Open type protection helmet provided with interphone equipment

Abstract: An open-type protection helmet provided with interphone (10) to be used by car drivers, motorcycle drivers, sportsmen in general and workers, with an extension (12) of a side part (11) of the helmet aimed at housing, supporting and locating the microphone (13) of the interphone equipment in front of the user mouth as well as a jackplug (17), the interphone equipment being integrated in the helmet structure itself.

Description: The present invention relates to an open type protection helmet provided with an interphone equipment. Protection helmets in general, provided with interphone equipment are used in all those sporting, leisure or working activities in which communication is required between two people wearing a helmet. An helmet for aviators motorists and the like, carrying receivers and transmitters is known for example from the British patent No. 336,286. A radio equipped protective helmet for motorcyclist football players, etc. is known from US 4,130,803. CH 656997 discloses a speech device for installation in a crash helmet for vehicle users, in particular motorcyclists. The use of helmets provided with interphone equipment is at most necessary in the field of motor racing, named "rally", in which the pilot and the navigator have to communicate steadily while wearing the helmet inside a particularly noisy cockpit. Helmets provided with audio devices are used in circuit motor racing as well, in order to allow radiocommunication between the pilot and the pits. Analogous needs are also to be found in the practice of other sports, such as motor-boating, sailflying, off-roading, etc. In the everyday or leisure use of motorcycle, it may as well be necessary that the driver and the passenger do communicate with each other. Nowadays, when a so-called "jet", i.e. an open type, protection helmet must be provided with an interphone equipment, a helmet is used upon which earphones and the microphone bearing arm are mounted. Usually such arm is made of metallic material. The jackplug for the connection with the interphone control unit, and hence with the other user's helmet, is usually fastened to an electric cable portion hanging from the protection helmet. The drawbacks exhibited by this solution are generally two. A first drawback is determined by the presence of the microphone bearing arm. This, being articulated and screwed, tends to loosen and move, thus moving the microphone away from its optimal position, compromising the communication capability. This implies that the result of the sport competition, for which plenty of human and economic resources have been invested might be compromised, as well as the communicating capability in fields other than sport. A second drawback is that the cable portion, having the jackplug connected together with the interphone equipment, gets entangled and is difficult to be found. As an example, (taking into consideration the "rally" competitions), such cable may slip behind the backs of the driver and navigator, who, after having fastened the safety belts which tie them up to the seats, are forced to true contortionisms in order to pick up the jackplug to be connected to the interphone device. A basic aim of the present invention is to make the use of a jet open protection helmets and provided with an interphone device as practical as possible. To such aim, according to the present invention, a jet (open) protection helmet according to claim 1 has been realised, which is capable of solving the technical problems and drawbacks of the prior art. The features and advantages of an open protection helmet, according to the invention, will be better clear from the following description referred to the schematic drawings attached hereto, in which: figure 1 shows a perspective front view of a protection helmet according to the invention; figure 2 shows a perspective view of the helmet of figure 1 in a side area of the same. According to the figures an open type protection helmet provided with interphone to be used by car drivers, motorcycle drivers, sportsmen in general and workers, foresees a structure and a design purposely devised in order to integrate the elements which cause the aforementioned drawbacks, i.e. the microphone bearing arm and the jackplug. A protection helmet according to the present invention, referred to with 10, comprises a side part 11 of the helmet extending in an prolongation or extension 12 in front of the user mouth (that is to say, the person wearing it) (not shown). In this way a structure is determined, which is integral to the helmet and is realised with the same material as helmet 10, anyway a non-ferrous material, and is fixed, mobile or adjustable, with the task of housing, supporting and locating in front of the user mouth a microphone 13 of the via cable or radio interphone equipment. Said extension 12 also houses connection cables 14 with earphones 15 which are usually to be found inside the helmet 10. In this way, the robustness of the extension or support 12 and the ideal, steady location of the microphone 13 are guaranteed, in view of the inability thereof to move. Moreover, according to the invention, on the side part of helmet 10, a special shaped housing 16 has been provided integral with the helmet structure, which houses a jackplug 17, for the connection with the intephone equipment (not shown). This allows the user to know always precisely the positioning of the jackplug 17 without any hanging wire portion which can easily get entangled. In this way, the problems related to the prior art are solved.

Claims: A jet- or open-type helmet protection (10) comprising a body in which a microphone (13) and earphones (15) are present, wherein the helmet (10) has an extension (12) at one side part (11) thereof, made of the same material as the helmet itself, however non-ferrous, with the task of housing, supporting and positioning the microphone (13) of the via cable or radio interphone device characterised in that the extension (12) extends up to in front of the mouth of a user wearing it, determining a structure, integral with the helmet, and positions the interphone in front of the user's mouth. A protection helmet according to claim 1, characterised in that it has a shaped housing (16) on the side part of the helmet structure (10), integral with the helmet itself, adapted for housing fixedly a jackplug (17) for the connection with an interphone equipment.

Inventors: FASSITELLI LUDOVICO, FASSITELLI, LUDOVICO
Applicants: FASSITELLI LUDOVICO, FASSITELLI, LUDOVICO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A42B3
IPC codes: A42B3