PROTECTIVE HELMET PROVIDED WITH ANTI-DAZZLE VISOR

Abstract

Protecting helmet of the type including at least one inner shell made of a shock-absorbing material, the inner shell being covered with an outer shell on the outside and delimiting a front opening of the helmet, as well as at least one anti-dazzle visor constrained to the protecting helmet so that to rotate and/or translate with respect to the outer shell and to move between a lowered position interfering, at least partially, with such a front opening, and a raised position disengaging from the aforesaid front opening, and vice versa. Advantageously, the protecting helmet further includes an electric motor to operate the aforesaid anti-dazzle visor from its lowered position to its raised position, or vice versa, and an automatic control unit vocally operated to control the aforesaid motor.

Claims

1. Protecting helmet (1) of the type comprising at least one inner shell (3) made of a shock-absorbing material, the inner shell being covered with an outer shell (2) on the outside and delimiting a front opening (10) of the helmet, as well as at least one anti-dazzle visor (6) constrained to said protecting helmet (1) so that to rotate and/or translate with respect to said outer shell (2) and to move between a lowered position interfering, at least partially, with said front opening (10), and a raised position disengaging from said front opening (10), and vice versa, by comprising electrically operated motor means (11, 12, 13) to operate said at least one anti-dazzle visor (6) from said lowered position to said raised position, or vice versa, and an automatic control unit (18, 19) that is vocally operated to control said motor means (11, 12, 13).

2. Protecting helmet according to claim 1, wherein said motor means comprise at least one electric motor (11) operated by a direct current source.

3. Protecting helmet according to claim 2, wherein said motor means comprise at least one direct-current electric motor of the stepper type.

4. Protecting helmet according to claim 2, wherein said motor means comprise a translationally-operated driving rod (13) and a lever system (9, 14, 15) transmitting motion from said driving rod (13) to said anti-dazzle visor (6).

5. Protecting helmet according to claim 4, wherein said lever system (9, 14, 15) is integral with the anti-dazzle visor (6) and comprises at least one hinge pin (9) to hinge the anti-dazzle visor (6) to the outer shell (2) of the helmet (1), a load arm (14) constituted by at least part of the portion of the anti-dazzle visor (6) engaging the front opening (10) of the helmet, and an effort arm (15) constituted by a side appendage of said anti-dazzle visor (6) which is opposed, with respect to said at least one pin (9), to the portion of the anti-dazzle visor engaging said front opening (10), said effort arm (15) being constrained to the afore said driving rod (13).

6. Protecting helmet according to claim 4, wherein said motor means comprise a transforming apparatus (12) to transform the rotary motion of the output shaft of said at least one electric motor (11) into the translatory motion of said driving rod (13).

7. Protecting helmet according to claim 6, wherein said transforming apparatus is of nut screw and worm type.

8. Protecting helmet according to claim 1, further comprising at least one photovoltaic panel (22) and/or at least one battery for power supplying, directly or indirectly, at least said motor means (11, 12, 13) and said automatic control unit (18, 19).

9. Protecting helmet according to claim 8, wherein said at least one battery is a lithium-ion accumulator.

10. Protecting helmet according to claim 8, wherein said at least one photovoltaic panel (22) is of flexible type.

11. Protecting helmet according to any claim 1, wherein said vocally-operated automatic control unit comprises at least one microphone (19) facing at least the inside of the helmet (1), and a processing system (18) provided with a system memory, in order to capture and process the signals coming from said at least one microphone (19).

12. Protecting helmet according to claim 11, wherein said processing system (18) is programmable.

13. Protecting helmet according to claim 11, wherein said automatic control unit comprises a speech recognition module and a control module for controlling the afore said electrically operated motor means.

14. Protecting helmet according to claim 1, wherein said motor means (11, 12, 13) and said control unit (18, 19) are at least partially housed in seats obtained in said inner shell (3), under said outer shell (2).

15. Protecting helmet according to claim 1, comprising at least one inner speaker (21) and/or one inner camera and/or one outer camera and/or a radio communication system, which can be all operatively connected to said automatic control unit (18, 19).

16. Protecting helmet according to claim 1, wherein said motor means comprise a translationally-operated driving rod (13) and a lever system (9, 14, 15) transmitting motion from said driving rod (13) to said anti-dazzle visor (6).

