US20110191946A1

US20110191946A1 - Hat band structure

Info

Publication number: US20110191946A1
Application number: US12/704,507
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth Fang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-02-11
Filing date: 2010-02-11
Publication date: 2011-08-11

Abstract

The hat band structure includes a band and a lock mechanism. The band has ends, and each end has a slot portion with tooth portion. The lock mechanism has a base, a moving part and an adjusting wheel. The base has a circular through-opening with locking teeth, and has a pivoting post on the bottom. The base has a through hole where the pillar inserts in. The moving part includes a central body, a gear, flexible arms, locking portions and a pivoting hole. The adjusting wheel has an axis portion and pivoting posts on the rear. The axis portion of the adjusting wheel is rotatably inserted in the through hole of the base. Each pivoting post is inserted into the corresponding flexible arm, and a lighting device is disposed in front of the adjusting wheel to provide warning signals. The length of the hat band structure can be easily adjusted.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a hat band structure; especially, the present invention relates to a hat band structure for a safety helmet.
2. Description of Related Art
Safety helmets Safety helmet play very important roles for riders of unprotected vehicles, including motorcycles, bicycles, skates, skateboards, and vehicles on which riders must provide their own protection from impacts. However, the traditional hat band or chin strap structure is not efficiently adjusted and the safety helmet cannot protect the rider well. The traditional safety helmet cannot fit the user's head which results in the discomfort of user, which tends to help the user to decide against wearing safety helmets completely. On the other hand, the bicycle rider faces considerable danger without the ability to use an effective warning signal to warn cars or other vehicles.
Consequently, with regard to the resolution of defects illustrated hereinbefore, the inventors of the present invention propose a reasonably and effectively designed solution for effectively eliminating such defects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the present invention is to provide a hat band structure characterized in that the size of the safety helmet can be easily adjusted to fit the head of user, and characterized in the warning effect of lighting.
To achieve the objective described as above, the present invention discloses a hat band structure, comprising: a band, having two ends, each of the two ends having a slot portion, the slot portion having a tooth portion thereon; and a lock mechanism, having a base, a moving part, and an adjusting wheel, wherein the base has a circular through-opening concavely formed thereon; the circular through-opening has a plurality of locking teeth on a side wall thereof, and has a pivoting post on a bottom thereof; the base has a through-hole, and the post is disposed inside the through hole; the moving part includes a central body, a gear, a plurality of flexible arms, a plurality of locking portions and a pivoting hole, the gear extends from a rear of the central body, the flexible arms with bending shapes extend from side edges of the central body, the locking portions are formed on outer edges of the flexible arms to contact with the corresponding locking teeth, the pivoting post of the base pivotably connects to the pivoting hole of the moving part, the gear of the moving part extends in the slot portion of the band to engage with the tooth portion of the slot portion; the adjusting wheel has an axis portion and a plurality of pivoting posts on a rear thereof, the axis portion of the adjusting wheel is rotatably inserted in the through hole of the base, each of the pivoting posts is inserted into the corresponding flexible arm, and the adjusting wheel further has a lighting device on a front thereof.
The length of the hat band structure can be efficiently adjusted for fitting the size of user's head by the band and the lock mechanism. Moreover, the lighting device provides a warning signal.
In order to further appreciate the characteristics and technical contents of the present invention, references are hereunder made to the detailed descriptions and appended drawings in connection with the present invention. However, the appended drawings are merely shown for exemplary purposes, rather than being used to restrict the scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of the hat band structure according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded diagram of the hat band structure according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is another exploded diagram of the hat band structure according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates the size-adjusting movement of the hat band structure according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates another, rotational, movement of the hat band adjusting mechanism structure according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Refer now to FIGS. 1 to 5, the present invention provides a hat band structure 1 which can be engaged with a safety helmet 8, but not restricted thereby. The hat band structure 1 has a band 2 and a lock mechanism 3.
The band 2 has two ends 21 a and 21 b, which two ends 21 a and 21 b have a slot portion 22 a and 22 b respectively. The slot portion 22 a has a tooth portion 23 a on the upper or lower wall of the slot portion, and the slot portion 22 b has a tooth portion 23 b on the opposing walls of the slot portion thereof. Moreover, the slot portion 22 b is corresponding to the tooth portion 23 b.
The lock mechanism 3 can include a base 31, a moving part 32, an adjusting wheel 33, a bottom plate 34, and a fixing element 35. The base 31 has a circular through-opening 311 concavely formed at the center thereof. The circular through-opening 311 has a plurality of alternating concave and convex locking teeth 312 on the side wall thereof. A pivoting post 313 is formed on the bottom of the circular through-opening 311. The base 31 has a through hole 314 and the pivoting post 313 penetrates through the through hole 314. The circular through-opening 311 has two openings 315 on the two inner sides of the circular through-opening 311. Moreover, the base 31 has two side openings 316 on two sides thereof.
The moving part 32 includes a central body 321, a gear 322, a plurality of flexible arms 323, and a plurality of locking portions 324. The gear 322 extends from the rear of the central body 321 and the flexible arms 323 extend from side edges of the central body 321, each of the flexible arms 323 has a bending shape. Furthermore, the locking portions 324 are formed on the outer edges of the flexible arms 323. On the other hand, the moving part 32 has a pivoting hole 325, the central body 321, and the gear 322 insert into the pivoting hole 325. Each of the flexible arms 323 extends toward the central body 321 of the moving part 32 to form a stopping arm 326.
The adjusting wheel 33 has a polygonal shape with a plurality of flat sides 331 so that the user can turn the adjusting wheel 33 to rotate. The adjusting wheel 33 has an axis portion 332 and a plurality of guiding posts 333 on a rear thereof and the axis portion 332 of the adjusting wheel 33 has a locking hole on a center thereof. A bottom plate 34 of the lock mechanism 3 is disposed rearward of the base 31. The bottom plate 34 has a hole 341 and two extending portions 342 on two sides thereof. Each extending portion 342 is inserted into the corresponding side opening 316 so that the bottom plate 34 is fixed with the base 31. A fixing element 35, for example a screw, penetrates the hole 341 so as to screw on the locking hole 334 of the adjusting wheel 33.
Please refer to FIG. 1, the band 2 is assembled on the safety helmet 8 which is illustrated by broken lines and the structure of the safety helmet 8 is not restricted in the present invention. Please refer to FIGS. 2 to 5 again, the two ends 21 a and 21 b of the band 2 are respectively into the two openings 315 of the base 31, and the two ends 21 a and 21 b are overlapped in the base 31. The pivoting post 313 penetrates through the slot portion 22 a and 22 b of the ends 21 a and 21 b. The moving part 32 is received in the circular slot 311 of the base 31 and the pivoting post 313 is pivotedly inserted in the pivoting hole 325 of the moving part 32. On the other hand, the locking portion 324 of each flexible arm 323 abuts against the locking tooth 312, and the gear 322 extends inside the slot portion 22 a and 22 b so as to engage with the tooth portion 23 a and 23 b.
The axis portion 332 of the adjusting wheel 33 is rotatably inserted into the through hole 314 of base 31. Each pivoting post 333 of the adjusting wheel 33 inserts into the corresponding space which is defined by the flexible arm 323, stopping arm 326 and central body 321. The pivoting post 333 can move inside the space so that the moving part 32 can be driven by the adjusting wheel 33.
By rotating the adjusting wheel 33 to drive the rotation of the moving part 32, the tooth portion 23 a and 23 b of the two ends 21 a and 21 b of the band 2 can be driven by the gear 322. Therefore, the two ends 21 a and 21 b of the band 2 can move toward each other or away from each other so as to adjust the length of the band 2. The user can adjust the length of the band 2 to fit the size of his/her head. Furthermore, the two ends 21 a and 21 b of the band 2 can be fixed in the two side openings 316 of the base 31.
Moreover, a lighting device 335 optionally able to be disposed in front of the adjusting wheel 33. The lighting device 335 includes a receiving recess 3351, a printed circuit board 3352, a switch 3353, a lighting element 3354 and a transparent cover 3355. The receiving recess 3351 is defined by the sides 331 of the adjusting wheel 33, and the printed circuit board 3352 and the lighting element 3354 are accommodated in the receiving recess 3351. The switch 3353 and the lighting element 3354 are electrically connected to the printed circuit board 3352, and the switch 3353 protrudes the side 331 so that the user can control the light of lighting element 3354 by the switch 3353. By electrical circuit design, the lighting element 3354 can emit continuous light or sparkling lights. In the embodiment, the lighting element 3354 can be an LED. The transparent cover 3355 is disposed in front of the receiving recess 3351 so that the light of the lighting element 3354 can project through the transparent cover 3355. In one embodiment, the transparent cover 3355 can has a convex lens thereon to condense light. Furthermore, a battery 3356 can be received inside the receiving recess 3351 to supply electric power for the lighting element 3354.
In summary, the band 2 and the lock mechanism 3 of the present invention can be used for adjusting the length of the band 2 so that the safety helmet 8 can highly protect the head of the user. On the other hand, the lighting device 335 performs as a caution signal so as to warn other vehicles.
The text set forth previously here illustrate simply the preferred embodiments of the present invention, rather than intending to restrict the scope of the present invention claimed to be legally protected thereto. All effectively equivalent changes made by using the contents of the present disclosure and appended drawings thereof are included within the scope of the present invention delineated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A hat band structure, comprising:

