Sighting device

Abstract

A sighting device configured for mounting on a firearm contains a tubular body (1) made of an opaque material and has a groove (2) made in the lateral wall of the said body (1) that forms a window for passing of ambient light through it, a light-accumulating element (4), a diaphragm (8) and an eyepiece (9), as well as a device for attaching the body (1) to the firearm. The sighting device further includes a light-focusing optical lens (7) disposed between the light-accumulating element (4) and the diaphragm (8). The diaphragm (8) has a circular central aperture with a diameter of no more than 0.3 mm, and the eyepiece (9) is configured to be movable to change the focal length.

Description

[0001] SIGHTING DEVICE

[0002] The invention relates to the field of armaments, namely to sighting devices for firearms and can be used for installation on smoothbore and rifled weapons for aiming, especially at a moving target.

[0003] During shooting, especially when shooting at a moving target, it is important to be able to quickly aim the weapon at a moving target and make the necessary advance. To facilitate this task, the foresight should stand out from the general background and be contrasting. It is especially convenient if the contrast of the foresight with respect to the background could be adjusted depending on the prevailing lighting conditions. At the same time, the foresight should not dazzle the shooter's eyes or the target.

[0004] A sighting device [1] is known, made with a possibility of installation on a firearm, comprising a tubular body made of an opaque material, a light-accumulating element, and a device for fixing the body on the firearm. The body is made in the form of several separate annular elements that partially enclose the lightaccumulating element. At that, the annular elements of the body are fixed by means of a fixing device comprising a flat element, preferably made of the same material. The flat element is made with a possibility to be fixed to the barrel of the weapon by gluing, soldering or brazing. One of the annular elements of the body is directed towards the shooter's eye and is made in the form of an elongated sleeve that surrounds the end surface of the light-accumulating element and has a length sufficient to shield the light emitted from this end so that only the shooter's eyes perceive it. Another annular element of the body is also made in the form of a sleeve and surrounds the opposite end of the light-accumulating element. A plurality of thin annular elements of the body is located between the said sleeves at a certain distance from them and at certain intervals from each other. These annular elements tightly enclose the areas of the light-accumulating element and shield the intermediate uncovered areas of the light-accumulating element from the shooter's inactive eye. At that, the shooter sees the end part of the lightaccumulating element in the hole in the end of the sleeve and directs the luminous dot at the target. This technical solution relates to the part of the sight that is located near the muzzle end of the barrel, namely to the foresight, and is intended for increasing the contrast of the foresight against the general background.

[0005] The disadvantages of this technical solution include low aiming accuracy due to the fact that the beam of light directed towards the shooter's eye has quite wide emission angle which depends on the length of the sleeve, that can lead to a significant error in aiming. In addition, the disadvantages include the difficulty of dismantling the device caused by that the sight is fixed by gluing, soldering or brazing that makes it difficult to quickly replace it.

[0006] This technical solution has poor aiming characteristics when aiming in low light conditions and at a moving target. The disadvantages also include a limited scope of application, since the elongated body of the device involves locating it on a long barrel and excludes the possibility of locating it, for example, on a pistol. Besides, this device excludes the possibility of quick adjustment of the device horizontally and vertically without dismantling that reduces the performance characteristics of the device.

[0007] The nearest analogue to the applied technical solution is a sighting device [2], made with the possibility of installation on a firearm, comprising a tubular body made of an opaque material and having a groove made in the lateral wall of the said body that forms a window for passing of ambient light through it, a lightaccumulating element, a diaphragm and an eyepiece with a collimator lens, as well as a device for fixing the body on a firearm. At that, the body has an axial through hole of a preset diameter in which a light-accumulating element in the form of a cylindrical rod made of fluorescent plastic is located. The rod is positioned so that it is situated under the window so that light reaches it through the side surface and is emitted through its end walls. A diaphragm is located next to the rod in the body which includes a light-transmitting channel, a mesh element that forms a reticle for aiming, and an eyepiece that contains a collimator lens which is fixed at a preset focal length. At that, a collimated image of the said reticle and luminous dot is provided in the eyepiece. All the located components are fixed in the body with a spacer sleeve of the corresponding diameter. When aiming, the collimated image of the reticle and luminous dot is transmitted back to the eye of the shooter through the hole in the tubular body. The sighting device has the size for installing on the muzzle part of the pistol.