17. Protecting helmet according to claim 3, wherein said motor means comprise a translationally-operated driving rod (13) and a lever system (9, 14, 15) transmitting motion from said driving rod (13) to said anti-dazzle visor (6).

18. Protecting helmet according to claim 2, further comprising at least one photovoltaic panel (22) and/or at least one battery for power supplying, directly or indirectly, at least said motor means (11, 12, 13) and said automatic control unit (18, 19).

19. Protecting helmet according to claim 3, further comprising at least one photovoltaic panel (22) and/or at least one battery for power supplying, directly or indirectly, at least said motor means (11, 12, 13) and said automatic control unit (18, 19).

20. Protecting helmet according to claim 4, further comprising at least one photovoltaic panel (22) and/or at least one battery for power supplying, directly or indirectly, at least said motor means (11, 12, 13) and said automatic control unit (18, 19).

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0026] Some preferred embodiments of the protecting helmet according to the present invention will be hereinafter described, for purposes of illustrations only and not limitative, referring to the attached figures, in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic side section view of a protecting helmet provided with an anti-dazzle visor (or sun visor);

[0028] FIG. 2 is a lateral view of a protecting helmet according to a particular aspect of the present invention;

[0029] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a protecting helmet according to an aspect of the present invention, some inner components of the same helmet being highlighted;

[0030] FIG. 4 is still a schematic side view of a protecting helmet according to a characteristic aspect of the present invention, some other inner components of the same helmet being highlighted; and

[0031] FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematizing the control system of the protecting helmet in a specific embodiment thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0032] Referring at first to FIG. 1, it is generically depicted a protecting helmet 1, preferably for motorcycle use, of the type comprisingas known in the artan outer shell 2, for example made of polycarbonate, glass fiber, carbon fiber, Kevlar or other substantially rigid material, and an inner shell 3, for example made of expanded polystyrene or expanded polypropylene (EPP) or other material able of impact absorption, arranged in a position under the outer shell 2 and intended for absorbing possible shocks the helmet 1 can be subjected to. According to the known art, under the inner shell 3 there is a pad 4, for example made of foam rubber, intended for increasing the user's comfort.

[0033] The outer shell 2, together with the inner shell 3, defines a lower opening for fitting the helmet 1 itself and a front opening 10 intended to overlap at least partially to the user's face.

[0034] The protecting helmet 1 further comprises a transparent outer visor 5, for example made of polycarbonate, acting as face protection against the outer environment (for example, against the front air flow or possible bad weather) and an inner semi-transparent visor 6 also made of polycarbonate but smoked or mirrored, with the function of anti-dazzle or sun visor.

[0035] A safety strap 7, arranged for closing the opening for fitting the protecting helmet 1 and named chin strap, completes the helmet 1 itself.

[0036] Herein and in the following, it has to be noted that the term anti-dazzle visor will be used, widely speaking, as a synonym of the sun visor term.

[0037] In the depicted embodiment of the protecting helmet 1, the anti-dazzle visor 6 is arranged on the inside with respect to the transparent visor 5, i.e. in a position closer to the user's face, and is rotatably and translatably shaped and assembled on the protecting helmet 1 so that to be moved, with respect to the outer shell 2, between a raised position in which it does not interfere with the front opening 10 of the helmet 1, and a lowered position in which it interferes partially with such an front opening 10, so that to protect the user's eyesight against possible high-intensity light rays, and vice versa.

[0038] Also the transparent outer visor 5, as known in the art, is assembled on the helmet 1 so that to be moved from a position interfering with the front opening 10 of the helmet 1 to a position disengaging from such a front opening 10, and vice versa.

[0039] Preferably, both the outer transparent visor 5 and the inner anti-dazzle visor 6 are pivoted on the outer shell 2 of the protecting helmet 1, by respective couple of coaxial pins 8 and 9 arranged on the sides of the same helmet 1 (see, for example, FIG. 3), so that the visors can be rotated around these pins 8, 9.

[0040] In particular, according to the known art, the outer transparent visor 5 can be manually operated by the user so that to rotate from its raised position to its lowered position, and vice versa.

[0041] Although a protecting helmet 1 provided with two visors 5, 6, a transparent one and an anti-dazzle one, has been shown herein, the present invention can be applied also to a protecting helmet 1 provided with only one visor of the anti-dazzle 6 type, such as for example the anti-dazzle visor of a so-called jet helmet, as the person skilled of the art will immediately understand.

