Firearm Sighting System With Integrated Illumination And Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional handgun sights, such as those using tritium gas or fiber optic rods, fail to provide adequate illumination in low-light or no-light conditions, leading to difficulties in acquiring sights quickly and accurately, and often require external light sources or have durability issues.
Innovation Solution
An illuminated sighting system for handguns that includes a power source, light source, and conduit to transmit light via fiber optic rods, with a manual switch and passive switch to preserve power when the handgun is deployed, allowing for continuous illumination of the front and rear sights without the need for external light sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If traditional sights (tritium gas or fiber optic rods) are used, then the sights can provide illumination in low-light conditions, but they require external light sources or have durability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The sighting system incorporates an integrated power source (battery) and light source (LED) within the sight assembly itself, enabling the sights to generate their own illumination without relying on external light sources. This self-contained design eliminates the reliability issues associated with external lighting requirements while maintaining effective illumination in low-light conditions.
2Loss of time
If illuminated sighting system is activated continuously, then quick and accurate sight acquisition is enabled, but power is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a switch mechanism that periodically activates the illumination based on operational needs. The manual switch allows the user to activate illumination only when needed (during shooting operations), while the passive switch automatically activates illumination when the handgun is deployed from the holster. This periodic activation pattern maintains fast sight acquisition capability while minimizing unnecessary power consumption during storage or non-operational periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The passive switch is positioned to detect when the handgun is being deployed from the holster in advance of the shooting action. This triggers the illumination to activate automatically as the gun is drawn, ensuring that the sights are illuminated exactly when needed for acquisition, without requiring continuous power consumption beforehand.
3Use of energy by moving object
If manual switch is added to control illumination, then power consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The passive switch serves as an intermediary mechanism that automatically detects the operational state of the handgun (deployed vs. stored) and triggers illumination activation without requiring manual intervention. This intermediary device simplifies the overall control system by combining automatic sensing with power control, reducing the need for complex wiring or multiple switches while still achieving power conservation through selective activation.
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 quick and accurate acquisition of sights in various lighting conditions, enhances shooting efficiency by maintaining focus on sights during presentation and recoil phases, and reduces the need for external illumination, improving performance in law enforcement, tactical, and competitive shooting scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
conduit configured to transmit light from the light source and provide an illumination of at least a front sight of the handgun
Data Source
AI summary
An illuminated sighting system for providing an illumination at a sight of a firearm includes a power source housed within a compartment of the firearm. The sighting system further includes a light source. The system additionally includes a switch which completes a power circuit that provides power from the power source to the light source when activated, and a conduit configured to transmit light from the light source to the sight of the firearm. The sighting system includes a feature to deactivate the light source when the firearm is holstered or in another stored condition.