Abstract:
To provide a device capable of firmly mounting a radio communication unit to a helmet in a simple manner without impairing the beauty and handleability of the helmet when the radio communication unit is detached from the helmet. The device for mounting a radio communication unit to a helmet includes a pair of couplers having a chucking function and a pair of magnetic connectors having a magnetically chucking function. The pair of magnetic connectors are provided with electrical contacts adapted to turn conductive when in a chucked condition. Furthermore, one of the pair of couplers and one of the pair of magnetic connectors is disposed on an outer surface of the helmet, while the other of the pair of couplers and the other of the pair of magnetic connectors is disposed on a main surface of the radio communication unit.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a device for mounting a communication unit to a helmet. In particular, the present invention is directed to a device which is capable of mounting a communication unit to a helmet firmly in a simple manner without impairing the beauty and handleability of the helmet.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Background Art  
           [0004]    A technique of equipping a helmet of each passenger with a speaker and a microphone (hereinafter both may be referred to generically as “head set”) and mounting a radio communication unit having a transmitting and receiving function to the helmet removably has been disclosed in, for example, in a microfilm of Japanese Utility Model Laid Open No. 155535/1987. In the above document, conversation between passengers on a saddle type vehicle such as a two-wheeled motor vehicle or between a passenger on one saddle type vehicle with another passenger on another like vehicle is possible In the above technique, it has been proposed to use Magic Tapes® as a method for mounting a radio communication unit to a helmet.  
           [0005]    With regard to mounting a radio communication unit to a helmet, there also has been proposed, other than the use of the Magic Tape® just referred to above, a method wherein a pair of detachable metallic mounting pieces are attached to the helmet and the communication unit, respectively, (e.g., HELMET COM MR-403 of MOTO FIZZ brand manufactured (1997) by TANAX CORPORATION).  
           [0006]    In the above fixing method using Magic Tape® the tape becomes exposed to the outer surface of the helmet when the communication unit is not mounted to the helmet. This decreases the beauty of the helmet. Furthermore, with Magic Tape®, it is impossible to ensure an electrical connection between the helmet and the communication unit. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a separated electrical connecting mechanism.  
           [0007]    In the foregoing fixing method using metallic mounting pieces, the metallic pieces have projections, or exposed concave and convex surfaces are present on the outer surface of the helmet when the communication unit is not attached to the helmet. Accordingly, in addition to the beauty of the helmet being impaired, handling of the helmet must be done with care, since the metallic pieces may be caught in surrounding articles while carrying the helmet. Furthermore, even if metallic mounting pieces are used, it has still been necessary to separately provide a device for electric connection between the head set and the communication unit.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems of the background art and provide a device capable of mounting a communication unit to a helmet firmly in a simple manner without impairing the beauty and handleability of the helmet even when the communication unit is not mounted to the helmet.  
           [0009]    According to the present invention, for achieving the above-mentioned object, there is provided a device for mounting a communication unit to a helmet, including a pair of magnetic couplers having a magnetically chucking function and a pair of magnetic connectors having a magnetically chucking function and provided with electrical contacts adapted to turn conductive in a chucking condition. One of the magnetic couplers and one of the magnetic connectors is disposed on the helmet side, and the other of the magnetic couplers and the other of the magnetic connectors is disposed on the main surface of the communication unit.  
           [0010]    With this configuration, Magic Tape® or projections of metallic mounting pieces, which impair the beauty of the helmet, are not exposed to the helmet surface even when the communication unit is not attached to the helmet. Accordingly, the beauty of the helmet is not spoiled and it becomes easier to handle the helmet while carrying it.  
           [0011]    Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a communication method using a vehicular radio communication system to which the present invention is applied;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a side view of the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a rear view of a helmet with a radio communication unit detached therefrom;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a plan view of a helmet-side main surface of a radio communication unit according to the present invention; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a side view of the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]    The present invention will be described in detail hereinunder with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a communication method based on a vehicular radio communication system to which the present invention is applied. Reference will be made below to an example in which communication is made among three passengers riding separately on two vehicles  1  and  2 .  
