FR2748794A1 - HANDLESS HANDLING SYSTEM CONTROLLED BY THE MOUTH - Google Patents

Abstract

Lighting system (3) intended to be controlled by the muzzle, comprising lighting means and switch means for locking or unlocking the lighting, in which the switch means comprise a momentary control low force switch electrically coupled with a bistable electronic switch. The lighting is controlled by the electronic bistable switch and the electronic bistable switch controlled by the momentary control switch. Application in particular to helmets (1) for piloting aircraft.

Description

AT

  HANDLESS HANDLING SYSTEM CONTROLLED BY THE MOUTH

  The present invention relates to a free-hand lighting system, and more particularly to a lighting system intended to be controlled by the mouth. Mouth-controlled lighting systems are used in the aeronautical field, where they are fixed on the helmets of pilots or navigating personnel. During night flights, they allow, for example, cockpit lighting, reading maps, viewing poorly lit instruments, or intervening in dark areas such as

bunkers of the aircraft.

  For such lighting systems to be practical for use, a simple movement of the mouth, in particular a movement of the lower lip, must

  allow effortlessly to put in service the lighting.

  For this reason, conventional lighting systems controlled by the mouth are generally equipped with momentary control switches well known to those skilled in the art under the name of "microswitches", which have the advantage of being able to be switched with a little effort. Recall that a momentary control switch comprises a contact blade mounted under stress in a first curved position, the blade can tilt in a second position under the effect of a thrust applied via a body of command. Thus, the effort exerted by the user with his lip on the control member simply serves to tilt the blade, the electrical contact between the internal contact pads of the switch being provided by the elasticity of the blade . As another benefit, tilting the blade produces a characteristic click

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  accompanied by a tactile effect due to the relaxation of the elastic stress. Finally, there are commercially models momentary control switches equipped with levers further reducing the control effort, which can then fall below 10 grams. In return, momentary control switches have the disadvantage of not allowing the lighting to lock, the contact blade returning to its initial position when the control member is released. The user is thus forced to keep his lip resting on the switch while

periods of use.

  For this reason, other conventional lighting systems controlled by the mouth are equipped with lock switches or so-called "pushed-pushed" switches. Although locking the lighting, lock switches have the disadvantage of not being ergonomic. Indeed, the control member of a locking switch, usually a push button, has a depressed position and a relaxed position so that the distance that must travel the lip to reach the push button is not the same

  for locking or unlocking the lighting.

  This disadvantage is particularly sensitive to use when the user tries to adjust the distance between his mouth and the push button so that the latter is far enough away to prevent him from speaking while being close enough to not require excessive stretching of the lip when ordering. In addition, another disadvantage of the interlock switches is to require a large control effort, which in the best case is of the order of 100 grams. This is because the electrical contact between internal contact pads

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  a locking switch is provided by springs, so that the effort to exert on the push button to bring it into the depressed position must overcome the resistance of the springs. To overcome this second disadvantage, one could equip a switch to lock a lever, as is done

  with the instantaneous switches, but this would aggravate the ergonomic disadvantage mentioned above since the lever would amplify the differences between the depressed position and the relaxed position.

  Thus, the general object of the present invention is to provide a controlled lighting system by the mouth which can be locked while being ergonomic. More particularly, the present invention aims at the following advantages: a low effort on the lighting control member, for example of the order of 10 to 60 grams, - maintaining the lighting when the user releases the control member, - a constant distance between the control member

  and the lip, whether the light is on or off.

  These objectives are achieved by means of a lighting system intended to be controlled by the mouth, comprising lighting means and switch means for locking or unlocking the lighting, in which the switch means comprise a momentary low-effort switch. electrically coupled with a bistable electronic switch, the lighting being locked by the bistable electronic switch, the bistable electronic switch being controlled by the switch

momentary control.

  The bistable electronic switch can be realized simply, for example by means of a flip-flop D.

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  According to one embodiment, the bistable electronic switch controls the lighting means by

  via at least one transistor.

  According to one embodiment, the momentary control switch and the lighting means are arranged in a first lighting box, and the bistable electronic switch arranged in a

second case.

