Support element for a front attachment

Abstract

Support element for a front attachment device (200), in particular for a thermal imaging device, on a telescopic sight (100) of a firearm (G) with a firearm barrel (400), wherein the support element (500) is designed in such a way that it can be attached to a mounting point (203) of the front attachment device (200) facing the firearm barrel (400) between the front attachment device (200) and the firearm barrel (400) in such a way that the front attachment device (200) can be supported on the firearm barrel (400) without stress.

Description

[0001] The present illustration relates to a support element for an attachment device, in particular for a thermal imaging device, on a telescopic sight of a firearm with a firearm barrel.

[0002] Attachments, for example in the form of thermal imaging devices, for rifle scopes are well known.

[0003] When attached to the riflescope, they extend the scope's optics. The attachment is mounted using a mounting adapter provided between the riflescope and the attachment.

[0004] With the attachment attached, the weight distribution in the riflescope optics changes, and thus its vibration dynamics. The vibration behavior is also negatively influenced by the fact that the attachment is mounted in front of the telescope in a virtually free-swinging manner.

[0005] The negative consequences of this changed vibration behavior arise particularly in the handling of the firearm, whereby not only the riflescope optics are exposed to mechanically undesirable forces, but also the aiming when shooting is negatively influenced.

[0006] This is where the invention comes into play.

[0007] An object of an embodiment of the present invention can therefore be seen in the creation of a simple possibility with which unwanted vibration influences of an attachment on a telescope or the riflescope optics can be significantly reduced, if not eliminated altogether, even subsequently.

[0008] According to one aspect, such an embodiment according to a possible core idea of ​​the invention relates to a support element for an attachment, in particular for a thermal imaging device, on a telescopic sight of a firearm with a firearm barrel, wherein the support element is designed such that it can be fastened between the attachment and the firearm barrel at a fastening point of the attachment facing the firearm barrel, such that the attachment can be supported on the firearm barrel without tension.

[0009] By providing, for the first time according to the invention, a support element which can be mounted between the firearm barrel and the attachment in an optimized position and with which a simple and stress-free support of the attachment on the firearm barrel can be achieved, negative vibration- or handling-related influences on an extended riflescope optics can for the first time be effectively and easily prevented or at least reduced to a considerable extent.

[0010] The support element according to the invention not only significantly reduces, if not completely eliminates, vibration dynamics during the firing process, particularly those resulting from the extended riflescope optics, but also external mechanical influences that regularly occur, for example, when setting down and / or storing the firearm. This is especially true because the riflescope optics become significantly bulkier with the attachment and thus more exposed to impact. Due to a changed center of gravity, the firearm is more prone to vibrational oscillations around its own axis, which significantly increases the risk of adverse impact.

[0011] The latter applies, of course, in particular to and with very complex or heavy attachments or to telescopes that were not originally intended or not intended for complex attachments.

[0012] When referring to a firearm barrel in accordance with the invention, this also includes possible barrel extensions, e.g., in the form of a silencer. Due to the extended telescopic sight, the support element according to the invention can then, due to its geometry, also be supported on the silencer or another extension piece instead of the original firearm barrel.

[0013] Of course, according to the invention, not just one support element but also multiple support elements can be used for a firearm. Or, one or more attachment points for one or more support elements can be provided to balance the weight or reduce or eliminate vibration.

[0014] In a further development, the support element according to the invention can be designed, for example, in the form of a screw element.

[0015] A threaded connection can be provided for the screw element at the fastening point(s).

[0016] The screw element may have a screw head, wherein the screw head may serve as a support base element of the support element on the firearm barrel.

[0017] The screw element has a length and a threaded shaft and the depth of the threaded connection is designed in such a way that, on the one hand, a sufficient and thus stable thread setting depth can be guaranteed for the screw element in the threaded connection and, on the other hand, a projection can be achieved or adjusted by the screw element to the attachment device in such a way that the support gap to be bridged between the firearm barrel and the attachment point can be bridged while ensuring suitable stress-free support.

[0018] A further development of the screw element or support element can consist of a two-part design or construction. The two parts of the screw element can be a grub screw and a separate support foot element.

[0019] The support foot element can be designed as a blind nut. The support foot element or the blind nut, in turn, can be optimized in its geometry and / or material composition or material structure for the supporting purpose.

[0020] The geometry of the support foot element can provide a support surface which serves as a support surface on the firearm barrel or the “upper edge” of the firearm barrel.

[0021] The geometry of the support foot element can consist of a combination of a cylindrical nut piece and a conical blind piece, whereby the conical blind piece can also have the said support surface.

[0022] The support foot element can also be equipped with damping properties or a damping function. The damping effect can be achieved, for example, by constructing the support element entirely or partially from plastic, rubber, or another suitable material. Furthermore, a damping disc made of plastic or rubber can be provided on the support surface.

[0023] Of course, the grub screw or the screw element as a whole can also be made of plastic or another suitable material.

