GB2047515A

GB2047515A - Safety helmet communications system

Info

Publication number: GB2047515A
Application number: GB7836542A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-09-12
Filing date: 1978-09-12
Publication date: 1980-12-03
Also published as: GB2047515B

Abstract

A full-face safety helmet has earphones and a microphone whose transducers are mounted within the jawpiece from which flexible pipes lead to soft earcups to reduce the risk of injury to the ears or skull in an accident. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in safety helmet communications systems The invention relates to communications equipment in protective helmets. Communications equipment is used in many protective helmets, and a recognised way of communicating with the wearer of a helmet, is to fit the helmet with suitable devices, namely a microphone and earphones. The microphone and earphones being devices to convert sound into electrical signals, and vice-versa.

One type of helmet this invention relates to, is the "crash helmet" type known as "integral", or "full4ace". This being a helmet used commonly for the protection of motor cyclists, racing drivers, and certain other unspecified protective applications.

Integral helmets are a type which not only protect the upper sections of the head of the wearer, but also have a lower section passing around the lower part of the face of the wearer, which protects the lower part of the face, giving rise to the description "full face" helmet.

A recognised method of fitting the earphones into a helmet, is to fasten then onto or beneath the inner lining of the helmet, in close proximity to the ears of the wearer. This method of fitting, gives little or no protection to the wearer of the helmet, in the regions near the ears. In event of an accident, the earphones can be easily driven into the ear or side of the skull of the helmet wearer by means of a severe blow on the helmet, should one be received on the part of the helmet where such devices are fitted.

An alternative method of fitting equipment to deliver sound to the ears of the helmet wearer, is to put a device such as a specially designed earphone transducer, in the rear padding of the helmet. The device is usually fitted to the centre of the rear padding of the helmet, and the sound from the device, directed to an area near the ears by means of tubes or pipes, of flexible material.

The method of distributing the sound around the ears can be by means of a dish or cup like device, the sound from the pipe being directed into the cup like device, which being located in the helmet in a position close to the wearers ear, will direct the sound to the wearers ear.

The dangers of such systems are that having the earphone transducer in the rear padding of the helmet, it may be driven into the base of the wearers skull, should the helmet receive a blow to the rear, another danger being that caused by air pressure to the ear, should a blow on the side of the helmet force the cup like device onto or into the helmet wearers ear, causing a pressure build up inside the ear, thus destroying or damaging the ear. The danger is also apparent, when using actual earphones near the ear, when a blow to the helmet may force the earphone into the ear compressing the air inside, and damaging the ear.

In its broadest aspect, the invention provides a means of fitting communications equipment into helmets of the "Integral" or "full-face" type, by means of fitting a specially constructed (or a number of specially constructed) earphone type transducers into the lower front section of the helmet, in that position normally referred to as the "jawpiece". The "jawpiece" being that part of the helmet which is constructed so as to cover the lower part of the face of the wearer, passing in front of the mouth or jaw of the wearer.

The jawpiece, is normally constructed in such a manner as to leave a gap between its construction, and the face of the helmet wearer, and is normally the only section of a helmet designed not to fit closely to the head of the helmet wearer.

By fitting the earphone transducer (or transducers) to the internal padding of the "jaw piece", and directing the sound from the earphone transducer (or transducers) to the ears by means of flexible pipes, the helmet can be constructed so as not to have the hard sections of the communications equipment located in a position close to the head of the helmet wearer.

This method of fitting the transducer (or transducers), considerably reduces the likeli hood of damage by the transducer (or transducers) to the head of the helmet wearer, should the helmet receive a heavy blow.

The invention also may provide for a specially designed "earcup", to be fitted--or defined-near to the ears of the helmet wearer, this earcup being connected to the pipe (or pipes) from the transducer so as to contain the sound from the pipe (or pipes) in the proximity of the ear of the helmet wearer.

The earcup may be made from a soft flexi ble material, such as soft P.V.C., rubber, or similar non-damaging material, and be of such a design as to collapse easily from its normal shape, if subjected to pressure due to an external blow on the helmet.

The design of the earcup may be such that the cup has the ability to release any trapped air from the cavity between itself and the ear of the helmet wearer, the air being safely released into the surrounding padding or at mosphere, should the helmet receive a blow forcing the earcup against or into the ear of the helmet wearer. This ability to release the trapped air may be due to a hole, holes or other suitable ventilation method, thus considerably reducing the danger of air being trapped between the earcup, and the ear of the helmet wearer, in event of a blow on the helmet near the ears of the helmet wearer.

