Helmet Mount with Integral Binocular Bridge

• US 20150002930A1
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilcox Industries Corp.
• Original Assignee: Wilcox Industries Corp.
• Inventors: Teetzel, James W., Mitchell, Travis S., Wright, Nathaniel G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,709,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/409
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/042 Optical devices night vision goggles G02B23/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/18 for binocular arrangements focusing binocular pairs G02B7/06; adjusting pupillary distance of binocular pairs G02B7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence

Abstract

A helmet mount for attaching a viewing device to a helmet includes a helmet interface assembly removably attachable to the helmet. A pivot arm is attached to the helmet interface assembly and is pivotal about a horizontal, transverse axis. A carriage member is carried on the pivot arm and slidable between the distal end and the proximal end of the pivot arm. The carriage member includes a bridge member integral therewith, the bridge member including a first fastener configured to removably attach a first viewing device and a second fastener configured to attach a second viewing device.

Claims

1. A helmet mount for attaching a viewing device to a helmet, the mount comprising:

a helmet interface assembly removably attachable to the helmet;

a pivot arm attached to the helmet interface assembly and pivotal about a horizontal, transverse axis, the pivot arm having a proximal end and a distal end;

a carriage member carried on the pivot arm and slidable between the distal end and the proximal end of the pivot arm; and

the carriage member including a bridge member integral therewith, the bridge member including a first fastener configured to removably attach a first viewing device and a second fastener configured to attach a second viewing device.

2. The helmet mount of claim 1, further comprising:

a first device interface member removably attachable to the first fastener; and

a second device interface member removably attachable to the second fastener.

3. The helmet mount of claim 2, further comprising:

the first device interface member including a first mounting shoe receptacle configured to removably attach to a mounting shoe of a first viewing device; and

the second device interface member including a second mounting shoe receptacle configured to removably attach to a mounting shoe of a second viewing device.

4. The helmet mount of claim 3, further comprising:

the first device interface member including a first hinge that allows rotation of a first attached viewing device between a viewing position before a first eye of a user and a first non-viewing position out of a line of sight of the user; and

the second device interface member including a second hinge that allows rotation of a second attached viewing device between a second viewing position before a second eye of a user and a second non-viewing position out of the line of sight of the user.

5. The helmet mount of claim 4, wherein the first and second hinges each pivot about a pivot axis that is parallel to a viewing axis of the first and second attached viewing devices.

6. The helmet mount of claim 3, further comprising:

an electrical circuit for electrically coupling a power supply to one or both of a first attached viewing device and a second attached viewing device.

7. The helmet mount of claim 6, wherein the electrical circuit includes:

an electrical connector;

a first set of electrical contacts on a first surface of said bridge member and electrically coupled to the electrical connector; and

a second set of electrical contacts on a second surface of said bridge member and electrically coupled to the electrical connector.

8. The helmet mount of claim 7, wherein the electrical circuit further includes:

a third set of electrical contacts on the first device interface member which contacts the first set of contacts on the first surface of the bridge member; and

a fourth set of electrical contacts on the second device interface member which contacts the second set of contacts on the second surface of the bridge member.

9. The helmet mount of claim 3, wherein the first and second mounting shoe receptacles are linearly movable along a horizontal axis orthogonal to a viewing axis.

10. The helmet mount of claim 1, wherein the helmet interface assembly includes one or both of:

a vertical adjustment assembly for positioning an attached viewing device at a desired vertical position; and

a tilt adjustment assembly for adjusting a viewing angle of an attached viewing device.

11. The helmet mount of claim 1, wherein the pivot arm pivots between a lower position and an upper position for use and stowage, respectively, of a viewing device attached to the bridge member.

12. The helmet mount of claim 1, wherein the carriage member is slidable to a desired position between the proximal end and the distal end of the pivot arm.

13. The helmet mount of claim 1, wherein the helmet interface assembly includes a breakaway connector which causes at least a portion of the helmet mount to detach from the helmet upon the application of a predetermined force.

14. The helmet mount of claim 1, further comprising:

a gear rack on said pivot arm;

a slide lock carried on said carriage member, the slide lock having locking teeth which intermesh with the gear rack to secure the carriage member at a desired position on the pivot arm, the slide lock being manually actuatable to selectively move the locking teeth out of engagement to provide fore-and-aft adjustment of the carriage member.

15. The helmet mount of claim 1, further comprising a captured spring within said carriage member urging the locking teeth into engagement with the gear rack.

16. The helmet mount of claim 1, further comprising a viewing device.

17. The helmet mount of claim 16, wherein the viewing device comprises a pair of monocular viewing devices.

18. The helmet mount of claim 1, wherein the carriage member is adapted for mounting one or more viewing devices selected from the group consisting of an optical device, opto-electronic device, sighting device, targeting device, passive night vision device, enhanced night vision device, thermal imaging device, infrared imaging device, short-wave infrared imaging device, helmet mounted display screen, and combinations thereof.

19. The helmet mount of claim 1, wherein the bridge member has a contacting surface which is keyed to mate with an aligned facing surface of an attached viewing device interface member.

20. The helmet mount of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of device interface members including device interface members configured to attach to different types viewing devices, wherein each of the plurality of device interface members is interchangeably attachable to the bridge member.