Patent Application
20090300827
The present invention relates to apparatuses using windshields to reduce the whistling sounds from winds audible to the riders of open-top vehicles.
In the following description, the directional terms “lateral”, “vertical”, and “front-to-rear” refer to the orientations of the apparatus according to the present invention as the apparatus is worn by the user of the apparatus with his head positioned upright such that the orientations for the rider correspond to the apparatus orientations. The term “outside” refers to locations farther from the body of the user than locations referred to as “inside”. That is, as for the components attached in the vicinity of the left ear, the left side is positioned outside and the right side is positioned inside. The term “head” refers to the part of the body above the neck.
The phrase “surrounding sounds” refers to all the sounds audible to the user except for those produced in the vicinity of the ears.
When a person is riding an open-top vehicle with his ears exposed, he hears the whistling sounds of the apparent headwind produced by the wind hitting his earlobes (4). This causes the following two undesirable conditions:
1. The sounds may hinder the rider from clearly hearing the surrounding sounds, thus increasing the danger in riding. In particular, the sounds greatly reduce the user's ability to notice vehicles approaching from behind.
2. The constant whistling sounds may place the rider under psychological stress and cause hearing difficulties.
If the ear lobes (4) of the rider are completely covered by the dome part of a helmet or a fabric or leather cover, none of the above-described whistling sounds will be generated. This, however, results in the problem of making it more difficult to hear the surrounding sounds. In addition, due to the poor heat dissipation in the vicinity of the user's ears, wearing such covers in summer becomes an agonizing experience.
Certain models of fabric or leather covers for completely covering the ear lobes (4) include holes provided in the vicinity of the ear holes (5) to permit sound propagation. One such example is described in claim 4 of Japanese Utility Model Application No. 8-11556. This solves the problem of difficulty in hearing the surrounding sounds. However, the poor heat dissipation in the vicinity of the user's ears still remains unsolved by this.
The following drawbacks are recognized in the apparatuses described in claims 1 and 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,493: The windshields A (1) lessen the wind hitting the earlobes (4) to diminish the whistling sounds that would be heard if the apparatus was not used. However, the apparent headwind causes the windshields A (1) to vibrate, and this in turn creates a new inconvenience of generating high-frequency sounds audible to the user. In order to eliminate these sounds, the windshields A (1) need to be formed with high vibration damping properties. In reality, it is often the case that sufficiently high vibration damping properties are not realized, thus producing high-frequency sounds that are audible to the user. The windshields A (1) of the present invention correspond to the air deflectors of the above-referenced patent.
The apparatus according to the present invention is intended to offer the following four features:
1. To reduce the whistling sounds.
2. To allow the surrounding sounds to reach the ears of the user.
3. To provide sufficient heat dissipation in the vicinity of the ears of the user.
4. To prevent any additional sounds that the apparatus may produce from being audible to the user.
Windshields A (1) and sound insulating plates (2) are disposed and secured forward of the user's ears. Each windshield A (1) provides cover forward of the user's earlobe (4) or from the front and extending to the side thereof, and the sound insulating plate (2) is positioned between the ear hole (5) and the windshield A (1). No cover is provided that covers the entire ear. Neither the windshield A (1) nor the sound insulating plate (2) comes into contact with the earlobe (4). The ears are mostly exposed to the open air such that the earlobes (4) of the user are not visible from the behind.
If necessary, an additional windshield B (25) is disposed forward of each windshield A (1) below the helmet (3). Alternatively, one windshield B (25) is provided, omitting either or both of the windshield A (1) and the sound insulating plate (2). The differences between the windshield A (1) and the windshield B (25) will be discussed in details later in the Best Modes to Carry Out the Invention and the Embodiment sections.
The apparent headwind is blocked by the windshields A (1) and does not reach the earlobes (4) and the ear holes (5) of the user. This eliminates the whistling sounds that may have been audible before use of the apparatus. Simultaneously, as an adverse effect, the head wind causes the windshields A (1) to vibrate and thus produce high frequency sounds.
