Inertia driven eye protection for a scope

Abstract

An eyepiece of a firearm scope includes a spring positioned between a shock mount and an ocular lens, wherein the spring holds the ocular lens a predetermined position from an objective lens of the scope when the spring is in an uncompressed state. During recoil of the firearm, the spring compresses to allow the ocular lens to travel towards the objective lens, thereby increasing an effective eye clearance distance between the ocular lens and a shooter. Following recoil, the spring expands to return the ocular lens to the predetermined position. The spring compresses again during impact of the eyepiece with the shooter's face, thereby partially absorbing the force of the impact and reducing the chance of injury to the shooter.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A method of effectively increasing eye clearance between a scope of a firearm and a shooter during recoil of the firearm, the method comprising:
 compressing a spring connected to an ocular lens of the scope to move the ocular lens closer to a fixed objective lens of the scope during recoil acceleration; and   expanding the spring to return the ocular lens to a default position following recoil acceleration.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising the step of compressing the spring in response to an impact with the ocular lens.