Lighted headgear

• US 9,717,633 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Waters, Michael Waters
• Original Assignee: Charles Waters, Michael Waters
• Inventors: Waters, Charles, Waters, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): San Martin, Edgardo
• Application Number:
  US14/212,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20140259287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 381371, 381370, 381384, 362105, 362106, 362103, 181129
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0002 Details of protective garments not provided for in groups A41D13/0007 - A41D13/1281
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/14 external, e.g. earcaps or earmuffs
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/02 characterised by the provision of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0004 Personal or domestic articles
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0056 Audio equipment, e.g. music instruments, radios or speakers
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

Lighted headgear, and more particularly lighted earwear such as earmuffs or headphones, is provided herein that are configured to mount or secure to a user'"'"'s head while providing light forwardly thereof. The lighted headgear includes ear engaging or covering assemblies, which can be connected by a headband or other crown portion. The ear covering assemblies can include one or more light sources mounted thereto or can have a light module secured thereto to provide a user with hands-free lighting.

Claims

1. Lighted headgear comprising:

a connecting band portion having opposite end portions;

ear assemblies mounted to the end portions of the connecting band portion;

ear engagement portions of the ear assemblies configured to engage the ears of a wearer;

a self-contained light module mounted to one of the ear assemblies;

a housing of the light module having a power source compartment and an open back providing access to the power source compartment, the housing configured to mount to the one of the ear assemblies such that the open back thereof is covered by the one of the ear assemblies; and

an electronic assembly of the light module received within the housing thereof, the electronic assembly including a light source mounted to project light forwardly of the ear assembly, a power source configured to provide power to the light source with the open back of the housing allowing for replacement of the power source, and a switch device electrically coupled to the power source and the light source to selectively switch the light source between on and off states.

2. The lighted headgear of claim 1, wherein the light module further includes a seal member mounted to the housing, the seal member configured to be disposed between the one of the ear assemblies and the housing when the housing is mounted to the one of the ear assemblies to thereby seal the open back of the housing.

3. The lighted headgear of claim 1, wherein the light module housing includes a mounting opening in a forward facing surface thereof, and the light source is mounted in the mounting opening to project light forwardly of the light module.

4. The lighted headgear of claim 1, wherein the housing and the ear engagement portion include aligned bores to receive fasteners therein to mount the housing to the ear engagement portion.

5. The lighted headgear of claim 1, wherein the electronic assembly includes a plurality of light sources.

6. The lighted headgear of claim 5, wherein the plurality of light sources are mounted in a vertically stacked orientation.

7. The lighted headgear of claim 1, wherein the switch device is a pushbutton switch device with a switch base and a switch actuator;

and the pushbutton switch device is disposed partially within the light module housing so that the switch actuator is accessible at an exterior surface thereof.

8. The lighted headgear of claim 1, wherein the ear engagement portions of the ear assemblies comprise cups that are configured to encompass the ears of a wearer in order to provide hearing protection therefor.

9. The lighted headgear of claim 8, wherein the cups each include a sound dampening assembly to actively filter out or suppress external noises above a predetermined decibel level.

10. The lighted headgear of claim 1, wherein the ear assemblies are pivotably connected to the end portions of the connecting band portion for conforming to the head of a wearer.

11. The lighted headgear of claim 10, wherein the end portions of the connecting band portion include generally u-shaped arm members, the ear assemblies include pivot connections, and the arm members couple to the pivot connections to pivotably mount the ear assemblies to the connecting band portion.

12. The lighted headgear of claim 1, wherein the power source is a rechargeable power source;

and the electronic assembly includes a port connected to the rechargeable power source and configured to receive recharging power from an external source.

20. The lighted headgear of claim 1, wherein the ear engagement portions comprise cups configured to be disposed over the ears of a wearer, each of the cups including a substantially rigid backing member and an ear pad mounted to the backing member.

21. The lighted headgear of claim 20, wherein the housing is sized and configured to provide a smooth transition from the substantially rigid backing member to the light module so that the appearance of the ear assemblies is maintained.

13. A cup assembly for hearing protection, the cup assembly comprising:

a substantially rigid cup-shaped member including edges defining an opening to an interior thereof;

an annular earpad portion mounted to the cup-shaped member configured to generally extend about the opening and the ear of a wearer;

a spanning earpad portion disposed within the cup-shaped member interior to cover the ear of a wearer;

a light module including a housing having a domed configuration and edges defining an opening to an interior thereof, the light module mounted to the cup-shaped member such that the opening is oriented towards the cup-shaped member; and

a light assembly disposed within the light module housing interior and including a light source mounted to project light forwardly of the cup-shaped member, a power source configured to provide power to the light source and accessible through the opening in the housing for replacement thereof, and a switch device configured to selectively energize the light source.

14. The cup assembly of claim 13, further comprising a seal member disposed between the housing and the cup-shaped member.

15. The cup assembly of claim 13, wherein the light module housing includes a mounting opening in a forward surface thereof, and the light source is mounted in the mounting opening to project light forwardly of the light module.

16. The cup assembly of claim 13, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light sources.

17. The cup assembly of claim 13, further comprising a sound dampening assembly mounted to the cup-shaped member, the sound dampening assembly including a power source, a microphone, and a volume adjustment device.

18. The cup assembly of claim 13, wherein the power source is a rechargeable power source, and the light assembly further includes a port coupled to the rechargeable power source configured to receive recharging power from an external power source.

19. The cup assembly of claim 13, wherein the cup-shaped member includes a pivot member configured to pivotably couple the cup-shaped member to a band.

22. The lighted headgear of claim 13, wherein the housing is sized such that a periphery thereof is flush with or slightly smaller than a sidewall of the cup-shaped member.

23. The lighted headgear of claim 22, wherein an outer surface of the cup-shaped member has a rounded configuration such that the domed configuration of the housing provides the appearance of the outer surface of the cup-shaped member.

24. Lighted headgear comprising:

a connecting band portion having opposite end portions;

ear assemblies mounted to the end portions of the connecting band portion;

substantially rigid cup-shaped members of the ear assemblies;

a self-contained light module mounted to one of the cup-shaped members;

a housing of the light module having a footprint and curved configuration so that the light module has the appearance of an outer surface of the one of the cup-shaped members; and

a light assembly disposed within the housing and including a light source mounted to project light forwardly of the one of the cup-shaped members, a power source configured to provide power to the light source, and a switch device configured to selectively energize the light source.

25. The lighted headgear of claim 24, wherein the footprint of the housing is sized such that a periphery of the housing is flush with or slightly smaller than a sidewall of the one of the cup-shaped members.

26. The lighted headgear of claim 24, wherein the cup-shaped member has a generally oval cross-section taken along a plane generally parallel to an ear of a user and the footprint of the housing is a smaller, generally complementary oval.

27. The lighted headgear of claim 24, wherein the light module includes edges defining an opening to an interior thereof;

the light module is configured to mount to the one of the cup-shaped members such that the opening is oriented towards the one of the cup-shaped members; and

the power source of the light assembly is accessible through the opening in the housing when the housing is removed from the one of the cup-shaped members.

28. The lighted headgear of claim 24, further comprising a seal member disposed between the housing and the cup-shaped member.

29. The lighted headgear of claim 28, wherein the seal member projects outwardly of the footprint of the housing when the light module and seal member are mounted to the one of the cup-shaped members.