Apparatus and method for calculating aiming point information

• US 8,966,806 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HVRT Corp
• Original Assignee: Horus Vision LLC (Horus Vision Reticle Technologies)
• Inventors: Sammut, Dennis J., Chao, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): CLEMENT, MICHELLE RENEE
• Application Number:
  US13/624,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20140109459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 421/22, 421/30, 421/42, 421/19, 421/33, 421/44, 89/411.7
• US Class Current: 42/122
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/38 Telescopic sights specially adapted for smallarms or ordnance telescopic sights in general G02B; Supports or mountings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/387 Mounting telescopic sights on smallarms
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/473 for lead-indicating or range-finding, e.g. for use with rifles or shotguns
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/06 with rangefinder rangefinders per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/08 with means for compensating for speed, direction, temperature, pressure, or humidity of the atmosphere measuring G01
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/14 Viewfinders for photographic apparatus G03B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/32 Fiducial marks and measuring scales within the optical system

Abstract

The present invention relates to target acquisition and related devices, and more particularly to telescopic gunsights and associated equipment used to achieve shooting accuracy at, for example, close ranges, medium ranges and extreme ranges

Claims

1. A reticle, comprising:

a) a primary horizontal cross-hair;

b) a primary vertical cross-hair;

c) a plurality of secondary horizontal cross-hairs intersecting at evenly spaced distances said primary vertical cross-hair wherein said primary vertical cross hair and said secondary horizontal cross-hairs are selected from the group consisting of etched cross-hairs, engraved cross-hairs, printed cross-hairs, wire cross-hairs, nano-wire cross-hairs, spider web cross-hairs, projected cross-hairs, illuminated cross-hairs, and colored cross-hairs; and

d) a plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs intersecting at predetermined distances at least some of said secondary horizontal cross-hairs wherein said secondary vertical cross-hairs are selected from the group consisting of etched cross-hairs, engraved cross-hairs, printed cross-hairs, wire cross-hairs, nano-wire cross-hairs, spider web cross-hairs, projected cross-hairs, illuminated cross-hairs, and colored cross-hairs, wherein each of said plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs is an uninterrupted straight line, wherein each of said secondary vertical cross-hair intersects one and only one said secondary horizontal cross-hair, and wherein an intersection of at least one of said plurality of said secondary vertical cross-hairs and at least one of said plurality of said secondary horizontal cross-hairs provides an aiming point.

2. The reticle of claim 1, wherein said primary horizontal cross-hair is a line.

3. The reticle of claim 2, wherein said line is a straight line.

4. The reticle of claim 3, wherein said straight line is an uninterrupted straight line.

5. The reticle of claim 1, wherein said primary horizontal cross-hair has a predetermined thickness.

6. The reticle of claim 5, wherein said predetermined thickness is a single thickness along said primary horizontal cross-hair.

7. The reticle of claim 1, wherein said primary vertical cross-hair is a line.

8. The reticle of claim 7, wherein said line is a straight line.

9. The reticle of claim 8, wherein said straight line is an uninterrupted straight line.

10. The reticle of claim 1, wherein said primary vertical cross-hair has a predetermined thickness.

11. The reticle of claim 10, wherein said predetermined thickness is a single thickness along said primary vertical cross-hair.

12. The reticle of claim 1, wherein said primary horizontal cross-hair and said primary vertical cross-hair physically cross at an intersection point.

13. The reticle of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of secondary horizontal cross-hairs is an uninterrupted straight line.

14. The reticle of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of secondary horizontal cross-hairs is a predetermined thickness.

15. The reticle of claim 14, wherein said predetermined thickness is a single thickness along said at least one of said plurality of secondary horizontal cross-hairs.

16. The reticle of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of secondary horizontal cross-hairs is shorter in length than said primary horizontal cross-hair.

17. The reticle of claim 1, wherein at least two of said plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs are uninterrupted straight lines.

18. The reticle of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs is a predetermined thickness.

19. The reticle of claim 18, wherein said predetermined thickness is single thickness along said at least one of said plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs.

20. The reticle of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs is shorter in length than the primary vertical cross-hair.

21. The reticle of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said secondary vertical cross-hairs are evenly spaced.

22. A reticle, comprising:

a) a primary horizontal cross-hair;

b) a primary vertical cross-hair;

c) two upper and two lower sections defined by said primary horizontal cross-hair and said primary vertical cross-hair;

d) a plurality of secondary horizontal cross-hairs intersecting at evenly spaced distances said primary vertical cross-hair wherein said primary vertical cross hair and said secondary horizontal cross-hairs are selected from the group consisting of etched cross-hairs, engraved cross-hairs, printed cross-hairs, wire cross-hairs, nano-wire cross-hairs, spider web cross-hairs, projected cross-hairs, illuminated cross-hairs, and colored cross-hairs;

e) a plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs intersecting at predetermined distances at least some of said secondary horizontal cross-hairs wherein said secondary vertical cross-hairs are selected from the group consisting of etched cross-hairs, engraved cross-hairs, printed cross-hairs, wire cross-hairs, nano-wire cross-hairs, spider web cross-hairs, projected cross-hairs, illuminated cross-hairs, and colored cross-hairs, wherein each of said plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs is an uninterrupted straight line, and wherein each of said secondary vertical cross-hair crosses one and only one said secondary horizontal cross-hair; and

f) an aiming point indicated in at least one of said two lower sections.

