Night Vision Goggle Beam-Splitter Adapter for Unobstructed Recording
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Solution Overview
Problem
Analog night vision goggles (NVGs) cannot be easily recorded due to their analog nature, and digital NVG solutions do not match the sensitivity of analog NVGs, leading to constraints in space, weight, power, captured image quality, and user experience in existing recording solutions.
Innovation Solution
A night vision goggle recording adapter (NVGRA) that includes a hollow body to receive a diopter housing, a beam splitter to split light into transmitted and reflected beams, and features like a diopter dip, bent beam splitter, removable eyecup, and removable image recording device adapter to enhance image capture and user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a beam splitter is added to capture NVG images, then image recording capability is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The NVGRA is nested within the existing NVG diopter housing structure. The hollow body receives the distal end of the diopter housing, and the beam splitter is disposed within the confined interior space. This nesting approach allows the recording function to be added without requiring a separate external device, thereby improving adaptability while minimizing increases in device complexity and overall space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The beam splitter is oriented at an angle (e.g., 45 degrees) relative to the optical axis, redirecting the light path from the NVG tube into a perpendicular dimension. This angular orientation allows the recorded image to be directed to a recording device positioned sideways relative to the NVG tube, effectively utilizing three-dimensional space to achieve recording capability without obstructing the user's forward view through the NVG.
2Volume of moving object
If the first interior space diameter is reduced to fit within NVG constraints, then space and weight constraints are improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The first wall of the hollow body features a localized precision feature: an end face configured to abut the front face of the diopter lens assembly. This localized precision requirement is concentrated at a specific interface rather than distributed throughout the entire adapter structure. The diameter of the first interior space is reduced to fit within NVG constraints, but only the critical mating surface requires high manufacturing precision, while other portions of the adapter can be manufactured with standard tolerances.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a removeable image recording device adapter is added, then adaptability to various recording devices is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow body is designed as a universal interface that can accommodate multiple types of image recording devices through the second port. The removeable image recording device adapter allows different recording devices (such as cameras or sensors) to be connected to the same NVGRA platform. This multi-functional design improves adaptability across different recording devices while keeping the core NVGRA structure relatively simple and reusable.
Solution Approach 2:
The image recording device adapter is designed as a separate, removeable component that can be attached to or detached from the hollow body. This segmentation allows the recording device interface to be upgraded or changed without replacing the entire NVGRA assembly. The modular approach improves versatility while actually reducing overall device complexity by separating the adaptable interface from the stable core structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The NVGRA allows for full NVG image capture without obstructing the user's view, reduces spatial and weight constraints, improves image quality, and accommodates various recording devices, enhancing overall user experience.
Implementation Method 1
a beam splitter disposed in a first interior space delimited by the hollow body, the beam splitter configured to split a beam of light that exits a diopter lens assembly disposed in the diopter housing into a transmitted beam that exits the night vision goggle recording adapter through a first port in the hollow body and a reflected beam that exits the night vision goggle recording adapter through a second port in the hollow body
Data Source
AI summary
A night vision goggle recording adapter includes a hollow body configured to receive a distal end of a diopter housing of a night vision goggle and a beam splitter disposed in a first interior space delimited by the hollow body. The beam splitter is configured to split a beam of light that exits a diopter lens assembly disposed in the diopter housing into a transmitted beam that exits the night vision goggle recording adapter through a first port in the hollow body and a reflected beam that exits the night vision goggle recording adapter through a second port in the hollow body. Additional features include but are not limited to a diameter of the first interior space being smaller than an outer diameter of the diopter lens assembly, an image recording device adapter mounted in a removeable manner to the hollow body, and a removeable eyecup.