Passive proximity battery control circuit for night vision goggles

• US 4,672,194 A
• Filed: 12/12/1985
• Issued: 06/09/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Varo, Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Varo, Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Broyles, Thomas E., Kastendieck, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oen, William L.
• Application Number:
  US06/808,120
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 315/241 P, 315/362, 315/240, 315/241.5, 250/213 R, 250/213 A, 250/213 VT
• US Class Current: 250/214.0VT
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/125 head-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/98 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the tube and not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A circuit for automatically removing battery power from a night vision goggle (10) upon its detachment from a headgear (12). A magnet (34) on the headgear (12) is magnetically coupled to a magnetic reed switch (36) fixed to the goggle (10). On detachment of the goggle (10) from the headgear (12), the reed switch (36) switches battery current to a capacitively coupled coil (52) of a bistable latching relay (K1). Relay (K1) contacts (56, 62) are disconnected thus removing power from the image intensifier tube (40). On reattachment of the goggle (10) to the headgear (12), the On-Off switch (18) is cycled to pulse latching Relay K1 coil (64), thereby establishing a current path to the tube (40).

Claims

1. A night vision goggle assembly, comprising:

a headgear frame;

a goggle with an On-Off switch-controlled electrical circuit;

a bracket on said headgear frame for removable attachment of said goggle; and

circuit means responsive to the removal of said goggle from said bracket for automatically deactivating said electrical circuit.

2. The goggle assembly of claim 1 wherein said circuit means includes proximity sensor means for sensing the detachment of said goggle from said headgear.

3. The goggle assembly of claim 2 wherein said proximity sensor means comprises a magnetically operated circuit.

4. The goggle assembly of claim 3 wherein said proximity sensor means comprises a magnet and a magnetic operated relay.

5. The goggle assembly of claim 1 further including means for preventing the reactivation of said electrical circuit upon the reattachment of the goggle to the headgear.

6. The goggle assembly of claim 5 further including latching means responsive to the reattachment of said goggle to said headgear, and responsive to the cycling of said On-Off switch for reactivating said electrical circuit.

7. The goggle assembly of claim 6 wherein said latching means comprises a bistable circuit element operative to direct electrical current to said electrical circuit in one state, and operative to remove current therefrom when in another state.

8. The goggle assembly of claim 7 wherein said bistable circuit element draws no energy when in either said state.

9. The goggle assembly of claim 8 wherein said bistable element comprises a magnetic latching relay.

10. The goggle assembly of claim 9 further including means for pulsing said relay.

11. The goggle assembly of claim 10 wherein said means for pulsing comprises a capacitor switchably connected to a source of electrical power.

12. The goggle assembly of claim 7 further including means for activating said bistable element to deactivate said electrical circuit when said goggle is removed from the headgear, and means for pulsing said bistable element for activating said circuit when said goggle is reattached to said headgear and when said On-Off switch is cycled.

13. A circuit for use with a night vision goggle having a battery operated image intensifier, and detachably mounted to a headgear, comprising:

an On-Off switch operative to selectively supply battery current to said image intensifier;

magnetic coupling means between said goggle and said headgear; and

magnetic responsive means responsive to the proximity of said magnetic coupling means for interrupting current through said switch when said goggle is detached from the headgear.

14. The circuit of claim 13 further including switch means connected between said magnetic responsive means and said On-Off switch for maintaining the interruption of battery current after reattachment of said goggle to said headgear.

15. A battery deactivating circuit for use with a night vision goggle removably attachable to a headgear, comprising:

switch means for switchably connecting a battery to an image intensifier; and

bistable means responsive to a first signal corresponding to the detachment of said goggle from said headgear for operating said switch means and disconnecting said battery from said image intensifier, and responsive to a different signal for operating said switch means and connecting said battery to said image intensifier.

16. The battery deactivating circuit of claim 15 wherein said first signal is automatically generated by a magnetic coupling means connected between said goggle and said headgear, and said different signal is manually generated.

17. The battery deactivating circuit of claim 15 wherein said bistable means is of the type which consumes no battery power when in a stable state.

18. The battery deactivating circuit of claim 17 wherein said bistable means comprises a magnetic latching relay.

19. A night vision goggle assembly, comprising:

a night vision goggle;

a headgear to which said goggle is removably mountable;

a magnetic switch mounted to said goggle;

a magnet attached to said headgear, and magnetically coupled to said magnetic switch when said goggle is attached to said headgear;

a latching relay with contacts, and with a first and second coil responsive to electrical excitation thereof for switching a switch pole to a respective reset contact and a set contact of said latching relay;

a first parallel circuit including said first coil in series with a first capacitor and switchable by said magnetic switch to a battery when said goggle is detached from said headgear, and including a resistor switchable by said magnetic switch to said first capacitor and said first coil when said goggle is attached to the headgear;

a manually-operated On-Off switch on said goggle, said On-Off switch including an On contact and an Off contact;

an image intensifier connectable to said On contact;

an second parallel circuit including a second capacitor in series with said second coil and switchable to said battery by the contacts of said latching relay, and including a first means for connecting said On contact to said battery through said latching relay contacts, and means for connecting said second capacitor and said second coil to said battery through said Off contact and through the contacts of said latching relay.

20. A method of automatically controlling a battery powered image intensifier in a night vision goggle removably attachable to a headgear, and having a manually operated On-Off switch, comprising the steps of:

automatically disconnecting the battery from the image intensifier when the goggle is removed from said headgear;

reattaching the night vision goggle to the headgear; and

connecting the battery to the image intensifier by manually cycling the On-Off switch.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said disconnecting step is carried out by sensing the proximity of the night vision goggle with respect to the headgear.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the sensing step is carried out by sensing magnetic coupling between the goggle and the headgear.