[0008] The disadvantages of this technical solution include the low promptness of aiming at the target caused by that the collimator lens creates a light point only when the optical axis of the sighting device coincides with the aiming line. Also among the disadvantages is the difficulty of aiming at a target when shooting at a moving target caused by the difficulty of simultaneous observing with one eye of a target moving in the surrounding space, and with the other eye of the collimator image of the reticle and the luminous dot. This technical solution also has poor aiming characteristics when aiming in low light conditions and at a moving target.

[0009] The aim of the applied invention is creation of such a sighting device in which by improving the construction an increase of the efficiency, promptness and accuracy of weapon aiming when shooting at a moving target is achieved, as well as improving aiming characteristics when aiming in low light conditions is achieved while reducing the overall dimensions of the device without losing operational characteristics, as well as expanding the scope of application of the sighting device on various types of firearms.

[0010] The assigned aim is achieved by that the known sighting device executed with the possibility of installation on a firearm containing the tubular body made from an opaque material and has a groove made in the lateral wall of the said body that forms a window for passing of ambient light through it, a light-accumulating element, a diaphragm and an eyepiece, as well as a device for fixing the body on a firearm, according to the invention, includes a light-focusing optical lens located between the light-accumulating element and the diaphragm, at that, the diaphragm has a circular opening in the center with a diameter of not more than 0.3 mm, and the eyepiece is executed with the possibility of moving for changing the focal length.

[0011] At that, the light-focusing optical lens is made planoconvex.

[0012] Besides, the light-focusing optical lens can be made aspherical.

[0013] Preferably, when the eyepiece contains an optical planoconvex lens.

[0014] Besides, the eyepiece can contain an aspherical optical lens.

[0015] It is appropriate when the tubular body contains an additional light source.

[0016] Besides, the device for fixing the body on the firearm is made with the possibility of horizontal and vertical adjustment.

[0017] The presence of a light-focusing optical lens located between the lightaccumulating element and the diaphragm allows the entire light flux from the lightaccumulating element to be focused on the opening of the diaphragm that provides the necessary light intensity and improves aiming properties.

[0018] Execution of the diaphragm with a circular opening in the center with a diameter of not more than 0.3 mm allows to increase aiming accuracy and is the technically optimal option, while increasing of the opening diameter reduces aiming accuracy.

[0019] Execution of the eyepiece with the possibility to move for changing the focal length allows to change the diameter of the visible light spot on the optical lens of the eyepiece in the range from full illumination of the eyepiece lens to a dot that glows inside a dark circle in the image in the eyepiece lens, that significantly expands the scope of application of the device depending on the intended purpose of the firearm.

[0020] Execution of the light-focusing optical lens planoconvex or aspherical allows to focus the required light emission from the light-accumulating element onto the opening of the diaphragm that allows to significantly reduce the overall dimensions of the device and increases the accuracy of aiming.

[0021] Execution of the eyepiece in the form of a planoconvex optical lens or in the form of an aspherical optical lens allows to create a light spot visible in the eyepiece with the effect of "luniform shadows" - partial darkening of the edges of the light spot in the eyepiece which occurs when the optical axis of the device deviates from the center of the eye of the shooter, that allows to quickly make a visual correction of the aiming point when shooting with both eyes open at the same time and significantly increase the accuracy of aiming at a moving target. The presence of a light source in the tubular body in the area of location of the light-accumulating element allows the device to be used for aiming in low-light conditions and to improve aiming characteristics when aiming in low-light conditions.

[0022] Execution of the device for fixing the body on a firearm with the possibility of adjustment horizontally and vertically allows to make quick adjustment of the optical axis of the device with the aiming line without dismantling the device.

[0023] The essence of the invention is explained by the drawings, which show:

[0024] Fig. 1 - a schematic view of the sighting device;

[0025] Fig. 2 - a schematics of partial obscuration of the light spot in the eyepiece (left) of the sighting device;

[0026] Fig. 3 - a schematics of partial obscuration of the light spot in the eyepiece (right) of the sighting device;

[0027] Fig. 4 - a schematics of partial obscuration of the light spot in the eyepiece (top) of the sighting device;

[0028] Fig. 5 - a schematics of partial obscuration of the light spot in the eyepiece (bottom) of the sighting device;

[0029] Fig. 6 - a schematics of the location of the light spot in the center of the eyepiece of the sighting device.

[0030] According to the invention, as shown in Fig. 1 , the sighting device comprises a tubular body (1 ) made of an opaque material, and has a groove (2) made in the lateral wall of said body (1) which forms a window for the passage of ambient light therethrough, that allows to direct ambient light emission (3) onto a lightaccumulating element (4) made in the form of an elongated rod, preferably of circular cross-section, made of a fluorescent light-accumulating / light-guiding material, for example, acrylic plastic, nylon or other suitable materials.

[0031] In the lower part of the tubular body (1 ) a device (5) is located for fixing the body (1) on the firearm (not shown). At that, the fixing device (5) is made with the possibility of adjusting the position of the body (1) in the horizontal and vertical planes, for example, by means of screws, magnets and springs of various configurations, that allows to provide adjustment and fixation of the device in a defined position and quickly dismantle the device if necessary.

[0032] In the front end part of the tubular body (1) in front of the light-accumulating element (4) a light source (6) is located which is made using one of the known technologies, for example, with a tritium element, that allows the device to be used for aiming in low light conditions. In the tubular body (1) behind the light-accumulating element (4), sequentially located on one optical axis are a light-focusing optical lens (7), located at a defined distance a diaphragm (8) with a circular opening with a diameter of not more than 0.3 mm, and an eyepiece (9) made with the possibility of forming a light spot visible to the shooter's eye. At that, the light-focusing optical lens (7) is made planoconvex or aspherical, that allows to focus the light emission from the light-accumulating element (4) onto the opening in the diaphragm (8), that provides the required light intensity and increases the accuracy of aiming. The light entering through the opening of the diaphragm (8) enters the optical lens (10) of the eyepiece (9) which is made in the form of a planoconvex or aspherical optical lens.

[0033] The eyepiece (9) is made with the possibility of moving relative to the diaphragm (8) for changing the focal length and allows to change the diameter of the light spot in the optical lens (10) of the eyepiece (9) in the range from full illumination of the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9) to the dot (11 ) which glows inside the dark circle on the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9), that expands the scope of application of the device depending on the intended purpose of the firearm.

[0034] When the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9) is fully illuminated a narrow light flux is formed with the effect "luniform shadows" (position L in Fig. 2, 3, 4, 5) of partial obscuration of the light spot in the eyepiece (9) which occurs when the optical axis of the device and the shooter’s eye are deflected, that allows to quickly make visual correction of the aiming point when shooting with both shooter’s eyes open at the same time and to significantly increase the accuracy of aiming at a moving target. Adjusting the focal length of the eyepiece (9) allows to adjust the size of the dot (11) that glows inside the dark circle (Fig. 6) on the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9), that provides more accurate aiming at a stationary target.

[0035] At that, the overall dimensions of the device are insignificant that expands the scope of application and use of the device on various types of firearms while maintaining the operational characteristics of the device.

[0036] The body (1 ) of the device is fixed on the firearm (not shown) by means of a fixing device (5) and is simultaneously adjusted relative to the axis of the aiming line by adjusting in the vertical and horizontal planes, for example, by means of screws, and the fixation of the device is provided in a defined position. At that, quick adjustment of the device horizontally and vertically without dismantling the device is provided.

[0037] During aiming, light emission (3) falls on the light-accumulating element (4). With sufficient lighting the light flux (4) enters through the groove (2) in the body (1 ), with low lighting an additional light source (6) is used to create the light flux which is located in the front end part of the tubular body (1 ) and is made, for example, in the form of a tritium element. At that, the brightness of the light source (6) is chosen so as not to illuminate the target. The difference between the brightness of the light flux of the device and the target should not exceed 20 cd / m2. Through the end of the light-accumulating element (4), the light flux passes on the light-focusing optical lens (7) made with a defined focal length, and is focused on the opening of the diaphragm (8) installed at a defined focal length. At that, the diameter of the opening of the diaphragm (8) is made not more than 0.3 mm that provides maximum light intensity and accuracy of aiming. The narrow light flux passing through the opening of the diaphragm (8) comes on the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9) which forms a light beam towards the shooter's eye. The eyepiece (9) is made with the possibility of movement for changing the focal length that allows to change the diameter of the light spot on the optical lens (10) of the eyepiece (9) in the range from full illumination of the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9) to the dot that glows inside a dark circle (Fig. 6) on the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9), this expands the scope of the device usage depending on the intended purpose of the firearm. When the effect of the dot (11 ) appears which glows inside the dark circle on the lens (10) the aiming accuracy increases, but the aiming speed decreases.

[0038] When shooting, the shooter aims the weapon at the target and at the moment of coincidence of the optical axis of the sighting device with the aiming line the shooter sees a round dot (11) glowing in the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9), as shown in Fig. 6. Everything that is covered by the projection of the glowing dot is in the hit zone on the target.

[0039] When changing the position of the shooter's eye relative to the optical axis of the sighting device connected to the aiming line by the fixing device (5), the effect "luniform shadows" L is observed, i.e. partial lateral obscuration of the light dot in the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9), as shown in Fig. 2-5. When aiming, the shooter makes sure that there are no obscurations ("luniform shadows") in the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9), and that the light spot (dot 11) is absolutely clean and round.

[0040] If the eye is positioned incorrectly relative to the optical axis of the sighting device (i.e., shifted to the side), during aiming the shape of the light spot (dot 11 ) in the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9) contains luniform shadows ("luniform shadows"), as shown in Fig. 2-5. Luniform shadows L ("luniform shadows") can occur from any side depending on the position of the eye relative to the optical axis of the sighting device. If there are luniform shadows ("luniform shadows"), the aiming point is deflected in the direction opposite to them. If, when aiming, the shooter notices luniform shadows L ("luniform shadows") on the edges of the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9) he must find such a position for his head in which the eye clearly sees the entire circular dot (11) glowing on the lens (10) of the eyepiece (9). Everything covered by the projection of the glowing dot (11 ) is in the hit zone on the target.

[0041] Therefore, to ensure accurate aiming by means of the proposed technical solution, the shooter must adjust the position of the eye relative to the optical axis of the sighting device without "luniform shadows" and cover the intended hit point with a glowing dot (11). The device provides the possibility of aiming with two open eyes that allows to correctly track the trajectory of the target's movement, quickly determine the direction of advance and hit the target with high accuracy.

[0042] The proposed technical solution has high manufacturability and small dimensions that allows to produce this device on an industrial scale and to be installed on various types of firearms.

[0043] The above example characterizes the implementation of this technical solution and is illustrative in nature and does not limit other implementation options and variants.

[0044] Thus, the proposed technical solution allows to increase the efficiency and accuracy of weapon aiming when shooting at a moving target, to improve aiming characteristics in low light conditions while reducing the overall dimensions of the device without loss of operational characteristics, and also to expand the scope of application of the sighting device on various types of firearms.

[0045] SOURCES OF INFORMATION

[0046] 1. Patent US No. 3949482, C1 , IPC, F41G 1 / 00, F41G 1 / 14, F41 G 1 / 32, published on 13.04.1976.

[0047] 2. Patent UA No. 2140619, C1 , IPC 6, F41G 1 / 42, published on 27.10.1999.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A sighting device executed with the possibility of installation on a firearm containing the tubular body made from an opaque material and having a groove made in the lateral wall of the said body that forms a window for passing of ambient light through it, a light-accumulating element, a diaphragm and an eyepiece, as well as a device for fixing the body on a firearm, differing in that it includes a light-focusing optical lens located between the light-accumulating element and the diaphragm, at that, the diaphragm has a circular opening in the center with a diameter of not more than 0.3 mm, and the eyepiece is executed with the possibility of moving for changing the focal length.

2. A sighting device according to claim 1 , differing in that the light-focusing optical lens is made planoconvex.

3. A sighting device according to claim 1 , differing in that the light-focusing optical lens is made aspherical.

4. A sighting device according to claim 1 , differing in that the eyepiece contains an optical planoconvex lens.

5. A sighting device according to claim 1 , differing in that the eyepiece contains an optical aspherical lens.

6. A sighting device according to claim 1 , differing in that the tubular body contains an additional light source.

7. A sighting device according to claim 1 , differing in that the device for fixing the body on the firearm is made with the possibility of horizontal and vertical adjustment.

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