U.S. patent application number 15/133544 was filed with the patent office on 2016-10-27 for externally adjustable gun sight.
The applicant listed for this patent is OptiFlow, Inc.. Invention is credited to Fred Collin, Christopher Stephen Hyde, Stephen Michael Shubeck.
Application Number | 20160313089 15/133544 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 57147527 |
Filed Date | 2016-10-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160313089 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Collin; Fred ; et
al. |
October 27, 2016 |
EXTERNALLY ADJUSTABLE GUN SIGHT
Abstract
An adjustable holographic gun sight has a base and a carrier
pivotally connected to the base. An adjustment mechanism may be
adapted to pivot the carrier with respect to the base. A pair of
dropouts connects the carrier to the base and the dropouts allow
the carrier to pivot with respect to the base. The dropouts may be
mounted to an external portion of the carrier and the base thereby
provides for external adjustment of the gun sight.
Inventors: |
Collin; Fred; (Brighton,
MI) ; Shubeck; Stephen Michael; (Ann Arbor, MI)
; Hyde; Christopher Stephen; (Clarkston, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
OptiFlow, Inc. |
Ann Arbor |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
57147527 |
Appl. No.: |
15/133544 |
Filed: |
April 20, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62150486 |
Apr 21, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41G 1/30 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F41G 1/34 20060101
F41G001/34 |
Claims
1. An adjustable holographic gun sight comprising: a base
configured to attach to a weapon; a carrier pivotally connected to
the base; an adjustment mechanism, the adjustment mechanism adapted
to pivot the carrier with respect to the base; and a pair of
dropouts, the dropouts connecting the carrier to the base, the
dropouts allowing the carrier to pivot with respect to the base,
the dropouts mounted to an external portion of the carrier and the
base thereby providing for external adjustment of the gun
sight.
2. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 1, wherein the
adjustment mechanism is an elevation adjustment assembly operable
to pivot the carrier about a generally horizontal axis by tipping a
front end of the carrier upwards or downwards with respect to the
base.
3. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 2, further
comprising at least one spring positioned adjacent to the
adjustment mechanism to bias the carrier in a downward direction
toward the base.
4. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 1, further
comprising: at least one ball bearing disposed between the carrier
and the base.
5. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 1, wherein the
adjustment mechanism is a windage adjustment assembly operable to
pivot the carrier about a generally vertical axis with respect to
the base.
6. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 5, further
comprising: a stationary nut connected to the carrier, a floating
nut abutting a portion of the base; and a shaft in communication
with the stationary nut and engaging the floating nut for adjusting
the position of the floating nut relative to the stationary
nut.
7. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 1, wherein the
carrier further includes a hood housing a Holographic Optical
Element (H.O.E.) and the hood further comprising at least one
protective lens spaced apart from the Holographic Optical Element
(H.O.E.) whereby the Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.) remains
functional even if one of the protective lenses is removed or
broken.
8. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 1, wherein the
each dropout includes a projection extending generally orthogonally
inwardly and is adapted to connect with the base.
9. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 1, wherein each of
the dropout engages an opposing side of the base.
10. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 1, wherein the
base further comprises two flexible receiving assemblies having at
least one ball bearing and at least one spring, each dropout having
a projection extending generally orthogonally inwardly and is
adapted to engage the at least one ball bearing of a respective one
flexible receiving assembly, each spring biasing one of the ball
bearings toward the dropout and thereby facilitating pivoting of
the carrier with respect to the base and facilitating the carrier
to flex relative to the base such that the carrier pivots about a
generally vertical axis.
11. A holographic gun sight comprising: a base configured to attach
to a weapon; a carrier pivotally connected to the base; and a hood
mounted to the base, the hood adapted to contain an Holographic
Optical Element (H.O.E.), the hood having an at least one
protective lens spaced apart from the Holographic Optical Element
(H.O.E.) whereby the Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.) remains
functional even if one of the protective lenses is removed or
broken.
12. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 11, wherein the
hood includes an indentation adapted to hold the Holographic
Optical Element (H.O.E.).
13. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 12, wherein the
Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.) is held within a Holographic
Optical Element (H.O.E.) carrier, the Holographic Optical Element
(H.O.E.) carrier resting at least partially in the indentation of
the hood.
14. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 11, wherein the
at least one protective lens comprises two protective lens spaced
apart on opposing sides of the Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.)
whereby the Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.) remains functional
even if one of the protective lenses is removed or broken.
15. An adjustable holographic gun sight comprising: a base having a
lower surface, an upper surface, and a flexible receiving assembly,
the lower surface configured to engage a weapon; a carrier having a
lower surface and two opposing side surfaces, the lower surface of
the carrier being disposed near the upper surface of the base; a
pair of dropouts connected to the side surfaces of the carrier and
extending down to pivotally connect the two opposing side surfaces
of the carrier to the base and allow the carrier to pivot about a
generally horizontal axis with respect to the base, at least one of
the dropouts having a projection extending generally orthogonally
inwardly and adapted to engage the flexible receiving assembly
thereby facilitating the carrier to flex relative to the base such
that the carrier pivots about a generally vertical axis; an
elevation adjustment assembly operable to pivot the carrier about
the generally horizontal axis with respect to the base; and a
windage adjustment assembly operable to pivot the carrier about the
generally vertical axis with respect to the base.
16. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 15, wherein the
flexible receiving assembly further comprises at least one ball
bearing engaging the projection and at least one spring biasing the
at least one ball bearing toward the projection.
17. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 15, wherein the
flexible receiving assembly comprises at least two ball bearings
and at least two springs, each spring biasing one of the ball
bearings toward the projection for connecting the projection with
the base.
18. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 17, wherein the
base comprises two flexible receiving assemblies, each projection
has at least one indentation adapted to connect with the ball
bearings and each projection is connected with the base through one
of the flexible receiving assemblies.
19. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 16, wherein the
projection has at least one indentation adapted to engage with the
at least one ball bearing.
20. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 15, further
comprising: at least one spring positioned adjacent to the
elevation adjustment assembly to bias the carrier in a downward
direction toward the base.
21. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 15, further
comprising: at least one ball bearing disposed between the carrier
and the base.
22. The adjustable holographic gun sight of claim 15, wherein the
windage adjustment assembly further comprises a stationary nut, a
shaft, a floating nut and a drive key, the stationary nut connected
to one side surface of the carrier, the stationary nut engaged with
the shaft and the shaft engaged to the drive key, the drive key
disposed near the opposing side surface of the carrier, the shaft
engaging the floating nut, the drive key operable to rotate the
shaft and the floating nut abutting a portion of the base such that
the rotation of the drive key causes transverse movement of
floating nut which pivotally moves the carrier with respect to the
base about the generally vertical axis.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. provisional
patent application Ser. No. 62/150,486, filed Apr. 21, 2015, the
entire content of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a holographic image
apparatus for use with a weapon. More specifically, the present
invention relates to a holographic image apparatus having external
adjustment capabilities.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Holographic gun sights are well known. Adjusting a
holographic gun sight for windage and elevation, however, has
presented many challenges. Adjustment is required to align the
positioning of the reconstructed reticle and to compensate for
various weapon types and targeting procedures. Existing systems
have drawbacks. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to
provide alternative and improved designs for windage and elevation
adjustment for holographic gun sights.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present disclosure is generally directed towards a sight
assembly for mounting to a gun. The sight assembly may have one or
more of the features discussed herein. Some examples include an
optical path with a carrier for a Holographic Optical Element
(H.O.E.) wherein a diode (specifically a wavelength stable light
source in the present embodiment, however, other stabilities
including mechanical, brightness, . . . etc. could be utilized) is
used as the virtual image construction source (or real image). The
optical path may utilize mirrors or lenses. The H.O.E., the diode,
and the mirror may be fixed in an angular relationship with respect
to one another but may be adjusted either together or individually
in a horizontal or vertical (elevation or windage) direction. In
the present embodiment, the H.O.E. assembly may be mounted on a
carrier. The carrier is adjustable with respect to a base. A
windage adjustment assembly may adjust the windage of the carrier
with respect to the base. Similarly, an elevation adjustment
assembly may adjust the elevation of the carrier with respect to
the base.