a band, having two ends, each of the two ends having a slot portion, the slot portion having a tooth portion thereon; and

a lock mechanism, having a base, a moving part, and an adjusting wheel, wherein the base has a circular through-opening concavely formed thereon; the circular through-opening has a plurality of locking teeth on a side wall thereof, and has a pivoting post on a bottom thereof; the base has a through hole, and the pillar is disposed inside the through hole; the moving part includes a central body, a gear, a plurality of flexible arms, a plurality of locking portions and a pivoting hole, the gear extends from a rear of the central body, the flexible arms with bending shapes extend from side edges of the central body, the locking portions are formed on out edges of the flexible arms to contact with the corresponding locking teeth, the pivoting post of the base pivotedly connects to the pivoting hole of the moving part, the gear of the moving part extends in the slot portion of the band to engage with the tooth portion of the slot portion; the adjusting wheel has an axis portion and a plurality of pivoting posts on a rear thereof, the axis portion of the adjusting wheel is rotatably inserted in the through hole of the base, each of the pivoting posts is inserted into the corresponding flexible arm, and the adjusting wheel further has a lighting device on a front thereof.

2. The hat band structure according to claim 1, wherein the lighting device includes a receiving recess, a printed circuit board, a switch, a lighting element and a transparent cover, the printed circuit board is received in the receiving recess, the switch and the lighting element are electrically connected to the printed circuit board, the transparent cover is disposed in front of the receiving recess.

3. The hat band structure according to claim 2, wherein the adjusting wheel has a polygonal shape with a plurality of sides, and the switch protrudes on one of the sides.

4. The hat band structure according to claim 1, wherein the base has two side openings on two sides thereof.

5. The hat band structure according to claim 4, wherein the lock mechanism further has a bottom plate disposed rearward of the base, the bottom plate has two extending portions on two sides thereof, and the two extending portions are respectively inserted into the two side openings.

6. The hat band structure according to claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism further has a bottom plate disposed rearward of the base, and the bottom plate has a hole.

7. The hat band structure according to claim 6, wherein the axis portion of the adjusting wheel has a locking hole on a center thereof, the lock mechanism has a fixing element, and the fixing element penetrates through the hole and engages with the locking hole.

8. The hat band structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the flexible arms extends toward the central body of the moving part to form a stopping arm.

9. The hat band structure according to claim 2, further comprising a convex lens disposed on the transparent cover.