Helmet Visor Mounting and Lens Design for Military Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing helmet assemblies lack an efficient and easily installable attachment system for face shields, mandibles, and other accessories, which complicates their use and removal, and do not provide adequate ballistic and impact protection while minimizing optical aberrations for military applications.
Innovation Solution
A helmet assembly with a center top mounting arrangement for the face shield, side rails for accessory attachment, and a visor system with a lens design that offers ballistic and impact protection while reducing refractive power, astigmatism, and prism in both horizontal and vertical directions, allowing for easy installation and removal of accessories.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional attachment system with multiple pivot arrangements is used, then the face shield can be secured in a deployed position, but the system becomes complex and difficult to install or remove
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into separate functional components: a mounting arrangement with pivot axis and detent mechanism for secure positioning, and a separate attachment/detachment operation. The face shield is divided into lens and frame portions that can be independently attached. This segmentation allows complex functionality to be achieved through simpler, modular components that are easier to manufacture and assemble.
Solution Approach 2:
The detent mechanism is extracted as a separate functional element within the mounting arrangement, distinct from the pivot axis. This allows the locking function to be independently optimized and simplified. The bead frame structure is also extracted and replaced with a simpler frame design that attaches to the mounting arrangement without requiring complex integrated features.
2Strength
If a molded bead frame structure is used, then the lens can be secured in the frame, but stress is induced on the lens during molding which compromises optical quality
Solution Approach 1:
The bead frame structure is completely extracted and removed from the design. Instead of molding the lens into a bead frame, the patent uses a separate frame structure with a channel that receives the lens periphery. This eliminates the molding stress problem entirely while maintaining secure lens attachment through mechanical engagement in the channel.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens and frame are separated into distinct components that are assembled together rather than molded as a single integrated unit. The lens has a periphery designed for engagement with the frame channel, allowing the lens to be secured without being subjected to molding stresses. This segmentation enables independent optimization of lens optical quality and frame structural integrity.
3Reliability
If the face shield is designed for secure attachment, then protection is improved, but the time required to install or remove accessories increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting arrangement incorporates a dynamic detent mechanism that can be easily engaged and disengaged through manual operation. The detent can be released with simple finger pressure to allow quick removal, then re-engaged to provide secure attachment. This dynamic design allows the system to transition between secure locked state and easy release state, optimizing both attachment security and removal speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The detent mechanism is designed to be operable by the user without tools or complex procedures. The manual release mechanism allows the user to quickly detach the face shield or other accessories by simply pressing the detent, making the system self-servicing for rapid deployment and removal operations.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the lens provides extensive ballistic protection, then safety is improved, but the optical aberrations such as refractive power, astigmatism and prism increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lens thickness is varied locally across different regions to optimize the balance between protection and optical quality. The lens is thickest at the center where ballistic protection is most critical, and gradually thins toward the edges where excessive thickness would create unacceptable optical aberrations. This local quality variation allows the lens to provide adequate protection while maintaining acceptable optical properties in different zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens design parameters including thickness distribution, curvature radii, and material composition are optimized to achieve the desired balance. The lens has a center thickness of about 0.5 to 1.0 inches for maximum protection, with controlled thinning toward edges. The curvature radii are specifically selected to minimize optical aberrations while maintaining protective thickness. Material properties are chosen to provide ballistic resistance with acceptable optical transmission characteristics.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 2A~2C
AI summary
A helmet assembly includes a face shield and a single, center top mounting arrangement that operatively connects a center top location of the face shield to a center front mount on the helmet. The face shield can be raised and lowered about a pivot axis provided in the mounting arrangement between a tilted up, non-use position and a lowered, deployed position. A helmet attachment system is usable to attach a mandible or face or mouth guard. The helmet attachment system can attach other articles such as goggle straps and night vision devices. The helmet assembly includes a front rail that is substantially contiguous with side rails mounted to the helmet which extend rearward to be substantially contiguous with a back rail mounted on the helmet. The side rails are configured to provide attachment locations for further components, such as lights, electronics, communication equipment, etc. A visor has a lens with optics that are designed to provides impact protection while providing clarity by reduced refractive power, astigmatism, and prism in the horizontal direction as well as in the vertical direction.