The earcup may be similar to the ones shown in the accompanying drawings, but the principle may apply to any shape, material or size of device used for similar purposes. The earcup may be effectively defined, rather than being separately constructed as such, by recessing the padding around the ear sections of the helmet so that a cup surrounds the wearer's ears in use.

Most full-face helmets are sufficiently thickly padded around the ear regions to be a very close fit. It is sometimes necessary for the side pieces of the helmet to be forcibly prised apart in order to be slid over the ears when the helmet is put on. According to a further aspect of the invention, the ear region padding may be made abnormally thick, so that the helmet has virtually to be forced on to the head of the wearer, This cuts external wind noise appreciably, so that the wearer can hear the transmitted sound without having his earphone volume control turned right up and risking damage to his eardrums. The padding would be resiliently deformable, and porous if no other provision for expelling air were made.

The accompanying drawings show by way of example only, several different helmets fitted with the type of communications devices described in the invention.

These drawings will now be described.

Figure 1, shows a helmet of the integral type, the jawpiece being the part arrowed (A).

Figure 2, shows an integral helmet the dotted lines outlining the devices described in the invention, these devices are as follows. (B) the position of the earphone transducer, or transducers. (C) the flexible pipe or tube. (D) the ear cup. (E) being the position of the microphone.

Figure 3, is a cutaway drawing of the top view of the helmet, showing the layout of the devices referred to in the invention, in relation to the position of the head and the ears of the helmet wearer.

Figure 4, is a front view of a helmet fitted with transducers, pipes and earcups. The drawing shows the approximate positions of the items as referred to in the invention.

Figure 5, shows a general arrangement of the transducer, pipe and earcup.

Figure 6 shows a possible design shape for an earcup with air release holes arrowed.

Figure 7, shows a front view of Fig. 6 with air release holes or vents.

Figure 8, shows a side cutaway view of Figs. 6 and 7, and also shows a possible position for the connection of a sound iniet pipe. (the sound inlet pipe being the pipe from the transducer, or transducers.

Figure 9, shows the principle of the earcup when forced against or into the ear of the helmet wearer, the air contained in the cavity escaping as shown by the arrows.

Figure 10 shows a helmet embodying the invention, in which a short cape hangs down from the bottom periphery of the helmet and rests around the wearer's shoulders. This again cuts down appreciably the externallygenerated wind noise and buffeting caused by turbulent airflow around the jawpiece, and reduces very significantly the amount of such noise transmitted to the wearer. As a result, if the helmet incorporates a microphone in the jawpiece, the wearer can transmit through it and those listening to him will not be plagued with intolerable background noise. The cape also, of course, makes it much easier for the wearer himself to hear what is being said to him, without having to turn his volume control up "full".

Claims

1. A protective helmet of the integral or full4ace type, incorporating communications equipment through which a wearer of the helmet can, in use, transmit and/or receive aural messages, characterised in that the or each transducer through which the said aural messages are transmitted and/or received is located within the helmet in that part of the helmet normally referred to as the jawpiece.

2. A helmet in accordance with claim 1, in which the wearer can receive aural messages through one or more of said transducers mounted within the jawpiece, the sound from the or each such transducer being led to the ear regions of the helmet by relatively soft and flexible pipes housed within the helmet and terminating in the ear regions.

3. A helmet according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which ear cups are fittedor defined-in the inside ear regions of the helmet, and are so designed as to collapse in the event of the helmet receiving an abnormally severe blow from outside on the ear region.

4. A helmet according to any of the preceding claims, in which the inside ear regions of the helmet are designed to dispel air trapped between the wearer's ears and the helmet interior when the helmet receives an abnormally severe blow from outside on the ear region.

5. A helmet according to any of the preceding claims, in which the internal padding of the helmet is resiliently deformable and is also porous, at least in the areas around the ears, so that air trapped between the wearer's ears and the padding will be dispelled through the porous padding in the event of the helmet receiving an abnormally severe blow from outside on the ear region.

6. A helmet according to any of the preceding claims, in which the internal padding around the ear regions is abnormally thick in order to cut down externally-generated wind noise or other external noises transmitted to the wearer's ears.

7. A helmet according to any of the preceding claims, in which a cape seals around the bottom periphery of the helmet and extends down, in use, in front of the wearer's neck and around his shoulders, in order to cut down the externally-generated wind noise or other external noises around the jawpiece.

8. A protective helmet fitted with a communications system of anyof the kinds substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.