Abstract:
An apparatus for protecting weapons and weapon accessories. The apparatus has one or more fittings located on a lower portion of a mounting area on the apparatus. The one or more fittings are attached to corresponding mounting sites on an upper portion of a mounting area on a weapon. A frame is affixed to one or more fittings to provide protection for the weapon and weapon accessory in the event of a collision or trauma.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application claims prior to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/868,463, filed on Aug. 21, 2013, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Many modern shooting accessories, such as scopes or sights, may be attached to a variety of firearms, generally to improve the functionality or usability of those firearms. Known accessories include scopes, holographic sights, red dot sights, and reflex sights. These accessories may be used wherever firearms or similar weapons may be employed, such as for hunting, law enforcement, military, personal defense, or recreational target shooting. Mounts, such as ring mounts, are used to couple an accessory to a weapon. For example, a gun may have a scope mount on its stock, which may permit an after-market scope to be attached to the gun after it has been purchased. This may improve the user&#39;s ability to operate the gun, for example by making it easier for the user to aim the gun at long-distance targets. 
     Other devices may similarly incorporate scopes. Many hunters, for example, choose to hunt with modernized crossbows; these weapons may also include mounting sites for a scope, or may be sold with a scope pre-mounted to the stock. Scoped devices also may not exclusively be weapons; many cameras, telescopes, and other optical sensing devices may include viewfinding scopes that may allow a user to align the device. 
     These devices, especially weapons, weapon components, and attached accessories, often incorporate sensitive, high technology parts. Further, such devices often require meticulous calibration and installment in order to ensure proper functionality. Despite the fact that maintaining the integrity of weapons and accessories is critical to their functionality, these components are typically not protected and are highly susceptible to damage during normal use. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to at least one exemplary embodiment, a scope guard may be coupled to a weapon or other device to protect one or more accessories, such as a scope, holographic sight, red dot sight, reflex sight or the like. The scope guard may also protect the device itself or its components, for example the rail or action of a gun. This scope guard may be based around a rigid frame that may enclose the accessories, or alternatively may be based around a specialized ring mount or series thereof that may do the same. The scope guard may further include a number of guard bars that may provide further reinforcement to the apparatus. 
     Additionally, in some further exemplary embodiments, the scope guard may be able to mount a number of panels, which may be used to further protect or conceal the device, its components, or its accessories; for example, a camouflage panel could be used to help conceal a gun&#39;s scope from hostile forces. Further refinements to the scope guard may be made in order to improve its functionality; for example, the scope guard may be constructed from a lightweight material to reduce any detrimental effects it may have on the user&#39;s aim. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments thereof, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like elements, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exemplary diagram of a scope guard as shown attached to a firearm, the scope guard having a rigid frame design. 
         FIG. 2  is an exemplary diagram of a scope guard, the scope guard having a “ring-and-bar” design. 
         FIG. 3  is an exemplary diagram of a scope guard as shown attached to a firearm, the scope guard having a “ring-and-bar” design. 
         FIG. 4A  is an exemplary embodiment of a mounting ring. 
         FIG. 4B  is an exemplary embodiment of a mounting ring. 
         FIG. 4C  is an exemplary embodiment of a mounting ring. 
         FIG. 4D  is an exemplary embodiment of a mounting ring. 
         FIG. 4E  is an exemplary embodiment of a mounting ring. 
         FIG. 4F  is an exemplary embodiment of a mounting ring. 
         FIG. 4G  is an exemplary embodiment of a mounting ring. 
         FIG. 4H  is an exemplary embodiment of a mounting ring. 
         FIG. 4I  is an exemplary embodiment of a mounting ring. 
         FIG. 4J  is an exemplary embodiment of a mounting ring. 
         FIG. 4K  is an exemplary embodiment of a mounting ring. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows. 
     The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the term “embodiments of the invention” does not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation. 
