Ballistic correction device for the sight members of weapons

Abstract

A ballistic correction device for sight members (of weapons) provided with an elevation adjustment turret is described. In particular, the device comprises detecting means, outside of the turret, to detect the rotations imparted by the shooter to the adjustment ring of the elevation turret, and displaying means to display the shooting distance and/or other shooting settings corresponding to the position the ring assumed. The device displays, for the shooter, the calibration of the turret from the moment the shooter observes the device. The shooter is no longer required to keep in mind the last calibration carried out. In the step of carrying out a new calibration, it is no longer necessary to consult the compensation tables, but simply to read the values displayed on the device as the ring of the turret is being rotated. A method for correcting the elevation of the weapon is further described.

Claims

1. A ballistic correction device (1, 1′) for a sighting member, or lens optics, (9) of weapons equipped with an elevation adjustment turret (11), the device (1, 1′) comprising: detecting means (7) to detect rotations imparted by a shooter of the weapon to an adjustment ring (12) of the elevation turret (11); displaying means (4) to display a shooting distance (13) and/or other shooting settings corresponding to a position of said ring (12), wherein the device (1, 1′) is separate from the sighting member or lens optics (9) with which it is combined, and is removably mountable thereon.

2. The device (1, 1′) according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit (8) interfaced with the detecting means (7) and the displaying means (4), wherein the detecting means (7) generate an electrical signal indicative of an angular position of the elevation adjustment ring (12) or of an amplitude of a rotation thereof, and wherein the control unit (8) processes the electrical signal and controls a display of the shooting distance (13) corresponding to the angular position of the ring (12) at that time.

3. The device (1, 1′) according to claim 2, wherein the control unit (8) is of microprocessor type with program means and an internal memory, and it is programmed to store angular positions assumed over time by the ring (12) and/or to store corresponding shooting distances (13) and/or other shooting settings.

4. The device (1, 1′) according to claim 3, wherein the control unit (8) is programmed to automatically convert, based on stored conversion tables, the signal coming from the detecting means (7) into visual and/or sound messages which uniquely correspond to the shooting distance (13) set by the shooter by acting on the ring (12).

5. The device (1, 1′) according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means (7) are tracking means comprising a trimmer (7.1), connected outside of the ring (12) of the turret (11) of the lens optics (9) by means of gears (7.2) or a transmission belt (7.3′).

6. The device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the trimmer (7.1) is provided with a shaft (7.1.1) to which a portable wheel (7.2) that is in contact with an external surface of the ring (12) is keyed, in order to roll when the ring (12) is turned and to transmit to the shaft (7.1.1) of the trimmer (7.1) the same rotations as those imparted to the ring (12).

7. The device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the wheel (7.2) is provided with a perimetrical gasket (7.3) that acts as a pacesetter with respect to the external surface of the ring (12).

8. The device (1′) according to claim 5, comprising a transmission belt (7.3′), and wherein the trimmer (7.1) is provided with a shaft (7.1.1) connected to the ring (12) by means of the transmission belt (7.3′), in order to rotate in a synchronized way with the ring (12).

9. The device (1, 1′) according to claim 1, further comprising fastening means (3) to fasten the device (1) external to the sighting member or lens optics (9), the detecting means (7) being in contact with the ring (12) of the elevation turret (11) or connected thereto by means of a transmission belt (7.3′).

10. The device (1, 1′) according to claim 1, wherein the displaying means comprise a screen (4).

11. The device (1, 1′) according to claim 2, further comprising at least one of: a physical (6) or wireless (14) I/O connection interface to external electronic devices with the control unit (8) for reprogramming the control unit (8) and/or sharing the data stored in the control unit (8); a GPS module (15) to detect the coordinates, with a frequency that can be adjusted from the control unit (8); detecting means to detect shots of the weapon combined with the sighting member or lens optics (9); a user interface (5), connected to the control unit (8); a laser pointer, capable of detecting distances.

12. The device (1, 1′) according to claim 1, further comprising one or more interchangeable batteries to supply electric power.

13. The device (1, 1′) according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit (8) with memory programmable for storing calibrations relating to one or more shooters and/or to one or more types of ammunition, and to make the calibration selectively available to a user upon request.

