U.S. patent application number 12/572522 was filed with the patent office on 2010-04-08 for adaptor platform for helmet.
Invention is credited to Shawn MCGOVERN.
Application Number | 20100083413 12/572522 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42072989 |
Filed Date | 2010-04-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100083413 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MCGOVERN; Shawn |
April 8, 2010 |
ADAPTOR PLATFORM FOR HELMET
Abstract
A mounting system for mounting a plurality of devices to a
helmet. The mounting system comprises a mounting halo secured
around the helmet, at least one rail rotatably mounted to the halo
and adapted to secure a device thereto, and an adaptor bracket
mounted to a rear of the helmet. The adaptor bracket is adapted to
receive therein a device whose weight counterbalances the weight of
night vision equipment secured to the front of the helmet.
Inventors: |
MCGOVERN; Shawn; (St-Lazare,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GOUDREAU GAGE DUBUC
2000 MCGILL COLLEGE, SUITE 2200
MONTREAL
QC
H3A 3H3
CA
|
Family ID: |
42072989 |
Appl. No.: |
12/572522 |
Filed: |
October 2, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61102210 |
Oct 2, 2008 |
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61144474 |
Jan 14, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/6.6 ;
2/422 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 3/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/6.6 ;
2/422 |
International
Class: |
F41H 1/04 20060101
F41H001/04; A42B 1/24 20060101 A42B001/24 |
Claims
1. A mounting system for attaching a plurality of devices to a
protective ballistic helmet, at least a selected one of the
plurality of devices comprising a rail mating portion, the adaptor
platform comprising: a mounting halo secured around the helmet; a
standardized Picatinny rail rotatably mounted to said halo adjacent
a side of the helmet, said rail extending along a longitudinal axis
and rotatable relative to said halo about an axis substantially
perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and a mechanism for
releasably securing said rail at a selected angle of rotation;
wherein said rail has formed on an outer surface thereof a device
mating portion complementary with the rail mating portion, said
device mating portion adapted to be engaged by the rail mating
portion for removably attaching the at least one device to said
rail.
2. The mounting system of claim 1, further comprising an adaptor
bracket releasably secured to said halo adjacent a rear of the
helmet, said adaptor bracket comprising an equipment receiving
plate adapted to receive the plurality of devices therein and a
pair of mounting plates extending laterally inward from opposite
edges of said equipment receiving plate for releasably mounting
said adaptor bracket to said halo.
3. The mounting system of claim 1, wherein the at least one device
is removably attached to said rail by sliding the at least one
device over said rail in a direction of said longitudinal axis.
4. The mounting system of claim 1, wherein said mechanism for
releasably securing said rail at a selected angle of rotation
comprises a ratchet mounted between an outer surface of said halo
and an inner surface of said rail for rotatably mounting said rail
to said halo, said ratchet limiting said selected angle to one of a
plurality of discrete predetermined angles.
5. The mounting system of claim 4, wherein a rotary movement of
said base enables the at least one device attached to said rail to
be lowered relative to said halo over a range of downwards
positions or raised relative to said halo over a range of upwards
positions, and further wherein the at least one device is lockable
in at least one of said downwards positions and at least one of
said upwards positions.
6. The mounting system of claim 1, wherein said device mating
portion is a male member and the rail mating portion is a
complementary channel-shaped female member.
7. The mounting system of claim 1, wherein a second one of said
rail is rotatably mounted to said halo adjacent a second side of
the helmet, said second side opposite to said side.
8. The mounting system of claim 1, wherein said halo comprises a
plurality of attachment means for attaching the plurality of
devices thereto.
9. The mounting system of claim 1, further comprising a bracket
secured to said halo adjacent a front of the helmet for supporting
night vision equipment.
10. A counterweight for a night vision goggle mounted to a front of
a protective ballistic helmet, the counterweight comprising: an
adaptor bracket comprising an equipment receiving plate and a pair
of mounting plates extending laterally inward from opposite edges
of said equipment receiving plate for releasably mounting said
adaptor bracket to a rear of the helmet; and a ballast secured to
said equipment receiving plate.
11. The counterweight of claim 10, wherein said adaptor bracket is
positioned adjacent an edge of the helmet.
12. The counterweight of claim 10, wherein said equipment receiving
plate comprises at least one attachment means for securing said
ballast to said equipment receiving plate.
13. The counterweight of claim 12, wherein said ballast is a
battery pack powering the night vision goggle.