[0042] Analogously, although an embodiment of a protecting helmet 1 has been shown herein, in which the anti-dazzle 6 is on the inside with respect to the outer transparent visor 5 and both the visors 5, 6 are pivoted to the outer shell 2 of the helmet, every other reciprocal arrangement of these visors 5, 6 and every other constraint thereof to the protecting helmet 1, allowing the raising and the lowering of at least the anti-dazzle 6, can equally be implemented in the helmet 1 without departing from the protection scope of the present invention.

[0043] Moreover, also if the FIG. 1 herein reported depicts a solution in which the anti-dazzle visor 6 in its raised position can be housed in a seat obtained in the inner shock-absorbing shell 3, any other solution known in the art, such as for example the arrangement of the anti-dazzle visor 6 in a position outside of the same outer shell 2 or in a position partially interposed between the inner shell 3 and the outer shell 2, shall be used in the helmet 1 herein described, without departing from the protection limits claimed for the present invention.

[0044] Advantageously, according to the present invention, the protecting helmet 1 herein depicted as an example further comprises electrically operated motor means 11, 12, 13 that, once connected to the anti-dazzle visor 6, will allow the assisted movement of the latter from its position of at least partial interference with the front opening 10 of the helmet 1 to its position of disengagement from such a front opening 10, and vice versa.

[0045] Moreover, the protecting helmet 1 according to the invention further comprises a vocally-operated automatic control unit 18, 19 operatively connected to the aforesaid motor means 11, 12, 13 to adjust the working thereof and then allow the automatically adjusted displacement of the anti-dazzle visor 6 between the two aforesaid positions of interference and disengagement from the front opening 10 of the protecting helmet 1 itself.

[0046] In the particular embodiment of the present invention herein depicted, referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, the motor means 11, 12, 13 and the respective vocally-operated automatic control unit 18, 19 are all powered by at least one battery, for example contained in a housing 16 obtained in a back area of the outer shell 2, and by at least one photovoltaic panel 22 for example arranged on an upper area of the same outer shell 2 of the helmet 1.

[0047] More in detail the photovoltaic panel 22, that can be of thin-film flexible type, can be for example connected through an appropriate transformer to a battery power supply preferably constituted by an accumulator of the lithium-ion type, and in turn such a battery can be electrically connected, through an appropriate circuitry, both to the motor means 11, 12, 13 and to the respective vocally-operated automatic control unit 18, 19.

[0048] In this way, the motor means 11, 12, 13 and the automatic control unit 18, 19 are preferably direct-current powered indirectly by the photovoltaic panel 22 and, directly, by the lithium-ion battery or accumulator.

[0049] It has to be observed that the herein depicted protecting helmet 1, according to a characteristic aspect of the present invention, further comprises an outer battery charging system allowing to aforesaid battery to be charged, for example constituted by a lithium-ion accumulator, by an outer power supply connectable to the latter through an appropriate connector made outside of the outer shell 2 of the helmet 1.

[0050] Such a supplying connector, together with the connector for connecting and controlling the automatic control unit 18, 19, can be preferably housed in an appropriate header 20 placed on the bottom on the outer shell 2 of the helmet 1.

[0051] Although a hybrid system for powering the motor means 11, 12, 13 and the respective automatic control unit 18, 19 of the protecting helmet 1 have been herein depicted according to the present invention, it should be clear that any other supplying system known in the art can be alternatively used, for example based on photovoltaic panels only or one rechargeable battery only or any other known electric power supply.

[0052] In the same way, although it has been herein referred to a direct current supply, it is possible to implement an alternating current supply at least for the motor means, without departing from the protective scope of the invention herein described.

[0053] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention herein depicted, the motor means 11, 12, 13 comprise a direct-current electric motor 11 constrained, for example by a hinge, to the outer shell 2 of the helmet 1 and that can be, advantageously, of the stepper type so as to allow an accurate, i.e. extremely precise, operation adjustment of the respective automatic control unit 18, 19.

[0054] As can be seen in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the electrically operated motor means further comprise a driving rod or pin 13 at least translationally operated along a reciprocating rectilinear motion, and a lever system 9, 14, 15 transmitting the motion of the driving rod 13 to the anti-dazzle visor 6.