     Referring now to exemplary  FIG. 1 , a scope guard  100  can be fitted to a weapon  102 , such as, but not limited to, a rifle, pistol, or other firearm, to protect one or more accessories  104  that may be coupled to the weapon  102 . Any exemplary accessories  104  utilized could be scopes, holographic sights, red dot sights, reflex sights or the like. An accessory  104  may have any functionality as known or desired. An accessory  104  may be coupled to the weapon  102  in any variety of fashions or manners as desired. The fittings of the scope guard  100  may be fixed in place or may be adjustable, and may be configured to removably couple exclusively to rifles, exclusively to pistols, exclusively to other weapons, or to more than one of the above; for example, a scope guard  100  may be configured to connect to a standard Weaver or Picatinny rail system, or to any other accessory mounting systems. Alternatively, the scope guard  100  may be connected to the weapon  102  by screws, bolts, clamps, a permanent connection such as a weld, or any other desired connector. Interchange of the scope guard  100  between different types of weapons with differently-placed mounts may be accomplished via adjusting the fittings of the scope guard  100  as discussed above. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, the scope guard  100  may have one or more panels  108  that allow a weapon user to protect and conceal accessories  104  from collisions, shock, trauma, brush, clothing, other gear, enemies, intruders or other opposition forces. The panels  108  may be interchangeable. Each panel  108  can be designed to have a desired shape and color scheme, such as camouflage, that can allow the scope guard  100  to conceal the outline of the weapon  102 . Panel  108  designs can be adapted for use in different environments, for example jungle, desert, and urban environments, or any other environment, as desired. 
     Referring now to exemplary  FIGS. 2-3 , a scope guard  100  can have one or more ring mounts  110  that allow a weapon user to protect and conceal accessories  104  from collisions, shock, trauma, brush, clothing, other gear, enemies, intruders or other opposition forces. As shown in exemplary  FIG. 3 , the ring mounts  110  may fit around an accessory  104  and mount directly to the stock of the weapon  102 . Alternatively, the ring mounts  110  may be mounted directly to the accessory  104 , or may be mounted as desired. The ring mounts  110  may be interchangeable. Each ring mount  110  can be designed to have a desired shape and color scheme, such as camouflage, that can allow the scope guard  100  to conceal the outline of a weapon  102 . Ring mount  110  designs can be adapted for use in different environments, as above. The ring mounts  110  may be fitted to a weapon  102  via any desired manner. 
     According to the exemplary embodiments displayed in  FIGS. 2-3 , the remainder of the scope guard  100 , apart from the one or more ring mounts  110 , may be substantially formed of a single continuous bar  112 . Guard bar  112  may have upward-facing exposed ends  114  near the eyepiece end of the scope guard  100  (that is, the left side of  FIGS. 2 &amp; 3 ), and a downward-facing loop  116  on the other side of the scope that may pass under the objective lens and rest on the gun stock or barrel. In an alternative embodiment, more than one guard bar  112  may be used; for example, the scope guard  100  may have downward-facing exposed ends where the downward-facing loop is in  FIGS. 2-3 . According to this embodiment, guard bars  112  may be placed as desired; for example, according to the previous embodiment, guard bars  112  may be located above the scope or other accessory  104  and may be placed on either side of the scope. Guard bars  112  may be held in place by way of a bracket, a ring or washer, a thickness increase or decrease in the bar near where it passes the one or more ring mounts  110 , or otherwise as desired. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the scope guard  100  can have a combination of one or more ring mounts  110  and one or more panels  108  that can provide for protection and concealment of the weapon  102  and any accessories  104  thereto from collisions, shock, trauma, brush, clothing, other gear, enemies, intruders or other opposition forces. The scope guard  100  may partially or fully encapsulate one or more accessories  104  or components, including, for example, a sight, stock, or barrel. Panels  108  may mount to the ring mounts  110 , to elsewhere on the scope guard  100 , to elsewhere on a device to which the scope guard may be mounted  102 , or elsewhere, as desired. 