The apparent headwind is blocked by the windshields A (1) and does not reach the sound insulating plates (2). Accordingly, the sound insulating plates (2) do not vibrate or make any sounds. The aforementioned sounds generated by the vibration of the windshields A (1) are blocked by the sound insulating plates (2) without reaching the ear holes (5) of the user.
Due to these effects, no sounds produced by the apparent headwind are audible to the user.
Since the user's earlobes (4) are mostly exposed to the open air, a sufficient level of heat dissipation in the vicinity of the earlobes is secured. For the same reason, the surrounding sounds reach the ear holes (5) of the user without attenuation.
In comparison with claims 1 and 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,493, the windshields A (1) may not be allowed to vibrate, thus reducing their weight and simplifying their structure.
As a secondary effect, as the rear sides of the sound insulating plates (2) reflect sounds produced behind the user, thus improving the audibility of the sounds coming to the user from behind. As an additional secondary effect, the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) function as shock absorbers that may protect the sides of the user's head in an accident.
The objectives and the effects of providing the windshields B (25) are as follows:
If the only windshields provided are the windshields A (1), the apparent headwind is abruptly redirected within a short distance, such that if the lateral length (18) of the windshield A (1) is short, the wind would flow around the rear end of the windshields (1) toward the respective ear holes (5), thereby readily creating turbulence. Accordingly, the lateral length (18) of the windshields A (1) would have to be long in order to reduce the noise level in the vicinity of the ear holes (5). Increasing the lateral length (18) would spoil the appearance and increases the air resistance of the apparatus. Moreover, wind would strike against the front edges of the windshields A (1) and produce sound in the vicinity of the ear holes (5). As this would require sound insulating plates (2) to have very high sound insulating properties, the plates would have to be thick and over-sized.
When the windshields B (25) are installed, the wind directions is changed gently, thus reducing the occurrence of the aforementioned turbulence even if the lateral length of the windshields A (1) is short.
Additionally, the head wind generates sounds as it strikes against the front edges of the windshields B (26). However, the sources of these sounds are farther from the ear holes (5) than if the windshields A (1) alone are provided. Accordingly, these sounds are less likely to reach the ear holes (5), allowing size reduction, simplification, or omission of the sound insulating plates (2).
In a situation where the user leans his head forward with the helmet (3) on, providing the windshields B (25) will prove even more effective for the reason below.
As shown in
The domes of commercially available helmets have thicknesses of 2 to 3 centimeters and the majority of windshields A (1) have lateral lengths of about 3 centimeters. If the windshields B (25) fill the space between the lower end (26) of the helmet and the outermost protruding edges of the windshields B (25), as shown in
According to the present invention, it is assumed that the windshields B (25) are used in conjunction with the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2), it need not be mentioned that the windshields B (25) should be effective without one or both of the other two components.
One method of installing an apparatus to reduce the whistling sounds from winds on the temple (27) is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,769. The effect of the invention of this U.S. patent is to employ a “shaped fiber filter” to change turbulence occurring in the vicinity of the apparatus into a laminar airflow and allow the airflow to blow past it. The windshields B (25) of the present invention are intended to allow the apparent headwind to flow several centimeters off the sides of the user's head. As such, the purposes of the two differ.
Methods for supporting the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) will be described in embodiments later. The main points other than these methods are indicated in Items 1 to 14 below.
1. The windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) are in contact with the side surfaces of the user's head forward of the ear holes (5). The effect improves as these elements are brought closer to the ear hole (5).
2. The windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) should have basic shapes of flat, curved, or bent plates. They may not necessarily be formed as plates insofar as they do not cause excessive turbulence.
3. The windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) may have three possible orientations: they may be oriented straight outward, leaned rearward, and curved or bent at a halfway point.
4. The windshields A (1) should have a vertical dimension of at least 3 centimeters. Although there is no upper limit to the vertical dimension, the apparatus does not increase its effectiveness if the windshields extend more than two centimeters beyond the upper or lower ends of the earlobes (4). As discussed below in Embodiments 1 and 2, when the windshields A (1) are supported on the helmet (3), the upper ends of the windshields A (1) are preferably connected to the helmet (3).
5. The windshields A (1) should have a minimum lateral dimension of 1 centimeter. If the windshields extend more than five centimeters beyond the upper or lower ends of the earlobes (4), the apparatus does not increase its effectiveness. If the upper and lower ends of the windshields A (1) are tapered or rounded, those portions may be less than one centimeter.
6. In the configurations shown in
7. Preferably, the sound insulating plates (2) have sufficient dimensions to completely cover the space between the windshields A (1) and the ear holes (5). Preferably, the sound insulating plates (2) do not extend beyond the windshields A (1) as seen from the front. If the sound insulating plates (2) are allowed to extend beyond the windshields A (1), the amounts of extension at the upper and lower ends should be 5 mm or less as seen from the front.
8. The windshield A (1) and the sound insulating plate (2) should not come into contact with each other due to their vibration and deformation.
9. It is acceptable to leave gaps of about 5 mm between the user's head and the parts of the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) that would otherwise come into contact with the user's head. Ideally, no gaps should be formed. For that purpose, a soft material or a cushioning material may be advantageously used for the elements that come into contact with the user's head. It may also be advantageous to employ a spring mechanism or the elasticity of the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) to bring the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) into intimate contact with the side surfaces of the user's head.
10. The materials of the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) should be of such stiffness that they are not readily deformed by wind pressure or vibration. Rubbers and soft resins are the suitable materials. If these materials lack stiffness, a core material should be used to increase the stiffness. They should be securely fixed so as not to be easily displaced by the vibration and the wind pressure that occur during riding.
11. Holes (7) allowing passage of eyeglass temples may be formed through the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) as required. It will be advantageous to plug the holes with sponges (8) to prevent wind from passing through. If the user does not wear glasses, the temple holes (7) may be plugged with separate elements.
This will be discussed further in Embodiment 3.
12. To accommodate a range of the physical constitutions of different users, it may be advantageous to provide a mechanism for adjusting the positions in which the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) are attached.
13. In a simplified method, each windshield A (1) and one sound insulating plate (2) may be made as a single, continuous element with the front portion (16) serving as the windshield and the rear portion (17) serving as the sound insulating plate. This corresponds to claim 2 of the present invention.
14. In another simplified method, the sound insulating plates (2) may be attached to the windshields A (1). In this case, the area of attachment between the two elements should be minimized rather than the entire opposing surfaces thereof being bonded. Alternatively, the sound insulating plates (2) may be attached to the windshields A (1) via support rods.
In the two simplified methods described above in Items 13 and 14, the sound insulating plates (2) no longer come into contact with the sides of the user's head, such that each sound insulating plate (2) does not completely cover the space between the windshield A (1) and the ear hole (5). In other words, this is an exception to what is discussed in Item 7.
Items 9, 10, 11, and 12 above are applicable to the windshields B (25) to be discussed below.
The following concerns the windshields B (25):
15. The above-described effect is achieved if the frond edges of the windshields B (25) are located at least five centimeters forward of the centers of the ear holes (5). When the user is wearing a helmet (3), the wind flows rapidly above the centers of the user's ear holes in the vicinity of the earlobes. Accordingly, the windshields B (25) need not cover the windshields A (1) completely as seen from the front. Rather, all that is required is to locate the lower edges of the windshields B below the centers of the ear holes (5). The upper edges of the windshields are preferably in intimate contact with the lower edge of the helmet and when they are not in contact with the helmet (3), the upper edges should be located no more than 5 mm below the helmet's lower edge.
16. As shown in Embodiments 7 and 8 below, if the windshields are integrated with the helmet (3), the boundaries that define the windshields may become somewhat ambiguous. For the sake of convenience, it is assumed that one windshield comprises the portion forward of the center of the ear hole (5) below the top (30) of the base of the earlobe (4), and the portion rear of and below the center of the ear hole (5). The reason for distinguishing the two portions at the center of the ear hole (5) is that the rear portion is not necessary for noise reduction but may be required for ornamental purposes. See
17. As later shown in Embodiments 7 and 8, if each of the windshields A (1) and each of the windshields B (25) are integrated into a single element with the two no longer distinguishable from each other, Item 6 above is applied to the position of the rear end of the integral windshield A+B (35). However, if the rear end is positioned at the center of the ear hole or forward of the forwardmost part of the earlobe, the whistling sounds from winds will be reduced sufficiently. The provisions set forth in Items 15 and 16 are otherwise applied.
18. As shown in
19. The line defined by the front edge of each windshield B (25) is preferably inclined rearward toward its bottom as seen in
20. In the locations where the windshields A (1), the windshields B (25), the helmet (3), and the user's head either approach or come into contact with one another, it is more desirable to have as small a gap or step as possible existing therebetween. Particularly, it should be no longer than one centimeter long and 5 mm long or less, if possible.
21. It is preferable to support the windshields B (26) by connecting them to the lower end of the helmet (3). It is even more preferable to provide an attachment/detachment mechanism or a position adjustment mechanism. If thermoplastic elastomer is used for part of or the whole of the windshields, the user or the dealer can make fine adjustments of their shape to fit to the shape of the user's head. Thermoplastic elastomer may also be used for the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2).
Windshields A (1) and sound insulating plates (2) are attached to the upper end of the dome of a helmet (3). This is suited for the type of helmets that cover the user's head above the ears and have a thin chinstrap. Bicycle helmets and some of motorcycle helmets fall into this category.
This adds to the apparatus of Embodiment 1 a mechanism to detachably attach the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2). The windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) are connected to the helmet (3) via mounts A (12) and secured by slip-off prevention mechanisms. When the apparatus is not used, the attachment/detachment lugs (10) are pulled down to detach the apparatus.
The windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) are attached to the chinstrap (6) of a helmet (3). This method is suited for a type of helmets that cover the user's head above the ears and have a wide, belt-type chinstrap. Horseracing helmets and some of motorcycle helmets fall into this category.
It is even more preferable for the apparatus to be made detachable. In the illustrated example, the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2) are attached to the mounts B (14), which are secured to the chinstrap (6) with fabric hook-and-loop fastener tapes (15). This renders the apparatus detachable.
For those users who do not wear helmets, the apparatus may be secured with an arched support as in a headset.
This integrates the windshield A (1) and the windshield B (25) of Embodiment 5. In the illustrated embodiment, the cross sectional shape of the parts constituting the windshield A (1) is what is shown in Figure *.
This integrates the windshields A (1) and the windshields B (25) with the helmet (3).
This integrates the windshields B (25) with the helmet (3). As the windshields B reduce the whistling sounds from winds to some degree, one may usually use the helmet (3) without the windshields A (1) and the sound insulating plates (2), such that the windshields B may be attached only when it is necessary to particularly reduce the whistling sounds from winds.
In this embodiment, the helmet (3) including a thick chinstrap is provided with the windshields B (25) and the sound insulating plates (2) only. The chinstrap (6) serves as the windshields A (1). This system is useful for helmets with chinstraps of thicknesses of approximately two centimeters or greater. Although the sound insulating plates (2) are provided in the illustrated embodiment, a significant reduction in the whistling sounds from winds may be obtained without these plates.
The present invention effectively eliminates the whistling sounds from winds that would be otherwise heard by a person who is subjected to a steady apparent headwind. The present invention is applicable to all situations where this occurs.
Main intended users are riders of open-top vehicles. When riding an open-top vehicle, it is desirable to wear a helmet covering the entire head for safety. However, there still exist cases where helmets that expose ears are selected. Alternatively, there are cases where helmets are not worn. Accordingly, there is a need for the present invention.
In addition to the above, the present invention may be employed in working conditions of high winds or in sports where players move predominantly in forward directions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-381361 | Dec 2005 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2006/326421 | 12/28/2006 | WO | 00 | 7/1/2009 |
