CN218097409U

CN218097409U - Sighting telescope with integrated level indicator

Info

Publication number: CN218097409U
Application number: CN202222632445.4U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 周竑; 周禹崧
Original assignee: Ningbo Deyuan Jinggong Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Ningbo Deyuan Jinggong Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2022-10-08
Filing date: 2022-10-08
Publication date: 2022-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 2032-10-08

Abstract

The utility model provides a gun sight with horizontal indicator of integral type includes the mirror housing, is located the eyepiece of the one end of casing and being located the objective of the opposite end of casing is in order to inject optics sight and the eyepiece with be located between the objective positive image mirror tube in the mirror housing, positive image mirror tube has the marking that is located its second focal plane department. A level indicator is connected to the erector tube between the reticle and the eyepiece and oriented for determining the inclination of a firearm in a plane perpendicular to the optical line of sight to improve accuracy during aiming.

Description

Sighting telescope with integrated level indicator

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a telescopic sight for firearms, in particular to a sight with an integrated level indicator for use with crossbows, arches, rifles, guns or other firearms, and said sight having an integrated level indicator for indicating the orientation of the inclination.

Background

Traditionally, telescope sights have been installed on firearms such as crossbows, rifles, etc., to not only magnify distant targets, but also ensure consistent, accurate shooting of the firearms at a distance that is difficult to achieve with fixed metal sights. Such sights typically include a sight line for adjusting the target to zero and means for adjusting the windage and elevation of the sight to thereby achieve high accuracy at greater distances and under adverse environmental conditions that may otherwise negatively impact the trajectory of the shot of projectiles (e.g., bolts, arrows, bullets, balls, etc.) fired from the firearm. However, it has been observed that even when the telescopic sight is accurately calibrated and adjusted to zero for a particular projectile and target distance, the actual contact between the target and the projectile can vary widely because the firearm is somewhat inclined relative to the optical axis or line of sight of the sight and the bore of the barrel associated with the rifle or the track or groove associated with the crossbow. The resulting tilt in the case where the optical axis of the scope is no longer directly above (even by a very small amount) the axis of the aperture of the rifle or the trajectory of the crossbow may result in a large deviation from the target. This is common in long distance rifles and in shorter distance crossbows.

Prior art solutions for correcting the tilt of firearms typically include providing a bubble level mounted to the outside of the mirror, forcing the user to move their focus from an aligned sight and target to the bubble level to ensure the correct aiming orientation of the firearm relative to the mirror.

Accordingly, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a solution where a user can see a target, an aligned sight and/or reticle, and a level indicator simultaneously via a scope; a horizontal indicator is provided for a scope that can move with a reticle during windage and/or elevation adjustment of the scope that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

According to an aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a sighting telescope with an integrated level indicator. In a sighting telescope having a telescope housing, an eyepiece at one end of the housing and an objective at an opposite end of the housing to define an optical line of sight between the end and the opposite end, and an erector tube within the telescope housing between the eyepiece and the objective, the erector tube having a reticle located at a second focal plane of the erector tube along the line of sight, the improvement comprising: a level indicator operably associated with the erector tube, the level indicator being adjacent to the reticle for determining a tilt of a firearm.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a level indicator for a scope having a scope housing, an eyepiece located at one end of the housing, an objective located at an opposite end of the housing to define an optical line of sight between the end and the opposite end, and an erector tube located within the scope housing between the eyepiece and the objective, the erector tube having a reticle located at a second focal plane thereof, the improvement comprising: a mounting bracket for connecting to the erector tube between the reticle and the eyepiece, the mounting bracket comprising: the opening is sized to fit closely over the annular sleeve portion of the indicator tube over the rear flange; and a support portion extending rearwardly from the sleeve portion for receiving the level indicator, the support portion having a side wall with an aperture formed therein; and a level vial having a generally cylindrical vial received in the bore, the level vial oriented for determining the inclination of the firearm in a plane perpendicular to the line of sight.

