Helmet Attachment Platform

• US 20100012692A1
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Protection Systems, Inc. (Safariland LLC)
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Protection Systems, Inc. (Safariland LLC)
• Inventors: Harris, Christian J., Stalzer, Christopher Michael, Dempsey, Christopher Martin
• Application Number:
  US12/468,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20100012692A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 224/181
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/04 Parts, details or accessories of helmets
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/185 Securing goggles or spectacles on helmet shells

Abstract

A modular helmet attachment platform for ACH and MICH helmets enables the user to attach various off-the-shelf user items that users may have in the field, such as lights, IFF devices, NVGs, and NVG accessories, to a helmet.

Claims

1. An attachment platform for supporting user items on a user'"'"'s helmet, comprising:

a front frame piece having left and right slotted side arms and having at least one opening for receiving a fastener for supporting the front frame piece on the helmet;

a back frame piece having left and right slotted side arms and having at least one opening for receiving a fastener for supporting the back frame piece on the helmet;

the side arms of the front frame piece being spaced apart from the side arms of the back frame piece when the front frame piece and the back frame piece are mounted on the helmet; and

left and right side frame pieces each having slotted forward arms and slotted rearward arms;

the slots in the forward arms of the side frame pieces overlying the slots in the slotted side arms of the front frame piece when the front frame piece and the side frame pieces are mounted on the helmet, and receiving fasteners extending into the helmet; and

the slots in the rearward arms of the side frame pieces overlying the slots in the slotted side arms of the back frame piece when the back frame piece and the side frame pieces are mounted on the helmet, and receiving fasteners extending into the helmet;

whereby the front-to-back dimension of the platform is adjustable at the front and at the back of the frame side pieces.

2. A platform as set forth in claim 1 also including at least two vertically extending slots in the front frame piece of the platform for providing a vertical adjustment capability when attaching the front frame piece on the helmet.

3. An attachment platform for supporting user items on a user'"'"'s helmet, comprising:

a frame piece having at least two slots for receiving fasteners for supporting the frame piece on the helmet, the frame piece having an item mount opening extending between its inner and outer surfaces; and

a plurality of item mounts for supporting user items on the frame piece;

each one of the item mounts having a plurality of engagement tabs that resiliently snap into the opening and engage behind the inner surface of the frame piece to hold the item mount on the frame piece.

4. A platform as set forth in claim 3 wherein the item mount opening in the frame is not circular and the items mounts have engagement tabs with differing pull-out strengths.

5. A platform as set forth in claim 4 wherein the item mount opening in the frame is elliptical.

6. An attachment platform for supporting user items on a user'"'"'s helmet, comprising:

a front frame piece having at least two slots for receiving fasteners for supporting the front frame piece on the helmet; and

an NVG mounting plate having first and second opposite major side surfaces, the first major side surface of the NVG mounting plate adapted to engage and support a Norotos NVG, the second major side surface of the NVG mounting plate adapted to engage and support a Wilcox NVG;

the front frame piece having an NVG mounting portion adapted to support the NVG mounting plate in first and second opposite orientations;

the front frame piece supporting the NVG mounting plate in the first orientations when the first major side surface of the NVG mounting plate engages and supports a Norotos NVG,

the front frame piece supporting the NVG mounting plate in the second orientation when the second major side surface of the NVG mounting plate engages and supports a Wilcox NVG.

7. A platform as set forth in claim 6 wherein the NVG mounting portion of the front frame piece includes two raised portions on opposite sides of a flat central surface, the first major side surface of the NVG mounting plate overlying the flat central surface of the NVG mounting portion when the NVG mounting plate is in the first orientation, and the second major side surface of the NVG mounting plate overlying the flat central surface of the NVG mounting portion when the NVG mounting plate is in the second orientation.

8. A method of mounting goggles on an attachment platform that supports user items on a user'"'"'s helmet, comprising the steps of:

removing the central portion of the goggle strap;

attaching each end portion of the goggle strap to a respective adaptor;

attaching each adaptor to a respective elastic strap; and

attaching each elastic strap to a goggle pivot on the platform.