Firearm Laser Mounting System With Independent Elevation And Windage Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing firearm laser systems are often bulky, difficult to adjust, and lack secure mounting, leading to imprecise targeting due to concurrent adjustments in elevation and windage axes.
Innovation Solution
A secure, integral, and easily adjustable mount system using horizontally oriented windage and elevation adjustment screws, with a biasing element to maintain the laser housing's position, allowing independent vertical and horizontal adjustments to compensate for bullet trajectory deviations caused by gravity and wind.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a secure mounting system is used to firmly attach the laser to the firearm, then mounting stability is improved, but adjustment complexity increases due to the need for precise independent elevation and windage adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is segmented into independent elevation and windage adjustment mechanisms. The elevation adjustment screw (120) controls only vertical movement through the elevation wedge (90) and plunger (80), while the windage adjustment screw (130) controls only horizontal movement through the clamp (150). This segmentation allows each mechanism to be simplified and adjusted independently without affecting the other axis, resolving the contradiction between secure mounting and adjustment complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The elevation wedge (90) acts as an intermediary mechanism that converts horizontal screw movement into vertical plunger movement. The wedge transforms the adjustment screw's linear motion into the perpendicular motion needed for elevation adjustment, enabling independent control while maintaining a compact, integrated structure that secures the laser firmly to the firearm.
2Ease of operation
If adjustment screws are positioned for easy access, then ease of operation is improved, but the structural compactness of the firearm may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment screws (120, 130) are merged into the firearm's existing housing structure rather than being separate external components. The elevation screw is integrated into the mounting system housing, and the windage screw is integrated into the clamp assembly. This merging allows easy access for adjustment while maintaining the compact, integrated design of the firearm without adding significant volume.
3Reliability
If the laser housing is firmly constrained to prevent movement, then mounting stability is improved, but the ability to make precise adjustments is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system uses dynamic constraints that transition between locked and adjustable states. The clamp (150) with biasing spring (210) provides continuous pressure to firmly constrain the laser housing horizontally, while the elevation plunger (80) provides vertical support. The adjustment screws temporarily overcome these constraining forces during adjustment, then the system returns to its constrained stable state, enabling both firm mounting and precise adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment mechanism allows the laser housing to briefly skip or overcome the constraining forces during the adjustment process. The adjustment screws apply sufficient force to temporarily overcome the biasing spring and clamp pressure, enabling precise positioning, after which the system settles back into a firmly constrained state, achieving both adjustment precision and mounting stability.
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
Enables precise adjustment of the laser's alignment with the bullet path, minimizing errors and improving targeting accuracy by isolating vertical and horizontal movements, ensuring secure and intuitive adjustment mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing element for forcing the housing into the contact point
Implementation Method 2
an elevation wedge having a first vertical surface and a first inclined plane normal to the first vertical surface, the inclined plane having a slope angle, an elevation plunger having a contact surface for engaging an accessory, a second surface for engaging the first vertical surface and a second inclined plane for engaging the first inclined plane
Implementation Method 3
an adjustment screw in contact with a surface of the elevation wedge wherein advancement of the adjustment screw moves the elevation wedge in a first direction
Data Source
AI summary
A firearm accessory adjustment system is described. The system provides for independent elevation and windage adjustment for a laser associated with a firearm. Each of the elevation and windage adjustments can be made independently using single adjustments on the side of the firearm. The system can be integral to a sidearm.