Abstract:
The present invention is a reticule featuring both rapid close-quarters target acquisition and precise distance shooting functionality. The reticule features a broad central aiming ring and four sets of aiming point-indicating dots. The lowest set comprises dots of differing dimensions and distances apart. Ranging rings are also provided. In an alternate embodiment the aiming ring comprises a plurality of varying transparent and opaque cells. The reticule can be illuminated through known or future discovered means for low-light or night shooting. A further alternate embodiment features a caliber specific ranging system.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This Application is a Continuation-in-Part of prior application Ser. No. 10/708,288, filed Feb. 23, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,320, issued Sep. 5, 2006 and incorporates the earlier application by reference. 

   COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
   A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
   FIELD OF INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to the field of reticules, and more particularly relates to a reticule for a telescopic sight system while being useful in both rapid target acquisition in close quarters combat and precise distance shooting situation 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Reticules are well known in the prior art. They are used in any situation where aiming any type of device is necessary, ranging from medical devices to weapons. Reticule types range from the traditional “crosshairs” to dots, circles, other geometric shapes, and moveable cross lines or any combination of the above. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,512 (2004) to Sammut; U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,537 (2003) to Smith; U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,595 (2002) to Sammut; U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,158 (2002) to Smith, III; U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,921 (2000) to Lawrence, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,357 (1990) to Barnes, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,221 (1986) to Thomas; U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,719 (1981) to Murdoch; U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,587 (1976) to Rubbert; U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,822 (1974) to Spence; U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,450 (1968) to Herter, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,420,273 (1944) to West; U.S. Pat. No. 1,190,121 (1916) to Critchett; U.S. Pat. No. 1,088,137 (1914) to Fidjeland; U.S. Pat. No. 912,050 (1909) to Wanee; and U.S. Pat. No. 189,721 (1877) to Freund are all illustrative of the prior art. 
   While the aforementioned inventions accomplish their individual objectives, they do not describe a reticule that is useful for both rapid close range target acquisition and precision shooting at a distance. In this respect, the reticule according to the present invention departs substantially from the usual designs in the prior art. In doing so, this invention provides a simple reticule using an aiming point strategy in its design and functionality. The reticule according to the present invention also incorporates a plurality of aiming points represented as dots of different scales to facilitate use at various ranges, from 10 to 600 yards or beyond. Prior reticules attempt to compensate for drop of a bullet over distance by increasing the distance between provided reticule guidelines. While one embodiment of the reticule according to this invention does so, in general, the reticule according to the present invention does not attempt to do so. In the present invention, a set of smaller scale dots provides a reference point for a shooter to use after practicing with a particular weapon over time, thereby avoiding problems of translating the results of “average” weapons to a particular weapon. Simultaneously, the reticule according to the present invention covers less of a target area, decreasing uncertainty and having a corresponding increase in hit potential. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of reticule, this invention provides an improved reticule with varying scales for use in multiple range environments. As such, the present invention&#39;s general purpose is to provide a new and improved reticule that will allow a user to improve accuracy and time at a distance without being a hindrance at close range. 
   To accomplish this goal and still maintain a utility derived from simplicity, the reticule according to the present invention comprises a main aiming ring with a series of aiming dots extending from the ring in what would be considered the cardinal directions. The aiming ring is utilized for speed and accuracy in close targeting scenarios, providing a broad, easily identifiable aiming point. The “southern” portion of the targeting ring is empty, allowing for a series of aiming dots to extend from the center of the ring to the bottom of the reticule. As the southern dots extend from the ring, they gradually are reduced in size and are spaced at a lesser distance apart. Thin reference rings are positioned towards the bottom of the reticule for range estimation. The reticule may be made of a luminous material, or may be electronically or chemically induced to glow for night and low light use. 
   The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow. 
   Many objects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views. 
   Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
   As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of the reticule according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of the reticule. 
       FIG. 3  is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of the reticule with caliber specific ranging. 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of a further alternate embodiment of the reticule with caliber specific ranging. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   With reference now to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the reticule is herein described. It should be noted that the articles “a”, “an” and “the”, as used in this specification, include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. 
