The invention relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to mask-based communications. In particular, the invention relates to the mounting of a hand-held (or non-mask-supported) electrical device, such as a lapel mic (microphone), on a mask, so that a mask wearer can communicate electronically.
Protective gas masks or face masks provide breathing capabilities while protecting the mask user from noxious gases, smoke, etc. People wearing the masks often have a need to communicate with one another, particularly during emergency situations. To this end, police, fire, emergency medical service, security and military personnel often carry two-way radios as standard issue equipment. The two way radio often has connected to it a lapel mic, which is a microphone-speaker assembly hardwired to the radio with a coiled wire for releasable connection to the user's clothing via a lapel clip or lapel connector. Wearing a conventional gas mask or face mask in emergency situations can make the use of such standard issue two-way radios difficult or impossible because the masks cover, among other things, the wearer's mouth. Thus, the user's voice can not get out of the mask to the microphone of the male microphone. Alternatively, the user has to manually hold the lapel mic adjacent a voice emitter port of the mask.
The present invention relates to an adapter assembly for use with a lapel mic that has a microphone and a speaker. The adapter assembly is for releasably supporting the lapel mic on a mask. The adapter assembly comprises a mask adapter for mounting on the mask, and a lapel adapter for mounting on the lapel mic. The lapel adapter is releasably connectable with the mask adapter to support the lapel mic on the mask.
The invention also relates to an adapter assembly for use with a lapel mic that has a lapel connector for releasably supporting the lapel mic on a wearer's lapel and that has a microphone and a speaker. The adapter assembly is for releasably supporting the lapel mic on a mask. The adapter assembly has a sound opening that enables sound to pass from the mask through the adapter assembly to the microphone of the lapel mic when the lapel mic is supported by the adapter assembly on the voice emitter port of the mask. The lapel connector of the lapel mic is accessible through the adapter assembly when the adapter assembly is connected with the lapel mic.
The invention also relates to apparatus comprising a mask having a voice emitter, a lapel mic having a lapel connector for releasably connecting the lapel mic to an article of clothing of a user, and an adapter assembly for releasably connecting the lapel mic with the mask. The lapel mic is alternatively connectable either with the mask by the adapter assembly or with the article of clothing by the lapel connector.
The invention also relates to a method comprising the steps of attaching a lapel adapter to a lapel mic, attaching a mask adapter to a mask, and connecting the lapel mic to the mask.
The invention relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to mask-based communications. In particular, the invention relates to the mounting of a hand-held (or non-mask-supported) electrical device, such as a lapel mic, on a mask, to facilitate mask communication. The invention is applicable to mask communication devices of various types, including adapter assemblies for supporting lapel mics on masks, of various different types and constructions. The invention is not limited to the following description or the illustrated embodiments.
As representative of the invention,
The mask 14 (
The lapel mic 12 is a known device that is attached to a walkie talkie 30 by, for example, a coiled wire 32. The lapel mic 12 may alternatively have a wireless link with the walkie talkie 30. The lapel mic 12 has a speaker grille (opening) 34 along its front major side surface 36, through which incoming signals to the lapel mic are broadcast for the user to hear. The lapel mic 12 has a microphone 38 which is located typically at an upper corner of the lapel mic, at the edge of the front surface 36. The microphone 38 picks up the user's voice and transmits it through the coiled wire 32. The lapel mic 12 also has a push to talk button 40, typically on a side of the lapel mic. The lapel mic 12 further includes a belt clip or lapel clip 42 which is a known clip on the back major side surface 43 for attaching the lapel mic to, for example, a lapel or pocket of other item 44 of the wearer's clothing as shown in
The adapter assembly 10 as illustrated in
The mask adapter 50 has a main body portion 52 that clamps onto or is otherwise secured to the voice emitter port 20. For example, the mask adapter 50 may be secured to the voice emitter port by a screw clamp 54. A mask adapter in accordance with the invention could have a different configuration or construction and could be connected with another part of a mask, for example, a part other than the voice emitter.
The mask adapter 50 has a slot 56 that opens upward when the mask adapter is installed on the mask 14 and the mask is in use. The slot 56 is defined by a wall portion 58 of the mask adapter 50 that is spaced outwardly from the main body portion 52 with the slot between them. There is a generally U-shaped opening 60 into the slot 56. The mask adapter 50 has a latch 62 adjacent the slot 56, and a latch release member 64 that is manually engageable to release the latch.
The mask adapter 50 has a sound opening 66 through which sound from the voice emitter 20 can pass to a location outside the mask 14 and outside the mask adapter. In the illustrated embodiment, the sound opening 66 is formed as a plurality of small openings 68.
