Abstract:
A remote controlled mobile target system having a target base on wheels and a target rotatable on the base under wireless control of a central processing unit. The target is rotatable between a shoot and no-shoot position independent of movement of the target base thereby giving a student a better simulation of real close quarters firearms engagement. The movements of the target base and target may be programmed or under the control of an instructor and when programmed the movements may be randomized based on number of hits to the target or hits to a specific hit sensitive area of the target.

Description:
This application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No. 61/489,562, filed May 24, 2011, for Mobile Target System. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a target and a target base under remote control, said target being selectively rotatable on the target base separate from movement of the target base. 
     2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
     Firearms training for civilians, law enforcement officers and military personnel has relied on rudimentary moving and static targets. Although shoot, no shoot target systems have been around for years, there was no sense of real dynamic movement. The targets were affixed to a carriage and confined to an area and the target was unable to move in any other direction than the predetermined one. This shortcoming is resolved with embodiments of the mobile target system described below wherein specific embodiment can cover a Tueller drill with a pistol in 1.5 seconds or faster and turn from a shoot target to a no-shoot in well under a second. In addition, another problem with firearms training has been that the targets do not shoot back. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dynamic moving target to better simulate lifelike movements and give a student a better simulation of real close quarters firearms engagement. Another object is to provide a mobile target system with a moveable target base upon which is mounted a rotatable target with movement of the target base and movement of the target being separately remotely controlled by an operator or preprogrammed. Other objects and features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
     In accordance with the invention, a mobile target system includes a moveable target base that is remotely controlled by an operator or programmed to follow a predetermined course. The system also includes a target that is selectively rotatable on the moveable target base. Movement of the target is remotely controlled by the operator or can be preprogrammed. 
     The invention summarized above comprises the constructions hereinafter described. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       In the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated, corresponding reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is side perspective view of a movable target base; 
         FIG. 2  is rear perspective view thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view thereof showing a first rotatable target on the target base; 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation of a second rotatable target on the target base; 
         FIG. 5  is a front elevation of the second rotatable target on the target base; 
         FIG. 5A  is a detail taken along line  5 A- 5 A in  FIG. 5  of the second rotatable target; 
         FIG. 5B  is a detail taken along line  5 B- 5 B in  FIG. 5  of the second rotatable target; 
         FIG. 6  is plan perspective view of the target base with a top panel removed; 
         FIG. 7  is side elevation of the rotatable target support; 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram showing a mechanism for controlling rotation of the target; and, 
         FIG. 9  is a block diagram showing a mechanism for controlling movement of the target base. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference number, reference numerals  10 ,  10 ′ refer to a remotely controlled mobile target system including a rotatable target  12 ,  12 ′ on a movable target base  14 . 
     Movable target base  14  includes a framework  16  which is shielded with front  18 , rear  20 , top  22  and side panels  24  formed of plate resistant to bullet impacts such as 3/16″ mild steel or ballistic steel. Base  14  is supported on wheels  26 . In the form illustrated, there are two forward wheels  26 FL and  26 FR and two rear wheels  26 RL and  26 RR independently journaled for rotation on hubs (not shown). In other models, rear wheels  26 RL and  26 RR (or the front wheels) may be replaced with a single caster or with casters (not shown). As shown in  FIG. 6 , the hubs of wheels  26  are keyed to four electric motors  28 , e.g., half horsepower DC electric motors  28 FL,  28 FR,  28 RL and  28 RR. Motor mounts  30  are provided in framework  16  for supporting motors  28 . 
     Movable target system  10 ,  10 ′ is powered with batteries  32  such as battery  32 - 1  and battery  32 - 2  as illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 8  and batteries  32 - 1  through  32 - 4  in  FIG. 9 . The circuit shown in  FIG. 8  connects batteries  32  to motors  28  for powering the wheels  26  and to another motor  34  for powering target  12 ,  12 ′. The circuit also includes an onboard charger maintainer  36  for recharging batteries  32 . It will be understood that more batteries as shown in  FIG. 9  or just one battery may be used depending on battery storage capacity and desired run time between recharging. Depending on operational requirements, movable target system  10 ,  10 ′ can be configured to operate on 12 vDC or 24 vDC. On rear panel  20  a plug  38  ( FIGS. 2 ,  8 ) such as a three prong AC penetrative plug is provided for use in plugging movable target system  10 ,  10 ′ into a standard 110 vAC power source. As seen in  FIG. 9 , batteries  32  are linked in series. Onboard charger maintainer  36  has two leads, one going to the positive pole of the first battery in series and the other lead to the negative pole of the second or last battery in series. Switch  40 - 1 , switch  40 - 2  and switch  40 - 3  as more particularly described below are also provided on rear panel  20 . 
