Sight apparatus for firearms

• US 5,279,061 A
• Filed: 07/15/1992
• Issued: 01/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mueller and Smith
• Original Assignee: Progenics Corporation
• Inventors: Thomas, John S., Betz, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US07/914,257
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 33/241, 33/233, 362/110, 42/103
• US Class Current: 42/132
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/34 combined with light source, e.g. spot light

Abstract

A sight apparatus is formed of a small housing having a curved top and an internally disposed chamber which is intended to be positioned generally at the location of a normal front sight as used with firearms intended for shooting remote targets. The housing incorporates a switchable light emitter such as an LED of substantial brightness which is positioned adjacent a small collimation portion and exit aperture pointed parallel with the gun barrel axis toward the shooter'"'"'s eye station. The brightness of this emitter output is selected with respect to the brightness of the ambient suround about the target so as to achieve enhanced brightness contour via physiological lateral inhibition within the shooter'"'"'s eye. There then results a sharp sighting image which represents gun tip positional data to the shooter. This data is available to the shooter even though both eyes are focused at the remote field of the target, generally at infinity, and defocused at the tip of the gun barrel.

Claims

1. Sight apparatus for aiming a firearm at a remote target within a region exhibiting given ambient brightness, said firearm having a barrel extending along a central axis substantially from and parallel with a shooter'"'"'s eye position to a forwardly disposed tip, comprising:

a sight housing mountable in the vicinity of said barrel tip, having an internally disposed chamber, and extending along a sight axis parallel with said central axis toward said eye position to a light exit aperture symmetrically disposed about said sight axis, of select principal cross sectional dimension, said housing having a curved upward surface extending to an opaque edge region of predetermined dimension surmounting said exit aperture said upward surface and said edge region providing a sight silhouette to said eye position;

an emitter of light in the visual spectrum mounted within said sight housing chamber in an orientation for emitting light along and symmetrically about said sight axis, electrically energizable to generate a light output of predetermined brightness intensity in the visible spectrum, visually perceivable at said shooter eye position only as it is emitted through said exit aperture; and

said exit aperture principal cross sectional dimension and said emitter predetermined brightness intensity being selected having a respective value and intensity level effective to evoke brightness contour by physiological lateral inhibition with respect to said ambient brightness at said shooter'"'"'s eye when focused upon said remote target.

2. The sight apparatus of claim 1 in which said sight housing chamber is configured to define a collimation portion of principal cross sectional dimension substantially coextensive with said principal cross sectional dimension of said exit aperture principal cross sectional dimension, extending inwardly therefrom, and having a lengthwise extent along said sight axis selected as effective to promote said physiological lateral inhibition and contrast Mach band generation through border contrast.

3. The sight apparatus of claim 1 in which said emitter light output is in the green region of the visible spectrum.

4. The sight apparatus of claim 1 in which said emitter light output is in the yellow region of the visible spectrum.

5. The sight apparatus of claim 1 in which said emitter light output is in the red region of the visible spectrum.

6. The sight apparatus of claim 5 in which said emitter is a light emitting diode exhibiting a minimum luminance value of about 35 millicandellas (mcd) and a typical output of about 65 mcd at an excitation of about 20 mA.

7. The sight apparatus of claim 1 in which said sight housing chamber is configured to define a collimation portion extending inwardly from said exit aperture a select lengthwise extent, said select lengthwise extent and said edge region predetermined dimension being selected as effective to promote said physiological lateral inhibition and an attendant brightness border contrast between the brightness of said generated light output and said ambient brightness which is perceived by said shooter.

8. The sight apparatus of claim 7 in which said collimation portion extends inwardly from said exit aperture about 0.079 inch.

9. The sight apparatus of claim 1 including sight blocking means mountable with said barrel, extending parallel with said sight axis from said exit aperture toward said eye position and configured for restricting the view of said light output only to perception at said shooters eye position, so as to block vision by a dominant non-aligned eye of said shooter opposite the sighting eye located at said eye position.

10. The sight apparatus of claim 9 in which said sight blocking means is a thin, vertically disposed vane coupled with said sight apparatus housing.

11. The sight apparatus of claim 1 in which:

said emitter of light is a light emitting diode positioned within said chamber substantially adjacent said aperture; and

said chamber is configured to receive an elongate cylindrically shaped battery for effecting said electrical energizations of said light emitting diode.

12. The sight apparatus of claim 11 in which:

said battery is of given outer diameter and has a centrally disposed rod shaped electrode extending outwardly from the forward face thereof a predetermined length;

said light emitting diode has first and second metal electrode pins extending rearwardly within said chamber from said back surface, said first pin extending to a base position and being configured to define a first support base and having a base opening therein;

said second electrode pin being configured to extend to and provide a mounting portion located at the center of said base opening;

a compressible switching component of predetermined inner and outer diameter, having a base end fixed to said first support base and extending outwardly therefrom to a switching end; and

a capture component having a generally conical electrically conductive cavity shaped portion connected to and extending from said diode second electrode pin mounting portion and extending within said switching component to a wider capture end of a second inner and outer diameter selected for receiving said battery rod shaped electrode.

