Safety helmet and methods of using a safety helmet by a firefighter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12491388-B1
Application number	US-202519090708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 26, 2025
Priority date	Mar 26, 2025
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

A safety helmet for a firefighter includes an outer shield having a neck opening and a front opening, a hinge located on an upper region of the front opening of the outer shield, a fire-retardant foam liner, a face shield including a sensor carrier attached to the hinge, a particulate air filter, a light emitting diode (LED) light strip, a mask mechanism configured to attach to the tapered nose opening of the transparent screen and the particulate air filter, a heads-up display (HUD) connected to an upper region of a proximal edge of the mask mechanism which faces the tapered nose opening, an oxygen port connected to the mask mechanism, a mask body connected to a distal edge of the mask mechanism, a speaker and microphone unit attached to the mask body, and a regulator nose cone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A safety helmet for a firefighter, comprising:
an outer shield having a neck opening and a front opening; a hinge located on an upper region of the front opening of the outer shield; a fire-retardant foam liner having a lower opening and a face opening, wherein the fire-retardant foam liner is configured to fit within the outer shield, wherein the fire-retardant foam liner is configured to extend past the neck opening; a face shield including:
a sensor carrier attached to the hinge, wherein the sensor carrier has a shape configured to conform to the front opening;
a transparent screen having a helmet facing edge configured to conform to the sensor carrier and a forward-facing edge configured with a tapered nose opening;
a particulate air filter connected to a lower edge of the transparent screen;
a light emitting diode (LED) light strip located between the sensor carrier and the helmet facing edge of the transparent screen;
a mask mechanism configured to attach to the tapered nose opening of the transparent screen and the particulate air filter;
a heads-up display (HUD) connected to an upper region of a proximal edge of the mask mechanism which faces the tapered nose opening, wherein the HUD is configured to project a visual overlay onto the transparent screen;
an oxygen port connected to the mask mechanism;
a mask body connected to a distal edge of the mask mechanism;
a speaker and microphone unit attached to the mask body; and
a regulator nose cone connected to the distal edge of the mask body.

2 . The safety helmet of claim 1 , further comprising:
a neck and shoulders protector made of heat resistant, penetration resistant fiber, wherein the neck and shoulders protector includes a neck protection region and a shoulder protection region, wherein the neck protection region includes has a first strap and a second strap, wherein each strap includes a strip of hook and loop fastener configured to lock the neck and shoulders protector when connected.

3 . The safety helmet of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rechargeable battery attached to an inner surface of the outer shield; a microcontroller operatively connected to the rechargeable battery, wherein the microcontroller includes electrical circuitry, a memory storing program instructions and at least one processor configured to execute the program instructions; a power button connected to the microcontroller; and a wiring harness having a plurality of electrical terminals connected to the microcontroller.

4 . The safety helmet of claim 3 , wherein the outer shield has an oval shape truncated by the neck opening, a top, a first side, a second side opposite the first side and a back side opposite the front opening, wherein a central axis extends from the top to the neck opening, wherein the outer shield further comprises:
a first thickened band located on the first side about one-half of a distance from the top of the outer shield and the neck opening, wherein the first thickened band extends from the back side to the front opening; a second thickened band located on the second side about one-half of a distance from the top of the outer shield and the neck opening, wherein the second thickened band extends from the back side to the front opening; and a wiring channel located within the second thickened band, wherein the wiring channel is configured to contain a plurality of wires of the wiring harness.

5 . The safety helmet of claim 4 , wherein the hinge is a power transfer hinge electrically connected to the plurality of wires and the sensor carrier.

6 . The safety helmet of claim 5 , wherein the sensor carrier includes:
a first forward facing thermal camera configured to cover an end of first thickened band located on the front opening on the first side and a second forward facing thermal camera configured to cover an end of second thickened band located on the front opening on the second side, wherein each forward facing thermal camera is configured to measure an ambient temperature in an environment surrounding the sensor carrier, turn on when the ambient temperature exceeds a threshold temperature, record infrared images of the environment and project a real-time infrared display of the environment onto the transparent screen, wherein the first forward facing thermal camera and the second forward facing thermal camera are electrically connected to a first set and a second set respectively of the plurality of wires of the wiring harness through the hinge.

7 . The safety helmet of claim 6 , wherein the sensor carrier further includes a light sensor electrically connected by a third set of wires of the plurality of wires to the microcontroller through the power transfer hinge, wherein the light sensor is configured to detect an intensity of an ambient light in an environment surrounding the light sensor and generate a light intensity signal.

8 . The safety helmet of claim 7 , wherein the LED light strip is electrically connected by a fourth set of wires of the plurality of wires to the microcontroller through the power transfer hinge, wherein the microcontroller is configured to receive the light intensity signal, turn the LED light strip ON when the light intensity signal is below a light intensity threshold and turn the LED light strip OFF when the light intensity signal is greater than or equal to the light intensity threshold.

9 . The safety helmet of claim 8 , wherein the HUD is electrically connected by a fifth set of wires of the plurality of wires to the microcontroller through the power transfer hinge.

10 . The safety helmet of claim 9 , wherein the HUD incorporates the temperature measurements from the first forward facing thermal camera and the second forward facing thermal camera, a location of the firefighter within a building, a location of other firefighters, a location of a victim, a navigation aid, a time, readings by the oxygen sensor located in the oxygen port, light intensity measurements and the infrared images into the visual overlay.

11 . The safety helmet of claim 9 , wherein the speaker and microphone unit is electrically connected by a sixth set of wires of the plurality of wires through the power transfer hinge to the microcontroller.

12 . The safety helmet of claim 1 , further comprising:
an oxygen sensor connected between the mask mechanism and an air valve in the oxygen port, wherein the oxygen sensor is configured to measure ambient oxygen levels and actuate the air valve based on the ambient oxygen levels.

13 . The safety helmet of claim 12 , further comprising a sealing arm located within the regulator nose cone, wherein the sealing arm is configured to press the mask body against the mask mechanism when the oxygen sensor detects air flow through the air valve.

14 . The safety helmet of claim 1 , wherein the particulate air filter is a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.

15 . The safety helmet of claim 1 , further comprising a gasket located between the lower edge of the transparent screen and the particulate air filter.

16 . A method of using a safety helmet by a firefighter, comprising:
donning a fire-retardant foam liner having a lower opening and a face opening; turning ON a power button; placing an outer shield having a neck opening and a front opening over the fire-retardant foam liner, wherein an interior surface of the outer shield includes a battery, a microcontroller, the power button and an internal wiring harness; aligning the face opening with the front opening; aligning the lower opening and the ne

Assignees

• Univ Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal

Inventors

• Al Hani Shahad Mohammed
• El-Wakeel Hala
• Alsaud Hawra
• Shukri Mai

Classifications

• A62B9/006

  Indicators or warning devices, e.g. of low pressure, contamination · CPC title

• A62B18/08

  Component parts for gas-masks or gas-helmets, e.g. windows, straps, speech transmitters, signal-devices (eye-pieces for protective goggles A61F9/02; composition of materials for the windows or other transparent parts A62D7/00) · CPC title

• A62B23/02

  for respirators · CPC title

• A62B17/003 Primary

  Fire-resistant or fire-fighters' clothes · CPC title

• A62B18/04 Primary

  Gas helmets · CPC title