     In some exemplary embodiments, the scope guard  100  utilized herein may provide protection to components of a weapon  102  itself. For example, if mounted to a weapon  102 , the scope guard  100  may protect the barrel, stock, rail, and/or action. According to such an embodiment, if the weapon  102  was brushed against a tree branch, the scope guard  100  may protect optics mounted on the weapon from being damaged, disturbed or dislodged by the impact. The scope guard  100  may partially or fully encapsulate any weapon components or accessories  104  as desired, or may partially or fully encapsulate a weapon or other device. 
     Any scope guard  100  described herein may be made out of metal, for example aluminum, magnesium, titanium, steel, other alloys, or any combination thereof. Further, any scope guard  100  utilized herein may be made of plastics, composites, resins, epoxies, laminates, glass, carbon fiber, or any combination thereof and may be shaped via various extruding, molding, vacuum forming, casting processes or any combination thereof. A scope guard  100  may also be made of both metal and nonmetal components, for example employing metal mounting brackets and a carbon fiber frame, or may be constructed as desired. 
     In further exemplary embodiments, the scope guard  100  used herein can be substantially lightweight, relative to the weapon  102  to which it is attached. This may allow that the weight and balance of the weapon  102  to which the scope guard  100  is attached is not adversely affected by the addition of the scope guard  100 . For example, if attached to a firearm, the lighter weight of the scope guard  100  may provide that the user of the firearm does not tire more easily, experience loss of accuracy when shooting the firearm, or otherwise suffer impairment in their use of the firearm. 
     Exemplary  FIGS. 4A-4K  illustrate a number of embodiments of the ring mounts  110 . Ring mounts  110  may include a hole or a plurality of holes  118  through which guard bars  112  may be passed, and may include a mounting bracket or plurality of mounting brackets  120  that may allow the ring mount  110  to be attached to the stock of a firearm or other device  102 . Holes  118  that may serve as guard bar mounting sites may be fully separated from each other, or may be connected via a slot or channel; the latter may permit the ring mount  110  in response to an impact. Ring mounts  110  may also include a support bridge  122  that may serve to link the vertical supports  124  of the ring mount  110 ; support bridge  122  may be located at the top of the ring mount  110  (as in  FIG. 4B ), nearer the center of the ring mount  110  (as in  FIG. 4A ), near the lower portion of the ring mount  110 , or may be absent entirely. If the support bridge  122  is absent, the ring mount  110  may have multiple pieces, each of which may mount to one side of the mounting sites on the firearm or other device  102 ; this may allow the ring mounts  110  to be assembled around the scope or other accessory to be protected  104 , allowing for a tighter fit or for a more complex shape in the ring mount  110 . 
     Differently-shaped ring mounts  110  may be used to accommodate a broader set of firearms or other devices  102 ; for example, the ring mount  110  shown in  FIG. 4A  may have a smaller internal cavity under the support bridge  122  than does the ring mount shown in  FIG. 4B , which may allow the ring mount  110  shown in  FIG. 4B  to be used with a wider selection of scopes and other accessories  104 . Ring mounts  110  may also be symmetrical along at least one axis, for example as in  FIG. 4A , or may be asymmetrical, as in  FIG. 4B ; this symmetry or asymmetry may, for example, be exhibited in the vertical supports  124  having different shapes or sizes, or as desired. Asymmetrical ring mounts  110  may be employed to protect weapons  102  or weapon components  104  that are asymmetrical or asymmetrically placed. For example, a rifle scope may have a dial system that extends only from one side of the scope and which is sensitive to damage; in such an example, an asymmetrical ring mount  110  wherein one side of the ring mount  110  is significantly wider than or extends out further than the other side of the ring mount  110  (as in exemplary  FIG. 4B  or  FIG. 4E ) may be chosen. Using such a ring mount  110  may ensure that, should a weapon  102  be dropped with scope guard  100  attached, the asymmetrical component  104  will not come into contact with the ground, or may protect the asymmetrical component  104  from other sources of damage. 
     Briefly summarizing  FIGS. 4A-4K , embodiments of ring mounts  110  may take a number of forms.  FIG. 4A  features a symmetrical design with a centrally located support bridge  122 . The design features a plurality of mounting holes  118  for guard bars  112 , permitting the guard bars  112  to be installed nearer or farther from the base of the ring mount  110 , as desired. This may permit the protection provided by the guard bars  112  to be sized appropriately to protect smaller or larger accessories  104 , for example scopes with larger or smaller diameters. Ring mount  110  may feature a mounting bracket  120  or a plurality thereof; these may be located near the base of the ring mount  110  and may facilitate attachment to a rail system or other mounting site located on a weapon or other device. Locating the support bridge  122  in the center of the ring mount  110  may be advantageous by permitting the ring mounts  110  to flex to a greater degree when faced with an impact originating from the top side of the ring mounts  110  (such as if a weapon to which a scope guard  100  is attached is dropped directly on its top side), which may allow the ring mounts  110  to absorb more of the energy of such an impact. This may ensure that a weapon or accessory protected by the scope guard  100  is protected to a greater degree. 
       FIG. 4B  features an asymmetrical design with a top support bridge  122 . As in  FIG. 4A  and as in subsequent figures, the design features a plurality of mounting holes  118  for guard bars  112 , permitting the guard bars  112  to be installed nearer or farther from the base of the ring mount  110 , as desired. Again, this may permit the protection provided by the guard bars  112  to be sized appropriately to protect smaller or larger accessories  104 , for example scopes with larger or smaller diameters. Likewise as in  FIG. 4A , ring mount  110  may feature a mounting bracket  120  or a plurality thereof; these may be located near the base of the ring mount  110  and may facilitate attachment to a rail system or other mounting site located on a weapon or other device. 
     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 4B  may be primarily distinguished from that of  FIG. 4A  by the higher placement of the support bridge  122  and by the different widths and shapes of the plurality of vertical supports  124 . The higher placement of the support bridge  122  may allow for larger accessories to fit between the support bridge  122  and the base of the ring mount  110 , allowing a scope guard  100  to be used with a wider range of accessories and broadening the number of users that may have use for a scope guard  100 . Likewise, the different widths of the plurality of vertical supports  124  may allow for a broader range of accessory shapes to be used with the scope guard  100  while still placing those accessories within the confines of the protection provided by the scope guard  100 . For example, if a scope with a dial system that extends only from one side of the scope is to be protected by a scope guard  100  including ring mounts  110 , ring mounts  110  similar to those in  FIG. 4B  may be chosen, and the wider vertical supports  124  placed on the side shared with the dial system extending from the side of the scope. According to such a configuration, if the user should drop the weapon or other device featuring the asymmetrical scope, and should the weapon or other device impact the ground on the side featuring the scope dial system, the energy of the impact from the fall may be absorbed by the wider vertical support  124  instead of by the dial system. Other collisions, shocks, trauma, or other potential source of damage to an asymmetrical system may be protected against in a similar fashion. According to the preferred embodiment, the internal portion of the wider vertical support  124  may be hollow; this may reduce material costs and may permit the wider vertical support  124  to deform or crumple in response to an impact, further increasing the energy absorption potential of the wider vertical support  124  and offering further protection to any enclosed accessories or components. 
     The exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 4C  incorporates features previously shown in the embodiments of  FIGS. 4A and 4B . As in  FIG. 4A , the vertical supports  124  are symmetrical and narrow, which may offer advantages like ease of machining or the resulting scope guard  100  having a lower profile. However, as in  FIG. 4B , the support bridge  122  is located at the top portion of the ring mount  110 , which may permit larger scopes or other accessories to be used with the ring mount. 
     The exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 4D  is similar to that of  FIG. 4C , having only a wider topmost portion to distinguish it. This may permit still larger accessories to be used with the ring mount  110 , with the potential trade-off being a slightly larger profile. 
     The embodiment of  FIG. 4E  is similar to that of  FIG. 4C , having only a wider vertical support to distinguish it. This may permit the ring mount  110  to better accommodate an asymmetrical accessory. 
     The exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 4F  is also similar to that of  FIGS. 4C and 4E , with the distinction in this case being that both vertical supports  124  have been widened. This may offer added protection to particularly wide accessories, such as a scope with a dial on each side. Such an embodiment may also offer user convenience; the added widened vertical support as compared to the embodiment of  FIG. 4E  may ensure that a user that wishes to trade out one asymmetrical accessory for another does not need to disassemble the scope guard  100 , remove the ring mount  110 , flip it around, and install it again with the wider vertical support  124  facing the other direction. Instead, the user may be able to simply remove the original asymmetrical accessory and install the new one in its place, without having to deal with disassembling and reassembling the scope guard  100 . 
     The exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 4G  is similar to that of  FIG. 4A , with some minor distinctions. For example, the internal cavity under the support bridge  122  is fully rounded rather than a rounded rectangle; this may make the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4G  better suited to accommodate different kinds of accessories. The design also may permit narrower vertical supports  124  to be used, which may decrease manufacturing costs and reduce the profile of the scope guard  100 . 
     Exemplary  FIG. 4H  illustrates an embodiment of a ring mount  110  that lacks any mounting sites for guard bars  112 . Instead, a weapon and/or an accessory may be directly shielded by the ring mount; for example, an accessory such as a scope or flashlight may be placed in the large internal cavity under the support bridge  122 , and protected directly by the ring guard  110 . According to this embodiment, the vertical supports  124  of the ring mount  110  may be widened to ensure that the ring mount  110  features greater protection against collisions, shocks, and other potential sources of damage. The ring mount  110  may also, for example, feature shock-absorbing “feet” near its topmost portion to ensure that the ring mount  110  and any accessories enclosed within it are adequately protected against an impact to the top of the ring mount  110 ; these feet may bend or flex in response to such an impact, reducing the energy of the impact that may be absorbed by the ring mount, by an attached device, or by any accessories. 
     Exemplary  FIG. 4I  illustrates an embodiment of a ring mount  110  close to that of  FIG. 4G . The embodiment of  FIG. 4I  may be distinguished by its use of a curved support bridge  122  instead of a flat support bridge  122  as in  FIG. 4G ; the use of a curved support bridge  122  may be advantageous because it may allow the ring mount  110  to flex to a greater degree in response to an impact, which may in turn increase the energy absorption characteristics of the support bridge. The embodiment of  FIG. 4I  also has a slightly larger internal cavity, which may permit slightly larger accessories to be used in conjunction with the scope guard  100 . 
       FIG. 4J  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a ring mount  110  with a large and quadrilaterally-shaped internal cavity. This internal cavity may be suitable to allow the ring mount  110  to be used in conjunction with even particularly large accessories, which may widen the scope of what such accessories may be used with a scope guard  100 . The embodiment of  FIG. 4J  also features a curved, contoured design, which may allow the ring mount  110  to have adequate impact absorption capabilities without requiring that the ring mount  110  be excessively large. 
       FIG. 4K  illustrates an exemplary modified version of the previous ring mount  110  design as shown in  FIG. 4J . The embodiment shown in  FIG. 4K  has a large quadrilaterally-shaped internal cavity that is nonetheless smaller than that of  FIG. 4J ; the ring mount  110  also features two widened vertical supports  124 , which may, as discussed above, give the ring mount superior impact-absorption characteristics or may allow it to accommodate particularly wide or asymmetrical accessories. 
     According to other embodiments, scope guards  100  may be used to protect scopes and other easily-damaged accessories on other devices than weapons. For example, a scope guard  100  may substantially enclose the viewfinder on a camera or a portable telescope, which may protect the viewfinder from certain sources of damage. According to such an embodiment, the scope guard  100  may be affixed to a mounting bracket, or affixed directly to the viewfinder or other accessory in question if mounting brackets are not present. 
     The foregoing description and accompanying drawings illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
     Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.