EP1857767A1 - Viewfinder device for multiple-barrel weapon - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has two adjustment devices (1, 2) for respectively adjusting positions in heights and widths of a light beam of two diodes (3, 4) directed towards a semi-transparent screen (6). A control button (5) controls on-off of the device to automatically switch ignitions of the diodes based on controlled impulsion on the button. The control button manually selects or turns displayed virtual image dedicated to a multi-barreled weapon.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of sighting devices for weapons, especially for multi-gun weapons.

The present invention relates to a multiple sighting control system for weapons with multiple guns.

For many years now, the multi-cannon weapon has become the favorite weapon of hunters for big game hunting. One knows in this respect the rifle express with two striped guns or more complicated weapons with three or four guns.

However, because of its conformation and construction, these types of weapons, regardless of the various user benefits that are known to users, lead to delicate firing convergence problems affecting accuracy and regularity. These problems are difficult to adjust mechanically and this difficulty results in the high price of multi-barrel weapons, especially those equipped with convergence adjustment devices. In this type of weapons, the guns can be interconnected at each end and in the middle and provided in their middle of a device tending to arch more or less to achieve the desired convergence. Indeed, in multi-barreled weapons, the two guns are not exactly parallel but are designed so that their geometric axes converge at a distance of about fifty meters. This convergence is particularly difficult and expensive to obtain.

Moreover, there are on the market multi-barrel weapons much cheaper and more rudimentary than those mentioned above, also manufactured in large series, which do not have a convergence adjustment device and whose guns are simply welded. The best weapons of this type usually require many weld recoveries before achieving convergence. In most other types of weapons, convergence is flawed. The Precision and regularity characteristics of this type of weapon are unfortunately often less or limited to a single type of ammunition. It will be recalled here that the accuracy obtained is all the better that the barrel can vibrate freely, which is not the case in this type of weapons. In addition, the firing of a first barrel causes its heating and therefore its expansion, which tends to deform the second barrel due to the mechanical connection between the two barrels. The development of a multi-gun guns quality is therefore particularly difficult and expensive.

Parallel to this, there have been for some years new types of sights commonly called "red dots" which materialize, by a virtual image mixed with the natural image, the probable location of the shot, and which are among the favorite sights of the hunters of beaten. This type of viewfinder does not cause image enlargement unlike a telescope and is therefore particularly suitable for shooting at short range, of the order of 5 to 50 meters, most often practiced beaten. Due to the lack of magnification, the shooter naturally finds the target in the sighting area, which is particularly valuable in the case of shots to be made quickly, especially when a game moves with great speed, for example when jumping an alley.

The present invention aims to remedy the disadvantages mentioned above multi-gun weapons, including rifles express.

The present invention aims to provide a sighting device suitable for multi-gun weapons and / or weapons firing ammunition different.

According to one aspect of the invention, an electronic device comprises a sensor suitable for detecting a portion of the residual energy generated at the time of firing a multi-barrel weapon and a means for the quasi-simultaneous control of the partial or complete extinction of the virtual image dedicated to the gun that fired, and the partial or complete lighting of the virtual image dedicated to the gun which will probably perform the next shot until all the guns of the weapon, thus resetting the device. In other words, the device, which can be very simple and inexpensive, also called a control system, coordinates the display over time of multiple virtual images superimposed on the same natural line of sight submitted to the shooter. each setting of which is dedicated to each of the guns of the weapon on which this control and aiming system is fixed and this, in particular to render the multi-gun guns inexpensive, a precision and regularity identical and often even better than those reserved for sophisticated and often fragile multi-guns weapons equipped with a system of adjustment of convergence.

For example, in the frequent case of a two-gun rifle express type, which represents the majority of cases of battered use, the electronic device switches each shot the virtual image dedicated to each of the two guns. The electronic device is of virtual image aimed type.

The virtual image electronic targeting device comprises means for detecting by a suitable sensor a part of the residual energy generated at the moment of firing a multi-barrel weapon as well as a means of quasi-simultaneous control of the partial or complete extinction of the virtual image dedicated to the gun that fired and of the partial or complete lighting of the virtual image dedicated to the gun which will probably make the next shot and this until use of all the guns of the weapon thus reinitializing the device.

A complementary key can be provided to manually force the permutation of the virtual image corresponding to the gun of his choice. One can thus adjust the aim on the first or the second barrel of a rifle with two guns.

In addition, the invention can also be applied to a single-channel weapon in which it is desired to be able to quickly fire ammunition with different ballistics. It will be recalled here that the trajectory of ammunition depends on a very large number of factors which, in addition to the mass of the projectile, the quantity of powder and the length of the barrel, also depends on the type of powder, the vibrations of the barrel, the the depth and number of scratches of the barrel, the rotational inertia of the projectile, the position of its center of gravity, its shape, and the characteristics of the metal of the projectile in contact with the barrel, particularly the ductility. Two projectiles of different marks or of different mass or type fired in the same gun generally have relatively different trajectories. In some cases, it is desirable to be able to chain shots of ammunition of different types in the same single-channel weapon. The invention then offers a precise aim.

In one embodiment, the sensor comprises an accelerometer.

In one embodiment, the device comprises a switch. The switch may be connected to an output of the sensor for controlling the extinction of a first virtual image and the ignition of a second virtual image.

In one embodiment, the device includes an additional key to manually force the permutation of the virtual image corresponding to the gun of its choice.

In one embodiment, the device includes a memory for storing a plurality of virtual images. For example, a virtual image can be stored per barrel for a multi-barrel weapon or a plurality of virtual images per barrel, in other words a virtual image by ammunition in the general case and by canon in the case of a multi-barrel weapon.

In one embodiment, the device comprises a command button for manually choosing a displayed virtual image dedicated to a munition that one wishes to use. The device may include a memory for storing virtual images by gun and ammunition.

In one embodiment, the device comprises a first button for selecting a displayed virtual image dedicated to a gun and a second button for choosing a displayed virtual image dedicated to a munition that is to be used in the same gun. .

In one embodiment, the device comprises an image magnification means greater than 1, for example between 2 and 5.

The invention also relates to a multi-barrel weapon equipped with a device as described above.

The invention also relates to a single-channel weapon equipped with a device as described above.

• les figures 1 et 2 sont des vues schématiques en perspective du dispositif électronique de visée.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description of an embodiment taken by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which:

• Figures 1 and 2 are schematic perspective views of the electronic sighting device.

As can be seen in the figures, the sighting device comprises a housing 1 supporting a diode 3, a diode 4 and a semi-transparent screen 6. The housing 1 comprises an adjusting device 2 for adjusting the positioning in height and in width the beam of the diode 3 directed on the semi-transparent screen 6. The beam of the diode 3 can be assigned to the first barrel of the weapon, see Figure 1. The housing 1 also comprises a setting device 5 for adjusting the positioning in height and width of the beam of the diode 4 directed on the semi-transparent screen 6. This beam is particularly affected to the second barrel of the weapon, see Figure 2. The adjustment devices 2 and 5 can be of mechanical type, for example comprising screws with a small pitch determining the positioning of the light beam of the diodes 3 and 4 on the semi-transparent screen 6. The casing 1 also comprises a button 7 making it possible to switch the ignition of the diodes 3 and 4 by the pulse commanded by the user on the button 7. The button 7 also has a position in which the switching of the lighting of the diodes 3 and 4 is performed automatically at the start of the shot.

In the state illustrated in FIG. 1, the diode 4 is on and the diode 3 is off. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the diode 3 is on and the diode 4 is off.

The button 7 is connected to an electronic control module 8 (see Figure 1) disposed in the housing 1 for controlling the switching on and off of the diodes 3 and 4. The control module 8 may be under the form of a switch. The housing 1 also contains a sensor 9 (see Figure 1) capable of detecting the start of a shot. The sensor 9 may be of the accelerometer type. The sensor 9 may be in the form of a conductive ball slidably mounted on a rail and kept away from a contact by a spring. When starting a shot, the acceleration experienced by the weapon and the sighting device also known as recoil, causes the crash of the spring so that the ball comes to touch the contact, which causes the emission of an electrical signal. The sensor 9 may be in the form of a capacitor with elastic insulation separating the electrodes. The insulation is likely to deform with varying thickness and capacity value at the start of a shot. The capacity variation can result in a variation of voltage or current depending on the mounting used. In addition, the sensor can provide vibration damping. The sensor 9 is provided with an output connected to the control module 8. The control module 8, receiving a signal from the sensor 9, switches off the diode 3 or 4 on and the ignition of diode 4 or 3 previously off.

The control module 8 can be equipped with a memory for storing different settings for the use of different ammunition. In this embodiment, the adjusting devices 2 and 5 may be of the electromechanical type with a mechanical decoupling between the wheels which can be turned by the user and the diodes 3 and 4. It is thus possible to provide a setting for a plurality of ammunition. The user can choose an ammunition adapted to the mass of the game, or adapted to the planned shooting distance.

The housing 1 may also contain a power supply, for example in the form of a small battery. The housing 1 can also be equipped with a selection button of target, for example in the form of a numbered numbered wheel connected to the control module 8 and allowing the indication of a chosen adjustment number that the user can match a munition.

Thus, with the classic setting of red dots dedicated to each gun and all arranged on the same natural line of sight, the virtual image sighting device makes it possible to overcome the lack of physical convergence of a multi-gun weapon but also of adapting the specific responses of a weapon, including those with a convergence adjustment device, to the case-by-case and for each given munition, the latter device becoming in this case useless.

The aiming device may be provided with a magnifying optic, for example a fixed magnification of between 1.5 and 5, for example 3 or 4, or a variable magnification between a low value of between 1 and 3, for example 1.25. , and a high value of between 3 and 9, for example 5. For this purpose, the magnifying optics may comprise two optical telescope paths, each comprising an independent and separately adjustable reticular block controlled by the control module 8. The device of sight can comprise two movable mirrors perpendicular to each other and arranged at 45 ° of the main optical axis. An engine can move the mirrors. Each reticular block may comprise a plurality of fixed mirrors ensuring in particular the magnification. On the optical path, is superimposed a first virtual image of a cross or a point attributed to the gun that will shoot. After firing, the first virtual image is extinguished and a second virtual image of a cross or dot assigned to the other canon. Here we mean by attributing, the fact that the cross or point and the axis of the soul of the gun converge at a selected distance.

Thanks to the invention, it has a virtual image sighting device or "red dot" significantly improved and able to adapt to at least two different ammunition in the case of a single-channel train, for example a light ball 8 grams for animals with a mass of less than 50 kg, and an 11 gram bullet ammunition for animals weighing more than 50 kg in the case of 7 mm caliber. Particularly suitable for multi-gun weapons, such as express rifles, the virtual-sighting and selective-aiming sighting device makes it possible to give an ordinary weapon with any convergence a target accuracy that very high-end weapons can not reach. not even to get.

In other words, it is possible to give the rifled barrels of an express rifle a precision very close to that reached by a single-shot weapon also called a bolt action rifle. This results in a considerable extension of the field of use of the rifles express, including the practical range of the weapon that can be extended by several tens of meters. In addition, an express rifle equipped with the virtual image sighting device can be used for types of hunting other than the batter, which makes it possible to confer this type of weapon uses much wider.

In the latter case, it will be possible to display on the semi-transparent screen 6 a point of color, for example red, of diameter adapted to the type of shot or type of flush practiced, for example with a point of color diameter classic for battering and a smaller diameter color point for longer range shooting, such as when approaching or on a watchtower. This facilitates shooting at a greater distance. The housing 1 can then be equipped with a color point diameter selection button, which can be connected to the control module 8 for either the control of the diodes 3 and 4, or the control of specific diodes provided for offer a point of color of reduced diameter.

Claims (10)

A virtual image aiming device whose main characteristic lies in the detection by a suitable sensor (9) of a part of the residual energy generated at the moment of firing of a multi-barrel weapon as well as in the quasi-automatic control simultaneous partial or complete extinction of the virtual image dedicated to the gun that fired and the partial or complete ignition of the virtual image dedicated to the gun that will probably perform the next shot and until the use of all the guns of the weapon thus reinitializing the device. Device according to claim 1, provided with a control button (7) for manually choosing and in turn the displayed virtual image dedicated to the gun that is desired to use. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said sensor (9) comprises an accelerometer, the device comprising a screen (6) for displaying a virtual image. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a switch (8) capable of controlling the virtual images, said switch being connected to an output of the sensor (9). Device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a key for manually forcing the permutation of the virtual image corresponding to the gun of its choice. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a means of adaptation to different ammunition. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the ammunition matching means comprises a memory for storing a virtual image or a virtual image setting by barrel and / or ammunition. Device according to claim 7 or 8, comprising a first command button for selecting the displayed virtual image dedicated to the gun that one wishes to use and a second command button to manually choose the virtual image dedicated to the ammunition that you want to use. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising means of magnification greater than 1. Multi-gun weapon equipped with a device according to any one of the preceding claims.

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