Safety Helmet Ensemble and Light Accessory Therefor

Abstract

A light accessory for a safety helmet enhances visibility of the safety helmet when worn. The light accessory includes a mounting ring and a light source assembly. The mounting ring includes a central ring opening. The central ring opening is configured to receive a crown portion of a safety helmet. The light source assembly includes at least one circumferential light source and a control unit. The light source is positioned in radial outer adjacency to the central ring opening so as to extend about at least a circumferential portion of the crown portion. The light source is configured to emit light at least radially outwardly relative to the crown portion. The control unit includes a power source. The light source is in electrical communication with the power source enabling the user to selectively power on and off the light source for enhancing visibility of the safety helmet ensemble.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A safety helmet ensemble for enhancing visibility thereof when worn by a user, the safety helmet ensemble comprising:
 a safety helmet, the safety helmet comprising at least a crown portion, a front helmet portion, and a rear helmet portion, the crown portion for receiving a user' head at an interior portion thereof and comprising an exterior crown portion surface, the exterior crown portion surface having a crown portion circumference; and   a light accessory, the light accessory comprising a mounting ring and a light source assembly, the mounting ring comprising a central ring opening, a top ring surface, a bottom ring surface, a front ring portion, and a rear ring portion, the central ring opening being configured to receive the crown portion;   the light source assembly comprising at least one circumferential light source and a control unit, the circumferential light source being positioned in radial outer adjacency to the central ring opening so as to extend about at least a circumferential portion of the crown portion circumference at the exterior crown portion surface, said circumferential light source being configured to emit light at least radially outwardly relative to the crown portion;   the control unit comprising a power source, said circumferential light source being in electrical communication with the power source via the control unit, the control unit enabling the user to selectively power on and power off said circumferential light source for enhancing visibility of the safety helmet ensemble.   
     
     
         2 . The safety helmet ensemble according to  claim 1 , wherein the crown portion at the exterior crown portion surface comprises an exterior crown portion contour and the mounting ring comprises a radially inner edge defining the central ring opening and configured to mate with the exterior crown portion contour for eliminating positional shift of the light accessory relative to the safety helmet when mounted thereto. 
     
     
         3 . The safety helmet ensemble according to  claim 2 , wherein the mounting ring comprises scalloped portions at the radially inner edge, the scalloped portions defining radially extending contours relative to the central ring opening configured to mate with radially extending contours of the exterior crown portion surface at the crown portion circumference. 
     
     
         4 . The safety helmet ensemble according to  claim 1 , wherein the circumferential light source comprises a circular transverse cross-section for emitting light at least radially outwardly from the circular transverse cross-section for maximizing visibility thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The safety helmet ensemble according to  claim 4 , wherein the circumferential light source is characterized by a combination of a side glow fiber optic cable and at least one light-emitting diode. 
     
     
         6 . The safety helmet ensemble according to  claim 5 , wherein the side glow fiber optic cable comprises two ends housed within the control unit, each of the two ends being outfitted with a light-emitting diode for directing light into the side glow fiber optic cable. 
     
     
         7 . The safety helmet ensemble according to  claim 5 , wherein the circumferential light source is configured to emit light of differing colors as controlled by the user. 
     
     
         8 . The safety helmet ensemble according to  claim 5 , wherein the circumferential light source is configured to emit light in at least one of continuous light-emitting mode and in a periodic light-emitting mode. 
     
     
         9 . The safety helmet ensemble according to  claim 4 , wherein the exterior crown portion surface comprises a light-reflective material, the emitting light being reflected from the light-reflective material for maximizing visibility thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The safety helmet ensemble according to  claim 4 , wherein the top ring surface comprises a light-reflective material, the emitting light being reflected from the light-reflective material for maximizing visibility thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A light accessory for enhancing visibility of a hat crown portion, the light accessory comprising:
 a mounting ring and a light source assembly, the mounting ring comprising a central ring opening, a top ring surface, a bottom ring surface, a front ring portion, and a rear ring portion, the central ring opening being configured to receive the hat crown portion, the hat crown portion having a crown portion circumference;   the light source assembly comprising at least one circumferential light source and a control unit, the circumferential light source being positioned in radial outer adjacency to the central ring opening so as to extend about at least a circumferential portion of the crown portion circumference, said circumferential light source being configured to emit light at least radially outwardly relative to the crown portion;   the control unit comprising a power source, said circumferential light source being in electrical communication with the power source via the control unit, the control unit enabling the user to selectively power on and power off said circumferential light source for enhancing visibility of the hat crown portion.   
     
     
         12 . The light accessory according to  claim 11 , wherein the hat crown portion comprises an exterior crown portion contour and the mounting ring comprises a radially inner edge defining the central ring opening and configured to mate with the exterior crown portion contour for eliminating positional shift of the light accessory relative to the hat crown portion when mounted thereto. 
     
     
         13 . The light accessory according to  claim 12 , wherein the mounting ring comprises scalloped portions at the radially inner edge, the scalloped portions defining radially extending contours relative to the central ring opening configured to mate with radially extending contours of an exterior crown portion surface at the crown portion circumference. 
     
     
         14 . The light accessory according to  claim 11 , wherein the circumferential light source comprises a circular transverse cross-section for emitting light at least radially outwardly from the circular transverse cross-section for maximizing visibility thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The light accessory according to  claim 14 , wherein the circumferential light source is characterized by a combination of a side glow fiber optic cable and at least one light-emitting diode. 
     
     
         16 . The light accessory according to  claim 15 , wherein the side glow fiber optic cable comprises two ends housed within the control unit, each of the two ends being outfitted with a light-emitting diode for directing light into the side glow fiber optic cable. 
     
     
         17 . The light accessory according to  claim 15 , wherein the circumferential light source is configured to emit light of differing colors as controlled by the user. 
     
     
         18 . The light accessory according to  claim 15 , wherein the circumferential light source is configured to emit light in at least one of continuous light-emitting mode and in a periodic light-emitting mode. 
     
     
         19 . The light accessory according to  claim 14 , wherein the exterior crown portion surface comprises a light-reflective material, the emitting light being reflected from the light-reflective material for maximizing visibility thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The light accessory according to  claim 14 , wherein the top ring surface comprises a light-reflective material, the emitting light being reflected from the light-reflective material for maximizing visibility thereof.