FR2790547A1 - Hunting accidents firearm activation prevention system having all direction fixed frequency transmitter and firearm attached directional receiver transmitter frequency tuned/activating inhibition mechanism. - Google Patents

Abstract

The firing prevention mechanism has a portable directional receiver (3) tuned to receive radio frequency waves from a transmitter (5). The transmitter is omni directional whilst the receiver is directional. The receiver is fixed to the fire arm position of a hunter, so that a user with a transmitter is detected, and an inhibition mechanism is activated on the fire arm being used.

Description

SHOOTING SECURITY DEVICE FOR FIREARMS

  The present invention relates to the means making it possible to avoid or reduce shooting accidents between the members of the same armed group operating in the field. In particular, the invention aims to reduce hunting accidents, during which a hunter equipped with a firearm can shoot another hunter or a reel inadvertently in the firing line. Hunting accidents multiply by the increase in the number of hunters and especially by the organization of beatings such as beatings with wild boars and other harmful animals

  with less and less experienced hunters.

  We try to avoid hunting accidents by enacting and respecting safety rules. However, these rules prove to be insufficient, as the growing number shows

hunting accidents.

  In particular, the safety rules are insufficient when there is a lack of visibility, for example in copses and undergrowth. The problem proposed by the present invention is to provide satisfactory security, in particular in cases of insufficient visibility, to prevent shots from reaching people in or near the line.

shooting.

  The object of the invention is also to provide autonomous, portable and light means which, despite their light weight and small size, are capable of ensuring safety for a satisfactory duration compatible with the conditions of use. To achieve these and other objects, the invention provides a fire safety device for a firearm comprising: - at least one portable directional receiver of electromagnetic waves, tuned to at least one predetermined wave frequency, and adapted to selectively pick up electromagnetic waves coming from a determined direction of preferential reception and to produce a reception signal when receiving an electromagnetic wave, - at least one portable non-directional emitter of electromagnetic wave, adapted to transmit a electromagnetic wave having said determined wave frequency, - means for fixing the directional portable receiver on a firearm in a position in which said determined preferential direction of reception is parallel to the firing axis of the firearm, - an alert device, receiving the reception signal and adapted to generate, on receipt of said reception signal, an alert signal which is perceptible by the user to encourage him to suspend shooting and / or which controls an inhibition device

  acting on the gun to prohibit shooting.

  Preferably, in order to reduce the consumption of the transmitter and thus increase its autonomy, the portable non-directional electromagnetic wave transmitter emits trains of intermittent electromagnetic waves, comprising relatively short emission phases and relatively long phases

of silence.

  The duration of the silence phases should preferably be less than 0.1 seconds, so as to ensure rapid detection

  under satisfactory security conditions.

  Also, to ensure an alert under satisfactory safety conditions, on reception of a wave train, the directional portable receiver transmits a reception signal of

  duration greater than the silence phase duration.

  A reduction in consumption, and therefore an increase in the autonomy of the receiver, can be ensured by providing that the alert signal perceptible by the user is a train of

intermittent warning signals.

  The alert signal perceptible by the user can advantageously be an optical signal, for example the signal generated by at least one light-emitting diode positioned according to

  the line of sight of the firearm.

  According to an advantageous embodiment, the directional portable receiver is associated, in the same portable element on the firearm, with a non-directional portable transmitter offset laterally away from the determined direction of preferential reception. In the case where one wishes to use several portable transmitters and several portable receivers simultaneously, it is necessary to provide means allowing the use of all the receivers and the transmitters on the same electromagnetic wave frequency. Means must then be provided to prevent the directional portable receiver associated with a firearm from generating a reception signal on each transmission from the non-directional portable transmitter associated with the same firearm. For this, according to one embodiment, the directional portable receiver is associated with means inhibiting the production of the reception signal during the reception of an electromagnetic wave whose amplitude is less than a determined threshold, said threshold being greater than reception level of the wave emitted by the non-directional portable transmitter associated with the directional portable receiver in the

same portable item.

  Alternatively, the directional portable receiver can be associated with means inhibiting the reception signal during the transmission phases of the non-directional portable transmitter associated with the directional portable receiver in the same element.

portable.

  Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the

  present invention will emerge from the following description of modes

  of particular embodiments, made in relation to the attached figures, among which: FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the use of a transmitter and a receiver according to the present invention for producing a fire safety device for a firearm, according to one embodiment; - Figure 2 is an electrical block diagram of a portable device associating a transmitter and a receiver as used in Figure 1, shown on a larger scale; - Figure 3 illustrates the adaptation of the device of the invention on a firearm; - Figure 4 illustrates the portable device of the invention, adapted to the firearm in use; - Figure 5 illustrates the effect of the device of the invention during a hunting party; and - Figure 6 illustrates the waveforms at different points in the

Figure 2 circuit.

  In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a fire safety device for a firearm according to the invention comprises at least a first portable element 1 and a second portable element 2. The first portable element 1 comprises at least one receiver directional portable 3 of electromagnetic waves, tuned to at least one determined frequency of wave, and adapted to selectively pick up electromagnetic waves 5 coming from a determined direction of preferential reception 4 and to produce a reception signal during the reception of an electromagnetic wave 5. The second portable element 2 comprises a non-directional portable emitter of electromagnetic waves 6, adapted to emit an electromagnetic wave 5 having said

determined wave frequency.

  The first portable element 1 having the portable directional receiver 3 is contained in a box 7 provided with means 8 such as straps, lugs, collars, for fixing the box 7 and the portable directional receiver 3 which it contains on a weapon. 9, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The first portable element 1 is fixed to the gun 9 in a position in which the determined direction of preferential reception 4 is

  parallel to the shooting axis 10 of the firearm 9.

  Referring again to FIG. 1, in the illustrated embodiment, the first portable element 1 further comprises an alert device 11, receiving the reception signal produced by the directional portable receiver 3, and adapted to generate, on receipt of said reception signal, an alert signal 12 which is perceptible by the user to encourage him to stay shooting and / or which controls an inhibition device acting on

  the firearm to prohibit shooting.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the warning device 11 comprises at least one light-emitting diode 13 producing an optical warning signal perceptible by the user

  and positioned along the line of sight 14 of the firearm 9.

  As an alternative or in addition, provision can be made for the alert device 11 to comprise at least one electroacoustic transducer such as a headset 15, producing a

  audible alert signal perceptible by the user.

  As an alternative or in addition, the alert device 11 may comprise a locking mechanism, not shown in the figures, making it possible to prohibit the movement of the trigger 16 of the firearm 9 to inhibit firing and prohibit so the

  firing in the presence of a reception signal.

  In Figure 4, there is illustrated the first portable element 1 adapted on the firearm 9 in the position of use by a user 17. The user 17 points the firearm 9 along a firing axis 10, in aiming along the line of sight 14. If an electromagnetic wave comes from the direction of the firing axis 10 or line of sight 14, the first portable element 1 containing the portable directional receiver 3 generates a reception signal which produces, by l intermediary of the alert device 11, an alert signal 12, for example by the light-emitting diode 13 arranged along the line of sight 14. By perceiving the alert signal 12, the user is thus informed of the presence of '' a transmitter in the vicinity of its firing axis 10, and interrupts the firing procedure to avoid reaching a target which carries the second portable element 2 provided with the portable transmitter not

  directional of electromagnetic waves 6.

  As will be understood, the non-directional portable emitter of electromagnetic waves 6 is an electronic circuit adapted to generate an electric current at the frequency F of the electromagnetic wave 5 to be emitted, the electric current being sent to an antenna adapted to emit said electromagnetic wave 5 non-directionally. Thus, the electromagnetic wave 5 is emitted in all directions of

  the space around the second portable element 2.

  For the operation of the electronic circuit constituting the non-directional portable emitter of electromagnetic waves 6, the second portable element contains an internal source of electrical energy such as a battery or an accumulator. In order to reduce the energy consumption taken from the internal source of electrical energy, provision is made for the non-directional portable electromagnetic wave transmitter 6 to emit intermittent trains of electromagnetic waves, comprising relatively short phases of emission and relatively long phases of silence. For example, the frequency F of the electromagnetic wave can be of the order of 457 kHz, or higher, the duration of the emission phase can be around 1 millisecond, the duration of the silence phase can be d 'about 10 milliseconds. It is necessary to choose a sufficiently short duration of silence phase, preferably less than 0.1 second, so as to make imperceptible the waiting time between the instant of arrival of a target in the vicinity of the firing axis 10 and the moment of its detection

  by the directional portable receiver 3.