14. The counterweight of claim 13, wherein a battery pack adaptor
is secured to said equipment receiving plate using said at least
one attachment means prior to securing said battery pack to said
adaptor.
15. An adaptor bracket for mounting to a rear of a protective
ballistic helmet and receiving a plurality of devices, the adaptor
bracket comprising: an equipment receiving plate comprising at
least one attachment means for releasably attaching at least one of
the plurality of devices thereto; and a pair of mounting plates
extending laterally inward from opposite edges of said equipment
receiving plate for releasably mounting said adaptor bracket to the
rear of the helmet.
16. The adaptor bracket of claim 15, wherein each of said mounting
plates comprises at an end thereof a threaded elongate bore adapted
to receive therein a fastener and to have aligned therewith an
aperture machined into the rear of the helmet, wherein said
fastener is tightened into said aligned bore and aperture for
releasably securing said mounting plate to the rear of the
helmet.
17. The adaptor bracket of claim 16, wherein a positioning of said
adaptor bracket relative to the rear of the helmet is adjustable by
adjusting a positioning of said fastener in said bore.
18. The adaptor bracket of claim 15, wherein the adaptor bracket is
shaped to conform to a contour of the rear of the helmet so as to
snugly fit against the rear of the helmet when mounted thereon.
19. The adaptor bracket of claim 15, wherein the adaptor bracket is
spaced from the rear of the helmet when mounted thereon.
20. The adaptor bracket of claim 15, wherein the plurality of
devices is selected from the group consisting of light sources,
battery backs, adaptors, and counterweights.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority on U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/102,210, filed on Oct. 2, 2008 and on U.S.
Provisional Application No. 61/144,474, filed on Jan. 14, 2009,
which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a mounting system for a
combat helmet comprising an adaptor bracket mounted to the rear of
the helmet to enable attachment of various equipment to the
helmet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Combat helmet assemblies, which offer significant ballistic,
aural, head and facial protection to wearers, are used to prevent
facial injuries, casualties and fatalities that mounted and
dismounted warriors are faced with during training and combat
operations. Various accessories, which may provide additional
capability and utility to the overall assembly (e.g. portable light
sources) and/or additional protection to the wearer (e.g. face
shields), are typically attached to the helmets according to the
wearer's needs and the demands of the environment. Although troops
are currently attaching such items to their helmets using regular
adhesive tape or the like, the prior art also teaches the use of
through-holes, clamps, and rails as approaches to attachment.
Still, despite providing secure attachment, these approaches
typically do not enable positional adjustment or easy removal of
the attached items in addition to potentially compromising the
helmet shell's integrity and not enabling for a wide range of
accessories to be attached to the helmet using a single attachment
means.
[0004] What is therefore needed, and one object of the present
invention, is an improved fixture that facilitates attachment and
removal of a variety of accessories to combat helmets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] More specifically, in accordance with the present invention,
there is provided a mounting system for attaching a plurality of
devices to a protective ballistic helmet, at least a selected one
of the plurality of devices comprising a rail mating portion. The
adaptor platform comprises a mounting halo secured around the
helmet and a standardized Picatinny rail rotatably mounted to the
halo adjacent a side of the helmet. The rail extends along a
longitudinal axis and is rotatable relative to the halo about an
axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The rail
has formed on an outer surface thereof a device mating portion
complementary with the rail mating portion, the device mating
portion adapted to be engaged by the rail mating portion for
removably attaching the at least one device to the rail.
[0006] Still in accordance with the present invention, there is
provided a counterweight for a night vision goggle mounted to a
front of a protective ballistic helmet. The counterweight comprises
an adaptor bracket comprising an equipment receiving plate and a
pair of mounting plates extending laterally inward from opposite
edges of the equipment receiving plate for releasably mounting the
adaptor bracket to a rear of the helmet and a ballast secured to
the equipment receiving plate.
[0007] Still in accordance with the present invention, there is
also provided an adaptor bracket for mounting to a rear of a
protective ballistic helmet and receiving a plurality of devices.
The adaptor bracket comprises an equipment receiving plate
comprising at least one attachment means for releasably attaching
at least one of the plurality of devices thereto and a pair of
mounting plates extending laterally inward from opposite edges of
the equipment receiving plate for releasably mounting the adaptor
bracket to the rear of the helmet.
