and a plurality of engagement teeth radially arranged around the mounting through hole. The engagement teeth of the headband are respectively meshed with the engagement teeth of the protective cap, and two retaining split bolts are respectively fastened to the mounting through holes of the headband and the mounting through holes of the protective cap to lock the protective cap to the headband in one of a series of angular positions.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the earmuff comprises two support bars respectively detachably fastened to the headband at two sides, a head strip adjustably coupled between the support bars, two forks respectively pivoted to the support bars, and two ear cushions respectively supported on the forks.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the support bars each have a longitudinal sliding groove. Further, the head strip has two racks respectively extended from the two distal ends respectively inserted into the longitudinal sliding grooves of the support bars, and two retaining blocks respectively extended from the racks for locking the racks to the support bars.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the headband has two positioning strips respectively extended from two sides thereof. Each positioning strip has a plurality of recessed engagement portions, a hinged extension, and a plurality of raised engagement portions protruded from the hinged extension for engaging the recessed engagement portions when the hinged extension is turned backwards. The support bars of the earmuff each have a transversely extending insertion hole for the fastening of the positioning strips of the headband.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a protective cap and earmuff assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a part of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the connection structure between the headband and the protective cap.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a part of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the connection structure between the headband and one support bar.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a part of the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the connection structure between the head strip and one support bar.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a part of the headband of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a part of the first embodiment of the present invention showing one support bar connected to the associating fork.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an elevational assembly view of the protective cap and earmuff assembly in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a part of a protective cap and earmuff assembly in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an elevational assembly view of the protective cap and earmuff assembly in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, a protective cap and earmuff assembly in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a protective cap 1, a headband 2, and an earmuff.
The protective cap 1 has two mounting through holes 11 at two sides, and a plurality of engagement teeth 12 radially arranged around each mounting through hole 11.
The headband 2 is connected to the protective cap 1 for securing the protective cap 1 to the user's head. The headband 2 has two mounting strips 21 respectively extended from the two distal ends. Each mounting strip 21 has a mounting through hole 22 and a plurality of engagement teeth 23 radially arranged around the mounting through hole 22. Two retaining split bolts 5 are respectively fastened to the mounting through holes 11 of the protective cap 1 and the mounting through holes 22 of the mounting strips 21 of the headband 2 to secure the protective cap 1 to the headband 2, keeping the respective engagement teeth 12 of the protective cap 1 in engagement with the engagement teeth 23 of the headband 2. When disengaged the engagement teeth 12 of the protective cap 1 from the engagement teeth 23 of the headband 2, the user can adjust the angle of the protective cap 1 relative to the headband 2.
Referring to FIG. 5, the headband 2 has a locating hole 24 formed of two connected round holes of different diameters on the rear end thereof for the connection of a stud 61 of a back strap 6. The stud 61 has a retaining protrusion 62 for engaging a retaining notch 241 at one side of the locating hole 24.
The headband 2 further has two positioning strips 25 respectively extended from two sides thereof. Each positioning strip 25 has a hinged extension 26. The hinged extension 26 has a plurality of raised engagement portions 27 for engaging respective recessed engagement portions 28 at the associating positioning strip 25.
Referring to FIGS. 6˜8 and FIGS. 1˜5 again, the earmuff comprises a head strip 31, which has two racks 32 at its two distal ends, and a retaining block 33 at the back side of each of the racks 32, two support bars 4 respectively coupled to the two ends of the head strip 31, two forks 7 respectively pivoted to the support bars 4, and two ear cushions 3 respectively supported on the forks 7.
Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, each support bar 4 has a longitudinal sliding groove 41, an insertion hole 42 transversely extending through two opposite lateral sides near the bottom end, and two pivot rods 43 aligned at two sides of the bottom end. The forks 7 each have two lugs 71 at the top side. The lugs 71 each define a pivot hole 72. The pivot holes 72 of the lugs 71 of the forks 7 are respectively pivotally coupled to the pivot rods 43 of the support bars 4.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4 again, the two racks 32 of the head strips 31 are respectively inserted into the longitudinal sliding grooves 41 of the support bars 4 and secured thereto by the respective retaining block 33.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 8 again, the hinged extensions 26 of the positioning strips 25 of the headband 2 are respectively inserted through the insertion holes 42 of the support bars 4, and then turned backwards to force the respective raised engagement portions 27 into engagement with the respective recessed engagement portions 28, and therefore the earmuff is secured to the headband 2.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show a second embodiment of the present invention. According to this second embodiment, the positioning strips 25 of the headband 2 each a hook hole 29, and two fastening strips 30 are respectively extended from the headband 2 adjacent to positioning strips 25 and respectively terminating in a hook 301. After insertion of the positioning strips 25 of the headband 2 through the insertion holes 42 of the support bars 4, the hooks 301 of the fastening strips 30 are respectively hooked in the hook holes 29 to secure the earmuff to the headband 2.
A prototype of protective cap and earmuff assembly has been constructed with the features of FIGS. 1˜10. The protective cap and earmuff assembly functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A protective cap and earmuff assembly comprising:

a protective cap, said protective cap having two mounting through holes at two sides and a plurality of engagement teeth radially arranged around each mounting through hole of said protective cap;

a headband for securing said protective cap to an user's head, said headband comprising two mounting strips respectively extended from two distal ends thereof, the mounting strips of said headband each comprising a mounting through hole respectively connected to the mounting through holes of said protective cap with a respective retaining split bolt, and a plurality of engagement teeth radially arranged around the mounting through hole of the respective mounting strip for engagement with the engagement teeth of said protective cap, and two positioning strips respectively extended from two sides thereof, said positioning strips each having a plurality of recessed engagement portions, a hinged extension and a plurality of raised engagement portions protruded from said hinged extension for engaging said recessed engagement portions when said hinged extension is turned backwards; and

an earmuff, said earmuff comprising two support bars, said support bars each having a longitudinal sliding groove, a transversely extending through hole for the fastening of the hinged extensions of said headband, and two pivot rods aligned at two sides, two forks respectively pivoted to the pivot rods of said support bar, two ear cushions respectively supported on said forks, and a head strip coupled between said support bars, said head strip having two racks respectively extending from two distal ends thereof and respectively inserted into the longitudinal sliding grooves of said support bar, and two retaining blocks respectively extended from said racks for securing said racks to said support bars.

2. The protective cap and earmuff assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said headband has a locating hole, said locating hole being formed of two connected round holes having different diameters, a retaining notch connected to said locating hole at one side, and a back strip, said back strip having a stud insertable into the locating hole of said headband, said stud having a retaining protrusion for engaging said retaining notch.

3. The protective cap and earmuff assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning strips of said headband each have a hook hole; said headband further has two fastening strips respectively disposed adjacent to said positioning strips and respectively terminating in a hook for hooking in the hook hole of the adjacent positioning strip to secure said earmuff to said headband after insertion of said positioning strips of said headband through the insertion holes of said support bars.