Helmet mounting systems

• US 8,739,313 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilcox Industries Corp.
• Original Assignee: Wilcox Industries Corp.
• Inventors: Teetzel, James W., Lemire, Gary M., Celona, Marc J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ostrup, Clinton T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sutton, Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US12/951,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 2/61, 2/62, 2/66, 242/2, 220/913, 359/409, 359/815, 224/181, 224/182, 224/908, 224/909
• US Class Current: 2/6.6
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/04 Parts, details or accessories of helmets
• 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 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/125 head-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence

Abstract

Helmet mounts for mounting an associated viewing device on a helmet, includes a first pivoting segment for attachment to the helmet and a second pivoting segment for attachment to the associated viewing device. The second pivoting segment is pivotable relative to the first pivoting segment for selectively supporting the associated viewing device in a first, operational position before the eyes of a user donning the helmet and a second, stowed position above a line of sight of a viewer donning the helmet. In one aspect, the first pivoting segment includes a vertical adjust mechanism having a base plate, a pair of guide rails attached to the base plate and defining a channel therebetween, a sliding plate slidably attached to the guide rails, and a clamping mechanism for selectively applying a clamping force to secure the sliding plate at a desired position relative to the base plate.

Claims

1. A helmet mount for mounting an associated viewing device on a helmet, comprising:

a first pivoting segment for attachment to the helmet;

a second pivoting segment for attachment to the associated viewing device, the second pivoting segment pivotable relative to the first pivoting segment for selectively supporting the associated viewing device in a first, operational position before the eyes of a user donning the helmet and a second, stowed position above a line of sight of a viewer donning the helmet;

said first pivoting segment including a vertical adjust mechanism, said vertical adjust mechanism including a base plate, a pair of locking rails attached to said base plate and defining a channel therebetween, a sliding plate slidably attached to said locking rails, and a clamping mechanism for selectively applying a clamping force to secure said sliding plate at a desired position relative to said base plate; and

,

said clamping mechanism including;

a lever manually pivotable between a first, locked position and a second, unlocked position;

a spring washer disposed between said lever and said sliding plate;

a cam lock attached to said lever and extending through an opening in said sliding plate, said cam lock received within said channel;

said locking rails cooperating with said base portion to define a pair of grooves formed in opposing walls of said channel;

said cam lock having an elongate cam member wherein a long dimension of the cam lock extends parallel to said channel when the lever is in the unlocked position, whereby said cam lock does not extend into said grooves and is freely slidable;

said locking rails having a chamfered surface for camming said cam member into said grooves against the urging of said spring washer to compress the spring washer and thereby provide a clamping force between the base plate and the sliding plate when the lever is rotated to the locked position.

2. The helmet mount of claim 1, wherein said vertical adjustment mechanism is continuously adjustable.

3. The helmet mount of claim 1, wherein each of said locking rails is slidably received within a complimentary groove formed in said sliding plate.

4. The helmet mount of claim 1, further comprising:

a viewing device mounting member attached to said second pivoting segment, said viewing device mounting member removably attachable to the associated viewing device.

5. The helmet mount of claim 4, further comprising:

said second pivoting segment including said viewing device mounting member slidably mounted thereon; and

a locking and unlocking mechanism for selectively locking said viewing device mounting member at a desired position along said second pivoting segment to provide a generally horizontal fore and aft adjustment of the associated viewing device relative to the eyes of a user when the mounting device is in an operational position.

6. The helmet mount of claim 4, further comprising:

a tilt adjustment mechanism for adjusting a tilt position of the associated viewing device relative to an eye of a user.