Itt Corporation

Itt Defense, Inc.

Roy H Holmes

Albert M Baril

Mark Alan Bryant

Earle N Phillips

Roger Douglas Whiddon

William H Jamison

David A Crenshaw

Mark R Critzer

Bradley Philippi

A battery pack device which can be removably attached to a SPH-4 helmet and used to power an ANVIS night vision goggle device which is mounted on the helmet. The battery pack device includes a battery pack assembly with a bent-shaped housing that enables the battery pack assembly to conform to the shape of the helmet. The housing of the battery pack assembly is adapted to hold only two replaceable AA battery sets to minimize the weight of the battery pack device. The battery pack assembly also includes electrical circuitry for selecting one of the two battery sets to power the night vision device. A support assembly adapted to be permanently fastened to the helmet is provided for removably attaching the battery pack assembly to the rear of the helmet.

Compact battery pack for a helmet mounted night vision device

A quick release coupling apparatus and method used to connect and quickly disengage a night vision assembly from a pilot's helmet. The quick release coupling apparatus includes a locking element disposed on a pilot's helmet. An aperture is disposed on the night vision assembly to be attached to the pilot's helmet. The locking element of the pilot's helmet is passed into the aperture of the night vision assembly wherein the locking element is engaged and retained by a collet. The collet is biased against the locking element by a wire that is wrapped around the collet. As such, the collet engages the locking element and prevents the locking element from being withdrawn out of the night vision assembly, thereby firmly joining the night vision assembly to the pilot's helmet. Springs or similar repelling elements are disposed between the night vision assembly and the pilot's helmet. The springs act to bias the night vision assembly and pilot's helmet away from each other but the bias is checked by the presence of the locking element in the collet. To quickly separate the night vision assembly from the pilot's helmet, current is passed through the wire surrounding the collet until the structural integrity of the wire fails. With the wire broken, the collet is not biased against the locking element and the locking element no longer counter acts the force of the springs. Consequently, the springs quickly separate the night vision assembly from the pilot's helmet and propel the night vision assembly away from the pilot's helmet.

Quick release coupling apparatus and method for a helmet mounted night

A modular night vision device wherein either one or two night vision monocular assemblies can be joined to a common mount to selectively create either a monocular night vision apparatus or a binocular night vision apparatus. Electrical contacts are present on the night vision monocular assemblies that couple to the common mount. The electronic controls and power source needed to operate the night vision monocular assemblies are contained within the common mount. Accordingly, the night vision monocular assemblies automatically become disabled when detached from the common mount. The common mount provides interpupillary and distance-to-eye adjustments for the night vision monocular assemblies. Additionally, the common mount enables the night vision monocular assemblies to be flipped up to a stowed position out of the field of view of the person utilizing the night vision device.

Night vision goggle assembly with independant monocular devices

A helmet mounted night vision device for a pilot that is automatically propelled away from the pilot before the pilot ejects from an aircraft, thereby preventing injury to the pilot caused by the night vision device striking the ejecting pilot. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention night vision device is a binocular device, having a right optical assembly and a left optical assembly that are viewed by the right and left eyes of the pilot, respectively. The right and left optical assemblies are each attached to elongated arm members. Each of the arm members, supporting the optical assemblies, are pivotably coupled to a common mounting plate that is removably attachable to the helmet of the pilot. Prior to ejection, the left and right optical assemblies are joined in front of the eyes of the pilot, thereby forming the binocular device. Before the pilot ejects, the left and right arm members pivotably rotate in opposite directions and detach from the common mounting plate, thereby separately propelling the right and left optical assemblies away from the pilot.

Helmet mounted night vision apparatus and method of separation

The present invention is a mounting assembly for mounting a night vision apparatus onto a standard army issue helmet. The present invention includes a support member for retaining the night vision apparatus and a clamping assembly used to join the support member to the helmet. The clamping assembly is removably attachable to a standard army issue helmet above the eyes of the wearer. The support member is pivotably connected to the clamping assembly in a manner that enables the support member to be pivotably rotated about the clamping assembly between an operational position and a stowed position. At the operational position, the support member retains the night vision apparatus in front of the eyes of the wearer. At the stowed position, the night vision apparatus is 'flipped up' to a position above the field of view of the wearer, where the night vision apparatus can be retained until again needed. A moveable magnet and an associated reed switch serves to deactivate the night vision device in the stowed position and enable activation of the night vision device in the operational position.

Helmet mounting for night vision assembly

A device for intensifying light images which includes an image intensifier tube assembly that is retrofittable to two different existing housings. There is a first electrical contact for electrically connecting to electrical supply contacts when positioned in the first different housing and a second electrical contact for electrically connecting to electrical supply contacts when positioned in the second different housing. The tube assembly has first spacer for effecting a predetermined spacing between the tube assembly and the first housing when positioned in the first housing, and a second spacer for effecting a predetermined spacing between the tube assembly and the second housing when positioned therein. The first spacer is inactive to control spacing when in the second housing and the second spacer is inactive for controlling spacing when in the first housing.

Growing community of inventors

Salem, VA, United States of America

Roy H Holmes