[0024] A further development of the support element can also be seen in the provision of an adhesive attachment point for securing the support element to the attachment, particularly for securing the support. The adhesive attachment can be made, for example, between the thread of the screw element / set screw and the threaded connection. Furthermore, a corresponding adhesive attachment can also be provided between the base element and, for example, the set screw.

[0025] Furthermore, an aspect according to the invention and thus relevant to the solution also consists in an attachment device, in particular a thermal imaging device, for a telescopic sight that can be mounted on a firearm along a firearm barrel, wherein the attachment device has a fastening point facing the firearm barrel for fastening a support element in such a way that the support element, supporting the attachment device on the firearm barrel, can be fastened stress-free between the firearm barrel and the attachment device, and in the provision of a firearm, comprising a firearm barrel, a telescopic sight, and an attachment device attached to the telescopic sight along the firearm barrel, wherein the attachment device has a fastening point facing the firearm barrel for fastening a support element in such a way that the support element, supporting the attachment device on the firearm barrel, can be fastened stress-free between the firearm barrel and the attachment device.

[0026] Further features, advantages, effects, and details emerge from the following description, in which at least one exemplary embodiment is described in detail—possibly with reference to one or more drawings. Described and / or illustrated features constitute the subject matter, either individually or in any meaningful combination, possibly independently of the claims, and may, in particular, also be the subject of one or more separate applications. Identical, similar, and / or functionally equivalent parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0027] The following diagram shows: Fig. 1 a side view of a rifle with an attachment supported by a support element; Fig. 2a a side sectional view through a support foot element; Fig. 2b a bottom view of the support foot element according to Fig. 2a.

[0028] The Fig. 1 depicted firearm or handgun in the form of a rifle G with a sighting device V, which has a telescopic sight 100 with an attachment in the form of a thermal imaging device 200.

[0029] The thermal imaging device 200 is arranged in series with the riflescope 100. The thermal imaging device 200 is connected to the riflescope 100 via an adapter connection 300 with quick-release means.

[0030] The rifle scope 100 is connected to the rifle G via a rifle scope mount 101 and a mounting rail 102.

[0031] Even after the thermal imaging device 200 has been attached, the combination of rifle scope 100 and thermal imaging device 200 is normally still held or supported only by the rifle scope mount 101 on the mounting rail 102. The thermal imaging device 200 thus virtually floats freely above the rifle barrel 400.

[0032] However, when the thermal imaging device 200 is attached, the center of gravity of the riflescope 100 shifts from the area of ​​the riflescope mount 101 towards the thermal imaging device 200. The riflescope optics become unbalanced.

[0033] However, this makes the sighting device V susceptible to vibrations or vibration resonances, since forces acting on the center of gravity can no longer be directly absorbed by the rifle scope mount 101.

[0034] The changed center of gravity position changes in particular the natural frequency spectrum for the sighting device V, so that it can no longer be effectively aperiodically damped by the telescopic sight mount 101.

[0035] As a result, particularly in the area between the last fixation point 103 of the telescopic sight mount 101 and the free end of the thermal imaging device 201, increased vibration amplitudes 202 occur, which not only have a negative effect on the target guidance but also on the shooting behavior of the rifle G as a whole.

[0036] However, the changed center of gravity and the extended telescopic sight optics also result in an enlarged attack lever acting on the telescopic sight, which means that even seemingly slight impacts on the attachment or thermal imaging device 200, e.g. when setting down or storing the rifle G, can cause damage to the telescopic sight optics.

[0037] These problems are solved according to the invention in a surprisingly simple manner by arranging the support element 500 according to the invention between the thermal imaging device 200 and the rifle barrel 400.

[0038] The support element 500 is screwed to the thermal imaging device 200 at the attachment point 203 and rests on the rifle barrel 400 or its extension, e.g., in the form of a silencer. The support is flush, bridging the support gap L between the thermal imaging device 200 or the attachment point 203 of the thermal imaging device 200 and the rifle barrel 400.

[0039] The support element 500 is preferably used in two parts. It can be formed from a so-called grub screw and a support foot element 501. Depending on the intended use and application, the support element 500 can be made of different materials or material combinations. Particularly suitable are stainless metals, steels, and plastics.

[0040] The two-part design of the support element 500 has the particular advantage that grub screws of different lengths can be used very flexibly to bridge a wide variety of support gaps L and, at the same time, the support foot element 501, which is designed and aligned for an optimal support effect, can also be used for support gaps L of different sizes.

[0041] Fig. 2a shows an exemplary embodiment of the support foot element in the form of a blind nut 501, which comprises a nut section 502 in a first region and a blind section 503 in a second region. The nut section 502 is cylindrical and has a threaded bore 504. The blind section 503 closes off the threaded bore 504 and has a conical geometry that ends with a circular support surface 505.

[0042] The blind nut 501 is screwed to the grub screw (not shown) via the threaded hole 504. A threadlocking compound / adhesive can also be used to secure the blind nut 501 to the grub screw.

[0043] The said screw locking compound can of course also be used for the final fixation of the grub screw at the fastening point 203, i.e. in relation to the threaded connection formed in the fastening point 203, so that the grub screw is no longer firmly seated in the threaded connection.

[0044] In addition to Fig. 2a shows Fig. 2b a bottom view of a support foot element according to the invention in the form of a blind nut 501. From Fig. 2b shows in particular the circular support surface 505 on the blind part 503 of the blind nut 501, with which the support element 500 is supported on the rifle barrel 400.

[0045] When handling and using the support element according to the invention, the appropriate grub screw thickness is first selected based on the attachment, for example, the thermal imaging device 200. Typically, M4, M5, or ¼-inch threads are used for this application. Subsequently, the screw length that is best suited, at least initially, for supporting and bridging the support gap L is selected from a set of grub screws of different lengths.

[0046] Now, for testing purposes, the selected grub screw with the blind nut 501 screwed onto it will be screwed into the threaded connection of the thermal imaging device 200 and it will be tested whether the length of the grub screw with the blind nut 501 attached is sufficient to achieve, on the one hand, a sufficient seating depth of the grub screw in the threaded connection and, on the other hand, to adequately bridge the support gap L flush in the sense of the invention.

[0047] If this is the case with the selected grub screw, the combination of grub screw and blind nut 501 will then be unscrewed from the threaded connection and the blind nut will be unscrewed from the grub screw and the grub screw will be provided with screw locking varnish at a suitable fixing point in order to fix the blind nut 501 on the grub screw on the one hand and to secure the grub screw in the threaded connection on the other.

[0048] The blind nut 501 is then screwed onto the grub screw and the grub screw with the blind nut 501 is screwed or fitted into the threaded connection in such a way that the attachment rests on the firearm barrel without any tension.

[0049] As soon as the threadlock has set, the rifle G with the thermal imaging device 200 is ready for use without any further undesirable vibrations and thus disturbances, for example during shooting, because these are prevented and / or cushioned by the support element 500 according to the invention.

[0050] It should be understood that while the above detailed description and drawings depict certain exemplary embodiments of the invention, they are intended for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Various modifications to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the following claims and their range of equivalents.

[0051] In particular, this description and the figures also reveal features of the exemplary embodiments that are not mentioned in the claims. Such features may also appear in combinations other than those specifically disclosed here. The fact that several such features are mentioned in the same sentence or in another type of textual context does not justify the conclusion that they can only appear in the specifically disclosed combination. Instead, it should generally be assumed that individual features of several such features can also be omitted or modified, provided this does not compromise the functionality of the invention.

[0052] Throughout the description and claims, the term "a" is used as an indefinite article and does not limit the number of parts to a single one. Should "a" have the meaning of "only one," this will be readily understood by a person skilled in the art from the context or will be clearly disclosed by the use of appropriate terms such as "a single one." List of reference symbols 100 rifle scope 101 Riflescope Mount 102 mounting rail 103 fixation points 200 thermal imaging devices 201 free end of the thermal imaging device 200 202 vibration amplitudes 203 attachment point 300 adapter connection 400 firearm barrel, rifle barrel 500 support element 501 Support foot element, blind nut 502 female section 503 Blind section 504 threaded hole 505 support surface G Rifle L support gap V Sighting device

Claims

[1] Support element for an attachment (200), in particular for a thermal imaging device, on a telescopic sight (100) of a firearm (G) with a firearm barrel (400), wherein the support element (500) is designed such that it can be fastened between the attachment (200) and the firearm barrel (400) at a fastening point (203) of the attachment (200) facing the firearm barrel (400) in such a way that the attachment (200) can be supported on the firearm barrel (400) without tension. [2] Support element according to claim 1, wherein the fastening point (203) includes a threaded connection and the support element (500) includes a screw element for fastening the support element (500) in the threaded connection. [3] Support element according to claim 2, wherein the screw element comprises a grub screw and a support foot element (501) which can be applied to the grub screw. [4] Support element according to claim 3, wherein the support foot element (501) can be screwed onto the grub screw. [5] Support element according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the support foot element (501) comprises a support surface (505) for resting on the firearm barrel (400). [6] Support element according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the support foot element (501) can be designed with a damping function. [7] Support element according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the support element (500) comprises at least one adhesive fastening point for fastening the support element (500) to the attachment (200). [8] An attachment (200) which can be mounted on a firearm (G) along a firearm barrel (400), in particular a thermal imaging device (200), for a telescopic sight (100), wherein the attachment (200) has, facing the firearm barrel (400), a fastening point (203) for fastening a support element (500) such that the support element (500) can be fastened between the firearm barrel (400) and the attachment (200) in a stress-free manner, supporting the attachment (200) on the firearm barrel (400). [9] Firearm comprising a firearm barrel (400), a telescopic sight (100), an attachment (200) attached to the telescopic sight (100) along the firearm barrel (400), wherein the attachment (200) facing the firearm barrel (400) has a fastening point (203) for fastening a support element (500) such that the support element (500) can be fastened between the firearm barrel (400) and the attachment (200) in a tension-free manner, supporting the attachment (200) on the firearm barrel (400).