Polarized Face Shield

The present invention relates to rotary polarizing disc for attachment to existing shield in combination with spectacles having polarizing lenses, so that by varying the position of the attached polarizing disc, the transmission of light through the disc and the spectacle's lenses may be varied, controlled, set and utilized. There is no known record of shields for protective helmets having a simple, practical low cost hand operated polarizing disc attached to the inside of a clear helmet's shield used with polarizing spectacles or other items to reduce the hazard of blinding glare reflections and excessive brightness with one single day-nite shield. The prior art variable density shields and spectacles combination have been manufactured and sold in small quantities, but have not gained wide popularity due to complicated, costly and impractical methods and apparatuses. Typical prior art patents might be seen in the R. C. Haboush U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,844 which is electromagnetically controlled and not suited for sport helmets, while the J. H. Ash U.S. Pat. No. 825,288 does not use polarizing material. The present invention overcomes many of the prior art problems by producing the simplest methods and construction for manufacturing, assembling and operating such useful and safe combination of light shading variable range of density optionally available to a sportsman and other wearer with the economical factor of utilizing one single clear shield for both day and night use, also immediate needed shading variations availability as the weather and other variable conditions demands. With this invention the sportsman and others have the advantage of vision shading protection with variations from: A. No protection (Minimum shading)=full clear vision to, B. Medium protection with clear polarizing protection and to, C. Maximum protection of almost full shading in a matter of a few seconds, a safety factor of considerable magnitude. Optionally, by allowing some air to enter the inside through the disc's snap located at the nose and mouth area provides added breathing comfort and reduces the dangerous fogging possibility.

A variable density polarizing attachment for face shields to be used in conjunction with spectacles or the like having polarizing lenses or like material therein. The attachment consisting of a thin flex disc has a concentrically mounted snap (optionally vented) to be fastened to the inside of a helmet's face shield with its upper portion located in front of the eyes, and the lower portion partially extending beyond the shield's lower edge allowing it to be rotated at either directions and positioned at various density grades. The face shield is provided with an extra snap or the like to accomodate the polarizing attachment at a facially centralized location optionally with the shield mounted on the helmet or umounted. A polarizing strip may be located in front of the eyes and to the inside of the shield in lieu of wearing polarizing spectacles. The snap-set is of special design with the outside front-part having a knob-arrow pointing combination to rotate the polarizing disc or a segment of it at the same time indicating the shading density grades.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the written description and the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a helmet with a face-shield and disc's segment in place.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a helmet with shield and its windowed disc in place.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a helmet with shield and an up and down adjustable polarizing strip mounted on it.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a special pointing-knob assembly.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V--V in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an embodiment of FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 6 of the drawings, a standard safety helmet 10 with a face-shield 11 optionally of polarized material is illustrated in FIG. 1 having a thin flexible segment of a disc 12 mounted on the inside on the helmet mounted shield 11. As shown, the segment 12 is facewise centrally positioned giving the eyes maximum shading protection with polarizing spectacles 7 in place. The pointing-arrow-knob 13 is pointing to "MX"=maximum density, one of the three density ref. marks 9, the others, "MD"=medium and "MN"=minimum. Also shown is density `increasing-decreasing` ref. mark 8. Note that the rotating segment 12 being inside the helmet 10, is fully protected from the elements, such as rain - snow - icing, and dirt. The polarizing segment 12, is formed with horizontal polarizing axis and gives, from maximum shading as shown, to no shading when rotated out of the eye's field of view and without polarizing spectacles.

A rotating polarizing disc 14 with a window cut out 16 located in front of the wearer's polarized spectacles is shown in FIG. 2 mounted in the inside of shield 11 with a concentric and vented snap 15. The lower portion of the disc 14 is protruding sufficiently from the lower edge of shield 11 permitting finger actuation by side clamping and/or edge rotation in either direction. The opposite and parallel area of the window cut out 16 is squarely located where the polarizing axes are horizontal so that to obtain maximum density shading the rotating disc 14 will have to be gyrated 180 degrees from the position shown in FIG. 2 and with polarizing spectacles used. As shown, without polarizing spectacles, the wearer is obtaining maximum clear vision without any shading as a night rider would wish. Note that with these prompt and readily available options of maximum clear, to partial and maximum shading, there is no need for having two shields 11 and there is also no need to stop for the needed conversions since even the putting on and taking off of polarizing spectacles may be done with helmet on.

A polarizing rectangular up and down adjustable thin strip 17 is shown in "up," shading position 21 in FIG. 3. This movable strip 17 is held to the inside of the face-shield 11 by means of two paper clamps 18 holding one elastic strip 19 anchored to the outside of the upper center snap at B-location and another lower elastic strip 19 anchored to A-location onto the shield 11 lower edge with hook 20. With the polarizing strip 17 in a "down" or no shading position 22, the hook 20 may be removed from the A-location, and relocated onto the upper and center snap at B-location. This "up and down" adjustable polarizing strip 17 is held flat against the inside curved surface of shield 11 and is conveniently and economically used in lieu of polarizing spectacles. The segment 12 is ready and available for fast variable density grades and settings and is shown positioned at "clear-no shading" area in FIG. 3.

The special pointing-knob 13 is detailed with a front view in FIG. 4 which shows how said knob is locked with the flanged driving shaft of pronged member 24 by means of a set screw 23. The pronged member 24 is pressed firmly into the polarizing segment 12, the driving and optionally parted shaft's end passing through the face-shield 11 is shown in section V--V FIG. 5. Note the four prongs 25 imbedded into item 12.

The "double segment-knob" embodiment is shown in FIG. 6 as: section V--V of FIG. 4 (modified). Similar segments to item 12 are listed as 12A and 12B and are illustrated having telescopic tubular flanged shafts 24A and 24B locked together in place onto the face-shield 11 with knobs 13A and 13B, which are vented allowing air to enter the breathing area inside the protective sportman's helmet. Optionally each segment is moulded to a splined telescopic shaft for a plastic keyed knob to engage with. The knob is locked laterally to the shaft with a knob and shaft engaging snap-spring. The double segment 12A and 12B allows the use of two polarizing elements with the user not having to wear spectacles, and without mounting a second polarizing segment to the shield.