GB2622247A

GB2622247A - Support for coupling an intercom system to a riding helmet

Info

Publication number: GB2622247A
Application number: GB2213130.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ann Hartwell Victoria; Edward Julier David
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-09-08
Filing date: 2022-09-08
Publication date: 2024-03-13
Also published as: GB202213130D0

Abstract

A support 10 for coupling an intercom to a cycle helmet, the support comprising a plate 20 with an elongated coplanar member 30 extending from an edge of the plate; the elongate member comprising a first planar portion 32 and a second planar portion 34, the portions 32,34 being connected by a ramp 40 providing a parallel offset between the planes, the plate 20, and the elongated member 30. The plate may comprise an identification tag that extends from the edge of the plate. The ramp preferably comprises an aperture 50 for receiving cables from the intercom system. The second planar portion may have some gripping features such as grooves or ridges; or it may have an adhesive on the surface of the member such as double sided adhesive or a hook and loop fastener. Also claimed is a method of using the support by positioning the second portion of the elongated member inside the helmet between the outer shell and the inner lining; and the plate positioned outside of the helmet. A speaker or headphone is coupled to the inside surface of the plate using adhesive or hook and loop material, and the microphone is coupled to the outside surface of the plate.

Description

Title: Support for coupling an intercom system to a riding helmet

Background:

In many riding events, it can be important for the rider to be able to communicate with others, whether they are communicating with their team, an event organizer, or other riders. Such communication can be used to improve safety at such events as the rider can inform others when something has gone wrong or when there is a hazard the other riders may not yet be aware of. It is also noted that such communication may be used during training to allow the rider to receive feedback on their performance, or during competitive events to get feedback from the team members, either way, access to a communication device can improve the riders' overall performance.

Looking at currently used systems, such as the intercoms used in rally driving, the drivers and navigators communicate with each other and their team using intercom systems built into their helmets. This is possible as their helmets cover all or most of their head and therefore can incorporate the headphones/speakers near the user's ear, while their microphone can be connected near their mouth. Note that in cases where the helmet does not cover their mouth, the microphone can still be incorporated into the edge of the helmet or extended from the edge of the helmet on a boom or similar ridged member, to be proximate to the user's mouth.

However, some helmets are incompatible with these systems. In particular riding helmets, such as cycling helmets and horse-riding caps, only cover the top of the wearer's head, it is noted that some of these helmets may even have cut-aways specifically designed to ensure that the user's ear is not covered by the helmet. An intercom system cannot be coupled directly to these riding helmets, in the same manner as the driving helmet. Therefore, there is a need for a means for coupling an intercom system to a helmet such as a cycling helmet, wherein the intercom system's speakers are positioned by the wearer's ear and the system's microphone can be positioned near the user's mouth.

Summary:

The present invention provides an apparatus configured to couple, and support, an intercom system to a helmet that does not cover the ears. Wherein the intercom system comprises a microphone configured to receive audio from the user, which may be in the form of a loose mic coupled to the rest of the system by wires, or a boom mic that is coupled to the system via a rigid member; one speaker, a pair of speakers or set of headphones configured to provide audio output to the user; and a processing system that is configured to process audio signals for the system, this processor may couple to the outside of the helmet, the user's clothes or the vehicle they are riding, such as the frame of a bike. It is noted that the processor may be coupled to the speakers and microphone physically via wires, or may communicate to the rest of the intercom system wirelessly, for example via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections, in cases where the processor is wireless the intercom system may use a suitable wireless device such as the user's mobile phone instead of a dedicated processor unit.

The helmet style the above system would be coupled to may include bike helmets, riding caps, hard hats, or other styles of helmet that do not cover the ears. It is noted that such helmets only cover the top, or part of the user's head, in particular, these helmets do not cover the user's ears. As the user's ears are not covered it can be difficult to secure an intercom system as described above to the helmet. Especially when the user is traveling over rough terrain as there would be no way to hold the intercom system's microphone and/or headphones of the intercom in place while the user is moving or riding. It is noted that in the case of motor helmets that cover all or most of the user's head, in particular covering the user's ear, such a system can be mounted to the inside of the helmet directly, however, this is not possible with other helmets as described above.

