WO2010004470A1

WO2010004470A1 - System with inbuilt electrical contacts

Info

Publication number: WO2010004470A1
Application number: PCT/IB2009/052749
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gerhard Fiedler; Stéphane ANTONETTI
Original assignee: Fischer Connectors Holding S.A.
Priority date: 2008-06-26
Filing date: 2009-06-25
Publication date: 2010-01-14

Abstract

The system comprises at least one support (1, 2) intended to be mounted on an object, for example a weapon or a rail, to carry optoelectronic means, the said support comprising inbuilt electrical means (3, 5, 7, 10) supplying power to and/or controlling the optoelectronic means once the support has been mounted on the object.

Description

INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL CONTACTS SYSTEM

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention relates to an integrated electrical contact system, in particular for the support rails used in particular for carrying optoelectronic elements and other similar elements.

More specifically, the present invention relates in particular to a weapon support rail commonly referred to as "Picatinny" which is used to carry optoelectronic elements on firearms.

This type of "Picatinny" rail is known in itself in the field of weapons. A military standard (MIL-STD-1913) defines the geometry and dimensions of such mounting rails. In a very general manner, such a rail comprises an elongated (metal) element with holes for mounting it by screwing on a firearm, said element further comprising on the top a series of dovetail-shaped shoes for the fixation of optoelectronic material (eg telescopic glasses, light intensifiers, laser pointers, lamps etc). This rail is currently a passive element and many electrical son are necessary to connect the mounted optoelectronic equipment to its power supply, generally integrated into the weapon, for example in the stick of the latter, or external control means.

These son are impractical, may also be damaged or tear according to the movements made by the carrier of the weapon. In addition, they must also be connected and disconnected in a separate operation during assembly or disassembly of the optronic material which complicates the handling of such devices. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to improve the known systems.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a system comprising a support used in particular for mounting optoelectronic means, for example a rail of the "Picatinny" type, which makes it possible to dispense with the electrical connection wires of said optoelectronic means.

Thus, the mounting of the optoelectronic elements on a weapon (or other object) is sufficient in itself to make the electrical connection and it is not necessary to make further connections for the supply and / or the control of optoelectronic elements.

The system according to the invention comprises in its structure the elements necessary for an electrical connection of the optoelectronic elements directly during their assembly on an object, for example a weapon or other.

In general, an idea of the invention is to integrate in a support electrical means that can directly contact corresponding electrical means related to the optoelectronic elements. More specifically, the present invention proposes in particular as a solution an electrical track card in the support with activatable contacts which are intended to contact a corresponding track card which is in turn related to the optronic elements. The opposite is also possible, that is to say a variant in which the activatable contacts are attached to the optoelectronic means, the carrier being used only for electrical transport. In the context of the present invention, a mixed solution is also conceivable with a part of the contacts placed in the support connected to the object (weapon or other) and another part of the contacts linked to the optoelectronic means. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood by the description of embodiments and figures in which

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a rail according to the invention coupled to an intermediate support;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view in section of the rail and electrical contact means;

Figure 3 shows a view from above and in perspective of the support rail;

Figure 4 shows a sectional view of the support rail;

Figure 5 shows a top view of a map of electrical tracks.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate variants of electrical contacts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to the present invention, in a first embodiment, electrical contacts are integrated in a support rail (for example the "Picatinny") by adding an electric track card in the rail and an identical card mirrored on the part. carrying the optoelectronic elements.

In Figure 1, there is shown a general sectional view in perspective of the system. The support rail 1 carries an intermediate support 2 which itself is used for mounting the optoelectronic elements (not shown). Of course, this intermediate support is optional (for example it can be integrated in the optoelectronic means) and the optoelectronic means can be mounted directly on the rail 1. At the end before the rail 1, we see (in the section of said rail 1) the electrical contact means which will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 2 to 7 below.

According to one embodiment of the invention, using a first electrical track card 3 which is in a lower part 4 of the rail 1, electrical contacts 5 which are located in the shoes 6 of the rail 1. Next to the first track map 3, there is a second track map 7 which is linked to the intermediate support 2, or directly to the optoelectronic means.

When assembling the optoelectronic means (or support 2), the card 7 will rely on the contacts 5 and an electrical contact will be made between the two cards 3 and 7 via the contacts 5 which will allow a power supply and / or direct control of the optoelectronic means through the cards 3, 7.

In the illustrated embodiment, the contacts 5 are piston contacts, which means that they are activated only when the optoelectronic means are mounted in order to avoid the possibility of a short circuit in the absence of said means. optoelectronic.

More specifically, each contact 5 is supported on an elastic means 8 (for example a spring) which pushes it outwards, said contact forming a cylindrical cage in which a second elastic means 9 (for example a spring) is present from same as a piston 10 which is used for the contact on the card 3. With this construction, the electrical contact with the tracks of the card 3 in the rail 1 is performed only when the contacts 5 are pressed on a certain distance. Of course, the stroke can be chosen at will, as well as the position of the contacts 5 when the electrical contact is made (flush, driven into the shoe or not etc.). Other equivalent means allowing this safety against short-circuits can of course be envisaged (for example a mechanical blocking which deactivates during the assembly of the optoelectronic means, spring slats displaced by movable contacts, etc., see FIGS. ).

As illustrated in Figure 5, the contacts 5 are in front of tracks 11 of the card 3 (or 7, not shown in this figure). The number of tracks 11 can be freely selected according to the needs and the number of elements to feed. In the example shown, there are nineteen tracks 11. In such a case, in order to be able to place the optoelectronic means at any place along the rail 1, an asymmetrical contact arrangement with three series 12 is used. five contacts and a series 13 of four contacts, this arrangement being repeated along the rail 1. With this arrangement and an identical card on the side of the optoelectronic means, it is ensured that the nineteen tracks can always be powered independently , even if the optoelectronic means are moved one notch (that is to say one shoe) along the rail 1.

Of course, other configurations are possible: we can vary the number of tracks and also the number of contacts per shoe and function of needs.

In Figures 6 and 7 alternative contact means are illustrated. For example, in Figure 6, a spring blade system is used. More specifically, Figure 7 illustrates a partial sectional view of a support 1 ', this variant comprising one (of) contact (s) 5' and a spring blade 14 retaining said contact 5 '. A card 3 'is schematically represented with a track 11'. As it is understood, the electrical contact between the contact 5 'and track 3' is made when the contact 5 'is sufficiently pushed towards the base in the direction of the track 3' by bending the blade 14. Thus, said blade 14 avoids electrical contact as the optoelectronic means are not mounted and makes the active contacts after mounting said optoelectronic means. FIG. 7 illustrates a partial sectional view of a support 1 "in another equivalent variant In this variant, a cap 15 (similar to those used for the specimens for example) placed in one side of the support 1 is used. "which will be pierced by a contact 5" when mounting the optoelectronic means More specifically, the contact 5 "comprises a tip which passes through the cap 15 and comes to create the electrical contact with the track 11" of the card 3 ". The seal 15 thus makes it possible to ensure tightness and also to avoid short circuits.

In another variant, particular electronic means can be provided for managing the electrical tracks and the contacts.

Of course, alternatives equivalent to the embodiments described can be provided, for example the presence of the contacts 5 directly on the intermediate support 2 or on the optoelectronic means, the "Picatinny" rail being used only for electrical transport. A mixed variant in which the contacts are distributed both on the support and on the intermediate support or the optoelectronic means can also be envisaged with the necessary adaptations that can be made by a person skilled in the art.

Other equivalent means can also be used to supply the cards mentioned, for example single wires supplying each contact, inductive elements, printed circuits, etc. the idea being to allow an independent external wireless power supply once the system is mounted. Similarly, the contacts can be of a simpler construction. We can also consider a male-female configuration for these contacts. In addition, the cage described above may have a shape other than cylindrical, as the pistons may also have another shape.

Also, preferably, joints (such as O-ring) and other equivalent means are provided to make the system watertight. The electrical means, such as batteries that would be used for feeding the optoelectronic means are for example placed at a given location of the object in question, for example in the butt of the weapon, or another place provided for this purpose. Similarly, if control means, such as switches and switches, are provided, they may be located on the object (the weapon) at selected locations.

As can be understood, the optoelectronic means can be any type of means using a power supply.

Claims

1. System comprising at least one support (1, 2) intended to be mounted on an object, for example a weapon or a rail, for carrying optoelectronic means, said support comprising electrical means (3,5,7,10) integrated devices allowing the supply and / or the control of the optoelectronic means once the mounting of the support on the object carried out.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein said support (1) is a rail.

3. System according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the rail is of the type "Picatinny".

4. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said electrical means comprise at least electrical contacts (5,10) and electric track supports (3,7) or electrical son.

The system of claim 4, wherein said electrical means (3,7) comprises inductive means.

6. System according to claim 4, wherein the electrical means comprise a printed circuit.

7. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the contacts (5, 10) are activated only when the optoelectronic means are mounted.

8. System according to claim 8, wherein the contacts comprise at least one contact part (5) cage mounted on a resilient element (8) and an electrical contact piston (10) mounted on another elastic element (9). in said cage.

9. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more track media is (are) a card (3,7).

10. System according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the cage and the piston are of cylindrical shape.

11. System according to one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the elastic elements are springs (8,9).

An object, for example a weapon, comprising a system as defined in one of the preceding claims.