Collapsible Firearm Sight with Spring-Locked Lens
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collapsible gun sights are prone to damage from shock and impact, have a high profile that makes firearms more cumbersome and less covert, and lack a reliable backup sighting system.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible reflective sight with a self-contained locking mechanism, a low-profile design that fits within the firearm's slide, and a modular, serviceable design that includes a mechanical sight component for backup use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a traditional optical sight is mounted on a firearm, then aiming precision is improved, but the profile becomes high and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The optical sight is nested within the firearm's slide profile, with the lens, light source, and housing fitting inside the slide's outline when collapsed. This allows the sight to maintain a low profile similar to traditional iron sights while providing optical aiming capabilities when deployed.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a collapsible sight is designed to fit within the slide profile, then the firearm's covertness is improved, but the sight becomes more susceptible to damage from shock and impact
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism includes a spring-loaded latch that engages before impact or shock occurs, securing the lens and light source in place. This pre-engagement prevents movement and potential damage during sudden shocks or impacts, while maintaining the low-profile collapsed position for covertness.
3Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to secure the collapsible sight, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is self-actuating through a spring-loaded latch that automatically engages when the sight is collapsed and secured by the natural compression of the spring. The mechanism uses the sight's own structural elements and spring force rather than requiring external locking components or complex actuation systems.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If an internal reflective sight is used instead of external dot projection, then covertness is improved, but the sight requires precise alignment that can be affected by rough handling
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-loaded locking mechanism engages the lens and light source assembly before any impact or rough handling occurs, preventing misalignment. The latch secures the optical components in their precise aligned position, maintaining the internal reflective sight's alignment stability while enabling covert operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a rugged, low-profile collapsible reflective sight that is less susceptible to damage, easier to conceal, and maintains the dynamics of a semiautomatic firearm without adverse effects on slide movement or recoil.
Implementation Method 1
a spring positioned to apply force to the latch to engage the latch with the tab
Implementation Method 2
a light source that reflects a light off a reflective surface of the lens to illuminate an aiming point
Data Source
AI summary
A firearm includes a rail; a mount attached to the rail; a lens attached to and rotatable with respect to the mount; a light source that reflects a light off a reflective surface of the lens to aim the firearm; a hood rotatably mounted and in contact with the lens, wherein the hood folds over the lens in a collapsed configuration and is angled from the lens in a deployed configuration, and the hood and the lens each pivot on respective axes that are parallel to each other.