摘要 |
<p>A night vision device (12) with improved user safety includes a head gear support structure (16) which suspends a night vision viewer (32) relative to the head and eyes of the user. The head gear includes a flip up mount (26) allowing the user to flip the night vision viewer (32) up and out of the user's line of sight for an unobstructed natural view of the environment. In order both to save battery power, and to prevent the user from inadvertently revealing his position by forgetting to turn off the night vision viewer before flipping it up, the support structure (16) includes a magnetic flux source (1021) cooperable with a magnetically-responsive switch (401) of the night vision viewer to maintain the viewer turned on only when the viewer (32) is in its use position. When the viewer is flipped toward its upward position, the switch of the viewer is carried out of magnetic association with the flux source (1021) so that the viewer shuts off. Because the viewer remains mounted on the flip up mount during these series of events allowing the user an unobstructed view of the environment, the viewer is immediately available to be flipped downwardly to its use position back into operative association at its switch with the flux source, and to be turned on again for night vision viewing.</p> |