Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A42—HEADWEAR
  • A42B—HATS; HEAD COVERINGS
  • A42B3/00—Helmets; Helmet covers ; Other protective head coverings
  • A42B3/04—Parts, details or accessories of helmets
  • A42B3/0406—Accessories for helmets
  • A42B3/042—Optical devices
  • A42B3/0426—Rear view devices or the like

Definitions

• the invention relates to an article of headwear.
• Articles of headwear are known in the form of motorcycle helmets allowing the wearer to see backwards.
• these helmets incorporate individual convex lenses and flat mirrors to direct light through air.
• the lenses and mirrors being arranged often approximately radically to a wearer's head may cause damage on impact to the helmet by presenting a low surface area of applied load to the head.
• an article of headwear including path means defining a non-straight light path to the wearer's eyes, the article not obscuring the majority of the normal field of vision for the wearer, the path means defining the light path being at least 75% continuous.
• the path means is at least 90% continuous, most preferably entirely continuous.
• an article of headwear including path means defining a non-straight path to the wearer's eyes, the article not obscuring the majority of the normal field of vision for the wearer, the path means comprising at least one transparent block.
• the path means comprises a single transparent block.
• the article of headwear does not include potentially dangerous radially arranged optical elements.
• an article of headwear including a path means defining a non-straight path to the wearer's eyes the path means including a continuous body arranged to alter the direction of light passing through it, the inner surface of the body being shaped to follow the approximate contour of at least part of a wearer's head.
• the continuous body is the entire path means.
• the or each block or the body may be made from any suitable material.
• the material has substantial toughness and the material may be polycarbonate.
• the article of headwear may be a protective helmet such as a motor cycle helmet.
• the path means may be provided inside or outside a shell of the helmet but preferably lies inside the shell.
• the article of headwear may enable viewing at any desired angle via the non-straight path defined by the path means.
• the path means may enable seeing vertically or to either side and indeed the article of headwear may include a plurality of path means if desired.
• the article of headwear may enable seeing behind the wearer. This may be particularly useful for drivers especially motor cyclists. At present, motor cyclists commonly either look over their shoulder or in handlebar mounted mirrors. Looking over your shoulder means that you are not looking ahead for a significant period of time, while a handlebar mounted mirror often gives a very poor image because of vibration.
• a display for a pilot for example, in the form of a head up display (HUD) which is deflected to appear in the line of sight.
• HUD head up display
• Such a display is normally very close to the pilots eyes so that he must constantly change his focus from long distance to look out for other aeroplanes etc. to short distance to see the display. The constant extreme changes of focus can cause eye strain.
• an article of headwear including path means defining a non-straight path to the wearer's eye, the path means enabling seeing a display spaced from the wearer's eyes.
• the display is not immediately in front of the wearer's eyes the focal length is increased and eye strain consequently reduced.
• the display may be provided outside the normal field of view of the wearer. In one preferred embodiment the display is provided towards the back of the wearer's head and in a further embodiment the display may be provided rearwards of the back of the wearer's head. In this way the focal distance is further increased to a more comfortable and normal length.
• the article may be arranged in that the display is all or nearly all that the wearer can see, preferably though, the article does not obscure the majority of the normal field of vision for the wearer.
• the path means may be at least 75% continuous, preferably at least 90% continuous and may be entirely continuous.
• the path means may comprise at least one transparent block, which may be made from polycarbonate.
• the inner surface of the path means may be sloped to follow the approximate contour of at least part of a wearer's head.
• the path means may be inside a protective shell of the article.
• Fig. 1 is a side elevation in cross section of a helmet in a first embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a side elevation in cross section of a helmet in a second embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 1 shows a helmet 10 for example, for a motor cyclist.
• the helmet 10 is of the full face type including a visor 12.
• the helmet includes inner padding 14 around the wearer's head and an outer hard protective shell 16.
• At the top of the helmet a continuous solid block 18 of transparent optical material such as polycarbonate is provided between the inner padding 14 and the outer shell 16.
• the outer shell 16 is stepped at the top rear of the helmet 10 to leave a slot 20 at the near face of the block 18.
• the block 18 has a smooth lower surface 22 which substantially follows the contour of the top of the wearer's head H.
• the lower surface 22 of the block 18 extends downwardly at the front into the upper field of view of the wearer.
• the upper surface 24 of the block 18 consists of four planar surfaces 24a, b, c, d at shallow angles to one another.
• the forwardmost surface 24d tapers the block 18 to meet the lower surface 22.
• the rearmost surface 26 of the block 18 is convex.
• the wearer's normal field of forward view is substantially unobscured.
• the wearer looks up however, they will see an image of the view backwards through the slot 20.
• the light passing through the slot 20 is internally reflected from one or more of the upper surfaces 24a, b, c of the block 18 and is finally internally neglected by the forward upper surface 24d through the forward lower surface 22 to the eyes of the wearer.
• the image received by the wearer is clear because the reflecting surfaces are fixed in relation to the wearer's head/eyes.
• the helmet will act in the usual way because there is still internal padding and an outer shell in direct connection through the large area of the shallow block 18 which covers most of the top of the wearer's head H and has a smooth contoured underside.
• Fig. 2 shows a helmet which is similar to that of Fig.
• the helmet 10 of Fig. 2 is a half-face helmet and includes the same block 18 as the helmet of Fig. 1. However, the slot 20 is blocked by a display 28.
• the helmet may be used by pilots for example where the display may give flight information. Because the display is at a significant distance from the pilots eyes, eye strain is reduced.
• the display may be, for example, an LCD display, back-lit, or any other suitable display.
• the helmet 10 could be made without the shell 16 or substantial padding 14 as essentially a mounting for the optical block 18 to keep it in place on the wearer's head.

Landscapes

• Helmets And Other Head Coverings (AREA)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging Apparatus (AREA)
• Magnetic Heads (AREA)
• Pressure Welding/Diffusion-Bonding (AREA)
• Control And Other Processes For Unpacking Of Materials (AREA)
• Battery Mounting, Suspending (AREA)
• Transition And Organic Metals Composition Catalysts For Addition Polymerization (AREA)
• Finger-Pressure Massage (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10733140

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (3)

Citations (6)

• 1993
  • 1993-04-01 GB GB939306798A patent/GB9306798D0/en active Pending
• 1994
  • 1994-03-11 ES ES94909191T patent/ES2124877T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-03-11 EP EP94909191A patent/EP0643563B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-03-11 DE DE69414670T patent/DE69414670D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-03-11 WO PCT/GB1994/000485 patent/WO1994022336A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1994-03-11 AU AU62124/94A patent/AU6212494A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1994-03-11 AT AT94909191T patent/ATE173382T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (6)

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