Helmet having audio features
First Claim
1. A safety helmet of the type including a rigid outer protective helmet shell for protecting a head of a user during recreational or vocational activities, a liner within said shell adapted to engage the head of a user, and a strap attached to said helmet unit and adapted to secure said helmet to a head of a user, said helmet having a helmet outer surface, a helmet front portion, two helmet side portions and a helmet rear portion, said helmet shell further provided with a speaker mounted therein adjacent at least one of said helmet side portions and adapted to direct sound to at least one ear of a user, the improvement comprising:
- said helmet shell further including at least one media player structurally associated with said helmet outer surface;
said at least one media player directly, physically connected to a manually controlled player controller;
said media player adapted to receive playing media for replay and thus to become a self-contained, freestanding player unit;
said media player further is adapted to be interconnected to said at least one speaker such that said player controller directs the media player operation to play the playing media causing media sound to be emitted from said at least one speaker;
whereby said user may selectively store playing media inside said media player, secure said helmet and the standalone media player in place on the user'"'"'s head, and listen to the media sound while proceeding with said activities.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A safety helmet for bikers, skateboarders, rollerbladers and the like is adapted to include a standalone player such as a compact disc player and/or digital audio player mounted in or on its head-protective shell. Controls for the player are within or directly on the helmet, and earphones are suitably located at a user'"'"'s ears. Music files or other information may be charged or loaded from a computer, for example in MP3 format, directly into the helmet for subsequent playback. An ambient sound sensor on a rear portion of the helmet senses traffic sounds for the user'"'"'s safety. Entertainment offered by the helmet will encourage people, particularly children, to wear the helmet, thus encouraging safety and saving lives.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A safety helmet of the type including a rigid outer protective helmet shell for protecting a head of a user during recreational or vocational activities, a liner within said shell adapted to engage the head of a user, and a strap attached to said helmet unit and adapted to secure said helmet to a head of a user, said helmet having a helmet outer surface, a helmet front portion, two helmet side portions and a helmet rear portion, said helmet shell further provided with a speaker mounted therein adjacent at least one of said helmet side portions and adapted to direct sound to at least one ear of a user, the improvement comprising:
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said helmet shell further including at least one media player structurally associated with said helmet outer surface;
said at least one media player directly, physically connected to a manually controlled player controller;
said media player adapted to receive playing media for replay and thus to become a self-contained, freestanding player unit;
said media player further is adapted to be interconnected to said at least one speaker such that said player controller directs the media player operation to play the playing media causing media sound to be emitted from said at least one speaker;
whereby said user may selectively store playing media inside said media player, secure said helmet and the standalone media player in place on the user'"'"'s head, and listen to the media sound while proceeding with said activities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A safety helmet of the type including a rigid outer protective helmet shell for protecting a head of a user during recreational or vocational activities, a liner within said shell adapted to engage the head of a user, and a strap unit attached to said helmet and adapted to secure said helmet to a head of a user, said helmet having a helmet outer surface, a helmet front portion, two helmet side portions and a helmet rear portion, said helmet shell further provided with at least one speaker mounted therein adjacent one or more of said helmet side portions and adapted to direct sound to at least one ear of a user, the improvement comprising:
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said helmet shell further includes at least one recess in said helmet outer surface;
said recess adapted to be closed by a moveable panel;
a media player unit is positioned within said recess and secured behind said panel;
said media player unit is adapted to be communicatively interconnected with said at least one speaker;
a controller adapted to control said media player unit;
said media player unit includes digital audio chip player components adapted to receive charges of compressed data files and to decompress said data files for data playback through said speaker;
whereby a user may utilize said helmet as a freestanding entertainment unit as well as a safety helmet. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A safety helmet and digital audio player combination for the purpose of motivating a child to wear a protective helmet during hazardous recreational activities, said combination including:
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an impact resistant, protective helmet shell having an outer surface including a helmet rear portion, a helmet front portion, and first and second helmet side surfaces;
said safety helmet and digital audio player integrally constructed such that said helmet shell physically incorporates therein components of said player said helmet shell and player combination further including an internal liner for comfortable placement on said child'"'"'s head;
a strap for securing said helmet to said child'"'"'s head;
a speaker located at each said first and second side surface;
a player controller also integrally formed within said helmet shell and adapted to control the operation of said digital audio player;
a first connector port adapted for connection to a connector cable carrying compressed file data, said port located on an outer surface of said helmet shell;
said digital audio player adapted to receive and store said compressed file data from said first connector port via said controller and, on demand signal, to decompress and subsequently play back said data through said speakers;
whereby the child will enjoy the sound of the digital audio player while wearing said combination helmet and chip player when engaged in recreational activities. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification