Night laser sight

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6230431
  • Patent Number
    6,230,431
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, July 7, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 15, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A night laser sight comprises a maintube assembly including a first receiving space having a first beam outlet, and a second receiving space having a plurality of second beam outlets being integrated with the first receiving space; a front cover having a third beam outlet securing to a front of the first receiving space; a laser module disposed at a rear of the front cover; a light-emitting diode (“LED”) means disposed within the second receiving space; a plurality of batteries disposed at a rear of the laser module for providing an electric current to the laser module and the LED means; a switch means disposed in a rear of the plurality of batteries; and a switching controller disposed in a rear of the second receiving space. When the switch means is turned on, the laser module and the LED means is turned on simultaneously, or the laser module is turned on and the LED means is turned off, thereby emitting a laser beam from the first beam outlet and a pair of laser beams from the second beam outlets respectively.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a sight, and more particularly to a night laser sight equipped with light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”) to aid the eyes in lining up a handgun.




2. Description of Related Art




Various designs of laser sight have been located in a search. For example, Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 321,289 discloses an improved laser sight comprising a first maintube having a front-to-back tapered inner diameter including a tube member atop, an internal screw thread having a detent formed on the back end, a threaded hole is provided in the front of the first maintube; a lens assembly threadedly secured to the threaded hole in the front of the first maintube having a first tube atop in which a lens is accommodated within the rear portion of the first tube such that the incident light of the lens can project on the aimed target through the first tube after concentration of the lens; a base provided in the back of the lens having a guide tube atop for accommodating an optical means attached to a circuit board; a second maintube provided in the back of the base having one side threadedly secured to the sight having a wall for dividing the second maintube into a first receiving space and a second receiving space such that a washer, a first spring, and a pad disposed in a space between the first receiving space and the base in the sight, and a battery and a second spring disposed in the second receiving space in which one end of the second spring is biased against the negative electrode of the battery, and the other end of the second spring is attached to the circuit board, the positive electrode of the battery is open to the outside of the second maintube, and an external thread is provided on the circumference of the rear portion of the second maintube; a terminal disposed in the back of the battery having a second tube atop; a striker seat provided in the back of the terminal in which a third spring is provided between the striker seat and the terminal, a third tube atop the striker seat having a front portion threadedly secured to a striker which having a portion open to the outside the striker seat for leaving a small gap with respect to the positive electrode of the battery, a striker spring and a threaded element disposed in the back of the striker; and a back seat threadedly secured to the internal screw thread in the back of the sight having a hole for threadedly securing the terminal therein in which the back end of the striker seat is open to the outside of the back seat.




In use, for example, the sight is mounted on a rifle or pistol. The striker will be in contact with the positive electrode of the battery when the striker seat of the first maintube is struck. As a result, a laser will be emitted from the optical means which in turn projects on an aimed target through concentration of the lens.




However, such laser sight is not suitable for nighttime use due to no built-in lighting equipment provided. Further, the striker is subject to wear after a predetermined period of use. Furthermore, a supporting means is not provided such that it is only suitable for a long barrel rifle or hunting gun mounted within the receiver. As such, it is inconvenient to disassemble. This laser sight is definitely not suitable for handgun.




Another technique to overcome the nighttime lighting problem is implemented in a situation, for example, a police hold a pistol with the right hand with a connected laser sight turned on, while holding a lighted flashlight with the left hand. This implementation is undesirable because two hands are used to hold things and to turn on the laser sight and the flashlight, resulting in a waste of time and not being able to respond quickly.




Still another prior art laser sight such as a night laser sight for handgun is disclosed in Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 320,282 wherein a flashlight is disposed below the handgun for identifying friend-or-foe. However, it is found that the whole device is bulky, resulting in unabling to put it in the enclosure, and to the worse the aiming is poor. It is also required to turn on the laser sight and the flashlight sequentially, i.e., a simultaneous operation is not permitted. Again the response time of this night laser sight in an emergency is not acceptable.




Thus, it is desirable to provide a night laser sight for a handgun to overcome the above drawbacks of prior art.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is an target of the present invention to provide a night laser sight equipped with LEDs to aid the eyes in lining up a handgun.




The above and other targets, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the present invention in part section of the maintube, and showing the internal components of the switching controller;





FIG. 2

is an exploded view of

FIG. 1

; and





FIG. 3

is a preferred embodiment of the present invention mounted in a pistol.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Referring now to

FIGS. 1-2

, there is shown a night laser sight comprising a front cover


1


, a laser module


2


, a maintube assembly


3


, a plurality of (e.g., three) screws


4


, a light-emitting diode CLED) device


5


, a plurality of batteries


7


, a switch device


8


, and a switching controller


11


.




The maintube assembly


3


comprises a first receiving space


34


and a second receiving space


35


atop (or below in an alternative implementation) the first receiving space


34


being integrated with the first receiving space


34


. The first receiving space


34


is a hollow cylinder having a plurality of (e.g., three) holes


31


each spaced apart 120° provided on its circumference, and a beam outlet


33


. The first receiving space


34


is tapered from back to front, i.e., the inner diameter of front portion is less than that of center portion, and the inner diameter of center portion is less than that of rear portion. A female screw thread


38


and a female screw thread


39


are provided in the inner tube of front portion and rear portion respective. The second receiving space


35


is a generally hollow parallelepiped body extended downwardly from the first receiving space


34


having a pair of beam outlets


32


. The front cover


1


comprises a front beam outlet


11


, a circumferential corrugated portion


12


, and a rear raised cylindrical portion


13


having a male screw thread formed on the surface disposed correspondingly to the female screw thread


38


of the first receiving space


34


.




The laser module


2


disposed in the rear of the front cover


1


comprises a hollow cylindrical back cover


21


, a spring


22


, and a laser body


23


. The LED device


5


comprises one or more LEDs (two are shown)


51


, a base


52


, and a circuit board


9


in which the LEDs


51


are parallel secured to the base


52


which in turn attaches to the circuit board


9


through a plurality of pins for providing an electrical mating to the circuit board


9


.




The switch device


8


comprises an extention cord


81


, a film switch


82


, a back cover


83


, a circumferential corrugated portion


84


provided on the back cover


83


, and a male screw thread


85


in which the extension cord


81


is attached between the back cover


84


and the switch


82


. The switching controller


11


comprises a U-shaped member


110


, an on/off switch


111


, and a substantially hollow parallelepiped switch seat


116


having a rear portion secured to the U-shaped member


110


, and a front opening


113


. The switch


111


has a pair of second holes


118


. The U-shaped member


110


comprises a pair of first holes


115


on a side, an opening


114


disposed between the first holes


115


, and a pair of edges


117


formed in the junction of the switch seat


116


and the U-shaped member


110


.




In assembly, firstly the back cover


21


is put and secured on the rear portion of the laser body


23


. Then, the spring


22


is penetrated through the back cover


21


to be biased against the laser body


23


. Put the laser module


2


into the back of the first receiving space


34


until the back cover


21


is stopped by a first edge


36


in the junction of the front portion and the center portion within the first receiving space


34


. Screw three screws


4


into three corresponding holes


31


respectively for further securing the laser module


2


within the first receiving space


34


. Put an insulated circular pad


6


in the back of the spring


22


for preventing conducting. This insulated pad


6


should be pulled out prior to operating. Put a plurality of batteries (e.g., preferably three serially connected 1.5 V batteries)


7


in the back of the insulated pad


6


for providing power required to stimulate the laser module


2


. Put the switch


8


in the back of the batteries


7


for threadedly securing the male screw thread


85


to the female screw thread


39


of the first receiving space


34


until end of the male screw thread


85


is stopped by a second edge


37


in the junction of the center portion and the rear portion within the first receiving space


34


. Insert the switch


111


into the opening


114


and then thread a pair of screws


112


through the first holes


115


and the second holes


118


to secure the switch


111


on the switching controller


11


. Put the circuit board


9


into the hollow space of the switching controller


11


for being in electrical contact with the switch


111


. Put the LED device


5


into the second receiving space


35


in order to fit the heads of the LEDs


51


into the beam outlets


32


until the edge


117


is urged against the back of the second receiving space


35


.




When the switch


82


is turned on, a user can choose to turn on the laser module


2


and the LED device


5


simultaneously, or turn on the laser module


2


and turn off the LED device


5


. As a result, a pair of laser beams are emitted from the beam outlets


32


and a laser beam is emitted from the beam outlet


33


respectively for projecting on the aimed target.




In

FIG. 3

, the night laser sight of the invention mounted on a pistol


10


, is received in a n-shaped cover


101


. The n-shaped cover


101


comprises a pair of grooves


105


each extended a predetermined distance upwardly from the bottom of a side. Such that a plurality of bolts


103


can pass through the grooves


105


to fasten the night laser sight within the n-shaped cover


101


. A fastener


102


, provided in the back of the n-shaped cover


101


, is secured to a trigger guard


104


of the pistol


10


by means of a number of bolts. The switch


82


is attached to a butt of the pistol


10


and secured thereon by an elastic band


106


.




While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set form in the claims.



Claims
  • 1. A sight system comprising:(a) a maintube assembly including adjacent first and second portions, said first portion defining a first receiving space and a first beam outlet in open communication therewith, said second portion defining a second receiving space and a plurality of second beam outlets in open communication therewith; (b) a front cover secured to a front of said first portion, said front cover defining a third beam outlet communicating with said first beam outlet; (c) a laser module disposed in said first receiving space; (d) light-emitting diode means disposed within said second receiving space; (e) a plurality of batteries disposed within said first receiving space for powering said laser module and said laser-emitting diode means; (f) switch means coupled to said batteries for actuating said laser module and said laser-emitting diode means; (g) a switching controller disposed at least partially within said second receiving space; whereby said laser module and said laser-emitting diode means are selectively operable to respectively emit light through said first and second beam outlets.
  • 2. The sight system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first portion has formed therein a plurality of angularly spaced holes, said sight system further comprising a plurality of screws each threadedly engaging one said hole for securing said laser module within said first receiving space.
  • 3. The sight system as recited in claim 1 wherein said switch means includes a film switch device.
  • 4. The sight system as recited in claim 1 comprising three said batteries coupled in series, each said battery providing approximately 1.5 V.
  • 5. The sight system as recited in claim 1 further comprising an insulated pad removably disposed between said batteries and said laser module for disabling operation of said laser module.
  • 6. The sight system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a cover, said cover having substantially an inverted u-shaped contour, said cover being formed with a pair of groove slots extending upward from a bottom side thereof, and a plurality of bolts each engaging said groove slots for securing to said cover said first and second portions.
  • 7. The sight system as recited in claim 6 further comprising a fastener coupled to at least one of said first and second portions, said fastener being adapted for coupling to a trigger guard of a pistol.
  • 8. The sight system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first portion is disposed atop said second portion.
  • 9. The sight system as recited in claim 1 wherein said switch means includes a back cover, a switch device, and an extension cord extending therebetween.
  • 10. The sight system as recited in claim 1 wherein said light-emitting diode means includes:(a) a circuit board; (b) a base electrically coupled to said circuit board; and, (c) at least one light-emitting diode device secured to said base to engage at least one said second beam outlet.
  • 11. The sight system as recited in claim 9 wherein said back cover has formed thereon a circumferential corrugated portion.
  • 12. The sight system as recited in claim 1 wherein said front cover has formed thereon a circumferential corrugated portion.
  • 13. The sight system as recited in claim 1 wherein said switching controller includes:(a) a U-shaped member having a pair of opposed side walls, at least a first of said side walls having formed therein a pair of spaced first holes and a center opening disposed therebetween; (b) a substantially hollow parallelepiped switch seat having a rear portion received in said U-shaped member, said switch seat having a front opening; and, (c) a switching device coupled to said first side wall having a pair of second holes formed therethrough.
  • 14. The sight system as recited in claim 13 wherein said sidewalls of said U-shaped member form edge portions protruding from said switch seat.
  • 15. The sight system as recited in claim 13 wherein said switching device engages said center opening of said first side wall.
  • 16. The sight system as recited in claim 15 wherein said second holes of said switching device are aligned with said first holes of said first side wall, said switching controller further including a pair of screws each engaging said aligned first and second holes.
  • 17. The sight system as recited in claim 16 wherein said light-emitting diode means includes:(a) a circuit board; (b) a base electrically coupled to said circuit board; and, (c) at least one light-emitting diode device secured to said base to engage at least one said second beam outlet.
  • 18. The sight system as recited in claim 17 wherein said circuit board is received at least partially within said switch seat coupled to said switching device.
  • 19. The sight system as recited in claim 18 wherein said edge portions of said switching controller engage said second portion for capturing said light-emitting diode means in said second receiving space.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Number Name Date Kind
5351429 Ford Oct 1994
5425299 Teetzel Jun 1995
5509226 Houde-Walker Apr 1996
5581898 Thummel Dec 1996
5584137 Teetzel Dec 1996