Rotatable and retractable rear gun sight

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/854,327 filed 25 Oct. 2006.

[0002] Guns are often equipped with a front sight and a rear sight to provide a two-point visual reference for locating an intended target.

[0003] A user views the target through the rear sight, closest to the user's eye, and then aligns the front sight, typically a pin, on the target.

[0004] The rear sight is sometimes equipped as a “peep sight,” or a circular structure with a void space in the middle for referencing and framing the front site. With the increasing use and popularity of long-range firearms such as rifles, the use and popularity of scope sights have likewise increased.

[0005] This invention relates to a rotatable and retractable rear gun sight for attachment to a gun. The rear gun sight member is rotatable to expose one of two or more apertures provided on the rotatable rear sight member. The different apertures can be used for different estimated target distances, from nearer to farther. Because the plurality of apertures are spaced further apart from their axis of rotation, a longer distance from the axis of rotation will result in a farther target distance, because aligning the aperture and the front sight will result in raising the tip of the gun barrel.

[0006] A retractable frame member is provided, which is rotatable about a second axis of rotation. The frame member retracts from a first, generally vertical shooting position to a second, generally horizontal non-shooting position. This member is coupled to the body of a gun.

[0019] Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims.

[0020] Referring now to FIG. 1, a prior art rear sight is shown attached to a body of a gun. A front sight is shown to provide a two-point, and considering the target, a three-point frame of reference so that the shooter can align the gun with the intended target. In use, a user looks through the rear sight and locates the front sight on the target. This creates a two-point alignment system, and when the target is located, both horizontal and vertical alignment is intended. The frame serves to hold the vertical and horizontal alignment bars, as well as to provide a field of view reference, so that the user can visually acquire the target easier.

[0021] As is shown in FIG. 1, the prior art often uses a crosshairs type stadia alignment system, with vertical and horizontal reference bars framing the peep hole. A frame further defines the field of view and holds the vertical and horizontal reference bars.

[0022] Referring now to FIG. 2, a front view of a rotatable and retractable rear gun sight 10 of the present invention is shown. A frame 30 carries a rotating gun sight aperture 20, and bar 31, and defines a field of view through the void space or window of the frame. A rotating gun sight aperture 20 with peep hole 24 further defines the field of view on the intended target, along with horizontal reference bar 28 carried by the aperture 20. The front sight 22 is not attached to the rotatable and retractable rear gun sight 10 but is instead carried closer to the gun barrel as shown in the prior art of FIG. 1.

[0023] A dial 50 is carried by frame member 40, the dial in operative association to rotate the aperture 20 to one of a predetermined number of, preferably three, aperture members 20a, 20b, and 20c as will be described later.

[0024] A windage dial 60 is provided for adjusting the rear gun sight 10 left and right due to wind. Windage refers to the side-to-side adjustment of a rifle's sight, used to change the horizontal component of the aiming point. The up-down adjustment for the vertical component is the elevation.

[0025] Spring loading ball detents 70 are provided for retracting the rotatable and retractable rear gun sight 10 into a horizontal position, and vice-versa into the shooting position.

[0026] A sight base 80 is providing for holding the rotatable and retractable rear gun sight 10 coupled to the gun, as will be described later.

[0027] Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, the rotating gun sight aperture 20 of the present invention is shown. As can be seen, a predetermined number of, preferably three, aperture members 20a, 20b, and 20c are provided. In this manner, a user can rotate the rotating gun sight aperture 20 to correspond with three different distances. In the embodiment shown, distance indicia 26 can be provided on the rotating gun sight aperture 20 for ease of reference. Additional sets of apertures 20 can be interchanged with the single set 20 shown, for greater or lesser distances.

[0028] It will be appreciated that the shorter the distance from the peep 24 to the center 34 of the rotating gun sight aperture 20, the shorter the target distance represented, as the selected peep 24 of aperture members 20a, 20b, and 20c will be at the 12 o′ clock position during shooting.

[0029] Referring now specifically to FIGS. 5 and 6, a back view of the gun sight aperture 20 of the present invention is shown. Slots 32 are provided for engagement with spring loaded ball detents 36 as will be described with reference to FIG. 6, a side view of the rotatable and retractable rear gun sight 10.

[0030] Referring now to FIG. 6, it will be seen that the slots 32 on the rotating gun sight aperture 20 are engaged by spring loaded ball detents 36. When a user engages the dial 50, the user can exert enough pressure on the springs of the spring loaded ball detents 36 to allow rotation of the gun sight aperture 20 through to the selected aperture 20a, 20b, or 20c. Once the appropriate selected channel 32 is engaged by the spring loaded ball detents 36, the spring loaded ball detents 36 click into the channel 32.

[0031] Still referring to FIG. 6, the rotatable and retractable rear gun sight 10 similarly can be retracted by tilting downward on frame 30, dislodging ball detents 70 from their associated void spaces on the sight base 80. This engagement is also shown on FIG. 9.

[0032] Referring now to FIG. 7, a top view of a sight coupling 110 for carrying the rotatable and retractable rear gun sight 10 is shown. Site base 80 is coupled to the sight coupling 110 (not shown), and sight coupling 110 is in turn coupled to the gun (not shown), such as is shown with reference to the prior art of FIG. 1.

[0033] Referring now to FIG. 8, a front view of the gun sight frame 30 is shown.

[0034] Referring now to FIGS. 9-10, front and side views of the sight base 80 of the rotatable and retractable rear gun sight 10 are shown, with portions broken away.

[0035] Referring now to FIGS. 11-12, front and side views of the sight frame member 30 component of the rotatable and retractable rear gun sight 10 are shown. If the user wishes to remove the apertures 20 either for placing different apertures into the sight 10, or for using the apertures 20 on a different gun, the user can remove sight frame member 40 and remove apertures 20.

[0036] The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims.