Patent Application
20070175079
This invention relates to the design and construction of a novel scope formed integral with a mount for the improved accuracy and performance of scopes when mounted onto rifles or similar weapons.
Scopes, particularly those used for hunting, are well known in the prior art. Scopes are generally mounted to rifles or similar weapons and are used to assist hunters in aiming at desired targets. The prior art traditionally discloses the use of a separate mounting device for attaching a scope to a rifle. However, there are several disadvantages attributable to using a mounting device that in not formed as an integral part of the scope.
For example, a traditional scope with a separate mounting device is very difficult to align perfectly straight up and down so that the scope's reticle is not canted. When a scope's reticle is canted, the accuracy of the reticle's aim will be off thus causing a hunter to miss or merely wound a desired target. Typically, a canted reticle is caused by human error that occurs when a user must precisely align the scope with a separate mounting device before securing the scope to a rifle or similar weapon. Conversely, a scope formed with an integral mount ensures that the scope's reticle will always align accurately because the scope and mount are formed as a unitary whole thereby eliminating the step where most errors in alignment and accuracy occur (i.e. when a user attempts to align a scope with a separate mounting device).
Another disadvantage of traditional scopes with separate mounting devices is what is commonly referred to as “scope creep.” Scope creep occurs when the scope shifts in the mounting device as a result of the recoil force that occurs when a rifle or similar weapon is fired. Scope creep causes the scope's reticle to misalign, which compromises the scope's accuracy and performance. Scope creep may occur even in cases where the scope and separate mounting device were initially aligned perfectly by the user. In some instances, scope creep may also pose a danger to the user by causing the scope to shear off from the mounting device. A scope formed with an integral mount solves this problem because the mount is an integral part of the scope, and therefore the scope cannot shift in the mount when the rifle is fired.
Moreover, traditional scopes with separate mounting devices require additional, separate parts to secure the scope to the mount and the mount to the rifle, such as ring screws and scope rings, which add additional weight to the scope and mounting device. It is well known that additional weight during recoil becomes inertia (i.e. resistance to change). When a rifle is fired, more weight in the scope creates a greater strain on the mount and the securing hardware, exerting more force against the grip of the scope rings on the scope tube. The additional weight associated with the prior art has several disadvantages, such as causing the scope's reticle to misalign upon recoil, causing damage to the scope's internal mechanisms due to inertia forces and associated shifting caused by the recoil force, and causing the scope to shear off the mount and injure the user. The additional weight also makes the rifle heavier for a user to lift and carry. On the other hand, a scope formed with an integral mount eliminates the need for any additional, separate parts, and therefore solves the disadvantages associated with the prior art.
Clearly there is a need for a lightweight scope formed with an integral mount to ensure that the scope's reticle is accurately aligned and not canted and to further prevent scope creep and the problems associated with recoil when a rifle is fired.
The inventive structure presents a number of advantages over the prior art. First, the invention is simple to form. The integral scope and mount is formed using a single mold to create one complete device, preferably through the use of injection molding.
The inventive structure may be formed of lightweight materials, such as plastic and/or metal, which lessen the recoil force against the scope and its internal mechanisms. Manufacture of the scope may be accomplished by any means of forming plastics and/or metals well known in the industry, including injection molding, casting and extrusion.
The inventive structure is also lighter than traditional scopes because additional parts are not necessary for securing the scope to the mount. Consequently, the mount, including scope rings, may be reduced in dimension and weight. There are a number of advantages attributable to the formation of a unitary device and the use of lightweight materials, including preventing reticle misalignment and damage to the scope's internal mechanisms due to shifting caused by the recoil force, preventing the scope from shearing off the mount and causing injury to the user due to the recoil force, and making it easier and more lightweight for a user to lift and transport the scope and mount.
Another advantage of the inventive structure is that the scope's reticle will always align correctly when mounted to a rifle because the scope and mount are formed together and do not require that a human align the scope and mount together. The inventive structure further prevents “scope creep” because the scope and mount are formed together and therefore will not shift apart when the rifle is fired unlike the prior art.
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