Patent Grant
8714072
The present invention pertains to a targeting apparatus such as a guiding device.
Today, people hunt animals for food and sport. The overall sport of hunting has increased in popularity because of the challenge and enjoyment of outdoor life and has become a major industry in the United States. Some hunters or naturalists will just walk through the forest; however, this limits the wildlife they will see due to either noise or visualization due to vegetation or simple because of a distance between the hunter and the target. A weapon such as a rifle is typically used in hunting. The weapon is aimed at long distances by use of a telescopic sight. Such a sight includes horizontal and vertical cross-hairs to provide aiming of the rifle toward the target. It is well known that if the target is located at greater distances from the rifle, the rifle angle above horizontal must be increased to compensate for the vertical drop by the projectile during its flight from the rifle to the target.
There have been numerous techniques proposed for adjusting rifle elevation as a function of the distance to the target. However, these various techniques are not fully successful in providing rapid, accurate and automatic elevation compensation for the aiming of a rifle toward a target. The art is replete with various other prior art references disclosing different prior art guiding devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,161 to Reed, for example, teaches an auto-ranging sight that includes an optical viewer that includes a reticle within the viewer. The reticle is a liquid crystal display having a plurality of horizontal lines which can individually be selected to be visible. A distance measuring device is provided for measuring distance from the sight to a target. Parameter information is input to a microprocessor to describe the flight of a projectile. The microprocessor also receives the distance information. The microprocessor then determines the required elevation for the optical viewer and attached weapon. It then selects one of the horizontal lines as the visible horizontal cross-hair. The operator then aligns the horizontal and vertical cross-hairs seen through the viewer such that the projectile can be accurately directed to the target. Optionally, a group of liquid crystal display vertical lines can be provided to accommodate windage adjustment for aiming the target. The range determination can be provided by systems using radar, laser, ultrasonic or infrared signals.
Another prior art reference, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,286 to Reed et al., teaches an apparatus for the laser guidance of the aiming function used by the shooter, and fiber optics to increase the usability of the weapon. One type of adjustment is provided by a vertically movable and vertically adjustable cam member; and a second adjustment is provided through arm linkage which adjusts a rotatable laser holding member. Further features are the provision of a novel adjustable base means to adjust the laser for horizontal (windage) adjustment and also provided a standard of testing feature for testing vertical alignment. Fiber optics gives the shooter the means by which he is able to aim and shoot at farther targets in comparison to the lasers' limits of rangeability; and this fiber optic feature supplements the laser feature of the sight device, and the sight provides a novel sight pin feature.
Alluding to the above, United States Patent Publication No. 20110185619 to Finnegan et al., teaches a laser aiming device incorporated into a battery cap housing, which is in turn secured to such as an existing gun sight and which is in communication with the sights primary power source, such as a battery. The laser aiming device constitutes such as a diode and adjustment mechanism attached to a weapon sight battery source and, by virtue of a circuit closing cap insert, powering itself off the same.
Still another prior art reference, United States Patent Publication No. 20080184609 to Schulst, teaches a rear sight for a handheld weapon. The rear sight includes a tubular device that includes a tubular member comprising a material capable of transmitting visible light so that a target may be viewed through the tubular member, the tubular device, when mounted on a weapon, having at least two circle-like images at different locations along the length thereof that are visible when aiming the weapon on which the sight is mounted at a target by viewing the target through the tubular member. When aiming the weapon, a user will look through the tubular member towards the target and for proper alignment with respect to the target, will maneuver the weapon until the circle-like images are concentrically disposed.
The opportunity exist for a new design of a guiding device that is simple in manufacturing and operation and can be quickly engaged with a weapon to perform guiding functions in low light and bright light conditions and at variable distances.
An adjustable guiding device (the device) is used for a weapon, such as for example a handgun, for guiding a target. The device includes a module presenting a pair of rails used to engage with a slide-on rail of the handgun for attachment purposes. A battery, such as, for example a lithium ion battery is housed in the module. A small digital camera with a pair lenses for magnification is housed in the module of the device to transmit a video of the target to a LCD screen sitting eye level. The lenses are movable lenses and are also used for magnification/zoom function as well as a night vision capability to provide visibility of the target in dark environments.
Alluding to the above, a pair of cross hairs or lines are superimposed on the image of the target for aiming accuracy. A plurality of elements such as bars, struts, connectors, extend from the module at both sides of the module to further secure the module to the handgun. The LCD screen is attached to the module by the elements that envelope the barrel of the handgun and allow the barrel to slide back and forth as the shooting occurs.
In alternative embodiment of the present invention, the module includes an extension mechanism that allows for the elements to be moved beyond the module at variable distances to adapt the device to handguns of any types.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a new design of a guiding device that is simple in manufacturing and operation and can be quickly engaged with the weapon to perform guiding functions in low light and bright light conditions.
Still another advantage of the present invention is to provide an improved guiding device with the extension mechanism that adjusts the guiding device to handguns of various types.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, when taken in conjunction with the appended drawing.
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to
The device 10 includes an aiming assembly, generally indicated at 30 in
Alluding to the above, a plurality of elements 50 such as bars, struts, connectors, extend from the module 20 at both sides of the module 20 to further secure the module 20 to the handgun 12. The elements 50 present at least one of a circular cross section and a non-circular cross section. The LCD screen 46 is attached to the module 20 by the elements 50 that envelope the barrel 14 of the handgun 12 and allow the barrel 14 to slide back and forth as the shooting occurs. As connected to the housing 20, the elements support the LCD screen 46 with these elements 50 forming a frame to envelop the barrel 14 and the side surfaces 16 and 18 of the handgun 12 thereby allowing the barrel 14 to move relative the elements 50 and the housing 20.
As best shown in
A platform 80 is connected to terminal ends 82 of the elements 50 to support the screen 46. The LCD screen 46 is adjustable relative the housing 20 and the barrel 14 as the elements 50 are moved to and away from the housing 20 at various distances. The LCD screen 46 is pivotably connected to said platform 80 to fold the LCD screen 46 to coplanar with the platform 80 when said adjustable guiding device 10 is in idle mode and away in substantially perpendicular form as the device 10 is in its operational mode.
The housing 20 and the elements 50 are fabricated from at least one of a polymeric material and a non-polymeric material without limiting the scope of the present invention. The housing 20 and the elements 50 are injection molded and stamped without limiting the scope of the present invention.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4524675 | Durenec et al. | Jun 1985 | A |
| 5903996 | Morley | May 1999 | A |
| 20110061283 | Cavallo et al. | Mar 2011 | A1 |
