Weapon Sight Light Emission System

Abstract

A light emission assembly for weapon sights which provides a viewable illuminated aiming indicia of substantially fixed area and uniform brightness regardless of the ambient light conditions.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of providing an aiming indica for a sighting device, comprising the steps of:
 a) transmitting an amount of light within a light conductive member;   b) emitting an amount of light from a light emitting element; and   c) spreading said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member and said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element to substantially fill an illumination field to provide said aiming indicia for said sighting device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of providing an aiming indica for a sighting device of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of convergently reflecting said amount of light conducted through said light conductive member to fill an illumination field. 
     
     
         3 . The method of providing an aiming indica for a sighting device of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of divergently refracting said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element to fill said illumination field. 
     
     
         4 . The method of providing an aiming indica for a sighting device of  claim 3 , wherein said steps of  claims 2  and  3  uniformly spread said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member and said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element to substantially fill an illumination field. 
     
     
         5 . The method of providing an aiming indica for a sighting device of any one of  claim 1 ,  2 ,  3 , or  4 , further comprising the step of generating a viewing angle for each of said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member convergently reflected to substantially fill said illumination field and said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element divergently refracted to substantially fill said illumination field in the range of about 15 degrees and about 25 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The method of providing an aiming indica for a sighting device of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of generating viewing angles of said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member convergently reflected to substantially fill said illumination field and said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element divergently refracted to substantially fill said illumination field which differ by 5 degrees or less. 
     
     
         7 . The method of providing an aiming indica for a sighting device of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of transmitting an amount of fluorescent light within said light conductive member, said fluorescent light emitted by one or more dopants contained in said light conductive member. 
     
     
         8 . The method of providing an aiming indica for a sighting device of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of activating said one or more dopants contained in said light conductive member with said amount of light incident upon an external surface of said light conductive member. 
     
     
         9 . The method of providing an aiming indica for a sighting device of  claim 8 , further comprising the step of activating said one or more dopants contained in said light conductive member with said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element. 
     
     
         10 . A sighting device, comprising:
 a) a light conductive member;   b) a lens coupled to said light conductive member; and   c) a light emitting element disposed inside of the assembly of said lens coupled to said light conductive member, said lens adapted to spread each of an amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member and an amount of light emitted by said light emitting element over an illumination field to provide an aiming indicia.   
     
     
         11 . The sighting device of  claim 10 , where said lens spreads each of said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member and said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element to substantially fill said illumination field to provide said aiming indicia. 
     
     
         12 . The sighting device of  claim 10 , wherein said lens substantially uniformly spreads each of said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member and said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element to substantially fill the said illumination field to provide an aiming indicia. 
     
     
         13 . The sighting device of  claim 10 , further comprising one or more dopants contained in said light conductive member which fluoresce in response to said light transmitted within said light conductive member. 
     
     
         14 . The sighting device of  claim 13 , wherein said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member falls within a spectrum selected from the group consisting of: a visible spectrum, an ultraviolet spectrum, and an infrared spectrum, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The sighting device of  claim 10 , wherein said one or more dopants contained in said light conductive member fluoresce in response to said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element. 
     
     
         16 . The sighting device of  claim 15 , wherein said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element is selected from the group consisting of: light emitting diodes, luminescent paint, chemoluminescent elements, electroluminescent conductors, or radioluminescent elements, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The sighting device of  claim 16 , wherein said light emitting element comprises a radioluminescent element. 
     
     
         18 . The sighting device of  claim 17 , wherein said radioluminescent element comprises a radionuclide which emits beta radiation and a dopant which fluoresces in response to said beta radiation. 
     
     
         19 . The sighting device of  claim 18 , wherein said radionuclide comprises an amount of tritium. 
     
     
         20 . The sighting device of  claim 10 , wherein said lens couples in coaxial relation to said light conductive member. 
     
     
         21 . The sighting device of  claim 20 , further comprising a chamber coaxially disposed inside of said assembly of said lens coupled to said light conductive member. 
     
     
         22 . The sighting device of  claim 21 , wherein said light emitting element disposed inside of said chamber coaxially aligns with the assembly of said lens coaxially coupled to light conductive member. 
     
     
         23 . The sighting device of  claim 22 , wherein said chamber terminates in an emitted light refraction surface adapted to divergently refract said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element to substantially fill said illumination field. 
     
     
         24 . The sighting device of  claim 23 , wherein said chamber comprises a cylindrical bore which terminates in said emitted light refraction surface having the form of a cone. 
     
     
         25 . The sighting device of  claim 24 , wherein said lens has an external surface adapted to convergently reflect said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member to substantially fill said illumination field. 
     
     
         26 . The sighting device of  claim 25 , wherein said lens spreads said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member and said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element substantially uniformly over said illumination field regardless of ambient light conditions. 
     
     
         27 . The sighting device of  claim 24 , wherein said cylindrical bore extends coaxially substantially the length of the assembly, said light emitting element disposed in said cylindrical bore distal from said lens. 
     
     
         28 . The sighting device of  claim 22 , wherein said chamber has location inside the assembly entirely inside said lens. 
     
     
         29 . The sighting device of  claim 22 , wherein said chamber has a location in the assembly entirely inside said light conductive member. 
     
     
         30 . The sighting device of  claim 22 , wherein said chamber has a location in the assembly in part inside said lens and in part inside said light conductive member. 
     
     
         31 . The sighting device of  claim 30 , wherein said lens and said light emitting member each provide matable parts which couple in fixed mated engagement to produce the assembly. 
     
     
         32 . The sighting device of  claim 22 , wherein the assembly of said lens and said light emitting member has a first portion and a second portion, said first portion and said second portion having substantially similar cross sectional area, said chamber having a location inside of said second portion. 
     
     
         33 . The sighting device of  claim 22 , wherein the assembly of said lens and said light emitting member has a first portion and a second portion, said first portion having a lesser cross sectional area than said second portion, said chamber having a location inside of said second portion. 
     
     
         34 . The sighting device of  claim 10 , wherein said lens has an external surface adapted to convergently reflect said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member to substantially fill said illumination field, and wherein said lens has an emitted light refraction surface adapted to divergently refract said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element to substantially fill said illumination field. 
     
     
         35 . The sighting device of  claim 34 , wherein said emitted light divergently refracted and said amount of light convergently reflected each have substantially the same viewing angle in relation to the longitudinal axis of the assembly of said lens and said light conductive member. 
     
     
         36 . The sighting device of  claim 35 , wherein said viewing angle of said emitted light divergently refracted and said viewing angle of said amount of light convergently reflected differ by five degrees or less. 
     
     
         37 . The sighting device of  claim 36 , wherein each said viewing angle falls within a range of about 15 degrees and about 25 degrees. 
     
     
         38 . The sighting device of  claim 37 , wherein each said viewing angle is selected from the range consisting of: about 15 degrees and about 25 degrees is selected from the group consisting of: about 15 degrees to about 17 degrees, about 16 degrees to about 18 degrees, about 17 degrees to about 19 degrees, about 18 degrees to about 20 degrees, about 19 degrees to about 21 degrees, about 20 degrees to about 22 degrees, about 21 degrees to about 23 degrees, about 22 degrees to about 24 degrees, and about 23 degrees to about 25 degrees. 
     
     
         39 . The sighting device of  claim 10 , further comprising an opaque layer coupled to the external surface of said light emitting element which allows emitted light egress only from each of a pair of opposed ends of said light emitting element. 
     
     
         40 . The sighting device of  claim 39 , further comprising a reflector element disposed in relation to a first of said pair of opposed ends of said light emitting element to reflect emitted light toward a second of said pair of opposed ends. 
     
     
         41 . A method of producing a sighting device, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a light conductive member;   b) coupling a lens to said light conductive member; and   c) disposing a light emitting element inside of the assembly of said lens coupled to said light conductive member, said lens adapted to spread each of an amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member and an amount of light emitted by said light emitting element over an illumination field to provide an aiming indicia.   
     
     
         42 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 41 , further comprising the step of configuring said lens to spread each of said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member and said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element to substantially fill said illumination field to provide said aiming indicia. 
     
     
         43 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 42 , further comprising the step of configuring said lens to substantially uniformly spread each of said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member and said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element to substantially fill the said illumination field to provide an aiming indicia. 
     
     
         44 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 42 , further comprising the step of configuring said lens to convergently reflect said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member to substantially fill said illumination field and to divergently reflect said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element to substantially fill said illumination field. 
     