  According to one embodiment, the housing

  lighting is mounted at the end of a flexible rod.

  The other end of the flexible rod may comprise fixing means arranged to be able to be mounted

  sliding on a microphone arm.

  According to one embodiment, the system comprises means for lighting in the visible, infrared lighting means and a three-position general switch for choosing between a position of illumination in the visible, a position d lighting in the infrared, and a setting position

off the lighting.

  These features, advantages as well as others of the present invention will be discussed in more detail

  in the following description of an exemplary embodiment

  particular of a lighting system according to the invention for an aircraft pilot's helmet, in relation to the attached figures among which: FIG. 1 represents an aircraft pilot's helmet equipped with a microphone and a lighting system according to the invention, - Figure 2 shows in more detail the microphone and the lighting system of Figure 1, - Figure 3 shows a side view of a part of a lighting box according to the invention and its controller, and

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  FIG. 4 is the electrical diagram of a

  lighting system according to the invention.

  Figure 1 shows an aircraft pilot helmet 1 equipped with a microphone 2 and a lighting system 3 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 shows in more detail the microphone 2 and the lighting system 3. The lighting system 3 according to the invention comprises a lighting box 30 conventionally equipped with two green LEDs 31 and an infrared LED diode 32 scheduled for flights with night vision goggles. The lighting box 30 is mounted at the end of a flexible rod 33 whose other end is fixed on the distal portion 21 of an arm 22 carrying the microphone 2. Here, the distal portion 21 of the microphone arm comprises two parallel bars 21-1, 21-2 on which is slidably mounted a fixing piece 34 of the flexible rod 33, the position of the piece of

  fixing 34 can be blocked by a clamping screw.

  At the end of the flexible rod 33, the lighting box 30 has an elongated shape substantially curved so as to match the rounded shape of the

microphone 2.

  As can be seen in FIG. 3, the lighting unit 30 comprises a momentary-controlled low-effort type switch 35 whose control member 36 is a lever 36-1 acting on a pusher 36-2. Conventionally, the lever 36-1 takes the form of a metal or plastic tongue oriented towards the driver's mouth. Thanks to the flexible rod 33, to the sliding fastener 34 and to the particular shape of the lighting box 30, the lighting box 30 can be arranged closer to the microphone 2 so that the lever 36-1 is easily accessible. The switch is for example a microswitch of the series "Subminiature micro switch SM series" marketed by

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  company ZIPPY, which can be switched with a

the order of 30 grams.

  According to the invention, the switch 35 is combined with a bistable electronic switch, an exemplary embodiment of which will be described below in connection with FIG. 4. The function of the bistable switch is to memorize, that is to say say lock, the state of the lighting system after the switch 35 has been actuated. Thus, when the user pushes the lever 36-1 with its lip (or tongue), the lighting is switched on and the lever can be released. To turn off the lighting box 30, the user must operate at

again the lever 36-1.

  Thanks to such a combination of a mechanical interlocking function and an electronic locking function, the user benefits from the advantages of the momentary switch, already exposed to the preamble (low effort, distance between the lever). 1 and the user's mouth constant, click effect, tactile effect), while enjoying, virtually, the advantages of lock switches. Here, the electronic function is carried in a second housing 37 fixed on the proximal portion 24 of the arm 21 of the microphone, the housing 37 being connected by an electric cable 38 to the lighting unit 30. This second housing 37 is further equipped with a three-position general switch 39 for selecting between a visible lighting position (green diodes), an infrared lighting position (red diode) and a decommissioning position in which an action

  on lever 36-1 does not trigger lighting.

