Reclining helmet mount apparatus

A helmet mount apparatus for adjusting a position of a viewing device on a helmet, said helmet mount apparatus comprising:

• a track assembly removably attachable to the helmet;
• a main carriage assembly slidably attached to and movable along said track assembly between a deployed position, wherein the viewing device is generally aligned with a user's line of sight when worn by the user, and a stowed position, wherein the viewing device is positioned above the user's line of sight when worn by the user;
• a vertical adjustment assembly pivotally coupled to the main carriage assembly;
• an axial sliding assembly coupled to the vertical adjustment assembly, wherein the vertical adjustment subassembly is configured to detachably couple to the viewing device;
• said main carriage assembly comprising a sliding carriage slidably engaging the track assembly;
• a main slide lock assembly disposed on the sliding carriage;
• the main slide lock assembly including a slide lock member disposed within a slide lock housing, the slide lock member passing through an opening in the sliding carriage and extending into an axially-extending elongate opening formed in a base of the track assembly;
• the elongate opening having an axially extending series of track teeth, the slide lock member configured to releasably engage with said track teeth to prevent sliding movement of the sliding carriage with respect to the track assembly;
• a slide lock release button carried on the main slide lock assembly, the slide lock release button coupled to the slide lock member, wherein the slide lock release button is manually actuatable to move the slide lock member out of engagement with the track teeth;
• the track base bounded on opposing sides by axially-extending sidewalls;
• and
• a resilient detent member coupled to the slide lock release button and configured to engage a complementary detent recess formed on a first one of the sidewalls when (a) the slide lock release button is manually actuated, and (b) the resilient detent member is moved into axial alignment with the detent recess, the detent recess thereby defining a preferential stopping position of the sliding carriage;
• wherein the first one of the sidewalls includes a notch configured to receive a detent plate having the detent recess formed thereon;
• and
• wherein the notch is configured to receive a plurality of detent plates, wherein each of the interchangeable detent plates has a detent recess formed at a different axial position, and further wherein the detent plates are interchangeable to allow customization of the preferential stopping position.

A helmet mount apparatus for adjusting a position of a viewing device on a helmet, said helmet mount apparatus comprising:

• a track assembly removably attachable to the helmet;
• a main carriage assembly slidably attached to and movable along said track assembly between a deployed position, wherein the viewing device is generally aligned with a user's line of sight when worn by the user, and a stowed position, wherein the viewing device is positioned above the user's line of sight when worn by the user;
• a vertical adjustment assembly pivotally coupled to the main carriage assembly;
• and
• an axial sliding assembly coupled to the vertical adjustment assembly, wherein the vertical adjustment subassembly is configured to detachably couple to the viewing device;
• wherein the axial sliding assembly comprises:
• a mounting shoe interface plate disposed on a first side of the slide rail member and defining a mounting shoe receptacle configured to detachably couple to a mounting shoe on the viewing device;
• a housing disposed on a second side of the slide rail member and coupled to the mounting shoe interface plate;
• one or more manually actuatable slide release buttons having one or more locking teeth configured to interlock with an axially-extending series of teeth disposed on the slide rail member to secure the axial sliding assembly in a fixed axial position with respect to the slide rail member, wherein the one or more manually actuatable slide release buttons are configured to move the one or more locking teeth out of engagement with the axially-extending series of teeth to permit axial sliding movement of the axial sliding assembly with respect to the slide rail member;
• a pivoting lock lever pivotally secured to the axial sliding assembly and including a latch member extending through an opening in the mounting shoe interface plate and configured to engage with a complementary opening in the mounting shoe when the viewing device is coupled to the axial sliding assembly;
• a spring member coupled to the latch member and configured to pivot the pivoting lock lever in a first direction wherein the latch member is urged onto engagement with the complementary opening in the mounting shoe;
• and
• a lock lever release button mechanically coupled to the pivoting lock lever and configured to pivot the pivot the pivoting lock lever in a second direction opposite the first direction to move the latch member onto engagement with the complementary opening in the mounting shoe.