Headgear mounted display visor

• US 4,755,023 A
• Filed: 10/27/1986
• Issued: 07/05/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kaiser Aerospace & Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kaiser Aerospace & Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Tirums, Andrew T., Evans, Charles D., Larkin, Eric W.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kachmarik, Ronald M.
• Application Number:
  US06/923,285
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 350/174, 350/601, 350/629
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/042 Optical devices night vision goggles G02B23/12
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/228 for military or aviation applications protection helmets F41H1/04; breathing masks or helmets A62B18/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features

Abstract

A visor for mounting on a helmet adapted to be worn by an individual, includes a substantially transparent visor having an inner concave surface, and, with reference to an orthogonal, right-handed xyz Cartesian coordinate system of spatial reference having its origin located on the inner concave surface and its z-axis parallel to the line of sight of the individual wearing the helmet, the inner concave surface being defined by a cross-section of the visor in the x-axis of reference, which is symmetrical about both the origin and the y-z plane of reference, having one-half of the cross-section of the visor in the x-axis of reference being a first circular segment containing the origin at one end and connected to its opposite end to one end of a first paraboloid segment which is connected at its opposite end to one end of an elliptic segment whose opposite end forms a side boundary of the visor, and by a cross-section of the visor in the y-axis of reference having a second circular segment, one end of which forms an upper boundary of the visor and an opposite end connected to one end of a third circular segment having its opposite end connected to one end of a second paraboloid segment whose opposite end forms a lower boundary of the visor.

Claims

1. A headgear mounted display comprising in combination:

headgear adapted to be worn by a person;

means for projecting an image;

a visor formed from substantially transparent plastic material for mounting on said headgear and having an inner concave and an outer convex surface, and, with reference to an orthogonal, right-handed xyz Cartesian coordinate system of spatial reference having its origin located on said inner concave surface and its z-axis parallel to the line of sight of the person wearing said headgear, said inner concave surface being in cross-section in the x-axis of reference, symmetrical about both the origin and the y-z plane of reference, having one-half of the cross-section of said visor in the x-axis of reference as a first circular segment containing the origin at one end and connected at its opposite end to one end of a first paraboloid segment which is connected at its opposite end to one end of an elliptic segment whose opposite end forms a side boundary of said visor,

and having a cross-section of the visor in the y-axis of reference having a second circular segment, one end of which forms an upper boundary of said visor and an opposite end connected to one end of a third circular segment having its opposite end connected to one end of a second paraboloid segment whose opposite end forms a lower boundary of said visor.

2. A headgear mounted display in accordance with claim 1 wherein the outer surface of said plastic material forms a convex surface having a shape that is substantially a replica of said inner concave surface.

3. A headgear mounted display in accordance with claim 2 wherein said inner concave surface of said visor has a narrow band reflective coating deposited thereon having about 30 percent reflectivity at the wavelength of said image projecting means, and a broad band anti-reflection coating deposited on its outer convex surface.

4. A headgear mounted display in accordance with claim 1 further including a sun visor mounted on said headgear adapted to be added or removed from covering said visor.

5. A headgear mounted display in accordance with claim 4 wherein said sun visor has a broad band anti-reflection coating deposited on its inner and outer surfaces.

6. A headgear mounted display in accordance with claim 5 wherein said sun visor is constructed of a material having a transmissivity factor of about 15 percent to ambient light.

7. A head gear mounted display in accordance with claim 1 wherein said image projecting means is a cathode ray tube.

8. A visor for mounting on a helmet adapted to be worn by an individual, comprising:

a sheet of substantially transparent plastic shield material having an inner concave surface, and, with reference to an orthogonal, right-handed xyz Cartesian coordinate system of spatial reference having its origin located on said inner concave surface and its z-axis parallel to the line of sight of the individual wearing the helmet, said inner concave surface being defined by a cross-section of said sheet in the x-axis of reference, which is symmetrical about both the origin and the y-z plane of reference, having one-half of the cross-section of said sheet in the x-axis of reference being a first circular segment containing the origin at one end and connected at its opposite end to one end of a first paraboloid segment which is connected at its opposite end to one end of an elliptic segment whose opposite end forms a side boundary of said sheet,

and by a cross-section of said sheet in the y-axis of reference having a second circular segment, one end of which forms an upper boundary of said sheet and an opposite end connected to one end of a third circular segment having its opposite end connected to one end of a second paraboloid segment whose opposite end forms a lower boundary of said sheet.

9. A visor in accordance with claim 8 wherein the thickness of said sheet of plastic shield material is in the range of 0.050 to 0.150 inches, and said inner surface has a reflectivity of 3 to 5 percent.