  FIG. 4 represents the electrical diagram of the lighting system 3 according to the invention. The bistable electronic circuit is here realized by means of a

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  D flip-flop referenced 40, whose inverted output / Q is returned to the control input D. The clock input CLK of the flip-flop D is driven by the output of the momentary control switch 35, whose input receives a supply voltage Vcc of the system. Thus, when the user exerts pressure with his lip on the lever 36-1, the input CLK receives a voltage pulse that changes the state of the flip-flop D, the Q output alternately passing to the value 1 (Vcc ) or 0 (mass) according to the previous state of the flip-flop. To format the voltage pulse, the input CLK is connected to ground by a resistance "pull-low" (or resistance "pull down") R1 of high value in parallel with a capacitor Ci, and at the voltage Vcc by a resistance "pull-up" (or resistance of "pull up") R2 also of high value. The resistors R1 and R2 are, for example, K0 and 100Kn respectively. The Q output of flip-flop D is applied to an input terminal 39-1 of the three-position master switch 39. The switch 39 has three output terminals 39-2, 39-3, 39-4 respectively corresponding to the three aforementioned possibilities: lighting in the visible (green), lighting off, lighting in the infrared. The terminal 39-2 drives the base of a transistor 41 for controlling the green diodes 31 via a high-value low-drag resistor R3 and a buffer resistor R4. Terminal 39-3 is not connected. The terminal 39-4 attacks the base of a transistor 42 for controlling the infrared diode 32, via a high-value low-pass resistor R5 and a buffer resistor R6. The green LEDs 31 and the infrared diode 32 receive on their cathodes the supply voltage Vcc and their anodes are connected via buffer resistors R7, R8, R9 to the collectors of the transistors 41, x 2748794 respectively 42, whose transmitters are connected to the ground. Thus, for example, when the main switch 39 is in the visible lighting position and the user momentarily actuates the lever 36-1 of the low-effort switch 35, the output Q of the flip-flop D goes to 1 and makes the transistor 41 passing, the green diodes 31 thus being fed. To turn off the diodes 31, the user must operate again

  the switch 35 so that the output Q goes to 0.

  As already indicated, these various electronic elements are arranged in the housing 37 of FIG. 2, with the exception of the switch 35 and the diodes 31, 32 which are integral with the lighting box 30. , the housing 37 may contain

  accumulators which supply the voltage supply Vcc.

  It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the production of a lighting system for an aircraft pilot's helmet. Due to the ergonomic advantages provided by the system according to the invention, other applications can be envisaged, in particular the production of lighting systems for the disabled, the production of free hand-held infrared remote control systems that can be used by the disabled, in the field of surgery for the start-up of certain devices (respiratory, laser generators, ...) during an operation, in the industrial field, etc. Also, the present invention can be applied to the realization of sighting systems, the previously described diodes being replaced by one or more laser diodes. Thus, in the present patent application, the word "lighting" must be understood as generally referring to the emission of a light beam, whether this light beam is intended to illuminate objects, to control an apparatus, or

designate a goal.

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Claims (10)

  A lighting system (3) to be controlled by the mouth, comprising lighting means (31, 32) and switch means (35, 40, 41, 42) for locking or unlocking the illumination, characterized in that the switch means comprise a momentary low-power switch (35) electrically coupled with a bistable electronic switch (40), the lighting being locked by the bistable electronic switch (40), the bistable electronic switch being controlled by the switch to momentary control (35).   The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the bistable electronic switch comprises a D flip-flop (40).   3. Lighting system according to one of   preceding claims, wherein the switch   Bistable electronics controls lighting means (31, 32) via at least one transistor (41, 42).   4. Lighting system according to one of   preceding claims, wherein the switch   momentary control (35) and the lighting means (31, 32) are arranged in a first lighting box (30) and the bistable electronic switch (40) arranged in a second housing (37).   5. Lighting system according to one of   preceding claims, comprising a housing   lighting fixture (30) mounted at the end of a flexible rod (33). 3o The lighting system of claim 5, wherein the other end of the flexible rod (33) W 2748794   comprises fastening means (34) arranged to be slidably mounted on an arm (21, 22) of microphone (2).   7. Lighting system according to one of   preceding claims, comprising means   illumination (31), infrared illumination means (32) and a three-position (39-2, 39-3, 39-4) switch (39) visible lighting position, a lighting position in the infrared, and a position   shutting down the lighting.   8. Lighting system according to claim 7, comprising at least one green LED diode (31) and a diode Red LED (32).   9. Lighting system according to one of   preceding claims, comprising a housing   lamp (30) having an elongated shape substantially curved so as to conform to the shape rounded microphone (2).   10. Aircraft pilot helmet (1), comprising a   lighting system according to one of the claims preceding.