Patent Application
20100170136
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to weapon sights, and more particularly, to illuminators in weapon sights.
2. Related Art
The soldier has long required an effective, reliable, non-electric low-light illuminator in weapon sights for night-time target acquisition and as a backlight in selected instrument gages, dials and similar devices. For years, the only available light source that satisfied most of these requirements was tritium.
Tritium is a radioactive isotope of the element hydrogen. The radioactive properties of tritium have proved very useful. By mixing tritium with a phosphor that emits light in the presence of radiation in a sealed glass vial, a continuous light source may be formed. Such a light source may be used in situations where a dim light is needed but where using batteries or electricity is not possible. Weapon sights, instrument dials and EXIT signs are several of the most common military/commercial applications of where such a light source is currently used. Tritium weapon sights, for example, help increase night time firing accuracy and the Tritium EXIT signs provide continuous illumination when there is a loss of power.
The use of Tritium, however, carries some serious drawbacks. For example, the use of tritium introduces significant safety risks, hazardous waste concerns and measurable legacy costs. Additionally, if the sealed vials containing the radioactive material is damaged, not only is the light source inactivated, but there may be a low level release of radioactivity that must be addressed. Other drawbacks of tritium include the following: 1) depending upon the amount used, tritium is subject to regulation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and improper handling and control of tritium can lead to fines and punitive actions; 2) depending upon the amount used, disposal of tritium-containing materials must be handled as radioactive waste, resulting in significant cost and management oversight of such materials; 3) breakage of tritium vials currently must be treated as a Hazardous Material spill; 4) tritium is a radioactive beta particle emitter and thus, if ingested into the digestive tract, inhaled into the lungs or absorbed into the blood stream through an open wound, tritium poses a known health risk; and 5) the half-life of Tritium is about 14 years, with decay beginning the day the device incorporating the tritium is made. Thus, tritium light sources typically have an effective life of 5-7 years, at which point they become too dim and must be replaced. In sum, radioactive tritium in weapons sights may present a potential health hazard, logistic difficulties and significant life cycle handling and disposal costs.
As such there is a need for improved methods and systems for low-light illumination within weapon sights.
According to a first broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided an article of manufacture for use in a weapon sight. The article of manufacture comprises a passively charged photoluminescent material; and wherein the article of manufacture is configured so that when installed in the weapon sight, the passively charged photoluminescent material provides light to a fiber optic of the weapon sight during low light conditions to illuminate a reticle pattern of the weapon sight.
According to another aspect, there is provided a weapon sight including a first set of one or more optical lenses located at a forward end of the weapon sight for receiving light from a target to be sighted, a second set of one or more optical lenses located at a rearward end of the weapon sight for viewing an image of the target. The weapon sight also includes an image erector mechanism located with the weapon sight and between the first and second set of one or more optical lenses for providing a properly oriented image of the target through the second set of one or more optical lenses and a reticle projecting mechanism for providing a reticle pattern with the image of the target from the second set of one or more optical lenses. The weapon sight further includes a fiber optic at least partially external to the weapon sight and configured to collect and transmit light to the reticle projecting mechanism so as to illuminate the reticle pattern. Additionally, the weapon sight includes a photoluminescent shield at least partially external to the weapon sight and covering at least a portion of the fiber optic, wherein the photoluminescent shield comprises a passively charged photoluminescent material, and wherein the photoluminescent shield is configured to provide light to the fiber optic during low light conditions to illuminate the reticle pattern.
In yet another aspect, there is provided a weapon sight including a first set of one or more optical lenses located at a forward end of the weapon sight for receiving light from a target to be sighted, and a second set of one or more optical lenses located at a rearward end of the weapon sight for viewing an image of the target. The weapon sight further includes an image erector mechanism located with the weapon sight and between the first and second set of one or more optical lenses for providing a properly oriented image of the target through the second set of one or more optical lenses, and a reticle projecting mechanism for providing a reticle pattern with the image of the target from the second set of one or more optical lenses. Additionally, the weapon sight includes a fiber optic at least partially external to the weapon sight and configured to collect and transmit light to the reticle projecting mechanism so as to illuminate the reticle pattern. The weapon sight also includes a photoluminescent tube at least partially internal to the weapon sight and covering at least a portion of the fiber optic, wherein the photoluminescent tube comprises a passively charged photoluminescent material, and wherein the photoluminescent tube is configured to provide light to the fiber optic during low light conditions to illuminate the reticle pattern.
The invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
It is advantageous to define several terms before describing the invention. It should be appreciated that the following definitions are used throughout this application.
Where the definition of terms departs from the commonly used meaning of the term, applicant intends to utilize the definitions provided below, unless specifically indicated.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “weapon sight” refers to any device for assisting the aim of a weapon, such as a firearm. Exemplary firearms include handguns, M16 rifles, machine guns, M203 grenade launchers, mortars, bazookas, tasers, etc.
For the purpose of the present invention, the term “optical lens” refers to any device capable of being used for focusing light. Exemplary optical lenses may be manufactured from glass, plastic, or any other acceptable material.
For the purpose of the present invention, the term “image erector mechanism” refers to any item capable of being used for modifying the orientation of an image, such as for example, a mechanism capable of inverting an image. Exemplary image erector mechanisms include, for example, the Schmidt-Pechan prism.
For the purpose of the present invention, the term “reticle” refers to a grid or pattern used in an optical instrument, such as a weapon sight, to establish a scale or a position.
For the purpose of the present invention, the term “reticle projecting mechanism” refers to any item capable of being used for making a reticle visible. Exemplary reticle projecting mechanisms include, for example, a silver or reflective coat onto which a reticle pattern is drawn or etched.
For the purpose of the present invention, the term “rod” refers to an elongated transitional connection between fiber optic components.
For the purpose of the present invention, the term “fiber optic” refers to a fiber (e.g., a threadlike object of structure) capable of permitting light transmission through the fiber. Exemplary fiber optics include, for example, flexible fibers manufactured from glass, plastic, or any other suitable material. In some embodiments of the present invention, fiber optics comprise fibers capable of receiving light and permitting the transmission of the received light in a direction perpendicular to the length of the fiber. Further, as used herein a fiber optic may comprise multiple fiber optics interconnected by, for example, a rod.
For the purpose of the present invention, the term “shield” refers to an item configured or capable of covering another device or material. Examples of shields include, for example, an item, such as a photoluminescent and/or translucent item, configured to cover a fiber optic included in a weapon sight.
For the purpose of the present invention, the term “tube” refers to a hollow cylindrically shaped item. In some embodiments, a tube may comprise one or more layers comprised of different materials or substances.
For the purpose of the present invention, the term “passively charged” refers to the activation of non-radioactive photoluminescent materials by exposure to natural or artificial light sources. The photoluminescent material absorbs energy from the light source during the process of being passively charged. An example of passively charging a photoluminescent material using natural or artificial light is described below.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “photoluminescent material” refers to any item exhibiting photoluminescent characteristics. Examples of photoluminescent materials include paint, film, and powder coatings comprising strontium aluminate (SrAl) or similar high performance phosphor particles.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “extinction time” refers to the time required for the afterglow of a light source to diminish to where it is no longer perceptible to a human (e.g., the average person). For example, the extinction time may be the time it takes for the afterglow to diminish to 0.032 mcd/m2, which is generally considered to be the limit of human perception.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “photoluminescent characteristics” refers to an items ability to absorb light and later emit light, such as for example, during low light or darkened conditions.
Embodiments of the preset invention are directed to a Photoluminescent Weapon Sight Illuminator (PWSI) in or on a weapon sight for targeting in low light or dark conditions. This PWSI may comprise a photoluminescent material and, for example, be used in place of (or to replace) tritium lamps used in current weapon sights. Advantages of exemplary PWSIs include that the PWSI's photoluminescent material may be located on a weapon sight such that the photoluminescent material may remain visible in all weather and lighting conditions and that it may be usable even in a damaged condition. Prior to describing exemplary embodiments in which a PWSI is included in or on a weapon sight, an overview of photoluminescence will first be presented.
The basic principle behind photoluminescence is straightforward: electrons orbiting atoms or molecules of the phosphor absorb energy through collision with photons during excitation. The excitation source may be electromagnetic radiation (e.g., visible and invisible light). After the photoluminescent material has been exposed to the excitation source for a sufficient period of time, the photoluminescent material may reach a steady state with the excitation energy source where the photoluminescent material is considered fully “charged” or “activated.”
When the excitation source is extinguished (e.g, removed or turned off), the electrons that were trapped in lower energy excited states slowly return to their original state and phosphorescent materials release the stored energy in the form of visible light. It is this light, called “afterglow,” which may be perceived as a glow-in-the dark light source. The intensity of the afterglow (referred to as luminance performance) is typically measured in units of milli-candellas per m2 of photoluminescent material. The luminance performance and the time to fully charge a particular photoluminescent material may vary depending on the characteristics of the photoluminescent material (e.g., the phosphor). Further, this afterglow decreases over time, exhibiting a hyperbolic decay.
