Tapered Weapon Sight Housing for Wider Field of View
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing weapon sights often obstruct a significant portion of the field of view, reducing situational awareness and target acquisition speed.
Innovation Solution
A weapon sight with a tapered housing design that minimizes obscuration by having a larger front window than rear window, allowing for an increased field of view and improved situational awareness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a weapon sight is designed to be lightweight and compact, then portability and comfort are improved, but the housing becomes susceptible to bending forces that can disengage internal components
Solution Approach 1:
The housing cross-sectional geometry is changed from a uniform shape to a tapered shape where the width and height decrease from the base to the distal end. This parameter change allows the housing to maintain structural strength at the base while reducing weight and profile at the distal end, resolving the contradiction between lightweight design and resistance to bending forces.
2Weight of moving object
If the weapon sight housing is made lightweight with reduced material, then weight is decreased, but structural integrity and component retention are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The housing dimensions are varied along its length through the tapered design, with greater material concentration at the base where structural strength is needed for component retention, and reduced material at the distal end where weight reduction is prioritized. This resolves the contradiction between lightweight construction and reliable component retention.
3Weight of moving object
If a tapered housing design is implemented, then weight and compactness are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with a tapered geometry that can be manufactured using standard additive manufacturing processes. The gradual change in cross-sectional dimensions follows predictable geometric patterns that are well-suited to 3D printing, allowing complex shapes to be produced efficiently without requiring extensive tooling or assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The single-piece tapered housing structure integrates multiple functions: it provides structural support, houses internal components, and serves as the mounting interface. This consolidation into one component reduces the number of manufacturing steps and assembly operations compared to traditional multi-part constructions.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and systems are disclosed for a weapon sight with a tapered housing. The housing may be configured to enclose an optical bench and/or a portion of an adjuster assembly within the weapon sight. The housing may include an outer shell, a first window, and a second window. The first window may define a first area. The second window may define a second area. The second area may be greater than the first area, for example, such that the outer shell is tapered outward from the first opening to the second opening. The outer shell may define a first wall and a second wall that extend between the first opening and the second opening on opposed sides of an optical path of the weapon sight. The first wall and the second wall may be slanted outward from the first window to the second window.