Abstract:
A rail mounting assembly for coupling a flashlight or other instrument to a fixed point on a person&#39;s body, clothing, equipment or accessories allows a user to direct or otherwise fix light upon a person or area of interest. The rail mounting assembly may have a dovetail profile for mating with a cooperating flashlight

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent applications Ser. No. 60/795,318, filed Apr. 27, 2006, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       [0002]      FIG. 1A  is a photograph of a firefighter face piece assembly with a coupled flashlight consistent with one embodiment of the invention. 
         [0003]      FIG. 1B  is a closer-up photograph of a portion of the firefighter face piece assembly with the coupled flashlight of  FIG. 1A . 
         [0004]      FIG. 2  is a photograph of a rear view of the firefighter face piece assembly with the coupled flashlight of  FIG. 1A . 
         [0005]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the flashlight of  FIG. 1A . 
         [0006]      FIG. 4A  is a top view of a first rail mounting assembly for coupling a flashlight to the firefighter face piece of  FIG. 1A  consistent with one embodiment of the invention. 
         [0007]      FIG. 4B  is side view of the first rail mounting assembly of  FIG. 4A . 
         [0008]      FIG. 5A  is a partial section view of a rail mounting structure consistent with one embodiment of the invention. 
         [0009]      FIG. 5B  is a partial side view of the rail mounting structure of  FIG. 5A . 
         [0010]      FIG. 6  is a section view of a second rail mounting assembly consistent with one embodiment of the invention. 
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]      FIGS. 1A ,  1 B, and  2  are photographs showing a firefighter face piece assembly  102  with a coupled flashlight  104  consistent with one embodiment of the invention. The face piece assembly  102  may be worn with any protective helmet, for example a standard firefighter helmet having a single piece molded construction in a shape that generally incorporates a crown covering portion and a brim. The face piece assembly  102  may have a net/mesh portion  110  and one or more adjustable straps  112  for securing the face piece assembly  102  at least partially over the face of the user. The face piece assembly  102  may have a lens  114  with a nose cup  116 , a seal  118 , and a clamp  120  for coupling the seal  118  to the lens  114 . Air may enter the face piece assembly  102  through the nose cup  116  from a portable air source (not shown). With the seal  118  properly in contact with the head of the user, the air source may provide a positive pressure to help ensure outside air does not enter the face piece assembly  102 . 
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the flashlight  104  consistent with one embodiment of the invention and  FIG. 4A  is a top view and  FIG. 4B  is a side view of a first rail mounting assembly  140  consistent with one embodiment of the invention for coupling the flashlight  104  to a firefighter helmet, face piece, face/eye protector, head harness, self contained breathing apparatus, belt, clothing, wrist band or wristlet, riot shield, or other equipment. The flashlight  104  may have an incandescent, LED or other light source  106  powered by a battery or other power source enclosed at partially in a housing  130  having generally parallel elongated rigid projections  134  extending generally parallel to a longitudinal axis LA F . The elongated projections  134  may have a contoured inner surface  136  having both concave and convex surfaces that are configured to allow sliding action along a longitudinal axis LA R  with a cooperating rail mounting structure  142 . The elongated projections  134  may be spaced a fixed distance from each other. 
         [0013]    The flashlight  104  may include a spring biased bar  132  configured to cooperate with a cross slot  144  in the cooperating rail mounting structure  142  of the first rail mounting assembly  140  to allow the user to attach/detach the flashlight to/from the first rail mounting assembly  140 . The flashlight  104  may include one or more actuators  108  for controlling the on/off status of the light source  106 . 
         [0014]    A cooperating flashlight may be removably coupled to the cooperating rail mounting structure  142  using a variety of mounting methods, for example the mounting method described in issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,901, pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/678,383 (both of which a incorporated herein by reference in their entirety), a linearly slidable bar generally perpendicular to the rigid elongated projections, a side clamp, or any other mounting method that allows the user to selectively attach and detach the flashlight to the cooperating rail mounting structure  142 . For example, one of the elongated rigid projections and a cross bar may be fixed to a housing and the other projection may be rotatable parallel to a longitudinal axis and biased by a spring and/or a mechanical fastener, such as a screw, towards the first projection. 
         [0015]      FIG. 5A  is a partial section view and  FIG. 5B  is a partial side view of the first rail mounting structure  142 . The rail mounting structure  142  may have a dovetail profile that is similar in design to a MIL-STD-1913 rail, a Weaver profile, or other dovetail profile. A dovetail profile may flare outward in the shape of a dove&#39;s tail. The profile may have a wider section disposed between two narrower sections. Variations in the profile of the rail mounting structure  142  or the size or spacing of the cross slot(s)  144  may be made without departing from the invention. 
         [0016]    The rail mounting assembly  140  may have a clamping portion  146  coupled to the rail mounting structure  142  with a single degree of freedom coupler  160  to allow the rail cooperating rail mounting structure  142  to rotate relative to the clamping portion  146 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 6 , a second rail mounting assembly  140 A may have a cooperating rail mounting structure  142 A coupled to a clamping portion  146 A with a multiple degree of freedom coupler that allows the cooperating rail mounting structure  142 A and the clamping portion  146 A to move in two or more degrees of freedom, for example using a ball  150  and socket  152 , a universal joint, or a gimbal. 
         [0017]    The clamping portion  146  may have one or more end portions  146 A,  146 B and a clamping portion  148  may have one or more end portions  148 A,  148 B configured to grasp the clamp  120  or any other object. The clamping portions  146 ,  148  may be formed from a single piece of material, for example metal or plastic, or from two or more pieces of material and a spring  154  or other mechanism. The clamping portions  146 ,  148  may be configured to bias the ends  148 A,  148 B,  148 A,  148 B towards each other to provide a clamping force. The clamping portions  146 ,  148  may be secured in a variety of positions along the clamp  120  of the face piece assembly  102  so as not to interfere with the seal  118 . 
         [0018]    Although reference has been made to firefighters, other users desiring hands-free lighting, including peace officers, first responder, industrial workers, sports persons, miners and cave spelunkers, high climbers, may benefit. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment, the rail mounting system may provide as a flashlight, utensil, instrument or device mounting point that accepts products manufactured with the interface to mate to a cooperating rail structure, for example a MIL-STD-1913 or a Weaver rail, to allow for the attachment to be firmly fixed and aimed (oriented) to free the user&#39;s hands to accomplish the mission. Interchangeability, standardization of mounting system, and hands-free stability are maintained and provide one or more degrees of freedom to the user. 
         [0020]    In another embodiment, the rail mounting system may be attached to the brim of a protective helmet, protective face/eye protector, or a head harness to allow a flashlight to be affixed thereto and provide one or more degrees of freedom. 
         [0021]    In another embodiment, the rail mounting system may be attached to a wrist band or wristlet (bracelet) to allow a flashlight to be affixed thereto and provide one or more degrees of freedom. 
         [0022]    In another embodiment, the rail mounting system may be attached to the harness of a self contained breathing apparatus or back support harness to allow a flashlight to be affixed thereto and provide one or more degrees of freedom. 
         [0023]    In another embodiment, the rail mounting structure may be coupled to a police riot shield to allow a flashlight to be coupled thereto to provide one or more degrees of freedom. 
         [0024]    In another embodiment, the rail mounting system may be coupled to a user&#39;s clothing or equipment to allow a flashlight to be coupled thereto to provide one or more degrees of freedom. 
         [0025]    Although several embodiments have been described in detail herein, the invention is not limited hereto. It will be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made without materially departing from the novel and advantageous teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed herein are by way of example. It is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereby.