Method, System and Apparatus for Illuminating Targets Using Fixed, Disposable, Self-Healing Reflective Light Diffusion Systems

• US 20200132420A1
• Filed: 07/06/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Target Technologies IP Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Target Technologies IP Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Campbell, Mark, Campbell, Michael, Wharrad, Jonathan, Wharrad, David
• Granted Patent: US 11,293,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 1/01 Target discs characterised by their material, structure or surface, e.g. clay pigeon targets characterised by their materialF41J5/044 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/14 Apparatus for signalling hits or scores to the shooter, e.g. manually operated, or for communication between target and shooter; Apparatus for recording hits or scores
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/04 Prisms

Abstract

The present invention relates to a partial or fully self-healing illumination system connected to or directly on a shooting target used for practice, competition, or qualification. More specifically, this invention relates to a system that uses a light and a self-healing reflector configured to project light towards the shooter while allowing partial or full pass-through projectile strikes.

Claims

1. An illuminable shooting target comprising:

a body having a user-visible target surface which in use faces a shooter,

a light-emitting element associated with the user-visible target surface;

a light-transmitting portion which is positioned at or adjacent to the user-visible target surface and communicates with the light-emitting element to output light emitted therefrom; and

a hit detector which controls the light-emitting element in response to an impact, characterised in that the light-transmitting portion is adapted to at least in part elastically deform to accommodate a projectile therein whilst maintaining communicability with the light-emitting element.

2. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-transmitting portion has a reflector element for reflecting light received from the light-emitting element.

3. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 2, wherein the reflector element is a reflective layer at or adjacent to a rear of the light-transmitting portion.

4. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 2, wherein the reflector element is adapted to elastically deform to accommodate a projectile passing therethrough whilst maintaining communicability with the light-emitting element.

5. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-transmitting portion is a sacrificial disposably-replaceable element receivable in or on the body.

6. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a releasable clamping element which releasably clamps the light-transmitting portion to the body.

7. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 6, wherein the clamping element is an elongate bar or plate.

8. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 6, wherein the clamping element includes at least one of:

one or more openings and projections, and the light-transmitting portion includes at least one of complementary projections and openings, respectively.

9. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-transmitting portion is an elastically deformable light-transmissible block having a user-facing portion and a body-engagement portion, the user-facing portion having a rear surface which is at an angle to a front surface to enable at least in part internal reflection of incident light emitted by the light-emitting element.

10. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-emitting element is at or adjacent to a rear of the user-visible target surface.

11. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user-visible target surface defines a primary impact surface, and the light-transmitting portion defines a secondary impact surface.

12. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light-transmitting portion is provided at at least one of one or more corners and sides of the primary impact surface.

13. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-transmitting portion defines a primary impact surface, and the user-visible target surface defines a secondary impact surface.

14. The illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a further said light-transmitting portion, wherein the said light-transmitting portion and the said further light-transmitting portion define first and second primary impact surfaces.

15. A target-shooting game set comprising a plurality of interconnectable illuminable shooting targets as claimed in claim 1.

16. The target-shooting game set as claimed in claim 15, wherein the hit detector of a first said illuminable shooting target controls the light-emitting element of a second said illuminable shooting target.

17. The target-shooting game set as claimed in claim 16, wherein the target-shooting game set includes a central processing unit in communication with each said shooting target.

18. A method of playing a target-shooting game using an illuminable shooting target as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises the steps of

a] illuminating at least part of said shooting target;

b] impacting said illuminated shooting target;

c] at least part of said illuminated shooting target providing a visual indication associated with the impact by turning the light-emitting portion on, off or changing an emission.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a step d] of the first said shooting target causing control of the light-emitting element of a second said illuminable shooting target.

20. The method of illuminating a shooting target as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising the step of providing a sacrificial light-transmitting portion at or adjacent to a user-visible target surface, the sacrificial light-transmitting portion being formed of light-transmissible elastically-deformable material to accommodate a projectile strike therein whilst maintaining communicability with a light-emitting element.