"MOVING RED DOT" SIGHTING DEVICE

• US 20090265974A1
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FN Herstal SA (Government of France)
• Original Assignee: FN Herstal SA (Government of France)
• Inventors: JOANNES, Rene
• Granted Patent: US 8,578,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 42/113
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/30 Reflecting-sights specially adapted for smallarms or ordnance reflecting-sights in general G02B
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/48 for firing grenades from rifles

Abstract

Improved “moving red dot” sighting device, including a fixed light source (4) and a reflecting element (17), whereby the light source (4) produces a collimated light beam (5) which is projected onto the reflecting element (17) so as to obtain a red dot or reticle which is visible to the shooter thanks to the reflection on the reflecting element (17), and whereby the beam (5) is projected onto the reflecting element (17) by means of a rotating mirror (9) whose inclination angle (B) in relation to the light beam (5) can be adjusted.

Claims

1. A “

moving red dot”

sighting device, comprising a fixed light source and a reflecting surface, wherein the light source produces a collimated light beam which is projected onto the reflecting surface so as to obtain a red dot or reticle which is visible to the shooter due to the reflection on the reflecting surface, and wherein the beam is projected onto the reflecting surface by means of a rotating mirror whose inclination angle B in relation to the light beam can be adjusted.

2. The sighting device according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting surface is a semi-transparent beamsplitter plate.

3. The sighting device according to claim 1, comprising an adjusting device arranged to enable adjustment of the inclination angle B of the rotating mirror in relation to the light beam, making it possible to adjust the angle B of the mirror as a function of the distance of the target and of the type of ammunition.

4. The sighting device according to claim 3, wherein the adjusting device is provided with a scale representing the distance of the target.

5. The sighting device according to claim 4, wherein the adjusting device is provided with several scales for different types of ammunition.

6. The sighting device according to claim 3, wherein the adjusting device comprises a motor for adjusting the angle B of the mirror and a ballistic calculator which controls said motor and which makes it possible to calculate and to set the required angle of the mirror as a function of the distance of the target and of the type of ammunition used.

7. The sighting device according to claim 6, wherein the ballistic calculator is equipped with a range finder which automatically communicates the distance of the target to the latter as soon as the shooter triggers the measurement.

8. The sighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a collimator with a convergent lens and a luminous source placed in the focal point of the lens of the collimator.

9. The sighting device according to claim 1, wherein the diameter A of the produced light beam is small, preferably in the order of 15 mm or less.

10. The sighting device according to claim 8, wherein the luminous source of the collimator is quasi punctual, preferably with a diameter in the order of some tenths of a millimeter.

11. The sighting device according to claim 8, wherein the luminous source is formed of a LED placed behind a mask situated in the focal point of the lens of the collimator and in which is provided a hole at the optical axis X-X′

of the produced light beam.

12. The sighting device according to claim 1, comprising a fore-sight placed in the point of convergence of the axes of the beams reflected on the reflecting surface.

13. The sighting device according to claim 1, comprising a lateral diffusion strip at one or either side of the reflecting surface onto which a luminous reference is projected parallel to the axis X-X′

of the collimated beam on said lateral strips.

14. The sighting device according to claim 13, wherein the luminous reference is formed by the collimated beam itself.

15. The sighting device according to claim 13, including an optical device arranged to condense the exterior parts of the produced collimated beam to produce the luminous point of reference.

16. Sighting device according to claim 13, wherein the luminous reference is formed of the beam coming from a laser pointer whose axis is mainly parallel to the axis X-X′

of the collimated beam.

17. The sighting device according to claim 16, including an optical arrangement whereby the beam of the laser pointer is laterally expanded so as to form a line which constitutes the luminous reference.

18. The sighting device according to claim 1, wherein the reticle comprises several marks which correspond, each for a determined distance of the target, to the required sighting correction so as to take into account the deviation of the trajectory of the ammunition due to the Magnus effect.

19. The sighting device according to claim 6, including a reticle moving device controlled by the ballistic calculator as a function of the type of ammunition used and the distance of the target, whereby the position of the reticle is automatically moved in the lateral direction by a device so as to correct the deviation of the trajectory of the ammunition due to the Magnus effect.

20. The sighting device according to claim 6, wherein the reticle comprises at least a horizontal reference and in that the ballistic calculator is equipped with an inclinometer which measures the vertical deflection of the fire arm, wherein the calculator is arranged to provide, by means of an appropriate device, an inclination of the reference or of the reticle round the optical axis X-X′

of the collimator in proportion to the vertical deflection of the fire arm, such that it will be better perceived by the shooter while aiming.

21. The sighting device according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting surface comprises a flat plate that is foldable relative to a support housing of the sighting device.

22. The sighting device according to claim 1 wherein the reflecting surface is the hypotenuse of a right angle prism.

23. The sighting system according to claim 22, wherein the prism is a beamsplitter cube comprising two right angle prisms joined together along their respective hypotenuses.