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US 5,653,034 AGranted
Reflex sighting device for day and night sighting
AssigneeTrijicon, Inc.
InventorGlyn A. J. Bindon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reflex sighting device for day and night sighting including a light collector assembly for providing illumination for a reticle pattern for sighting and having a fiber optic light collector section defined by an optical fiber arranged to receive ambient light directed radially inwardly into the optical fiber and having a lens for focusing the ambient light radially inwardly into the optical fiber and including an artificial light source for providing lighting for night time illumination of the reticle pattern.
Claims52
A sighting device for day and night use for viewing a scene or object along a sighting axis, comprising:
- reticle structure means for providing a reticle pattern for use in aiming said sighting device,
- a first source of light being a means for receiving ambient light;
- a second source of light being a source of artificial light;
- said first source of light comprising light collector means including a fiber optic light collector defined by an optical fiber having a preselected length and adapted to receive light directed radially inwardly into said optical fiber over said preselected length to provide a determinable level of illumination to said reticle structure means for providing a desired level of brightness for said reticle pattern for a desired contrast with the level of illumination of the image or object being viewed;
- a fiber optic line operatively connected with said fiber optic light collector,
- said fiber optic light collector providing illumination to a light emitting end of said fiber optic line;
- fiber optic means connected with said second source of light for providing illumination to said light emitting end of said fiber optic line;
- and beam-splitting means comprising a non-telescopic, dichroic mirror operative for reflecting wavelengths of light over a first range and for transmitting wavelengths over a second range;
- said dichroic mirror having a central axis generally located in line with the sighting axis whereby the scene or object is viewed through said dichroic mirror;
- said reticle structure receiving illumination from said light emitting end within said first range of wavelengths and projecting said reticle pattern onto said dichroic mirror to produce a reflected image of said reticle pattern superimposed on the image or object being viewed;
- said light collector means comprising a lens structure operatively connected with said fiber optic collector for focusing ambient light radially inwardly into said optical fiber generally over said preselected length.
8 more elements
A sighting device for viewing a scene or object comprising:
- reticle structure means for providing a reticle pattern for use in aiming said sighting device, a light source actuated by ambient light, said light source comprising a fiber optic light collector defined by an optical fiber having a preselected length and adapted to receive ambient light directed radially inwardly into said optical fiber over said preselected length to provide a determinable level of illumination to said reticle structure means and creating a level of brightness for providing a desired contrast with the level of illumination of the image or object being viewed;
- and beam-splitting means;
- said fiber optic light collector providing illumination to said reticle structure means, said reticle pattern being projected onto said beam-splitting means to produce a reflected image of said reticle pattern superimposed on the image or object being viewed, said optical fiber of said fiber optic light collector having a core portion and an outer cladding, said core portion including a fluorescent material to provide illumination of a preselected wavelength in response to the ambient light, said cladding being generally transparent to permit ambient light to pass radially therethrough to impinge upon the fluorescent material of said core portion, a light collecting lens adapted to be located proximate to said fiber optic light collector and having a lens structure adapted to focus the ambient light radially into said optical fiber generally over said preselected length.
A sighting device for day and night use for viewing a scene or object, comprising:
- reticle structure means for providing a reticle pattern for use in aiming said sighting device,
- first light source means for receiving ambient light and for providing illumination from the ambient light to said reticle structure means for illuminating said reticle pattern;
- second light source means comprising an artificial light source and for providing illumination from said artificial light source to said reticle structure means for illuminating said reticle pattern;
- said first light source means comprising a fiber optic light collector defined by a first optical fiber having a preselected length and adapted to receive light directed radially inwardly into said first optical fiber over said preselected length to provide a determinable level of illumination to said reticle structure means for providing a desired level of brightness for said reticle pattern for a desired contrast with the level of illumination of the image or object being viewed;
- fiber optic means operatively connected with said first and second light source means for transmitting the light obtained from said fiber optic light collector and from said artificial light source to said reticle structure means,
- beam-splitting means for transmitting light waves over a first range of wavelengths and reflecting light waves over a second range of wavelengths and adapted to receive the scene or object being viewed and to transmit the scene or object with light of a wavelength in said first range of wavelengths;
- said first and second light source means and said fiber optic means operative for transmitting light of a wavelength in said second range of wavelengths;
- said reticle structure means receiving illumination from said fiber optic means and projecting said reticle pattern onto said beam-splitting means to produce a reflected image of said reticle pattern within said second range of wavelengths superimposed on the scene or object being viewed and being transmitted by said beam splitting means within said first range of wavelengths,
- said first light source means comprising a lens structure operatively connected with said fiber optic light collector for focusing ambient light radially inwardly into said first optical fiber generally over said preselected length.
6 more elements
A sighting device for viewing a scene or object, comprising:
- reticle structure means for providing a reticle pattern for use in aiming said sighting device,
- ambient light source means for receiving ambient light and for providing illumination from the ambient light to said reticle structure means for illuminating said reticle pattern;
- said ambient light source means comprising a fiber optic light collector defined by a first optical fiber having a preselected length and adapted to receive light directed radially inwardly into said first optical fiber over said preselected length to provide a determinable level of illumination to said reticle structure means for providing a desired level of brightness for said reticle pattern for a desired contrast with the level of illumination of the scene or object being viewed;
- fiber optic means operatively connected with said ambient light source means for transmitting the light obtained from said fiber optic light collector to said reticle structure means,
- beam-splitting means for transmitting light waves over a first range of wavelengths and reflecting light waves over a second range of wavelengths and adapted to receive the scene or object being viewed and to transmit the scene or object with light in said first range of wavelengths;
- said ambient light source means and said fiber optic means operative for transmitting light of a wavelength in said second range of wavelengths;
- said reticle structure means receiving illumination from said fiber optic means and projecting said reticle pattern onto said beam-splitting means to produce a reflected image of said reticle pattern within said second range of wavelengths superimposed on the scene or object being viewed and being transmitted by said beam splitting means within said first range of wavelengths,
- said ambient light source means comprising a lens structure operatively connected with said fiber optic light collector for focusing ambient light radially inwardly into said first optical fiber generally over said preselected length.
5 more elements
In a sighting device for viewing a scene or object and having a reticle structure for providing a reticle pattern for use in viewing the scene or object, a source of light for illuminating the reticle pattern, comprising:
- ambient light source means for receiving ambient light and for providing illumination from the ambient light to the reticle structure for illuminating the reticle pattern;
- said ambient light source means comprising a fiber optic light collector defined by a first optical fiber constructed of a light activated material for providing illumination in response to light incident thereon, said first optical fiber having a preselected length and adapted to receive light directed radially inwardly into said first optical fiber over said preselected length to provide a determinable level of illumination for the reticle structure for providing a desired level of brightness for said reticle pattern;
- said ambient light source means comprising a lens structure operatively connected with said fiber optic light collector for focusing ambient light radially inwardly into said first optical fiber generally over said preselected length.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.