Patent Publication Number: US-8973173-B2

Title: Environmental system for motorsports helmets

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/471,606, filed Apr. 4, 2011. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to protective headgear, and particularly to an environmental system for motorsports helmets that includes a forced air ventilation system, water supply, communications radio, and a backpack containing most of the functional elements, which communicate with the helmet. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The importance and value of protective helmets in motorsports has become increasingly recognized over the years. Motorsports helmets meeting certain specific standards are required in all organized motorsports, as well as being required for use by motorcyclists for travel on public roads. Such protective helmets are required for use in off-road riding by motorcyclists as well, in virtually all jurisdictions. 
     The so-called “full-face” or completely enclosed helmet has become increasingly popular due to the increased protection provided, and is in fact required in many motorsports venues. A drawback of such full-face helmets is their relative lack of ventilation. While virtually all helmet manufacturers provide passive ventilation means to various degrees in their full-face helmets, such helmets are still generally quite stifling when worn on a warm or hot day. As a result, some high-end helmets are provided with inlets to accept forced air from some external source. While this can be quite useful in a race car, the typical motorcyclist or all-terrain vehicle (ATV) operator is unable to take advantage of such a provision for forced air ventilation, as there is no place to install the motor, fan, and power supply for such a system on a motorcycle and most ATVs do not provide for such either. Yet, the full-face helmet is arguably of more value to the motorcyclist or operator of an open ATV than it is to the driver of an enclosed car, where the structure of the car provides some additional protection. 
     The exposed position of the motorcyclist or ATV operator when riding leads to other problems as well, particularly in off-road riding, e.g., desert riding in the Southwest. The dry conditions invariably result in the rider encountering significant amounts of dirt and dust during a ride, particularly if the rider is trailing another rider(s). The importance of avoiding the inhalation of significant amounts of dust has been increasingly recognized, as ingestion of such dust over a prolonged period is now known to result in silicosis in many people who have been subjected to such exposure. In the past, it was customary for riders in such conditions to tie a handkerchief or bandanna over their lower faces in an attempt to reduce the ingestion and inhalation of dirt and dust, but such a solution was not as effective as desired. More recently, motorcycle riders and ATV operators have used full-face helmets with passive air filters, i.e., not having a powered, forced air source, to provide clean air to breathe within the helmet. However, the problem noted further above with the difficulty in providing sufficient ventilation air for comfort, particularly in hot climates, is exacerbated by the airflow restriction of such a passive filter. 
     Another problem encountered in such conditions is the dehydration that a driver or rider may experience. The heat encountered in an enclosed racing car is several tens of degrees warmer than ambient temperature, and the very hot and dry conditions encountered when off-road riding in the Southwest may be comparable. Accordingly, the driver or rider will require a fair amount of water during the course of the event. In auto racing events, this may be handled during pit stops or the car may contain a gallon or so of drinking water for the driver. This is clearly not possible during an extended off-road ride on a motorcycle or ATV. Yet, most lighter off-road motorcycles have no place to carry any significant amount of water to allow the rider to rehydrate during the course of the ride. Even though an ATV may be able to carry water for the operator, the lack of access due to the full-face helmet commonly worn requires the operator to stop and remove his or her helmet in order to get a drink, and this may be a frequent need in hot and dry climates. 
     Another concern of off-road enthusiasts is the desire to remain in communication with other participants. Aside from the nearly universal desire to remain in contact with friends and acquaintances with whom one is sharing a common enjoyable experience, the ability to communicate with others over some distance may be critical in the event of an accident or mishap. This particularly true in the case of off-road riding, if a rider is traveling alone or becomes separated from his or her group. Even the cautious rider who makes no mistakes may find himself or herself in a potential emergency situation in the event of a mechanical problem. Even when traveling in a group, the last rider in the group is not likely to be noticed by others very frequently, and it may be a matter of several miles of travel before others notice that the trailing rider is no longer with the rest of the group when no other communication means is available. 
     Various helmets and protective wear incorporating certain additional features have been developed in the past. An example of such is found in Japanese Patent No. 2000-303,245, published on Oct. 31, 2000. This reference describes (according to the drawings and English abstract) a full-face helmet having an electrically powered intake fan and filter in the top thereof. Air is exhausted from the bottom of the helmet during fan operation. Another example is found in Chinese Patent No. 1,513,392, published on Jul. 21, 2004. This reference describes (according to the drawings and English abstract) a complete environmental suit and sealed helmet for protecting the wearer from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The suit and helmet provide temperature regulation, drinking water, and air filtration, among other functions. 
