BLINDER FOR SIGHT-AIMED DEVICES

Abstract

A blinder for sight-aimed devices comprising one or more thin leaves of fiber-reinforced polymer, optionally within a fabric envelope.

Claims

1. An aiming blinder comprising one or more sheets, wherein each said sheet is comprised of composite material comprising fiber reinforced polymer, wherein said fiber reinforced polymer comprises a woven structural fabric in a polymer resin matrix, and wherein each said sheet is self-supporting, resilient, and non-elastomeric, and wherein each said sheet comprises a hole or other means of direct attachment to a rifle, and wherein each said sheet is less than 1.0 mm thick, and wherein each said sheet is capable of springing back to its original shape undamaged after bending 180 degrees around a cylinder of radius 10 mm, and wherein said aiming blinder is opaque or nearly opaque to visual wavelengths, and wherein said aiming blinder has no ballistic-resistant properties.

2. The aiming blinder of claim 1, further comprising a fabric cover enveloping all sheets of said aiming blinder in such a way that said sheets may function independently as leaves, wherein the meaning of leaves is the plain common meaning comprising the dictionary meaning of a thing that resembles a leaf in being flat and thin, typically something that is one of two or more similar items forming a set or stack.

3. (canceled)

4. The aiming blinder for a rifle of claim 1, wherein each said sheet of claim 1 is oriented in such a way that when said aiming blinder is bent in the direction typical of its use, and a round cylinder is laid upon the bent portion of said sheet in such an orientation that said cylinder lies flat upon said sheet, the sheet being comprised of a woven textile fabric in a polymer resin, said woven textile fabric being comprised of fibrous yarns interwoven at 90 degrees to one another, said yarns lie at approximately a 45 degree angle to the axis of said cylinder.

5. (canceled)

6. The aiming blinder for a rifle of claim 1, wherein said woven structural fabric is Kevlar or other para-aramid and said resin is epoxy.

7. The aiming blinder for a rifle of claim 1, wherein said means of direct attachment to a rifle is compatible with a competition biathlon rifle.

8. The aiming blinder for a rifle of claim 7, wherein said aiming blinder is capable of withstanding a radius of bend characteristic of use on a biathlon rifle, specifically a 180 degree bend around a cylinder of radius 5 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 Use of a biathlon aiming blinder;

[0017] FIG. 2 Carrying a biathlon rifle with aiming blinder;

[0018] FIG. 3 Front view of one leaf of two sided aiming blinder in preferred embodiment;

[0019] FIG. 4 Top view of one leaf of two sided aiming blinder in preferred embodiment;

[0020] FIG. 5 Cross section of aiming blinder in a preferred embodiment;

[0021] FIG. 6 Front view of one leaf of one sided aiming blinder in preferred embodiment;

[0022] FIG. 7 Top view of one leaf of one sided aiming blinder in preferred embodiment;

[0023] FIG. 8 Front view of one leaf of one sided aiming blinder in preferred embodiment;

[0024] FIG. 9 Top view of one leaf of one sided aiming blinder in preferred embodiment;

[0025] and

[0026] FIG. 10 Layers in manufacture of fiber reinforced polymer sheet for aiming blinder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Illustration FIG. 1 shows an exemplary use of a preferred embodiment of an aiming blinder on a biathlon rifle. Illustration FIG. 1 shows use of said blinder while athlete is sighting a target. In FIG. 1, the shooter [1] sights along the firearm barrel [6] by aligning a careful view of the target, by sighting through the body of blinder [10] while aligning the target with front sight [9] and rear sight [8].

[0028] Illustration FIG. shows an exemplary use of a preferred embodiment of an aiming blinder on a biathlon rifle, displaying said use while an athlete is carrying the firearm with the aiming blinder fixed directly to the rear sight [8] of the firearm, in such position that it will resume design shape as soon as the rifle is removed from carrying position. In FIG., the athlete skis while carrying the rifle over varied terrain including steep hills. The firearm barrel [6] is aligned upward, supported by the carrying harness [7], while the harness elastic [13] together with the weight of the rifle, compresses the body of blinder [10] against the athlete's back, crushing and deforming the body of blinder [10] which simultaneously pushes into the back of the athlete.

[0029] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a two-sided blinder, which may diminish unwanted visual input into both eyes. In this view the body of blinder [10] may comprise one or more structural leaves optionally contained within a fabric envelope. The outer perimeter shape of blinder [12] illustrates the external shape which determines what regions are blocked from the view of the shooter. A sighting or mounting hole [5] allows sighting and direct mounting of the blinder onto the firearm sight.

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a top view of the two-sided blinder of the preceding embodiment, wherein the body of blinder [10] may comprise one or more structural leaves optionally contained within a fabric envelope. The exemplary embodiment includes a sighting or mounting hole [5] which allows direct mounting onto a device sight. The blinder of this embodiment maintains a design shape curve [11], imparted by a shaping mandrel in the manufacturing process. Said design shape curve [11] impacts both convenience in assuming shooting position and how much of the shooter's field of view is suppressed.

[0031] FIG. 5 shows one possible layer structure of a preferred embodiment of a two-sided blinder. One para-aramid composite leaf [2] moves freely with respect to another para-aramid composite leaf [3], thereby doubling strength without diminishing allowable range of flexion. Both leaves are contained within a fabric envelope [4] which ensures that they flex in unison but without cross-bonding which would quadruple stiffness.

[0032] Materials and construction of the preferred embodiment of the current invention can be made sufficiently strong and flexible to allow them to be cut to differing two dimensional vertical and horizontal extents while still following the curve of a shooter's head, the design shape curve [11] in FIG. 4, thereby allowing some visual input while rejecting other input. Depending on direction of sunlight, preference of shooter, and location of distractions, a shooter may elect different configurations, choosing the two dimensional outer perimeter shape of blinder [12] visible in FIG. 3

[0033] FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment of a left-sided blinder, which may diminish unwanted visual input to the left eye only, while allowing the right (sighting) eye to simultaneously see wind flags or other relevant visual input. FIG. 7 shows a top view of the same embodiment.

[0034] FIG. 8 shows an exemplary embodiment of a right-sided blinder, which may diminish unwanted visual input to the right eye only. FIG. 9 shows a top view of the same embodiment.

[0035] FIG. 10 shows an exemplary embodiment of the method of manufacture of thin fiber reinforced polymer sheets. A preferred embodiment of the aiming blinder of current invention comprises one or more such sheets cut into leaves and optionally contained within a fabric envelope. The sheets are molded into a desired design shape using a mold shaping mandrel [20] optionally aluminum shaped to the desired design shape curve [11]. The mandrel may be covered with a non-adhesive sheet layer [21] made of material such as polyethylene that prevents adherence of the polymer resin used as the composite matrix, such as epoxy. A woven fiber layer [22], optionally flat-woven para-aramid fabric cut on a bias orientation, is laid atop the prior layer and then impregnated the with polymer resin. A permeable non-adhesive layer [23] is laid atop the impregnated fabric, followed by an absorbent breathable layer [24], intended to absorb excess resin and allow air move-ment during evacuation. The layer stack is then cured under atmospheric pressure inside a flexible vacuum envelope.

[0036] It is intended that the matters described in the above descriptions and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative.

[0037] The following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described.