     Switch  40 - 1  as seen in  FIG. 9 , is a master switch for use in closing the circuit connecting batteries  32  and motors  28  for wheels  26  and motor  34  for target  12 . For use in modulating the power provided to the wheels, a first motion control processor  42 -MC 1  to front wheels  26 FL and  26 FR and a second motion control processor  42 -MC 2  is provided for modulating the power provided to rear wheels  26 RL and  26 RR through first and second terminal strips  44 -TS 1  and  44 -TS 2 . Motion control processors  42 -MC 1  and  42 -MC 2  use pulse width modulation to provide steering and speed control to motors  28 . Switch  40 - 2  provides power to an RC receiver  45  through a voltage reducer  46  and switch  40 - 3  provides power to a relay board  48  acting as a third motion control processor. Relay board  48  has circuitry for reversing the polarity of the leads connected to motors  28  for wheels  28  and motor  35  for target  12 ,  12 ′. Hence, wheels  26  may be differentially driven for use in steering target base  14 . For example, to turn movable target base  14  to the right, the left motors  28 FL and  28 RL propel the base forward, and the right motors  28 RL and  28 RR either propel in reverse or stop, depending the command received by radio control receiver  45  which is shown in  FIG. 8 . This allows target base  14  to spin on axis or turn while in movement. As shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , an antenna  50  is provided on rear panel  20  which is connected to receiver  45  through a receiver and antenna adapter  52  provided on the inside of rear panel  20 . Signals to receiver  45  are provided by a radio control transmitter  53  under control of a central processing unit  54  ( FIG. 8 ) as more particularly described below. 
     Target  12  as been seen in  FIGS. 3 and 7  includes a target support with a shaft  56  passing through an aperture provided in top panel  22  of target base  14 . Target  12  is designed to spin on axis in either direction under control of central processing unit  54 . This allows a target  12  ( FIG. 3 ) to be presented to a shoot and no-shoot position for the purpose of simulating a firefight situation. For this purpose, shaft  56  is journaled in a bearing  58  which is supported on crossmembers  60  of framework  16 . A protective boot  62  may be provided over bearing  58  and the aperture. As shown in  FIG. 7 , shaft  56  is keyed to a drive shaft  64  of motor  34 . Through relay board  48  (third motion control processor) motor  34  is under control of central processing unit  54 . The RC receiver  45  used in a prototype of mobile target system  10 ,  10 ′ was a 2.4 ghz frequency hopping 6 channel receiver and central processing unit  54  was a 2.4 ghz dual stick 5 channel radio controller, selected for possible expansion in later models. A shaft stop  65  may be attached to shaft  56  for contact with right and left limit switch mounts  66 R,  66 L bearing limit switches  68 R,  68 L ( FIG. 8 ). Limit switches  68 R,  68 L are in circuit with relay board discussed above. A paper or cardboard target  70  is mounted in a frame  72  provided on shaft  56 . While a particular frame  72  is shown in the drawings it will be understood that other arrangements may be provided for other types of targets. Typically frame  72  is used with paper or cardboard practice targets  70  which have a buff colored shoot side and a white no-shoot side. 
     Through the circuitry shown in  FIG. 8 , an instructor may rotate shaft  56  until stopped by one of limit switches  68 R,  68 L. Once the rotation is stopped in one direction relay board  48  allows the turning mechanism to spin shaft  56  in the opposite direction. This same function may be provided with a servo motor under control of RC receiver  45  with limit switch mounts  66 R,  66 L and limit switches  68 R,  68 L omitted. 
     A second embodiment of mobile target system  10 ′ is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . In this instance, target  12 ′ has human-like appearance and movements. In simplified form, target  12 ′ includes a support  74  with two hit sensing reactive targets  76 . For example, hit sensing reactive targets  76  may have a 360 degree sensor area at chest and at head height to emulate the A zones of a human (which is what is used in law enforcement and the military as the areas the student is trained to target). The lower A zone is a 6 by 6 inch area of the chest of a normal human and the upper A zone is a 4 by 4 inch area of the head. An arm  78  bearing an airsoft gun  80  or the like may be pivoted to target  12 ′. As shown in  FIG. 5A , arm  78  is mounted on an axle shaft  82 . A linkage including an electric actuator  84 , linkage  86  and an actuator attach point  88  may be used to rotate arm  78  such that airsoft gun  80  may be raised and lowered. Support  74  is mounted on a foot  90  which is pivoted about an axle  92  ( FIG. 4 ) on target articulation unit  94 . Target articulation unit  94  is in turn mounted on a carrousel  96  best seen in  FIG. 5B  which is rotated by shaft  56  of motor  34  as described above. In the form illustrated, target articulation unit  94  includes a motor  98  for pivoting foot  90 , a fourth motion control processor  100  for the motor  98  and a fifth motion control processor  102  for the arm and airsoft gun operation. A battery  104  may also be provided for operation of target  12 ′ separate from operation of the target base  14 . 
     In use, target base  14  and targets  12 ,  12 ′ may be operated separately, i.e., targets  12 ,  12 ′ may rotate on target base  14  independent of movement of the target base  14 . For example, upon one of A zone areas  76  being struck by a bullet, a sensor behind the A zone will send a signal to central processing unit  54  and target  12 ′ may be rotated over parallel to the ground giving full visualization that the target has been struck by the bullet in the proper area. Control of electric actuator  84  to raise arm  78  and to cause gun  80  to shoot back may be under instructor control through a second remote control system like a key fob. Operation of target  12 ′ through central processing unit  54  may also be under control of an instructor such that a student is pressed to the limit of his or her abilities in a training session but not beyond. Alternatively, central processing unit  54  may be programmed to control the rotation of target  12 ′ not just in response to a specific number of hits or hits to a particular hit sensitive target area but for a random number of hits. This allows a student to train on mobile target system  10 ′ and not know how many hits may be needed to rotate the target into no-shoot position Like targets  12 ,  12 ′ but separate therefrom, movement of target base  14  may be under control of an instructor or programmed to run an autonomous predetermined route separate. 
     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.