Sight device for a firearm, in particular for a handgun

Abstract

A sight device for a firearm having a base, a sight arm, a rear sight slide, and at least one rear sight piece having a rear sight. The sight arm engages the base and is pivotable in a pivot direction relative thereto about a pivot axis. The rear sight slide, arranged proximate a free end of the sight arm, is displaceable relative to the sight axis and the pivot direction relative to the sight arm, and is fixed on the sight arm in an adjusted setting position. The rear sight slide includes a receptacle with retaining structures for removably engaging the rear sight piece. A latch section of a spring-loaded latch piece on the rear sight slide engages in a latch receiver on the rear sight piece when the rear sight piece is inserted into the receptacle and holds the rear sight piece in a fixed position.

Claims

1. A sight device for a firearm, in particular a handgun, comprising: a base; a sight arm; a rear sight slide; and at least one rear sight piece having a rear sight, wherein the sight arm is fixed to the base in order to be pivotable in a pivot direction relative to the base about a pivot axis extending transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to a sight axis; wherein the rear sight slide is arranged on the sight arm in a vicinity of a free end of the sight arm and is displaceable transversely to the sight axis, as well as transversely to the pivot direction relative to the sight arm for an adjustment position, and the rear sight slide is fixable on the sight arm in a set adjustment position; wherein the at least one rear sight piece is detachably fixed on the rear sight slide and in a defined position relative to the rear sight slide; wherein the rear sight slide on an upper side has a receiver for the rear sight piece, which receiver is open toward an end face of the free end of the sight arm, and has retaining structures into which the rear sight piece is insertable in a direction parallel to the sight axis, and in which the rear sight piece is held in a fixed position on the rear sight slide in the pivot direction and in a direction transverse to the pivot direction, and transverse to the sight axis due to the interaction of the retaining structures with matching structures on the rear sight piece; and wherein a spring-loaded latch piece, which is displaceable in the pivot direction is provided on the rear sight slide, which latch piece comprises a locking section and engages in a locking receiver on the rear sight piece when the rear sight piece is inserted into the receiver.

2. The sight device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining structures on the rear sight slide are formed by two dovetail grooves which run parallel to the sight axis and interact with dovetail projections formed on the rear sight piece as the matching structure.

3. The sight device according to claim 1, wherein the latch piece arranged in a latch receiver formed in the rear sight slide, and is biased by a spring in a direction of an upper side of the rear sight slide into a locking position.

4. The sight device according to claim 3, wherein the latch receiver is formed in the rear sight slide such that the latch piece inserted therein is accessible only via an opening of the latch receiver defined on the upper side of the rear sight slide, and in that the rear sight piece has an opening through which the latch receiver and the latch piece arranged therein are accessible, when the rear sight piece is affixed on the rear sight slide.

5. The sight device according to claim 1, wherein the end face at the free end of the sight arm is a plane end face against which a level bearing surface of the rear sight slide rests and along which the level bearing surface of the rear sight slide slides, when the rear sight slide is displaced relative to the sight arm in order to set the adjustment position, wherein the end surface in the vicinity of the receiver projects beyond a contact surface, such that the end surface forms a stop opposite a side on which the receiver is open for insertion of the rear sight piece, and limits the insertion of the rear sight piece.

6. The sight device according to claim 1, wherein the rear sight slide is displaceable relative to the sight arm by means of a set screw and is affixable in the adjustment position.

7. The sight device according to claim 1, comprising at least two rear sight pieces with differently shaped rear sights.

8. The sight device according to claim 1, wherein the pivot axis extends perpendicularly relative to the sight axis.

9. The sight device according to claim 1, wherein the rear sight slide is displaceable perpendicularly to the sight axis relative to the sight arm for the adjustment position.

10. The sight device according to claim 1, wherein the rear sight slide is displaceable perpendicularly to the pivoting direction relative to the sight arm for the adjustment position.

11. The sight device according to claim 1 formed as an interchangeable sight device for attachment to a firearm and includes an attachment means formed on the base for fixation to the firearm.

