GB2179543A

GB2179543A - Protective helmet equipment

Info

Publication number: GB2179543A
Application number: GB08512083A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Paine
Original assignee: UK Secretary of State for Defence
Current assignee: UK Secretary of State for Defence
Priority date: 1984-05-17
Filing date: 1985-05-13
Publication date: 1987-03-11
Also published as: GB8512080D0; GB2179542B; GB2179542A; GB8512083D0

Abstract

The forward part of an aircrewman's protective helmet has a mounting assembly for releasably attaching a carrier with optical equipment, for example right vision goggles, which carrier and equipment may be jettisoned away from the helmet during crewman ejection escape from the aircraft. The jettisoned equipment may be cord-linked to an anchorage in the aircraft or to the ejector seat. <IMAGE>

Description

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GB 2 179 543 A

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Improvements in or relating to aircrew headgear

The present invention relates to aircrew headgear. It is particularly concerned with equipment mounted on 5 a protective helmet such as optical equipment, and the detachmentthereoffrom the headgear upon initiation of an ejection seat.

When optical equipment is normally mounted on an aircrew helmet, it is usually to the fore thereof. If it 10 were to remain attached to the helmet during ejection from an aircraft loads are likely to be imposed upon the aircrewman which could be fatal and are unacceptable. However it is also importantthatthe equipment be not jettisoned so freely that a risk arises of damage 15 to the aircrewman or any colleague or their vital equipment.

The present invention provides means for attaching -« and detaching optical equipment mounted on an aircrew portective helmet and forthe controlled 20 jettisoning of the equipment from aircrew headgear and yet restraining it after detachment from the headgear so as to minimise the risk of injury or damageto eitherthe aircrewman orhis personal equipment.

25 According to the present invention there is provided a mounting assembly for mounting optical equipment on a protective helmet having means for attaching and detaching optical equipment from the helmet and characterized by meansfor jettisoning and projecting 30 the optical equipment away from the helmet.

An advantage of the present invention is that in the event that it is necessary for an aircrewman to evacuate the aircraft in an emergency any helmet mounted optical equipment may be jettisoned priorto 35 the aircrewman exiting the aircraft.

According to afurtherfeature of the present invention there is provided a protective helmet equipment mounting assembly for mounting optical equipment on the forward part of an aircrew helmet 40 having means for manually attaching and detaching the optical equipmentto the helmet, characterised by means for jettisoning the optical equipment and projecting it awayfrom the helmet in the event of an emergency.

45 An advantage of the present invention isthe provision of a means of manually attaching and , detaching the optical equipment and projecting it awayfrom the helmet in the event of an emergency.

An advantage of the present invention isthe 50 provision ofa means of manually attaching and detaching the optical equipment in addition to the automatic jettison procedure available inthe event of an emergency. This also avoids theneed forthe aircrewman to have two helmets, one equipped with 55 helmet mounted optical equipment, the other without such optical equipment.

According to a further feature of the present invention there is provided a protective helmet equipment mounting assembly having a manually 60 operable clipfor attaching and detaching the equipment to the helmet and characterised by a pneumatic release device arranged to detach and jettison the optical equipmentfrom the helmet and project it away from the helmet.

65 An advantage of the present invention is thatthe optical equipment may be jettisoned from the helmet by a pneumatic release device acting if required in an emergency to perform a task thatthe aircrewman would otherwise have to perform manually. 70 Accordingtoafurtheraspectofthe present invention there is a protective helmet equipment mounting assembly comprising an equipment anchorage portion on the forward part of the helmet, a carrier means attached to the equipment, meansfor enabling 75 the carrier to be attached to the helmet anchorage portion, characterised by pneumatically operated means for ejecting the equipment carrier from the helmet and cable means attached to the equipment for reeling the equipment awayfrom the helmet after 80 operation of the pneumatic ejection system.

Once the carrierand optical equipment have been ejected from the helmet mounting point it is important and advantageousthatthe equipment be removed from the proximity of the aircrewman to reduce the 85 risk of i nju ry, this ca n be easily ach ieved by use of a cable attached to the carrier at one end and a remotely mounted reeling in device at the other.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is a protective helmet equipment 90 mounting assembly characterised by a pneumatically operated means for ejecting the equipment and cable means for reeling the equipment awayfrom the helmet and having means for deploying a safety visor after ejection of the equipment. 95 Intheeventthatan aircrewman leaves an aircraft under emergency conditions it is essential that his face be protectedfrom debris which may be present in thecockpit orfrom airblast resulting from his exiting from the cockpit into a fast moving airstream. 100 Advantageously a blast protection visorwill be deployed following the ejection of the optical equipment.

According to a fu rther aspect of the present invention there isprovided a protective helmet 105 equipment mounting assembly characterised by a pneumatically operated means for ejecting theequip-mentand remotely mounted meansfor reeling the equipment awayfrom the helmet and helmet mounted pneumatically operated means for de-110 ploying a safety visor after ejection of the equipment.

An advantage of the present invention is thatthe visor deployment means may be pneumatically operated and thus combined into the ejection system.

According to a further aspect of the present 115 invention there is provided a protective helmet equipment mounting assembly characterised in that the ejection means comprises catch means for retain-ingtheequipmentonthe helmet, and plungermeans connected to a gas line, the plunger means being 120 pneumatically operated and driveableto retract the catch means, and pneumatic drive meansfor urging the carrier away from the helmet upon initiation of the ejection means.

According to a feature of the invention the ejector

The drawing(s) originally filed was (were) informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal' copy.

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mount may carry a restraining cord attachable to a station remote from the helmet. The station may be on the aircrewman's clothing or harness, or upon the ejection seat or aircraft. In the fatter two cases a reeling 5 means may be provided for reeling the optical 70

equipment away from the aircrewman in orderto avoid a collision between the equipment and the aircrewman.

In one embodiment of the invention the plunger 10 means is associated with a gas line manually connect- 75 able to the ejection seat operating apparatus. Such a gas line may pass overthe aircrewman's helmet and include a flexible lead between the helmet and the gas source. In this embodiment of the invention the 15 ejection means may have a miniature detonatorfor 80 breaking the attachment of the ejector mountto the anchorage, or a miniature gas discharge device. These may be mounted on the optical equipment, the ejector mount or the helmet and electrically operated. Prefer-20 ably the ejection means incorprates a positive separ- 85 ator drive facility for urging the ejector mount away from the anchorage upon operation of the ejection means. The drive facility may include a gas discharge orifice.

25 Theejectormountispreferablythepassiveanchor- 90 age forthe optical equipment, so that the latter preferably carries a spring-loaded manual clip means by which the equipment may be deployed single handedly. The ejector mount may be adapted to allow 30 for adjustment of the location thereon of the optical 95 equipment or to permit location in any one of the plurality of locations, preferably in the vertical as distinctfrom the horizontal sense.

The aircrew helmet may incorporate at least one 35 visor,inparticularabirdstrikevisorwhichis 100

preferably deployed at all times during flight. It may be possible to arrange that this visor is shaped to avoid the optical equipment. Preferably howeverthe visor is associated with the optical equipment anchorage on a 40 track, upon which a visor and anchorage together may 105 be raised and lowered, and preferably locked in either and other configurations on thetrack. Such an arrangement offers the advantage thatthe locus of the visor need not be a circular arc, and thetrack can be 45 arrangedtotuckthebirdstrikevisorunderthehelmet 110 rim in thefully deployed configuration, thus increasing protection from the blast and fragments bypassing the visor and permitting the placing of the optical equipment atan optimum distance from the user's 50 eyes. 115

In orderthatthe present invention may be more clearly understood the aircrew headgear optical equipment mount means will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying 55 drawings, of which 120

Figure! is a side elevation of optical equipment mounted on an aircrewman's helmet,

Figure 2 is a part sectional enlarged plan view of an anchorage and ejector mount combination,

60 Figure 3 is a cross section of mount means on the 125 optical equipment, for attachment to the ejector mount, and

Figure 4 illustrates a rack mounting forthe optical equipment and a visor.

65 Figures 1 to 3 show an optical device 10 mounted on 130

to an aircrewman's helmet 11 via a carriage 12, a clip 13, an ejector mount 14 and an anchorage 15.

Figure 2 shows a part sectional plan view of an anchorage and ejector mount assembly, the right hand side of the figure shows the catches in their normal positionfor retaining the mount 14 and on the left hand side the catches in the position after completion of the optical equipment jettisoning sequence.

The anchorage plate 15 comprises a plate attached to the helmet 11 by studs 20. The plate carries a pair of swivelling detents 21 spring loaded by spring means 21 a to project laterally outward therefrom, and a plunger 22 in a cylinderformed longitudinally in the plate. The detents 21 also projecting laterally into the path of the plunger 22. The cylinder has a jet orifice 23 which is sited for exposure atthe completion of travel of the plunger 22. The cylinder is connected to a source of gas via tube 24 attached overthe crown of the helmet 11, and a flexible conduit 25 leading to the aircrewman's Personal Equipment Connector (PEC) man portion. The anchorage plate 15 has a series of recesses, of which one is shown at 26, for locating the clip 13.

The ejector plate 14surroundstheanchorage plate 15 laterally, and is a snug fit thereon and it has slots 27 therein for engagement by the detents 21. The flanges 28 are engaged by the clip 13, and a spring loaded hand grips 30. The cord 29 is arranged for attachment ofthe ejector mount 14to a remote reeling in assembly (notshown).

Theclip 13 (see Figure3) incorporates a pair of spring-loaded hand grips 30 shaped to engage upon the flanges 28 ofthe ejector plate 14, and a spring 31 carrying a pin 32 on plate 33 attached to the spring. The spring is arranged to urge the clip 13 away from the anchorage plate 15, and the pin 32 is arranged to engage in a recess 26 in the anchorage plate 15.

The normal arrangement of the apparatus has the ejector plate 14 mounted on the anchorage plate 15, the detents 21 engaged in the slots 27. In orderto use an optical device when an aircrewman has donned his helmet 11, he sits in his seat, connects his man-portion PEC to a seat-portion PEC, whereby the conduit 25 is connected to a source of gas at pressure. When he requirestofithisopticaldevice 10hedoesso, . emplacing it appropriately on the ejector plate 14and anchorage plate 15, using the clip 13. He can adjust the position ofthe device 10 between stowed and deplaced configurations and also with respect to alignment with his eyes.

U po n i n itiatio n of ej ectio n f ro m th e a ircraft, a bl ast of gas is supplied via the conduits 25,24 to drive the piston 22 along the cylinder, retracting the detents 21 and ultimately exposing the orifice 23. Gas from this orifice, combined with reaction ofthe spring 31 urges the ejector plate 14 togetherwith the device 10 and the carriage 12 away from the helmet 11 its freedom of travel being controlled by the cord 29, and the device 10, carriage 12 being reeled in by the remote reeling in device (notshown).

In a further embodiment ofthe invention the ejector plate 14 is connected to a cord 29. A remote end ofthe cord is connected to a remote reel-in device which rapidly reels in the cord and removes the optical

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equipment from the proximity ofthe aircrewman. The reel device is arranged to operate only after the optical equipment is jettisoned, and will feed cord 29 through a box or stowage position remote from the aircrew-5 man so that his risk of injury from flying objects is reduced. To preventthe problem of lengths of spare cord trailing about the cockpit sufficient excess length may be provided for normally experienced head movements, and the cord may be routed to the optical 10 equipment orcarrier via the protective helmet and one or two locations on either the aircrew mans seat of flying suit.To ensure the cord and attached equipment is able to take an easy and direct route the cord may be

1 passed through a number of easily frangible loops or

15 loops formed by for example touch and close fasteners.

It will be appreciated thatthe carriage 12andthe optical device 10 may notform part of the present invention except where they interface with their 20 anchorage. In another embodiment ofthe invention howeverthe ejector means may comprise a miniature detonatorincorporated in the carriage 12and poweredfrom a powersource located in the carriage 12 and normally associated with the optical device 10. In 25 such an embodimentthe switch for initiating detonator may be associated with the ejection seat initiation and incorporate a wire contiguous with a part ofthe cord 29.

In the embodiment ofthe anchorage shown in 30 Figure 4, the anchorage plate 15 is slidably mounted on a rack 40 which is attached to the helmet 11. The anchorage point 15 is also attached to a carrier41 for a visor 42.

The rack 40 described a locus which at its lower end 35 tucks the visor underthe rim ofthe helmet 11 ,for which the side arms ofthe visor are stepped {at 42a) ahead ofthe helmet side rim and slotted (at 42b) and the visor side anchorages.

The carrier 41 carries spring loaded locking pins41a 40 normally locking the carrierto the rack 40 but permitting it to be moved therealong when they are depressed.

> In this Figure 4 embodiment the gas pipe 24 has a tefescoping arrangement with respectto movement 45 along the rack ofthe anchorage 15.

Claims

* 1. A mounting assembly for mounting optical equipment on a protective helmet having meansfor attaching and detaching optical equipment from the 50 helmet and characterized by meansfor jettisoning and projecting the optical equipment away from the helmet.
2. A protective helmet equipment mounting assembly for mounting optical equipment on the 55 forward part of an aircrew helmet having meansfor manually attaching and detaching the optical equipment to the helmet, characterised by meansfor jettisoning the optical equipment and projecting it awayfrom the helmet in the event of an emergency. 60
3. A protective helmet equipment mounting assembly according to claims 1 or 2 having a manually operable clipfor attaching and detaching the equipment to the helmet and characterised by a pneumatic release device arranged to detach and jettison the 65 optical equipmentfrom the helmet and project it away from the helmet.
4. A protective helmet equipment mounting assembly according to any preceeding claim, comprising an equipment anchorage portion on the

70 forward part ofthe helmet, a carrier means attachedto the equipment, means for enabling the carrier to be attached to the helmet anchorage position, characterised by pneumatically operated meansfor ejecting the equipment carrier from the helmet and cable 75 means attached to the equipmentfor reeling the equipment awayfrom the helmet after operation of the pneumatic ejection system.
5. A protective helmet equipment mounting assembly according to any preceeding claim and

80 characterised by a pneumatically operated means for ejecting the equipment awayfrom the helmet and helmet mounted pneumatically operated means for deploying a safety visor after ejection ofthe equipment.

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6. A protective helmet equipment mounting assembly according to any preceding claim and characterised by a pneumatically operated meansfor ejecting the equipment and remotely mounted means for reeling the equipment awayfrom the helmet and 90 helmet mounted pneumatically operated meansfor deploying a safety visor after ejection ofthe equipment.
7. A protective helmet equipment mounting assembly according to any preceeding claim char-95 acterised in thatthe ejection means comprises catch meansfor retaining the equipment on the helmet and plunger means connected to a gas line, the plunger means being pneumatically operated and driveable to retract the catch means and pneumatic drive means 100 for luring the carrier away from the helmet upon initiation ofthe ejection means.

Printed in the United Kingdom for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by the Tweeddale Press Group, 8817356, 3/87 18996. Published at the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London WC2A 1AY, from which copies may be obtained.