Mounting/adjusting mechanism for vision enhancement system

• US 7,193,783 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elbit Systems of America LLC (Elbit Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Willey, Charles D., Dobbie, Blair R., Brillhart, Steven A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrington; Alicia M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMAS, BRANDI N
• Application Number:
  US10/889,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20060007562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 359/811, 359/813, 359/819, 359/821, 359/822, 359/631, 359/630
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/042 Optical devices night vision goggles G02B23/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence

Abstract

A mounting assembly for a vision enhancement device and associated vision enhancement display, the assembly comprising a display mounted to an arm positionable in front of the user'"'"'s eye, a base member for receiving a cradle for the vision enhancement device and for attaching to a head-mounting platform, and one or more intermediate members for connecting the arm to the cradle. In one embodiment, the mounting system comprises one or more mechanisms for aligning the display optical axis with the vision enhancement device optical axis and with the user'"'"'s line of sight, one or more mechanisms for orienting the vision enhancement device within multiple degrees of freedom without changing the alignment of the display optical axis with the device optical axis, and one or more mechanisms for toggling the display between an in-use position to at least one storage position, and, optionally, between right eye and left eye positions.

Claims

1. A mounting assembly for a vision enhancement device and associated vision enhancement display, the assembly comprising:

a) a display mount for holding the vision enhancement display;

b) an arm extending from a fixed end to a free end positionable in front of an eye of a user and on which the display mount is mounted;

c) a base member attached to a mounting platform to be worn on the user'"'"'s head, the base member providing an anchorage point for a vision enhancement device cradle that is rotationally adjustable on a vertical axis, a horizontal axis, and an optical axis of the vision enhancement device, the base member translatably adjustable front-to-back on the mounting platform; and

d) one or more intermediate members for connecting the arm to the vision enhancement device cradle,

wherein the base member comprises a friction mechanism for holding the base member and device cradle in a desired position, the friction mechanism releasable via single-handed manipulation of a release mechanism, and

wherein the base member is attached to the mounting platform via a mounting post, the mounting platform comprising a front-to-back slot in which the base member is adapted to travel for front-to-back translatable adjustment, the base member spring-loaded against the mounting platform with a friction mechanism that frictionally holds the base member in place until the friction mechanism is released.

2. A mounting assembly for a vision enhancement device and associated vision enhancement display, the assembly comprising:

a) a display mount for holding the vision enhancement display;

b) an arm extending from a fixed end to a free end positionable in front of an eye of a user and on which the display mount is mounted;

c) a base member attached to a mounting platform to be worn on the user'"'"'s head, the base member providing an anchorage point for a vision enhancement device cradle that is rotationally adjustable on a vertical axis, a horizontal axis, and an optical axis of the vision enhancement device, the base member translatably adjustable front-to-back on the mounting platform; and

d) one or more intermediate members for connecting the arm to the vision enhancement device cradle,

wherein the base member comprises a friction mechanism for holding the base member and device cradle in a desired position, the friction mechanism releasable via single-handed manipulation of a release mechanism, and

wherein the base member and vision enhancement device cradle comprise;

a mounting post having one free end and one end retained by the mounting platform, and;

a stationary grip adjacent an external surface of the mounting platform comprising a flat body for axially receiving the mounting post and having a first lever extending substantially tangentially from the stationary grip body;

an actuating nut comprising an internally-threaded, cylindrical body coaxial with the mounting post and having a second lever extending substantially tangentially from the actuating nut body;

a torsion spring coaxial with the actuating nut and having a first protruding end aligned adjacent the first lever and a second protruding end aligned adjacent the second lever for biasing the first lever apart from the second lever;

a translation collar axially mounted on the mounting post and nested within the actuating nut, the translation collar comprising a cup having a cylindrical wall with a plurality of slots, the translation collar rotationally fixed with respect to the stationary grip;

a friction cup axially mounted on the mounting post and nested within the translation collar, the friction cup comprising a plurality of externally threaded radial protrusions extending through the slots in the translation collar for mating with the internal threads of the actuating nut for converting rotational movement of the actuating nut into axial movement of the friction cup, the friction cup having a concave internal surface in the shape of a partial sphere;

a wave spring coiled coaxially with the mounting post between the translation collar and the friction cup for axially biasing the translation collar against the stationary grip;

the vision enhancement device cradle having a partially spherical shell for interfacing with the internal surface of the friction cup, the spherical shell having a slot for accepting the mounting post, the slot having a length sufficient to allow rotational adjustment of the cradle along a substantially vertical axis and having a width sufficiently greater than a diameter of the mounting post to allow rotational adjustment along an optical axis of the vision enhancement device; and

a spherical washer axially mounted on the mounting post and having a partially spherical, convex surface for mating with an internal surface of the device cradle, the spherical washer constrained from axial movement toward the free end of the mounting post.

