# US 2014/0196351 A1 · Low profile auto-locking pinch/turn adjustment knob

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- Number: US 2014/0196351 A1
- Document ID: US20140196351A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/153,949
- Filed: 2014-01-13
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-14
- Assignees: Leupold & Stevens, Inc.
- Applicants: Leupold & Stevens, Inc.
- Inventors: Daniel I. Campean
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196351A1

## CPC

- G05G 1/082: {having safety devices, e.g. means for disengaging the control member from the actuated member}
- F41G 1/38: Telescopic sights specially adapted for smallarms or ordnance (telescopic sights in general G02B); Supports or mountings therefor {(Means for mounting sighting or aiming devices on firearms F41G11/001)}
- Y10T 74/20474: Rotatable rod, shaft, or post
- G05G: CONTROL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS INSOFAR AS CHARACTERISED BY MECHANICAL FEATURES ONLY ("Bowden" or like mechanisms F16C1/10; gearings or mechanisms not peculiar to this purpose F16H; speed changing or reversing mechanisms for gearings conveying rotary motion F16H59/00 - F16H63/00)
- F41G: WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING (optical aspects thereof G02B)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A compact adjustment knob for an optical, mechanical, or electronic device includes a spindle supported on the device for rotation about an axis to control a setting of the device, and a releasable automatically locking lock mechanism supported on the spindle for rotation therewith. The lock mechanism includes at least one manually depressible button accessible on an outer surface of the adjustment knob and connected to an actuator shaft that extends inwardly through a drive hole in an outer side wall of the spindle so that a force manually applied to the button is transmitted by the actuator shaft to drive the lock mechanism and rotate the spindle. The lock mechanism may include a lock sleeve that is biased to a normally locked position and driven along the axis by the actuator shaft when the button is depressed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An adjustment knob for adjusting an optical, mechanical, or electronic device, comprising:
a spindle supported on the device for rotation about an axis, the spindle operatively associated with an adjustment mechanism that controls a setting of the device; and
a releasable lock mechanism supported on the spindle for rotation therewith, the lock mechanism including:
a button manually depressible in a generally radial direction from a radially outward locked position at which the lock mechanism constrains the spindle to prevent it from rotating relative to the device, to a radially inward unlocked position that releases the lock mechanism and allows the spindle to be rotated, and
an actuator shaft connected to the button and extending radially inward through a drive hole in an outer side wall of the spindle, the actuator shaft transmitting a force applied to the button to drive the lock mechanism and to rotate the spindle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The adjustment knob of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment plunger threaded to the spindle and constrained to prevent it from rotating about the axis.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The adjustment knob of claim 2, wherein the adjustment plunger is an adjustment screw, and further comprising a revolution indicator pin that is attached to the adjustment screw for movement therewith along the axis and visible from outside of the adjustment knob to provide a visual indication of the number of revolutions that the spindle is turned relative to an initial zero position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The adjustment knob of claim 2, wherein the lock mechanism includes a lock sleeve encircling the adjustment plunger and driven by the actuator shaft for movement along the axis in response to a user depressing the button, to thereby release the lock mechanism.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The adjustment knob of claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism includes a lock sleeve that extends into an annular groove in the spindle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The adjustment knob of claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism includes a lock sleeve that is biased in the axial direction toward the locked position by a spring that is concentric with the axis, and the lock sleeve is driven in opposition to the spring toward the unlocked position by depressing the button, and wherein the spring provides sufficient biasing to return the lock sleeve and the button to the locked position when the force is released from the button.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The adjustment knob of claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism includes a lock sleeve that is driven along the axis by the actuator shaft when the button is depressed.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The adjustment knob of claim 7, wherein the lock mechanism further includes a lock pin carried by the spindle, and the lock sleeve contacts and drives the lock pin radially outward and into engagement with a catch when the lock sleeve is in the locked position.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The adjustment knob of claim 7, wherein the actuator shaft contacts and slides against a tapered shoulder surface of the lock sleeve to drive the lock sleeve along the axis and release the lock mechanism.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The adjustment knob of claim 7, further comprising a lock spring operably interposed between the lock sleeve and the spindle to bias the lock sleeve along the axis toward the locked position.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The adjustment knob of claim 1, further comprising a hermetic seal between the actuator shaft and the drive hole that also provides a sliding interface therebetween.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The adjustment knob of claim 1, wherein the spindle and its outer side wall, including the drive hole, are formed in a monolithic structure.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The adjustment knob of claim 1, wherein the spindle is driven for rotation by forces transmitted from the button to the spindle primarily via engagement of the actuator shaft in the drive hole.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The adjustment knob of claim 1, further comprising a second lock-release button supported on the outer side wall of the spindle opposite the button so that the button and the second button may be pinched toward each other by a user to unlock the lock mechanism, the second lock-release button connected to a second actuator shaft that extends radially inward through a second drive hole in the outer side wall of the spindle opposite the drive hole, the second actuator shaft transmitting a force applied to the second button to drive the lock mechanism and to rotate the spindle.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

An optical aiming device including the adjustment knob of claim 1.