10. A headgear mounted display comprising in combination:

headgear adapted to be worn by a person;

means for projecting an image;

a visor formed from substantially transparent plastic material for mounting on said headgear and having an inner concave and an outer convex surface, and, with reference to an orthogonal, right-handed xyz Cartesian coordinate system of spatial reference having its origin located on said inner concave surface and its z-axis parallel to the line of sight of the person wearing said headgear, said inner concave surface being in cross-section in the x-axis of reference, symmetrical about both the origin and the y-z plane of reference, having one-half of the cross-section of said visor in the x-axis of reference as a first concave segment containing the origin at one end and connected at its opposite end to one end of a first paraboloid segment which is connected at its opposite end to one end of a second concave segment whose opposite end forms a side boundary of said visor,

and having a cross-section of said visor in the y-axis of reference having a third concave segment, one end of which forms an upper boundary of said visor and an opposite end connected to one end of a fourth concave segment having its opposite end connected to one end of a second paraboloid segment whose opposite end forms a lower boundary of said visor.

11. A headgear mounted display in accordance with claim 10 wherein the outer surface of said plastic material forms a convex surface having a shape that is substantially a replica of said inner concave surface.

12. A headgear mounted display in accordance with claim 11 wherein said inner concave surface of said visor has a narrow band reflective coating deposited thereon having about 30 percent reflectivity at the wavelength of said image projecting means, and a broad band anti-reflection coating deposited on its outer convex surface.

13. A headgear mounted display in accordance with claim 10 further including a sun visor mounted on said headgear adapted to be added or removed from covering said visor.

14. A headgear mounted display in accordance with claim 13 wherein said sun visor has a broad band anti-reflection coating deposited on its inner and outer surfaces.

15. A headgear mounted display in accordance with claim 14 wherein said sun visor is constructed of a material having a transmissivity factor of about 15 percent to ambient light.

16. A headgear mounted display in accordance with claim 10 wherein said image projecting means is a cathode ray tube.

17. A visor for mounting on a helmet adapted to be worn by an individual, comprising:

a sheet of substantially transparent plastic shield material having an inner concave surface, and, with reference to an orthogonal, right-handed xyz Cartesian coordinate system of spatial reference having its origin located on said inner concave surface and its z-axis parallel to the line of sight of the individual wearing the helmet, said inner concave surface being defined by a cross-section of said sheet in the x-axis of reference, which is symmetrical about both the origin and the y-z plane of reference, having one-half of the cross-section of said sheet in the x-axis of reference being a first concave segment containing the origin at one end and connected at its opposite end to one end of a first paraboloid segment which is connected at its opposite end to one end of a second concave segment whose opposite end forms a side boundary of said sheet,

and by a cross-section of said sheet in the y-axis of reference having a third concave segment, one end of which forms an upper boundary of said sheet and an opposite end connected to one end of a fourth concave segment having its opposite end connected to one end of a second paraboloid segment whose opposite end forms a lower boundary of said sheet.

18. A visor in accordance with claim 17 wherein the thickness of said sheet of plastic shield material is in the range of 0.050 to 0.150 inches, and said inner surface has a reflectivity of 3 to 5 percent.

19. A visor for mounting on a helmet adapted to be worn by a wearer, comprising:

a sheet of substantially transparent plastic shield material having an inner concave and an outer convex surface, said inner concave surface defining, in those two regions of said inner concave surface adapted to be positioned immediately in front of the eyes of the wearer of the helmet, respective first and second paraboloids, said two paraboloids having spaced axes.

20. A visor in accordance with claim 19 wherein said two regions of said inner concave surface merge into an intermediate region which is generally circular in horizontal section.

21. A visor in accordance with claim 20 wherein said two regions respectively merge into first and second side regions, on opposite sides of the visor, which are generally elliptical in horizontal cross-section.

22. A visor in accordance with claim 21 wherein said two regions are each located at the lower edge of the visor.

23. A visor in accordance with claim 19 wherein said two regions respectively merge into first and second upper regions, above said two regions, which are generally circular in vertical cross-section.

24. A visor in accordance with claim 23 wherein said two regions respectively merge into first and second upper regions, above said two regions, which are generally parabolic in horizontal cross-section.

25. A visor in accordance with claim 19 wherein said outer convex surface of the visor has a shape that is substantially a replica of said inner concave surface.

26. A visor in accordance with claim 25 wherein said inner concave surface of the visor has a narrow band reflective coating deposited thereon having about 30 percent reflectivity at an imaging wavelength, and a broad band anti-reflection coating deposited on said outer convex surface.

27. A visor in accordance with claim 26 wherein the thickness of said sheet of shield material lies substantially within the range of 1.3 to 3.8 mm (0.05 to 0.15 inches), the inner concave surface of the visor having a reflectivity lying substantially within the range of 3 to 5 percent.

28. A head-up display combining the visor of claim 19 with:

headgear adapted to be worn by a person;

image projecting means adapted to project an image onto said two regions.

29. A head-up display as claimed in claim 28 further including a sun visor mounted on the headgear and arranged to selectively cover the visor.

30. A head-up display as claimed in claim 29 wherein said sun visor has a broad band anti-reflection coating deposited on its inner and outer surfaces.

31. A head-up display as claimed in claim 29 wherein said sun visor is constructed of material having a transmissivity of substantially 15 percent to ambient light.

32. A head-up display as claimed in claim 28 wherein said image projecting means is a cathode ray tube.