EP2674048A1

EP2674048A1 - Helmet provided with acoustic communication device

Info

Publication number: EP2674048A1
Application number: EP13171355.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Lucio Zancai; Stephane Cohen
Original assignee: Bell Racing Europe SA
Current assignee: Bell Racing Europe SA
Priority date: 2012-06-11
Filing date: 2013-06-11
Publication date: 2013-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 2033-06-11
Also published as: ITUD20120110A1; EP2674048B1

Abstract

A helmet (10) provided with half-chinbar and acoustic communication device which includes at least a microphone (30), comprising a protective shell (12) which has at least a front aperture (14) and a half-chinbar (13) which extends cantilevered from one side (17) of said front aperture (14) so as to have a free end (20) disposed in an intermediate position in said front aperture (14), to which said microphone (30) is associated. The helmet (10) comprises an anechoic device (40) associated to the free end (20) of the half-chinbar (13) and configured to cooperate with said microphone (30).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a protective helmet provided with an acoustic communication device and a half-chinbar, used when driving automobiles or motor vehicles, in particular but not exclusively in the field of automobile races and sports competitions, specifically but not restrictively in the field of rallies. However, it is not to be excluded that the present invention can also be used in the field of sports motorcycling or in other fields which envisage the use of protective helmets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known for the driver and/or passengers to use a protective helmet in automobile races. Generally, a helmet of the type in question is provided with a protective cover or shell for the head, which has a lower aperture in which the head is inserted, and a front aperture of which at least one function is to allow the wearer of the helmet to see.
Protective helmets are also known which include an acoustic communication device which includes a microphone and transceiver means to receive and communicate with the outside and inside.
In so-called integral helmets, the front aperture is limited to a front band which substantially affects the zone around the eyes, while at the lower part there is a continuous chinstrap on one side and the other of the cover, or shell, of the helmet, and integral therewith, which closes the lower front part of the cover to give greater protection to the user: the front and lower apertures are therefore distinct and separate from each other.
On the contrary, in the case of so-called open helmets, or jet helmets, the chinstrap is not normally provided and the helmet is open at the front, with a single continuous aperture constituting the front and lower aperture. Such open or jet helmets on the one hand can protect the wearer to a lesser degree, but on the other hand they give greater comfort and freedom, especially considering the high temperatures that can be reached for example in a close cockpit during an automobile race.
In particular, in rally races it is known to make a helmet in which there is a half-chinbar which does not extend from one side of the cover to the other, but is formed by an arm which extends cantilevered only partly on one side of the front aperture, and during use terminates substantially in correspondence with the user's mouth.
The half-chinbar is normally used to position the microphone in front of the mouth of the wearer, or in any case to facilitate their use. Generally, the driver and the passengers, for example the navigator, can communicate easily, using the microphones.
One problem in using microphones of the type discussed here is the disturbance to the audio communication coming from environmental noise, in particular coming from the drive members during driving, as well as from the movement of the vehicle on the road surface.
Purpose of the present invention is to obtain a helmet provided with an acoustic communication device and a half-chinbar which guarantees greater acoustic comfort in communication operations using the microphone, reducing the acoustic disturbances due to environmental noise during use, damping and dissipating the environmental noise and the echoes which can interfere with communication.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.
In accordance with the above purpose, a helmet according to the present invention is provided with an acoustic communication device which includes at least a microphone.
The helmet comprises a protective cover or shell which has at least a front aperture and a half-chinbar which extends cantilevered from one side of the front aperture so as to have a free end disposed in an intermediate position in the front aperture, to which the microphone is associated.
The helmet of the present invention comprises an anechoic device associated to the free end of the half-chinbar and configured to cooperate with the microphone.
In this way, thanks to the position of the anechoic device and its configuration, it is possible to guarantee greater acoustic comfort in communication operations using the microphone to the user wearing the helmet, reducing acoustic disturbances due to environmental noise during use, damping and dissipating the environmental noise and echoes which can interfere with communication.
Advantageously, the anechoic device is included in the half-chinbar. This guarantees an optimal acoustic coordination with the position of the microphone.
In one form of embodiment, the half-chinbar is formed by an arm, which has an internal surface facing toward the front aperture and extends cantilevered from one side of the front aperture toward the inside of the front aperture itself, having the free end in an intermediate position in the front aperture, so that, when in use, it is substantially in correspondence to the mouth of the user of the helmet.
In particular, the anechoic device is made in the free end of the arm of the half-chinbar, thus guaranteeing the possibility of functional integration, and in some conditions of use, also physical integration, with the microphone.
In one form of embodiment, the anechoic device comprises a plurality of acoustic dissipator elements which reflect with respect to each other, gradually damping, the sound energy associated to the acoustic waves of the environmental noise, dissipating the unwanted echoes. Advantageously the acoustic dissipator elements are made of a sound absorbing material, so as to increase the speed of abatement of the sound energy associated to the acoustic wave of the noise.
In one form of embodiment, the anechoic device comprises an anechoic chamber made in the half-chinbar, with which the microphone is associated.
In a variant, the anechoic chamber is made inside the internal surface of the half-chinbar. In this way, the anechoic device has a limited bulk also from the aesthetic point of view, and in any case performs its functions of reducing noise, and shields the microphone form the outside.
In a variant of the present invention, the acoustic dissipator elements are included in the anechoic chamber. This has the advantage of a direct cooperation of the acoustic dissipator elements with the microphone, with the purpose of reducing noise.
In one form of embodiment, the anechoic chamber is formed by a first lowered seating delimited by a first bottom and configured to develop around the microphone, reducing the surrounding noise disturbances in an optimal manner.
In one form of embodiment, the anechoic chamber comprises a second seating to completely or partly house the microphone. This can be advantageous so as to at least partly include the microphone, in some conditions of use, directly in the anechoic device, surrounding it and shielding it at the front and the side.
In a variant, the second seating is made on the first bottom of the anechoic chamber and is delimited by a second bottom. Advantageously, in one form of embodiment, a plurality of the acoustic dissipator elements extend protruding from the second bottom. This can be advantageous so as to limit the environmental noise even when the microphone is used distanced from the half-chinbar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

