Abstract:
A safety helmet which is worn by bicyclers and the like includes a compact disc player and earphones. Audio played by the compact disc player can be heard by a person wearing the helmet for entertainment. The entertainment offered by the helmet will encourage people to wear the helmet thus encouraging safety.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to the general art of wearing apparel, and to the particular field of protective wearing apparel and more specifically, to the field of headgear.  
           [0003]    2. Discussion of the Related Art  
           [0004]    More and more people are using bicycles, skateboards, skates, motorcycles, ATVs, rollerblades, and the like. More and more people are also riding horses and even jogging. The popularity of these modes of transportation is nearly unprecedented. However, as is well documented, the risk of injury associated with these modes of transportation is very high. The risk of head injuries associated with these modes of transportation is especially alarming.  
           [0005]    Therefore, nearly every safety rule requires some form of head protection. Many riders of these vehicles are reluctant to wear helmets for various reasons. None of the reasons are entirely valid, but people avoid wearing safety helmets nonetheless.  
           [0006]    Therefore, there is a need for a helmet that encourages a person to wear the helmet when necessary.  
           [0007]    Some protective helmets are quite restrictive in the uses that can be made of the helmet. This limits the ability of a wearer to adjust the helmet to meet his needs or desires. If a wearer can adjust a helmet to meet his or her special needs, that person is more likely to wear the helmet than if the helmet is not adaptable to the wearer&#39;s desires.  
           [0008]    Therefore, there is a need for a helmet that permits a wearer to control the environment associated with the helmet while the helmet is being worn.  
         PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    It is a main object of the present invention to provide a helmet that encourages a person to wear the helmet.  
           [0010]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a helmet that provides entertainment to a wearer while the helmet is worn.  
           [0011]    It is a specific object of the present invention to provide a helmet that provides music to the wearer while the helmet is being worn.  
           [0012]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a helmet that provides entertainment to a wearer while the helmet is worn and which permits the wearer to control the playing of the entertainment.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    These, and other, objects are achieved by a helmet which comprises: a liner unit having earphones embedded therein; a strap connected to the liner unit; an outer shell unit that covers the liner unit when worn by a wearer; a compact disc player mounted on the outer shell unit; a remote control unit electrically connected to the compact disc player; and a strap unit connected to the liner unit. A digital chip audio player can also be mounted on the outer shell. Control buttons are located on an access door of the compact disc player as well as on the remote control unit for controlling operation of the compact disc player. The liner unit is generally formed of soft material that will be comfortable to the wearer and the outer shell is formed of impact-absorbing hard plastic type material that is common to helmets such as motorcycle helmets as well as helmets worn by bicyclers and skaters and skateboarders and the like. The strap unit includes a size adjusting mechanism.  
           [0014]    The helmet of the present invention not only protects the wearer, it encourages people to wear the helmet. The entertainment provided by the compact disc player of the helmet will encourage the wearer to wear the helmet thereby providing the benefits of wearing protective head gear.  
           [0015]    Many people enjoy listening to music, books on tape or compact disc, and the like when exercising. At the present time, these people generally carry a playback unit on their person in a pouch, or on a belt or simply in their hand. This is inconvenient and may be cumbersome. The helmet embodying the present invention permits this audio playback unit to be located in a position that is out of the way, and is easily balanced. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a helmet embodying the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a detail view of a portion of the helmet shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is a side elevational, partially cross-sectional view of a helmet embodying the present invention in place on a wearer.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a schematic, rear elevational view of a helmet embodying the present invention in place on a wearer. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.  
         [0021]    Referring to the figures, it can be understood that the present invention is embodied in a helmet  10  which is to be worn to protect a user&#39;s head during activities such as bicycling, skating, skateboarding, and the like. Helmet  10  comprises a liner unit  12  which includes a head-covering section  14 , partially shown in FIG. 2, having a front portion  16 , a rear portion  18  and side portions, such as side portion  20 , connecting the front portion  16  to the rear portion  18 . As indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front portion  16  of the head-covering section  14  is located adjacent to the face of a wearer when the wearer is wearing liner unit  12 , the rear portion  18  of the head-covering section  14  is located adjacent to the back of the wearer&#39;s head when the wearer is wearing the liner unit  12  and the side portions  20  of the head-covering section  14  are located adjacent to the sides of the wearer&#39;s head when the wearer is wearing the head-covering section  14 . The liner unit  12  can fit as snugly on the wearer as desired and can absorb sound as well as dampness and the like as is the case with helmet liners.  
         [0022]    Liner unit  14  further includes a rim  22  which includes a rim face portion  24  which is located adjacent to the face of the wearer when the wearer is wearing the liner unit  12 , a rim rear portion  28  which is located adjacent to the back of the wearer&#39;s head when the wearer is wearing the liner unit  12 , a first ear E 1  covering portion  30  which covers one ear of the wearer when the wearer is wearing the liner unit  12 , a second ear covering portion  32  which covers a second ear E 2  of the wearer when the wearer is wearing the liner unit  12 . The ear covering portions  30 ,  32  help to seal out noise. A first earphone  34  is embedded in the liner unit  12  in the first ear covering portion  30  of the liner unit  12  and a second earphone  36  is embedded in the liner unit  12  in the second ear covering portion  32  of the liner unit  12 . A first electrical wire  40  is electrically connected to the first earphone  34 , and a second electrical wire  42  is electrically connected to the second earphone  36 . The purpose of these electrical wires  40 ,  42  will be understood from the teaching of this disclosure. Liner unit  12  further includes an inside surface  44  which is located adjacent to the head of the wearer when the liner unit  12  is worn by the wearer and an outside surface  46 .  
