Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 USC §119(e) on the basis of provisional application 61/381,011, filed Sep. 8, 2010. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to lighting apparatus, and particularly to a personal, battery-powered light having a bracket that enables the light to be readily attached to, and removed from, a mounting worn by an individual. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Military night vision goggles are attached to a helmet by a device known as a “VAS shroud,” VAS being an acronym for “Visual Augmentation System.” The VAS shroud is permanently secured to the helmet, and the night vision goggles are attached to the VAS shroud by an adapter known as an NVG plate, which is designed for quick attachment to, and release from, the shroud. 
         [0004]    When the night vision goggles are not needed, it is often useful to wear a head-mounted lighting device, i.e., a device emitting a beam of visible light. Many different kinds of such lighting devices, known generally as “personal headlamps,” are available, and are generally attached to the person by means of a head strap. It is desirable to provide for pivoting of the light about a horizontal pivot axis to adjust the elevation of the light beam. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    This invention provides for simple, convenient, and secure removable attachment of a pivotable lighting device to a helmet-mounted VAS shroud. Another aspect of the invention is to provide for selective attachment of the lighting device to any of two or more mountings, including a helmet shroud and another adapter such as a head strap adapter. Still another aspect of the invention is to provide for locking of the pivotable lighting device in a position in which its operating pushbutton is in an inaccessible location to prevent accidental activation of the lighting device. 
         [0006]    In accordance with the first aspect of the invention, the invention is a lighting apparatus comprising a light source housing, and adapter, and a clip. The housing contains a light source. The adapter comprises a unitary rigid part having an upper rib extending generally in a horizontal direction, and a pair of downwardly open slots aligned with, and spaced from, each other along a direction parallel to the horizontal direction of the rib. These slots are located on opposite sides of a location below the rib. The clip is a unitary, resilient, clip comprising a horizontally extending element having opposite ends and a vertical element having an upper end. The vertical element extends upward from the horizontally extending element at an intermediate location between the opposite ends of the horizontal element. The horizontally extending element of the clip has an ear extending perpendicularly in a forward direction from each of its opposite ends. The horizontal element also has a pair of tabs extending upwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the vertical element. The vertical element has a rearwardly extending part at its upper end, and the rearwardly extending part has a downwardly open slot. The light source housing is rotatable on a bracket for tilting about a horizontal axis. The tabs extending upwardly from the horizontal element are receivable respectively in the downwardly open slots on the adapter, and the downwardly open slot on the rearwardly extending part at the upper end of the vertical element of the clip is positioned to snap onto, and receive, the rib of the adapter when the tabs are received in the downwardly open slots on the adapter. The clip, with the light source housing connected to its bracket, can therefore be attached to the adapter by a snap fit. 
         [0007]    The rearwardly extending part at the upper end of the vertical element preferably has a concave, manually engageable, upper surface for detachment of the clip from the adapter, and the upper surface can have serrations formed therein for increased friction when engaged manually by a person&#39;s thumb or finger. 
         [0008]    The adapter can be designed for attachment to any of various articles. For example, the adapter can be an adapter that connects to a flexible strap such as a head strap, a belt, or to webbing worn on the person. In the case of a helmet, the adapter can be removably attached to a visual augmentation system (VAS) shroud by being connected to a quick release plate that attaches removably to the shroud. 
         [0009]    In another aspect of the invention, the light source housing includes a pushbutton for manual activation of the light source, and is rotatable to a pushbutton-protecting position in which the pushbutton is in a substantially inaccessible position between the light source housing and the vertical element of the clip. The bracket and the light source housing include cooperating detents for locking the light source housing in its pushbutton-protecting position. The locking can of the housing in the pushbutton-protecting position can be achieved by an embodiment in which the bracket is a ring-shaped bracket, the light source housing includes a ring having a recess, and the ring-shaped bracket includes a locking tab positioned to enter the recess when the light source housing is rotated to its pushbutton-protecting position. At least one of the ring and the locking tab should have sufficient resilience to allow the locking tab to engage and disengage the recess by application of a torque to the light source housing. 
         [0010]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the invention is a lighting apparatus kit that includes not only a light source housing and clip together with a first adapter for attachment to a strap, webbing or other support, but also an assembly comprising a mounting plate corresponding to a night vision goggle (NVG) mounting plate, and a second adapter connectible to the plate. The assembly consisting of the light source housing and clip can be quickly connected either to the first adapter or to the second adapter on the NVG mounting plate. 
         [0011]    In still another of its aspects, the invention is a lighting apparatus comprising an adapter and a unitary, resilient, clip having a bracket for rotatable support of a light source housing. The adapter is connectible to a quick-release mounting plate capable of attachment to a visual augmentation system shroud on a helmet, and the clip is attachable by a snap fit to the adapter. The quick-release mounting plate includes tabs protruding upward and downward respectively from its upper and lower ends. At least one of said tabs is retractable for release of the mounting plate from a visual augmentation system shroud. 
         [0012]    Details, and other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an assembly comprising a VAS shroud, a light source housing, a mounting clip and other intermediate components for connecting the light source housing to the VAS shroud; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view showing the back cover of the light source housing, the shroud the mounting clip and the intermediate components; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a adapter for connection to the clip in order to mount the light source on a headstrap instead of on a helmet; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an assembly according to a second embodiment, comprising a clip connected to an adapter; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view showing details of the construction of the clip and adapter, and also showing the back cover of a light source housing attached to the clip. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view showing a third embodiment of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing an assembled lighting apparatus according to the third embodiment; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view showing cooperating locking tabs for maintaining the light housing in the third embodiment in an upright condition so that the push-button is inaccessible. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a headlamp comprising light source housing  10 , is supported on a VAS shroud  12 , adapted to be attached to a military helmet (not shown) by fasteners inserted through fastener holes  14  in the shroud. The headlamp can be any of various portable headlamps. In the embodiment shown, the light source housing includes four light-emitting diodes (LEDs)  16  disposed behind a transparent cover  18 . The housing also includes a set of electrochemical cells not shown, an operating push-button  20 , and electronic circuitry responsive to the push-button for turning the LEDs on and off, regulating the amount of illumination emitted by the LEDs, ensuring that initial brightness is maintained, and providing for selection of a repeating flashing mode. 
         [0022]    The light source housing  10  has a pair of aligned supporting pins extending laterally in opposite directions from locations on the lower parts of the sides of the housing  10 . One such pin is pin  22  in  FIG. 1 . The other pin is not shown in  FIG. 1 . The pins cooperate with pin-receiving holes in ears protruding forward from the shroud to form a hinge on which the light source housing is pivotable about a horizontal axis corresponding to the direction along which the pins are aligned with each other. A series of detents (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) formed on the back of the housing  10  cooperates with a fixed protrusion to enable the user to select an angular position of the light source from a plurality of available positions. 
         [0023]    As shown in exploded view in  FIG. 2 , the VAS shroud  12  has a central opening  24  for receiving a quick-release night vision goggle plate (NVG plate)  26 . This plate has a fixed upper tab  28  and a lower tab  30  that can be retracted by operation of a release push-button  32 . The tabs  28  and  30  respectively engage upper and lower parts of the shroud  12  to secure the plate to the shroud. 
         [0024]    An adapter  34  is secured to the quick release plate by a pair of screws  36 , which extend through holes  38  in the adapter and slots  40  in plate  26 , and are threaded into T-nuts  42  located in recesses (not shown) in plate  26  behind slots  40 . 
         [0025]    At the bottom of the adapter  34  are formed two aligned, downwardly open, slots on opposite sides of a gap  44 . Slot  46 , which is one of the two downwardly open slots, is formed in part  48  on one side of the gap  44 , and the other slot, which is similar to slot  46  is formed in part  50  on the opposite side of the gap. The slots are aligned with each other. 
         [0026]    The upper part of the adapter  34  has an opening  52  defined between a rear laterally extending rib  54  and a front laterally extending rib  56 . 
         [0027]    As will be apparent from  FIG. 2 , the downwardly open slots are located on opposite sides of a location below rear rib  54 . 
         [0028]    A unitary, resilient, clip  58  comprises a horizontally extending element  60  and a vertical element  62  extending upward from the horizontally extending element at an intermediate location between the opposite ends of the horizontal element. The horizontally extending element has ears  64  and  66  extending perpendicularly in a forward direction from its respective opposite ends. The ears are formed with holes for receiving pins formed on the opposite sides of the back cover  68  of the light source housing. Thus, pin  22  fits into hole  70  in ear  66 , and the other pin (not shown) fits into a similar hole  72  in ear  64 . 
         [0029]    The horizontal element also has a pair of tabs  74  and  76  extending upwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the vertical element  62 . The vertical element has a rearwardly extending part  78  at its upper end. The upper surface of part  78  is preferably slightly concave so that it can be firmly engaged by a user&#39;s thumb or finger, and may be formed with serrations for increased friction when engaged manually by a person&#39;s thumb or finger. A downwardly open slot  80  is formed underneath the rearwardly extending part. 
         [0030]    An assembly consisting of the light source housing  10  ( FIG. 1 ) and the clip  58  can be quickly attached to the adapter  34 , which will already have been secured to the NVG plate  26 , by inserting tabs  74  and  76  into slot  46  and the similar slot in part  50  while passing the upper part of the vertical element  62  upward through gap  44  and opening  52  in adapter  34 , and pushing the upper portion of vertical part  62  rearward until part  78  snaps over rear rib  54  and rear rib  54  is engaged with downwardly open slot  80  in part  78 . 
         [0031]    The assembly consisting of the light source housing and the clip can be removed from the adapter by pressing forward on the inclined surface on the upper side of part  78  to disengage slot  80  from rib  54 . 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , NVG plate  26  has a set of teeth  82  which can be selectively engaged by complementary ribs on a night vision goggle assembly for adjustment of the height of the goggles. A similar adjustment of the height of the light source housing is less critical but nevertheless possible, and the adapter  34  is provided with a set of teeth for engagement with teeth  82  on plate  26 . 
         [0033]    The light source can be mounted on the VAS shroud when the shroud is not being used to support night vision goggles. The light source can be attached and removed in either of two ways. It can be attached and removed by manipulating the clip  58  to attach and remove the assembly consisting of the clip and the light source housing to and from the adapter  34 . Alternatively, the assembly consisting of the light source housing, the clip, the adapter and the NVG plate can be attached to and removed form the shroud  12  by manipulation of push button  32 . 
         [0034]    The use of the clip provides for convenient transfer of the assembly consisting of the light source housing and the clip from the adapter  34  to an alternative adapter  84  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0035]    Adapter  84  is preferably a unitary molded device having a construction similar to that of adapter  34 . Two aligned, downwardly open, slots are provided on opposite sides of a gap  86 . One such slot,  88 , is formed in an part  90 , and the other slot (not shown but similar to slot  88 ) is formed in part  92  on the opposite side of the gap. The slots are aligned with each other. 
         [0036]    The upper part of the adapter  84  has an opening  94  defined between a rear, laterally extending, rib  96  and a front laterally extending rib  98 . The downwardly open slots are located on opposite sides of a location below rear rib  96 . T-shaped slots  100  and  102  are provided in flanges  104  and  106  respectively to receive a headstrap (not shown), which can be an adjustable strap woven from a stretchable yarn. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate the attachment of the clip  58  to adapter  84 . As in the case of adapter  34 , the clip  58 , with the light source housing attached to it, can be attached to adapter  84  by insertion of the upper end of its vertical part  62  upward through opening  94  while at the same time inserting its tabs  74  and  76  into the downwardly open slots in parts  90  and  92 , and then pushing part  78  so that its downwardly facing slot  80  receives rib  96 . The clip can be removed from adapter  84  by pressing forward on the upper part  78  of the clip. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the rib  96  is configured so that the part thereof that enters slot  80  underneath part  78  of the clip is located slightly forward of the back face  108  of the adapter  84 . This configuration of the rib allows the clip to engage the rib without the tip of part  78  pressing into the user&#39;s forehead. 
         [0038]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the back cover  68  of the light source housing is provided with a series of detents  110  arranged on an arcuate portion of the back cover centered on the connecting pins (not shown) on which the light source housing is pivoted. These detents cooperate with a protrusion  112  formed on the clip  62  to hold the light source housing at any selected one of several discrete angles. 
         [0039]    From the foregoing, it will be seen that the clip allows the light source housing to be transferred quickly and easily from one adapter to the other so that it can be mounted on the NVG shroud on a helmet or alternatively on a similar to the headstrap of a conventional personal headlamp. 
         [0040]    In the third embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 6-8 , the lighting device is mounted for tilting up and down by engagement of a ring formed at one end of the lighting device with a bracket in the form of a collar extending forward from a clip. The lighting device is similar to the lighting device shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,568,812, granted Aug. 5, 2009. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 7,568,812, is here incorporated by reference. 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the lighting device  114  includes a light source housing  116  for containing light emitting diodes, power supply cells, and control circuitry, a lens  118 , through which light from one or more light emitting diodes (not shown) is emitted, an operating push-button  120  located on top of the housing  118 , and a mounting ring  122  extending from one end of the housing for rotation in a ring-shaped bracket  124 , which is secured to, and extends forward from, a clip  126 . A series of notches  128  is provided on the outside of the ring  122  for engagement with a resilient protrusion  130  on the clip to hold the light at a selected tilt angle. Protrusion  130  extends through a slot  132  in bracket  124 . As in the first embodiment, a pair of upright tabs, including tab  134 , engage downwardly open slots (not shown) formed in the bottom of an adapter  136 , which is similar to adapter  34  in the first embodiment. A resilient element  138 , protruding upward from the lower part of clip  126 , can extend through slot  140  in adapter  136  to secure the clip temporarily to the adapter. An end cap  142  closes the opening of ring  122  when the device is fully assembled as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0042]    In order to prevent activation of the lighting device by accidental operation of pushbutton  120 , the device  114  can be tilted upward and held in the upwardly tilted position so that the pushbutton is in a pushbutton-protecting position between the housing  116  and the resilient element  138  of the clip  126 , and therefore prevented from accidental operation by contact with objects such as tree branches, or from accidental operation when packed with other objects in a backpack, for example. 
         [0043]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , detents are provided to lock the light source housing in the pushbutton-protecting position. The internal surface of the ring-shape bracket  124  is formed with an inwardly protruding tab  144 , which enters a gap between two adjacent outwardly protruding tabs  146  and  148  formed on ring  122  when the lighting device is tilted upward to a position in which the push-button is protected. Resilience of the ring  128 , or resilience of the tab, allow the tab  144  to engage with and disengage from the gap between tabs  146  and  148 . The individual user can therefore readily tilt the lighting device upward to a position in which the pushbutton is substantially inaccessible, that is either inaccessible or accessible only with difficulty, and the lighting device will be held in that condition by tab  144  until a torque is applied sufficient to break the engagement of tab  144  with the gap between tabs  146  and  148 . The size and relationship of these tabs, and the resilience of the part of the ring  122  adjacent tabs  146  and  148 , can be selected so that the torque required to disengage the tabs is sufficient to prevent accidental rotation of the lighting device out of its pushbutton-protecting position. Typically, this torque will be greater than the torque required to adjust the angle of the light by disengaging a notch  128  from protrusion  130 . 
         [0044]    The lighting device, clip and bracket shown in  FIG. 6  can be used with a headstrap adapter similar to the adapters shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  instead of with adapter  136 . 
         [0045]    Numerous modifications can be made to the devices described. For example, the configuration of the clip can be modified to provide for pivoting of the light source housing about a vertical or oblique axis, or for universal adjustment of the direction of the light beam. Many other modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Technology Category: 2