fig. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a helmet according to the present invention;
fig. 2 is a three-dimensional view of a part of the helmet in fig. 1;
fig. 3 is a three-dimensional view of an enlarged detail of the helmet in fig. 1;
fig. 4 is a three-dimensional view of another enlarged detail of the helmet in fig. 1;
fig. 5 is another three-dimensional view of the detail in fig. 4.

To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identity identical common elements in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF EMBODIMENT

With reference to the attached drawings, a helmet 10 according to the present invention can be used for example, but not only, during sports motor races and competitions, typically during rallies. Basically the helmet 10 in question is the open or jet helmet, provided with a half-chinbar as will be explained more fully hereafter.
The helmet 10 comprises a protective cover or shell 12 which has a front aperture 14, through which the user can see, and a lower aperture 15 into which the head is inserted; due to the open nature of the helmet, the apertures 14, 15 are a single whole.
The front aperture 14 is delimited laterally by two lateral lobes 17 of the shell 12.
The helmet 10 comprises a half-chinbar 13 which is associated to the shell 12 in substantial correspondence with one side of the front aperture 14.
In particular, the half-chinbar 13 is formed by an arm 16 which has an internal surface 19 facing toward the front aperture 14, and an external surface 21 opposite the internal surface 19.
The arm 16 is associated only to one of the two lateral lobes 17 of the shell 12 and extends cantilevered toward the inside of the front aperture 14.
In this case, the arm 16 has a first free end 20, in an intermediate position in the front aperture 14, so that during use it is substantially in correspondence to the mouth of the user of the helmet, and a second end 22 associated to the lobe 17 of the shell 12.
The helmet 10 comprises an acoustic communication device associated to the half-chinbar 13 to allow communication toward the outside.
In this case, the acoustic communication device includes a microphone 30.
The acoustic communication device of the helmet 10 can also be equipped with earphones, a signal amplifier and means to transmit and receive the audio signal, for example a transceiver antenna.
The microphone 30 can be positioned in correspondence to the first free end 20 of the arm 16 of the half-chinbar 13, generally in correspondence to the mouth of the user, on the side of the internal surface 19 of the half-chinbar 13, between the latter and the front aperture 14 of the shell 12.
The microphone 30 can be partly or completely housed in the half-chinbar 13, or it can be positioned distanced from it, but always between the half-chinbar 13 and the front aperture 14 of the shell 12 in order to receive the communications issued locally by the user.
The microphone 30 can be connected by means of an oblong connector 32, possibly to the signal amplifier and to the audio signal transceiver means.
In the case in point, the oblong connector 32 internally includes connection and transmission cables for the electric and/or acoustic signals coming from the microphone 30.
For example the oblong connector 32 can be made as a pipe or similar tubular element, and its position can be adjusted by the user according to needs, method of use or specific habits. Advantageously the oblong connector 32 is a flexible tubular element, for example a corrugated pipe made of plastic material as shown in the drawings, or which has articulation elements, so as to give the user the possibility of easily positioning the microphone 30 in the position which is most congenial and comfortable for him, at a desired distance from the mouth.
Advantageously, the oblong connector 32 can be completely or partly housed in an open positioning channel 36 made along the half-chinbar 13, in the case in point along the internal surface 19 of the half-chinbar 13. In this case the positioning channel 36 has a substantially U-shaped cross section.
According to the present invention, the helmet 10 comprises an anechoic device 40 associated to the microphone 30.
The anechoic device 40 is advantageously included in the half-chinbar 13, in particular, in this case it is made in correspondence to the first free end 20 of the arm 16.
The anechoic device 40 is configured to damp and dissipate the echoes of the noise from the surrounding environment, so that the acoustic signal received by the microphone 30 is less disturbed, in order to transmit the voice of the user as clearly as possible.
In this case, the anechoic device 40 comprises an anechoic chamber 42 made in the half-chinbar 13, to which the microphone 30 is associated.
In particular, the anechoic chamber 42 is built into the internal surface 19 of the half-chinbar 13.
The microphone 30 can thus be completely or partly housed or built into the anechoic chamber 42, as shown in fig. 2, or it can be positioned distanced from it.
Preferably the anechoic chamber 42 has a height, width and depth suitable to cover and protect the microphone 30 at the front with its bulk, and in some conditions of use selected by the user, also to house the microphone 30 inside it.
Advantageously, the half-chinbar 13 and in particular the arm 16 have a curvilinear cross section, at least in correspondence to the first free end 20 of the arm 16, where the anechoic device 40 is made, in particular with a concavity facing toward the front aperture 14 of the shell 12.