     Thus, an environmental system for motorsports helmets solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The environmental system for motorsports helmets provides a number of various environmental functions for a motorsports helmet. The helmet is of full-face configuration, i.e., having a completely encircling lower rim that extends around the chin and mouth of the wearer, and an openable transparent face shield. The helmet preferably meets the safety standards of one or more governing bodies, e.g., Department of Transportation (DOT), Snell Foundation, etc., in effect at the time of manufacture. The helmet includes a forced air ventilation inlet at the lower rear portion thereof, the inlet communicating with airflow channels or passages through the inner top and inner sides of the helmet. A protective skirt or shroud extends downward from the lower rim of the helmet, sealing around the neck of the wearer of the helmet to preclude the entry of dust, dirt, and debris into the helmet while it is being worn and supplied with filtered air from an outside source. The transparent face shield and visor are preferably provided as a unit, the visor and face shield pivoting upward as a unit to open the front of the helmet and downward to seal the front of the helmet. 
     The helmet may contain earphones and a microphone integrally installed therein, or may have provision for the wearer of the helmet to wear a headset incorporating such features while wearing the helmet. The helmet may also contain a tube for drinking water, either integrally formed with the helmet or installed removably therein, the tube having an outlet providing controlled flow of drinking water for the person wearing the helmet. 
     The person wearing the helmet is provided with a backpack containing an electrically powered fan that draws air in through a filter and distributes it to the helmet through an air hose or tube removably connected to the helmet. The backpack preferably includes an electrical storage battery power supply for fan operation, thereby precluding the need for external electrical power. The backpack also contains a water supply that connects to the drinking water tube of the helmet, allowing the helmet wearer to draw water from the supply in the backpack. The backpack also preferably includes a communications transceiver, allowing the helmet wearer to communicate with others similarly equipped. The transceiver connects to the headset of the wearer or to such a headset installed within the helmet via a conventional cable, plug jack, and receptacle connector. The transceiver is preferably a conventional unit with a self-contained electrical battery power supply, separate from the electrical power supply of the forced air fan and ventilation system. 
     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental left side elevation view of an environmental system for motorsports helmets according to the present invention, shown being worn by a user of the system. 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed left side elevation view of the backpack portion of the environmental system for motorsports helmets according to the present invention, the backpack being broken away and partially in section to illustrate additional features thereof. 
         FIG. 3  is a detailed rear elevation view of the backpack portion of the environmental system for motorsports helmets according to the present invention, illustrating additional features thereof. 
     
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The environmental system for motorsports helmets provides wearers with a helmet and system that serves all of the critical needs of a motorsports participant under normal conditions. While the helmet and system are particularly well suited for use in off-road riding by motorcyclists and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) operators in hot and dusty conditions of the southwest, the helmet and system is also suitable for use by operators of other vehicles in other conditions. 
       FIG. 1  of the drawings provides an environmental left side elevation view of the environmental system for motorsports helmets as it would be worn by a motorsports participant. The system includes a motorsports helmet  10  incorporating various environmental features, and a backpack  12  incorporating various systems and features and communicating with the helmet  10  to provide the desired environmental attributes to the wearer of the helmet. The helmet  10  is a “full-faced” helmet, i.e., it has a lower forward portion integrally formed therewith that wraps around the lower front of the face of the wearer, with a forward opening for vision. The helmet  10  most preferably meets the standards of at least one governing safety body, e.g., U.S. federal Department of Transportation (DOT), Snell Foundation, etc., although such approval is not absolutely required for the function of the helmet  10  and backpack  12  environmental system. 
     The helmet  10  includes a pivotally mounted visor  14  that may be raised or lowered by the wearer of the helmet. A replaceable transparent face shield  16  is immovably affixed to the visor  14 , and moves with the visor  14  as it is raised or lowered. When the visor  14  and face shield  16  are lowered, as shown in broken lines in  FIG. 1 , the face shield  16  fits closely to the edges of the front opening of the helmet  10 . A flexible, resilient collar or skirt  18  extends from the lower opening  20  of the helmet  10  and forms a neck seal about the neck of a person wearing the helmet  10 . The neck seal, collar or skirt  18  substantially seals the lower opening  20  of the helmet  10  about the neck of the wearer, the lowered face shield  16  substantially sealing the front of the helmet from the outside environment. 
     The helmet  10  accordingly contains ventilation means therein to provide breathing air and to cool the head and face of the wearer. Preferably, a pair of lower lateral ventilation ducts  22  and at least one upper ventilation duct  24  are provided within the helmet  10 , as shown in broken lines within the helmet  10  in  FIG. 1 . The lower lateral ventilation ducts  22  extend about the opposite sides of the helmet just above the lower opening  20  thereof and terminate at the lower front of the helmet  10 . These lower lateral ducts  22  provide most of the breathing air for the user of the helmet, while also providing some cooling effect as well. The upper ventilation duct  24  terminates above the front opening of the helmet  10 , and provides most of the cooling airflow. These ventilation ducts  22  and  24  communicate with a single ventilation inlet  26  at the lower rear of the helmet  10 , the ventilation inlet  26  providing for the removable attachment of an air delivery line thereto, as discussed further below. 
     The helmet  10  also contains a communications radio headset  28  and microphone  30 , shown in broken lines in  FIG. 1 . The headset and microphone may be detached from the helmet  10  and donned separately before the helmet  10  is donned. Alternatively, they may be installed integrally with the helmet  10 . A communications cable  32  extends from the headset  28  within the helmet  10  to another cable extending from a radio transceiver carried on or in a backpack carried by the wearer of the helmet, discussed further below. A conventional push-to-talk switch (not shown) may be removably or permanently attached to some convenient location on the vehicle, e.g., motorcycle handlebars or ATV steering wheel, the push-to-talk switch operating conventionally to actuate the transmitter of the transceiver when the helmet wearer wishes to communicate with others via radio. 
     The wearer of the helmet  10  carries a backpack  12  that houses additional components of the system. The environmental left side elevation view of  FIG. 1  also shows the backpack  12  with the helmet  10 , but  FIGS. 2 and 3  respectively provide larger left side and rear elevation views of the backpack  12  that carries or includes most of the mechanisms that function to provide the various environmental features of the helmet. The backpack  12  includes an electrically powered ventilation fan  34 , e.g., a centrifugal or “squirrel cage” blower, that delivers air to an air delivery line, tube, or duct  36  that extends from an outlet on the backpack  12  to connect removably to the ventilation inlet  26  at the lower back of the helmet  10 . The fan  34  draws air into the backpack  12  through an air inlet  38 . An air filter  40  is installed over the inlet  38 . An electric power supply  42  (electrical storage battery or cells, etc.) is provided within the backpack  12  to power the fan  34 . The wearer of the helmet  10  and backpack  12  need only actuate an electrical switch to actuate the fan  34 , thereby delivering fresh, filtered air to the face of the helmet wearer by means of the fan  34 , air delivery line  36 , and ducts  22  and  24  within the helmet  10 . 
     The backpack  12  also contains a water container  44  therein for the carriage of a supply of drinking water for the wearer of the helmet  10  and backpack  12 . A water delivery line  46  extends from the water container  44  out from the backpack  12  and is connected removably to a water delivery tube  48  (not shown in the helmet  10  in  FIG. 1 , but shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) that is placed or installed in the helmet  10  before donning the helmet  10 . The distal end of the water delivery tube  48  is provided with a conventional “bite valve”  50  that the helmet wearer places within his or her mouth when donning the helmet  10 . When the helmet wearer wishes to take a drink, he or she need only bite down or compress the valve  50  to open the valve  50 , whereupon the user may suck on the end of the tube  48  and its “bite valve”  50  to draw water from the container  44  of the backpack  12 . 
     The backpack  12  also provides for the carriage of a two-way radio transceiver  52 . The transceiver  52  may be secured on or in a rack on the back of the backpack  12 , generally as shown in the drawings, or may be contained within a compartment in the backpack if such a compartment is provided. The transceiver  52  is conventional and contains its own dedicated electrical storage battery power supply  54  therein, separate from the electrical power supply  42  used to power the ventilation fan  34 . An external communications cable  56  extends from the transceiver  52  and connects removably to the communications cable  32  extending from the headset  28  within the helmet  10  by means of a conventional jack plug  58  and corresponding receptacle in the helmet  10  or at the end of the cable  32  within the helmet  10 . 
     A motorsports participant or other user of the environmental system for motorsports helmets readies the system for use by donning the backpack  12 , after confirming that the water supply  44  and electrical power supplies  42  and  54  are adequate. The headset  28  with its microphone  30  is then donned if this equipment is not provided integrally with the helmet  10 , and the “bite valve”  50  of the water delivery tube  48  is placed in the mouth. The helmet  10  is then donned (or may be placed upon the head before donning the backpack  12 , if desired). The wearer of the system then connects the air delivery line  36  from the backpack  12  to the ventilation inlet  26  of the helmet  10 , the water supply line  46  from the backpack  12  to the water supply tube  48  within the helmet  10 , and the communications cable  56  from the transceiver  52  to the communications cable  32  within the helmet  10 . The motorsports participant is then ready to enjoy the sport in virtually any conditions, and particularly hot, dry and dusty conditions, in reasonable comfort and security provided by the fresh, filtered air, clean water supply, and communications provided by the system. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.