The lapel adapter 70 in the illustrated embodiment includes a first part 72 and a second part 74. A lapel adapter in accordance with the invention could have a different configuration or construction.
The first part 72 of the lapel adapter 70 has an elongate bar portion 75 with bent end portions 76 for engaging the second part 74. The second part 74 of the lapel adapter 70 has an elongate bar portion 78 with bent end portions 80 for engaging the end portions 76 of the first part 72 and for receiving fasteners.
The first part 72 of the lapel adapter 70 has a body portion 82 that extends upward (as viewed in
The first part 72 of the lapel adapter 70 fits around the front surface 36 of the lapel mic 12. The second part 74 of the lapel adapter 70 fits around the back surface 43 of the lapel mic 12. The first and second parts 72 and 74 of the lapel adapter 70 are secured to each other by fasteners 92, such as a pair of screws, through their respective end portions 76 and 80.
When the lapel adapter 70 is thus mounted on the lapel mic 12, the sound opening 90 in the first part 72 of the lapel adapter overlies the speaker grille 34 of the lapel mic 12, so that the sound from the speaker can still be heard by the user even though the lapel adapter is secured to the lapel mic.
The hub 84 of the lapel adapter 70 is aligned with (overlies) the microphone 38 of the lapel mic 12. As a result, the user's voice can still be directed into the microphone 38 of the lapel mic 12, through the sound opening 90 in the hub 84 of the lapel adapter 70, even though the lapel adapter is secured to the lapel mic.
In addition, neither the first part 72 nor the second part 74 of the lapel adapter 70 covers the lapel clip 42 of the lapel mic 12, as can be seen from
When the user wants to support the lapel mic 12 on the lapel 44 or other article of clothing, the lapel clip 42 is used for that purpose. The lapel clip 42 is accessible through the lapel adapter 70 and can be clipped onto a lapel, a shirt pocket, or another portion of the user's clothing, for example.
When the lapel mic 12 is clipped on with the lapel clip 42, the hub 84 projects outward, away from the user. The microphone 38 and speaker opening 34 of the lapel mic 12 are unobstructed by the lapel adapter 70. Also, the push to talk switch 40 is accessible for operation in the normal manner.
When the user wants to support the lapel mic 12 on the mask 14, in order to communicate when wearing a mask, the lapel mic is unclipped from the lapel 44. The assembly of the lapel adapter 70 and lapel mic 12 is then brought into position adjacent the voice emitter port 20 of the mask 14. The hub 84 on the lapel adapter 70 is slipped into the slot 56 on the mask adapter 50. The latch 62 on the mask adapter 50 engages the hub 84 of the lapel adapter 70, to secure the lapel adapter to the mask adapter.
When the adapter assembly 10 is in this assembled condition, the sound opening 90 in the hub 84 of the lapel adapter 70 aligns with, or overlies, the sound opening 66 in the mask adapter 50. As a result, sound from the voice emitter 20 can pass through the sound opening 66 in the mask adapter 50, through the sound opening 90 in the lapel adapter 70, and into the microphone 38 of the lapel mic 12. Therefore, the user's voice is transmitted into the microphone 38 of the lapel mic 12, and the lapel mic is usable in the same manner as when it is on the lapel 44. At the same time, sound from the speaker grille 34 can pass through the sound opening 83 in the lapel adapter 70, to the wearer.
When the adapter assembly 10 is in this assembled condition, the hub 84 of the lapel adapter 70 can swivel in the slot 56 of the mask adapter 50. As a result, the lapel mic 12 can swivel with respect to the mask 14, and so will not drag on the coil cord 32, for example. Also, the swivel connection enables the lapel mic 12 to be attached to a voice emitter port 20 on either side of the mask 14, or to another portion of the mask.
When the user thereafter wants to have the lapel mic 12 on the lapel 44, the user actuates the latch release button 64, the latch 62 is released, and the user can lift the lapel adapter 70 out of the slot 56 in the mask adapter 50. The lapel mic 12 comes off the mask 14 along with the lapel adapter 70, and the assembly of the lapel mic and the lapel adapter can be hand held again or can be clipped to the clothing 44, for example.
The lapel adapter 70a shown in
The mask adapter 50a shown in
Thus, when the first portion 120 of the mask adapter 50a is on the mask, the mask either can receive the second portion 122 of the mask adapter and the lapel mic 12, or can receive another known device, such as a voice amplifier.
The adapter assembly 10b includes a lapel adapter 70b that is a one piece device having a D-shaped hub 130 similar to that of the mask adapter 50a of
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/471,206 filed May 16, 2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20050008183 A1 | Jan 2005 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60471206 | May 2003 | US |