Quick release night vision goggle mounting bracket

• US 4,809,942 A
• Filed: 04/30/1987
• Issued: 03/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Litton Systems Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Varo, Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Kastendieck, William A., Isbell, Wayne, Hart, Richard T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLSON, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/044,359
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 248/220.2, 248/221.3, 248/222.1, 248/223.4, 248/224.1, 248/224.2, 248/224.3, 248/224.4, 248/225.1, 248/900, 292/128, 292/121, 292/228, 292/219, 24/611, 24/615, 24/500, 24/509, 24/523, 403/330
• US Class Current: 248/222.13
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/042 Optical devices night vision goggles G02B23/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/608 Pivoted

Abstract

A bracket (10) for releasably engaging a goggle (14) to a headgear (12). The bracket (10) includes a receptacle (52) with inside tapered sidewalls (124) matable with a goggle stud (55) having corresponding outer tapered sidewalls (125). A release lever (22) is housed in said stud (55) and includes a transverse notch (140) latchable with a lug (146) on a catch arm (144) adjustably fixed within the receptacle (52). The catch arm (144) is adjustable by an eccentric (162) while the goggle stud (55) is engaged within the receptacle (52).

Claims

1. A bracket for use with headgear equipment for releasably attaching vision equipment to the bracket, comprising:

a headgear;

a bracket fixed to said headgear and extending outwardly therefrom for suspending the vision equipment within the line of sight of a person wearing the headgear;

a wide entry shallow receptacle and a tapered stud arrangement releasably engageable together for providing the principal means of support of the vision equipment to the bracket when latched together, and constructed so that said members can be separated by movement of one said receptable or stud with respect to the other in any of a number of directions; and

quick release means for latching said stud to said receptacle, and for releasing said stud from said receptacle, to thereby release the vision equipment from the bracket.

2. A bracket for use with headgear equipment for releasably attaching vision equipment to the bracket, comprising:

a headgear;

a bracket support fixed to said headgear and extending outwardly therefrom;

said bracket including a first and second member releasably engagable together and providing the principal means of spatial support of the vision equipment to said bracket support, said members being characterized by a wide entry shallow receptacle and a stud so that said members can be separated by movement of one said member in any of a number of directions;

said first member adapted to be fixed to the vision equipment and said second member being fixed to said bracket support;

quick release latching means for latching said first member to said second member; and

means responsive to a directional impact to said quick release latching means for releasing said first member from said second member in the same general direction as the impact, thereby separating said vision equipment from said support while yet maintaining said bracket support fixed to said headgear.

3. The bracket of claim 2 wherein said first and second members are generally horizontally engagable together, and said impact responsive means is responsive to a downward impact which applies a downward force to the vision equipment and separates said first and second members so that said vision equipment is removed in a downward direction.

4. The bracket of claim 3 wherein said first and second members are shaped so that the downward force on said impact responsive means effects disengagement of said first and second members.

5. The bracket of claim 4, wherein said first and second members are respectively interfitting male and female members.

6. The brackets of claim 5 wherein said releasable latching means includes an elongate member movably mounted to said first member, and a catch mounted within said female member and releasably latchable with said elongate member.

7. Apparatus for releasably engaging vision equipment to headgear equipment, comprising:

a head gear;

a bracket support molded integral with said headgear;

a male part having a short stud, and a female part having a wide entry shallow receptacle, said stud and said receptacle having contoured mating surfaces shaped such that when mated by horizontal engagement said male stud is not captured within said female receptacle but can drop generally downwardly and become disengaged therefrom, said male stud and said female receptacle when latched together provide principal support between the bracket and the vision equipment;

means for releasably latching said male stud to said female receptacle; and

quick release means responsive to an impact for releasing said male stud from said female receptacle, whereby said vision equipment is released from said bracket support.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said quick release means comprises a finger-operated mechanism for releasing said vision equipment from said headgear.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said male stud includes a conduit and said finger-operated mechanism comprises a lever pivotally mounted within said conduit and latchable with a catch mechanism mounted to said female receptacle.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said catch mechanism is disposed within said female receptacle.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said lever includes a notch near an end thereof, and said catch mechanism includes a lug engageable with said notch.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further including a tapered surface on the end of said lever for camming over said lug when said male stud is inserted into said female receptacle.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further including bias means for biasing said lever to a position such that said tapered surface cams over said lug.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 further including adjustment means for adjusting said lug with respect to said notch so that said male stud can be drawn into said female receptacle.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said adjustment means includes an eccentric adjustment means defined by a rotatable element attaching said lug to said female receptacle and including an offset part engagable with said lug so that when said rotatable element is rotated said lug is moved in a rectilinear direction.

16. Apparatus for releasably engaging vision equipment to headgear equipment, comprising:

a headgear;

a bracket support molded integral with said headgear;

a male part having an arm with a stud at one end thereof, said male part being fixed to one of the vision equipment or bracket support, and a female receptacle fixed to the other of the vision equipment or bracket support, said male stud and female receptacle including tapered mating surfaces for engagement together;

means for releasably engaging said male stud to said female receptacle so that said vision equipment is attached to said bracket support;

quick release means responsive to an impact for releasing said male stud from said female receptacle, whereby said vision equipment is released from said bracket support;

said quick release means comprises a finger-operated mechanism for releasing said vision equipment from said headgear;

said male stud includes a conduit and said finger-operated mechanism comprising a lever pivotally mounted within said conduit and latchable with a catch mechanism disposed within said female receptacle;

said lever includes a notch near an end thereof, and said catch mechanism includes a lug engageable with said notch, said lever further includes a tapered surface on the end thereof for camming over said lug when said male stud is inserted into said female receptacle; and

adjustment means for adjusting said lug with respect to said notch so that said male stud can be drawn into said female receptacle, said adjustment means includes an eccentric adjustment means defined by a rotatable element attaching said lug to said female receptacle and includes an offset part engageable with said lug so that when said rotatable element is rotated said lug is moved in a rectilinear direction.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further including a fastener in combination with said eccentric for fixing said lug to said female receptacle.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further including an access opening in said female receptacle for accessing said fastener and said eccentric with said male stud inserted into said female receptacle.