[0008] Other objects, advantages and features of the present
invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following
non-restrictive description of specific embodiments thereof, given
by way of example only with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] In the appended drawings:
[0010] FIG. 1A is a left perspective view of a mounting system for
helmet in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present
invention;
[0011] FIG. 1B is a left perspective view of the mounting system of
FIG. 1A mounted on a helmet;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a left front perspective view of the mounting
system of FIG. 1A mounted on a helmet and with various devices and
equipment mounted thereon;
[0013] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the mounting system of FIG. 1A
indicating how devices and equipment are mounted on the mounting
system;
[0014] FIG. 4A is an exploded view of an adaptor bracket indicating
how a latching mechanism for strobe light and a strobe light are
mounted on the adaptor bracket;
[0015] FIG. 4B is an exploded view of the adaptor bracket of FIG.
4A indicating how a light source is mounted on the adaptor
bracket;
[0016] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the adaptor bracket of FIG. 4A
indicating how a battery pack adaptor and a battery pack are
mounted on the adaptor bracket;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a left perspective view of the mounting system of
FIG. 2 with a vision and face protection equipment mounted thereon;
and
[0018] FIGS. 7A and 7B provide respectively a detailed top exploded
perspective view of a rotatable rail system and a detailed side
perspective of a rotatable rail base in accordance with an
illustrative embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0019] The present invention is illustrated in further details by
the following non-limiting examples.
[0020] Referring now to FIG. 1A, the adaptor platform or mounting
system, generally referred to using the reference numeral 10, is
comprised of a mounting halo 12. Referring to FIG. 1B in addition
to FIG. 1A, the halo 12 is adapted to fit over a combat helmet or
the like 14 and is secured thereto by means of a plurality of
screws or bolts or the like 16 which engage corresponding threaded
inserts or bores (not shown) machined or otherwise formed in the
helmet 14. The halo 12 provides a variety of elements allowing for
the mounting of equipment or hardware (not shown) such as for
example one or more rails 18, illustratively sized according to the
well known and standardized Picatinny (or MIL-SRD-1913) rail, a
variety of threaded apertures as in 20 for mating with bolts or the
like (not shown) and a variety of apertures as in 22 for accepting
nylon ties or the like (not shown).
[0021] Still referring to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the halo 12 is
typically manufactured from a light, rigid material such as plastic
or the like, and can include, for example, one or more supports as
in 24 molded in the surface thereof and adapted for receiving
devices or equipment (not shown). Additionally, the halo 12 can
include a suitably molded mount 26 for removably mounting thereon a
bracket 28 for supporting night vision equipment or the like (not
shown). The bracket 28 may alternatively be permanently mounted in
a cut-away formed in the front of the helmet 14.
[0022] Referring now to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a variety of devices can
be provided for mounting on the helmet 14, for example flashlights
of different kinds as in 30, 32, which are respectively secured to
the halo 12 using the standardized Picatinny rail 18 (by
simultaneously disengaging a release mechanism 34 while sliding the
rail mating portion 36 of the device onto the device mating portion
(not shown) of the rail 18 in the direction indicated by the arrow
A) or other proprietary mounts as in 38. In this regard, and as
will be discussed in more detail below in reference to FIGS. 7A and
7B, the standardized Picatinny rail 18 is combined with a ratcheted
rotatable base 40 mounted between the halo 12 and the rail 18,
thereby providing for adjustment of the device relative to the
helmet 14. In particular, such an assembly enables rotational
movement of the beam (e.g. 15 degrees range of motion) of the
flashlight 30 when mounted on the rail 18 relative to the wearer's
head. This is particularly useful when the wearer is travelling
cross-country as it allows for the flashlight 30 to be used
selectively for near tasks, such as map reading, as well as for
path illumination. The rotatable base 40 is further lockable in
upwards or downwards positions to allow the flashlight 30 or other
item attached to the rail 18 to be locked in place.
[0023] Still referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, other devices, such as
illuminating glow sticks as in 42 can also be secured to the halo
12 by placing the glow stick 42 in a suitable molded support
(reference 24 in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B) and securing it with a nylon
tie or the like 44. Moreover, the halo 12 further provides for
receiving (e.g. by clipping on the supports, reference 24 in FIG.
1A) electronic communication devices (e.g. earphones, microphones,
or the like, none shown) or other equipment (e.g., hydration
system, such as a straw, or the like, none shown) of use to the
wearer during training and combat operations. The halo 12 therefore
advantageously enables for secure and easy attachment of a wide
variety of equipment to the helmet 14, thus significantly
increasing the assembly's utility and capability.
[0024] Still referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the halo 12 can
additionally be completed with an adaptor bracket 46 secured to the
rear of the helmet 14 using bolts or the like 16, as will be
discussed further herein below. In this regard the position of the
bracket 46 relative to the halo 12 is slideable in order to
accommodate a plurality of different helmet diameters.
[0025] Referring now to FIG. 4A, the adaptor bracket 46
illustratively comprises an equipment receiving plate 48 having a
pair of elongate mounting plates as in 50 extending laterally
inward from opposite sides thereof for mounting the adaptor bracket
46 to the outer surface of the helmet (reference 14 in FIG. 1B).
For this purpose, a threaded elongate bore 52 is machined or
otherwise formed in each mounting plate 50 at an end thereof and a
fastener (reference 16 in FIG. 3), such as a bolt, is engaged and
securely tightened into the bore 52 and through a pair of
corresponding holes (not shown) machined into the helmet 14. In
this manner and due to the elongate shape of the bore 52, the
adaptor bracket 46 can be easily mounted to and detached from
helmets as in 14 of various sizes and shapes by adjusting the
position of the bracket 46 relative to the halo (reference 12 in
FIG. 3). The equipment receiving plate 48 may be further secured to
the helmet 14 using fasteners (not shown) adapted to be inserted
into apertures as in 54 machined into the plate 48.
[0026] Still referring to FIG. 4A, when so mounted, the adaptor
bracket 46, which is preferably shaped to conform to the contour of
the rear portion of the helmet (reference 14 in FIG. 1B),
illustratively snugly fits against the outer surface of the helmet
14. As a result, potential problems which typically occur as a
result of equipment (e.g. parachute cords, not shown) getting
inadvertently lodged within the space between the outer surface of
the helmet 14 and the adaptor bracket 46 are thus prevented. Still,
it may be desirable to space the adaptor bracket 46 from the helmet
14 in order to better accommodate some accessory types, such as
straps for goggles or the like (not shown). Indeed, the adaptor
bracket 46 of the present invention advantageously enables
releasable attachment thereon of a variety of equipment (e.g.
identification and signalling devices, power sources, elastic bands
and cords) using a plurality of mounting apertures as in 56,
retaining grooves as in 58, and projecting members or fingers as in
60 formed in the equipment receiving plate 48. A set screw (not
shown) may further be provided in the center of the equipment
receiving plate 48 to enable permanent attachment of equipment to
the adaptor bracket 46.
[0027] Still referring to FIG. 4A, the bracket 46 can be used in
particular to receive removeable battery packs (not shown), light
sources, such as the MS-2000.TM. infrared strobe 62, or the like.
Attachment of a variety of light sources to the halo (reference 12
in FIG. 3) proves extremely useful during training and combat
operations as this allows others to be alerted to the presence of
the wearer and, as such, prevents the wearer from being endangered
by activities conducted by others. The mounted light sources may
further serve as a location beacon in the event the wearer is
disabled and in need of rescue in a darkened or smoke-filled area.
Other examples of such light sources include but are not limited to
chemlights, ACR.TM. strobe products, laser sticks, VIP.TM. lights,
Guardian.TM. and Survivor.TM. light models from Adventure Lights,
9V Firefly.TM. long & short lights, and Streamlight.TM.
Sidewinder flashlights.
[0028] Still referring to FIG. 4A, the light strobe 62 can be
retained in the bracket 46 using a releasable latching mechanism
64. In particular, the strobe 62 can be secured to the bracket 46
by snap-fitting the latching mechanism 64 to the bracket 46 in the
direction of arrow B then inserting the strobe 62 into the latching
mechanism 64 in the direction indicated by arrow C (or vice-versa).
The strobe 62 can be subsequently removed by disengaging the
latching mechanism 64 from the bracket 46 and retracting the strobe
62 in the opposite direction.
[0029] Referring now to FIG. 4B, a light source 66 of the VIP.TM.
model may be mounted to the adaptor bracket 46. Such a light source
66 illustratively comprises a metal attachment clip 68 extending
from a rear section thereof and adapted to engage the adaptor
bracket 46 for retaining the light source 66 in place relative
thereto. In particular, the clip 68 illustratively includes a
flexible elongated arm (not shown) having a top end attached to the
battery housing 70 of the light source 66 and an unattached bottom
end having an inwardly locking projection (not shown) extending
therefrom. The arm of the clip 68 is illustratively sized to be
received in one of retaining grooves 58 formed in the adaptor
bracket 46 such that, when in place, the locking projection is
biased in abutment with the rear side of the equipment receiving
plate (reference 48 in FIG. 4A) within the space provided between
the outer surface of the helmet (reference 14 in FIG. 1B) and the
adaptor bracket 46, thereby securely attaching the light source 52
to the helmet 14 in a hook-like fashion. In this manner, the light
source 66 can be easily mounted to and removed from the adaptor
bracket 46 without the need for prior detachment of the latter from
the helmet 14.
[0030] In addition and still referring to FIG. 4B, the light source
66 can be easily installed on the adaptor bracket 46 either
vertically, i.e. along the direction of arrow D as illustrated in
FIG. 4B, or horizontally depending on which retaining groove 58 the
arm of the clip 68 is engaged in. The light source 66 can also be
mounted with reversed orientations of the battery housing 70 and
the light emitting element 72 of the light source 66, which can
therefore be attached to the helmet 14 so that light is illuminated
therefrom in any desired direction.
[0031] Still referring to FIG. 4B, a light source (not shown) of a
type other than the MS-2000.TM. infrared strobe model (reference 62
in FIG. 4A) or the VIP.TM. model, for example of the Guardian.TM.
model, may similarly be secured to the equipment receiving plate
(reference 48 in FIG. 4A) of the adaptor bracket 46 via the
mounting apertures 56 formed therein, using fasteners such as nuts,
bolts, or the like (none shown). Again, depending on which mounting
apertures as in 56 the light source is attached to, it becomes
possible to secure the latter to the equipment receiving plate 48
either vertically or horizontally, as desired. Accommodation on the
same adaptor bracket 46 of a variety of accessories, such as light
sources as in 62 and 66, or the like is therefore facilitated by
simply changing the orientation of the mounted accessories to
accommodate additional equipment (e.g. tie raps, elastic bands, or
bungee cords, not shown), which can be secured to the adaptor
bracket 46 using the remaining mounting apertures 56 or retaining
grooves 58 as well as fingers 60.
[0032] Referring now to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, a battery pack 74 (e.g.
of the Thales.TM. brand) can be used to power, via a system of
wires as in 76 embedded or partially embedded in the halo 12, a
variety of devices, in particular light sources, such as the strobe
(reference 62 in FIG. 4A) or the light source 78, as well as other
identification and signalling devices. Providing such wires as in
76 alleviates the need for providing an external interconnection
between supply and devices.
[0033] Referring back to FIG. 4A in addition to FIG. 5, the battery
pack 74 (e.g. a battery pack for powering night vision goggles, not
shown) may be retained in the bracket 46 using a battery pack
adaptor 80 that is snap-fitted to the bracket 46 in the direction
of arrow E. The battery pack 74 is then mounted to the thus secured
battery pack adaptor 80 in the direction indicated by arrow F and
attached thereto (i.e. snap-fitted or using fasteners, such as
nuts, bolts, or the like, not shown) to power various equipment
mounted to the helmet (reference 14 in FIG. 1B). Similarly to the
removal of the strobe 62, the battery pack 74 can be subsequently
removed by disengaging the battery pack adaptor 80 from the bracket
46 and retracting the battery pack 74 in the opposite
direction.
[0034] Still referring to FIG. 4A and FIG. 5, the latching
mechanism 64 and the battery pack adaptor 80 are illustratively
each snap-fitted on the adaptor bracket 46 via raised lips as in 82
extending away from a rear surface of the latching mechanism 64 and
the battery pack adaptor 80 and designed to engage and be retained
within the retaining grooves 58 of the adaptor bracket 46. The
latching mechanism 64 and the battery pack adaptor 80 further each
have formed therein an aperture 84 adapted to be aligned with an
aperture 86 formed in the adaptor bracket 46. When the latching
mechanism 64 or the battery pack adaptor 80 is mounted to the
bracket 46 (in the direction indicated by arrows B and E
respectively), a fastener (not shown) may then be inserted into the
aligned apertures 84 and 86, thereby securing the latching
mechanism 64 or the battery pack adaptor 80 to the bracket 46. In
this manner, the thus mounted latching mechanism 64 or battery pack
adaptor 80 is prevented from being easily dislodged from the
equipment receiving plate 48 by an inadvertent pulling force on the
assembly.