   Referring specifically to  FIG. 1 , reticule  100  is has a central aiming ring  110 , a plurality of varying sized ranging rings  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and four sets of dots in linear patterns defining four cardinal directions,  130 N,  130 S,  130 E,  130 W. Throughout this application and in the claims, the term “dot” is used to define an indicator of the location of generic aiming points on the reticule. The term “dot” may be used of indicators of any shape, such as triangles, crosshairs, ovals and rectangles, and need not necessarily be circles. Aiming ring  110  is not a complete ring, as it is open towards the southern direction. Dot set  130 S initiates in the center of the reticule with central aiming point  135  and is comprised of dots of three different sizes and two different spacing intervals, as shall be described later in this specification. Labeled quick count lines  132 ,  134 ,  136  may be provided at any interval, though the shown preferred embodiment is an interval of 5. Ranging ring  120  is labeled “3” on the reticule. 
   The utility of the reticule  100  is found in the set spacing and sizes of the individual components relative to each other. The reticule uses the same basic perspective principles used in other ranging reticules, that is that objects appear smaller the further they are away from a viewer. Aiming ring  110  has a thickness of 4 Minutes Of Angle (“MOA”). 1 MOA is roughly equivalent to 1 inch at 100 yards. Its diameter is 18 MOA, leaving a 10 MOA window interior. Each of the dots in directional sets  130 N,  130 E, and  130 W are 0.75 MOA, and the central aiming point  135  is 1 MOA. The next highest dots in set  130 S are 0.75 MOA. Each of these dots has an interval spacing of 3.5 MOA. Staring with the dot labeled “5” in the southern set  130 S, the remaining dots are 0.5 MOA and have an interval spacing of 2 MOA. Ranging rings  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126  have diameters of 3.33 MOA, 2.5 MOA, 2 MOA, and 1.67 MOA respectively. To maintain proper perspective of relative sizes of the reticule components with potential targets, the reticule should be positioned either on or next to the objective lens of any telescopic sighting devices, thereby magnifying the reticule in the same power as the target and maintaining proportion. It should be noted that aiming ring  110  may be of any shape, though depicted as round in the figures. The important characteristics of aiming ring  110  is that it is relatively broad compared to the rest of the reticule and that it has an incomplete perimeter at its bottom. Any reasonable shape may, therefore be used, be it ovular, rectangular, triangular, octangular, or any other polygonal shape. The term “ring” as used in this specification and the appended claims must, therefore, include such equivalent structures. 
   In use, the reticule according to the present invention provides a rapidly identified aiming point in close quarters combat situations, as the reticule provides an easily identified center target with aiming ring  110 . This is especially true if the sighting device is set at zero magnification, thus diminishing all other reticule components from view. The reticule also provides ranging capability for more accurate distance shooting. Aiming ring  110  and ranging rings  120 ,  122 ,  124 , and  126  are set to measure the equivalent of 10-inch targets at 100, 300, 400, 500, and 600 yards distance. Central aiming point  135  is the center of aiming ring  110  and therefore defines the diameter of a 5 MOA circle with any single point within the inner rim of the aiming ring  110 . This corresponds to a 10-inch target at 200 yards. While the four ranging rings are provided in the preferred embodiment, more or fewer rings may be employed in the practice of this invention. Likewise, different shapes may also be used, though in all embodiments the shapes should be mere outlines, allowing a user to see past the shape. 
   For distance shooting, it is important to consider the drop of a bullet over distance. The amount of drop will be determined by a number of factors, including barrel length, rifling, bullet weight, charge of ammunition, etc. Together, these factors are called a “package” and are usually uniform over time for a user&#39;s weapon. The scope can be zeroed so that the central aiming point  135  represents where a bullet will hit at 200 yards. Once this is set, a user merely practices with his or her particular weapon package to determine at which dot in the southern set  130 S a bullet will hit at specified yardage. Since the lower portion of southern set  130 S is used in distance shooting, the dots are smaller and the distance between them is smaller, so that less of a target is covered by a dot at greater distance from the shooter. With less of a target covered, there is greater accuracy in the shooting due to less uncertainty as to the actual spot where the bullet will hit. In the present embodiment, a 0.5 MOA dot will cover only 3 inches of a target at 600 yards. The distance between the dots in the lower range is 2 MOA, corresponding to 12 inches at 600 yards. The central aiming dot  135  would cover 6 inches at 600 yards, presenting double the uncertainty and a corresponding drop in accuracy. 