12. The sight device according to claim 11, wherein the firearm is a handgun.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) From the above general description of the invention, the advantages and features of the sight device according to the invention will already be clear to those skilled in the art. For further illustration, an exemplary embodiment of the invention is, moreover, described below as a possible implementation variant, with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional oblique rear view, i.e., a section of a sight device according to the invention in a first exemplary embodiment having a replaceable rear sight piece, which is not attached to the rear sight slide above the installation position;

(3) FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the sight device according to FIG. 1, seen obliquely from above, and with the essential parts of the rear sight device in exploded view;

(4) FIG. 3 is a view of the sight device according to FIG. 1 obliquely from below and with the essential parts of the sight device in exploded view;

(5) FIG. 4 is a partially cut-away view of the sight device according to FIG. 1, with the rear sight piece attached to the rear sight slide to better display the stop;

(6) FIG. 5 is a partially sectional view of a sight arm of a sight device according to the invention in a second exemplary embodiment being slightly modified from the first exemplary embodiment; and

(7) FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the sight arm according to FIG. 5, showing partially cut-out components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) The figures show two feasible exemplary embodiments for a sight device according to the invention. These are described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that in some instances the figures only show sections of the sight devices, i.e., those sections that are essential to the description of the invention. What's more, it bears repeating that the shown exemplary embodiments only represent possible implementation variants of a sight device according to the invention, i.e., there are also other forms of arrangement and variants, in which a sight device according to the invention may be formed. In particular, features that are particular to each of the embodiments shown herein may also be combined and replaced with the other exemplary embodiment. Also, individual features specified in the following description may be used quite generally with embodiments, which are otherwise different from the specific embodiments shown herein and implemented therein, in particular also with such features and general embodiments as were explained in the above general description. In the drawings, the same or similar elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

(9) In FIGS. 1-4, a sight device according to the first exemplary embodiment shown therein is generally designated by reference numeral 1. The sight device 1 is specifically a rear sight device, i.e., does not also contain an integrated front-sight element. The front-sight element for the sight formed with the depicted sight device 1 is mounted on the firearm at a different location and with a separate front sight carrier.

(10) The sight device 1 of this exemplary embodiment comprises, in a manner basically compliant with known comparable sight devices, a base 2 and a sight arm 3 pivotally attached to the base 2 relative to the base 2 about a pivot axis 4 (formed here by a connecting pin). At a free end, which is rearwardly opposite the employed pivot axis 4, a rear sight slide 5 is arranged on the sight arm 3 and is movably fixed transversely to the longitudinal extension of the base 2 and the sight arm 3. A rear sight piece 6 is detachably inserted into a receiver 7 formed on an upper surface of the rear sight slide 5. The rear sight piece has a sight device comprising a sight opening or rear sight 11, through which a sight element is aimed and aligned with the rear sight 11 for sighting a target, wherein a connecting line is drawn between the rear and front-sight element, thus defining a sight axis.

(11) The receiver 7 is bounded by lateral webs extending parallel to the sight axis, on which dovetail grooves 8 are formed. Dovetail projections 12, which are formed on the side of the rear sight piece 6, fit snugly into these dovetail grooves. As a result, when the rear sight piece 6 is inserted into receiver 7, such that the dovetail projections 12 engage in the dovetail grooves 8, the rear sight 6 is secured in a direction transverse to the sight axis and substantially parallel to the pivot axis 4, and, moreover, in a further direction transverse to the sight axis, and substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis 4. The latter direction, which is transverse, in particular, perpendicular to the sight axis and perpendicular to the pivoting axis 4, corresponds to a pivoting direction, in which the sight arm 3 may be pivoted for adjustment of the elevation point of impact (in a per-se known and customary manner, and a description of such sight devices is therefore not provided in more detail here). In order to affix the rear sight piece 6 inserted into the receiver 7 also in the direction of the sight axis, a latch piece 9 is provided, and is movably affixed on a rear end face of the rear sight slide 5 in the pivoting direction of the sight arm 3. The latch piece 9 has an upwardly projecting latch section 10, which engages a latch receiver 19 (see FIG. 3) formed on an underside of the latch piece 6 facing the receiver 7 in order to lock the position of the rear sight piece 6. In the shown exemplary embodiment, the latch section 10 has a rearwardly formed run-on bevel, which, in case latch piece 6 is thrust into receiver 7, strikes a front end face 22 (see FIG. 4) of the rear sight piece 6 and, in case the rear sight piece 6 is thrust further forward into the receiver 7, presses the latch piece 9 downward. Whenever the latch section 10 is able to move into the latch receiver 19, the latch piece 9 is pressed upward by the force of a spring 18, which engages a projection 20 of the latch piece 9, whereupon the latch section 10 locks while interacting with the latch receiver 19 of the rear sight piece 6 in a direction of movement in the direction of the sight axis, such that the rear sight piece 6 is held in a completely form-fitting and positionally fixed manner. The latch piece 9 is received and guided in a latch receiver 15 of the rear sight slide 5, in which guide webs 17 formed laterally on the latch piece 9 engage in guide slots 16 arranged laterally on the latch receiver 15. FIG. 4 also shows that the front face 22 of the rear sight piece 6 bears against an end face 14 of the sight arm and is thus held in position in the direction of the sight axis in a form-fitting manner, including at the front.

(12) The rear sight slide 5 is adjusted with a set screw 13 in a direction transverse, in particular perpendicular, to the sight axis and transverse, in particular perpendicular, to the pivoting direction, i.e., substantially parallel to the pivot axis 4, by turning the set screw 13. As can be easily seen, the adjustment of the rear sight piece 15 in this lateral position, which is used to set the lateral point of impact, is independent of the fastening mechanism for the rear sight piece 6. In other words, a rear sight piece 6 may be removed from the rear sight slide 5 (by moving the latch piece 9 downward and away from the receiver 7 against the force of the spring 18, and pulling the thus unlocked rear sight piece 6 backward and out of the receiver 7 in the direction of the sight axis) without any adjustment of the position of the rear sight slide 6 and thus of the lateral point of impact of the firearm equipped with the sight device 1. A rear sight piece 6 may be similarly inserted into the receiver 7 and fixed and locked on the rear sight slide 5 without lateral adjustment of the rear sight slide 5. It is also obvious that, unlike the narrow rear sight blades known from prior art, wide rear sight pieces 6 are used in connection with the sight device 1 according to the invention, and offer extended possibilities for the design of the rear sight 11. For example, light guide rods situated along the direction of the sight axis can be arranged next to the rear sight opening for improved sighting of targets, even in poor light conditions. Similarly designed rear sight pieces 6 can just as easily be attached to the rear sight slide 5 by pushing them into the receiver 7 and locking them there using latch piece 9.

(13) A modified embodiment of a sight device 1 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in which only the sight arm 3 is shown (base 2 is not shown).

(14) In its essential parts, the sight device shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is constructed like the sight device shown in FIGS. 1-4, and their parts interact in the same way. In this respect, reference may be made to the above description, e.g., to avoid repetition.

(15) The essential difference between the sight device 1, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and the sight device 1 according to FIGS. 1-4 is, above all, the way in which the locking of the sighting piece 6 is formed on the rear sight slide 5. Again, a latch piece 9 is used for this purpose. As for this embodiment, however, this is not arranged in a latch receiver 15 accessible from the rear side of the rear sight slide, but in a latch receiver 23 formed in the rear sight slide 5, whereby it is accessible only from an upper side of the rear sight slide 5, i.e., the latch piece 9 is only accessible from there. The latch receiver 23 is formed in the middle of the rear sight slide 5, so to speak, and not at its edge. Furthermore, another rear sight piece 6 is used, which has an opening 24 in a base resting on the upper surface of the rear sight slide 5. This penetration leads into the latch receiver 19 and, with the rear sight piece 6 affixed to the rear sight slide 5, allows the latch piece 9 to be reached and pressed down against the force of the spring 18 by means of, e.g., a pin-shaped tool, thus unlocking the rear sight piece 6. As a result of this embodiment, on the one hand, the latch piece 9 is invisible from the outside of the sight device 1 according to the invention, such that it acts as one piece with the inserted rear sight piece 6, which may be advantageous in terms of the aesthetic effect. Furthermore, with such a solution, it is practically impossible for the latch piece 9 to be accidentally and unintentionally moved, and thus for the rear sight piece 6 to become detached from the rear sight slide 5.

(16) The rear sight 6 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 here has the aforementioned light guide rods 25, which are aligned parallel to a sighting axis, which may be, e.g., red or yellow transparent Plexiglas rods.

(17) Finally, it should be emphasized at this point that the sight device 1 shown in the above-described exemplary embodiments is intended for retrofitting an existing firearm and, for this purpose, has through-holes 21, which pass through the base 2 and whereby fastening screws can be passed and inserted into corresponding threaded holes in a companion part of the firearm, e.g., a barrel section or a housing part.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

(18) 1 sight device

(19) 2 Base

(20) 3 Sight arm

(21) 4 Pivot axis

(22) 5 Rear sight slide

(23) 6 Rear sight piece

(24) 7 receiver

(25) 8 Dovetail groove

(26) 9 Latch piece

(27) 10 Latch section

(28) 11 Rear sight

(29) 12 Dovetail projection

(30) 13 Set screw

(31) 14 End face

(32) 15 latch receiver

(33) 16 Guide slot

(34) 17 Guide web

(35) 18 Spring

(36) 19 Latch receiver

(37) 20 Projection

(38) 21 Through-hole

(39) 22 End face

(40) 23 latch receiver

(41) 24 Penetration

(42) 25 Light guide rod