Offset Eyepiece Telescopic Sight for Rapid Reflex Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional telescopic sights require cumbersome and slow switching between viewing modes, often causing image instability and misalignment, and necessitate substantial head movement when transitioning between telescopic and reflex sights, which complicates aiming processes.
Innovation Solution
A telescopic sight system with a light redirection device, such as a wedge prism, positions the eye point offset from the optical axis, allowing concurrent use of a non-magnifying reflex sight without head movement and maintaining a stable cheek weld, enabling quick switching between sights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a miniature reflex sight is mounted atop a telescopic sight, then the reflex sight provides a wide field of view and fast target acquisition, but the viewing region height is much higher than the exit pupil of the telescopic sight, requiring substantial head movement to switch between sights
Solution Approach 1:
The patent offsets the eyepiece laterally from the optical axis, creating a staggered arrangement where the telescopic sight eyepiece and reflex sight viewing region are positioned at different horizontal positions. This allows the shooter's eye to transition between sights by moving laterally rather than vertically, eliminating the need for substantial head movement while maintaining access to both the wide field of view of the reflex sight and the magnified view of the telescopic sight
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional telescopic sights use movable optical elements or switching mirrors for magnification changes, then magnification switching is achieved, but the sight becomes more complicated, prone to image instability or misalignment, and slow for switching between modes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the optical system into separate fixed optical paths: one path for the telescopic sight with its objective lens and eyepiece, and another path for the reflex sight. Each sight operates independently with its own fixed optical elements, eliminating the need for movable components or switching mirrors. The shooter simply shifts their eye position laterally to switch between the two segmented optical paths, achieving magnification changes without mechanical switching mechanisms
3Volume of moving object
If the telescopic sight eyepiece is positioned on the optical axis, then the optical path is compact, but the eye point is blocked from viewing the target scene when a reflex sight is mounted above
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately positions the eyepiece asymmetrically, offset laterally from the optical axis rather than centered on it. This asymmetric placement creates a staggered configuration where the telescopic sight eyepiece is positioned to the side, allowing the reflex sight to be mounted above without blocking the eye point. The asymmetric arrangement enables concurrent use of both sights while maintaining a compact overall footprint by utilizing horizontal rather than vertical space
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
Facilitates fast and stable target acquisition by allowing little eye movement and no head movement when switching between telescopic and reflex sights, enhancing aiming efficiency and reducing complexity.
Implementation Method 1
A light redirection device, such as a wedge prism, a Risley prism, or other suitable prism device, is positioned rearward of both the objective lens system and the eyepiece and along the optical axis
Implementation Method 2
The optical system includes an objective lens system that produces an image of a distant target at a focal plane
Data Source
AI summary
A system for aiming a projectile weapon includes a telescopic sight for use with a second sighting device, such as a reflex sight or other non-magnifying sight. The telescopic sight has an eye point spaced apart rearwardly from its eyepiece and positioned at a vertical plane containing a line of initial trajectory of the weapon to which the aiming system is mounted so that a line parallel to the line of initial trajectory does not intersect the eyepiece. The location of the eye point facilitates concurrent use of a second sighting device at a normal mounting height and viewable past the eyepiece, thereby allowing the viewer to change views between the telescopic sight and the second sighting device with little eye movement and essentially no head movement.