AU2013100012A4 - Helmet Beacon - Google Patents

Abstract

This helmet beacon is a tiny LED device attached to the helmet using a bracket to increase high visibility on the back of the wearer. The circuit is powered by a button battery and LEDs can be turned on or off by a button switch on the top of the printed circuit board. The whole circuit is encapsulated in a plastic enclosure. The enclosure is opened on the top so the button switch is accessible. The operation of the switch is easy because the compound covering it is soft and elastic. The helmet beacon must be disposed once the battery is flat. This micro-style design makes it very suitable for intense activities such as fire-fighting, rescue and underground mine operations for a signalling range up to 100 meters. Button Q LEDs Switch (b) (a) (c) Figure 1 Figure 2 Printed Circuit Board Compound, to encapsulate Case all components Button Battery Button Switch, operated through the soft compound LEDs Figure 3

Description

HELMET BEACON [0001] Increasing visibility is an important safety measure for people to work at night. A typical example is a high visibility safety garment with retroreflective tapes on it. Retroreflective tapes reflect incoming light, such as vehicle headlights or street lights, as a warning signal so the wearer is easy to be seen. When incoming light does not exist, the warning signal of the garment does not exist. Such a passive warning signal significantly limits the performance and applications of the garment. Active high visibility products have been available since LEDs are efficient enough. A typical one is a small beacon worn on the belt, powered by alkaline batteries. However, this kind of belt wearing beacons has never become attractive because of inconvenience, unstable light direction, poor quality and other problems. They are especially unsuitable for intense activities such as rescue. [0002] This invention is a tiny LED beacon attached to the helmet. It is so small, weighted less than 20g, so the wearer does not feel it at all. The high position, on the helmet, also gives wearer's best visibility on back. The helmet beacon operates 40 hours, one week working time, powered by a button battery. The helmet beacon is disposable; once the button battery is flat, the beacon is finished. Such a low profile design makes it in a very low cost. [0003] A helmet beacon includes a steel bracket, Figure 1 (a), and a beacon body, Figure 1 (b). The bracket holds the beacon body in it and can be easily attached to the helmet. The bracket is designed to fit most Australian helmets with a curve brim so that the helmet beacon can stably sit on the brim, as shown in Figure 2. [0004] The beacon body includes a printed circuit board with the battery mounted on the bottom, and LEDs and a button switch mounted on the top. The whole circuit is fully encapsulated in a plastic enclosure by a soft and elastic compound. The enclosure is opened on the top for the user to operate the button although it is covered by the compound, as shown in Figure 3. [0005] This invention can have different variations. If the bottom of the enclosure tilts, the printed circuit board tilts so LEDs emit light at a direction other than right back. Such a helmet beacon can be worn on side of the helmet rather than right on the back; but the light still points to the back direction. If the beacon body is designed vertically, LEDs emit light toward above direction. Such a helmet beacon can be useful for some special applications requiring a high visibility at above direction.

Claims (3)

1. A helmet beacon comprising a beacon body and a steel bracket holding the beacon body in it and being attached to a helmet with a curve brim so that the helmet beacon can stably sit on the brim.

2. A helmet beacon, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the beacon body includes several small LEDs mounted on a printed circuit board, powered by a button battery. The whole printed circuit board is fully encapsulated in a plastic enclosure using a soft and elastic compound.

3. A helmet beacon, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a button switch is mounted on the top of the printed circuit board. The enclosure is opened on the top for the user to operate the button switch although it is covered by compound because of elasticity of the compound.