  The portable directional receiver 3 as well as the alert device 11 constitute, in the first portable element 1, electronic circuits also supplied by an internal source of electrical energy such as a battery or an accumulator. To reduce the consumption of electrical energy taken from the internal source of electrical energy, and thus increase the autonomy of the device, provision is advantageously made for the directional portable receiver 3 to transmit a reception signal of duration greater than the phase duration of silence of the non-directional portable transmitter of electromagnetic waves 6, so as to conceal all or part of the phases of silence, and the alert signal 12 perceptible by the user and produced by the alert device 11 is a train intermittent warning signals. For example, the light-emitting diode 13 can be illuminated for durations of approximately 50 milliseconds separated by extinction durations of approximately 100 to 200 milliseconds. Other durations can be chosen without this

  significantly changes the operation.

  In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the directional portable receiver 3 is associated, in the first portable element 1 adapted to a firearm, with a non-directional portable transmitter 106 offset laterally away from the determined direction of preferential reception 4. Similarly, in the second portable element 2, the non-directional portable emitter of electromagnetic waves 6 is associated with a directional portable receiver 103 adapted to receive electromagnetic waves in a determined direction of preferential reception 104. For a using two portable elements 1 and 2 isolated, it can be provided that the first portable non-directional transmitter of electromagnetic waves 6 transmits on a frequency F1 to which the first portable directional receiver 3 is tuned, while the second portable non-directional transmitter 106 transmits on a different frequency F2 on which is tuned from the second directional portable receiver 103. This avoids interference between the frequencies F1 and F2, so that the emissions of electromagnetic waves can be simultaneous, and

  allow simultaneous reciprocal detections.

  However, if it is wished to use more than two portable elements simultaneously, means must be provided allowing the almost simultaneous emission and reception of electromagnetic waves, while avoiding interference. In particular, the portable directional receiver 3 of a first portable element 1 must not generate a reception signal because of the electromagnetic wave emitted by the portable non-directional transmitter.

106 of the same portable element 1.

  One solution is to provide for emitting electromagnetic waves on the same frequency F, for all portable elements, and to provide means inhibiting the production of the reception signal when receiving an electromagnetic wave whose amplitude is lower. at a determined threshold, said determined threshold being greater than the reception level of the electromagnetic wave emitted by the non-directional portable transmitter 106 associated with the directional portable receiver 3 in the same portable element. We then take advantage of the directional nature of the directional portable receiver 3, which detects only a small amplitude of the electromagnetic wave emitted by the associated non-directional portable transmitter 106 and which thus remains sensitive to electromagnetic waves 5 coming from a electromagnetic 6 non-directional portable transmitter of another

portable element 2.

  According to another solution, the directional portable receiver 3 is associated with means inhibiting the reception signal during the transmission phases of the non-portable transmitter.

  directional 106 associated in the same first portable element 1.

  FIG. 2 illustrates a possible diagram of this latter embodiment. In the first portable element 1, there is the directional portable receiver 3 associated with a directional receiving antenna 20 adapted to receive the electromagnetic waves in a determined direction of preferential reception 4. We also find the non-directional portable transmitter 106, illustrated in the form of a non-directional antenna supplied by a generator 21 of high frequency electric current via an amplifier 22. In the amplifier 22, the signal coming from the generator 21 is modulated

  by the signal from a modulator circuit 23.

  The directional portable receiver 3 produces a reception signal sent by a line 24 to an amplifier 25 also receiving the signal from the modulator 23 via an inverter 26. In the amplifier 25, the reception signal is modulated by the signal from the modulator 23 inverted, to be transmitted

to the alert system 11.

  The operation of the circuit is illustrated in FIG. 6, representing the waveforms of the signals at the main nodes of the circuit. The signal Si is the signal from the generator 21, and constitutes a high frequency electrical signal, for example of the order of 457 kHz or more, of constant amplitude. The signal S2 is the output signal from the modulator 23, used to modulate the signal Si from the generator. The modulation is illustrated in the following graph illustrating the signal S3 emitted by the non-directional portable transmitter 106, in the form of an intermittent electromagnetic wave train, comprising short phases E

  emission and long phases S of silence.

  According to the following graphs, the signal S4 of possible reception of the electromagnetic wave has been represented by the associated directional portable receiver 3. Indeed, part of the electromagnetic wave emitted by the portable non-directional transmitter 106 can be received by the portable receiver

  directional 3, producing a reception signal on line 24.

  The reception signal S4 has the same shape as the signal S3 of the wave emitted by the non-directional portable transmitter 106. The amplifier 25, receiving both the reception signal S4 and the inverted signal from the modulator 23, is is inhibited during the transmission phases of the non-directional portable transmitter 106, as illustrated by the signal S5. As a result, the signal

  reception S4 is not transmitted to the alert device 11.

  FIG. 5 illustrates the possible use of the safety device according to the invention, during a hunting party. A first user 17 carries a first portable element 1 adapted to his firearm 9, and capable of emitting an alert signal by a light-emitting diode 13 on receipt of an electromagnetic wave in the firing axis. A second hunter 117 carries a second portable element which emits electromagnetic waves in all directions. It will be understood that a portable element can be adapted not only to one of the hunters, but also to a dog 118 or any other target that one wants to avoid. When the user 17 points his firearm 9 towards the second hunter 117, or the dog 118, his receiver detects the electromagnetic wave coming from the second hunter 117 or the dog 118 and generates the alert signal to interrupt the

shoot.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been explicitly described, but it includes the various variants and generalizations thereof contained in the field.

of the claims below.

Claims (8)

  1 - Shooting safety device for a firearm, characterized in that it comprises: - at least one directional portable receiver (3) of electromagnetic waves, tuned to at least a predetermined wave frequency, and suitable for picking up selectively the electromagnetic waves (5) coming from a determined preferential direction of reception (4) and to produce a reception signal when receiving an electromagnetic wave (5), - at least one portable non-directional wave transmitter electromagnetic (6), adapted to emit an electromagnetic wave (5) having said determined wave frequency, - means (8) for fixing the portable directional receiver (3) on a firearm (9) in a position in which said determined preferential reception direction (4) is parallel to the firing axis (10) of the firearm (9), - an alert device (11), receiving the reception signal and adapted to generate, to rec eption of said reception signal, an alert signal (12) which is perceptible by the user to encourage him to stay shooting and / or which controls a device   inhibition acting on the firearm (9) to prohibit shooting.   2 - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the portable non-directional electromagnetic wave transmitter (6) emits trains of intermittent electromagnetic waves, comprising relatively short emission phases (E) and   relatively long phases (S) of silence.   3 - Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the duration of the silence phases (S) is less than 0.1 second.   4 - Device according to one of claims 2 or 3,   characterized in that, upon reception of a wave train, the directional portable receiver (3) transmits a duration reception signal   greater than the silence phase duration (S).   - Device according to any one of claims 1   to 3, characterized in that the alert signal (12) perceptible by   the user is a train of intermittent warning signals. he   6 - Device according to any one of claims 1   to 5, characterized in that the alert signal (12) perceptible by   the user is an optical signal.   7 - Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the alert device (11) comprises at least one light-emitting diode (13) producing the alert signal (12) perceptible by the user and positioned along the line of sight (14) of the firearm (9).   8 - Device according to any one of claims 1   7, characterized in that the portable directional receiver (3) is associated, in the same portable element (1) on the firearm (9), with a portable non-directional transmitter (106) offset laterally away of the specified direction of reception preferential (4).   9 - Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the directional portable receiver (3) is associated with means inhibiting the production of the reception signal during the reception of an electromagnetic wave whose amplitude is less than a determined threshold , said threshold being greater than the reception level of the wave emitted by the non-directional portable transmitter (106) associated with the directional portable receiver (3) in the same element portable (1).   - Device according to one of claims 8 or 9,   characterized in that the portable directional receiver (3) is associated with means (22-26) inhibiting the reception signal during the transmission phases of the portable non-directional transmitter (106) associated with the portable directional receiver (3)   in the same portable element (1).