Telescopic Sight Offset Eyepoint Wedge Prism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional telescopic sights require shooters to change their eye position significantly when switching between telescopic and reflector sights, or when using high-mounted telescopic sights, leading to ergonomic issues and compatibility problems with open sights.
Innovation Solution
A telescopic sight design utilizing a wedge prism mounted behind the eyepiece lens to shift the eyepoint to an offset position, allowing for a more ergonomic head position and compatibility with both telescopic and reflector sights without requiring changes in eye position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a high-mounted telescopic sight is used to accommodate large objective lens clearance requirements, then the optical performance is improved, but the shooter's head position must be raised significantly causing ergonomic issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a periscopic eyepiece attachment that shifts the line of sight in a vertical dimension, allowing the optical axis to remain high-mounted for optimal performance while the eyepoint is positioned lower for ergonomic head placement. This dimensional shift resolves the contradiction between optical performance and ergonomics.
Solution Approach 2:
The periscopic eyepiece attachment acts as an intermediary device between the high-mounted telescopic sight and the shooter's eye. It contains optical elements (mirrors and lenses) that transfer the image from the high optical axis to a lower eyepoint position, enabling both high optical performance and comfortable head position.
2Ease of operation
If a raised comb is added to the rifle stock to help align the eye with the optical axis, then the eye alignment is improved, but the rifle stock aesthetics are spoiled and compatibility with open sights is lost
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of raising the stock comb to bring the eye up to the optical axis, the periscopic eyepiece attachment brings the optical axis down to the eye's natural position. This inverted approach maintains the original stock configuration, preserving aesthetics and open sight compatibility while achieving proper eye alignment.
3Ease of operation
If a periscopic eyepiece attachment with two mirrors and multiple lenses is used to shift the line of sight, then the eyepoint offset is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The periscopic eyepiece attachment is designed as a universal solution that can be mounted on various telescopic sight configurations. By using standard optical components (mirrors and lenses) in a compact periscopic arrangement, it achieves eyepoint offset functionality across different sight types without requiring custom complex optical designs for each application.
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 shooters to maintain a consistent eye position when using telescopic and reflector sights, improving ergonomics and eliminating the need for raised rifle stocks or complex optical configurations, while maintaining accurate aiming capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
A telescopic sight with offset eyepoint utilizes a wedge prism mounted behind its eyepiece lens to shift the sight's eyepoint to an offset position
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3(a)~3(d)
AI summary
This invention teaches a weapon sight whose eyepoint is offset with respect to the sight's main optical axis. A refracting wedge prism is added to the optical layoutof a telescopic sight to tilt the viewing axis and provide an offset eyepoint. The invention has several advantages including better ergonomics when used in combination with other type of sights such as open sights or reflex sights.