Mount for supporting a microphone on a helmet

• US 5,590,209 A
• Filed: 07/22/1994
• Issued: 12/31/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Setcom Corp., Stecom Corporation
• Original Assignee: Setcom Corp.
• Inventors: Pratt, David S., Lee, Chin H., Stoltenberg, Blaise G., Bourgeois, Philip, Cornelius, Edward J. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US08/279,282
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 381/169, 381/187, 381/183, 2/422, 2/906, 455/100
• US Class Current: 381/362
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/30 Mounting radio sets or communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces

Abstract

A mount for supporting a microphone on a helmet having an outer shell and for use with a transmission cable. The microphone is mounted on a flexible boom carrying leads connected to the microphone. The transmission cable carries electrical conductors. The mount includes an attachment assembly having a surface with a contour which conforms to the outer shell of the helmet. The attachment assembly is provided with a sleeve-like member adapted to receive the flexible boom and a retainer for receiving the transmission cable. Connectors are carried within the attachment assembly for electrically connecting the electrical conductors from the transmission cable to the leads to the microphone. A layer of an adhesive material is carried by the surface of the attachment assembly and is adapted to fasten the attachment assembly to the outer shell of the helmet. The layer of adhesive material permits the fastening of the attachment assembly to the helmet without impairing the structural integrity of the helmet.

Claims

1. A microphone mount assembly for use with a motorcycle helmet having a hardened outer shell and with a transmission cable carrying electrical conductors, comprising a mount having a front and rear and a front profile which includes opposite inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface having a contour which conforms to the outer shell of the helmet prior to being mounted on said helmet and the outer surface being generally smooth and free of projections, a cylindrical boom member having first and second end portions, a microphone mounted on the first end portion of the boom member, a sleeve-like member extending from the front of the mount in a forward direction within the front profile for receiving the second end portion of the boom member and directing the boom member forwardly so that the microphone is disposed in front of the helmet, receiving means extending from the rear of the mount adapted for receiving the transmission cable and means adapted to secure the mount to the helmet consisting of a layer of an adhesive material carried by the inner surface for fastening the mount to the outer shell of the helmet whereby the layer of adhesive material permits the fastening of the mount to the helmet without impairing the structural integrity of the helmet and whereby the generally smooth outer surface, the sleeve-like member extending from the front of the mount within the front profile and the receiving means extending from the rear of the mount minimize undesirable wind noise during use of the microphone mount assembly on a helmet.

2. The assembly of claim 1 for use with a transmission cable having an end wherein the receiving means includes a retainer adapted for mounting about the end of the transmission cable.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the sleeve-like member and the retainer extend in generally opposite directions.

4. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the retainer has a configuration for carrying the electrical conductors into the mount.

5. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the mount includes a base plate for attachment to the outer shell of the helmet and cooperative means carried by the base plate and the retainer for removably mounting the retainer to the base plate.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the cooperative means includes a ridge provided in one of the base plate and the retainer which extends transversely of the end of the transmission cable and a slot for receiving the ridge carried by the other of the base plate and the retainer.

7. The assembly of claim 5 further comprising lead means electrically coupled to the microphone and carried within the boom member and connectors carried by the base plate and including at least one screw for creating electrical connections between the electrical conductors from the transmission cable and the lead means from the microphone.

8. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the retainer is made from a flexible material which is molded about the end of the transmission cable.

9. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising lead means electrically coupled to the microphone and carried within the boom member and connectors carried within the mount for creating electrical connections between the electrical conductors from the transmission cable and the lead means from the microphone.

10. The assembly of claim 9 further comprising a threaded member carried by the sleeve-like member for engaging the boom member, the threaded member being included within means for removably mounting the boom member to the mount.

11. The assembly of claim 1 together with connectors carried within the mount for electrically coupling the microphone to the electrical conductors, the mount including a base plate having the inner surface with a contour which conforms to the shape of the outer shell of the helmet and a cover mountable on the base plate for enclosing the connectors.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the cover extends to the inner surface so as to generally enclose the base plate.

13. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the mount is free of wires extending away from the mount exterior of the helmet exclusive of the transmission cable.

14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the mount has front and bottom surfaces which extend rearwardly from the sleeve-like member.

15. The assembly of claim 1 for use with a helmet having a rim and with lead means extending to speakers mounted inside the helmet, a shield secured to the mount for carrying the lead means and extending at least partially around the rim of the helmet for protecting the lead means from damage.

16. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the mount includes a base plate having the inner surface with a contour which conforms to the shape of the outer shell of the helmet and wherein the shield extends downwardly from the base plate.

17. A communications assembly for use with a motorcycle helmet having a hardened outer shell and a rim, comprising a mount having an inner surface with a contour which conforms to the outer shell of the helmet prior to being mounted on said helmet, means adapted for fastening the inner surface of the mount to the outer shell of the helmet above the rim, a transmission cable having an end, means for coupling the end of the transmission cable to the mount, an elongate flexible boom having a first end portion carrying a microphone and an opposite second end portion, means for attaching the second end portion of the flexible boom to the mount, first and second speakers, electrical lead means coupled to the speakers and having a portion extending exterior of the helmet to the mount and a shield depending from the mount and extending along the exterior of the shell over said portion of the lead means and at least partially around the rim of the helmet, the shield serving as means for protecting said portion of the lead means from harm and damage.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the mount has a profile from the front which is free of projections for minimizing wind noise during use of the communications assembly on the helmet.

19. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the means for fastening the mount to the outer shell of the helmet includes a layer of an adhesive material carried by the inner surface of the mount.

21. The assembly of claim 17 wherein shield extends below the rim of helmet.

20. A communications assembly for use with a motorcycle helmet having a hardened outer shell and a rim, comprising a mount having a front and rear and having a base plate and a cover removably mountable to the base plate, the base plate having an inner surface with a contour which conforms to the outer shell of the motorcycle helmet prior to being mounted on said helmet, a layer of an adhesive material carried by the inner surface of the base plate adapted to fasten the mount generally flush to the outer shell of the motorcycle helmet above the rim, a cylindrical boom member having a first end portion carrying a microphone and an opposite second end portion, means for removably attaching the second end portion of the boom member to the front of the mount, a transmission cable, means for removably attaching the transmission cable to the rear of the mount, first and second speakers adapted for mounting interior of the helmet, lead means electrically coupled to the speakers and having a portion extending exterior of the helmet, means for removably coupling the lead means to the mount and a shield attached to the mount and extending downwardly alongside the outer shell and below the rim of the helmet and covering said portion of the lead means extending exterior of the helmet, the mount having a profile which is free of projections for minimizing wind noise during use of the communications assembly on the helmet.