Drawings

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements throughout, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear left isometric view of a scope for use with a firearm, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a left side elevational view of the scope;

FIG. 3 is an isometric partially exploded view of a scope showing an erector tube forming part of the scope with an attached level indicator, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged isometric exploded view of an erector mirror tube and a horizontal indicator for connection to the erector mirror tube according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the scope taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the scope taken along circle line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and showing another enlarged portion of the mounting bracket associated with the level indicator;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the scope taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged isometric partial cross-sectional view of the scope taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the scope taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the scope taken along circular line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

It is noted that the appended drawings are intended to depict typical embodiments of the invention and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. It should further be noted that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings.

Detailed Description

The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to fig. 1-5, there is shown a scope 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The scope 10 has a universal outer body 12 that may be adapted for attachment to a mounting base (not shown) for connecting the scope 10 to a crossbow, arrow bow, rifle or other firearm.

The sight 10 preferably includes a mirror housing 12 having an objective lens assembly 14 at a forward end of the mirror housing, an adjustable eyepiece lens assembly 16 at a rearward end of the mirror housing to form an optical line of sight 15 therebetween, an erector lens assembly 18 positioned in the mirror housing 12 between the objective lens assembly 14 and the eyepiece lens assembly 16, a windage yaw adjustment assembly 20 positioned on a side 22 of the mirror housing 12 for adjusting a horizontal position of the erector lens assembly 18, and an elevation adjustment assembly 24 positioned on an upper side 25 of the mirror housing 12 for adjusting a vertical position of the eyepiece lens assembly 16. The indicator assembly 26 is preferably connected to the erecting mirror lens assembly 18 proximal to the eyepiece assembly 16, as will be described in further detail below.

As best shown in fig. 4-6, the erecting mirror lens assembly 18 includes an erecting mirror tube 28 having a forward erecting mirror lens portion 30 and a rearward erecting mirror lens portion 32 located in the erecting mirror tube 28. The

erector lens portions

30 and 32, along with the objective lens assembly 14 and the adjustable eyepiece lens assembly 16, allow for magnification of an in-sight image (not shown) as seen through the scope 10 while ensuring that the image is seen correctly and is in focus upward on the right lateral side, as is well known. The objective lens assembly 14 creates a first or forward focal plane 34 (shown by dashed lines in fig. 5) of the image in a reverse orientation at a first or forward convergence point 34A associated with a cone of reflected light 34B (shown in dashed lines) that enters the mirror 10 through the objective lens assembly 14. Likewise, the erecting

mirror lens portions

30 and 32 create a second or rearward focal plane 36 (dashed lines best shown in fig. 6) at a second or rearward convergence point 36A associated with a rearward cone 36B (shown in dashed lines) of the image in an upright orientation as seen through the eyepiece assembly 16 of the scope 10.

The reticle 38 is preferably located in the erector tube 28 at a position coincident with the second focal plane 36 behind the erector lens portion 32 and thus parallel and thus oriented perpendicular to the optical line of sight 15 so that the reticle can be clearly seen by the user through the eyepiece assembly 16. As best shown in fig. 4, the reticle 38 is preferably formed as a disk-shaped plate 40 having a vertical sight or post 42 that marks the vertical center of a bore (not shown) of a barrel associated with the rifle or a track or groove (not shown) or the like associated with the crossbow so that the user may center the target as viewed through the scope 10 in a horizontal plane. Likewise, the reticle 38 preferably has one or more horizontal crosshairs or

posts

44A, 44B, and 44C, for example, for calibrating different distances between the firearm and the target. The provision of three horizontal crosshairs or posts is by way of example only, as the number of crosshairs may vary widely depending on the particular firearm to which the scope 10 is to be mounted. As shown, the reticle 38 also includes empty spaces 46 between the

stars

42, 44A, 44B and 44C and may be formed from a sheet of stiff material by known forming means (including stamping, cutting, machining, etc.) and/or from other material shapes (e.g., pellets, extrusions, curable liquids) by molding, casting, 3D printing, etc. The material used for the reticle 38 may be selected from the group of materials including, but not limited to: metal, ceramic, plastic, composite, cardboard, combinations thereof, and the like. It should be understood that the reticle 38 may be formed of a lens material with an etched sight. It should be further understood that other reticles, such as programmable electronic reticles, may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

As best shown in fig. 4 and 6, the gauge mark 38 is preferably inserted into an opening 50 of an internal thread (not shown) associated with the enlarged rear flange 48 of the erector mirror tube 28 until the gauge mark seats against a shoulder 52. A locking collar 54 having external threads (not shown) that engage the internal threads of opening 50 is then tightened in rear flange 48 until gauge mark 38 is tightly sandwiched between shoulder 52 and locking collar 54. In this position, the reticle 38 coincides with the second focal plane 36 (fig. 6), and thus can be clearly seen by the user through the eyepiece assembly 16, as shown in fig. 7. When the scope 10 is implemented as a variable magnification lens, the reticle 38 will advantageously remain the same size independent of the magnification of the distant target. It is understood that other means for attaching the reticle to the erector lens tube 28 may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, including press-fitting, adhesive bonding, and the like.

As best shown in fig. 3-5 and 8, the erector mirror tube 28 has a first or forward annular bearing 56 and a second or rearward annular bearing 58. The first annular bearing 56 is in contact with the windage yaw adjustment assembly 20 for adjusting the horizontal position of the erector lens assembly 18 and, therefore, the horizontal position of the reticle 38. Likewise, the first annular bearing 56 is in contact with the elevation adjustment assembly 24 for adjusting the vertical position of the erector mirror lens assembly 18 and thus the vertical position of the reticle 38. A biasing member (not shown) may be positioned opposite the windage and elevation adjustment assemblies to ensure that the erector mirror tube 28 is continuously biased toward the adjustment assemblies. In this manner, the windage and elevation angles of the sight-

stars

42, 44A, 44B and 44C may be adjusted in a known manner. The yaw and elevation adjustment assemblies are of well known construction and will therefore not be described in further detail.

Referring now to fig. 5-10, the indicator assembly 26 preferably includes a horizontal indicator 60 connected to an indicator mounting bracket 62, which in turn is connected to the rear flange 48 of the erector lens tube 18, such that the horizontal indicator 60 is oriented in a plane parallel to the reticle 38 and thus perpendicular to the line of sight 15. The level indicator 60 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a bubble level having a sealed transparent vial or tube 64 and an opaque liquid 66 located therein in an amount sufficient to form a bubble 68 such that the liquid flows in the direction of gravity, and the bubble 68 incorporates spaced indicator rings 69 (fig. 7 and 10) extending around the circumference of the vial 64 as a tilt or level indicator.

The mounting bracket 62 includes an annular sleeve portion 70 with an opening 72 sized to fit closely over the rear flange 48 of the erector tube 18 and a support portion 74 extending rearwardly from the sleeve portion 70. The support portion 74 includes a side wall 76 having an aperture 78 formed therein that is sized to receive the vial 64 in a close fit. An annular ridge 75 extends inwardly from a sidewall 76 of the sleeve portion 70 to fit closely over a forward edge 77 (fig. 6) of the rear flange 48. Support portion 74 also includes a rear wall 80 having a curved upper edge 82 to allow level indicator 60 to be clearly seen through eyepiece assembly 16, as best shown in fig. 7. The annular sleeve portion 70 of the mounting bracket 62 may be attached to the rear flange 48 by adhesive bonding, press fit, tight fit, and other attachment means, so long as the level indicator 60 is properly aligned with the gauge wire 38 to thereby allow the user to easily determine whether the firearm is level for proper aiming or in an inclined position, which may affect the accuracy of the shot.

With this arrangement, the level indicator 60 is adjacent the reticle 38 and thus adjacent the second focal plane 36 (fig. 10), thereby providing a clear view of the level indicator 60 to the user through the eyepiece assembly 16. Furthermore, since the level indicator 60 is adjacent to and parallel to the second focal plane 36, the level indicator 60 will move during windage and elevation adjustments (as previously described) in proportion to the reticle 38, and will advantageously remain the same size in proportion to the reticle, independent of the magnification of distant targets.

