GB2501290A

GB2501290A - Wiper for visor of safety helmet

Info

Publication number: GB2501290A
Application number: GB1206838.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Stuart Morgan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-04-18
Filing date: 2012-04-18
Publication date: 2013-10-23
Also published as: GB201206838D0

Abstract

A wiper apparatus for use on a visor 11 of a safety helmet, said wiper apparatus comprising a brush assembly 14 and a motor for driving said brush assembly, the brush assembly 14 being coupled to the motor by a crank mechanism, such that rotational motion of the motor causes the brush assembly 14 to oscillate across the external surface of the visor 11. The crank may comprise an axle around which it can rotate, a lever arm, a linking arm and/or a wheel. The brush assembly may be resiliently biased against the surface of the visor via a spring 13. The motor may be a 12V geared motor providing a torque of at least 0.01Nm. The wiper apparatus may be attachable to and removable from the helmet or visor, and may be provided with a waterproof covering.

Description

WTPER APPARATUS FOR VISOR

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a wiper apparatus for use on a visor attached to a safety helmet in order to remove rain, snow or other such vision impairing detritus.

More particularly, the invention is concerned with a wiper apparatus comprising one or more brushes for use on the exterior surface of a transparent safety visor of a motorcycle crash helmet -

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Motorcyclists commonly use visors, built into crash helmets, for eye protection. In poor weather conditions, rain, mist or snow may collect on the outer surface of the visor, seriously impairing vision. Manually wiping the visor is both inefficient and potentially dangerous as it requires the motorcyclist to remove a hand from the handlebars frequently. This reduction in safety to both the motorcyclist and other road users, gives rise to the need for a system for the easy clearing of visor surfaces.

Visors for use with crash helmets or other safety equipment are generally curved in shape, often in more than one plane. This curvature presents problems for the development of effective wiper systems for use on crash helmets as it is difficult to maintain wiping contact between the wiper blade and the external surface of the visor over the entire span of the visor. For this reason, traditional oscillating rubber bladed wiper assemblies such as are used on car windscreens are generally not suitable for use with crash helmets Oscillating rubber bladed visor wiper assemblies for crash helmets are known from the literature and have been described, for example, in US 4027354, GB 2082896A, GB2285390A, JP 1085304, FR 2619030, FR 2817817 and GB 2171292A. Generally speaking, however, these references contain little, if any, discussion of how the wiper blade is maintained in contact with the visor surface as it travels across the visor. As discussed above, maintaining wiper contact with the visor surface presents particular problems for motorcycle helmet visors as they have greater curvature than car windscreens, which means that the thin, limited deformability rubber bladed wipers of the type conventionally used with car windscreens are therefore unlikely to exhibit sufficiently firm contact in more than one plane to allow the visor to be kept adequately clear.

A further disadvantage associated with the use of rubber bladed wipers on motorcycle visors is that scratching can readily occur, leading to the visor becoming rapidly unusable and requiring premature replacement.

Unlike the visor described in GB 202896A, mentioned above, which has a toughened glass insert, modern helmet visors are made from plastics materials, often with a thin protective outer coating which is vulnerable to scratching. Rubber wiper blades held with sufficient force to maintain contact throughout the sweep of the blade with the plastic surface of a modern visor would lead rapidly to scratching.

A wiper apparatus for a visor comprising a brush assembly and means for driving the brush assembly from side to side across the surface of the visor is described in GB 241383A. In this design, a rack and pinion mechanism is used to produce linear motion of the wiper arm from a rotary input, with reciprocation being introduced through the use of a reversing switch. The wiping arm is maintained in a vertical orientation, perpendicular to the drive track. The use of a brush rather than a rubber wiper blade reduces the risk of scratching the visor and helps to maintain effective contact with the curved visor surface. However there are drawbacks in practice as it is difficult to ensure that the brush element is maintained with sufficient pressure against the visor surface to ensure effective clearing of the surface throughout the sweep and in use there is a risk of the drive system becoming stressed or the motor overheating.

There therefore remains a continuing need for the development of a visor wiper system for a crash helmet which afford acceptable wiping ability without compromising safety or comfort for the user.

SUM['OARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with a wiper apparatus for a visor that provides firm wiping contact between the wiper and visor as the wiper sweeps across the visor surface and which is particularly suited to use on a motorcycle crash helmet.

In a first aspect, the invention provides a wiper apparatus for use on a visor of a safety helmet, said wiper apparatus comprising a brush assembly and a motor for driving said brush assembly, the brush assembly being coupled tc the motor by a crank mechanism such that rotational motion of the motor causes the brush assembly to oscillate across the external surface of the visor.

In another aspect, the invention also provides a visor having a wiper apparatus according to the above aspect attached thereto.

Further provided is a safety helmet incorporating a visor wiper according to the first aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE TNVENTION

As used herein, a brush assembly comprises a brush element, which brush element is optionally pivotably connected to a brush arm.

A brush element refers to an implement having a block of bristles mounted in a holder. The bristles may suitably be formed from any resiliently flexible material conventionally used for brushing purposes such as nylon or polypropylene filaments. The bristle holder may conveniently be formed from any suitably rigid material which can operate in a wide range of temperatures without deformation such as a plastics material, for example high density polystyrene or nylon, or a metal such as aluminium.

In one embodiment, the wiper apparatus comprises a single brush element However, multiple brush elements may conveniently be employed, for example where the wiper apparatus is intended to be used on larger visors, in order to provide a larger cleared area on the visor surface.

In one embodiment, a brush assembly for use according to the present Invention comprises a brush element plvotably connected to a brush a rm.

The resiliently flexible bristles of the brush or brushes of the apparatus according to the present invention can adapt to the curvature of the visor much better than can conventional solid rubber wiper blades, thereby affording improved wiping contact with the visor in more than one plane as it travels across the surface of the visor in use. A brush also has the advantage of being less abrasive to the visor surface, and better able to deal with dry detritus.

Compared to known wiper blade assemblies, therefore, the use of the apparatus of the present invention affords improved wiping contact with the visor whilst reducing the potential damage to the surface of the visor caused by the wiper blade drawing grit or other such sharp-edged detritus across the visor surface as it travels from one side of the visor to another.

In one embodiment, the crank mechanism comprises a crank, an axle around which the crank can rotate, a connecting rod and a lever arm, the connecting rod being pivotably connected at one end to the crank and at the other end to a lever arm.

In this embodiment, the portion of the lever arm distal to that portion of the lever arm which is connected to the connecting rod forms, or is connected to, the brush assembly.

As the crank rotates driven by the motor, the connecting rod is driven back and forth, thereby operating the lever arm and causing it to rotate reversibly around its pivot point. This motion of the lever arm causes the brush assembly to move in an oscillatory fashion across the surface of the visor.

Suitably, the lever arm moves in an arc of between 60 and 120 degrees. Typically, a sweep of 90 degrees is sufficient to provide sufficient coverage over the surface of the visor.

In one embodiment, the crank comprises an arm.

In another embodiment, the crank comprises a wheel to which the connecting rod is attached by an axle which is offset from the centre of the wheel.

It will be appreciated that the throw length of the arm, the length of the connecting rod and the position of the pivot point on the lever arm may all be independently varied in order that the brush assembly can oscillate in a path appropriate to the curvature of the visor so as to provide a clear area in the user's line of vision.

The brush assembly may be formed integrally with the distal portion of the lever arm but in one particular embodiment, the brush assembly is connected to the distal portion of the lever a rm.

Suitably, the brush assembly is connected to the distal portion of the lever arm by means of a pivoting joint.

In one embodiment the brush assembly comprises a brush arm which is pivotably connected at one end to the distal portion of the lever arm and at the other end to the brush element.

In order to maintain suitably firm wiping contact between the brush assembly and the visor as the brush assembly moves in its oscillatory path across the surface of the visor, the brush assembly is desirably resiliently biased against the surface of the visor.

In one embodiment, the brush assembly may be resiliently biased against the surface of the visor by providing one or more springs, arranged so as to maintain angular attractive pressure between the lever and the brush arm, connecting the lower portion of the lever arm and the brush arm.

Conveniently, the brush arm is provided with a series of mounting holes to which the connecting spring or springs can be attached in order to provide a means for adjusting the tension of the spring to accommodate the shape of the visor.

In another embodiment, there is provided an additional arm, pivotally mountable on the helmet or visor, which is pivotably connected to one end of a linking arm, the other end of which is pivotably connected to the lever arm. Suitably the additional arm and the lever arm are mounted in a parallel alignment on the helmet or visor, so that together with the linking arm they form a parallelogram linkage. Typically the brush assembly is connected to the linking arm and is mounted approximately perpendicularly thereto. This arrangement allows the assembly to be maintained in a vertical attitude instead of a rotational sweep.

In order that the motor does not become stressed or overheated during operation of the wiper apparatus, a motor which provides a torque of at least 0.01 Nm is desirably chosen.

Conveniently, the motor driving the brush assembly is a 12 volt geared motor. This provides a significantly greater torque than the torque which can be achieved by the lower voltage, non-geared motors that have typically been used in the prior art wiper assemblies discussed above.

Suitably, the motor rotates at a speed of two revolutions per minute.

In one embodiment, the motor is coupled via a bevel gear to the axle about which the crank rotates, providing a compact mechanism in which the axis of the motor need not be aligned directly with the crank axle. This enables the orientation of the motor to be optimi5ecl for compactness.

The motor may conveniently be powered by a battery pack, which may be rechargeable and which may be housed separately from the JO wiper assembly, for example i a pocket, pouch or pack. In an alternative embodiment, the motor may be powered via the motorcycle's own electrical system.

In one embodiment, the power source for the motor is provided with a switching system, allowing for momentary activation as well as simple on-off latching. In another embodiment, further control circuits allowing for intermittent / timed activation may be provided.

The motor may be connected to the power and control system by way of a flexible lead with suitable connectors that are easy to use and water resistant.

The wiper apparatu5 according to the invention is attachable to the helmet or to the external surface of the visor.

It will be appreciated that the wiper apparatus according to the invention finds application with a safety helmet which has a fixed or pivotable visor.

In one embodiment, the wiper apparatus is mounted on a shell structure, with sufficient 3upport and bearing surface3 to allow for smooth secure motion. The entire assembly is conveniently provided with a dual or multipoint mounting system, allowing its fixture to the top edge of the visor. Such a system allows the wiper assembly to be easily installed, firmly located, and yet

S

easily displaced in the event of accidents.

In another embodiment, the wiper mechanism may be secured to the lower edge of the visor, with the wiper arm nointing upwards, or to the chin section of the helmet, with the wiper arm pointing upwards. This type of arrangement is more suitable for use with larger motors as it avoids the need for bevel gears; instead by using a longer connecting rod, the motor may be positioned on the side of the helmet rather than at the front of the helmet.

By mounting the wiper assembly centrally at the top or bottom edge of the visor, the lever arm effects a wiping stroke to sweep a symmetrical area in the line of sight of the helmet wearer.

It will be appreciated that the materials used in the construction of the wiper apparatus according to the invention should be light in weight, so that the helmet visor can be opened in normal fashion. Suitably, plastics materials are used in order to keep the visor weight to a minimum. Preferably the materials used are corrosion resistant.

In particular embodiments of the aspects described above, the motor and/or crank mechanism are provided with a waterproof covering to prevent fouling.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification the words "comprise" and "contain" and variations of the words, for example "comprising" and "comprises", mean "including but not limited to", and do not exclude other moieties, additives, components, integers or steps.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality, as well as singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.

Preferred features of each aspect of the invention may be described in connection with any of the other aspects.

The invention may be further illustrated by way of example only with reference to the following figures in which:-Figure 1 shows detail of the basic crank, connecting rod and lever mechanism used in a wiper apparatus according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows detail of several arrangements of drive motors and mechanical elements.

Figure 3 shows an arrangement of one embodiment of the design attached to a crash helmet.

Figure 4 shows the placement of the spring element in one embodiment and its use as the arm moves.

Figure 5 shows an exploded view of the component parts of one embodiment of the design.

Figure 6 shows typical basic electrical control circuits for use according to the invention Figure 7 shows details of some mounting system designs according to the invention.

Referring to the figures, there is illustrated an example of a visor having a wiper apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows the crank mechanism employed in the wiper apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention. In this figure, the fixed axles are denoted with a -I-and the moving pivots are denoted with a.

Referring to drawing A, a crank arm (1) is shown in a vertical position, connected by a connecting rod (2) to the proximal portion (3a) of a lever arm (3), the distal portion of which (3b) bears the brush assembly (not shown) As the crank arm (1) starts its clockwise rotation around axle (4), powered by the motor (not shown),the connecting rod (2) is pushed to the right which moves the lever arm (3), as in drawing B. This motion causes the distal portion of the lever arm (3b) to move through a circular track to the left. As the crank arm (1) continues on its rotation, passing through 90 degrees, the 0 motion of the connecting rod (2) is reversed, as shown in drawing 0. This causes the lever arm (3) to reverse its course, with this reversed motion being maintained as rotation of the crank arm is continued as shown in drawing C. In this way, the rotary motion of the motor drives the lever arm (and hence the brush assembly) in an oscillatory manner.

The length of the crank throw, the connecting rod length, and the distance of the lever arm actuation point from its pivot may all be independently varied so as to achieve the desired wiping profile.

Suitable arrangements of the motor and crank mechanism in embodiments according to the invention are shown in figure 2. It will be appreciated that the arrangements shown in each of drawings A to 0 could be reversed, with the crank arm being sited at the other end of the mounting plates, and also the lever arm protruding above or below the mounting plate.

Drawing A shows a simple layout with the motor (4) at right angle to the mounting plate (5) . This type of design makes use of a long connecting rod (2) as the motor needs to be positioned at the side of the helmet. This design is more accommodating to large motors. One embodiment of this design is to fix the assembly to the chin bar of the crash helmet.

Drawing B shows a compact embodiment of this design with the use of bevel gears(S), allowing the motor gearbox to be mounted tangentially to the front of the visor, and the lever arm (3) being mounted in the centre of the mounting's length. The lever arm (3) carrying the brush assembly (7) is shown in the middle of its travel.

Drawing 0 shows an alternative embodiment with the addition of a second lever arm (8) situated in parallel to the main lever arm, linked by a link arm (9) . This provides a mounting for the brush assembly (7) . In operation the oscillating motion of the lever arms is modified to maintain the brush assembly in a vertical attitude.

Figure 3 shows a wiper apparatus according to the invention attached to a visor and helmet. The drawings of series A show the wiper apparatus (10) mounted and the brush arm (12) situated in the middle of its travel. The side view shows the spring element (13) extended, as the brush assembly (7) travels over the centre part of the visor, which being the highest part, relative to the arms travel.

The drawings of series B show the lever arm (3)at one end of its travel, the brush assembly (7) being kept in contact with the curvature of the visor (11) through the spring element as it contracts. This is repeated as the arm moves to the other side of the visor.

The spring element (13) is shown in more detail in figure 4. In drawing A, the brush assembly (7) is shown in it central position, with the spring element (13) extended, as the highest part of its track is encountered. The force of this spring element presses the brush assembly onto the visor (11) surface.

The brush (14) can accommodate for the visor surface having a vertical curved aspect. This allows the swept surface to be maintained.

Drawing B shows the brush assembly reaching the limit of its path, with the spring element contracted, maintaining the brush in contact with the curved visor (11) Figure 5 shows an exploded view of the component parts of one embodiment of the wiper apparatus according to the invention.

Control circuits for the 12 volt motor are shown in figure 6. In the circuit shown in drawing A, the circuit is a fused circuit with a single pole -on off momentary on -switch. This enables the system to be switched on, off and on for as long as the switch is held on.

An alternative circuit shown in drawing B has 2 switches -a simple on off switch and a push to make momentary switch.

In the alternative embodiment shown in drawing C, there is provided a rheostat control allowing for speed control, with a push to make over ride switch.

Cther electronic control methods are possible such as timed / intermittent operation.

Drawing D shows another suitable control layout, with a handlebar mounted enclosure (15) housing a SPDP momentary on, off, on switch(l6) powered via a fuse linked DIN plug (17) which is compatible with motorcycle power take offs or available as a separate socket. A power socket built in to the switch enclosure accommodating a flexible lead feeds the motor for the wiper mechanism.

Various mounting systems for use with a wiper apparatus according to the invention are shown in figure 7.

Drawing A shows a stainless steel 2 piece bracket that uses a spacing system with a screw arid nut system to apply pressure to the top 5 mm of the visor to hold the bracket in place. The bracket is secured to the shell structure of the mechanism by a single screw and nut. This allows the bracket to swivel slightly to accommodate the curved plane of the visor surface.

Conveniently, two such brackets may be employed to provide sufficient support.

Drawing B shows another type of mounting bracket, this made from sprung stainless steel, again allowing sufficient pressure to hold itself and the wiper apparatus in place.

Both types of mountings need to grip the top or bottom edge of a visor firmly, yet allow normal operation of the visor. An additional waterproof strip may be needed to supplement existing seals. The intrusion of the mount on to the interior of the visor must allow for any after-market fitments such as Pinlock visor inserts etc. J0 Drawing C shows a suitable mount for securing a wiper apparatus according to the invention to the chin piece of a helmet. In the embodiment shown, press studs are used to secure the assembly.

For secure mounting, two such mounts are used.

Claims

Claims 1. A wiper apparatus for use on a visor of a safety helmet, said wiper apparatus comprising a brush assembly and a motor for driving said brush assembly, the brush assembly being coupled to the motor by a crank mechanism, such that rotational motion of the motor causes the brush assembly to oscillate across the external surface of the visor.
2. A wiper apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the crank mechanism comprises a crank, an axle around which the crank can rotate, a connecting rod and a lever arm, the connecting rod being pivotably connected at one end to the crank and at the other end to a lever arm.
3. A wiper apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the crank comprises an arm.
4. A wiper apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the crank comprises a wheel.
5. A wiper apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the connecting rod is attached to the wheel by an axle which is offset from the centre of the wheel
6. A wiper apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the portion of the lever arm distal to that portion of the lever arm which is connected to the connecting rod forms, or is connected to, the brush assembly.
7. A wiper apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the brush assembly is pivotably connected to the distal portion of the lever arm.
8. A wiper apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the lever arm is pivotally connected to a linking arm, the distal end of which linking arm is pivotably connected to an additional arm which is pivotably mounted on the helmet or visor.
9. A wiper apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the additional arm and the lever arm are mounted in a parallel alignment on the helmet or visor, so that together with the linking arm they form a parallelogram linkage.
10. A wiper apparatus according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the brush assembly is connected to the linking arm.
11. A wiper assembly according to claim 10, wherein the brush assembly is mounted perpendicularly to the linking arm.
12. A wiper assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the brush assembly is resiliently biased against the surface of the visor.
13. A wiper assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the brush assembly comprises a brush arm which is pivotably connected to a brush element.
14. A wiper assembly according to claim 13 wherein the brush assembly is pivotably connected to the distal portion of the lever arm and the lever arm arid brush arm are connected by one or more springs.
15. A wiper apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the brush arm is provided with a series of mounting holes to which the connecting spring or springs can be attached.
16. A wiper apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the motor provides a torque of at least 0.01 Nm.
17. A wiper apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the motor is a 12 volt geared motor.
18. A wiper apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the motor is coupled via a bevel gear to the axle about which the crank rotates.
19. A wiper apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims which is attachable to the helmet or to the external surface of the visor.
20. A wiper apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the motor and/or crank mechanism are provided with a waterproof covering.
21. A visor having a wiper apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 20 attached thereto
22. A safety helmet comprising a visor according to claim 21.
23. A wiper apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the figures.
24. A visor substantially as described herein with reference to the figures.
25. A safety helmet substantially as described herein with reference to the figures.