Helmet with integrated electronics and helmet visor controls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10806204-B2
Application number	US-201815945583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2018
Priority date	Jul 31, 2014
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A helmet can include a helmet body comprising an energy-absorbing layer and an outer shell disposed over the energy-absorbing layer. An electronic device can be integrated with the helmet body. A first electrical contact can be formed at an exterior of the outer shell and adapted to be in electrical communication with the electronic device. A helmet visor can be coupled to the helmet body with at least one visor arm, the helmet visor comprising controls integrated within the visor. A second electrical contact can be formed at an inner surface of the at least one visor arm and adapted to be in electrical communication with the controls integrated within the visor. The second electrical contact can be adapted to mateably couple with the first electrical contact such that the electronic device and the controls are adapted to be in electrical contact.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A helmet comprising:
a helmet body comprising an energy-absorbing layer comprising at least one of expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polyurethane (EPU), and expandable polyolefin (EPO), and an outer shell disposed over, and coupled to, the energy absorbing layer;
a helmet visor coupled to the helmet body with at least one visor arm;
an electronic device integrated with the helmet body and comprising electrical contacts adapted to be in electrical communication with the electronic device and accessible from an exterior of the outer shell; and
electronic controls integrated with the helmet visor and comprising electrical contacts adapted to be in electrical communication with the electronic controls and the electronic controls located on at least one visor arm of the helmet visor;
wherein the electrical contacts of the helmet visor are adapted to couple with the electrical contacts of the helmet body by the helmet visor coupling to the helmet body through the at least one visor arm such that the electronic device and the electronic controls are in electrical contact with each other through coupling the electrical contacts of the helmet body with the electrical contacts of the helmet visor.

2. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the helmet visor is releasably coupled to the helmet body.

3. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the controls integrated with the helmet visor are formed as a plurality of buttons.

4. The helmet of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of buttons comprise a unitary protective cover adapted to resist debris from contaminating the plurality of buttons.

5. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controls are disposed on an underside of the helmet visor at a position that is within a field of view of the helmet, such that the controls are visible by a helmet user when the helmet is worn by the helmet user.

6. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device integrated with the helmet body comprising a video recording device with a lens disposed adjacent the outer shell.

7. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the at least one visor arm comprises a first visor arm and a second visor arm opposite the first visor arm, the first visor arm and the second visor arm each being adapted to be coupled to the helmet body near opposing upper corners of a helmet faceport.

8. A helmet comprising:
a helmet body comprising an outer shell;
an electronic device integrated with the helmet body, and comprising a first electrical contact formed at an exterior of the outer shell and in electrically conductive communication with the electronic device;
a helmet visor coupled to the helmet body with at least one visor arm;
visor controls integrated with the helmet visor, and comprising a second electrical contact formed on the at least one visor arm of the helmet visor and in electrically conductive communication with the visor controls;
wherein coupling the helmet visor to the helmet body conductively engages the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact such that the visor controls are adapted to be in electrical communication with the electronic device.

9. The helmet of claim 8 , wherein the helmet visor is releasably coupled to the helmet body.

10. The helmet of claim 8 , wherein the visor controls integrated with the helmet visor are formed as a plurality of buttons.

11. The helmet of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of buttons comprise a unitary protective cover adapted to resist debris from contaminating the plurality of buttons.

12. The helmet of claim 8 , wherein the visor controls are disposed on an underside of the helmet visor at a position that is within a field of view of the helmet, such that the visor controls are visible by a helmet user when the helmet is worn by the helmet user.

13. The helmet of claim 8 , wherein the electronic device integrated with the helmet body comprising a video recording device with a lens disposed adjacent the outer shell.

14. The helmet of claim 8 , wherein the at least one visor arm comprises a first visor arm and a second visor arm opposite the first visor arm, the first visor arm and the second visor arm being adapted to be coupled to the helmet body near respective opposing upper corners of a helmet faceport of the helmet.

Assignees

• Bell Sports Inc

Inventors

• Pritz Ben D

Classifications

• A42B3/042 Primary

  Optical devices (night vision goggles G02B23/12) · CPC title

• A42B3/227 Primary

  with sun visors, e.g. peaks above face opening · CPC title

• A42B3/22

  Visors · CPC title