         [0023]    Helmet  10  further includes a strap unit  50  for attaching the helmet  10  to the wearer. Strap unit  50  includes a first end  52  fixed to the rim face portion  24  adjacent to one side portion of the liner unit  12 , a second end  54  fixed to the rim face portion  24  adjacent to a second side portion of the liner unit  12 , and a size adjusting mechanism  56  on the strap unit  50 . The size adjusting mechanism  56  shown in FIG. 1 includes a loop  58  as well as hook-and-loop fastening elements  60 .  
         [0024]    Helmet  10  further includes an outer shell unit  70  which includes an outer shell head-covering section  72  having a front portion  74 , a rear portion  76  and side portions  78  and  80  connecting the front portion  74  of the outer shell head-covering portion  72  to the rear portion  76  of the outer shell head-covering section  72 . The front portion  74  of the outer shell head-covering section  72  is located adjacent to the face of the wearer when the wearer is wearing the outer shell unit  70 , the rear portion  76  of the outer shell head-covering unit  72  is located adjacent to the back of the wearer&#39;s head when the wearer is wearing the outer shell unit  70  and the side portions  78 ,  80  of the outer shell head-covering section  72  being located adjacent to the sides of the wearer&#39;s head when the wearer is wearing the outer shell head-covering section  72 .  
         [0025]    The outer shell unit  70  further includes an outer shell rim  82 , which includes an outer shell rim face portion  84  which is located adjacent to the wearer&#39;s face when the outer shell unit  70  is worn by the wearer, an outer shell rim rear portion  86  which is located adjacent to the back of the wearer&#39;s head when the outer shell unit  70  is worn by the wearer. The outer shell unit  70  can also include decorations, such as decoration D or the like, on the outside surface thereof. Decoration D can be a decal or the like.  
         [0026]    Outer shell unit  70  also includes a first outer shell ear portion  90  located adjacent to a first ear of the wearer when the outer shell unit  70  is worn and a second outer shell ear portion  92  located adjacent to second ear E 2  of the wearer when the outer shell unit  70  is worn. An inside surface  94  of the outer shell unit  70  is located adjacent to the wearer&#39;s head or adjacent to the outside surface of the liner unit  12  when the outer shell unit  70  is worn. Outer shell unit  70  further includes an outer surface  96 .  
         [0027]    Helmet  10  includes a compact disc player  100  and/or a digital player  101  located on the outer surface  96  of the outer shell unit  70 . Compact disc player  100  is positioned near the rear portion of the head covering section  72  of the outer shell unit  70  and includes a housing  102  having one portion  104  thereof positioned near the rear rim portion of the outer shell unit  70 . Compact disc player  100  further includes an access cover  106  pivotally mounted on the housing  102  of the compact disc player  100  to open and close the compact disc player  100 . A transparent window  108  is located in the access cover  106 . A plurality of control buttons are located on the access cover  106  and include a “stop” button  110 , a “play” button  112 , and a “pause” button  114 , Other control buttons, such as “search”, “seek”, and the like can be included without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The compact disc player  100  can be a mini-disc player, a micro-disc player, or play standard size discs, including in MP3 format. Similarly, the digital player  101  includes a pivotally mounted access cover  111 .  
         [0028]    The first and second electrical wires  40 ,  42  of the liner unit  12  are electrically connected to the compact disc player  100  so audio from the compact disc player  100  is played through the earphones  34 ,  36  in the manner known to those skilled in the art. A battery pack  116  is located in the housing  102  of the compact disc player  100 .  
         [0029]    A volume control knob  120  is mounted on the outer surface of the head-covering section  72  of the outer shell unit  70  near the front portion  74  of the head covering section  72  of the outer shell unit  70 . The volume control knob  120  is electrically connected to the compact disc player  100  in a manner known to those skilled in the art.  
         [0030]    A remote control unit  130  includes a handle section  132  which has a “play” button  134 , a “stop” button  136 , and a “pause” button  138 . The control buttons on the remote control unit  130  control the operation of the compact disc player  100  in the manner known to those skilled in the art. An electrical wire  140  electrically connects the handle section  132  and the control buttons thereon of the remote control unit  130  to the compact disc player  100 . Handle  130  includes a fastener, such as hook-and-loop fastener  142 , which mates with hook-and-loop fastener elements  60  to store the handle  132  when desired.  
         [0031]    Helmet  10  further includes a digital chip audio player  150  mounted on the outer surface of the head covering section  72  of the outer shell unit  70  adjacent to the compact disc player  100 . The digital audio chip player  150  can be connected to the earphones  34 ,  36  via the compact disc player  100 . It is also noted that an MP3 player or the like can be used if desired.  
         [0032]    It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.