In this way, the anechoic device 40, and in particular the anechoic chamber 42, in their turn have a curvilinear section with a concavity facing toward the front aperture 14, and are able to frontally surround the microphone 30 which is associated to the first free end 20 of the arm 16, thus efficiently carrying out the function of reducing the acoustic disturbances and also shielding and protecting the microphone 30, both physically and acoustically, from the outside.
In some forms of embodiment, the anechoic device 40 comprises a plurality of acoustic dissipator elements 46, advantageously made in the anechoic chamber 42.
In the form of embodiment described in the example, each of the acoustic dissipator elements 46 is shaped with a tapered conformation, for example shaped like a cone or truncated cone, to exploit the damping and refection properties of the acoustic waves of this conformation. In other variants, the acoustic dissipator elements 46 could be shaped like a pyramid or truncated pyramid.
The number, disposition and distribution of the acoustic dissipator elements 46 is optimized according to the sizes of the anechoic chamber 42, both in depth and in surface extension, in order to determine the desired damping and dissipation of the noise.
In this case the anechoic chamber 42 is formed by a first lowered seating delimited by a first bottom 48 and configured to develop around the microphone 30, whether the latter is partly or completely housed in the anechoic chamber 42, or is distanced from the anechoic chamber 42.
In some forms of embodiment, a plurality of the acoustic dissipator elements 46 extend protruding from the first bottom 48. Advantageously, the acoustic dissipator elements 46 are distributed homogeneously on the first bottom 48, substantially covering all the area.
Advantageously the acoustic dissipator elements 46 are made of a sound proofing material.
In the solution where the acoustic dissipator elements 46 are tapered, their larger base is in correspondence to the first bottom 48.
Preferably, the first bottom 48 is also made of a sound proofing material.
Advantageously, the whole of the anechoic chamber 42, or a suitable part of it, is made of the sound proofing material.
Furthermore, in the case in point, advantageously in a position similar to the central one, the anechoic chamber 42 has a second seating 44 to completely or partly house, in some conditions of use, the microphone 30. To this end, the second seating is shaped with a shape mating to that of the microphone 30.
In the case in point, the second seating 44 is made on the first bottom 48 of the anechoic chamber 42, thus lowered with respect to it, and is delimited by a second bottom 52. A plurality of the acoustic dissipator elements 46 can extend protruding from the second bottom 52. Advantageously, the acoustic dissipator elements 46 are distributed homogeneously on the second bottom 52 as well, substantially covering all the area.
In one form of embodiment of the anechoic device 40, the ratio between the pitch, or interaxis, between two adjacent acoustic dissipator elements 46, for example on the first bottom 48 and/or on the second bottom 52, and the nominal size, for example the nominal diameter of one acoustic dissipator element 46, is comprised between about 0.5 and about 2.5, preferably between about 1 and about 2.
When the ratio is comprised between about 0.5 and about 1, two adjacent acoustic dissipator elements 46 reciprocally overlap. The ratio can be constant in the anechoic device 40 or can progressively vary from the center to the periphery, or also have a different variable development according to requirements.
In one form of embodiment of the anechoic device 40, all the acoustic dissipator elements 46 have the same shape and size. In another form of embodiment, the shape and/or size can be different according to requirements.
Advantageously, the anechoic chamber 42 has a lateral aperture 54 for direct communication with the positioning channel 36. As can be seen in figs. 3-5, the positioning channel 36 extends as far as the anechoic chamber 42 where, thanks to the lateral aperture 54, it faces inside the latter.
In this way, the oblong connector 32 can be easily positioned, according to requirements, completely or partly in the positioning channel 36, and the microphone 30 provided at the end of the oblong connector 32 can be put in the anechoic chamber 42, completely or partly housed inside it, in particular in the second seating 44, or can be distanced from the anechoic chamber 42, positioned at the front of it, in this case too, according to the user's requirements.
The microphone, 30, in some conditions or particular requirements or methods of use or preferred habits of the user, could be disposed closer to or farther from the mouth.
The present invention thus allows to put the microphone 30 where it is needed, remaining associated in any case, even at a distance, to the anechoic chamber 42, which thus carries out, in all the positions in which the microphone 30 can be placed, its function of dissipating noises and eliminating acoustic disturbances. This is particularly thanks to the curvilinear cross section of the anechoic chamber 42 as described above, which shields the microphone 30 at the front.
The solution in which the second seating 44 also comprises the acoustic dissipator elements 46 is advantageous particularly during conditions of use in which the microphone 30 is placed, during use, distanced from the anechoic chamber 42, since the acoustic dissipator elements 46 provided on the second bottom 52 damp and dissipate the noise which could possibly be propagated in the free space from the back part of the microphone 20 toward the second bottom 52.

Claims

Helmet provided with a half-chinbar and acoustic communication device which includes at least a microphone (30), comprising a protective shell (12) which has at least a front aperture (14) and a half-chinbar (13) which extends cantilevered from one side (17) of said front aperture (14) so as to have a free end (20) disposed in an intermediate position in said front aperture (14), to which said microphone (30) is associated, characterized in that it comprises an anechoic device (40) associated to said free end (20) of said half-chinbar (13) and configured to cooperate with said microphone (30).
Helmet as in claim 1, characterized in that the half-chinbar (13) is formed by an arm (16), which has an internal surface (19) facing toward the front aperture (14) and extends cantilevered from one side (17) of said front aperture (14) toward the inside of the front aperture (14), having said free end (20) in an intermediate position in the front aperture (14), so that, during use, it is substantially in correspondence to the mouth of the user of the helmet.
Helmet as in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said anechoic device (40) comprises a plurality of acoustic dissipator elements (46).
Helmet as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said anechoic device (40) comprises an anechoic chamber (42) made in the half-chinbar (13), to which the microphone (30) is associated.
Helmet as in claim 2 and 4, characterized in that said anechoic chamber (42) is built into the internal surface (19) of the half-chinbar (13).
Helmet as in claims 3 and 4 or 3 and 5, characterized in that the acoustic dissipator elements (46) are included in said anechoic chamber (42).
Helmet as in claims 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that said anechoic chamber (42) is by from a first lowered seating delimited by a first bottom (48) and configured to develop around the microphone (30).
Helmet as in claims 3 and 7, characterized in that a plurality of said acoustic dissipator elements (46) extend protruding from said first bottom (48).
Helmet as in any claim from 4 to 8, characterized in that at least part of said anechoic chamber (42) is made of sound proofing material.
Helmet as in any claim from 4 to 9, characterized in that said anechoic chamber (42) comprises a second seating (44) to completely or partly house said microphone (30).
Helmet as in claims 7 any 10 or 8 and 10, characterized in that the second seating (44) is made on the first bottom (48) of said anechoic chamber (42) and is delimited by a second bottom (52).
Helmet as in claims 3 and 11, characterized in that a plurality of said acoustic dissipator elements (46) extend protruding from said second bottom (52).
Helmet as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said acoustic communication device includes a connector (32) to connect the microphone (30) possibly to a signal amplifier and to transceiver means of the audio signal.
Helmet as in claim 13, characterized in that it comprises an open positioning channel (36) made along the half-chinbar (13) to house the connector (32).
Helmet as in claims 4 and 14, characterized in that the anechoic chamber (42) has a lateral aperture (54) for direct communication with the positioning channel (36).