Optical: systems and elements – Compound lens system – Telescope
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-08
2002-08-06
Henry, Jon (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Compound lens system
Telescope
C359S399000, C359S424000, C362S023000, C362S035000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06429970
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a supplementary appliance for producing an illuminated reticle for telescopic sights.
Illuminated reticles which are integrated in telescopic sights are known. They are, of course, linked to a specific telescopic sight, that is to say they cannot be used variably, and, together with the telescopic sight, they are relatively expensive.
Hunters have a need for a low-cost supplementary appliance for producing an illuminated reticle in low-light telescopic sights, for hunting in twilight and when the moon is full, when even a low-light telescopic sight no longer allows accurate aiming at a dark target.
A supplementary appliance which, when required, can be pushed onto the ocular area, facing the person firing the weapon, of a telescopic sight is proposed on page 38, right-hand column of Issue No. 9, December 1999 of the journal “Der Jäger in Baden-Württemberg” [The hunter in Baden-Württemberg]. The light from a light-emitting diode is emitted as a point source in the direction of the reticle in a supporting element which leads from underneath to the center of the reticle. The crosswires in the reticle have three bars which point from the outer edge to the aiming line, that is to say to the center point or aiming point of the crosswires. If these bars are provided with a fluorescent coating, then they start to glow under the influence of the light emitted from the light-emitting diode. According to one variant, only the upper region of the aiming post glows and, like the bars which have been mentioned, this ends at a distance from the center point or aiming point of the crosswires, that is to say it also only points toward it. The light source can be switched on and off by means of a rotary switch on the appliance, and the light flux can also be regulated appropriately by the telescopic sight type.
However, this appliance still has a number of disadvantages.
Since the appliance is pushed onto the ocular area of the telescopic sight, facing the person firing the weapon, the distance to the eye is reduced in a corresponding manner, while the risk of the recoil causing injuries to the eye is increased at the same time.
It is suitable only for telescopic sights whose reticle is equipped with the fluorescent bars, which is not true of all sights.
The light from the light-emitting diode shines from the rear into the telescopic sight and illuminates the reticle completely, so that this results in insufficient contrast for the eye of the person firing the weapon.
The actual aiming point in the crosswires is not illuminated and, in fact, this must be averaged, that is to say estimated, on the basis of the fluorescent bars.
Recently, illuminated reticles have appeared for daytime, but in this case the light spot which is produced must be brighter. A stronger light source, that is to say, for example, a more powerful light-emitting diode, a large-diameter optical fiber and a lens with an appropriately adapted focal length are then required.
The object of the invention is to provide a low-cost supplementary appliance for telescopic sights for hunting in twilight and in moonlight, which does not change the distance to the eye and which produces a light point which is as sharp as possible as accurately as possible at the aiming point in the reticle, and thus also offers good contrast to the eye of the person firing the weapon. It is intended to be possible to use the appliance as required with different telescopic sights, and it must be possible to fit it to the telescopic sight, and remove it again, with a few, simple actions.
This is achieved according to the invention in that an inner ring is mounted such that it can be adjusted centrally in an annular cage which can be pushed onto the objective side of a telescopic sight, and the light from a point light source is directed onto a lens which is held on the center axis of the inner ring, with the diameter of the light beam which emerges from the light source being limited by optical means at the object-side focal point of the lens, and with the light beams which leave the lens being directed onto the aiming point in the reticle or crosswires of the telescopic sight.
Since, as an external illuminated reticle, the supplementary appliance is pushed onto the objective end of the telescopic sight, the distance to the eye does not change when it is used. The lens results in a small, sharp light spot being produced in the reticle, to be precise directly at the aiming point, whose size and intensity are equivalent to that of a conventional illuminated reticle integrated in the telescopic sight, and which thus allows the person firing the weapon to aim even in twilight or when the moon is full. Since the appliance can be fitted to the telescopic sight, and can be removed again, as required, it can also be used together with a number of different telescopic sights. It can be fitted as a supplementary device to all telescopic sights on the market, irrespective of their magnification or objective diameter.
It is preferable for the light source to be a red light-emitting diode, and the optical means which limits the diameter of the light beam which originates from the light source may be an optical fiber which projects from this light source and projects as far as the object-side focal point of the lens, or may be an aperture which is arranged at the object-side focal point of the lens. The outlet opening on the optical fiber or the aperture opening is thus imaged as a sharp, tightly limited light spot in the reticle of the telescopic sight.
The lens is preferably a convergent or collimator lens, and the light beams which originate from its focal point and arrive at it as divergent beams leave it as parallel light beams. The supplementary appliance can thus be used on telescopic sights with different distances between the outlet pupil of the appliance and the crosswires, and with different magnifications. It is thus not linked to appliances from a specific manufacturer or of a specific type.
If the lens is a convergent lens whose image-side focal point is located at the aiming point in the reticle or crosswires of the telescopic sight, the appliance is optimally suitable for use on telescopic sights with a specific focal length, and the image of the light spot is then particularly sharp and tightly limited.
Since the diameter of the divergent light beam arriving at the lens is once again limited by a further aperture arranged in front of the lens, this avoids disturbing reflections at the edge of the lens.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, a bush is held on the center axis of the inner ring by one or more thin struts which originate from the inner circumference of the inner ring; at its end facing away from the objective of the telescopic sight, this bush has a recess for accommodating the light source and, at its other end, has a recess for accommodating the lens, with the two recesses being connected to one another by a central passage.
Within the bush, an aperture which has an opening with a desired diameter of approximately 9 &mgr;m is then arranged at the object-side focal point of the lens.
If the light beams are limited by an optical fiber which projects from the light source, then this optical fiber projects into the passage in the bush, as far as the object-side focal point of the lens. Its outlet opening is intended to have a preferred diameter of approximately 9 &mgr;m. The overall length of the bush is then equal to the sum of the focal length f of the lens plus the length a of the optical fiber plus the depths b, c of the two respective recesses for accommodating the light source and the lens.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the light source is fitted to the side of the cage, and its light is carried by an optical fiber (glass fiber) to the object-side focal point of the lens which is held by struts which originate from the inner circumference of the inner ring.
The struts which originate from the inner circumference of the inner ring can end in a sleeve which is locat
Henry Jon
Kasper Horst M.
Sensopart Messtechnik GmbH
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