Retractable carrying device for an optical device

A carrying device for use with a viewing tool and a support member, the carrying device comprising:

• a housing body including an outer face, an opposing inner face and a peripheral wall disposed between the outer face and the inner face, the housing body including a housing recess extending into the housing body from the peripheral face and the outer face, the housing recess defining a recess face and a recess wall extending between the recess face and the outer face;
• an alignment spine protruding from the recess face toward the outer face;
• an alignment member including:
• a flange including a flange indexing face defining a flange indexing contour;
• a housing contact element connected to the flange and being insertable within the housing recess, the housing contact element defining an inner end portion and an outer end portion, the housing contact element including an alignment face extending between the inner end portion and the outer end portion, the housing contact element further including an alignment wall extending between the alignment face and the flange, the alignment member defining an insertion orientation relative to the housing body when the inner end portion is facing toward the housing recess, the outer end portion is facing away from the housing recess, and the alignment face is facing toward the recess face, the housing contact element being sized and configured to limit insertion into the housing recess to insertion when the alignment member is in the insertion orientation, the alignment member being disposed in a stowed position in fixed relation relative to the housing body upon insertion into the housing recess;
• and
• an alignment groove formed within the alignment face and extending from the inner end portion to the outer end portion, the alignment groove being sized and configured to receive the alignment spine as the housing contact element is inserted into the housing recess in the insertion orientation;
• and
• a first indexing member being engageable with the viewing tool and including a first indexing face defining a first indexing contour being complimentary to the flange indexing contour to enable rotational indexing of the alignment member relative to the first indexing member;
• and
• a tether connected to the alignment member and retractably connected to the housing body, an exposed segment of tether extending between the housing recess and the alignment member upon removal of the alignment member from the housing recess.