Rifle scope with zero lock

Abstract

Rifle scopes with a locking feature including a body having an internal movable optical adjustor adapted to shift an image generated by the riflescope, a knob connected to the body for rotation about a knob axis and operably connected to the optical adjustor to position the optical adjustor based on a rotational position of the knob, an indicator skirt rotatably engaged to the body and threadedly engaged to the knob, the indicator skirt being operable to move axially with respect to the knob such that the axial position of the indicator skirt is based on the rotational position of the knob, and the knob including a knob stop surface and the indicator skirt including a skirt stop surface, wherein the knob stop surface and the skirt stop surface are configured to positively contact each other to establish a limit of rotational travel of the knob.

1 . An optic comprising:
 a tubular body having an internal movable optical adjustor;   a turret including a knob assembly connected to the tubular body for rotation about a knob axis and operably connected to the optical adjustor to position the optical adjustor based on a rotational position of the knob assembly;   wherein the knob assembly comprises a first section of the turret, the turret further including a second section operably engaged to the tubular body, said second section non-rotating with respect to the tubular body;   an aperture defined by one of the first section of the turret or the second section of the turret; and   a locking body to mate with the aperture, wherein the locking body is defined by, or operably coupled to, the other of first section of the turret or the second section of the turret;   wherein:
 an upper part of the second section is arranged to threadably engage the knob assembly by plural-start threads, or 
 the knob assembly is adjustable in more than one way to move one of the locking body or the aperture relative to the other of the locking body or aperture, one of which includes moving the aperture relative to the tubular body. 
   
     
     
         2 . The optic of  claim 1 , wherein the second section of the turret is rotationally engaged to the tubular body by way of a channel parallel to the knob axis and a tooth constrained for movement within the channel. 
     
     
         3 . The optic of  claim 2 , wherein the channel is on an interior surface of a bottom end of a part of the second section. 
     
     
         4 . The optic of  claim 1 , wherein one of the locking body or aperture moves radially with respect to the other of the locking body or aperture, to disengage the locking body from the aperture. 
     
     
         5 . The optic of  claim 1 , the locking body to engage with the aperture during one or more initial revolutions of a plurality of revolutions of the knob assembly, and one of the locking body or the aperture is arranged to make radial or axial movement with respect to the other of the locking body or the aperture in response to the threshold rotation of the knob assembly, to disengage the locking body from the aperture for one or more subsequent revolutions of the plurality of revolutions. 
     
     
         6 . The optic of  claim 1 , wherein the second section of the turret comprises a revolution indicator to move axially with respect to the knob assembly such that the axial position of the revolution indicator is based on the rotational position of the knob assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The optic of  claim 6 , wherein the revolution indicator is constrained to only axial motion with respect to the tubular body. 
     
     
         8 . The optic of  claim 1 , wherein the knob assembly defines a rotation axis, and the second section of the turret and the tubular body include a sliding interface aligned parallel to the rotation axis. 
     
     
         9 . The optic of  claim 1 , wherein the locking body comprises a pin and the aperture comprises a notch. 
     
     
         10 . The optic of  claim 1 , wherein the locking body comprises an elongated body having a center axis parallel with the knob axis. 
     
     
         11 . The optic of  claim 1 , wherein the knob assembly includes a push button or other manual lock actuator operable to move one of the locking body or the aperture relative to the other of the locking body or aperture. 
     
     
         12 . The optic of  claim 11 , wherein the locking body comprises an elongated body having a center axis parallel with the knob axis, and wherein the push button or other manual lock actuator is operable to move the elongated body in a direction perpendicular to the center axis. 
     
     
         13 . The optic of  claim 12 , wherein the direction comprises a first direction, and wherein the knob assembly further comprises a biasing element to urge the elongated body in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. 
     
     
         14 . The optic of  claim 11 , wherein the push button or other manual lock actuator comprises a cylindrical gripping surface. 
     
     
         15 . The optic of  claim 14 , wherein the push button or other manual lock actuator is flanked or surrounded by the cylindrical gripping surface. 
     
     
         16 . The optic of  claim 1 , wherein both ways of adjustment the more than one way adjustment are performable toollessly in at least one state of the knob assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The optic of  claim 1 , wherein the turret does not include timing threads. 
     
     
         18 . The optic of  claim 1 , wherein the second section of the turret comprises:
 an elevation adjustment spindle locatable in a seat of the tubular body; and   an index ring surrounding part of the elevation adjustment spindle.   
     
     
         19 . An optic comprising:
 a tubular body having an internal movable optical adjustor;   a turret including a knob assembly connected to the tubular body for rotation about a knob axis and operably connected to the optical adjustor to position the optical adjustor based on a rotational position of the knob assembly;   wherein the knob assembly comprises a first section of the turret, the turret further including a second section operably engaged to the tubular body, said second section non-rotating with respect to the tubular body;   an aperture defined by one of the first section of the turret or the second section of the turret; and   a locking member to mate with the aperture, wherein the locking member is defined by, or operably coupled to, the other of first section of the turret or the second section of the turret;   wherein the knob assembly is adjustable in more than one way to move one of the locking member or the aperture relative to the other of the locking member or aperture, one of which includes moving the aperture relative to the tubular body.   
     
     
         20 . The optic of  claim 19 , wherein an upper part of the second section includes plural-start threads to threadably engage a lower part of the first section.