     
         45 . The method of producing a sighting device of any one of  claim 41 ,  42 ,  43  or  44 , further comprising the step of configuring said lens to provide a viewing angle of said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member convergently reflected to substantially fill said illumination field and said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element divergently refracted to substantially fill said illumination field in the range of about 15 degrees and about 25 degrees. 
     
     
         46 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 45 , further comprising the step of configuring said lens to provide viewing angles of said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member convergently reflected to substantially fill said illumination field and said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element divergently refracted to substantially fill said illumination field which differ by 5 degrees or less. 
     
     
         47 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 41 , further comprising the step of disposing said lens in coaxial relation to said light conductive member in the assembly. 
     
     
         48 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 47 , further comprising the step of disposing said light emitting element inside of the assembly in coaxial relation to said lens and to said light conductive member. 
     
     
         49 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 48 , further comprising the step of coaxially disposing a chamber inside of the assembly of said lens coupled to said light conductive member. 
     
     
         50 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 49 , further comprising the step of disposing said light emitting element inside of said chamber to coaxially align said light emitting element in the assembly of said lens coupled to light conductive member. 
     
     
         51 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 50 , further comprising the step of configuring said chamber to terminate in a emitted light refraction surface adapted to divergently refract said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element to substantially fill said illumination field. 
     
     
         52 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 51 , further comprising the step of configuring said chamber as a cylindrical bore in the assembly and configuring said emitted light refraction surface as a cone which tapers at an angle which acts to divergently refract said amount of emitted light to fill said illumination field. 
     
     
         53 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 52 , further comprising the step of coaxially extending said cylindrical bore substantially the length of the assembly and disposing said light emitting element inside said cylindrical bore distal from said lens. 
     
     
         54 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 50 , further comprising the step of locating said chamber inside the assembly entirely inside of said light conductive member. 
     
     
         55 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 50 , further comprising the step of locating said chamber inside the assembly entirely inside of said lens. 
     
     
         56 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 50 , further comprising the step of locating said chamber inside the assembly in part inside of said light conductive member and in part inside lens. 
     
     
         57 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 56 , further comprising the step of configuring each of said lens and said light conductive member to mate upon forcible urging in fixed coaxial relation. 
     
     
         58 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 50 , further comprising the step of configuring the assembly of said lens and said light emitting member to provide a first portion and a second portion, said first portion and said second portion having substantially similar cross sectional area, said chamber having disposed inside of said second portion. 
     
     
         59 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 50 , further comprising the step of configuring the assembly of said lens and said light emitting member to provide a first portion and a second portion, said first portion having a lesser cross sectional area than said second portion, said chamber disposed inside of said second portion. 
     
     
         60 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 41 , further comprising the step of covering said light emitting element with an opaque layer which allows emitted light egress only from each of a pair of opposed ends of said light emitting element. 
     
     
         61 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 42 , further comprising the step of disposing a reflector in relation to a first of said pair of opposed ends to reflect emitted light toward a second of said pair of opposed ends. 
     
     
         62 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 41 , further comprising the step of containing one or more dopants in said light conductive member which fluoresce in response to said light transmitted within said light conductive member. 
     
     
         63 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 62 , further comprising the step of containing one or more dopants in light conductive member which fluoresce in response to said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element. 
     
     
         64 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 63 , further comprising the step of providing said light emitting element as a radioluminescent element in the form of a radionuclide which emits beta radiation and a dopant which fluoresces in response to said beta radiation. 
     
     
         65 . The method of producing a sighting device of  claim 64 , further comprising the step of encapsulating an amount of tritium to provide said radionuclide and disposing said dopant which fluoresces in response to said beta radiation of said amount of tritium proximate a capsule wall. 
     
     
         66 . An illuminated sighting device, comprising:
 a) a light emission assembly including:
 i) an light conductive member having a length disposed between a first end and second end which receives an amount of light on an external surface and transmits a portion of said amount of light to said first end and second end; 
 ii) a light emitting element having a location inside of said light conductive member and which emits an amount of light toward said first end and said second end of light conductive member; 
 iii) a lens configured to define an illuminated field having a fixed area and substantially uniformly spread said amount of light transmitted within said light conductive member and said amount of light emitted by said light emitting element over said illuminated field to provide an aiming indicia.