   Through practice, a user may note where a bullet will hit on the reticule at a determined distance. Afterwards, when a user picks a target of a known size, comparisons are made with ranging rings  120 ,  122 ,  124 , and  126 , as well as with the interior of aiming ring  110 , to determine distance. When aiming at the target, the user merely picks the appropriate aiming point from the dots in set  130 S and fires, hitting the target. The preferred embodiment attaches no external significance to the aiming points represented by the dots, unlike various other prior art reticules which attempt to compensate for the amount of drop a bullet will have over distance. The importance of the smaller dots and smaller distance between them is for better accuracy with a particular weapon. Remaining dot sets  130 N,  130 E,  130 W are ideally set to a uniform standard, for instance the standard military dot ranging system, and are useful as guides for windage and canting calculations and for ranging in horizontal and vertical planes. 
   In low light situations, the reticule may be illuminated through conventional means, or means to be discovered. Ideally, ranging rings  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 , dots sets  130 N,  130 S,  130 E,  130 W, and aiming ring  110  would have illumination capability. A highlighting ring, such as  311  in  FIG. 3 , is used in those situations where illumination of the central aiming ring  110  is difficult or impossible. 
   In an alternate embodiment, shown in  FIG. 2 , the aiming ring  210  is composed of a plurality of transparent cells  203 , allowing a user to see through a portion of the aiming ring  210 . Cells  203  may be of any shape, though regular polygons, such as the diamond pattern shown in  FIG. 2 , circles and ovals are preferred. Ideally, the lines dividing aiming ring  210  should be thinner than cells  203 , allowing a user to see “through” over ½ of the area covered by the aiming ring  210 . This construction of the aiming ring  210  allows a user to look through the aiming ring  210  while still having the capacity to use it. It is also easier to illuminate aiming ring  210  when using the depicted or similar cell constructions, as uniform lines are easier to illuminate using current technology. Dots  207  and  235  and rings  220 ,  222 ,  224 ,  226 , may be of any shape, and may actually mimic the construction of cells  203 . Some of the cells may be obscured  202  in a manner to provide greater contrast and increase acquisition speed. Obscured cells may demarcate a part of aiming ring  210  (as shown) or they may outline the perimeter of aiming ring  210  or they may be spaced at a regular pattern about the aiming ring. In either event, a user should still see through at least ½ of the aiming ring for this embodiment to maintain a good portion of its utility, though a greater percentage of obscured cells and different patterns would still be considered the purview of this invention. 
   In  FIG. 3 , the reticule uses a caliber specific component for range shooting. In this embodiment, the CQB aspect of the reticule is maintained with aiming ring  310  while a customer may enjoy the convenience of a pre-set ranging system. The pre-set ranging system depicted is for an M4 rifle with a 14.5 inch barrel and a 62 grain bullet package (M855). The center dot  335  is set to correspond to the impact point at 100 yards. Since the drop between 100 and 200 yards for this package is only about 3 inches, a 200-yard impact point is not provided. Impact point  337  corresponds to 300 yards (and approximately a 12-inch relative drop from 100 yards). From this point, every successive range of 100 yards has an impact point set within a range indicator line  332  comprised of specially sized and spaced dashes  336 . The dashes  336  and the spacing between them are equal length and correspond to 10-inch spacing at that corresponding distance. Ranging rings  334  are provided with all of the range indicator lines and with the 300-yard dot  337 . Until the rings are small enough to not overlap, it is preferred they are set to the sides of the lines  336 , as shown in the 400 and 500-yard range lines, though wherever possible, it is preferred they are in the center of the line, as shown with the 600 and successive range indicator lines. A highlighting ring  311  may be used to circumscribe the entire reticule, as shown in  FIG. 3 , or just the aiming ring  310 . In the event a highlighting ring is used to circumscribe the aiming ring alone, the highlighting ring should also be incomplete on the bottom. Highlighting rings should be significantly thinner than the aiming ring and may actually be comprised of a number of thin rings. The reticule shown in  FIG. 3  can be further simplified, as shown in  FIG. 4 , for shorter ranges and less clutter. 
   Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made, such as altering the shape of the dots or the cells, and still the result will come within the scope of the invention. No limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred.