Abstract:
A gun sight system including a front sight portion and a rear sight portion. The rear sight portion comprises a circular cylinder sided and formed by incomplete triangles pointing to circular cylinder from each side. In some embodiments, the front sight portion comprises a non-hollow circular cylinder. When the front sight circle is aligned horizontally and vertically to the center of the rear sight, an image of two circles is formed for the user and a target is placed in the center of the point of the circle of the front sight.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a gun sight used with firearms such as pistols, shotguns, and rifles, which may be used for sport shooting competition, hunting, and combat use. This general type of sight is usually called an “open iron sight”. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Gun sights are devices fixed to a gun which a shooter uses to aim the gun with the goal of correctly aligning the path of the fired projectile to the required target. The types most commonly used are notch sights, peep sights, graticule sights and telescopic sights. 
         [0003]    Notch sights are the most commonly used type of firearm sight. An example of a notch sight is given in  FIG. 2 , composed of a notch sight block  4  and a front sight component  1  (also known as a bead), which is spaced apart from the notch sight block  4 . To use a notch sight, the user aligns the notch sight block  4  and the front sight component  1  with the intended target behind the aligned notch sight block  4  and front sight component  1 , which aligns the barrel of the firearm at the intended target. Notch sights have the disadvantage of obscuring the target picture, and at longer ranges obscuring even the entire target itself. This forces the user to zero the gun in away from the intended target, above the aiming point, because if the user aimed directly at the intended target, they could not see what is “behind the front sight”. This is easy to see from  FIGS. 2 and 3 , where notch sight block  4  and front sight component  1 , when properly aligned as shown, obstruct much of the target field of view, including the intended target  15 . For avoidance of doubt,  FIG. 3  shows the prior art notch sight of  FIG. 2  superimposed on a sight according to the present invention. 
         [0004]    Notch sights are also slow to align, and force the user to focus their eyes on the rear sight or the front sight, rather than the intended target. In low light conditions, notch sights need to be illuminated, which further reduces the user&#39;s ability to focus on the intended target. 
         [0005]    Peep hole sights, which are used mostly in target competitions, need to be very close to the shooter&#39;s eye, so using them on handguns is very difficult, and they are slow to use and aim with in combat situations. 
         [0006]    During movement and rapid fire situations, it is very difficult to keep any of these sights properly aligned with a target. 
         [0007]    It is an object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. It is a further object of the invention to provide a sight that is easy to use and master to shoot accurately and precisely at targets located at distances that are usually considered too long for the prior art, especially from handguns, during both rapid and slow fire situations. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a firearm sight system which comprises a rear sight portion and a front sight portion as discussed below. 
         [0009]    In certain preferred embodiments, the rear sight portion comprises a circular center which is a hollow cylinder with two open triangles connected to it from both sides, giving the total sight picture and leading the shooter&#39;s eye into the circular hollow cylinder. The size of the cylinder represents the predetermined target area size at a predetermined distance. The front portion comprises a circular non-hollow point, which is smaller than the rear sight in a ratio that represents a predetermined diameter of a target at a predetermined distance, which would be the same as that of the rear sight. The correct ratio of the sizes is determined by calculation with a formula that is known mathematically to the persons skilled in the art, so as to allow the front sight to automatically center in the rear peephole sight. The invention thus eliminates most of the drawbacks of the prior art in trying to “center” the elevation. 
         [0010]    Furthermore, according to one aspect of the invention, the front sight portion and the rear sight portion may be configured such that the rear sight portion comprises a central aiming hole and at least two windows which are located laterally to said central aiming hole, wherein the front sight portion comprises a front sight element which is visible through said central aiming hole of the rear sight portion. For instance, two windows may be located at either side of the central aiming hole, i.e., to the left and right thereof The front sight element may have a rear face oriented toward the rear sight portion, with said rear face being completely visible within the central aiming hole when viewed through the central aiming hole. 
         [0011]    The front sight element may be, for instance, a non-hollow circular cylinder, or may have a bore forming a viewing window. 
         [0012]    Preferable embodiments may provide that the central aiming hole and the windows are oriented to allow a user to view a target located in a space in front of the gun sight system, wherein the central aiming hole is realized as a circular cylinder. Moreover, the windows, when viewed along an axis of the central aiming hole, may have the shape of incomplete triangles converging on the central aiming hole from either side. 
         [0013]    According to a further aspect of the invention, which may be combined with the previous aspect, the rear sight portion comprising a central aiming hole and the front sight portion comprising a front sight element which is visible through said central aiming hole of the rear sight portion are configured such that, when viewed by a user such that the front sight element is aligned horizontally and vertically to the center of the central aiming hole, a combined image is formed for the user and a target is placed at the center of the front sight element. A further development of this aspect may provide that the central aiming hole has a circular shape and the front sight element has the shape of a circle, wherein, when the front sight circle is aligned horizontally and vertically to the center of the central aiming hole, an image of two circles is formed for the user and a target is placed at the center of the point of the circle of the front sight. 
         [0014]    Yet another aspect of the present invention comprises a pistol including a firearm sight system of the invention as discussed herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The present invention is described in more detail with reference made to the drawings, which show embodiments of the invention in schematic views: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of the rear sight aligned with its front sight according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a rear view of a prior art notch sight aligned with its front sight; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a view of the prior art notch sight of  FIG. 2  superimposed on the sight of the current invention to show obscured vision of human size targets at 100 meter range; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a view of the rear sight according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating automatic natural sight alignment of the leading edges of the sight at longer ranges, with a target of human size at 150 meters indicated; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a front view of one embodiment of a rear sight according to the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5 . a  is a perspective view thereof; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6 . a  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a rear sight according to the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 6 . b  is a perspective view thereof; 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the front and rear sights of  FIGS. 5 and 6 . a  mounted on a pistol; 
           [0025]      FIG. 8 . a  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a rear sight according to the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 8 . b  is a front view thereof; 
           [0027]      FIG. 9 . a  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a rear sight according to the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 9 . b  is a front view thereof; 
           [0029]      FIG. 10 . a  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a rear sight according to the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 10 . b  is a front view thereof; 
           [0031]      FIG. 11 . a  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a rear sight according to the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 11 . b  is a front view thereof; 
           [0033]      FIG. 12 . a  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a rear sight according to the present invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 12 . b  is a front view thereof; 
           [0035]      FIG. 13 . a  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a rear sight according to the present invention; 
           [0036]      FIG. 13 . b  is a front view thereof; 
           [0037]      FIG. 14 . a  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a rear sight according to the present invention; 
           [0038]      FIG. 14 . b  is a front view thereof, 
           [0039]      FIG. 15 . a  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a rear sight according to the present invention; and 
           [0040]      FIG. 15 . b  is a front view thereof. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0041]    With reference now to the drawings, exemplary embodiments of gun sight systems according to the invention will be described. 
         [0042]    The term “pistol” or “gun”, as used throughout this specification, should be taken to mean a handgun, a revolver, a pistol, or any other such hand-held firearm useable with the firearm sights as disclosed herein. Terms like “top”, “bottom”, “vertical”, or “horizontal” refer to a position corresponding to the usual operating position of the pistol, i.e., a position in which the pistol barrel is oriented above the pistol stock/grip. The embodiments shown here are given to illustrate the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. It will be evident to the person having ordinary skill in the art to freely combine several or all of the embodiments and variants discussed herein as deemed suitable for a specific application of the invention. Throughout this disclosure, terms like “advantageous”, “exemplary” or “preferred” indicate elements or dimensions which are particularly suitable (but not necessarily essential) to the invention or an embodiment thereof, and may be modified wherever deemed suitable by a person having ordinary skill in the art, except where expressly required. 