The claimed support is configured to attach the above-mentioned intercom system onto a helmet that does not cover the user's ear. The support comprises an elongated member that affixes to the helmet and is configured to allow the intercom system to be coupled to its surface. In particular, the support comprises a plate, said plate comprising a disk or other flat shape, with an elongated member extending from the edge of the plate. The plate is positioned so that when the helmet is worn the plate would cover the user's ear, after which the elongated member would be coupled to the inside of the helmet. In cases wherein the helmet comprises an inner and outer layer, such as a bike helmet which often has foam on the inside of the helmet and a hard outer layer, the member of the support would be inserted between the inner and outer layer of the helmet, at which point friction would hold the support in place. In other cases where the helmet does not have a separate inner and outer layer, such as a low-cost cycle riding cap, the elongated member may be secured to the inside or outside of the helmet directly using any suitable means, such as adhesive tape or a double-sided adhesive strip or loop-lock strip.

Once the support is secured to the helmet as described above, an intercom system may be secured to the plate of the support. In particular, a speaker or headphone may be secured to the inside of the plate, inside referring in this case to the side of the plate facing the center of the helmet, this speaker may be attached by any suitable means, for example using a double-sided adhesive strip, wherein one side of the strip is coupled to the speaker/headphone and the other side is coupled to the plate. With the support positioned as described above the speaker/headphone should be positioned over the user's ear. In cases where the intercom system comprises a pair of speakers/headphones second support can be attached to the helmet, opposite the first as described above, with the second speaker/headphone being coupled to the inside of the second support. In cases where the pair of speakers/headphones are connected by wires and/or a headband, the speaker should be aligned so that the wire or headband wraps around the back of the user's head or the back of the helmet so that it is not positioned between the user's head and the helmet so that the helmet can still be securely worn.

It is also noted that if the speaker is positioned directly over the user's ear it may be uncomfortable for the user, and more importantly, may make it difficult for the user to hear their surroundings. To help prevent this problem the member of the support should further comprise a ramped portion that connects the plate to the flat/planar portion of the member. In particular, this ramped portion would be positioned along the member proximate to the plate, at an angle so that the plane of the plate is pushed outward, in this case, outwards means away from the center of the helmet when worn, so that the plate is positioned at an offset to the elongated member, so that the plate is in a different plane to the plane of the planar portion of the member, while still being parallel to the planar portion of the member. This way the speaker/headphone is raised away from the user's ear, allowing the speaker to be worn more comfortably, and allowing some ambient noise of the user's surroundings to be heard.

Further, the intercom system would also comprise a microphone, this microphone may be loose standing, either as a separate device that communicates wirelessly with the rest of the system or is connected to another component of the system via flexible wires, or the microphone may be a boom microphone which is coupled to the end of a rigid or flexible member. In cases with the boom microphone, the end of the microphone member remote from the microphone itself is coupled to the outside of the plate using any suitable means such as a double-sided adhesive strip. In the cases where the microphone is loose, the microphone may be attached to the user's helmet or clothes via a suitable means, such as a clip or adhesive tape.

Alternatively, the plate of the support may include a second elongated member that extends at an angle relative to the first so that between the first and second member is an angle between 90 and 130 degrees, wherein the loose microphone may be attached to the second member via a suitable means, such as a double-sided adhesive strip. It is noted that this second member may be formed by attaching the plates of two supports using a double-sided adhesive strip, this approach may be preferable as the angle between the two members can be adjusted by rotating one of the plates. In some cases, the second member may comprise one or more joints, points along the length of the member that can be bent to a desired angle so that the distance between the microphone and the user's face can be adjusted, this may be necessary for users with different head/face sizes. This feature may also be used when the user travels through a loud area as bringing the microphone closer to the user may help improve the chances of the microphone picking up the user's voice.

In addition to the above-mentioned features, the apparatus may also include an ID tag that extends from the plate of the support, or in some cases may attach to the edge or outside of the plate. These ID tags may be used to help the user indicate which helmet and/or intercom is theirs, especially when riding in a group where each person would have their helmet fitted with an apparatus. Each tag would feature indicia to differentiate the apparatus from the others used in that particular group, said indicia may comprise letters, numbers, colors, shapes, or a combination thereof to provide each apparatus with a unique ID. In a preferred embodiment, these indicia may be based on the frequency used by the intercom, for example, the indicia may include numbers representing the frequency range for the channel they use by the specific intercom of that helmet. By using such indicia the users can more easily identify the other user's intercom allowing users to group more easily for example when riding as a group or competing as a team.

As mentioned, the components of the intercom system coupled to the support may be connected via a plurality of wires, such wires run a risk of becoming tangled with one another and the support itself when the helmet is being worn, therefore it may be preferable for the support to include features that may help guide or secure the wires to reduce the risk of them becoming tangled. One such feature would be an aperture located on the elongated member proximate to the plate, for example, the aperture may be located on the ramped portion of the elongated member, so that the cables, or headband, of the speaker/headphone, can be passed through the aperture to remove the need to wrap the cables around the support and help prevent the cables/headband pulling on the speaker when the helmet is worn. Alternatively, or in addition to the aperture, the support may comprise one or more clips mounted to the surface of the elongated member or plate, wherein the clips are configured to secure the cables of the intercom system, just preventing them from becoming tangled while the helmet is in use. It may be preferable for such clips to be on the inside of the plate, or the elongated member proximate to the plate so that the end of the cables close to the components, in this case, the speaker and/or microphone member, can be secured to the clip to help prevent the cables pulling on the component when the helmet is in use. In some cases, the clips may be removably attached to the support, for example, the clips may insert into holes within the support surface, may comprise a further clip configured to attach to the member or plate of the support, or may comprise a frame that wraps around the member of the support to hold the clips in place. This may be preferable if the user changes between an intercom system with cables to a wireless intercom system, because when using the wireless system such clip may become obstructive.

Another feature that may be included in the support is surface features on the elongated member configured to improve the grip between the support member and the helmet it is coupled to, referred to as gripping features. In particular, gripping features on the surface of the planar portion of the elongated member may include grooves or protrusions to prove more friction between the member and the layers of the helmet the member is inserted between in order to increase the frictional force that secures the support to the helmet. By including such surface features, the user reduces the risk of the intercom becoming loose, and possibly decoupling from the helmet, while the helmet is being worn.

With some or all of the above-mentioned features, the present invention provides a support structure configured to couple an intercom system to a riding helmet, in particular, the support allows the user to couple a suitable speaker(s)/headset and microphone to a riding helmet that does not cover all of the user's head, in particular a helmet that does not cover their ears and therefore would normally have no suitable location for mounting a speaker too. It is noted that the above-mentioned microphone and speakers would be coupled to a processor configured to manage the signals of the intercom system, this processor may be contained within a casing mounted to the outside of the helmet, the user's clothing or their vehicle and may communicate with the rest of the intercom system wirelessly or using a cable, it is noted that in cases where the processor is wireless a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, may act as a suitable processor. By using the claimed invention, the user will be able to communicate with other riders, or observers such as a manager, while riding their vehicle without needing to use their hand to hold the intercom in place. Using such a support can help improve safety at an event with several riders, such as cycling races or when cycling/horse riding in a group as the riders will be able to communicate with one another as they are riding to alert one another to any obstacles on their path or problems they may encounter.

It is further noted that the disclosed invention may be presented as a kit of parts.

Such a kit would contain, at a minimum, one or more of the supports, and a plurality of double-sided adhesive, or loop-lock, strips for coupling the intercom components to the support. However, the kit may further include interchangeable ID tags, with at least one for each support in the kit, in the case where the kit contains only one support or one pair of supports for use with a single helmet, there may be a single ID tag with an indica unique to that kit. The kit may also contain removal wire clips that can be coupled to the surface of the support. In some cases, the kit may even include a suitable intercom system comprising at least one speaker and a microphone that can be coupled to the support. Further, the kit may comprise a suitable cycling helmet to be coupled to the support, preferably the helmet would comprise two layers so that the elongated member of the support can be inserted between, these kits may also include an intercom system configured to be coupled to the helmet and supports.

Detailed Description

The features of the present invention are depicted in the following Figures: Figure 1: Example support with a circular plate Figure 2: Example support with a hexagonal plate Figure 3: Example support with wire aperture Figure 4: Example support with wire aperture and support clips Figure 5: Example support with an ID tag attached to the plate These Figures comprise the following features: 10-Support 20-Plate 30-Elongated member 32-First portion of the extended member 34-Second portion of the extended member 40-Ramped section 50-Aperture 60,60'-Support clips 70-ID tag Figure 1 depicts a support 10 configured to couple an intercom system to a riding helmet, specifically cycling helmets or riding caps where the user's ears are not covered. Wherein the support 10 comprises a plate 20, with an elongated member 30 extending from the edge of the plate 20, it is noted that the plate 20 is wide enough for the speaker, or headphone of the intercom system to be coupled to one side of the plate 20. While the elongated member 30 should be flat, in this case, flat means that the height of the member should be significantly smaller than its width so that the elongated member 30 can be coupled to the user's helmet without obstructing the user's head inside the helmet.