Furthermore, providing level indicator 60 within the confines of mirror housing 12 ensures that the bubble level will always remain in the same orientation relative to the reticle and remain in a protected uncontaminated state between objective lens assembly 14 and eyepiece assembly 16, unlike prior art devices mounted externally to the mirror that are subject to collision dislocation, damage and contamination due to environmental conditions. Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention, the provision of the indicator assembly 16 within the scope of the scope 10 between the reticle 38 and the eyepiece 16 ensures that the bubble level is always visible simultaneously with the reticle and the distant target to ensure the correct orientation of the firearm during aiming, thereby improving the accuracy of the fire compared to prior art solutions.

It is understood that the level indicator 60 is not limited to a bubble level, but may include a pendulum indicator and/or electronic tilt sensing, including solid state tilt sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc., without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Other embodiments of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without the use of inventive faculty, and are intended to fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A sight having an integral level indicator, the sight having a lens housing, an eyepiece at one end of the housing and an objective at an opposite end of the housing defining an optical line of sight between the end and the opposite end, and an erector tube within the lens housing between the eyepiece and the objective, the erector tube having a reticle at a second focal plane of the erector tube along the optical line of sight, comprising:

a level indicator operably associated with the erector tube, the level indicator being adjacent to the reticle for determining a tilt of a firearm.

2. The sight with integral level indicator of claim 1, comprising a mounting bracket connected between the level indicator and the erector tube for connecting the level indicator to the mounting bracket.

3. The sight with integral level indicator of claim 2, wherein the mounting bracket comprises an annular sleeve portion having an opening sized to fit closely over the rear flange of the indicator tube.

4. The sight of claim 3, wherein the mounting bracket further comprises a support portion extending rearwardly from the sleeve portion for receiving the level indicator.

5. The sight of claim 4, wherein the support portion comprises a sidewall having a hole formed therein sized to receive the level indicator.

6. The sight with integral level indicator of claim 5, wherein the support portion further comprises a rear wall having a curved upper edge to allow the level indicator to be clearly seen through the eyepiece assembly.

7. The sight with integral level indicator of claim 6, wherein the level indicator is oriented to determine the inclination of a firearm in a plane perpendicular to the optical line of sight.

8. The sight of claim 7, wherein the level indicator comprises a bubble level.

9. The sight with integral horizontal indicator of claim 8, wherein the horizontal indicator is oriented to determine the inclination of a firearm in a plane perpendicular to the optical line of sight.

10. The sight with integral level indicator of claim 3, further comprising an annular ridge extending inwardly from the sleeve portion to snap fit over a forward edge of the rear flange.

11. The sight with integral level indicator of claim 1, wherein the level indicator comprises a bubble level.

12. A level indicator for a sight having a lens housing, an eyepiece at one end of the housing and an objective at an opposite end of the housing to define an optical line of sight between the end and the opposite end, and an erector tube within the lens housing between the eyepiece and the objective, the erector tube having a reticle at a second focal plane thereof, comprising:

a mounting bracket for connecting to the erector tube between the reticle and the eyepiece, the mounting bracket comprising:

the opening is sized to fit closely over the annular sleeve portion of the indicator tube over the rear flange; and

a support portion extending rearwardly from the sleeve portion for receiving the level indicator, the support portion having a sidewall with an aperture formed therein; and

a bubble level having a generally cylindrical vial received in the bore, the bubble level oriented for determining a tilt of a firearm in a plane perpendicular to the optical line of sight.

13. The level indicator for a sight of claim 12, wherein the support portion further comprises a rear wall having a curved upper edge to allow the bubble level to be clearly seen through an eyepiece assembly.

14. The level indicator for a sight of claim 12, further comprising an annular ridge extending inwardly from the annular sleeve portion to snap fit over a forward edge of the rear flange of the erector tube.