         [0043]      FIG. 1  illustrates the principles of the sight system according to the invention. The sight system comprises two sight portions, a front portion  11  and a rear portion  9 , where (in line with general use of a firearm) the rear portion  9  is designed to be positioned closer to the eye of the user handling the firearm. The rear portion  9  provides a central window  10  of, for example, circular shape, and two larger lateral windows  16   a , 16   b  of generally open-triangle or trapezoidal shape, which converge toward the center of the central window  10 . The front portion  11  comprises a front sight element  17  which will produce a circular image. When the user of the firearm looks through the sight system, the images of the two portions  9 ,  11  of the sight system will be superimposed, so as to achieve an image of the type as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0044]    In contrast to a prior art notch sight as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3  ( FIG. 3  is a view of the prior art notch sight of  FIG. 2  superimposed on the sight of the current invention to show obscured vision of human size targets at 100 meter range), the sight system according to the present invention does not obscure vision of the target field  19 , in particular with regard to a possible target  15  located within the target field  19 . For instance,  FIG. 3  shows a picture of a target  15  of human size at a 100 meter range, located within the target field  19 . 
         [0045]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the sight system of the present invention enables automatic and natural sight alignment of the leading edges of the sight at longer ranges. In  FIG. 4 , a target of human size at 150 meters is indicated. Numerals  12  indicate four points, or more specifically two pairs of points which form the base of two incomplete triangles. These four points thus span a sight picture (e.g., target field  19 ). 
         [0046]    A preferred first embodiment of a sight system is illustrated in  FIGS. 5, 5 . a , and  6   a . The rear sight portion  9  of  FIGS. 5 and 5 . a  comprises a cylindrical circular aiming hole  10  and two lateral windows  16   a , 16   b  which each have an upper and a lower side converging from points  12  towards the hole  10 . The hole  10  is defined by a hollow cylindrical component having a circular opening. The windows  16   a , 16   b  are formed by a bridge-like frame. On the sides of the frame, oriented towards the user, aiming leading edge and ranging lines  13  may be provided to further assist the aiming procedure. The front sight portion  11  shown in  FIG. 6 . a  comprises a front sight element  17  realized as a circular cylindrical part, with its axis oriented in alignment with the axis of the circular opening of the aiming hole  10 . In this embodiment, the front sight element  17  is solid, but may be hollow, for example a hollow cylindrical bore, as shown in the alternate embodiment of a rear sight  11 ′ of  FIG. 6 . b ., in which the bore forms a viewing window  17 ′. 
         [0047]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , the sight system is typically provided on the top side of a gun or pistol, with the rear sight portion  9  located at or close to the top rear edge of the pistol and the front sight portion  11  located downstream towards the barrel of the pistol, preferably close to the muzzle end thereof. 
         [0048]    Further embodiments of the rear sight portion with varying shapes, orientations and positions of the aiming hole  10 , location(s) of edge points  12 , and leading edge and ranging lines  13  are shown in  FIGS. 8 . a  and  8 . b  to  FIGS. 14 . a  to  14 . b , in respective pairs of perspective and front views. An additional embodiment of a rear sight portion with alternate orientations and positions of its aiming hole  10  and edge points  12  is shown in  FIGS. 15 . a  and  15 . b . Various shapes of the lateral windows (not labeled) are also shown in all of these figures. 
         [0049]    The present invention provides the shooter with a wider, taller, and generally larger sight picture of the target and general surrounding areas, especially at long distances as compared to the prior art, in both low light and bright light conditions. 
         [0050]    Therefore, the sight according to the present invention allows a user to acquire an intended target very rapidly. In fact, the sight alignment is almost automatic, in that the eye alignment of the shooter is natural and does not require any purposeful adjustment. 
         [0051]    Furthermore, the invention provides that the aiming point is the target point where the shooter wants the projectile to hit, not below or above that point as in the prior art.