The equation describing the decay is:
where t is time in seconds; L0 is the initial luminance as measured in milli-candellas per square meter (mcd/m2); Lt is the luminance at time t; and α and b are constants that depend on the chemical composition and physical properties of the photoluminescent material. In assessing the real world utility of a photoluminescent material, one characteristic used to quantify its brightness and longevity is extinction time. The extinction time is generally defined as the time required for the afterglow to diminish to 0.032 mcd/m2, the limit of human perception.
In addition to the particular phosphor used in the photoluminescent material, the luminance performance may also be dependent on other characteristics of the photoluminescent material. For example, in embodiments, as will be discussed in more detail below, rare earth elements may be included in the photoluminescent material to improve its performance. Further, the phosphor density in the photoluminescent material may be optimized for maximum luminous performance per unit of charge. Luminance performance of the photoluminescent material may also be dependent on the magnitude of the surface illumination of the material by the excitation light source (i.e., the intensity of the light source used to charge the photoluminescent material) and the duration of time the photoluminescent material is exposed to the light source. As is known to those of skill in the art, surface illumination may be a function of the intensity of the light source and the distance between the light source and the surface of the illuminated photoluminescent material.
Accordingly, there are a large number of variations of the photoluminescent material and how it is used in the PWSI that may impact the photoluminescent performance of the PWSI. Consequently, it may be desirable to evaluate the photoluminescent material's performance in “real life” operational scenarios in order to determine the optimum composition of the photoluminescent material for the particular use to which it will be put. This evaluation may, for example be accomplished by testing using a range of light activation conditions. Table 1 below provides the surface illumination for several exemplary conditions that may be tested. Surface illumination is measured in units of lux and measurements of the surface illumination were performed using an IM-2D illumination meter.
Table 2 below provides exemplary luminance values of an exemplary PWSI photoluminescent material measured after a light source, a 40 W Fluorescent Light with a 5-minute exposure time, was removed. Luminance measurements were conducted using an International Light IL1700 research radiometer with a SED033 visible light detector.
As noted above, a luminance value of 0.032 mcd/m2 is generally deemed the limit for human perception. At the rate of exponential decay, it is therefore evident that this exemplary photoluminescent material would be visible for over 8 hours (i.e., the typical night operational period of a weapon).
Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
As illustrated, light assembly 112 comprises a fiber optic 220. Further, in this example, fiber optic 220 is covered by a photoluminescent translucent shield 222. As shown, fiber optic 220 is located on the outside of main housing 106. In an embodiment, fiber optic 220 is made of a translucent red material capable of collecting and transmitting light to the reticle on the silver coat 216. Thus, during daylight operations, fiber optic 220 collects light that is then transmitted through the housing 106 where it illuminates the reticle etched into silver coat 216. Thus, the reticle may be visible to the viewer during daylight operations or other operations in which there is sufficient light (e.g., from electric light sources).
Photoluminescent translucent shield 222 may comprise a photoluminescent material. Thus, during low light (e.g., during night time) operations, photoluminescent translucent shield 222 provides a light source for illuminating the reticle sketched on silver coat 216. That is, during low light operations, light from photoluminescent translucent shield 222 is absorbed by fiber optic 220 where it is transmitted to and illuminates the reticle thus rendering the reticle visible during these low light operations. As such, in the present example, photoluminescent translucent shield 222 is a PWSI. In addition, as shown, translucent shield 222 is external to weapon sight 100. Thus during non-low light conditions, the photoluminescent translucent shield 222 may be passively charged by the light source (e.g., the sun or an electric light source).
Translucent shield 222 may be, for example, a urethane based polymer loaded with Strontium Aluminate (“SrAl”) or similar high performance phosphor crystals. The concentration of phosphor crystals in the polymer and/or the size of the phosphor crystals may be varied to achieve different results. In general, increasing the concentration of phosphor crystals, their size, or both results in increased luminance performance of the resulting shield 222. However, it also generally increases costs and can affect the non-luminance properties of the polymer. Additionally various additives may be added to the composition to achieve different results, such as to accelerate cure time, enhance durability, maximize clarity, improve pigment suspension, increase anti-sag characteristics, increase solvent resistance, and modify the flexibility of the resulting polymer. For example, in an embodiment, Europium doped SrAl2O4 may be used for providing photoluminescent characteristics to translucent shield 222. Further, in one embodiment, the urethane may be a urethane coating system comprising two parts: a base primer paint; and a translucent photoluminescent paint. The coating system may also comprise an optional clear protective topcoat sealer. Each of the three paints may be comprised of a two component, high solids, moisture cured polyurethane coating. The first component may, for example, comprise polyester resins, pigments and solvent, with the second component acting as a hardener. The second component may, for example, comprise clear aliphaticisocynate resin and solvent. Each of the paints may for example, be applied to a thickness of 3-6 mils for a total coating system thickness of 9-18 mils.
In an embodiment, the entire translucent shield 222 comprises the photoluminescent materials. In another embodiment, only a portion (e.g., half of translucent shield 222) comprises photoluminescent materials and the other portion may be, for example, left clear. As noted above, the excitation source of photoluminescent materials may be visible and/or invisible light.
Using photoluminescent materials to provide a light source for illuminating a reticle offer several advantages. These advantages include: they can be applied easily, they do not require an external (e.g., electrical) source (i.e., they are a passive system), its not a hazardous (e.g., non-radioactive), they are reusable and sustainable technology, they are durable and relatively maintenance-free, they have high reliability (i.e. that have utility even when damaged), they are technology that is readily available, they are relatively inexpensive to use, and they may be easily and quickly used to replace existing parts on current weapon sights.
For example, in an embodiment, a current weapon sight using a Tritium lamp may be retrofitted to use photoluminescence. In such an example, the translucent shield originally included on the weapon sight may he replaced with a photoluminescent shield such as those described herein. Further, in such an example, the tritium lamp originally included in the weapon sight may be removed if desired.
In another embodiment, a photoluminescent tube, internal to weapon sight 100 and encapsulating at least a portion of fiber optic 220, may be used as a light source for illuminating the reticle during low light operations. In this embodiment, translucent shield 222 need not be photoluminescent, but instead may simply be comprised of a translucent material such as a clear urethane polymer.
As illustrated, fiber optic 220 is connected to rod 424, such that rod 424 is external to main housing 216. Rod 424 may serve to connect an internal portion of fiber optic 220 that is internal to main housing 216 and an external portion of fiber optic 220 that is external to main housing 216. As illustrated, internal to main housing 216, a portion of fiber optic 220 is encapsulated by a photoluminescent tube 402. As discussed above, during daylight (or other lighted conditions) light provided by fiber optic 220 illuminates silver coat 216. In the present embodiment, this light also charges photoluminescent tube 402. Thus, during low light conditions (e.g., nighttime), light is emitted from photoluminescent tube 402 that is absorbed by fiber optic 220. Fiber optic 220 then illuminates the reticle of silver coat 216 using this photoluminescent light such that the reticle is visible during these low light conditions.
Further, as illustrated, weapon sight 100 comprises an optional lens 404 incorporated at one end of the rod 424. External light transmitted through the external portion of fiber optic 220 is amplified by the optical lens to help charge the photoluminescent tube 404. The light is further transmitted by the fiber optic 220 to the reticle of silver coat 216. As such, in the present example, photoluminescent tube 402 is a PWSI. Because in this example photoluminescent tube 402 is internal to main housing 106, the photoluminescent light generated by photoluminescent tube 402 will not significantly be externally visible. Therefore, a shroud, such as that discussed above with reference to
Further, in one embodiment, the photoluminescent tube 402 may be a two-part urethane coating system. The urethane coating system may be composed of two parts: a white reflective base coat base primer paint and an opaque a photoluminescent paint. Each of the three paints may be comprised of a two component, high solids, moisture cured polyurethane coating. Component A may comprise polyester resins, pigments and solvent. Component B, may act as the hardener and comprise a clear aliphaticisocynate resin and solvent. Each of the paints may be applied to a thickness of 3-6 mils for a total coating system thickness of 6-12 mils.
In one embodiment, photoluminescent tube 402 may be formed by a casting technique.
In another, the photoluminescent tube may be initially formed as a cylinder and then a hole drilled lengthwise through the tube to form the cavity for the fiber optic. Although in this example, photoluminescent tube is formed by a casting technique, other mechanisms may be used for forming a photoluminescent tube, without departing from the invention. Likewise, the photoluminescent shield discussed above may be formed in a similar manner, such as by, for example, using a casting technique.
Further, as noted above, the present invention may be used to retrofit current weapon sights. For example, a photoluminescent tube, such as that discussed above, may be slid over the fiber optic of a weapon sight currently using a Tritium lamp to illuminate the reticle. In such an example, the Tritium lamp, either before or after the photoluminescent tube is installed, may be removed from the weapon sight and appropriately discarded.
All documents, patents, journal articles and other materials cited in the present application are hereby incorporated by reference.
Although the present invention has been fully described in conjunction with several embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, unless they depart there-from.
This application is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 11/440,097, filed May 25, 2006 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/684,990 filed May 27, 2005, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60684990 | May 2005 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11440097 | May 2006 | US |
| Child | 12724324 | US |