[0055] The driving rod 13 is kinematically connected to the electric motor 11 by a transforming apparatus 12 to transform the rotary motion of the output shaft of the same electric motor 11 into the translatory motion of such a driving rod, or pin, 13. As schematically depicted, such a transforming apparatus 12 can be of the nut screw and worm type, wherein the nut screw rotation, due to the motor 11 and provided with apposite nut screw engaging the thread of the worm, causes the roto-translation of the worm itself and, in particular, the reciprocating translation of such worm as the rotation way of the nut screw alternates.

[0056] The worm of the transforming apparatus 12 is constrained, for example by a fork, to an end of the driving rod or pin 13, the latter being in turn constrained at its other end to the afore said lever system 9, 14, 15, for example by a pin.

[0057] According to a preferred aspect of the present invention such a lever system can be integral with the anti-dazzle visor 6, i.e. it can be made in one piece with the screen of the latter and can therefore comprise a fulcrum coincident with the hinge pin 9 of the anti-dazzle visor 6 hinging to the outer shell 2 of the helmet 1, and two substantially coaxial arms arranged at opposite sides with respect to the afore said pin 9.

[0058] More in detail, referring to FIG. 4, the lever system herein denoted comprises a load arm 14 constituted by at least part of the portion (screen) of the anti-dazzle visor 6 engaging the front opening 10 of the helmet 1, and in particular is constituted by the upper part of such a screen of the anti-dazzle visor 6, and an effort arm 15 constituted by a side appendage of the screen of the anti-dazzle visor 6 itself. Such an effort arm 15 is constrained to the driving rod 13, for example by a hinge.

[0059] In this way, as it will be evident to the person skilled of the art, the operation of the electric motor 11 causes the rotation of the nut screw and the corresponding roto-translation of the worm of the transforming apparatus 12 in a given way and, consequently, the translation of the driving rod or pin 13. The latter in its turn, thanks to the constraint with the afore said effort arm 15, causes the rotation of the lever system 9, 14, 15 and, therefore, the raising or loweringdepending on the translation way of the driving rod 13of the anti-dazzle visor 6 with respect to the front opening 10 of the protecting helmet 1.

[0060] It has to be observed that other type of electric motors can be alternatively used with the lever system 9, 14, 15, for example of linear type, and other type of means for transmitting the motion from the electric motor 11 to the anti-dazzle visor 6 can be alternatively used without departing from the protective scope herein claimed.

[0061] It has to be further observed that, even if a protecting helmet 1 is herein described and provided with electrically operated motor means 11, 12, 13 comprising only one direct-current electric motor 11 arranged on a side of the outer shell 2 of the helmet 1, it is possible as well the use of two direct-current electric motors of the stepper type, which are arranged at the two sides of the outer shell 2 and mutually synchronized.

[0062] According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the afore said vocally-operated automatic control units 18, 19 for adjusting the motor means 11, 12, 13, referring to the scheme of FIG. 3, comprises at least one microphone 19 arranged so that to capture the user's voice inside the protecting helmet 1, and a processing system 18 obviously provided with a microprocessor, with at least one system bus and a respective memory of RAM and/or ROM type, which is operatively connected to the afore said microphone 19 to capture and process the signals coming from such a microphone 19 in order to detect one or more voice controls and translate them into operative controls for the motor means 11, 12, 13.

[0063] For this purpose, the control unit 18, 19 comprises a first speech recognition module and a second controlling/driving module to control/drive the electrically operated motor means and, in particular, the electric stepper motor 11, and the afore said processing system 18 is of programmable type.

[0064] It has to be noticed that with the term module it is herein referred to any system known in the art of hardware and/or software type and, for example, implemented by respective circuit boards driven by the afore said processing system 18, which allows the same processing system 18 to be interfaced with outside devices, such as exactly the microphone 19 and the electric motor 11.

[0065] Then the vocal signals coming from the microphone 19 conveniently arranged inside the inner shell 3 to capture the user's voice, are transmitted to the speech recognition module of the control unit 18, 19 and conveniently processed and, once recognized by the processing system, for example by frequency analysis and comparison with patterns pre-stored in the system memory, are converted to driving controls to drive the output shaft of the electric motor 11 in a way or the other way, therefore causingthanks for example to the transforming apparatus 12, the driving rod 13 and the lever system 9, 14, 15the controlled raising or lowering of the anti-dazzle visor 6 with respect to the front opening 10 of the protecting helmet 1.