13. The sight apparatus of claim 12 in which:

said sight housing chamber is cylindrical and extends along said sight axis to an access opening disposed oppositely from said exit aperture, said access opening having a diameter selected for receiving in succession, said light emitting diode in combination with said compressible switching component and said capture component and said battery; and

a retaining actuator insertably movable within said access opening along said sight axis and hand actuable to move said battery into electric circuit completing contact orientation with said compressible switching component and said capture component.

14. The sight apparatus of claim 13 in which said retaining actuator includes a compressible coil spring positioned for abutting engagement with said battery for effecting the retention thereof in said electric circuit completing contact orientation.

15. The sight apparatus of claim 12 including isolation means for electrically isolating said capture component from said compressible switching component.

16. The sight apparatus of claim 15 in which said isolation means comprises an electrically insulative material positioned intermediate the exterior of said capture component and the interior of said switching component and configured to prevent electric contact therebetween under the dynamic shock characteristics of said firearm.

17. Sight apparatus for aiming a firearm at a target within a remote region, said firearm having a barrel extending along a central axis substantially from and parallel with a shooter'"'"'s eye position to a forward tip, comprising:

an elongate sight housing having a bottom surface configured for connection with said barrel in the vicinity of said tip and having an upward surface of cylindrical shape and corresponding cross-section defining a sight profile, having an internally disposed chamber extending along a sight axis parallel with said central axis when said bottom surface is connected with said barrel, said housing having a light exit aperture symmetrically disposed about said sight axis, communicating with said chamber, of select principal cross-sectional dimension and located to confront said eye position along said sight axis and an opaque edge region of predetermined dimension surmounting said exit aperture, and a collimation portion extending inwardly from said exit aperture a select lengthwise extent;

a light emitting diode positioned within said sight housing chamber in an orientation for emitting light in the visible spectrum through said exit aperture along said sight axis toward said shooter eye position, said diode exhibiting a minimum luminance value of about 35 millicandellas (mcd) and a typical output of about 65 mcd at an excitation of about 20 mA;

an elongate, cylindrically shaped battery positioned within said chamber;

a switch assembly actuable to electrically couple said diode and said battery, positioned within said chamber between said battery and said light emitting diode; and

actuator means coupled with said housing for actuating said switch assembly.

18. The sight apparatus of claim 17 including sight blocking means mountable with said barrel, extending parallel with said sight axis from said exit aperture toward said eye position and configured for restricting the view of said light only to perception at said shooters eye position, so as to block vision by a dominant non-aligned eye of said shooter opposite the sighting eye located at said eye position.

19. The sight apparatus of claim 17 in which said exit aperture has a circular periphery and said select principal cross-sectional dimension is a diameter having a maximum value of about 0.112 inch.

20. The sight apparatus of claim 17 in which said collimation portion extends inwardly from said exit aperture about 0.079 inch.

21. The sight apparatus of claim 17 in which said upward cylindrically-shaped surface of said sight housing has an outer radius of about 0.109 inch.

22. Sight apparatus for aiming a firearm at a target within a remote region, said firearm having a barrel extending along a central axis to a forward tip and substantially parallel with a sight axis extending to a shooter'"'"'s eye position, comprising:

an elongate sight housing having a bottom surface configured for connection with said barrel in the vicinity of said tip and having an upward surface of a selectively shaped cross-section defining a forward sight profile, having an internally disposed chamber extending along said sight axis when said housing is mounted upon said barrel, said housing having a light exit aperture of select diameter communicating with said chamber and located to confront said eye position along said sight axis, and a collimation portion extending inwardly from said exit aperture a select lengthwise extent;

a light emitting device positioned within said chamber in an orientation for providing a light output in the visible spectrum, when energized, along said collimation portion and through said exit aperture along said sight axis toward said shooter;

an elongate battery positioned within said chamber;

switching means mounted upon said housing for effecting the energization of said light emitting device by said battery; and

a sight blocking assembly mountable with said barrel adjacent said sight housing, extending substantially parallel with said sight axis from said exit aperture toward said eye position and configured for restricting the view of said light output only to perception by the eye of said shooter at said shooter'"'"'s eye position, so as to block vision of said light output by a dominant eye of said shooter not aligned with said sight axis.

23. The signal apparatus of claim 22 in which said sight blocking assembly is a thin, opaque, vertically disposed vane coupled with said sight housing.