AU761005B2 - O'malley's weapon aiming system - Google Patents

Description

g TITLE OF THE INVENTION O'Malley's Weapon Aiming System BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Field of the Invention: The present invention is directed to a device for enhancing the accuracy of a conventional single reticule telescopic sight.

°S°

o oo S Description ofthe Related Art: Normal optical (telescopic) sights have a single point of reference called a reticule (crosshairs) which the shooter has to align with the target.

The problem with this is that the shooters eye has to be aligned along the centerline of the weapon whilst positioning the crosshairs on the target, the sight offers no help.

Shooters have to learn to keep their heads in the same position each time they aim, which of course is why it is so difficult to hit the target.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is a back sight which can be either a simple add on to an existing sight or alternatively mechanically incorporated into such a sight.

This invention enables the weapon to be aimed in a similar manner to one that has the normal iron foreword and back sights, though of course with much greater accuracy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a view of the invention as an attachment to a normal telescopic sight Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the invention used internally as a second reticule in at telescopic sight Figure 3 shows a number of possible forms that the "surface with discontinuity "might take DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS: This invention is essentially a surface with a discontinuity at its center placed some distance from but aligned with a sight's reticule.

If reference is made to fig 1 an optical sight item a which does not form part of the invention) is shown on the right with the invention item b shown on the left.

The invention in its simplest form is essentially a piece (disk) of transparent material suitably coloured with a hole at its center.

The invention would most usually be placed between the observers eye and the reticule, though by suitably arranging the optics of the sight any arrangement is possible.

Figure 1 shows the invention as a disk in a flexible sleeve which may be pushed over the eyepiece of the sight to form a complete unit.

The basic purpose of the invention is to provide a second point of reference for a sight or aiming device that has only one point of reference.

The weapon aiming device may include a circular tinted disk with a hole at its center placed at one of a flexible sleeve. The sleeve enables easy attachment to an optical or similar functioning sight. The tint may be of any color, however it has to be of sufficient intensity and -2difference to the coloring of the attached sights lens system to enable the hole at its center to be visible and superimposed on the attached sights reticule.

The diameter of the hole at the disk center should be optimized for the geometric shape of the cross hairs, and be at like conditions and difference in color between disk and lens system. A diameter of approximately 1 mm would be the expected order of magnitude for this hole.

The aiming device may include multiple disks, one behind the other, each one being easily removable such that the overall transparency may be altered to better suit ambient light conditions. The aiming device may also include a number of optically polarized disks arranged such that their relative movement will effect their transparency. The aiming device may also include a disk made from a number of sections such that their relative movement will alter the size of the center hole.

The aiming device may also include an electrically active screen liquid crystal display) such that its color and center hole can be varied. The hole at the center would not necessarily be a physical hole in the screen, but simply an area of different aspect.

The aiming device may form an integral part of an optical or similar functioning sight, rather than as a removable attachment as shown in Figure 1. The aiming device may also be used with an electronic sight which uses a liquid crystal display or a cathode ray tube for forming the reticule.

The disk may include a number of holes which are positioned such that they align with elements of the reticule of the sight, and hence assist the operator to more accurately align the two. Preferably, the hole at the center of the disk is shaped so as to "lock onto" the shape of the reticule.

Preferably, the disk in the sleeve is configured such that when the aiming device is attached to conventional single reticule optical sight, the circular disk is superimposed upon the reticule. Furthermore, as a means for locking the disk onto the reticule, the reticule could be provided with a number of concentric circles in addition to the usual cross hairs.

Therefore, it is easier for a user to accurately align the superimposed circle and the reticule circles so as to be concentric in comparison to the ability of a user to align the superimposed circle formed by the hole in the colored disk with the cross hairs of the optical sight.--.

WHAT IS CLAIMED AS NEW AND DESIRED TO BE SECURED BY LETTERS PATENT OF rT TE UMTED STATES S-.

IN THE CLAIMS The claims 1 to 19 were added in the amendments to 09/039,083 and are repeated in this Continuation In Part whilst the claims 20 to 22 are added 1. A weapon aiming device comprising: a circular transparent and colored disk having a hole; and a sleeve having a first and second end, wherein said circular disk is provided at said first end of said sleeve, and wherein said second end of said sleeve is configured to fit over an eyepiece of a telescopic optical sight.

2. Theweapon aiming device according to claim 1, wherein said hole is approximately 1 mm in diameter.

3. The weapon aiming device according to claim 1, wherein said hole is configured to lock onto a reticule provided at the principle focus of the eyepiece of the sight.

4. The weapon aiming device according to claim 1, wherein said first end of said sleeve is configured to receive a plurality of disks.

The weapon aiming device according to claim 1, wherein said circular disk comprises a plurality of optically polarized disks that are arranged such that their relative movement affects their transparency.

6. The weapon aiming device according to claim 1, wherein said circular disk comprises a plurality of sections configured such that their relative movement alters the size of said hole.

S:7. The weapon aiming device according to claim 1, wherein said circular disk comprises an electronically active screen configured such that its color and a size of said hole can be varied.

8. The weapon aiming device according to claim 7 wherein said hole is not a physical hole in said circular disk, and wherein said hole defines an area having a different aspect than a remainder of said circular disk.

