Ear protection device, communications system and protective helmet

Abstract

An ear protection device for hearing protection and for fastening to a protective helmet includes a housing with a bearing device, via which it is pivotably mounted in a forklike supporting bracket. A communications device is arranged in the housing and the bearing device has at least two electrically conductive contact elements. A communications system is joined to a protective helmet.

Claims

1. An ear protection device for hearing protection, the ear protection device being fastenable to a protective helmet, the ear protection device comprising: a housing, the housing comprising a hearing device, the hearing device for pivotably mounting the ear protection device in a forklike supporting bracket, the hearing device comprising at least two electrically conductive contact elements on opposite sides of the housing; and a communication device disposed in or on the housing, wherein the at least two electrical contact elements are aligned on an axis passing through a center of the ear protection device.

2. The ear protection device according to claim 1, wherein the hearing device comprises two spigots, each spigot being integrally formed with the housing, each spigot comprising an opening, wherein a respective electrically conductive contact element of the at least two electrically conductive contact elements protrudes from a respective opening of a respective spigot for connection an interior of the housing with an exterior of the housing.

3. The ear protection device according to claim 2, wherein the respective electrically conductive contact element closes the respective opening of the respective spigot to be dust-tight or liquid-tight.

4. The ear protection device according to claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a loudspeaker disposed in the ear protection device.

5. The ear protection device according to claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a microphone disposed on the ear protection device via microphone attachment.

6. The ear protection device according to claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a transceiver device.

7. The ear protection device according to claim 6, wherein the transceiver device is a Bluetooth transceiver.

8. The ear protection device according to claim 1, further comprising a battery for supplying the communication means with power; wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery; wherein the battery is rechargeable via the electrically conductive contact elements; and wherein the battery is disposed in the housing.

9. The ear protection device according to claim 1, further comprising a control element for controlling or monitoring the communication device; and wherein the control element is provided on the housing.

10. A communications system comprising a forklike supporting bracket; an ear protection device for hearing protection, the ear protection device being fastenable to a protective helmet, the ear protection device comprising a housing, the housing comprising a hearing device, the hearing device for pivotably mounting the ear protection device in the forklike supporting bracket the hearing device comprising at least two electrically conductive contact elements on opposite sides of the housing, and a communication device disposed in or on the housing; and wherein the fork-like supporting bracket is an electric connection to the at least two electrically conductive contact elements, wherein the at least two electrical contact elements are aligned on an axis passing through a center of the ear protection device.

11. The communications system according to claim 10, wherein the supporting bracket is a docking station independent of a protective helmet.

12. The communications system according to claim 10, wherein the docking station is supplied with power by photovoltaic cells.

13. The communications system according to claim 10, wherein the supporting bracket is attachable to a protective helmet and is both a docking station and a supporting bracket for use while the protective helmet is in use.

14. A protective helmet comprising: a forklike supporting bracket for supporting an ear protection device; and the ear protection device for hearing protection, the ear protection device being fastenable to the protective helmet, the ear protection device comprising a housing, the housing comprising a hearing device, the hearing device for pivotably mounting the ear protection device in the forklike supporting bracket, the hearing device comprising at least two electrically conductive contact elements on opposite sides of the housing, and a communication device disposed in or on the housing, wherein at least one supporting bracket is both a docking station and a supporting bracket for use while the protective helmet is in use, wherein the at least two electrical contact elements are aligned on an axis passing through a center of the ear protection device.

15. The protective helmet according to claim 14, further comprising a battery for supplying power to the communication device; and wherein the power is disposed in or on the ear protection device.

16. The protective helmet according to claim 14, further comprises an interface for supplying the protective helmet power.

17. The ear protection device according to claim 1, further comprising a display element for controlling or monitoring the communication device; and wherein the display element is provided on the housing.

18. The protective helmet according to claim 15, further comprises an interface for supplying the protective helmet power.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be explained by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings on the basis of particularly preferred embodiments.

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of a protective helmet including an ear protection device according to the invention placed on the head of a wearer;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of an ear protection device according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a side view of an ear protection device according to the invention in a supporting bracket;

(5) FIG. 4 an interior view of an ear protection device according to the invention in a supporting bracket;

(6) FIG. 5 is a view of an ear protection device according to the invention including a supporting bracket from the front relating to the usual mode of wearing a protective helmet;

(7) FIG. 6 is a view of ear protection device an according to the invention including a supporting bracket from below relating to the usual mode of wearing a protective helmet.

(8) In the following description of the drawings, the same reference numerals denote identical or comparable components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a protective helmet 12 on the head of a wearer. It comprises, among other things, a helmet shell 40, a harness 42, as well as hearing protection 44. The hearing protection 44 comprise at least one ear protection device 10 equipped with communication means 20, 22, 24, 26 in the manner according to the invention. Numerous components of the ear protection device 10 may be allocated to the communication means 20, 22, 24, 26, specifically a loudspeaker 20, a microphone 22, a transceiver device 24, particularly a Bluetooth transceiver, as well as a battery 26. These components are arranged on or in a housing 14 of the ear protection device 10. The ear protection device 10 is supported by a supporting bracket 48.

(10) In FIG. 2, it is indicated by broken lines that the transceiver device 24 as well as the battery 26 are disposed inside of the housing 14 of the ear protection device 10. The microphone 22 is disposed outside of the housing 14 of the ear protection device 10 via a microphone attachment 46. On the outside of the housing 14 of the ear protection device 10, control elements 32, 34, 36 and a display element 38 are disposed. The control elements 32, 34, 36 are buttons. The display element 38 is a light emitting diode. One of the buttons 32 serves to turn on the transceiver device 24 as well as, in case the transceiver device is a Bluetooth transceiver, to pair or couple the Bluetooth transceiver with other external Bluetooth transceivers. Other buttons 34, 36 are provided for changing the volume of the loudspeaker 20 of the ear protection device 10. On the housing 14 of the ear protection device 10, further, a bearing device 16, 18 is provided which is, preferably, realised by spigots 16, 18 integrally formed with the housing 14. These spigots 16, 18 are provided with central holes from which electrically conductive contact elements 28, 30 protrude which connect an interior of the housing to an exterior of the housing. At the same time, these openings close the spigots 16, 18 in dust- and/or liquid-tight manner. For electrically coupling the ear protection device 10 with, specifically, an electric power source, it is inserted into a forklike supporting bracket 48. This supporting bracket 48 may be a docking station independent of the protective helmet 12. However, it may also be contemplated that the supporting bracket is, at the same time, both a docking station and a supporting bracket for use during deployment of the protective helmet 12. In any case, the supporting bracket 48 provides for electric contacts allocated to the electric contact elements 28, 30 of the ear protection device 14 via which the electric power for charging the battery 26 inside the housing 14 of the ear protection device 10 is supplied. It is also possible that the electric contact elements serve to transmit data. This may, for example, be contemplated when a transceiver device is not disposed inside of the housing 14 but outside of it. A further option is that the electric contact elements 28, 30 serve the power transfer to components within of the ear protection device 10 while a battery is disposed outside of the ear protection device 10.

(11) With the communications system thus provided, various types of communication operations can be realised. For example, it is possible to directly couple two ear protection devices with the associated communications systems so that direct communications among the ear protection devices or the wearers of the ear protection devices can be carried out via the ear protection devices. Further, the ear protection devices may be coupled with arbitrary transceiver devices, for example, via the Bluetooth function of a motor vehicle or of a mobile phone. Particularly in case of a coupling with a mobile phone, the carrier of the ear protection device may initiate or accept telephone calls while using the ear protection device. Likewise, it is possible to expand the communication range between two wearers of ear protection devices. On the one hand, this is, of course, possible by coupling both ear protection devices with different telephones and by communication being implemented through a telephone connection between the two telephones and respective Bluetooth data connections between the telephones and the ear protection devices. However, it is also possible to, for example, couple one mobile phone with two ear protection devices. If this mobile telephone is within the reach of both ear protection devices the wearers of the respective ear protection devices can communicate with each other although the distance between them is so that a direct communication between them would no longer be possible.

(12) The at least two electrical contact elements 28, 35 are aligned on an axis A-A passing through a center C of the ear protection device.

(13) The features of the invention disclosed in the above description, the drawings, as well as in the claims may be important for the realisation of the invention both individually as well as in any combination.

LIST OF NUMERALS

(14) 10 ear protection device

(15) 12 protective helmet

(16) 14 housing

(17) 16 bearing device/spigots

(18) 18 bearing device/spigots

(19) 20 loudspeaker

(20) 22 microphone

(21) 24 transceiver device

(22) 26 battery

(23) 28 contact element

(24) 30 contact element

(25) 32 button

(26) 34 button

(27) 36 button

(28) 38 display element

(29) 40 helmet shell

(30) 42 harness

(31) 44 hearing protection

(32) 46 microphone attachment

(33) 48 supporting bracket