Headgear light

• US 7,722,205 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2006
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SureFire LLC (Surefire Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: SureFire LLC (Surefire Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Kim, Paul Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Gunyoung T
• Application Number:
  US11/331,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20070159810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103, 362/105, 362/106, 362/108, 362/396, 362/190, 362/191, 362/197, 362/199, 362/269, 362/427, 362/457, 362/458, 248/229.13, 248/229.16, 248/231.81, 248/292.12, 248/292.13, 216/0, 220/9
• US Class Current: 362/106
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/044 Lighting devices, e.g. helmets with lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/08 Devices for easy attachment to any desired place, e.g. clip, clamp, magnet
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/0885 for portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49895 Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"]

Abstract

A headgear light comprising a light body removably securable to a headgear. The preferred embodiment of the light includes a mount assembly including a docking base that is removably attachable to a side of a helmet or other headgear, and provides visible light, invisible light, and friend-or-foe light signals. The light body is compact for easy storage and handling, and can be quickly and easily installed on and removed from the headgear with one hand and without visual reference.

Claims

1. Light apparatus comprising:

a headgear;

a mount assembly removably attached to said headgear and including a docking base;

a light body including at least one light source;

two spaced-apart parallel attachment channels on a side of one of said docking base and said light body;

two spaced-apart parallel attachment rails on a side of the other one of said docking base and said light body, said parallel rails complementary to said parallel channels, said parallel rails aligned with said parallel channels when said light body is applied to said docking base;

said parallel rails and said parallel channels slideably engageable therealong for attaching said light body to said docking base;

said docking base and said light body include a locking device automatically locking said light body to said docking base when said light body is displaced with respect to said docking base in a first direction along said parallel rails engaged with said parallel channels; and

one of said docking base and said light body includes an actuator for releasing said light body from said docking base when actuated and said light body is displaced with respect to said docking base in a second direction opposite said first direction.

2. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said actuator comprises a lever.

3. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said first direction is a generally rearward direction when said headgear with said mount assembly attached thereto is worn by a user.

4. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said two parallel channels are on a side of said docking base; and

said two parallel rails are on a side of said light body.

5. The light apparatus according to claim 1, including:

a U-shaped channel on said side of said one of said docking base and said light body, said U-shaped channel joining said two parallel channels; and

a U-shaped rail on said side of said other one of said docking base and said light body, said U-shaped rail complementary to said U-shaped channel and joining said two parallel rails.

6. The light apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said locking device includes a latching lever on said docking base automatically locking said light body to said docking base when said U-shaped rail engages said U-shaped channel.

7. The light apparatus according to claim 4, including:

a U-shaped channel on said side of said docking base and joining said two parallel channels; and

a U-shaped rail on said side of said light body, said U-shaped rail complementary to said U-shaped channel and joining said two parallel rails.

8. The light apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

said locking device includes a latching lever on said docking base automatically locking said light body to said docking base when said U-shaped rail engages said U-shaped channel.

9. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said headgear comprises a helmet.

10. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said mount assembly is removably attached to a side of said headgear.

11. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said mount assembly includes a bracket secured to said docking base and removably attached to said headgear.

12. The light apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

said mount assembly includes a resilient pad secured to said docking base and engaging said headgear when said bracket is attached to said headgear.

13. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one light source produces visible light.

14. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one light source produces invisible light.

15. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one light source produces intermittent light.

16. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one light source produces visible light and invisible light.

17. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one light source produces visible light and intermittent light.

18. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one light source produces invisible light and intermittent light.

19. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one light source produces visible light, invisible light and intermittent light.

20. The light apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

said light body includes a control for varying the brightness of the visible light.

21. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one light source produces Identify Friend or Foe signals.

22. The light apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

said at least one light source produces Identify Friend or Foe signals.

23. The light apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

said at least one light source produces Identify Friend or Foe signals.

24. The light apparatus according to claim 16, wherein:

said at least one light source produces Identify Friend or Foe signals.

25. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one light source produces night vision light.

26. The light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said two parallel channels are on a side of said docking base, said docking base including a U-shaped channel on said side of said docking base and joining said two parallel channels for guiding said two parallel rails to engage said two parallel channels when said light body is applied to said docking base.

27. A method of attaching a light to a headgear, comprising:

providing a headgear with a docking base, said docking base including an attachment channel device on a side of said docking base, said attachment channel device including two spaced-apart parallel channels;

providing a light body including at least one light source, said light body including an attachment rail device on a side of said light body, said attachment rail device including two spaced-apart parallel rails;

placing said headgear on a user'"'"'s head with said docking base positioned to a side of the user;

the user grasping said light body with one hand and, in a substantially continuous motion of that one hand,

aligning said parallel rails of said light body with said parallel channels of said docking base,

rearwardly sliding said light body onto said docking base with said parallel rails engaging said parallel channels, and

releasably locking said light body to said docking base with said parallel rails engaging said parallel channels; and

the user grasping said light body with one hand and, in a substantially continuous motion of that one hand,

unlocking said light body from said docking base, and

forwardly sliding said light body off the said docking base.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the aligning step is performed without visual reference by the user.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the sliding and locking steps are performed without visual reference by the user.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said light body includes a battery housing, and the aligning step includes the user tactually using said battery housing to orient said light body with respect to said docking base.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the unlocking and sliding steps are performed without visual reference by the user.

32. The method according to claim 27, wherein the step of providing a headgear with a docking base includes:

providing a headgear;

providing a mount assembly including said docking base; and

securing said mount assembly to a side of said headgear.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein:

during the headgear providing step, said headgear comprises a helmet.

34. A method of attaching a light to a headgear, comprising:

providing a headgear with a docking base;

providing a light body;

one of said docking base and light body including on a side thereof two spaced-apart parallel attachment channels, and the other of said docking base and said light body including on a side thereof two spaced-apart parallel attachment rails;

placing said headgear on a user'"'"'s head with said docking base positioned to a side of the user;

the user grasping said light body with one hand and, in a substantially continuous motion of that one hand,

aligning said parallel rails and said parallel channels;

sliding said light body in a first direction onto said docking base with said parallel rails engaging said parallel channels, and

releasably locking said light body to said docking base with said parallel rails engaging said parallel channels; and

the user grasping said light body with one hand and, in a substantially continuous motion of that one hand,

unlocking said light body from said docking base, and

sliding said light body off said docking base in a second direction opposite said first direction.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein:

said first direction is a generally rearward direction and said second direction is a generally forward direction.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein:

said two parallel channels are on a side of said docking base and said two parallel rails are on a side of said light body.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein:

the unlocking and sliding steps are performed without visual reference by the user.

38. The method according to claim 34, wherein the step of providing a headgear with a docking base includes:

providing a headgear;

providing a mount assembly including said docking base; and

securing said mount assembly to a side of said headgear.