U.S. patent application number 12/939411 was filed with the patent office on 2011-05-05 for helmet bracket system.
Invention is credited to David John Siviter.
Application Number | 20110099695 12/939411 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43923796 |
Filed Date | 2011-05-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110099695 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Siviter; David John |
May 5, 2011 |
Helmet Bracket System
Abstract
The helmet bracket system is an electro-mechanical device for
mounting digital head-mounted systems. The Helmet bracket system is
lightweight, supports one-handed adjustment, has a breakaway base,
and is mechanically low profile. The device also supports the
transfer of high bandwidth digital data.
Inventors: |
Siviter; David John; (Port
Tobacco, MD) |
Family ID: |
43923796 |
Appl. No.: |
12/939411 |
Filed: |
November 4, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61258071 |
Nov 4, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/422 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 3/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/422 |
International
Class: |
A42B 1/24 20060101
A42B001/24 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for mounting an external device to a helmet
comprising: a rear fastener that allows cables to pass through
without affecting ballistic integrity of the helmet; a front
fastener that allows cables to pass through without affecting
ballistic integrity of the helmet; a head cable operable to carry
electrical power and data signals and to pass from a front side of
the helmet to a back side of the helmet through the rear fastener
and the front fastener on the helmet without passing the head cable
over a top of the helmet or under a rim of the helmet, wherein the
head cable transitions from a round cable that passes through the
custom rear fastener to a flat cable which passes around an
underside of the helmet and back to the round cable that passes
through the custom flanged fastener; an electro/mechanical docking
station hard mounted to the helmet, the electrical/mechanical
docking station operable to provide mechanical mounting, power
connections including duplicate power contacts, and a
communications attachment; an electro/mechanical break-away unit
attached to the helmet docking station that is operable to deploy
and stow the external device, and to receive the electrical power
and data signals from the head cable; an electro/mechanical
break-away mechanism that is operable to create an electrical
signal indicating a soft shut down or start-up of an external
device; and a electro/mechanical external device attachment point
that, when attached to the electro/mechanical docking station,
provides an electrical signal to the external device indicating
whether the electro/mechanical break-away unit is in a deployed or
a stowed position.
Description
[0001] This invention has already been filed as a provisional
patent, application No. 61/258,071 which was filed on Nov. 4,
2009.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Currently, attaching night vision goggles or similar devices
to a military helmet is a common process in the military. As
technology has advanced, it has become necessary to attach
sophisticated electronic devices to military helmets. Those
electronic devices, in addition to performing normal functions,
require multi-conductor electrical interfaces with both power and
high bandwidth signals to be connected from the electronic devices,
through the front or side walls of the helmet to the rear of the
helmet, and through the rear wall to additional electronics or a
battery power source. This has to be achieved without either
exposing the interconnections to external damage under the rim of
the helmet or by adding or enlarging additional holes or in some
other way degrading the ballistic protection properties of the
helmet.
[0003] Thus, what is needed is a helmet bracket system for
attaching electronic head-mounted quick disconnect devices to
military combat helmets without passing cables carrying high
bandwidth electrical signals underneath the rim of a helmet or
affecting the ballistic integrity of the helmet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a helmet bracket system
and a helmet in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0005] FIG. 2 shows a view of a head cable assembly routed under a
helmet and connected to a docking station in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0006] FIG. 3 shows a view of a head cable assembly passing through
a modified fastener located on the front of a helmet in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0007] FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of a portion of a docking
station and its sealed electrical contacts in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of a break-away unit
assembled to an electro/mechanical interface shoe in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 6 shows a view of a shoe port on the bottom of a
break-away unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0010] FIG. 7 shows an isometric view of an electro/mechanical
interface shoe and its electrical contacts in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 8 shows a view of a break-away unit including a housing
in which a tilt switch sensor resides in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 9 shows a view of a break-away unit in a deployed
position with a tilt switch sensor and an actuator in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0013] FIG. 10 shows a view of a break-away unit in the a stowed
position in accordance to an embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The following detailed description is of the best currently
contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the
invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense,
but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general
principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is
best defined by the appended claims.
