US 4,956,752 AGranted

Cyclops lighted motorcycle helmet

OwnerJoe Fogliettiinventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A motorcycle helmet includes a light signalling system that signals to following vehicles the state of the forward speed of the motorcycle. The light system is adapted to signal red when the cycle's brake is applied in a hard braking maneuver, and to signal green when the forward motion of the vehicle is "normal" that is, either accelerating or continuing , and to signal amber when the brake is lightly applied. A back-up power system is also included.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A safety helmet, wearable by an operator of a motorcycle having a brake pedal, comprising:

(A) a protective helmet having a rear portion;
(B) a multicolored light source mounted on said helmet at said rear portion, and including a green light, an amber light and a red light;
(C) a plurality of switches, each switch of said plurality of switches being associated with one colored light of said multicolored lights source and adapted to actuate said one colored light;
(D) switch control means for operating said switches as the brake pedal is operated to activate each colored light as the brake pedal is operated, with said green light being associated with an untouched brake pedal with the motorcycle in a normal forward speed mode, said amber light being associated with a gently depressed brake pedal and said red light being associated with a hard braking action, said switch control means including
(1) a transmitter attached to the motorcycle brake pedal and adapted to transmit a signal that is associated with the movement of the brake pedal as that brake pedal is operated so that different signals are transmitted as the brake pedal is untouched, depressed gently and depressed in a hard braking action,
(2) a receiver located inside said protective helmet and which is adapted to receive signals transmitted by said transmitter,
(3) a motorcycle electrical power source associated with each colored light of said multicolored lights and connected to said receiver and to the switch associated with the associated colored lights by the switches of said switch means so that each colored light of said multicolored lights is activated sequentially as the brake pedal is untouched, depressed gently and depressed in a hard braking action to be green, then to go amber and then red as said brake pedal is moved from a non-brake activating position in a normal cruising mode to a hard braking position;
and
(E) loss of power signal circuit means which includes
(1) a second red light,
(2) a backup power source,
(3) a first line conductor connected to said backup power source,
(4) a second line conductor connected to said second red light,
(5) a normally open switch connecting said backup power source to said second red light when closed, said normally open switch including
(a) an electrical contact with electrically connects said first line conductor to said second line conductor and which is movable from a first position contacting both of said first and second line conductors to a second position spaced from both of said first and second line conductors,
(b) a solenoid connected to said motorcycle electrical power source and attached to said electrical contact to move said electrical contact between said first and said second positions,
(c) a spring biasing said solenoid to move said electrical contact into said first position, said soleniod holding said electrical contact in said second position against the bias of said spring when said soleniod is energized from said motorcycle electrical power source,
(6) a normally closed switch in said second line conductor, said normally closed switch being manually operable to open said loss of power circuit means and separate said second red light from said backup power source.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A safety helmet, wearable by an operator of a motorcycle having a brake pedal, comprising:

(A) a protective helmet having a rear portion;
(B) a multicolored light source mounted on said helmet at said rear portion, and including a green light, an amber light and a red light;
(C) a plurality of switches, each switch of said plurality of switches being associated with one colored light of said multicolored lights source and adapted to actuate said one colored light;
(D) switch control means for operating said switches as the brake pedal is operated to activate each colored light as the brake pedal is operated, with said green light being associated with an untouched brake pedal with the motorcycle in a normal forward speed mode, said amber light being associated with a gently depressed brake pedal and said red light being associated with a hard braking action, said switch control means including
(1) a transmitter attached to the motorcycle brake pedal and adapted to transmit a signal that is associated with the movement of the brake pedal as that brake pedal is operated so that different signals are transmitted as the brake pedal is untouched, depressed gently and depressed in a hard braking action,
(2) a receiver located inside said protective helmet and which is adapted to receive signals transmitted by said transmitter,
(3) a motorcycle electrical power source associated with each colored light of said multicolored lights and connected to said receiver and to the switch associated with the associated colored lights by the switches of said switch means so that each colored light of said multicolored lights is activated sequentially as the brake pedal is untouched, depressed gently and depressed in a hard braking action to be green, then to go amber and then red as said brake pedal is moved from a non-brake activating position in a normal cruising mode to a hard braking position;
and
(E) loss of power signal circuit means which includes
(1) a second red light,
(2) a backup power source,
(3) a first line conductor connected to said backup power source,
(4) a second line conductor connected to said second red light,
(5) a normally open switch connecting said backup power source to said second red light when closed, said normally open switch including
(a) an electrical contact with electrically connects said first line conductor to said second line conductor and which is movable from a first position contacting both of said first and second line conductors to a second position spaced from both of said first and second line conductors,
(b) a solenoid connected to said motorcycle electrical power source and attached to said electrical contact to move said electrical contact between said first and said second positions,
(c) a spring biasing said solenoid to move said electrical contact into said first position, said soleniod holding said electrical contact in said second position against the bias of said spring when said soleniod is energized from said motorcycle electrical power source,
(6) a normally closed switch in said second line conductor, said normally closed switch being manually operable to open said loss of power circuit means and separate said second red light from said backup power source.

15 more elements