FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a ballistic correction device, for sight members of firearms or crossbows, integrated in the sight member or applicable as a retrofit.

STATE OF THE ART

In the sector of firearms, lens optics, intended to be mounted on a weapon to allow the shooter to aim with the highest possible precision, are used. The lens optics is generally mounted in a raised position with respect to the barrel of the weapon, by means of slides or other reversible mechanical systems.

Normally, the lens optics comprises a reticle or horizontal and vertical sight marks visible to the shooter when looking into the eyepiece: the reticle or marks define the optic axis.

Given the lens optics is not coaxial with the barrel of the weapon but are above it, it is clear that if the optic axis remains parallel to the axis of the barrel, the shooter would not be able to make a targeted shot: the point of impact of the bullet would always be lower with respect to the point targeted.

Therefore, in practice the lens optics is provided with adjusting means that act on the fastening systems of the lens optics of the weapon, and which allow to change the orientation of the optic axis so that it intersects the longitudinal axis of the barrel, at a certain distance from the weapon, the desired distance.

For example, some telescopic sight devices, also named scopes, and in particular those for precision rifles, are provided with “turret” mechanisms for adjusting the drift, elevation and parallax. By rotating a notched ring of one of the turret mechanisms, the shooter intervenes on the fastening systems of the lens optics of the weapon, correspondingly and uniquely changing the drift or elevation or parallax depending on the cases.

More specifically, the adjustment or calibration of the elevation is necessary for compensating the loss of height, or drop, of the bullet. The bullets shot from a firearm, by the combined effect of the friction caused by air and gravity do not move in a straight line, but travel through parabolic trajectories and tend to fall towards the ground; this phenomenon is all the more evident the greater the distance of the firearm from the target at the time of the shot. The adjustment of the elevation is therefore used to make the point of impact of the bullet coincide with the point targeted through the lens optics of the weapon, at a predefined distance.

For example, in case of the aforesaid telescopic sight devices, the ring of the turret dedicated to the adjustment of the elevation generally displays the letters U and D. The letter U (up) denotes the rotation direction of the ring in order to lead the shots upwards, and therefore to make the reticle or marks move downwards. The letter D (down) denotes the rotation direction to be imparted to the ring in order to lead the shots downwards, and therefore to make the reticle or marks move upwards.

In practice, depending on the desired shooting distance, it is sufficient to act on the ring of the elevation turret to change the inclination of the optic axis with respect to the longitudinal axis of the barrel, up to obtaining the compensation of the drop of the bullet, while continuing to maintain the same targeted point.

The lens optics, for example the telescopic sight device, is well adjusted when the target to be shot is exactly at the zeroing distance, i.e. in the point of intersection of the hypothetically horizontal sight line and of the parabolic trajectory of the bullet.

For simplicity, the expression “shooting distance” will hereinafter be used to denote the “zeroing distance” once the compensation has occurred, i.e. after the shooter has acted on the elevation adjustment ring.

Unadjusted lens optics can cause deviations between the sight line and the point of impact of the bullet, even of several centimeters.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,793,456 describes a typical elevation adjustment turret system.

In the practice of hunting, hunters often are in the condition of having to change the elevation adjustment because wild animals are in continuous movement. However, frequent interventions on the elevation turret ring cause some drawbacks.

Firstly, considering that the ring of the elevation turret can carry out more than one complete revolution, after having made a certain number of adjustments, the shooter may not remember the last adjustment made over the time, i.e. may not be able to detect the effective adjustment of the ring although reading the value expressed on the notched scale present on the ring itself. This can cause errors in the subsequent shots. In other words, before carrying out a new adjustment or before firing a new shot, the shooter must remember the revolutions imparted to the ring, i.e. must remember exactly the last adjustment imparted and the calibration status of the elevation.

Another drawback is constituted by the fact that it is not easy to read the notched scale present on the ring of the turret, due to the fact that the numbers impressed on the ring are small and not immediately comprehensible. In fact, shooters use conversion tables they bring with them, consulting the ones a corresponding zeroing distance can be uniquely associated with each angular position of the ring, and therefore with each value readable on the notched scale. Moreover: the tables also allow to interpolate the numerical values in order to obtain intermediate zeroing distances between two positions of the ring.

As far as the drift is concerned, an incorrect calibration can cause errors in a sideways direction: the shot will go to the right or to the left of the target to be shot. However, the adjustment of the drift certainly is less critical with respect to the elevation adjustment, since it is rarely carried out. The regulation of the parallax is also not frequent.

Basically, the limitations of the current lens optics are clearly related to the elevation, which requires continuous adjustments, and are not related to the drift and parallax.

To a certain extent, the same problems are also encountered in crossbows.

US 2004/088898 describes a solution according to the preamble of claim1. The lens optics is provided, in its inside, with an electronic encoder system to detect the angular position of the elevation turret. The encoder system is constructed together with the turret, i.e. is integrated inside it; this makes the lens optics expensive.

Other solutions of the known art are described in US 2012/186131 and US 2014/115942.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a ballistic correction device for sight members of firearms and crossbows, that allows to simply and effectively overcome the limitations of the technical solutions available, i.e. a device that simply and intuitively allows to detect the calibration parameters of an adjustment turret, in particular the elevation turret.