14. A kit comprising a sight member (9) equipped with an elevation adjustment turret (11) and a ballistic correction device (1) according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF LIST OF THE FIGURES

(1) Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better highlighted by the review of the following detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment illustrated for illustration purposes only and without limitations, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a first embodiment of the device according to the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a front isometric view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is top view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 5 is a rear isometric view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 7 is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 1, mounted on lens optics for rifles;

(9) FIG. 8 is a left perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 1, mounted on the lens optics of a rifle;

(10) FIG. 9 is a right partial perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 1, mounted on the lens optics of the rifle shown in FIG. 8;

(11) FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the device according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(12) FIG. 1-9 show a first embodiment of a device 1 according to the present invention; FIG. 10 shows a constructive variant 1′.

(13) The device 1 comprises a box-shaped body 2 and corresponding fastening means 3 for fastening to sight lens optics, preferably comprising a ring 2 reclosable on the body of the lens optics with screws.

(14) A screen 4 that displays the messages in alphanumerical and/or graphical form to the user, for example a liquid crystal screen, is housed in the box-shaped body 2. When the device 1 is correctly mounted on sight lens optics, the screen remains facing towards the shooter holding the weapon. For this reason, the side of the screen is defined as the front side of the device 1.

(15) A keyboard 5 is provided on the upper part of the body 2 of the device and constitutes an interface that allows the user to control the operations of the device. In alternative, or in addition, the screen 4 is of touchscreen type.

(16) An I/O interface, for example a USB port for connecting the device 1 to external electronic devices, is provided on the side of the body 2. In alternative, or in addition, the device comprises an I/O interface of wireless type, for example Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

(17) The side of the device 1 opposed the screen 4 is defined as the back side; when the device 1 is correctly mounted on sight lens optics, the back side is facing the barrel of the weapon.

(18) At the back side, the device 1 comprises a tracking mechanism 7, whose operation is to detect each rotation imparted by the shooter to the ring of the elevation turret and to measure the amplitude of each rotation. The mechanism 7 comprises a trimmer 7.1 with an angular transducer action, equipped with a shaft (shown in the figures) on which a wheel 7.2 is keyed. The wheel 7.2 is in turn equipped with an elastic gasket 7.3, for example made of rubber, that acts as a pacesetter.

(19) For example, a material suitable for obtaining the elastic gasket 7.3 is a polyurethane having the following characteristics: hardness 90 Sh A measured according to ASTM D-2240 standard; modulus at 100% elongation: 8.2 MPa measured according to ISO 37 standard, with sample drawn at 8.5 mm/s; modulus at 300% elongation: 13.8 MPa measured according to ISO 37 standard, with sample drawn at 8.5 mm/s; breaking load, 41 MPa measured according to ISO 37 standard, with sample drawn at 8.5 mm/s; elongation at break, 460% measured according to ISO 37 standard, with sample drawn at 8.5 mm/s; abrasion resistance, 34 mm/3 measured according to DIN 53516 standard; tear resistance (specimen C), 84 kN/m measured according to ISO 34-1 standard; permanent deformation, 30% measured according to ISO 815 standard, method B, 22 hours at a temperature of 70° C.

(20) The wheel 7.2 can be turned clockwise and counterclockwise; the rotations are directly imparted to the trimmer 7.1 meaning that the shaft of the trimmer rotates integrally with the wheel 7.2.

(21) The shaft 7.1.1 of the trimmer 7.1 is clearly visible in FIG. 6. Preferably, the trimmer 7.1 is of potentiometric type.

(22) The reference number 8 denotes a printed circuit with a microprocessor unit of the programmable type, which controls all the functions of the device, including the possible connections with other external devices by means of the I/O interfaces described above, and is accessible by the user by means of the keyboard 5 or the screen 4.

(23) FIG. 7 shows the device 1 mounted on lens optics 9 of a rifle 10. The lens optics 9 is a telescopic sight device provided with an elevation adjustment turret 11. The reference number 12 denotes the ring of the turret 11, rotatable by the shooter in both directions to raise or lower the reticle or the marks visible to the shooter when looking through the lens optics itself.

(24) As can be noted, the device 1 is correctly arranged on the lens optics 9 with a tracking mechanism 7 in contact with the ring 12 of the elevation turret 11. The gasket 7.3 adheres to the ring 12 and each rotation (“click”) imparted to the ring 12 is transmitted, with the same amplitude—i.e. without slippage—, to the wheel 7.2 that in turn transmits the rotations to the shaft 7.1.1 of the trimmer 7.1.

(25) The trimmer 7.1 is configured to generate an electrical signal in response to the rotations imparted to the shaft 7.1.1. The electrical signal is processed by the control unit 8 to determine the following parameters:

(26) 1) the direction of the rotation imparted to the wheel 7.2 and therefore to the ring 12 of the turret 11;

(27) 2) the amplitude of the same rotation, for example in radiants.

(28) The control unit 8 comprises a memory, preferably static, in which all of the parameters detected are stored, such as in a log file. In substance, all of the rotations imparted to the ring 12 are stored in the device 1.

(29) The preferred calibrations of each shooter, as described below, and/or the calibrations relating to each type of ammunition shot, useful characteristic whenever a same weapon is used by more shooters for different purposes and, therefore, with different ammunition, can be stored in the device 1, 1′.

(30) By taking care to initialize the device 1, by zeroing the memory and coupling it with the ring 12 initially in its zero position, the device 1 keeps track of each adjustment imparted to the elevation by the ring 12.

(31) The result is shown in FIG. 8. The messages 13 that provide information on the calibration of the turret 11 at that time are projected onto the screen 4. In the example shown, the message is “537 mt,” i.e. 537 meters. This means that the elevation is adjusted to shoot to a distance of 537 meters. Considering what described above, if the shooter wants to make a new shot to shoot a target at a different distance, for example at a distance of 400 meters, he must act on the ring 12 of the turret 11 to raise the reticle or the marks of the lens optics 9.

(32) As explained above, traditionally, the shooter relies on his memory to remember the last adjustment imparted to the turret 11 and on the printed compensation tables. Thanks to the device 1, the last adjustment carried out is available to the shooter in the memory of the device itself and on the display 4; by acting on the ring 12 again, the shooter will see the numbers change correspondingly on the display 4 until reaching the desired distance of 400 meters.

(33) The compensation tables for the rifle 10 are stored in the control unit 8, so that the shooter must no longer interpolate the data on the paper tables, which are uneasy to consult while hunting, as he will immediately see the value of the shooting distance, corresponding to the adjustment imparted to the ring 12 at that time, on the display 4.

(34) As mentioned above, the device 1 optionally comprises an I/O interface 14 for the connection with external electronic devices. In FIG. 9, in addition to the USB port, an I/O interface 14 of wireless type, in particular Wi-Fi, or in alternative Bluetooth or radio, is schematically depicted. Thanks to this interface, the device 1 can be interfaced with other devices 1 of the same type, also when hunting, in order to share the information relating to the shooting parameters selected at any time by each hunter between hunters, or for the connection with computers for the statistical analysis of the data stored in the device, an analysis useful for learning and improving the quality of each shooter.

(35) The reference number 15 schematically denotes a GPS module for detecting the coordinates of the device 1. The coordinates are useful both for the analysis of the data collected and for communicating one's position to other hunters. For example, the GPS module 15 collects the coordinates and the interface 14 transmits them to the devices registered in a dedicated network: the other hunters can see the position detected by the module 15 on their own smartphones.

(36) The sharing of information relating to the position of each hunter is also useful in avoiding accidents.

(37) At the end of a hunting trip, the hunters can see the movements and paths covered by each shooter over time on a satellite map.

(38) The device 1 shown in FIGS. 1-9 is external to the rifle 10 and to the corresponding lens optics 9. FIG. 10 shows an embodiment 1′ wherein the reference 7.2′ denotes a pulley and 7.3′ a transmission belt functionally combined with the pulley 7.2′ and the ring 12 of the elevation tower. The transmission belt 7.3′, which can be smooth or toothed, transmits the rotation from the ring 12 to the shaft 7.2′ of the trimmer in a synchronized way, i.e. without slippage: the rotations imparted by the shooter to the ring 12 are transmitted without variations to the pulley 7.2′. If necessary, the device 1′ comprises a further pulley 12′ that can be keyed or fitted on the ring 12 to guide the transmission belt 7.3′.

(39) In the embodiment 1′, the pulley 7.2′ does not touch the ring 12 directly: the transmission belt 7.3′ allows to mount the device 1′ at a certain distance from the turret 11, for example 2 mm or 10 mm, depending on the necessity.

(40) The transmission belt 7.3′ can be made, for example, of the same material as the one described for the gasket 7.3.

(41) Clearly, the device 1′ can be tooled up with the accessories described above in relation to the device 1.

(42) Preferably, the devices 1 and 1′ are provided with means (not shown) for detecting a shot, for example optical or magnetic means that detect the movements of the hammer of the rifle. This way, it is possible to store the shooting parameters selected by the shooter for each shot: elevation adjustment, GPS position, exact time of the shot.

(43) The invention is also applicable to the sight members of crossbows.