Macro Alignment Reticle Sight With Secondary-Dot Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reflex sights, particularly on handguns, often require precise alignment to view the superimposed dot, which can be challenging for new users or those with poor eyesight, leading to frustration and unsafe situations due to misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A reflex sight system featuring a primary dot and secondary alignment dots that are hidden in the aligned mode but become visible in misaligned modes, providing visual feedback to guide users into proper alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a reflex sight uses a small light emitting diode at the focal point of the lens to generate a superimposed dot, then the sight becomes compact and suitable for handguns, but the dot becomes invisible when the sight is misaligned, causing user frustration and unsafe situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces alignment dots that provide visual feedback to indicate when the reflex sight is misaligned. These alignment dots are visible when the primary aiming dot is not visible, guiding the user to properly align the sight. This feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by maintaining compact size while eliminating alignment difficulty through visual guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the visual information into two distinct components: the primary aiming dot for target acquisition and the alignment dots for proper positioning. By separating these functions, the system allows the compact reflex sight design to maintain both aiming capability and alignment guidance without requiring a larger structure.
2Ease of operation
If the user panes the gun left/right and up/down several times to find the dot on the lens, then visibility of the dot is achieved, but time is lost and target acquisition becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment dots provide immediate visual feedback about the sight's alignment status. When the user panes the gun to find the dot, the alignment dots guide them in the correct direction, eliminating random panning and significantly reducing the time required to achieve proper alignment and acquire the target.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the sight is angled too far forward, backward, or to a side, then the user cannot physically see the dot on the lens, but the dot is still being projected by the diode
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment dots serve as intermediaries that communicate the alignment status between the projected dot and the user's field of view. When the primary dot is not detectable due to incorrect angling, the alignment dots act as mediators to indicate the problem and guide correction, bridging the gap between dot projection and dot detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment dots provide feedback about the relative orientation between the sight and the user's line of sight. This feedback mechanism allows the user to detect when the sight is angled incorrectly and adjust accordingly, resolving the contradiction between continuous dot projection and intermittent dot detection.
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
Enhances target acquisition by quickly and efficiently aligning the primary dot with the target, reducing frustration and ensuring safe handling by offering visual cues for reorientation.
Implementation Method 1
an optical element configured to reflect and/or display to a viewer one or more of a dot, mark, indicia, sight element, reticle pattern, arrow element and/or direction pointer
Data Source
AI summary
An aiming device is provided including an illumination device and an optical element wherein the illumination device projects a primary dot and at least one secondary alignment dot distal from the primary dot to aid a user in obtaining a view of the primary dot when the aiming device is in an aligned mode, the primary dot is visible within a field of view of the user, but the secondary alignment dot is not visible. When the aiming device is in a misaligned mode, the secondary alignment dot is visible to the user, but the primary dot is not. The secondary alignment dot provides instruction to the user to realign the aiming device relative to the field of view of the user so that the aiming device transitions to the aligned mode. A related method of operation is provided.