PROTECTIVE HELMET WITH AN ANTENNA

Abstract

The invention relates to a protective helmet, and in particular, to a protective motorcycle helmet, comprising an antenna (1) for radio transmission, an outer shell (2) for distributing impact forces, an inner layer (3), which is accommodated by the outer shell (2), for damping impact forces, and a socket (4), which is firmly connected to the outer shell (2), for contacting a digital device (5) for wireless communication, wherein the socket (4), when contacting the digital device (5), electrically connects the latter to the antenna (1) for wireless communication. The protective helmet is characterized in that at least a partial layer of the outer shell (2) is disposed between the antenna (1) and the inner layer (3).

Claims

1. A protective helmet, comprising: an antenna configured for radio transmission, an outer shell configured for distributing impact forces, an inner layer located within the outer shell, configured for damping impact forces, a digital device, and a socket connected to the outer shell, configured for contacting the digital device and electrically connecting the digital device to the antenna for wireless communication when the socket contacts the digital device, wherein at least a partial layer of the outer shell is located between the antenna and the inner layer.

2. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is located outside the outer shell.

3. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein the digital device defines a radio module for a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN).

4. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein the socket has a frame configured for housing the digital device and a transmission device configured for signal transmission, wherein the transmission device is electrically connected to the antenna, and when the digital device is housed in the frame, the transmission device is electrically coupled to an antenna pole of the digital device.

5. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein the antenna defines a dipole antenna.

6. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein the antenna, with respect to a transverse direction of the protective helmet, is located substantially at an outer transverse end of the protective helmet.

7. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein the protective helmet has a transmission line configured for electrically connecting the digital device to the antenna.

8. The protective helmet according to claim 7, wherein the outer shell has an opening, and the transmission line is routed through the opening.

9. The protective helmet according to claim 8, wherein the socket is located at a lower edge of the protective helmet.

10. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein the protective helmet has a cover located on the outer shell, wherein the antenna is at least partially located between the outer shell and the cover.

11. The protective helmet according to claim 10, further comprising: a visor configured for eye protection and a visor attachment device connected to the outer shell, configured for pivotably mounting the visor.

12. The protective helmet according to claim 11, wherein the cover is attached to the visor attachment device.

13. The protective helmet according to claim 10, wherein the cover has an integrally configured aerodynamics device configured for redirecting air flow about the protective helmet during travel.

14. The protective helmet according to claim 13, wherein the protective helmet has a structure located on the outer shell defining a contoured surface profile of the protective helmet relative to the outer shell, wherein the aerodynamics device is located adjacent to the structure and defines a smoothed surface profile relative to the contoured surface profile.

15. The protective helmet according to claim 14, wherein the outer shell has ventilation openings configured for feeding cooling traveling air into the protective helmet, and wherein the cover defines a feeding device covering the ventilation opening for diverting the traveling air.

16. The protective helmet according to claim 1, wherein the protective helmet is a protective motorcycle helmet.

17. The protective helmet according to claim 2, wherein the antenna is configured for emitting in a substantially horizontal transmission direction.

18. The protective helmet according to claim 3, wherein the digital device defines a radio module for Bluetooth communication.

19. The protective helmet according to claim 5, wherein the transmission device defines a coaxial plug-in device with at least two contact poles.

20. The protective helmet according to claim 7, wherein the transmission line is routed at least partially inside the outer shell.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Other advantages will become apparent from the following description and with reference to the Figures, which are understood not to be limiting.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a first exemplary embodiment of a proposed protective helmet,

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the protective helmet of FIG. 1,

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of a proposed protective helmet, and

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of a proposed protective helmet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The, altogether, three exemplary embodiments of protective helmets shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are protective motorcycle helmets. They comprise anin each case differently positionedantenna 1 for radio transmission, an outer shell 2 for distributing impact forces and an inner layer 3 for damping impact forces, which is disposed underneathi.e. insidethe outer shell 2. In the present case, the outer shell 2 consists of glass fibers with an added special resin, and the inner layer 3 consists of expanded polystyrene (EPS). In the following, the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 will in each case be described first, andwhere there are differencesthe exemplary embodiments of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 will be discussed separately.