In use, the support 10 is positioned to be over one of the user's ears, at which point the elongated member 30 is coupled to the user's helmet. Preferably, the user's helmet would comprise two or more layers, such as a cycling helmet which often comprises an inner layer made of foam surrounded by an outer layer comprising a hard shell, in such cases the elongated member 30 of the support 10 would be inserted between the helmet's layers. Once inserted the frictional force between the surface of the elongated member and the layers of the helmet holds the support 10 in place. However, in some cases the user's helmet may not comprise multiple layers, in such cases, the elongated member 30 may be coupled to the inside of the helmet using an adhesive strip, or loop-lock strip. Regardless of how the member 30 is coupled to the helmet, the elongated member 30 would be positioned so that the plate 20 of the support 10 is positioned over one of the user's ears.

Once the support 10 is positioned the user can couple the components of the intercom system to the support 10. These components would comprise at least one speaker, or headphone, and a microphone. Wherein the speaker is positioned on the inside surface of the plate 20, in this case, the term inside refers to the side facing towards the center, or inside of the helmet, facing the user's ear. The speaker is then secured in place using an adhesive strip, or loop-lock strip. It is noted that in cases where the intercom system comprises a pair of headphones the user would couple a second support on the opposite side of the helmet, relative to the first support, and couple the second speaker to the inside of the second support as described above, with the wire or band connecting the two speakers/headphones, positioned to follow the back edge of the helmet, to not be positioned between the user's head and the inside of the helmet.

It is noted that along the length of the elongated member 30 there is a ramped section 40. The ramped section 40 separates the member 30 into two portions 32,34; a first portion 32 that couples the ramped section 40 to the plate 20, and a longer second portion 34 that is coupled to the helmet as described above. The purpose of the ramped section 40 is to elevate the plate 20 relative to the second portion 34 of the elongated member 30 so that both the plate 20 and second portion 34 of the elongated member 30 are planar in different planes while remaining parallel relative to each other. When positioning the support 10, the ramped section 40 should be orientated so that the ramp pushes the plate 20 outwards, meaning the plate 20 is further from the center of the helmet relative to the rest of the support 10. This way the support 10 forms a space between the user's ear and the plate 20 so that the speaker can be positioned more easily and ensures that the speaker is not pressing, or applying force to the user's ear, allowing the intercom to be worn more comfortably.

Additionally, the intercom's microphone can be coupled to the plate 20, preferably to the outside of the plate. It is noted that the intercom would preferably comprise a microphone coupled to a boom or arm, wherein the end of the boom remote from the microphone can be coupled to the plate 20 using an adhesive or loop-lock strip. However, in some cases the microphone may only be coupled by wires, in such cases, the support 10 may comprise a second elongated member that is at an angle of at least 90 degrees relative to the first member, wherein the second member is positioned in front of the user's mouth, and the microphone can be coupled to the end of the member remote from the plate 20. In some cases, this second member may be configured to be adjustable, wherein the arm can be configured to bend, extend and/or contract, for example, the second member may include a sliding member with a notched sleeve, or an extendable member made of concentric members, so that the member can extend and contract to a desired length, or a member with one or more hinge points so the member can bend, this way the user may adjust the position of the microphone to a desired location. In cases where the support 10 has only one elongated member, the plates of two separate supports may be coupled together to form the two-member support as described above.

Figure 1 shows one example of the geometry of the support 10, with a circular plate and straight elongated member, however, it is noted that other geometries are possible. An example of one such alternative geometry is shown in Figure 2. In Fig.2 the plate is now hexagonal, and the end of the elongated member features a smaller circular plate. It is noted that the support plate 20 may be any flat polygon shape, as long as the chosen shape has a sufficient surface area for receiving the speaker and microphone of the intercom. It is noted that the elongated member may include a small plate on the end of the member and/or protrusions on the edge of the member to increase the surface area of the elongated member 30, thereby increasing the amount of frictional force between the elongated member 30 and the layers of the helmet, helping to better secure the support 10. It is noted that the inner and outer surface of the elongated member 30 may also include gripping features, to help further increase the friction between the elongated member and the layers of the helmet. These gripping features may include protrusions or ridges to again increase the surface area contacting the helmet, it may also comprise a layer of adhesive or other sticking mechanisms, such as a strip of small hooks, to help couple the member to the surface of the helmet.

It is noted that regardless of the chosen geometry the support 10 needs to be made of a material that is strong enough to hold the weight of the intercom, and withstand the force of an impact should the rider fall off when riding. However, the chosen material also needs some flexibility as the elongated member would need to be able to bend so that the elongated member can be shaped to the curve of the helmet when coupling the support 10 to the helmet. With these criteria in mind, it may be preferable for the support 10 to be made from a lightweight malleable metal such as aluminum, or a suitable strong, and flexible polymer.

In addition to the gripping features described above, the support 10 may also include guiding or securing features for the intercom's wires. Specifically, the support 10 may include features that help the user secure or position the wires coupled to the intercom system components thereby making it easier for the user to position the wires in a desired location or direction to make securing the intercom to the support 10 easier. These features may also help prevent the wires of the intercom from becoming tangled around the support 10, as this may result in the intercom wires pulling on the support 10 causing the support 10 to decouple from either the intercom component or the user's helmet. Examples of such features are shown in Figures 3 and 4.

In Figure 3, the ramped section 40 of the elongated member 30 further comprises an aperture 50. This aperture 50 may receive the wires coupled to the intercom speaker, or the headband connected to the intercom headphones, allowing the wires or headband to cross through the support 10. This way the wire or band would not be positioned under the support, in particular with the speaker on the inside of the plate 20 the wires or headband would need to squeeze into the gap between the elongated member 30 and the user's head, thereby exerting unwanted pressure on each which may make the user uncomfortable, and could cause wear to the wires. However, by using the aperture 50 to pass the wire through the surface of the support 10 this can be avoided. Additionally, the aperture 50 can receive the wires for the microphone as well, allowing the user to more easily group the wires, allowing them to be secured to the support 10 or helmet, ensuring that there are no loose wires that could become caught while the user is riding, as such loose wires could result in damage to the intercom system.

Figure 4 takes this concept further by including a pair of clips 60,60' on the surface of the support 10 proximate the aperture 50, though the clips 60,60' could also be used separately. The clips 60,60' are configured to receive the wires of the intercom system and secure them in place. In particular, the clip 60,60' may be used to secure excess loose wiring from the intercom's components, wherein the user can fold up the excess wire before inserting it into the clip 60,60'. The clip 60,60' can also help guide the intercom wires depending on where the wires need to be positioned to the left or right of the support 10, this can help prevent the wire proximate to the support 10 from moving and possibly becoming tangled around the support 10. In the depicted example, these clips 60,60' are on the inside surface of the support, it is noted that they may also be positioned on the outside of the support, so that excess wiring can be securely wrapped around the support 10 by being inserted into the outside clips 60,60'. In some cases, the clips 60,60' may be removable, in such cases, the elongated member 30 and/or plate 20 may further comprise a plurality of holes, small protrusions, or apertures that the removable clips can be affixed to, allowing the user to position the clips in the optimal location, and allow the user to add more clips if necessary for example when the intercom has longer wires or the system is being used on a smaller helmet meaning there will likely be more excess wiring, also in some cases, the user may remove the clips 60,60' entirely when they are not needed for example when the intercom uses wireless headphones.

In addition to any or all of the above-mentioned features, the support 10 may also include an ID tag 70, this tag 70 may be removably attached or fixed to the edge of the plate 20, like the example shown in Figure 5. These ID tags 70 provide one or more indicia to help identify the specific support 10, or helmet using the support 10.

Said indicia may include letters, numbers, colors, and/or shapes printed on the surface of the tag 70. Additionally, the ID tag 70 itself may have different shapes, such as the pentagonal tag shown in Fig.5, to further differentiate the ID tags and allow for more tag variations. These tags may be used when the riders are participating in group events to ensure that the equipment of the user can be easily identified as their helmet/equipment. Additionally, it may be preferable for the indicia on the ID tag 70 to be based on the communication channel that the rider would be using to communicate, for example, the indicia may include numbers relating to the intercom's communication frequency. In doing so the individual monitoring the intercom communication, such as an event organizer or team manager can more easily associate each communication channel with its respective rider and/or intercom system.

Claims

Claims: 1. A support 10 for coupling an intercom to a cycle helmet, the support 10 comprises: a plate 20 having an elongate coplanar member 30 extending from an edge of the plate, wherein: the elongated member 30 comprises a first planar portion 32 and a second planar portion 34, the portions 32,34 being connected by ramp 40 providing a parallel offset between the planes, the plate 20 and the elongated member 30.
2. The support 10 of claim 1, wherein the plate 20 further comprises an ID tag 70 that extends from the edge of the plate, wherein the tag 70 is configured to include an identification indicium.
3. The support 10 of claim 2, wherein the identification indicia comprise at least one of letters, numbers, colors, and/or shapes.
4. The support 10 of any preceding claim wherein the ramp 40 comprises an aperture 50 for receiving cables from a comms link of the intercom system.
5. The support 10 of any preceding claim wherein the second planar portion 34 of the elongated member 30 includes one or more gripping features, such as groves or ridges.
6. The support 10 of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second planar portion 34 of the elongated member 30 includes an adhesive on the surface of the member, such as a double-sided adhesive strip or loop-lock strip.
7. The support 10 of any preceding claim wherein one of the plate 20 and/or elongated member 30 comprises one or more wire clips 60,60', configured to receive and hold the wires of an intercom system.
8. The support 10 of claim 7 wherein the wire clips 60,60' are removably attached to the support 10.
9. The support 10 of any preceding claim where the plate 20 is polygonal or rounded in outline.
10. A method of using the support 10 of claims 1 to 9, wherein the support 10 couples an intercom comprising a headset and microphone, to a riding helmet, by sliding in between an inner and outer layer of the helmet, the method comprising; aligning the support 10 to the helmet so that the second portion 34 of the elongated member 30 is pointing inside the helmet and the plate 20 of the support 10 is outside of the helmet, with the ramp 40 aligned so that the ramp extends in the outwards direct, defined as away from the center of the helmet; coupling the second portion 34 of the elongated member 30 to the helmet by inserting the member between the helmet's inner lining and outer shell; coupling a speaker or headphone of the intercom to the inside surface of the plate 20, inside defined as the side of the support facing the user when the helmet is worn, wherein the speaker or headphone is secured using the adhesive strip or loop-lock strips; coupling the microphone of the intercom to the outside surface of the plate 20 using a further adhesive strip or loop-lock strips.
11. A method of using the support 10 of claims 1 to 9, wherein the support 10 couples an intercom comprising a headset and microphone to a riding helmet, by affixing the elongated member 30 to the inside of the helmet the method comprising; aligning the support 10 to the helmet so that the second portion 34 of the elongated member 30 is pointing inside the helmet and the plate 20 of the support is outside of the helmet, and ensuring the ramp 40 is aligned so that the ramp extends in the outward direction, defined as away from the center of the helmet; securing the second portion 34 of the member 30 to the inside of the helmet via a suitable means, such as an adhesive strip or loop-lock strips coupled to both the member 30 and the inside of the riding helmet; coupling the speaker or headphone of the intercom to the inside surface of the plate 20, inside defined as the side of the support 30 facing the user when the helmet is worn, wherein the speaker or headphone is secured using the adhesive strip or loop-lock strips; coupling the microphone of the intercom to the outside surface of the plate 20 using a further adhesive strip or loop-lock strips.
12. The method of claims 10 or 11, wherein the method further comprises 20 passing the cables of the intercom headset through an aperture 50 in the ramp 40 of the elongated member 30.
13. The method of claims 10 to 12, wherein the method further comprises securing the cables of the intercom to the support 10, by placing the cables into one or more wire clips 60,60' located on the surface of the support 10.
14. Headgear comprising a cycle helmet and the support of any of claims 1 to 9; Wherein the support 10 is coupled to the helmet by inserting the elongated member 30 of the support 10 between the inner and outer layers of the cycle helmet
15. The headgear of claim 14, further comprises an intercom coupled to the support 10; wherein the speaker/headphone of the intercom is coupled to the inside surface of the plate 20 of the support 10, and the microphone of the intercom is coupled to the outside surface of the plate 20 of the support 10, and a processor for the intercom is coupled to the outside of the helmet.
16. The headgear of claims 15, further comprising an ID tag 70 coupled to the edge of the plate 20 of the support 10,
17. The headgear of claim 16, wherein the ID tag 70 comprises a unique indicia for the headgear based on the frequency used by the intercom coupled to the headgear.18. A kit of parts comprising: the support 10 of claims 1 to 9; a plurality of adhesive strips or loop-lock strips, a plurality of ID tags 70 each with a respective ID indicium configured to be coupled to the plate of the apparatus.
18. The kit of parts from claim 17, further comprising an intercom system configured to be coupled to the apparatus, the intercom system comprising; a microphone; and a speaker or headphones.
19. The kit of parts of claims 17 or 18, further comprising a cycling helmet.