Night vision goggle mount with retractable stops

• US 8,181,269 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exelis Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Exelis Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aguero, Raymond, Neff, Todd Michael, Oesterreich, Mark Edwin, Holmes, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Shaun R
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUTTON, ANDREW W
• Application Number:
  US11/944,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20090133178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 242/2, 2/66, 2/62, 2/63, 2/67, 224/181, 359/409, 359/815, 359/632
• US Class Current: 2/6.2
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/04 Parts, details or accessories of helmets
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/125 head-mounted

Abstract

A helmet mount for night vision apparatus including a night vision goggle rotatable between operative and inoperative positions. Retractable stop means are included on the mount for obstructing the rotation of the goggle from its inoperative to operative position without obstructing the rotation of the goggle from its operative to its inoperative position.

Claims

1. A helmet mount for night vision apparatus:

said apparatus including a night vision goggle intensifying low level light into a visible image, a receptacle, and a mounting arrangement attached to said goggle and releasably coupled to said receptacle, said mounting arrangement being rotatable on said receptacle between operative and inoperative positions of said goggle; and

a stop arrangement including a spring loaded head biased toward a first position in the path of rotation of said mounting arrangement, said head having a first surface that obstructs rotation of the mounting arrangement from the inoperative to the operative position of said goggle, said head having a second surface that cooperates with said mounting arrangement to push said head to a second position that permits the rotation of said mounting arrangement between the goggles operative and inoperative positions;

wherein said head is mounted on a surface of said receptacle, said head having a flat surface generally parallel to said surface of said receptacle and said head further having a ramp surface extending from said flat surface toward said surface of said receptacle.

2. A helmet mount in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spring loaded head is located on said receptacle and wherein in its first position said head is spared from said receptacle and in said second position said head seats on said receptacle.

3. A helmet mount in accordance with claim 1 wherein said mounting arrangement includes a first surface that abuts said first surface of said head and further includes a second surface adjacent said first surface that rides on the second surface of said head to push said head to its second position when said goggle is rotated from its inoperative to its operative position.

4. A helmet mount in accordance with claim 1 wherein in the second position, the head does not prevent the rotation of said mounting arrangement from the goggles operative to its inoperative position.

8. A helmet mount in accordance with claim 3 wherein the second surface of said goggle mount seats on said flat surface of said head to retain said head in its second position when the goggle is in its operative position.

5. A helmet mount for night vision apparatus;

said apparatus includes a night vision goggle intensifying low level light into a visible image and a goggle mount carrying said goggle, said goggle mount including a pair of coaxial plungers;

a receptacle having a pair of surfaces each of which has a socket that cooperates with one of said plungers whereby the mounting arrangement is rotatably mounted to said receptacle for rotating said goggle between its inoperative and operative positions; and

a stop arrangement including a pair of spring loaded heads, each of said heads being located on one of said surfaces of said receptacle, each of said heads being biased to a first position spaced from its associated surface and having a first surface that cooperates with a first surface of said goggle mount to obstruct the rotation of said mount from the goggle'"'"'s inoperative to operative position, each of said heads having a second surface that cooperates with a second surface of said goggle mount to push said head to a second position adjacent its associated surface whereby said first surfaces do not obstruct the rotation of said mount from the goggles inoperative to operative positions;

wherein each of said heads has a flat surface generally parallel to said one of said surfaces of said receptacle and wherein said second surface of said head is an inclined surface extending from said flat surface toward said one of said surfaces of said receptacle.

6. A helmet mount in accordance with claim 5 wherein the second surface of said goggle mount seats on a surface of said head when the goggle is in its operative position and wherein said second surface of said goggle mount rides along said second surface of said head when the goggle mount is rotated from the goggles operative to inoperative positions so that said head moves from its second position to its first position.

7. A helmet mount in accordance with claim 5 wherein said first surface of said head is an edge surface of said head extending adjacent said flat surface.