[0005] An adjustable holographic gun sight according to one
embodiment of this invention may comprise a base configured to
attach to a weapon, a carrier pivotally connected to the base, an
adjustment mechanism, the adjustment mechanism adapted to pivot the
carrier with respect to the base. The embodiment may have a pair of
dropouts connecting the carrier to the base. The dropouts allow the
carrier to pivot with respect to the base and may be mounted to an
external portion of the carrier. The base thereby provides for an
external adjustment of the gun sight.
[0006] The adjustment mechanism may include an elevation adjustment
assembly operable to pivot the carrier about a generally horizontal
axis by tipping a front end of the carrier upwards or downwards
with respect to the base. The adjustable holographic gun sight may
have at least one spring positioned adjacent to the adjustment
mechanism to bias the carrier in a downward direction toward the
base. One or more ball bearings may be disposed between the carrier
and the base. The adjustment mechanism may include a windage
adjustment assembly operable to pivot the carrier about a generally
vertical axis with respect to the base.
[0007] According to another feature of the present invention the
weapon sight may comprise a stationary nut connected to the
carrier, a floating nut abutting a portion of the base and a shaft
in communication with the stationary nut that is engaging the
floating nut for adjusting the position of the floating nut
relative to the stationary nut. The carrier may have a hood housing
a Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.) and the hood may comprise at
least one protective lens spaced apart from the Holographic Optical
Element (H.O.E.) whereby the Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.)
remains functional even if one of the protective lenses is removed
or broken.
[0008] A pair of dropouts may be provided externally connecting the
carrier to the base. The dropouts may allow the carrier to pivot
with respect to the base when either the windage adjustment
assembly or the elevation adjustment assembly is utilized. The
dropouts provide for external adjustment, i.e. providing for
increased freedom of movement and simplified structural
requirements. The external adjustment is advantageous in that it
allows for the internal optics elements, which are sensitive in
nature, to remain fixed in place, relative to each other and/or the
carrier, once assembled. Accordingly, the external adjustment
allows for no distortion of optics, including the reticle, since
this system is independent from the adjustments. The external
adjustments allow the apparatus to be more robust as compared to an
internal adjustment. The dropouts may be arranged in communication
with a plurality of ball bearings and corresponding springs
allowing the carrier to easily pivot with respect to the base at
the dropouts.
[0009] The adjustable holographic gun sight may have one or more
dropouts with a projection extending generally orthogonally
inwardly and adapted to connect with the base. Each of the dropouts
may be connected with an opposing side of the base. The base may
comprise two flexible receiving assemblies and each flexible
receiving assembly may have at least one ball bearing and at least
one spring. Each dropout may have a projection extending generally
orthogonally inwardly and be adapted to engage the at least one
ball bearing of a respective one of the flexible receiving
assemblies. Each spring may bias one of the ball bearings toward
the projection and thereby facilitate pivoting of the carrier with
respect to the base and also facilitate the carrier to flex
relative to the base such that the carrier pivots about a generally
vertical axis.
[0010] Another embodiment of the present invention may comprise a
base configured to attach to a weapon and a carrier pivotally
connected to the base. A hood may be mounted to the base, the hood
adapted to contain an Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.) and the
hood having at least one protective lens spaced apart from the
Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.), whereby the Holographic
Optical Element (H.O.E.) remains functional even if one of the
protective lenses is removed or broken.
[0011] According to another feature of this embodiment, the hood
may have an indentation adapted to hold the Holographic Optical
Element (H.O.E.). The Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.) may be
held within a Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.) carrier, and the
Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.) carrier may rest at least
partially in the indentation of the hood. The adjustable
holographic gun sight may have two protective lens spaced apart on
opposing sides of the Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.), whereby
the Holographic Optical Element (H.O.E.) remains functional even if
one of the protective lenses is removed or broken.
[0012] According to yet another embodiment of this invention, an
adjustable holographic gun sight may comprise a base having a lower
surface, an upper surface, and a flexible receiving assembly. The
lower surface is configured to engage a weapon. The carrier may
have a lower surface and two opposing side surfaces, the lower
surface of the carrier being disposed near the upper surface of the
base. A pair of dropouts may be connected to the side surfaces of
the carrier, which may extend down to pivotally connect the two
opposing side surfaces of the carrier to the base and allow the
carrier to pivot about a generally horizontal axis with respect to
the base. At least one of the dropouts may have a projection
extending generally orthogonally inwardly and adapted to engage the
flexible receiving assembly, thereby facilitating the carrier to
flex relative to the base such that the carrier pivots about a
generally vertical axis.
[0013] The gun sight may have an elevation adjustment assembly
operable to pivot the carrier about the generally horizontal axis
with respect to the base and a windage adjustment assembly operable
to pivot the carrier about the generally vertical axis with respect
to the base. The flexible receiving assembly may comprise at least
one ball bearing engaging the projection and at least one spring
biasing the at least one ball bearing toward the projection. The
projection may have at least one indentation adapted to engage with
the at least one ball bearing. Alternately, the flexible receiving
assembly may have at least two ball bearings and at least two
springs with each spring biasing one of the ball bearings toward
the projection for connecting the projection with the base. In an
alternate embodiment, the base may comprise two flexible receiving
assemblies, wherein each projection has at least one indentation
adapted to connect with the ball bearings and each projection is
connected with the base through one of the flexible receiving
assemblies.
[0014] The adjustable holographic gun sight may have at least one
spring positioned adjacent to the elevation adjustment assembly to
bias the carrier in a downward direction toward the base. The
adjustable holographic gun sight may further comprise at least one
ball bearing disposed between the carrier and the base. An
exemplary embodiment of the windage adjustment assembly may further
comprise a stationary nut, a shaft, a floating nut and a drive key,
wherein the stationary nut is connected to one side surface of the
carrier. The stationary nut may be engaged with the shaft and the
shaft engaged to the drive key, the drive key disposed near the
opposing side surface of the carrier. The shaft may engage the
floating nut and the drive key may be operable to rotate the shaft
and the floating nut abutting a portion of the base such that the
rotation of the drive key causes transverse movement of floating
nut which pivotally moves the carrier with respect to the base
about the generally vertical axis.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the gun
sight of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is an alternative exploded view of the gun sight of
the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a front view of the gun sight;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line A-A of FIG.
3 of the gun sight;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a side view of the gun sight;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along the line J-J of FIG.
5;
[0021] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the gun sight along the
line B-B of FIG. 5;
[0022] FIG. 8 is a top cutaway view of the gun sight before
adjustment;
[0023] FIG. 9 is a partial cutaway top view of the gun sight when
the windage is adjusted one degree to the left;
[0024] FIG. 10 is a partial cutaway top view of the gun sight with
the windage adjusted one degree to the right;
[0025] FIG. 11 is a partial side view of the gun sight;
[0026] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the gun sight along
line A-A of FIG. 11;
[0027] FIG. 13 is a partial side view of the gun sight;
[0028] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the gun sight along the
line B-B of FIG. 13;
[0029] FIG. 15 is a partial side view of the gun sight with the
windage slightly adjusted to the left;
[0030] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view along the line C-C of FIG.
15;
[0031] FIG. 17 is a partial side view of the gun sight with the
windage slightly adjusted to the right; and
[0032] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view along the line D-D of FIG.
17.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0033] The present invention provides for an improved adjustment
assembly for use with a gun sight. The present invention also
provides for an improved hologram carrier.
[0034] An exploded view of a gun sight 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1.
The gun sight 10 includes a base 12 and a carrier 14. The base 12
is adapted to connect to an upper portion of the gun. The carrier
14 is pivotally mounted to the base 12 by means of a pair of
dropouts 16, 16a. The dropouts 16, 16a (shown in FIGS. 12 and 14)
connect to both the base 12 and the carrier 14. The dropouts 16,
16a are generally planar and have apertures adapted to allow for
fastening of the dropouts 16, 16a to both the base 12 and the
carrier 14.
[0035] The dropouts 16, 16a each include a projection 17 adapted to
connect with the base 12. The base 12 may also have at least one
flexible receiving assembly 92, 93 (shown in FIGS. 12, 14). The
flexible receiving assembly 92 facilitates a projection 17 to
connect with the base 12. FIGS. 12 and 14 show two flexible
receiving assemblies 92 and 93. Each flexible receiving assembly
(i.e. 92 or 93) comprises at least one spring and at least one ball
bearing such that the flexible receiving assembly is engaged with
the projection 17 and provides freedom of movement for the carrier
14 about a generally vertical as well as a generally horizontal
axis with respect to the base 12. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 14, the
flexible receiving assembly 92 comprises ball bearings 80, 82 and
springs 81, 83, and the flexible receiving assembly 93 comprises
ball bearings 84, 86 and springs 85, 87. The projection 17 is
adapted to engage with a plurality of ball bearings 84, 86 (shown
in FIGS. 7, 12, 14).
[0036] As best shown in FIGS. 12 and 14, as part of the flexible
receiving assembly the ball bearings 84, 86 are positioned adjacent
to a plurality of springs 85, 87 which are also mounted within the
base 12. A corresponding set of ball bearings 80, 82 and springs
81, 83 are positioned on the opposite side of the gun sight 10 and
connected to the carrier 16a (such as shown in FIGS. 12 and 14).
The springs 85, 87 allow the carrier 14 to pivot with respect to
the base 12. The dropouts 16, 16a allow the carrier to move and
have some degree of freedom in both the windage and elevation
directions as the carrier 14 moves with respect to the base 12.
[0037] The dropouts 16, 16a allow for external adjustment of the
gun sight. The dropouts 16, 16a are taller than they are wide and
slightly elongated, thereby enabling the carrier a greater range of
motion with respect to the base 12.
[0038] As shown in FIG. 1, the dropouts 16, 16a are connected to
the carrier 14 by means of a plurality of screws. The dropouts 16,
16a connect to the carrier 14 at an upper portion of the carrier
14. The lower portion of the carrier 14 includes the projection 17
extending down from the carrier and towards the base. The
projection 17 is adapted to connect with the aperture 19 of the
base 12. The base 12 includes a housing portion 21 adapted to hold
the ball bearings 84, 86 and the springs 85, 87.
[0039] Referring to FIG. 12, in the present embodiment, the
projection 17 includes small indentations 25 adapted to connect
with the ball bearings 84, 86. These indentations 25 allow for the
dropouts 16, 16a to pivot and move, thereby allowing the carrier 14
to move with respect to the base.
[0040] At least two adjustment mechanisms may be provided to adjust
both windage and elevation of the gun sight 10. An elevation
adjustment assembly 48 is provided towards a forward end of the gun
sight spaced apart from the dropouts 16, 16a (see FIGS. 1 and 6).
The elevation adjustment assembly includes an elevation drive key
50 rotatably connected to a screw portion 52. The screw portion 52
is adapted to connect with a fixed nut 54 which mounts to plate 56.
Plate 56 includes ball bearings 70, 72 which allow for movement and
rotation of the front end of the carrier 14. The elevation assembly
48 allows for the front end of the carrier 14 to tip down or move
upwards with respect to the base 12. This tipping movement is
facilitated by the dropouts 16, 16a. The carrier 14 is adapted to
pivot about the axis X (as illustrated in FIG. 7) defined by the
dropouts 16, 16a.
[0041] A set of springs 58, 60 connect the carrier 14 to the base
12. The springs 58, 60 exert a downward force on the carrier 14
thereby pulling the carrier 14 towards the base until the
adjustment assembly 48 moves the carrier 14. In the present
embodiment, the elevation drive key 50 is a screw. In other
embodiments, the elevation drive key 50 may be a wingnut, lever, or
other suitable means for turning the adjustment assembly 48.
[0042] A windage adjustment assembly 46 is provided extending
through a front portion of the carrier 14. As shown in FIGS. 1, 8,
16 and 18, the windage adjustment assembly 46 generally includes a
stationary nut 68 in communication with a shaft 66. A drive key 62
is provided to turn the adjustment assembly when an adjustment is
required. The windage shaft 66 extends through a floating nut 65.
The windage shaft 66 may include a first thread and a second
thread. The first thread and the second thread provide for fine and
accurate adjustment of the gun sight. The floating nut 65 is
positioned adjacent to a block 71 connected to the base 12. The
block 71 is fixed and adapted to rest adjacent to and provides a
force against the floating nut 65. As the windage shaft 66 is
turned, the floating nut 65 pushes against the block 71 thereby
causing the carrier 14 to move with respect to the base 12.
[0043] A ball 73 is mounted adjacent to the spring 75. The spring
75 and the ball 73 are positioned within a pocket of the base 12.
The ball 73 and spring 75 are contained within the block 71 on base
12. This configuration pushes against carrier 14 to load the system
in the windage axis and also keeps the floating nut in contact with
block 71 throughout the windage travel.
[0044] FIGS. 15-18 illustrate the movement of the carrier 14 with
respect to the base 12 when the windage is adjusted by means of the
windage adjustment assembly 46. FIG. 16 illustrates the carrier 14
pivoted one degree left about the Y axis. Similarly, FIG. 18
illustrates the carrier 14 pivoted towards the right one degree
with respect to the base 12. In a similar arrangement, FIGS. 8-10
illustrate a center arrangement, a one degree to the left
arrangement, and a one degree to the right arrangement when the
windage adjustment apparatus 46 is adjusted.
[0045] The carrier 14 is adapted to hold a H.O.E. assembly 18. The
H.O.E. assembly 18 includes a hood 30 adapted to contain the H.O.E.
32. FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of the H.O.E. assembly. The
H.O.E. assembly 18 includes a protective lens 42 at the front end
and a second protective lens 40 at the opposite end. The protective
lenses 40, 42 are positioned at the openings 41 of the hood 30. The
H.O.E. 32 is contained within the hood 30. The H.O.E. 32 may be
sealed within the hood 30 to protect the H.O.E. 32 from any damage
and external contaminants. In the present embodiment, the H.O.E. 32
is sandwiched between two additional protective lenses 34, 36. The
H.O.E. 32 and the protective lenses 34, 36 are positioned within
the H.O.E. carrier 38. The H.O.E. carrier 38 may be adapted to
connect with the carrier 14.
[0046] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view illustrating the
H.O.E. assembly 18. FIG. 4 illustrates the protective lenses 40, 42
spaced apart from the H.O.E. carrier 38, the H.O.E. 32, and
corresponding protective lenses 34, 36. The present embodiment with
the protective lenses 40, 42 allows for either of the protective
lenses 40, 42 to be broken while still maintaining usability of the
H.O.E. 32. Furthermore, both of the protective lenses 40, 42 may be
broken or removed and functionality of the H.O.E. will remain
intact.
[0047] In the present embodiment, the hood 30 includes an
indentation 31 adapted to receive an upper portion of the H.O.E.
carrier 38. In the present embodiment, the H.O.E. carrier 38 and
the H.O.E. 32 are slightly inclined to communicate with a
Vertical-Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) contained within the
carrier 14. The indentation 31 is adapted to receive the upper
portion of the H.O.E. 32 to prevent the H.O.E. 32 from
significantly moving within the hood 30.
[0048] The H.O.E. of the present invention may be used in
connection with a stable light source (such as discussed in U.S.
patent application Ser. Nos. 14/331,925 and 15/084,813 which is
incorporated herein in its entirety by reference). The H.O.E., the
diode and the mirror are in a fixed angular configuration with
respect to one another, but may be adjusted either together or
individually in a horizontal or vertical direction, or
rotationally. The housing includes a transparent panel allowing
light to transfer therethrough allowing the mirror, diode, and an
H.O.E. to be in light communication with one another.
[0049] The approach of the present invention is to use the VCSEL as
a light source which is driven in such a way that its wavelength
output will remain stable (i.e. a stable light source). The
wavelength of the VCSEL is controlled by controlling the current it
is given. This may be done by adjusting the amplitude of the
current drive signal.
[0050] The H.O.E. and the mirror may be positioned in a relative
image orientation selected from reflection/transmission,
reflection/reflection, transmission/reflection, and
transmission/transmission. The H.O.E. and the mirror may be fixed
on a hologram chassis (i.e. carrier) formed to mount both elements
in a fixed relationship to each other. A base with an attachment
for mounting to an upper surface of a hand held weapon may also be
provided.
[0051] The invention is not restricted to the illustrative examples
and embodiments described above. The embodiments are not intended
as limitations on the scope of the invention. The methods,
apparatus, compositions, and the like described herein are
exemplary and not intended as limitations on the scope of the
invention. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those
skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is defined by the
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *