Articulating mount for weapon sight accessory

Abstract

An articulating accessory mount for mounting a weapon sight accessory to a rail of a weapon includes base portion and an upper portion rotatable relative to the base portion between a use position and a storage position. The articulating mount includes a pivot pin extending through the base portion and the upper portion, the pivot pin being secured to the upper portion for rotation therewith. The articulating mount includes a detent mechanism formed in the base portion and arranged to engage a set of recesses provided in the pivot pin to bias the upper portion in one of the use position or the storage position. A weapon sight system includes a weapon sight supported on an accessory rail, a weapon sight accessory, such as a magnifier, and an articulating accessory mount supporting the accessory on an accessory rail for movement between the use position and the storage position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An articulating mount for a weapon sight accessory moveable between a use position and a storage position, the articulating mount comprising:
 a base portion having a mounting assembly configured to secure to an accessory rail and a side wall extending from the mounting assembly;   an upper portion coupled to the base portion for rotation relative thereto and having an accessory mount;   a pivot pin coupling the base portion to the upper portion, the pivot pin being secured to the upper portion for rotation therewith relative to the base portion; and   a detent mechanism disposed in the base;   wherein the pivot pin includes recesses formed in an end segment of thereof, and the detent mechanism is arranged to engage a first recess of the recesses in the use position, engage a second recess of the recesses in the storage position, and to not engage a third recess of the recesses in either the use position or the storage position.   
     
     
         2 . The articulating mount of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion comprises a first bore, the upper portion comprises a second bore, and wherein the pivot pin extends through the first bore and the second bore. 
     
     
         3 . The articulating mount of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion comprises a rotation stop extending from the side wall configured to limit rotation of the upper portion relative to the base portion, and wherein the upper portion comprises another rotation stop configured to contact the rotation stop of the base portion in the use position. 
     
     
         4 . The articulating mount of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot pin is reconfigurable relative to the base portion and the upper portion such that the detent mechanism engages the second recess in the use position, engages the third recess in the storage position, and does not engage the first recess in either the use position or the storage position. 
     
     
         5 . The articulating mount of  claim 1 , wherein the base portion includes a first bore configured for receiving the pivot pin, and wherein the first bore includes a first section extending on a first side of the upper portion and a second section extending on a second side of the upper portion opposite the first side. 
     
     
         6 . The articulating mount of  claim 5 , wherein the first section has a first diameter and wherein the second section has a second diameter, different from the first diameter. 
     
     
         7 . The articulating mount of  claim 6 , wherein the second section includes a pocket. 
     
     
         8 . The articulating mount of  claim 7 , further comprising one or more of an O-ring, a packing ring, a spacer, or combinations thereof disposed about the pivot pin in the pocket. 
     
     
         9 . The articulating mount of  claim 1 , wherein the upper portion includes a bore configured for receiving the pivot pin, wherein bore and the pivot pin include a spline interface. 
     
     
         10 . The articulating mount of  claim 1 , wherein the detent mechanism includes a bore formed in the base portion having a threaded section, a threaded retainer disposed in the bore, a spring disposed in the bore and supported by the retainer, and a ball disposed in the bore and supported on the spring. 
     
     
         11 . The articulating mount of  claim 10 , wherein the bore is arranged perpendicular to the pivot pin. 
     
     
         12 . The articulating mount of  claim 1 , wherein the articulating mount is part of a weapon sight system further including the rail, the weapon sight accessory, and a weapon sight;
 wherein the accessory rail defines a centerline;   the weapon sight supported on the accessory rail, the weapon sight comprising a sight window having a first line-of-sight axis extending therethrough, the sight window disposed at a first height above the accessory rail, the weapon sight having a width; an articulating accessory mount supported on the accessory rail;   the weapon sight accessory is supported on the articulating mount, the weapon sight accessory having a second line-of-sight axis, the articulating mount configured to move the weapon sight accessory between the use position and the storage position by pivoting about a pivot axis formed by the pivot pin,   
       wherein, in the use position, the first line-of-sight axis and the second line of sight axis are aligned, and in the storage position, the sight window is unobstructed by the weapon sight accessory or the articulating accessory mount. 
     
     
         13 . A weapon sight system comprising:
 an accessory rail defining a centerline;   a weapon sight supported on the accessory rail, the weapon sight comprising a sight window having a first line-of-sight axis extending therethrough, the sight window disposed at a first height above the accessory rail, the weapon sight having a width; an articulating accessory mount supported on the accessory rail;   a weapon sight accessory supported on the articulating accessory mount, the weapon sight accessory having a second line-of-sight axis, the articulating accessory mount configured to move the weapon sight accessory between a use position and a storage position by pivoting about a pivot axis,   wherein, in the use position, the first line-of-sight axis and the second line of sight axis are aligned, and in the storage position, the sight window is unobstructed by the weapon sight accessory or the articulating accessory mount.   
     
     
         14 . The weapon sight system of  claim 13 , wherein the weight sight comprises user controls on a rear aspect of the weapon sight, and wherein, in the use position, the weapon sight accessory and the articulating mount are spaced form the weapon sight to allow access to the user controls. 
     
     
         15 . The weapon sight system of  claim 13 , wherein the pivot axis is disposed below the height of the sight window. 
     
     
         16 . The weapon sight system of  claim 13 , wherein the pivot axis is laterally offset from the centerline by less than one-half the width of the weapon sight. 
     
     
         17 . The weapon sight system of  claim 13 , wherein the pivot axis is positioned vertically lower and laterally offset from the sight window. 
     
     
         18 . The weapon sight system of  claim 17 , wherein the pivot axis is nearer to the sight window than to the accessory rail. 
     
     
         19 . The weapon sight system of  claim 18 , wherein the pivot axis is positioned between one quarter and one half of the distance from the bottom of the sight window to the accessory rail. 
     
     
         20 . The weapon sight system of  claim 13 , wherein the articulating accessory mount includes: a base portion having a mounting assembly configured to secure to the accessory rail and a side wall extending from the mounting assembly;
 an upper portion coupled to the base portion for rotation relative thereto and having an accessory mount;   a pivot pin coupling the base portion to the upper portion, the pivot pin being secured to the upper portion for rotation therewith relative to the base portion and forming the pivot axis; and   a detent mechanism disposed in the base;   wherein the pivot pin includes recesses formed in an end segment of thereof, and the detent mechanism is arranged to engage a first recess of the recesses in the use position, engage a second recess of the recesses in the storage position, and to not engage a third recess of the recesses in either the use position or the storage position; and   wherein the pivot pin is reconfigurable relative to the base portion and the upper portion such that the detent mechanism engages the second recess in the use position, engages the third recess in the storage position, and does not engage the first recess in either the use position or the storage position.