Abstract:
The helmet bracket system is an electro-mechanical device for mounting digital head-mounted systems. The Helmet bracket system is lightweight, supports one-handed adjustment, has a breakaway base, and is mechanically low profile. The device also supports the transfer of high bandwidth digital data.

Description:
[0001]    This invention has already been filed as a provisional patent, application No. 61/258,071 which was filed on Nov. 4, 2009. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Currently, attaching night vision goggles or similar devices to a military helmet is a common process in the military. As technology has advanced, it has become necessary to attach sophisticated electronic devices to military helmets. Those electronic devices, in addition to performing normal functions, require multi-conductor electrical interfaces with both power and high bandwidth signals to be connected from the electronic devices, through the front or side walls of the helmet to the rear of the helmet, and through the rear wall to additional electronics or a battery power source. This has to be achieved without either exposing the interconnections to external damage under the rim of the helmet or by adding or enlarging additional holes or in some other way degrading the ballistic protection properties of the helmet. 
         [0003]    Thus, what is needed is a helmet bracket system for attaching electronic head-mounted quick disconnect devices to military combat helmets without passing cables carrying high bandwidth electrical signals underneath the rim of a helmet or affecting the ballistic integrity of the helmet. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  shows an isometric view of a helmet bracket system and a helmet in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  shows a view of a head cable assembly routed under a helmet and connected to a docking station in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  shows a view of a head cable assembly passing through a modified fastener located on the front of a helmet in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  shows an isometric view of a portion of a docking station and its sealed electrical contacts in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  shows an isometric view of a break-away unit assembled to an electro/mechanical interface shoe in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 6  shows a view of a shoe port on the bottom of a break-away unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 7  shows an isometric view of an electro/mechanical interface shoe and its electrical contacts in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 8  shows a view of a break-away unit including a housing in which a tilt switch sensor resides in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 9  shows a view of a break-away unit in a deployed position with a tilt switch sensor and an actuator in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 10  shows a view of a break-away unit in the a stowed position in accordance to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
         [0015]    Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention generally relates to a helmet bracket system for attaching electronic head-mounted, quick disconnect devices to military combat helmets without passing cables underneath the rim of the helmet or affecting ballistic integrity of the helmet. 
         [0016]    The helmet bracket system may comprise modified fasteners, a round-to-flat-to-round cable harness, a docking station, a break-away arm, a tilt switch, a shoe switch, and a shoe capable of connecting electrically via contact pads. 
         [0017]    The helmet bracket system may be an articulated mechanical device attached by integrated fasteners to the helmet. The helmet bracket system may be attached and detached from the helmet by means of an integrated electro-mechanical plug and socket that provides mechanical strength for mounting the helmet bracket system as well as providing the necessary electrical pathways. A similar arrangement may be used at other attachment sites in the front, rear, or sides of the helmet. The helmet bracket system may also include sensors and switches that are combined into electrical pathways to allow the status of the helmet bracket system, such as docking connection status and position, to be sent to an attached electrical device, thus allowing power to be saved by powering down the electrical device upon receiving signals indicating that the electrical device is in a stowed position. 
         [0018]    The electrical pathways between the helmet bracket system and the attached electrical device may comprise spring-loaded pins having integrated sealing such that they are seated when a mechanical connection is made between the helmet bracket system and the attached electrical device. The electrical pathways may be sealed to protect against the environment, thus enabling it to survive submersion to a water depth of at least 30 meters seawater pressure. 
         [0019]    The helmet bracket system may allow an electrical device to be attached and secured to a helmet via the helmet bracket system. Once the electrical device is attached to the helmet, the helmet bracket system may allow the electrical device to be stowed or deployed and may further allow the position of the electrical device to be sent to the connected electrical device. Further, the helmet bracket system may also allow for the electrical device to be broken away from the helmet if the electrical device is subjected to ay external forces. 
         [0020]    Existing holes manufactured into ballistic combat helmets may be used to transfer highly flexible conductors through the center of a high-grade fastener, thus avoiding the need to create a separate wiring harness path around the rim of the helmet that exposes the conductors to physical damage or the need to drill new holes on the helmets that might affect the structural integrity of the helmet. 
         [0021]    Power and communications signals carried by the conductors may be passed along to the electrical device that is docked with the helmet bracket system. Signals provided by a tilt switch and a shoe disconnect switch may interface with the docked electrical device to relay information about the helmet bracket system. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  presents an overall view of a helmet bracket system for attaching an electronic device to a helmet  100 , featuring the helmet  100 , a head cable  103 , a docking station  105 , a break-away unit  108 , and an electro/mechanical interface shoe  113 . The head cable  103  may carry electrical power and data signals to be passed from the front  100 D of the helmet  100  to the rear  100 A of the helmet  100  without passing the head cable  103  over the top  100 B of the helmet or under the rim  100 C of the helmet  100 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the head cable  103  may enter the rear  100 A of the helmet  100  by passing through a modified M6 fastener  102 , which may be used to secure the helmet&#39;s chin strap. The head cable  103  may then proceed to pass along the underside  100 E of the helmet  100  where it may transition from a round cable  103 A to a flat cable  1038  for ease of routing, and then may return to the form of a round cable  103 C, where it may exit the helmet through another modified fastener  104 . The modified fasteners  104  and  102  may mate with the helmet  100  through existing bolt holes (not shown). After exiting the helmet  100  through modified fastener  104 , the head cable  103 D may be routed into the docking station  105 , where the electrical power and signals may be passed through an electrical breakaway mechanism (shown in more detail in  FIG. 4 ).  FIG. 3  shows an enlarged detail view of the modified fastening hardware  104 , located on the front  100 D of helmet  100 , and the head cable sections  103 C and  103 D transitioning through it. 
         [0023]    The electrical breakaway mechanism, which may be part of the helmet docking station  105 , is elaborated upon in  FIG. 4 . The electrical breakaway mechanism may include sealed spring-loaded electrical contacts  106  and an additional overall contact seal  107  that may surround the cluster of contacts  106 . These spring-loaded contacts  106  may mate with the sealed conductive pads  109  incorporated into the break-away unit  108  depicted in  FIG. 5 . By passing the signal along with electrical cable  110 , the electrical power and signals may be relayed from the sealed conductive pads  109  to the shoe port  111 . The shoe port  111  is shown in  FIG. 6  where the break-away unit  108  has been re-oriented to view the bottom of the shoe port  111 . This view allows for the sealed electrical contacts  112  contained within the shoe port  111  to be revealed. 
         [0024]    Mating with the shoe port  111  may be the electro/mechanical interface shoe  113  shown in  FIG. 7 . This shoe  113  may contain several sealed spring-loaded contacts  114 , which may allow power and data signals to be passed from the break-away unit  108  to the shoe port  111  and through the shoe  113  into an external device. A cable  115  may allow for electrical connectivity to an undefined external device. 
         [0025]    When a release button is depressed, the shoe  113  may be disengaged from the break-away unit  108 , and a separate signal may be provided to indicate that the shoe  113  is no longer secured to the break-away unit  108 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 8  depicts a view of the break-away unit  108  oriented as to show tilt switch sensor housing  116 . The tilt switch sensor  117  may provide a signal indicating whether the break-away unit is in its stowed or deployed position.  FIG. 9  shows the break-away unit  108  rotated again. The tilt switch sensor  117  may be located such that it interfaces with tilt switch actuator  118 . The orientation of the tilt switch actuator  118  in reference to the tilt switch sensor  117  may be dependant on whether the break-away unit  108  is in its stowed or deployed position.  FIG. 9  depicts the break-away unit  108  in its deployed position.  FIG. 10  shows the break-away unit  108  in its stowed position. 
         [0027]    The helmet bracket system may allow for a cable carrying power and communication signals to pass through modified existing fasteners on the back of a helmet, pass along the interior surface of the helmet changing from a round cable wire harness to a flat cable wire harness during this phase, change back to a round wire harness, and pass through modified existing fasteners on the front of the helmet to a docking station, pass through the break-away arm, and exit the helmet bracket system by means of an electrical connection on the helmet bracket shoe. Because the helmet bracket system may use existing bolt hole patterns on the helmet without changing the structural integrity of the helmet shell, the system may obviate the need to route electrical connections from being routed under the rims of helmets. 
         [0028]    Further, existing fastening hardware used to secure the helmet webbing, chin-straps, and currently-deployed helmet bracketry may be modified to allow electrical routing. The fastening hardware may be modified by adding a concentric port along the functional axis of the thread, thus allowing electrical connections to pass through the port without affecting the functional integrity of the fastening hardware. 
         [0029]    The helmet bracket system may include a break-away arm that may be movable between a stowed and deployed position. A tilt-switch mechanism on the break-away arm may provide a signal indicating whether the break-away arm is in the stowed or deployed position. The helmet bracket system may further incorporate a mechanism for electrical disconnect during mechanical breakaway of the break-away arm from its docking station. Electrical connections between the break-away arm and its docking station may be achieved by sealed spring-loaded contact pins and contact pads. 
         [0030]    When a release button is depressed to disengage the shoe from the breakaway arm, a separate signal may be provided to indicate that the shoe is no longer secured to the breakaway arm. Power and communication signals may also be passed through the shoe via sealed contact pads and spring-loaded contact pins. 
         [0031]    The wire harness carrying the head cable  103  may be a round-to-flat-to-round wire harness that follows the curvature of the helmet in order to increase the comfort of a user. In alternative embodiments, the wire harness carrying the head cable  103  may be a round wire harness. 
         [0032]    The helmet bracket system may be operated using only one hand, although two hands may be used if deemed necessary by the user. 
         [0033]    While the helmet bracket system may be used during military combat, it may also be used during search and rescue operations, recreational sports, emergency services, maintenance/repair activities, or any other suitable activity. 
         [0034]    The helmet bracket system may be made and assembled by using machining, injection molding, printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication, or any other suitable methods. 
         [0000]    It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.