[0035] Referring back to FIG. 6, the adaptor bracket 46 and the
halo 12 can also be used to secure a mask 88 or goggles 90 or other
similar face protecting equipment in order to provide better
protection to the face of the wearer. In particular, a strap or
harness (not shown) may be provided to enable attachment of the
face protecting equipment, such as the goggles 90, to the helmet
14. The strap may illustratively be held in place by a pair of
clips (not shown) attached to the helmet 14 using a suitable
fastener (e.g. adhesive) to better retain the goggles 90 in place
relative to the helmet 14. A lower portion of the clips may further
be secured to the mounting plates (reference 50 in FIG. 4A) of the
adaptor bracket 46 using fasteners, such as bolts (not shown),
while the strap may be attached to the equipment receiving plate
(reference 48 in FIG. 4A) using such fasteners. In this manner, the
strap is firmly retained in place relative to both the adaptor
bracket 46 (and accordingly the halo 12) and the helmet 14.
[0036] Referring back to FIG. 2 in addition to FIG. 6, in order to
provide for quick removal of the mask, for example to provide
access to the wearer's face without removing the helmet 14 in the
case of injury or the like, the mask 88 can be secured to the halo
12 using a quick release mechanism 92 which engages with suitable
receptacles 94 formed in the halo 12.
[0037] Still referring to FIG. 6, provision of the rear adaptor
bracket 46 at the rear of the helmet 14 enables to advantageously
counterbalance the weight of the devices mounted to the helmet 14,
and especially that of the face protecting equipment or vision
equipment mounted to the front thereof. In particular, the weight
of night vision goggles (NVG, not shown), which is typically
between 1.5 and 2.2 pounds, can be counterbalanced by attaching a
ballast, such as the battery pack as in 74, to the adaptor bracket
46. Indeed, NVG, which typically use a mounting plate (not shown)
that hooks under the brow of the helmet 14, tend to force the brow
of the helmet 14 forwardly and downwardly and the strain of
countering this weight can cause significant neck strain and
headaches for the wearer over time. By attaching the battery pack
74 (or the like) to the adaptor bracket 46, the load of the NVG on
the wearer's head can be counterbalanced by the weight of the
battery pack 74, which is typically 0.5 pounds or less, thus
eliminating the strain caused by the NVG and providing increased
comfort for the wearer. Also, a counterweight, made of a heavy
material, such as lead or the like, may be used as the ballast and
attached to the adaptor bracket 46 to counterbalance the weight of
the equipment mounted at the front of the helmet 14.
[0038] Referring now to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the rail 18 is secured to
the base 40 through provision of a bolt. In order to provide for a
rotatable rail 18 while at the same time providing a mechanism for
securing the rail at a plurality of degrees of rotation, the rail
18 is secured to the base 40 through provision of a threaded bolt
96 which passes through a bore 98 formed in the base 40 and engages
a suitable formed threaded bore 100 machined or otherwise molded in
the rail 18, thereby providing a pivot axis about which the rail 18
can rotate. The bolt 96 is retained securely within the threaded
bore 100 using a friction fit, or a thread locking compound such as
Loctite.TM. may be used. The rail 18 further comprises a ratchet
mechanism comprising a pair of teeth as in 102 which engage
corresponding indentations as in 104 molded or otherwise formed in
the base 40. A spring 106 is provided which is positioned between
an inner surface 108 of the base 40 and a washer 110 held in place
by the bolt 96 which biases the rail 18 towards the base 40 and
therefore the teeth 102 into the indentations 104. In order rotate
the rail 18, the user pulls the rail 18 slightly away from the base
40 against the biasing force of the spring 106 thereby disengaging
the teeth 102 from the indentations 104, rotating the rail 18 to
the desired angle and releasing the rail 18.
[0039] The teeth 102 and indentation 104 also provide for tactile
feed back as to the relative amount the rail 18 has been rotated. A
person of ordinary skill in the art will now understand that other
rotating and securing mechanisms can be used in place of the tooth
102 and indentations 104 as described. For example, a simple
friction fit could be provided between the rail 18 and base 40.
[0040] Although the present invention has been described
hereinabove by way of specific embodiments thereof, it can be
modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the
subject invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *