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: at least one sheet comprising fiber reinforced polymer, wherein the fiber reinforced polymer comprises a woven fabric in a polymer resin matrix; wherein the at least one sheet is non-elastomeric; wherein the at least one sheet further comprises a sighting or mounting hole; wherein the at least one sheet includes a curved design shape provided in part by a mold shaping mandrel; wherein the at least one sheet is configured to withstand being repeatedly folded and to spring back to the curved design shape upon deployment; and, wherein the aiming blinder is configured to block or reduce unnecessary or unwanted visual input when aiming a sight-aimed device.

2. The aiming blinder of claim 1, further comprising containing the at least one sheet in a fabric envelope.

3. The aiming blinder of claim 2, wherein the at least one sheet is a plurality of sheets contained in the fabric envelope such that each of the sheets of the plurality of sheets functions independently of each other.

4. The aiming blinder of claim 1, wherein being repeatedly folded flat occurs along a folding axis oriented at 45 degrees to an angle of weave of the woven fabric.

5. The aiming blinder of claim 1, wherein the woven fabric is para-aramid and the polymer resin matrix includes epoxy.

6. The aiming blinder of claim 1, wherein the sighting or mounting hole is a mounting hole compatible with a competition biathlon rifle.

7. The aiming blinder of claim 1, wherein the blinder is a left blinder or a right blinder.

8. The aiming blinder of claim 1, wherein the blinder is a two sided blinder.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 Use of a biathlon aiming blinder;

(3) FIG. 2 Carrying a biathlon rifle with aiming blinder;

(4) FIG. 3 Front view of one leaf of two sided aiming blinder in preferred embodiment;

(5) FIG. 4 Top view of one leaf of two sided aiming blinder in preferred embodiment;

(6) FIG. 5 Cross section of aiming blinder in a preferred embodiment;

(7) FIG. 6 Front view of one leaf of one sided aiming blinder in preferred embodiment;

(8) FIG. 7 Top view of one leaf of one sided aiming blinder in preferred embodiment;

(9) FIG. 8 Front view of one leaf of one sided aiming blinder in preferred embodiment;

(10) FIG. 9 Top view of one leaf of one sided aiming blinder in preferred embodiment; and

(11) FIG. 10 Layers in manufacture of fiber reinforced polymer sheet for aiming blinder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(12) 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].

(13) 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.

(14) 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.

(15) 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.

(16) 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.

(17) 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

(18) 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.

(19) 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.

(20) 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 movement during evacuation. The layer stack is then cured under atmospheric pressure inside a flexible vacuum envelope.

(21) It is intended that the matters described in the above descriptions and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative.

(22) The following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described.