Electronic helmet

• US 8,001,623 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oxystrap Intl., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jeffery H. Gertsch
• Inventors: Williams, David L., Gehrisch, Christopher L., Swanson, William E., Smilo, Sheldon A., Gehrisch, Matthew B., Gertsch, Ronald L., Abad, Benjamin G., Mann, Justin K., Gertsch, Jeffrey H., McCune, Martin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley; Shaun R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sutton; Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US11/138,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 241/0, 2/66, 241/1, 241/2, 242/2
• US Class Current: 2/422
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/04 Parts, details or accessories of helmets
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/042 Optical devices night vision goggles G02B23/12
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/0433 Detecting, signalling or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/044 Lighting devices, e.g. helmets with lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/06 Impact-absorbing shells, e.g. of crash helmets
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/30 Mounting radio sets or communication systems

Abstract

An electronic helmet is provided that includes a helmet body and an integrated electronic system disposed in the helmet body, providing a number of convenient functions. The helmet body has a hard outer shell and a hard inner shell mounted to the outer shell such that a cavity is defined between the outer and the inner shells. The inner shell can include suitable material to provide the wearer effective RF shielding from the electronic system, such as, nickel-plated carbon fiber to provide RF shielding. The helmet body further includes a shock-absorbent structure disposed between the inner shell and the head of a wearer.

Claims

1. An electronic helmet, comprising:

a helmet body having

(i) a hard outer shell,

(ii) a hard inner shell mounted to the outer shell such that a cavity is defined between the outer and the inner shells, the inner shell including rf-shielding material integrated therein and disposed substantially throughout for the protection of a wearer of the helmet, and

(iii) shock-absorbent structure disposed between the inner shell and the head of the wearer; and

an integrated electronic system disposed in the cavity defined between the outer and the inner shells;

including a central controller for controlling a plurality of subsystems disposed in the cavity, the plurality of subsystems including

(i) a digital image subsystem disposed in the cavity between the outer and the inner shells, the digital image recording subsystem having a camera mounted with a field of view projecting from a front side of the helmet and having an image recording device in communication with the camera,

(ii) a rechargeable battery disposed in the cavity between the outer and the inner shells,

(iii) an audio subsystem disposed in the cavity between the outer and the inner shells,

(iv) a global positioning subsystem disposed in the cavity between the outer and the inner shells, and

(v) a communications subsystem disposed in the cavity between the outer and the inner shells such that the head of the wearer is effectively shielded from transmissions by the inner shell.

2. A helmet as defined in claim 1, wherein the rf-shielding material includes metallic-coated carbon fiber embedded throughout the inner shell configured to provide effective shielding for frequencies between 800 MHz and 12 GHz.

3. A helmet as defined in claim 1, wherein the inner shell comprises polymer material molded with rf-shielding material distributed substantially throughout the inner shell to provide RF shielding.

4. A helmet as defined in claim 3, wherein the inner shell is molded to include a thermoplastic resin accounting for between 50 percent and 90 percent of overall weight of the inner shell and to further include the rf-shielding material having metallic fiber accounting for between 10 and 40 percent of overall weight of the inner shell.

5. A helmet as defined in claim 3, wherein the inner shell is molded to further include a flame-retardant additive.

6. A helmet as defined in claim 3, wherein the rf-shielding material includes a metallic-coated fiber embedded throughout the inner shell.

7. A helmet as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer shell and the inner shell are attached together by a water-resistant, sonic-weld seal.

8. A helmet as defined in claim 1, further comprising a chin strap having magnetic material configured to cooperate with a reed switch disposed in the helmet body.

9. A helmet as defined in claim 1, further comprising a faceguard having a hydration tube extending therethrough such that a tip of the hydration tube is accessible by the mouth of the wearer, when the helmet is worn, wherein the hydration tube is configured to be connected to a liquid container.

10. A helmet as defined in claim 1, wherein the digital image subsystem further includes an image transmitter in communication with the camera and mounted in a back side of the cavity, and the electronic system is configured to transmit image data, audio data, and position data in real-time via the image-transmitter.

11. A helmet as defined in claim 1, further comprising a wireless remote control configure to operate at least one subsystem of the integrated electronic system.

12. A helmet as defined in claim 1, the integrated electronic system further including a headlamp oriented to emit light in front of the user, when the helmet is worn.

13. A helmet as defined in claim 1, the integrated electronic system further including a microphone and a speaker.