Abstract:
Pivoting helmet mounts for an optical device are provided. In one aspect, a bayonet mount is provided for removably attaching a bayonet mounting base to a flush-mounting bracket on the helmet. Optionally, a lanyard for securing the optical device to the helmet is provided. In further aspects, the bayonet mount is omitted and the helmet mount is secured directly to the flush mount bracket.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/928,239 filed May 8, 2007. 
     This application also claims priority, as a continuation-in-part type application, under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/804,813, May 21, 2007, now pending, which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/959,906 filed Oct. 6, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,129,370, which is a nonprovisional application of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/509,136 filed Oct. 6, 2003. 
    
    
     Each of the aforementioned applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to improved systems for mounting an optical device, such as a night vision goggle, to a field helmet. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and in various steps and arrangements of steps. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view taken from the front and side of a helmet carrying an optical device using a helmet mount system according to a first exemplary embodiment. 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are exploded and partially exploded views, respectively, of the mounting base appearing in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 4A ,  4 B, and  4 C are isometric views illustrating the manner of attachment of the bayonet breakaway base to the helmet mounting base. 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric view of a second embodiment mounting assembly. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of a third embodiment mounting assembly. 
         FIG. 7  is an isometric view of the flush mount bracket of  FIG. 1  with optional lanyard. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines  8 - 8  in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like or analogous components throughout the several views, and with particular reference to  FIGS. 1-4C , there appears a first exemplary helmet mounting system embodiment  600 . The helmet mounting system  600  is removably attached at a first end to a bracket  604  and at a second end to an optical device  116 . The present invention is shown with an monocular night vision goggle, e.g., employing a single image intensifier tube and associated optics, for ease of exposition, however, it will be understood that the invention can be used with other types of sighting devices, such as a monocular or binoculars, helmet mounted display screens, head-up display or any other helmet mounted optical, electro-optical, and/or viewing devices. 
     The bracket  604  is attached to the front portion of a helmet  108 . The exemplary bracket  604  is flush-mounted to the helmet  108  to reduce the tendency of the bracket to snag as compared to mounting systems employing a bracket which is offset from the exterior surface of the helmet. For purposes of this application, “flush” means that the helmet-contacting peripheral edge  603  of the bracket  604  is substantially continuous or gap-free. Thus, the system  600  may advantageously be employed by parachutists or in environments wherein the mounting system may be subject to snagging. The bracket  604  may be formed of a molded plastic or other material. The bracket  604  is secured to the helmet  108  via mating threaded fasteners  605   a  and  605   b . A pad  607  formed of rubber or other non-slip or slip-resistant material may be provided between the bracket  604  and the helmet  108  to provide increased frictional engagement between the flush mount bracket  604  and the surface of helmet  108 , e.g., to prevent rotational slippage of the bracket  604 . 
     The bracket  604  includes a recess or cavity  633  having an upstanding boss  635  for receiving the fastener  605   a  and a tapered guide post assembly  637  for mating with an aligned opening  641  formed on male bayonet member  639 . The tapered guidepost assembly  637  includes a base  643  having an upstanding boss  645  thereon. A compression O-ring  647  is received about the boss  645  and is trapped between the base  643  and a guidepost insert  649 . A threaded fastener  651  rotatably engages the boss  645  to secure the insert  649  to the base  643 . 
     A bayonet mount base  620  includes the male bayonet member  639  on the rearward facing surface thereof. The male bayonet member  639  may be a breakaway mount base and may incorporate a breakaway mechanism which provides an interface between a pivot arm assembly  176  and a breakaway base  620 . The breakaway mechanism described in the aforementioned commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,370 incorporated herein by reference. As best seen in  FIGS. 4A-4C , in operation, the male bayonet member  639  is aligned with and inserted into the opening  667 . The bayonet mount base  620  is then rotated 90 degrees until one of the ears  659  is aligned and received within the recess  657 . To remove the mount base  620  from the bracket  604 , the lever arm  663  is depressed and the process is reversed. 
     A bayonet lock  653  is pivotally received within the cavity  633  and pivots about a pivot post  655 . The bayonet lock  653  includes a profile defining a recess  657  sized to receive and engage one of the male bayonet ears  659  formed on the male bayonet member  639  when the male bayonet member is in the secured and locked position. A spring  661  urges the bayonet lock toward the locked position. Depressing a lever arm  663  against the urging of the spring  661  disengages the recess  657  from the bayonet ear  659 , allowing removal of the bayonet member  639 . A female bayonet plate  665  includes a keyed opening  667  adapted to receive the male bayonet member  639  therethrough and a corresponding aligned opening  669  for receiving the threaded fastener  605   a . Openings  671  receive threaded fasteners  673   a  for engaging aligned openings  675  in the base of the cavity  633  and fasteners  673   b  for securing the bayonet plate  665  thereover. 
     The pivot arm assembly  176  is secured to the breakaway base  620  in breakaway fashion. The connection between the breakaway assembly  620  and the pivot arm assembly  176  may be selectively configured as a breakaway connection or a rigid attachment by moving lever  180 . Breakaway base  620  includes a housing member (not shown) and a cam (not shown), which is manually rotatable via lever  180 . When lever  180  is in a non-breakaway position the cam member has been rotated to a locked position to secure the pivot arm assembly  176  to the breakaway base  620 . When the cam member has been rotated to an unlocked position the pivot arm assembly  176  can be separated from the breakaway base  620  with the application of a sufficient force. The breakaway setting is advantageous in that it may prevent injury to the wearer in the event the wearer becomes entangled or the optical device  116  impacts a foreign object. Likewise, the non-breakaway setting may advantageously be selected in instances where it is desired to prevent inadvertent dislodging of the optical device  116  from the helmet, e.g., where loss of the optical device  116  is possible or where the wearer may be subject to high accelerational or G forces. The breakaway connector may be of a type described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,370. 
     A pivot arm  192  is pivotally attached to the pivot arm assembly  176  for pivotally moving the optical device  116  between an operational position in front of the user&#39;s eyes (see  FIG. 1 ) and a stowed position out of the user&#39;s line of vision. Slide rails  232  on the pivot arm  192  provide user-adjustable fore and aft positioning of the optical device  116  via selective positioning of carriage member  236 . When optical device  116  is in an operational position, the slide rails  232  extend out horizontally from pivot arm  192 . Unless otherwise indicated, all directional or positional terms used herein, such as “horizontal,” “vertical,” “front,” “rear,” etc., and variations thereof refer to a direction or orientation relative to the helmet as viewed in  FIG. 1  or when worn by a user. When slide rails  232  are in a horizontal position carriage member  236  is movable along the slide rails  232  enabling the user to horizontally position the optical device  116  at a comfortable or desired focal distance from the operator&#39;s eyes. 
     At least one of the slide rails  232  (both in the depicted embodiment) contain a series of locking teeth  240  along its length for engaging an internal locking member (not shown) such as a toothed member, pin, or the like, to provide secure retention at a selected position. Release button  244 , biased toward the locked position, may be manually depressed to disengage the locking members to allow sliding movement of the carriage member  236  until the optical device  116  is positioned at a desired focal position in front of the user&#39;s eye(s). The carriage member may be of the type detailed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,370. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 4A-4C , the bayonet mount base  620  includes a sliding plate  652 , which slides horizontally with respect to the bayonet mount base  620  when actuator button  156  is depressed. In this manner, the optical device  116  is selectively positionable to provide a vertical adjustment of the optical device relative to the eyes of a wearer. The vertical adjustment mechanism may be as described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,370. Likewise an angle or tilt adjustment knob  184  may be loosened to allow adjustment of the optics to a desired tilt angle according to user&#39;s eye position and a desired line of sight, whereby the desired tilt angle may then be secured in the desired position by tightening the knob  184 . The knob  184  includes a threaded rod (not shown) rotatably engaging a mating threaded opening in pivot arm assembly  176 . The pivot arm assembly  176  rotates relative to plate  188 , which includes an elongated or curvate opening or slot (not shown) for receiving the threaded rod. The angle or tilt adjustment knob may be as described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,370. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , there appears an alternative helmet mount system embodiment  700 , which may be as described above by way of reference to the embodiment  600 , except that the bracket  704  is configured to be attached to the helmet  108  via three threaded fasteners (not shown) extending through openings  705  in the helmet and engaging the bracket  704 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , there is shown another alternative embodiment, which is similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 5 , but wherein the bayonet mount is omitted and a sliding plate  152  is attached to the bracket  804  via a plurality of threaded fasteners, e.g.,  806 ,  808 , and  810 . In still another embodiment (not shown), the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-4  is modified to eliminate the bayonet interface and wherein the sliding plate  152  is permanently attached to a suitably modified bayonet mount base  620  in the same manner as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4C  and  7 - 8 , there is shown an optional lanyard  609  which may be secured to the bracket via an optional lanyard interface on the bracket  604 . While the lanyard and lanyard interface are optional, the use of a lanyard may be advantageous in preventing damage to the optics  116  in the event it becomes disengaged from the helmet. 
     In the exemplary illustrated embodiments of  FIGS. 1-4C  and  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the lanyard interface includes a lanyard interface ring  611  (female lanyard interface member) received through an opening  613  in the bracket  604  and received therein via a retainer ring  615 . The lanyard  609  includes a housing  617  having a retractable cord or strap  619 . The free end of the cord  619  has a clip or similar fastener  621  for engaging a loop  623 , which may be formed on or secured to the optical device  116 . The housing  617  includes a male lanyard interface member  625  rotatably and removably engaging the ring  611 . While an exemplary lanyard fastening system is illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , it will be recognized that other types of snap fit or quick connect and disconnect fasteners may be employed as well. 
     The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the preceding detailed description. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the specific examples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.