9. A weapon aiming device comprising: a telescopic optical sight having a single reticule provided at the principle focus of an eyepiece of said telescopic optical sight; a circular transparent colored disk having a hole, said circular disk provided at an outer end of said eyepiece, wherein said hole of said circular disk is generally aligned along a line of sight passing through said optical telescopic sight.

The weapon aiming device according to claim 9, wherein said hole is approximately 1 mm in diameter.

11. The weapon aiming device according to claim 9, wherein said hole is Configured to lock onto a reticule provided at the principle focus of the eyepiece of the sight.

12. The weapon aiming device according to claim 9, wherein said circular disk comprises a plurality of optically polarized disks that are arranged such that their relative movement affects their transparency.

13 The weapon aiming device according to claim 9, wherein said circular disk comprises a plurality of sections configured such that their relative movement alters the size of said hole.

14. The weapon aiming device according to claim 9, wherein said circular disk comprises an electronically active screen configured such that its color and a size of said hole can be varied.

The weapon aiming device according to claim 14, wherein said hole is not a physical hole in said circular disk, and wherein said hole defines an area having a different aspect than the remainder of said circular tinted disk.

16. The weapon aiming device according to claim 14, wherein said hole is at a center of said circular disk.

17. A weapon aiming device comprising: a surface having a discontinuity at a center of said surface, said surface configured to be mounted to a telescopic optical sight at a position spaced longitudinally from and aligned with a reticule provided within the telescopic optical sight.

18. The weapon aiming device according to claim 17, wherein said discontinuity is at least one of a hole and an opaque area having a transparent circular center.

19. The weapon aiming device according to claim 17, further comprising a sleeve having a first and second end, wherein said surface is formed on a circular disk provided at said first end of said sleeve, and wherein said second end of said sleeve is configured to fit over an eyepiece of a telescopic optical sight.-- A weapon aiming device comprising: a surface having a discontinuity at the center of said surface configured to be incorporated into a telescopic optical sight at a position spaced longitudinally from and aligned with a reticule.

21 A weapon aiming device according to claim 20 wherein the said surface may be positioned either side of the eyepiece optical system, such that neither it nor the said reticule is necessarily at the principal focus of the lens system.

21 A weapon aiming device according to claim 20 wherein the said surface's only singular characteristic is that the said surface provides a reference point. for the purposes of alignment to the reticule.

22 A weapon aiming device according to claim 20 wherein the surface and the reticule are completely interchangeable.

*0 0

REMARKS

Briefly, the present invention is directed to a weapon aiming device, and in particular, a weapon aiming device designed to enhance the accuracy of optical aiming devices having a single reticule.

Telescopic optical sights for weapons such as rifles, have long been known.

Classically, these types of telescopic sights have included a single reticule, commonly referred "1 to as a "cross hair." As is well known in the art, a cross hair or other reticule included in a telescopic optical sight must be provided at the principle focus of the eyepiece of the sight.

o This arrangement is necessary because when the telescopic sight is focused on a target, both the target and the reticule will be in focus in the eyepiece. However, Applicant has found that because the conventional telescopic optical sight is limited essentially to a single reticule, parallax error is generated when using the sight to aim a weapon since the user may inadvertently place their eye in a slightly different position with respect to the line of sight of the optical telescopic sight each time a user looks through the sight. Although this variation may be quite small, the error generated is amplified by the great distance over which projectiles may be discharged through a weapon to which a conventional telescopic sight may be mounted. Therefore, users must learn to place their heads and eyes in the same position each time they aim when using a conventional telescopic sight, which is difficult. See page 1, lines 9-11. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a device which assists a user in reducing parallax error when using a conventional telescopic sight.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a weapon aiming device includes a circular tinted disk having a hole and a sleeve which receives the circular disk and which is configured to slip over the eyepiece of a conventional telescopic optical sight. By configuring the aiming device as such, the present invention achieves several significant advantages over that of the prior art.

For example, as discussed above, users of conventional telescopic optical sights must align their eye along the center line of the weapon and the line of sight of the optical sight and simultaneously align the reticule or "cross hairs" with the target. See page 1, lines 6-8.

Therefore, in order to consistently aim a weapon having the conventional telescopic optical sight, users have to learn to place their heads and eye in the same position each time they aim.

See page 1, lines 9-10. However, by providing an aiming device according to the present invention, a user is provided with two points of reference for properly aligning their eye with oo the optical sight.

For example, referring to the non limiting embodiment of Figure 1, the aiming device of the present invention, labeled as b, is provided with a transparent circular disk with a hole in the center and a flexible sleeve which is configured to slip over the eyepiece of a conventional single reticule sight, labeled as a. Therefore, when a user looks through the single reticule sight a with the aiming device b slipped over the eyepiece of the sight a, the user is provided with two points of reference for aiming purposes, the hole in the transparent circular tinted disk and the cross hairs provided in the sight a. The color of the disk provides contrast between the colored portion of the disk and the hole, so that the user can clearly see the boundary of the hole, even if the hole is not perfectly in focus. Using the boundary of the hole as a first reference, and the reticule in the telescopic optical sight as a second reference, the user can reliably aim the weapon with a target with a degree of ease that has heretofore been unattainable. As such, the present invention greatly enhances the ability of a user to -9consistently align their eye with the optical sight, thereby achieving a greater level of accuracy in aiming a weapon, for example.

S* S* 0 ii