Light secure eyecup for use with night vision goggles

• US 4,698,857 A
• Filed: 06/09/1986
• Issued: 10/13/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varo, Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Varo, Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Kastendieck, William A., Puckett, Steve D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nerbun, Peter
• Application Number:
  US06/872,132
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 2/426, 2/440, 2/441, 2/428, 2/429, 2/430, 2/454, 2/6, 2/432, 2/436, 2/437, 350/145, 350/146, 350/547, 350/548, 350/549, 350/248, 250/213 VT
• US Class Current: 2/426
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/12 with means for image conversion or intensification
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 25/001 Eyepieces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/003 Light absorbing elements

Abstract

An eyecup (24) for interfacing a night vision goggle (10) with the eyes of the user (12). A flexible curved eyepiece (28) including a wing (38) provides a tight seal of the periphery of the eyepiece (28) to the occular eye area of the user (12). The seal prevents light (22) emitted from the goggle (10) from escaping out of the confines of the eyecup (24). A fastening sleeve (26) is provided to secure the eyecup (24) about a flange on the goggle (10). An intermediate accordion section (40) allows compression and expansion and maintains the seal between the eyepiece (28) and the ocular eye area. An air vent hole (52) is formed in the accordion section (40) to prevent suction from occurring within the eyecup (24).

Claims

1. An eyecup adapted for use with a goggle to prevent the leakage of light when the eyecup is pressed against the head of a wearer, comprising:

an inner eyepiece region for providing a sealing engagement with an area between a user'"'"'s eye and nose;

an upper curved eyepiece region providing a sealing engagement with the user'"'"'s brow;

a lower curved eyepiece region providing a sealing engagement with the user'"'"'s cheek;

an outer eyepiece region extending outwardly toward the user'"'"'s temple for providing a sealing engagement therewith;

an interface for connecting said eyecup to the goggle;

an intermediate section between said eyepiece regions and said interface, and including a compressible accordion section for allowing compression of said intermediate section along an axial axis thereof when pressure is applied to said eyecup without deforming said eyepiece regions, and

said eyepiece regions and interface and intermediate section are of integral construction of a soft pliable material.

2. The eyecup of claim 1 wherein said eyecup includes a curved edge extending from said inner region to said outer region, said curved edge having an arc of radius of about 2.5-3.0 inches.

3. The eyecup of claim 2 wherein the center of the arc of radius of said curved edge is laterally displaced from the line of sight axis of said eyecup.

10. The eyecup of claim 3 wherein said outer eyepiece region can flex away from the user'"'"'s head in order to mate with other optical equipment worn by the user.

12. The eyecup of claim 1 wherein said intermediate section comprises an accordion structure to allow said compression without substantially distorting the shape of said eyecup.

13. The eyecup of claim 12 wherein said eyecup includes an aperture to allow the passage of air therethrough.

14. The eyecup of claim 1 further including in said interface an internal annular groove for engagement with an external annular flange of the goggle to thereby allow said eyecup to be removably fixed to the goggle.

4. An eyecup for use with a goggle to interface the goggle to an eye of a user when the eyecup is held in compression against the head of the user, comprising:

a generally flexible rubber body having a central opening, an end for fastening the eyecup to the goggle, and an eyepiece for providing a sealing interface to the ocular area of the use, said eyepiece including an inner region for engaging with that part of the ocular area adjacent the user'"'"'s nose, an outer region for engaging with that part of the ocular area adjacent the user'"'"'s temple, and curved upper and lower regions located between said inner and outer regions, the eyepiece thereby having a contoured edge so as to conform to the right eye when oriented in a first orientation, and to conform to the left eye when rotated 180 degrees, and an accordion section formed of a soft pliable rubber and integral with said body, and formed intermediate said end and said eyepiece regions for allowing compression of said eyecup without substantial distortion of said flexible eyepiece regions, said accordion section being formed around an entire circumference thereof.

5. The eyecup of claim 4 wherein said upper and lower regions are curved axially inwardly toward said fastening end, and are curved starting from the inner region to the outer region.

6. The eyecup of claim 4 wherein each curve of the respective upper and lower region has a uniform radius of curvature, the center of which is displaced with respect to an axial axis of the cylindrical central opening.

7. The eyecup of claim 6 wherein the center of said radius is displaced laterally from the axis in the direction of said inner region.

8. The eyecup of claim 4 wherein said compressible intermediate section includes a vent hole to prevent the occurrence of a suction within the eyecup, and the hole is disposed therein so as to direct light emitted therefrom toward the user'"'"'s nose.

9. The eyecup of claim 4 wherein said eyecup is fabricated with a flexible material such that it can further conform to varied facial dimensions when pressed thereagainst.

11. The eyecup of claim 6 wherein the eyecup has a curvature corresponding to an arc of radius of approximately 2.80 inches.

15. The eyecup of claim 4 wherein said eyecup end is circular in shape and includes an internal annular groove for engagement with an external annular flange of the goggle to thereby allow said eyecup to be removably fixed to the goggle.

16. The eyecup of claim 4 wherein said soft pliable rubber is about 0.03 inch thick.