23. The reticle of claim 22, wherein said aiming point is indicated by the intersection of at least one of said plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs and at least one of said plurality of secondary horizontal cross-hairs.

24. A reticle, comprising:

a) a primary horizontal cross-hair;

b) a primary vertical cross-hair;

c) a plurality of secondary horizontal cross-hairs intersecting at evenly spaced distances said primary vertical cross-hair wherein said primary vertical cross hair and said secondary horizontal cross-hairs are selected from the group consisting of etched cross-hairs, engraved cross-hairs, printed cross-hairs, wire cross-hairs, nano-wire cross-hairs, spider web cross-hairs, projected cross-hairs, illuminated cross-hairs, and colored cross-hairs; and

d) a plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs intersecting at predetermined distances at least some of said secondary horizontal cross hairs to provide an aiming point in a section of said reticle below said primary horizontal cross-hair wherein said secondary vertical cross-hairs are selected from the group consisting of etched cross-hairs, engraved cross-hairs, printed cross-hairs, wire cross-hairs, nano-wire cross-hairs, spider web cross-hairs, projected cross-hairs, illuminated cross-hairs, and colored cross-hairs, wherein each of said plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs is an uninterrupted straight line, and wherein each of said secondary vertical cross-hair crosses one and only one said secondary horizontal cross-hair.

25. The reticle of claim 24, wherein at least one of said plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs is located on at least one of said plurality of secondary horizontal cross-hairs.

26. The reticle of claim 24, wherein at least one of said plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs is located on said primary horizontal cross-hair.

27. A target acquisition device, comprising:

a) a housing mounted in a fixed, predetermined position relative to a firearm;

b) an objective lens mounted in one end of said housing;

c) an ocular lens mounted in the opposite end of said housing; and

d) a reticle, comprising;

1) a primary horizontal cross-hair;

2) a primary vertical cross-hair;

3) a plurality of secondary horizontal cross-hairs intersecting at evenly spaced distances said primary vertical cross-hair wherein said primary vertical cross hair and said secondary horizontal cross-hairs are selected from the group consisting of etched cross-hairs, engraved cross-hairs, printed cross-hairs, wire cross-hairs, nano-wire cross-hairs, spider web cross-hairs, projected cross-hairs, illuminated cross-hairs, and colored cross-hairs; and

4) a plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs intersecting at predetermined distances at least some of said secondary horizontal cross-hairs wherein said secondary vertical cross-hairs are selected from the group consisting of etched cross-hairs, engraved cross-hairs, printed cross-hairs, wire cross-hairs, nano-wire cross-hairs, spider web cross-hairs, projected cross-hairs, illuminated cross-hairs, and colored cross-hairs, wherein each of said plurality of secondary vertical cross-hairs is an uninterrupted straight line, wherein each of said secondary vertical cross-hair intersects one and only one said secondary horizontal cross-hair, and wherein an intersection of at least one of said plurality of said secondary vertical cross-hairs and at least one of said plurality of secondary horizontal cross-hairs provides an aiming point.

28. The target acquisition device of claim 27, wherein said reticle further comprises a substantially transparent disc having an optical center and an edge for mounting said disc, and a ring positioned optically between said optical center and said edge, said ring spaced from said edge and circumscribing said optical center and one or more aiming points, whereby said ring can be visually centered in a field of view for aiding users in aligning their line of sight through said target acquisition device.

29. The target acquisition device of claim 27, wherein said reticle further comprises rangefinder markings.

30. The target acquisition device of claim 27, wherein said reticle further comprises an aiming dot.

31. The target acquisition device of claim 27, wherein said reticle further comprises unique markings for identification purposes on at least one of said plurality of secondary horizontal cross-hairs.

32. The target acquisition device of claim 27, wherein said reticle is configured in a first focal plane.

33. The target acquisition device of claim 27, wherein said reticle is configured in the second focal plane.

34. The target acquisition device of claim 27, wherein said reticle is configured in a combination of the first focal plane and the second focal plane.

35. The target acquisition device of claim 27, wherein said reticle is configured in a fixed power target acquisition device.

36. The target acquisition device of claim 27, wherein said reticle is configured for shooting at a range of less than 500 yards.

37. The target acquisition device of claim 27, wherein said reticle is configured for shooting at a range of 500 yards to 1000 yards.

38. The target acquisition device of claim 27, wherein said reticle is configured for shooting at a range greater than 1000 yards.