Scope adjustment method and apparatus

• US 6,886,287 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2003
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Curtis Bell, Kendall Seidel
• Original Assignee: John Curtis Bell, Kendall Seidel
• Inventors: Seidel, Kendall, Bell, John Curtis
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US10/441,422
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 421/01, 421/03, 421/11, 421/13, 421/15, 421/19, 421/20, 421/22, 421/30, 421/25, 359/399, 359/429, 359/428, 356/8, 356/21, 332/27, 332/65, 332/76, 332/80, 332/97, 333/34, 333/54, 333/661.1, 89/370.1, 89/370.9, 89/411.7, 124/87, 200/220, 340/267
• US Class Current: 42/120
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/54 Devices for testing or checking ; Tools for adjustment of sights
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 11/001 Means for mounting tubular or beam shaped sighting or aiming devices on firearms

Abstract

A rifle scope system allows adjustment of the scope while a shooter maintains the shooting posture and the scope sight picture. The scope system comprises an adjustment system comprising an electromechanical mechanism that responds to a signal from a remote controller manipulated by the shooter without having to significantly disturb the shooting posture. The adjustment system allows the shooter to adjust the scope'"'"'s point of aim to coincide with a bullet'"'"'s point of impact at a target. Such adjustment can be performed either by the shooter. Alternatively, such adjustment could be performed by a processor configured to adjust the point of aim based on a ballistic parameter associated with the bullet or the shooting environment. The adjustment system allows such processor-determined adjustments to be effected in a quick manner.

Claims

1. A sight system for a handheld firearm, comprising:

an optical assembly comprising a telescopic sight with an outer casing and an adjustment tube disposed within the outer casing the telescopic sight having a point of aim wherein the point of aim allows the firearm to be aimed at a target and wherein the adjustment tube is adapted to be moved within the outer casing with respect to an optical axis of the optical assembly to thereby move the point of aim of the telescopic sight;

an actuator that extends through the outer casing of the telescopic sight and engages with the adjustment tube point of aim so as to urge the adjustment tube move with respect to the optical axis thereby allowing the point of aim to be adjusted;

a movement mechanism that engages with the actuator extending through the outer casing wherein the movement mechanism causes the actuator to move thereby causing the point of aim to be adjusted with respect to a point of impact of a bullet fired from the firearm; and

wherein the said actuator comprises an elongate member having a first end and an actuator axis that is generally perpendicular to the said optical axis, and wherein the said movement mechanism engages a first end and causes the said elongate member to move along the said actuator axis causing the said adjustment tube to move; and

a remote controller that sends a signal to the movement mechanism which in response causes the one actuator to move.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement mechanism comprises a bolt having a bolt axis that forms a non-zero angle with respect to the actuator axis wherein the motion of the bolt along the bolt axis causes the actuator to move along the actuator axis thereby causing the adjustment tube to move along the actuator axis.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the bolt includes an engagement end adjacent the actuator and a driving end away from the actuator.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the bolt axis is generally perpendicular to the actuator axis such that the bolt axis is generally parallel to the optical axis and wherein the actuator'"'"'s movement is substantially limited to a direction along the actuator axis and wherein the bolt'"'"'s translational motion is substantially limited to a direction along the bolt axis.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first end of the actuator defines an angled surface that defines a first plane perpendicular to a second plane defined by the actuator axis and the bolt axis and wherein the first plane forms a first angle with respect to the bolt axis wherein the first angle is between 0 and 90 degrees.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the engagement end of the bolt pushing against the angled surface along the bolt axis causes the actuator to move away from the bolt axis along the actuator axis such that the motion of the bolt by Δ

X is transferred to the motion of the actuator by Δ

Y by a relationship approximated by Δ

Y=Δ

X tan θ

where θ

represents the first angle.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the adjustment tube is biased such that when the bolt retracts from the angled surface, the actuator moves towards the bolt axis thereby allowing a reversible motion of the adjustment tube.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first angle is between 0 and 45 degrees.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the bolt comprises a threaded bolt whose threads mate with threads formed on a housing about the bolt such that rotation of the threaded bolt causes it to move along bolt axis.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the bolt defines a keyed aperture that extends along the bolt axis wherein the keyed aperture is dimensioned to allow the bolt to be rotated by a shaft that is rotationally driven by an electrical motor wherein the keyed aperture allows the shaft to rotate the bolt while allowing the bolt to slide along the bolt axis.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the keyed aperture extends along the substantially entire length of the bolt and wherein the keyed aperture at the engagement end is dimensioned to receive a coupling pin that extends along the bolt axis to couple to an indicator dial that indicates the amount of bolt'"'"'s rotation.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote controller is disposed at a location easily accessible by a shooter without having to significantly disturb the shooter'"'"'s shooting posture.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote controller is disposed proximate the shooter'"'"'s trigger finger so as to allow manipulation with the trigger finger.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote controller is disposed proximate the shooter'"'"'s shooting hand thumb so as to allow manipulation with the thumb.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote controller sends the signal to the movement mechanism via a wire-base link.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote controller sends the signal to the movement mechanism via a wireless link.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a detector that detects a ballistic parameter that affects the trajectory of the bullet;

a processor that receives the ballistic parameter from the detector wherein the processor determines a point of aim adjustment based on the ballistic parameter; and

a transmitter that transmits a signal representative of the point of aim adjustment determined by the processor to the movement mechanism.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the detector comprises a rangefinder that determines a range to the target at a location indicated by the point of aim wherein the range allows an elevation adjustment of the point of aim.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the detector comprises a wind velocity detector that determines a wind velocity so as to facilitate windage adjustment of the point of aim.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the detector comprises an inclinometer adapted to determine the firearm'"'"'s shooting angle with respect to a horizontal line so as to facilitate correction to an elevation adjustment of the point of aim that is based on substantially horizontal shooting.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the transmitter transmits the signal to the movement mechanism via a wire-based link.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the transmitter transmits the signal to the movement mechanism via a wireless link.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the point of aim is adapted to be adjusted for elevation and windage.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the movement mechanism is adapted to adjust the point of aim vertically for the elevation adjustment.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the movement mechanism is adapted to adjust the point of aim along horizontal lateral direction for the windage adjustment.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the firearm is a rifle.

27. A sight system for a handheld firearm, comprising:

an optical assembly having a point of aim wherein the point of aim allows the firearm to be aimed at a target and wherein the point of aim is adapted to be moved with respect to an optical axis of the optical assembly;

an actuator coupled to the point of aim so as to urge the point of aim to move with respect to the optical axis thereby allowing the point of aim to be adjusted;

a movement mechanism that causes the actuator to move thereby causing the point of aim to be adjusted with respect to a point of impact of a bullet fired from the firearm;

a remote controller that sends a signal to the movement mechanism which in response causes the one actuator to move;

wherein the actuator comprises an elongate member having a first end and an actuator axis that is generally perpendicular to the optical axis wherein the movement mechanism engages the first end and causes the elongate member to move along the actuator axis thereby causing the point of aim to move, and wherein the elongate member comprises a threaded rod that engages a threaded portion of a housing that houses the optical assembly such that the rotation of the threaded rod causes it to move along the actuator axis.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the threaded rod defines a slot at the end adjacent the movement mechanism.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the movement mechanism comprises a flat head driver driven by a rotational driving device wherein the flat head is dimensioned to be received by the slot at the end of the threaded rod and wherein the rotational driving device causes the flat head to rotate the threaded rod thereby causing it to move along the actuator axis.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the rotational driving device comprises an electrical motor configured to operate in response to a signal originating from a remote location.