[0037] Also, the protective helmets shown each include a socket 4 for contacting a digital device 5, which is a Bluetooth module, i.e. a device for communication with a Bluetooth WPAN.

[0038] In the firstFIGS. 1 and 2and the thirdFIG. 4embodiments, the antenna 1 is disposed in its entirety on the outside of the outer shell 2, so that the outer shell 2 completely separates the respective antenna 1 from the inner layer 3. In the second exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, however, the antenna 1 is disposed inside the outer shell 2, so that the antenna 1 is surrounded by the outer shell 2 in all directions.

[0039] The socket 4 has a plastic frame 6, which is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2 and which is positively connected to a helmet trim 7 of the protective helmet, which in turn covers the lower edge of the outer shell 2 and is coupled to the outer shell 2. In this manner, the frame 6 is firmly connected to the outer shell 2 in an indirect manner.

[0040] Also, the socket 4 includes a coaxial plug-in devicewhich is illustrated here only in a schematic manneras a contact device and transmission device 8. This transmission device 8 serves for contacting an antenna contact of the accommodated digital device 5 and is electrically connected to a transmission line 10 via which the digital device 5 is connected to the antenna 1. In this way, the digital device 5 is able to employ the antenna 1 for its Bluetooth transmission.

[0041] A synopsis of FIGS. 1 and 2 shows that, in the first exemplary embodiment, the antenna 1 is not only disposed laterally, but even at an outerand, in particular, left-hand outer-transverse end of the protective helmet. The socket 4 is also disposed in a laterally offset manner. The corresponding transverse direction 9 is shown in FIG. 2, and a longitudinal direction 12 is shown in FIG. 1. In contrast, the antenna 1 of the protective helmet from FIG. 4 is disposed centrally in the transverse direction 9 and, instead, in a ceiling region 9c of the protective helmet in a height-wise direction 9a, which is only shown in FIG. 2. Also, FIG. 2 shows a vertical central longitudinal plane 9b corresponding to the above longitudinal direction 12 and the height-wise direction 9a.

[0042] The transmission line 10 is disposed between the inner layer 3 and the outer shell 2 and routed from the transmission device 8 to an opening 11 in the outer shell 2, through which it exits from the outer shell 2 and then contacts the antenna 1. The corresponding course of the transmission line 10 and the placement of the opening 11, in the present case, are shown only for the first exemplary embodiment in FIG. 2.

[0043] The protective helmets shown each have one visor 13which is not shown only in the view of FIG. 1and a visor attaching means 14, which is attached to the outer shell 2 and on which the visor 13 is pivotably mounted. Furthermore, at least one cover 15 is disposed on the outer shell 2, wherein the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4 has two such covers 15.

[0044] In the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 as well as 4, the antenna 1 is completely disposed between such a cover 15 and the outer shell 2. From FIG. 2, it can be seen that in the first exemplary embodiment, the opening 11 is also located under the cover 15.

[0045] Thesinglecover 15 of the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 and of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3 is an aerodynamics device 16. The latter is disposed adjacent to the visor attaching means 14to which it is also attachedand smooths the rougher surface profile in the region of the visor attaching means 14 otherwise caused by the visor 13 and the visor attaching means 14. In addition, the aerodynamics device 16 has turbulators 17 for reducing the development of noise. The aerodynamics device 16 is attached to the visor attaching means 14 and thus shares the latter's attachment to the outer shell 2. Accordingly, in the first exemplary embodiment, the visor attaching means 14 is a structure 18 in the above-described sense, which as such results in a contoured surface profile.

[0046] In contrast, the cover 15 of the third exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4 is an adjustable feeding device 19, by means of which traveling air can be diverted in such a way that it enters through ventilation openings in the outer shell 2which are not shown herefor cooling purposes.

[0047] While the above describes certain embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the foregoing description is not intended to limit the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. It should also be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make any variations and modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. All such variations and modifications, including those discussed above, are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.