3. A mounting assembly for a vision enhancement device, the assembly comprising:

a) a display mount for holding a vision enhancement display, the display mount comprising a mechanism for translational adjustment side-to-side, one or more mechanisms for rotational adjustment along substantially horizontal and vertical axes, or a combination thereof;

b) an arm extending from a fixed end to a free end positionable in front of an eye of a user in an in-use position;

c) one or more intermediate members for connecting the arm to a mounting platform for wearing on the user'"'"'s head, wherein the mechanism for translational adjustment side-to-side comprises a translating nut that converts rotation of the nut into translation of the slide.

4. A mounting assembly for a vision enhancement device, the assembly comprising:

a) a display mount for holding a vision enhancement display, the display mount comprising a mechanism for translational adjustment side-to-side, one or more mechanisms for rotational adjustment along substantially horizontal and vertical axes, or a combination thereof;

b) an arm extending from a fixed end to a free end positionable in front of an eye of a user in an in-use position;

c) one or more intermediate members for connecting the arm to a mounting platform for wearing on the user'"'"'s head, wherein the mechanisms for rotational adjustment along the substantially horizontal and vertical axes comprises a set of at least three adjustable jacking screws.

5. A mounting assembly for a vision enhancement device, the assembly comprising a base member attached to a mounting platform to be worn on the user'"'"'s head, the base member providing an anchorage point for a vision enhancement device cradle that is rotationally adjustable on a vertical axis, a horizontal axis, and an optical axis of the vision enhancement device, the base member translatably adjustable front-to-back on the mounting platform, wherein the base member is attached to the mounting platform via a mounting post, the mounting platform comprising a front-to-back slot in which the base member is adapted to travel for front-to-back translatable adjustment, the base member spring-loaded against the mounting platform with a friction mechanism that frictionally holds the base member in place until the friction mechanism is released.

6. A mounting assembly for a vision enhancement device, the assembly comprising a base member attached to a mounting platform to be worn on the user'"'"'s head, the base member providing an anchorage point for a vision enhancement device cradle that is rotationally adjustable on a vertical axis, a horizontal axis, and an optical axis of the vision enhancement device, the base member translatably adjustable front-to-back on the mounting platform, wherein the base member and vision enhancement device cradle comprise:

a mounting post having one free end and one end retained by the mounting platform, and;

a stationary grip adjacent an external surface of the mounting platform comprising a flat body for axially receiving the mounting post and having a first lever extending substantially tangentially from the stationary grip body;

an actuating nut comprising an internally-threaded, cylindrical body coaxial with the mounting post and having a second lever extending substantially tangentially from the actuating nut body;

a torsion spring coaxial with the actuating nut and having a first protruding end aligned adjacent the first lever and a second protruding end aligned adjacent the second lever for biasing the first lever apart from the second lever;

a translation collar axially mounted on the mounting post and nested within the actuating nut, the translation collar comprising a cup having a cylindrical wall with a plurality of slots, the translation collar rotationally fixed with respect to the stationary grip;

a friction cup axially mounted on the mounting post and nested within the translation collar, the friction cup comprising a plurality of externally threaded radial protrusions extending through the slots in the translation collar for mating with the internal threads of the actuating nut for converting rotational movement of the actuating nut into axial movement of the friction cup, the friction cup having a concave internal surface in the shape of a partial sphere;

a wave spring coiled coaxially with the mounting post between the translation collar and the friction cup for axially biasing the translation collar against the stationary grip;

the vision enhancement device cradle having a partially spherical shell for interfacing with the internal surface of the friction cup, the spherical shell having a slot for accepting the mounting post, the slot having a length sufficient to allow rotational adjustment of the cradle along a substantially vertical axis and having a width sufficiently greater than a diameter of the mounting post to allow rotational adjustment along an optical axis of the vision enhancement device; and

a spherical washer axially mounted on the mounting post and having a partially spherical, convex surface for mating with an internal surface of the device cradle, the spherical washer constrained from axial movement toward the free end of the mounting post.

7. A mounting assembly for a vision enhancement device, the assembly comprising a display mount for holding a vision enhancement display, the display mount comprising a mechanism for translational adjustment side-to-side, one or more mechanisms for rotational adjustment along substantially horizontal and vertical axes, or a combination thereof, wherein the mechanism for translational adjustment side-to-side comprises a translating nut that converts rotation of the nut into translation of the slide.

8. A mounting assembly for a vision enhancement device, the assembly comprising a display mount for holding a vision enhancement display, the display mount comprising a mechanism for translational adjustment side-to-side, one or more mechanisms for rotational adjustment along substantially horizontal and vertical axes, or a combination thereof, wherein the mechanisms for rotational adjustment along the substantially horizontal and vertical axes comprises a set of at least three adjustable jacking screws.