[0015] Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention generally
relates to a helmet bracket system for attaching electronic
head-mounted, quick disconnect devices to military combat helmets
without passing cables underneath the rim of the helmet or
affecting ballistic integrity of the helmet.
[0016] The helmet bracket system may comprise modified fasteners, a
round-to-flat-to-round cable harness, a docking station, a
break-away arm, a tilt switch, a shoe switch, and a shoe capable of
connecting electrically via contact pads.
[0017] The helmet bracket system may be an articulated mechanical
device attached by integrated fasteners to the helmet. The helmet
bracket system may be attached and detached from the helmet by
means of an integrated electro-mechanical plug and socket that
provides mechanical strength for mounting the helmet bracket system
as well as providing the necessary electrical pathways. A similar
arrangement may be used at other attachment sites in the front,
rear, or sides of the helmet. The helmet bracket system may also
include sensors and switches that are combined into electrical
pathways to allow the status of the helmet bracket system, such as
docking connection status and position, to be sent to an attached
electrical device, thus allowing power to be saved by powering down
the electrical device upon receiving signals indicating that the
electrical device is in a stowed position.
[0018] The electrical pathways between the helmet bracket system
and the attached electrical device may comprise spring-loaded pins
having integrated sealing such that they are seated when a
mechanical connection is made between the helmet bracket system and
the attached electrical device. The electrical pathways may be
sealed to protect against the environment, thus enabling it to
survive submersion to a water depth of at least 30 meters seawater
pressure.
[0019] The helmet bracket system may allow an electrical device to
be attached and secured to a helmet via the helmet bracket system.
Once the electrical device is attached to the helmet, the helmet
bracket system may allow the electrical device to be stowed or
deployed and may further allow the position of the electrical
device to be sent to the connected electrical device. Further, the
helmet bracket system may also allow for the electrical device to
be broken away from the helmet if the electrical device is
subjected to ay external forces.
[0020] Existing holes manufactured into ballistic combat helmets
may be used to transfer highly flexible conductors through the
center of a high-grade fastener, thus avoiding the need to create a
separate wiring harness path around the rim of the helmet that
exposes the conductors to physical damage or the need to drill new
holes on the helmets that might affect the structural integrity of
the helmet.
[0021] Power and communications signals carried by the conductors
may be passed along to the electrical device that is docked with
the helmet bracket system. Signals provided by a tilt switch and a
shoe disconnect switch may interface with the docked electrical
device to relay information about the helmet bracket system.
[0022] FIG. 1 presents an overall view of a helmet bracket system
for attaching an electronic device to a helmet 100, featuring the
helmet 100, a head cable 103, a docking station 105, a break-away
unit 108, and an electro/mechanical interface shoe 113. The head
cable 103 may carry electrical power and data signals to be passed
from the front 100D of the helmet 100 to the rear 100A of the
helmet 100 without passing the head cable 103 over the top 100B of
the helmet or under the rim 100C of the helmet 100. As shown in
FIG. 2, the head cable 103 may enter the rear 100A of the helmet
100 by passing through a modified M6 fastener 102, which may be
used to secure the helmet's chin strap. The head cable 103 may then
proceed to pass along the underside 100E of the helmet 100 where it
may transition from a round cable 103A to a flat cable 1038 for
ease of routing, and then may return to the form of a round cable
103C, where it may exit the helmet through another modified
fastener 104. The modified fasteners 104 and 102 may mate with the
helmet 100 through existing bolt holes (not shown). After exiting
the helmet 100 through modified fastener 104, the head cable 103D
may be routed into the docking station 105, where the electrical
power and signals may be passed through an electrical breakaway
mechanism (shown in more detail in FIG. 4). FIG. 3 shows an
enlarged detail view of the modified fastening hardware 104,
located on the front 100D of helmet 100, and the head cable
sections 103C and 103D transitioning through it.
[0023] The electrical breakaway mechanism, which may be part of the
helmet docking station 105, is elaborated upon in FIG. 4. The
electrical breakaway mechanism may include sealed spring-loaded
electrical contacts 106 and an additional overall contact seal 107
that may surround the cluster of contacts 106. These spring-loaded
contacts 106 may mate with the sealed conductive pads 109
incorporated into the break-away unit 108 depicted in FIG. 5. By
passing the signal along with electrical cable 110, the electrical
power and signals may be relayed from the sealed conductive pads
109 to the shoe port 111. The shoe port 111 is shown in FIG. 6
where the break-away unit 108 has been re-oriented to view the
bottom of the shoe port 111. This view allows for the sealed
electrical contacts 112 contained within the shoe port 111 to be
revealed.
[0024] Mating with the shoe port 111 may be the electro/mechanical
interface shoe 113 shown in FIG. 7. This shoe 113 may contain
several sealed spring-loaded contacts 114, which may allow power
and data signals to be passed from the break-away unit 108 to the
shoe port 111 and through the shoe 113 into an external device. A
cable 115 may allow for electrical connectivity to an undefined
external device.
[0025] When a release button is depressed, the shoe 113 may be
disengaged from the break-away unit 108, and a separate signal may
be provided to indicate that the shoe 113 is no longer secured to
the break-away unit 108.
[0026] FIG. 8 depicts a view of the break-away unit 108 oriented as
to show tilt switch sensor housing 116. The tilt switch sensor 117
may provide a signal indicating whether the break-away unit is in
its stowed or deployed position. FIG. 9 shows the break-away unit
108 rotated again. The tilt switch sensor 117 may be located such
that it interfaces with tilt switch actuator 118. The orientation
of the tilt switch actuator 118 in reference to the tilt switch
sensor 117 may be dependant on whether the break-away unit 108 is
in its stowed or deployed position. FIG. 9 depicts the break-away
unit 108 in its deployed position. FIG. 10 shows the break-away
unit 108 in its stowed position.
[0027] The helmet bracket system may allow for a cable carrying
power and communication signals to pass through modified existing
fasteners on the back of a helmet, pass along the interior surface
of the helmet changing from a round cable wire harness to a flat
cable wire harness during this phase, change back to a round wire
harness, and pass through modified existing fasteners on the front
of the helmet to a docking station, pass through the break-away
arm, and exit the helmet bracket system by means of an electrical
connection on the helmet bracket shoe. Because the helmet bracket
system may use existing bolt hole patterns on the helmet without
changing the structural integrity of the helmet shell, the system
may obviate the need to route electrical connections from being
routed under the rims of helmets.
[0028] Further, existing fastening hardware used to secure the
helmet webbing, chin-straps, and currently-deployed helmet
bracketry may be modified to allow electrical routing. The
fastening hardware may be modified by adding a concentric port
along the functional axis of the thread, thus allowing electrical
connections to pass through the port without affecting the
functional integrity of the fastening hardware.
[0029] The helmet bracket system may include a break-away arm that
may be movable between a stowed and deployed position. A
tilt-switch mechanism on the break-away arm may provide a signal
indicating whether the break-away arm is in the stowed or deployed
position. The helmet bracket system may further incorporate a
mechanism for electrical disconnect during mechanical breakaway of
the break-away arm from its docking station. Electrical connections
between the break-away arm and its docking station may be achieved
by sealed spring-loaded contact pins and contact pads.
[0030] When a release button is depressed to disengage the shoe
from the breakaway arm, a separate signal may be provided to
indicate that the shoe is no longer secured to the breakaway arm.
Power and communication signals may also be passed through the shoe
via sealed contact pads and spring-loaded contact pins.
[0031] The wire harness carrying the head cable 103 may be a
round-to-flat-to-round wire harness that follows the curvature of
the helmet in order to increase the comfort of a user. In
alternative embodiments, the wire harness carrying the head cable
103 may be a round wire harness.
[0032] The helmet bracket system may be operated using only one
hand, although two hands may be used if deemed necessary by the
user.
[0033] While the helmet bracket system may be used during military
combat, it may also be used during search and rescue operations,
recreational sports, emergency services, maintenance/repair
activities, or any other suitable activity.
[0034] The helmet bracket system may be made and assembled by using
machining, injection molding, printed circuit board (PCB)
fabrication, or any other suitable methods.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to
exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *