US Patent 7004439 Mounting bracket including impact release safety mechanism

A mounting bracket including an impact release mechanism for use in connection with helmet-mount lights and other devices. In one embodiment, the mounting bracket is a two-piece assembly comprising a base plate, an upright bracket configured to detach from the base plate upon a sufficient impact or force. In one embodiment, the impact release mechanism is configured to allow the upright bracket to break away from the base plate without affecting the subsequent utility of the mounting bracket. After the upright bracket detaches from the base plate, the mounting bracket can be reassembled by pressing the base plate and upright bracket together to engage the features associated with the impact release mechanism. Other embodiments of the present invention feature a one-use mounting bracket wherein the upright bracket is integrally formed to the base plate at predefined failure points that allow the upright bracket to break away from the base plate upon sufficient impact.