Abstract:
An illuminated protective hard hat includes at least one work light and plurality of safety lights. The hat provides a hands-free illumination. The safety lights are set to flashing for higher visibility in dangerous work zones. This illuminated protective hard hat can be used by anyone working in a construction zone, such as flaggers or road workers. It can also be utilized by miners, utility personnel, or anyone else working in dimly lit or dark environments. The hat is worn like a standard hard hat but has a power switch connected to a power source to selectively turn on or turn of the safety lights and the work light.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 61/447,946, filed on Mar. 1, 2011, in the United States Patent &amp; Trademark Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to a protective hard hat and in particular to an illuminated protective hard hat having integrally molded one or more battery powered adjustable light sources. 
         [0004]    2. Background 
         [0005]    Individuals working at a roadside construction zone, especially at night, or working inside a tunnel, are at an increased risk of being hit by passing motorists. A conventional hard hat does not allow an individual to be visible in their work area. This is also true for miners and other individuals working in dimly lit conditions. Additionally, workers often need a light source when working in the dark. It can be difficult and inconvenient to hold a flash light or other type of light while working. 
         [0006]    Conventionally helmets, such as those worn by miners, have been equipped with lamps; these lamps are generally mounted upon the front of the helmet with the beam being directed only in forward direction limiting the safety of the wearer, thus there is a chance of being hit by passing motorists. Also in these types of helmets, holding the bulky lamp in the fixed position is difficult and time consuming. With other limitations, the lamp consumes more power and is more expensive in long run. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0007]    Numerous innovations for hard hats have been provided in the prior art as described below. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention. 
         [0008]    A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Document No. 5,810,467, issued on Sep. 22, 1998, to Hurwitz, teaches an illuminated protective hat comprising a protective hat shell having a power unit portion formed thereon and at least one electroluminescent lamp secured to the protective hat shell. The power unit portion being provided to supply power to the at least one electroluminescent lamp and further the power unit portion comprises contacts for connection to a recharging unit. 
         [0009]    A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Document No. 5,915,539, issued on Jun. 19, 1999, to Lack, teaches a hard hat, comprising a rigid shell having colored indicators on the hard hat to visually communicate to others that their safety is also being considered. Red, for example, is the basic color for marking dangerous locations and the presence of flammable fluids. On the other hand, yellow is the basic color for designating caution and the presence of striking, falling or tripping hazards. Finally, green is the basic color for designating a safe environment. When an employee selectively displays one of these colors with a hard hat constructed in accordance with the present invention, the employee indicates to others that a task may pose dangers for which appropriate precautions are required by all nearby observers. 
         [0010]    A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Document No. 3,749,902, issued on Jul. 31, 1973, to Drew et al, teaches a hard hat, comprising first white light sources disposed in a manner so that light is directed downwardly upon the user. A second flash light source may be operatively mounted on top of the hat and provided with a red lens for indicating “danger.” The light source on top of the hard hat may be supported by means of a tubular bolt member extending to a base portion of the light source through an aperture formed in an upper surface of the head gear. The conductors extending between that light source and the source of electromotive power may be extended through the cylindrical space defined by the tubular bolt. 
         [0011]    A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Document No. 6,461,015, issued on Oct. 8, 2002, to Welch, teaches a hard hat, comprising a flashing light source mounted to rotate or fixed to the top of the hat. The light provided shines out throughout a full 360 degree circle around the wearer to signal and warn people of the presence of the wearer or of danger. 
         [0012]    It is apparent now that numerous innovations for illuminated protective hard hat have been provided in the prior art that are adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. Thus a safer, more efficient hard hat option is needed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    The present invention of illuminated protective hard hat provides a hands-free illuminated hat having a position adjustable work light molded into the front of the hard hat. It also includes flashing safety lights for higher visibility in dangerous work zones. This illuminated protective hard hat can be used by anyone working in a construction zone, such as flaggers or road workers. It can also be utilized by miners, utility personnel, or anyone else working in dimly lit or dark environments. The hat has a hard shell made from molded plastic having plurality of integrally molded housings to mount a power source, the work light and the safety lights. The hat includes an adjustable nylon head liner and is worn like a standard hard hat but has a power switch connected to a power source to selectively turn on or turn of the safety lights and the work light. 
         [0014]    It is an object of the invention to provide an illuminated protective hard hat comprising a hard shell with plurality of integrally molded housings in the hard shell for securely mounting light sources in the housings. 
         [0015]    It is another object of the invention is to provide at least a position adjustable work light integrated into the integrally molded housing at front of the hat, wherein the housing has provisions to position the work light in desired angled position. 
         [0016]    It is still another object of the invention is to mount a safety light integrated with the work light in the housing at front of the hat. 
         [0017]    It is still further another object of the invention is to provide at least one flashing safety light integrated into the integrally molded housings at left and right sides of the hat. 
         [0018]    It is still yet another object of the invention is to provide at least one power source integrated into the integrally molded housing in the hard shell of the hat. 
         [0019]    It is still another object of the invention is to provide a power switch connected to the power source to selectively turn on or turn off the work light and the safety lights. 
         [0020]    It is still further another object of the invention is to use very low heat emitting and energy efficient light sources such as light emitting diode (LED) as work light and safety lights. 
         [0021]    It is still yet another object of the invention is to provide integrally molded wiring channels on the hat to connect the light sources with the power source while minimizing the exposure of the wiring and connection to environment or moisture thereby increasing longevity of the wiring and the connection while improving the decorum of the protective hard hat. 
         [0022]    The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    The present invention, in accordance with one or more various embodiments, is described in detail with reference to the following figures. The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and merely depict typical or example embodiments of the invention. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader&#39;s understanding of the invention and shall not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of the invention. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration these drawings are not necessarily made to scale. 
           [0024]    Some of the figures included herein illustrate various embodiments of the invention from different viewing angles. Although the accompanying descriptive text may refer to such views as “top,” “bottom” or “side” views, such references are merely descriptive and do not imply or require that the invention be implemented or used in a particular spatial orientation unless explicitly stated otherwise. 
           [0025]    The figures of the drawings are briefly described as follows: 
           [0026]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view showing the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 2  is a side perspective view of the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 3   a  is a top sectional view of the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 3   b  is side sectional view of the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 4  is block diagram showing connectivity between the power source and lights and electrical arrangement of the present invention; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 5  is a circuit diagram of electrical connections of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS UTILIZED IN THE DRAWINGS 
       [0000]    
       
           100  illuminated protective hard hat 
           102  hard shell
         103  brim of the hat  100     
     
           104  front housing 
           105  slopped top wall of the front housing  104   
           106  right side housing 
           108  left side housing 
           110  work light mounted in the front housing  104   
           112  safety light mounted in the right side housing  106   
           114  safety light mounted in the left side housing a side sectional view of the hat  100   
           116  safety light mounted in the front housing  104   
           118  guide ways for adjustable head liner 
           120  integrally molded wiring channel connecting the front housing  104   
           122  integrally molded wiring channel connecting the channel 
           120  and right side housing  106   
           124  integrally molded wiring channel connecting the channel 
           120  and left side housing  108   
           126  power switch on the front housing  104   
           128  power source mounted in the front housing  104   
           130  light controller unit connected to the power switch  126   
           132  light sensor 
           134  blink chip 
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0054]    Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the views,  FIG. 1  illustrates top perspective view of an illuminated protective hard hat  100  having a hard shell  102  made from molded plastic, wherein the hard shell  102  has a front, left side, right side, back and a top portion. The hard shell  102  further comprises plurality of integrally molded housings ( 104 ,  106 , and  108 ) to securely mount safety/emergency light sources ( 110 ,  112 , and  114 ) within the housings ( 104 ,  106 , and  108 ). The light sources used in the present invention are LEDs (light emitting diodes). LED consumes less power while having high intensity and emits very less heat while being light weight and less bulky, thus is best suitable for illuminating the protective hard hat  100 . The hat  100  also has a brim portion  103  at the front side in order to provide additional protection to the user, the brim  103  can be designed suitably so as not to act as a hindrance in the path of the work light  110 . The brim  103  provides bottom wall support for the integrally molded front housing  104 . 
         [0055]    Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 1 , an adjustable work light  110  integrated into a front housing  104 , wherein the front housing  104  is integrally molded in the front part of the hat  100  and has provisions to position the work light  110  in desired angled position to focus on the work area. The work light  110  is a continuously glowing white LED. Plurality of bright or high luminescent white LEDs may be used as the work light, so as to sufficiently illuminate the work area. 
         [0056]    At least one safety light  114  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) is integrated into left side housing  108 , wherein the housing  108  is integrally molded at left side of the hat  100  and at least one safety light  112  is integrated into right side housing  106 , wherein the housing  106  is integrally molded at the right side of the hat  100 . The safety/emergency lights are flashing red LEDs. The flashing light blinks at a regular time interval e.g. every 0.5-2 seconds so as to provide alert signals for higher visibility in dangerous work zones. However continuous glowing safety lights with several other color LEDs can be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. 
         [0057]    The hard hat  100  further comprises integrally molded guide ways  118  for securing an adjustable nylon head liner. The head liner is provided with provisions at both ends for adjusting the length of the liner as per the need of the user. 
         [0058]    Furthermore, a plurality of integrally molded wiring channels ( 120 ,  122 , and  124 ) running on the top of the hat  100  so as to provide a closed channel for wiring and establishing connection between the power source with the work light  110  and the safety lights ( 112 ,  114 , and  116 ). The integrally molded wiring channel  120  connects the front housing  104  and the other integrally molded wiring channels  122  and  124 . The integrally molded wiring channels  122  connects the channel  120  and right side housing  106  and the integrally molded wiring channel  124  connects the channel  120  and left side housing  108 . The wiring inside the channels ( 120 ,  122 , and  124 ) is intended to prevent the wiring and the connections from moisture or other climatic conditions while beautifying the hat  100 . 