         [0019]    A helmet  70  which each passenger wears is equipped with a microphone  71 , a loudspeaker  72 , and a radio communication unit  73 . The radio communication unit  73  is attached to the rear central part of the helmet  70  through a detachable fixing member. Vehicle body-side units  74  and  75  are respectively mounted on the vehicles  1  and  2  for radio communication with the radio communication units  73 .  
         [0020]    With such a configuration, for communication between passengers on vehicle  1 , i.e., between a rider and a fellow passenger, a voice of the rider, for example, is detected by a microphone  71   a  and is converted to an audio signal. The signal is then transferred to a radio communication unit  73   a.  The radio communication unit  73   a  of the rider communicates with a radio communication unit  73   b  of the fellow passenger directly or indirectly through the vehicle body-side unit  74  mounted on the vehicle concerned.  
         [0021]    For communication between a passenger on the vehicle  1  and a passenger on the vehicle  2 , a radio wave emitted from the radio communication unit  73   a  of the rider on the vehicle  1  for example is received by the vehicle body-side unit  74  on the vehicle  1 , in which it is amplified and then transmitted again. The radio wave thus transmitted from the vehicle body-side unit  74  is received by the radio communication unit, or a radio transmitter/receiver,  73   b  of the follow passenger and is also received by a radio communication unit  73   c  of the rider on the vehicle  2 , then is reproduced by the loudspeaker  72   c.    
         [0022]    A radio wave emitted from the radio communication unit  73  of the rider on the vehicle  2  is received by the vehicle body-side unit  75  on the vehicle  2 , in which it is amplified and then transmitted again. The radio wave thus transmitted from the vehicle body-side unit  75  is received by the radio communication units  73   a  and  73   b  of the rider and fellow passenger on the vehicle  1  and is reproduced by loudspeakers  72   a  and  72   b.    
         [0023]    The way of communication is not limited to the above. All communications between the vehicles  1  and  2  may be done through the vehicle body-side units  74  and  75 . In this case, a voice of the rider on the vehicle  2  is transferred to the rider (radio communication unit  73   a ) and fellow passenger (radio communication unit  73   b ) on the vehicle  1  via the radio communication unit  73  and the vehicle body-side units  75 ,  74 .  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 is a sectional side view showing a method for mounting the radio communication unit  73  to the helmet  70  in this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the helmet with the radio communication unit  73  detached therefrom. FIG. 4 is the plan view of the helmet-side main surface of the radio communication unit  73 .  
         [0025]    As shown in FIG. 3, an iron plate  10  as a magnetic plate and a magnetside socket  20  of a magnetic connector are fixed to lower positions of the rear side of the helmet  70  so as to be spaced a predetermined distance vertically. It is preferable that an exposed portion of the iron plate  10  be painted in the same color as the helmet  70 .  
         [0026]    As shown on a larger scale on the right-hand side of FIG. 3, an S-pole iron piece  21 S, an N-pole iron piece  21 N, and plural electrodes  23  exposed to the bottom of a recess  22  are provided on a connecting surface of the magnet-side socket  20 . The electrodes  23  of the magnet-side socket  20  are connected to the microphone  71  and loudspeaker  72  through lead wires  25  and  26 .  
         [0027]    As shown in FIG. 4, a magnet  12  which constitutes one pair of magnetic couplers together with the iron plate  10  and a magnetic material-side socket  30  which constitutes one pair of magnetic connectors together with the magnet-side socket  20  are fixed to the helmet-side main surface of the radio communication unit  73  so as to be spaced a predetermined distance vertically. As shown in FIG. 2, the magnet  12  is made up of a permanent magnet  122  and a magnet core  121  which covers side faces and the rear side of the permanent magnet  122 , so that all of its magnetic force acts on the iron plate  10  of the helmet.  
         [0028]    As shown on a larger scale in FIG. 4, an annular rib  31 , a magnetic plate  32  and electrodes  35  are provided on the connecting surface of the magnetic material-side socket  30 . The annular rib  31  is erected along an outer periphery of the magnetic material-side socket  30 . The magnetic plate  32  is fixed to a bottom of the magnetic material-side socket  30 . Furthermore, the electrodes  34  are exposed to upper surfaces of island-like portions  33  which are raised from the bottom of the magnetic material-side socket  30 .  