The present invention therefore concerns a ballistic correction device, according to claim1, for sight members (of weapons) provided with an elevation adjustment turret.

In particular, the device comprises:detecting means to detect the rotations imparted by the shooter to the adjustment ring of the elevation turret, anddisplaying means to display the shooting distance and/or other shooting settings corresponding to the position of the ring.

Advantageously, the device is outside of the sight member, i.e. of the lens optics, with which it is combined, and is removably mountable on the sight member, as an aftermarket (retrofit) accessory.

The device according to the invention offers multiple advantages.

The device displays, for the shooter, the calibration of the turret from the moment the shooter observes the device.

A benefit is clear: the shooter is no longer required to keep in mind the last calibration carried out.

Another advantage is given in that, in the step of carrying out a new calibration, it will be no longer necessary to consult the compensation tables, but simply to read the values displayed on the device as the ring of the turret is being rotated. The corresponding and unique calibration value, preferably the value of the zeroing distance, i.e. of the shooting distance, is displayed on the device for each angular position of the ring.

The ballistic correction device according to the present invention, given it is not integrated at the time of construction in the sight member, as provided in the solutions according to the known art, being an accessory mountable on the sight member also at another time instead, after being sold, allows to obtain the aforesaid advantages at low costs. In other words, the sight member is not changed and must not be redesigned, reconstructed or altered: the device according to the present invention is easily mountable on existing sight members, because the detecting means to detect the rotations imparted by the shooter to the adjustment ring of the elevation turret are also outside of the sight member.

Preferably, the device comprises a control unit interfaced with the detecting means and the displaying means. The detecting means generate an indicative electrical signal of the angular position of the elevation adjustment ring, or indicative of the amplitude of one rotation thereof; the control unit processes the electrical signal and prepares the displaying of the shooting distance or the zeroing distance corresponding to the angular position of the ring at that time.

For example, the displaying means can be a display, also of touchscreen type that works as a user interface.

Preferably, the control unit is of microprocessor type, and is programmable. Preferably, the program is set to store the angular positions assumed by the ring over time, and/or to store the corresponding shooting distances and/or other shooting parameters. In other words, a log file with the data stored over time is stored in the control unit.

Preferably, the device fully replaces the compensation tables: the control unit is programmable to automatically convert, based on the conversion tables stored in the firearm used at that time, the signal coming from the detecting means into visual and/or sound messages, which uniquely correspond to the shooting distance set by the shooter acting on the ring.

Preferably, the detecting means are tracking means comprising a trimmer, for example potentiometric, connected to the ring of the elevation turret: each rotation imparted to the ring is also integrally imparted to the trimmer.

The trimmer is provided with a shaft connected to the elevation adjustment ring by means of gears or a belt.

In an embodiment, a wheel that, when the device is correctly mounted on the sight member, is in contact with the external surface of the ring, to roll when the ring is rotated, is keyed on the shaft of the trimmer. This way, the wheel transmits, to the shaft of the trimmer, the same rotations as those imparted to the ring by the shooter.

The wheel is preferably provided with a perimetrical gasket acting as a pacesetter with respect to the external surface of the ring.

In an alternative embodiment, the shaft of the trimmer is connected to the elevation adjustment turret by a transmission belt. For example, the device comprises a pulley that can be keyed on the elevation adjustment turret and a pulley keyed on the shaft of the trimmer, and the transmission belt connects the two pulleys so that the shaft of the trimmer and the elevation adjustment ring rotate in a synchronized way. This solution allows to mount the device spaced a few millimeters from the turret of the sight member: the transmission belt will however connect the device to the ring of the adjustment turret.

Preferably, the device comprises fastening means for fastening to the sight member (lens optics), for example brackets, rings, etc. The fastening means are designed to allow the positioning of the device on the lens optics, in a position so that the detecting means remain in contact with the ring of the elevation turret.

In an embodiment, the lens optics comprises a connection interface with an external display, for example a smartphone, that is used instead of the display.

In a second embodiment, the present invention concerns a kit comprising a sight member provided with an elevation adjustment turret and the ballistic correction device with the external assembly described above.

In a third embodiment, the present invention concerns a method, according to claim15, for correcting the elevation of a firearm or crossbow, for example a rifle accessorized with a sight member provided with an elevation adjustment turret.

Optionally, the device, in the two embodiments described, can comprise one or more accessories mountable and demountable, as for example:a laser pointer that helps calibrate the lens optics,a detector of the GPS coordinates,a shot detecting device,a memory that cooperates with the shot detector to store, for example, the GPS coordinates corresponding to each shot and the calibration of the lens optics at the time of the shot,an I/O interface, for example with a USB port, to make a data connection with other electronic devices, for example a computer, in order to download the data described above and to be able to analyze it at another time, for example with the aid of satellite maps, for statistical and strategic purposes or for other scopes,a wireless communication interface with other devices of the present invention, to ensure that, in a beat with more shooters, a shooter can know the calibrations used by another shooter in real time.

The power supply of the device according to the present invention is preferably provided by one or more interchangeable batteries. In alternative or in addition, the device comprises a solar panel.

Preferably, the device also allows to store the calibrations of different types of ammunition, for example the calibrations relating to hunting ammunition and the calibrations relating to military ammunition, so that the shooter can easily pass from one calibration to the other from the moment he changes the type of ammunition shot with the firearm.