         [0059]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the top wall  105  of the front housing  104  is slopped in a downward direction, so as to minimize the impact force on the user when debris or other hazardous objects collides the top wall  105  of the front housing  104 . Moreover, the top wall of the side housings ( 106  and  108 ) can also be slopped to minimize impact force of the colliding objects. The slopped top wall also helps in reducing water or dust retaining on the top surface. 
         [0060]    As shown in  FIG. 3   a  (a top sectional view of the hat  100 ): another safety/emergency light  116  is integrated with the work light  110  in the front housing  104 . The safety light  116  is a flashing red LED. The safety/emergency light  116  having low intensity in comparison to the intensity of the work light  110  and the flashing frequency is controlled so as to minimize interference with the continuous glowing work light  110 . The flashing light blinks at a regular time interval e.g. every 0.5-2 seconds so as to provide alert signals for higher visibility in dangerous work zones. However, continuous glowing safety lights with several other color LEDs can be used without departing from the scope of the invention. 
         [0061]    Furthermore, one power source  128  (as shown in  FIG. 3   a ) is integrated into the front housing  104 . The power source  128  is a 4.5 DC volt rechargeable battery; however other type and rated power sources can be used so as to illuminate the light sources ( 110 ,  112 ,  114  and  116 ). The front housing  104  further comprises a power switch  126  which is connected to the power source  128  to selectively turn on or turn off the work light  110  and the safety/emergency lights ( 112 ,  114 , and  116 ). The power switch  126  is a multi state toggle switch, wherein pressing the switch  126  for a first depression turns on the work light  110 , a second depression of the switch  126  turns off the work light  110  and activates the safety lights, a third depression of the switch  126  turns on both the work light  110  and the safety lights ( 112 ,  114 , and  116 ) and a fourth depression of the power switch  126  turns off both the work light  110  and the safety lights ( 112 ,  114 , and  116 ). In another example, the toggle switch  126  runs on plurality of modes such as, 
         [0000]    in mode 1 : safety lights ( 112 ,  114 , and  116 ) blink,
 
in mode 2 : work light  110  is turned on,
 
in mode 3 : work light  110  is on and safety lights ( 112 ,  114 , and  116 ) blink, and
 
in mode 4  both work light  110  and safety lights ( 112 ,  114 , and  116 ) are turned off.
 
         [0062]    However other modification and combinations to control the safety lights and the work light can be practiced without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. 
         [0063]    As shown in  FIG. 3   b  (a side sectional view of the hat  100 ), the arrangement of the power source  128 , power switch  126 , a light controller unit  130  and the work light  110  in the front housing  104  is shown. 
         [0064]      FIG. 4  illustrates a block diagram of the connection between the power source  128  and the light sources ( 110 ,  112 ,  114  and  116 ) via the light controller unit  130 . The light controller unit  130  comprises a light sensor  132 , a blink chip  134  and a power switch  126 . The light sensor senses the safety lights ( 112 ,  114 , and  116 ) signal and activate the blink chip to flash the safety lights ( 112 ,  114 , and  116 ) at a regular time interval. 
         [0065]      FIG. 5  illustrates a circuit diagram of the blink chip  134 . The blink chip  134  used in the present invention is a  555  timer circuit. The  555  timer chip is connected to resistors R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7  (each is from 160-200 ohms), capacitors C 1  (0.01 uF), C 2  (1 to 2.2 uF), safety/emergency lights LED 1 , LED 2 , LED 3 , AND work lights (LED 4 +LED 5 ) and toggle switch  — 4P2. 
         [0066]    Other such timing circuits can also be efficiently used to control the lights of the hard hat  100  without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. 
         [0067]    The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.