         [0029]    With such a configuration, when the radio communication unit  73  is to be mounted to the helmet  70 , the magnet-side socket  20  of the helmet  70  is fitted in the annular rib  31  of the magnetic material-side socket  30  in the radio communication unit  73  and then both sockets are established in their positions so as to be chucked and fixed mechanically by magnetism.  
         [0030]    At this time, a relative positional relation between the magnet-side socket  20  and the magnetic material-side socket  30 , particularly, an angle in a twist direction, is defined by the annular rib  31  of the socket  30 , so that both sockets can be held in a desired positional relation. As a result, the iron plate  10  of the helmet  70  and magnet  12  of the radio communication unit  73  is also held in a predetermined relation and therefore both are also coupled together magnetically.  
         [0031]    According to this embodiment, the helmet  70  and the radio communication unit  73  are fixed together magnetically and only the iron plate  10 , which is thin, small and flat, and the socket  20 , which is associated with high function, are exposed to the surface of the helmet  70  when the radio communication unit  73  is not mounted, without exposure of Magic Tape® or metallic mounting pieces. Therefore, the beauty of the helmet is not deteriorated and it becomes easier to handle the helmet while carrying it.  
         [0032]    According to this embodiment, moreover, since the helmet  70  and the radio communication unit  73  are magnetically coupled together at two places, it becomes possible to fix the radio communication unit  73  to the helmet  70  firmly in a simple manner. Furthermore, since the electrical connection between the helmet and the radio communication unit is ensured with highly reliable magnetic connectors, it becomes possible to effect a highly reliable connection.  
         [0033]    Although in the above embodiment the magnet  12  of a magnetic coupler is composed of the permanent magnet  122  and the magnet core  121 , there may be used a highly flexible plastic or resin magnet instead.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 2 is a sectional side view showing how to mount the radio communication unit  73  to the helmet  70  according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the same reference numerals as in the previous embodiment represent the same or equivalent portions.  
         [0035]    In this embodiment, instead of using a magnetic coupler comprising the iron plate  10  and the magnet  12 , a resin damper  40  is fixed to a helmet  70 , and at the beginning of the mounting work a pawl portion  41  of the resin damper  40  is inserted into a retaining hole  81  formed in the side face of a radio communication unit  73  and thereafter a magnet-side socket  20  and a magnetic material-side socket  30  are coupled together.  
         [0036]    In this embodiment, the resin damper  40  is exposed to the surface of the helmet  70  when the radio communication unit  73  is not attached to the helmet, and therefore care must be exercised to some extent in comparison with the first embodiment, but a coupler which spoils the beauty of the helmet, such as Magic Tape, is not exposed to the surface of the helmet, that is, the beauty of the helmet is not spoiled even when the radio communication unit  73  is not attached to the helmet. Further, since the resin clamper  40  can be colored easily, if it is painted with the same color as the helmet, the presence thereof can be made less conspicuous.  
         [0037]    Although in each of the above embodiments the present invention was applied to a radio communication system, no limitation is made thereto. Instead of the radio communication unit  73  there may be adopted a wire type communication unit and the invention may be applied to a communication system in which a wire communication unit attached to the helmet  70  and a vehicle body-side unit are wired with each other.  
         [0038]    According to the present invention there are attained the following effects.  
         [0039]    (1) Since Magic Tape or projections such as metallic mounting pieces are not exposed to the helmet surface even when the communication unit is not attached to the helmet, the beauty of the helmet is not spoiled and it becomes easier to handle the helmet when carrying it.  
         [0040]    (2) Since the helmet and the communication unit are coupled together magnetically at two places, the communication unit can be fixed to the helmet firmly in a simple manner.  
         [0041]    (3) Since the electrical connection between the helmet and the communication unit is ensured with magnetic connectors, it is possible to effect a highly reliable connection.  
         [0042]    The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.