[0066] For example the control unit 18, 19, thanks to the speech recognition module, will be able to recognize simple controls given by the user to the helmet, such as Raise or Lower, the corresponding action of raising or lowering the anti-dazzle visor 6 following these controls thanks to the controlling/driving module of the motor means 11, 12, 13.

[0067] Implementing the programmability of the processing system 18 of the control unit separately from the common use of the userfor example by providing two distinct operating modes of the same processing system 18, one of user's type having the only possibility of giving predefined controls and the other one of administrator type with the exclusive possibility (for example by password) of programming the same system 18assures high use flexibility of the control unit, the adaptation thereof to different languages and controls, in addition to the possible use thereof with other auxiliary devices that can be possibly implemented in the herein described protecting helmet 1.

[0068] As mentioned, the programming of the control unit 18, 19 can be carried out from the outside of the protecting helmet 1 thanks to the possible connection of outside programming instruments, such as for example outside processors, to the afore said processing system 18 through an appropriate connector able to be housed in the aforesaid header 20.

[0069] Moreover, the control unit 18, 19 or the respective speech recognition module can be programmed to allow an initial step of learning the vocal controls given through the microphone 19, such that the recognition precision of the same vocal controls is increased.

[0070] Preferably, the motor means 11, 12, 13, the lever system 9, 14, 15 and, above all, the automatic control units 18, 19 are designed so that to allow the anti-dazzle visor 6 to be displaced only to one of the two positions completely raised, i.e. disengaged from the front opening 10 of the helmet 1, or completely lowered, i.e. partially interfering with such a front opening 10, so that the user is not allowed to move in an assisted way the anti-dazzle visor 6 to intermediate positions.

[0071] Still preferably, according to another aspect of the present invention, the protecting helmet 1 can comprise means 17 to manually operate the anti-dazzle visor 6, which allow the latter to be raised or lowered manually by the user, so that possible malfunctions of the motor means 11, 12, 13 or the automatic control unit 18, 19 can be compensated.

[0072] The motor means 11, 12, 13 and the control unit, comprising at least the microphone 19 and the processing system 18 with the respective speech recognition module and the controlling/driving module to control/drive the motor means 11, 12, 13, are preferably arranged in apposite housings obtained in the inner shock-absorbing shell 3 or between such an inner shell 3 and the outer shell 2.

[0073] According to a preferred aspect of the present invention as schematically shown in FIG. 5, the protecting helmet 1 can comprise one or more auxiliary devices operatively connected to the control unit 18, 19 and, in particular, to the processing system 18.

[0074] For example, the protecting helmet 1 can comprise a speaker 21 also preferably arranged in a housing obtained in the inner shell 3, that allows the control unit 18, 19 to transmit signals or information to the user or, if coupled with the radio communication system for example a Bluetooth system and with the cooperation of the microphone 19, can allow the user to use an outside telephone device, for example, or an intercom system between the two helmets.

[0075] The use of a radio communication system, for example of Bluetooth type, can further allow the above described control unit 18, 19 to be interfaced to other outside devices, for example a controlling device to control vehicle lights or to heat a thermostated jacket, thus allowing the user to control such outside devices by vocal controls without the need of taking away one hand or even only some fingers from the handlebar or steering wheel.

[0076] Furthermore, the protecting helmet 1 can be provided with an outside camera, not illustrated, for example fixed to the top of the outer shell 2 and able to shoot images and store them on an appropriate storing medium. Even this outside camera can be interfaced with the afore said control unit 18, 19 and then be vocally controlled by the user of the protecting helmet 1.

[0077] Finally, due to the growing miniaturization of these components, the protecting helmet 1 can be further provided with an inner camera, i.e. arranged in an upper position of the helmet 1for example in a housing obtained in the inner shell 3and facing the user's face so that, once the camera has been interfaced to the control unit 18, 19, it can be used by the processing system 18 to verify the user's fatigue level and then, possibly, to allow generating an alarm signal for the same user, for example by the speaker 21.

[0078] Obviously, additional auxiliary devices or variations or improvements for the above described protecting helmet 1 can be made without departing from the protection scope herein claimed.