Sight assembly and system with firearm status indicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11519692-B2
Application number	US-202117235617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2021
Priority date	Apr 20, 2020
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

A sight assembly for a firearm includes an optical sight configured for mounting to a firearm. The optical sight includes a sight body retaining a lens and has a point-of-aim indicator visible on the lens. A light source on the sight body is configured to communicate a firearm status to a user, such as whether a round is chambered in a chamber of the firearm. In one example, the sight assembly can be mounted to a handgun or atop a rifle. In some embodiments, the optical sight is configured as a reflex sight.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sight assembly for a firearm, the assembly comprising:
an optical sight configured for mounting to a firearm, the optical sight including a sight body retaining a lens and configured to provide a point-of-aim indicator on the lens;
a light source on the sight body, the light source configured to display an indicator to communicate a firearm status to a user; and
a switch on the sight body, the switch positioned and configured to be actuated by a lever on a firearm when the sight assembly is mounted to the firearm, wherein the lever is movable in response to a cartridge chambered in a chamber of the firearm, and wherein the lever occupies a first position when a cartridge is chambered in the chamber and the lever occupies a second position when the chamber is empty.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical sight is configured as a reflex sight.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the light source is positioned to illuminate the indicator on the lens and the firearm status comprises one or more of (i) a loaded chamber status, (ii) a quantity of ammunition in a magazine, and (iii) a position of a mechanical safety of the firearm.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the indicator comprises one or more of (i) a color, (ii) a number, and (iii) a symbol.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
the firearm having the lever movable to actuate the switch in response to a cartridge chambered in the chamber of the firearm.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the lever is selected from (i) a chamber status indicator, (ii) a slide lock lever, (iii) an extractor, or (iv) a bolt release lever.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light source provides light of a first color to indicate a first firearm status and provides light of a second color to indicate a second firearm status.

8. A subassembly for a semiautomatic handgun, the subassembly comprising:
a slide constructed for reciprocal sliding movement along a top of a handgun frame;
a lever received in a top of the slide, the lever movable between a first position when a cartridge is chambered in a chamber of the semiautomatic handgun and a second position when the chamber is empty; and
an optical sight mounted to a top of the slide, the optical sight including
a housing with a base configured for mounting on the slide;
a lens retained in the housing;
a point-of-aim indicator visible on the lens to a user; and
a light source configured to provide a chamber status indicator visible to the user; and
a switch operatively coupled to the lever, wherein the light source has a first illumination state when a round is chambered in the chamber and the light source has a second illumination state when the chamber is empty.

9. The subassembly of claim 8 , wherein when the cartridge is chambered in the chamber, the lever actuates the switch to provide the chamber status indicator to the user.

10. The subassembly of claim 8 , wherein the light source is visible on a rear end portion of the base.

11. The subassembly of claim 8 , wherein the light source is visible on the lens.

12. The subassembly of claim 8 , wherein the first illumination state displays a first color to the user and the second illumination state displays a second color different from the first color.

13. The subassembly of claim 8 , wherein the first illumination state is an on state and the second illumination state is an off state.

14. The subassembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
a signal receiver on the optical sight, wherein the signal receiver communicates with the switch;
an additional light source on the housing, wherein the signal receiver is further configured to receive a signal from one or more sensors on the handgun, and wherein the additional light source is configured to provide at least one additional firearm status indicator visible to the user based on signal received from the sensor.

15. The subassembly of claim 14 further comprising:
a handgun frame including rails, wherein the slide is slidably mounted on the rails and wherein the handgun frame includes a handgrip portion defining a magazine well;
a magazine including a follower, the magazine configured to be installed in the magazine well;
the one or more sensors disposed in the magazine well and positioned so that when the magazine is installed in the magazine well, each of the one or more sensors is configured to wirelessly communicate the signal to the signal receiver, the signal indicative of a position of the follower in the magazine well.

16. The subassembly of claim 15 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises a plurality of Hall-effect sensors and wherein the follower includes a magnet, and wherein the additional light source displays a quantity of ammunition in the magazine in response to the signal.

17. A semiautomatic handgun comprising:
a handgun frame;
a slide assembly configured to reciprocate along the handgun frame, the slide assembly including a barrel defining a chamber;
a lever on the slide, wherein the lever occupies a first position when a cartridge is chambered in the chamber and the switch occupies a second position when the chamber is empty; and
an optical sight assembly on the slide, the optical sight assembly comprising:
a sight body retaining a lens, the sight body configured to provide a point-of-aim indicator on the lens;
a light source on the sight body, the light source configured to display an indicator to communicate a firearm status to a user; and
a switch on the sight body, the switch positioned and configured to be actuated by the lever on the slide.

18. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein the optical sight assembly is configured as a reflex sight.

19. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein the light source is positioned to illuminate the indicator on the lens and the firearm status comprises a loaded/unloaded chamber status.

20. The assembly of claim 19 , wherein the indicator comprises one or more of a color, a number, and a symbol.

21. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein the light source is positioned to illuminate the indicator on the lens and the firearm status comprises position of a mechanical safety of the firearm.

22. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein the lever is selected from a chamber status indicator, a slide lock lever, an extractor, or a safety actuator.

Assignees

• Sig Sauer Inc

Inventors

• Thomele Adrian
• Shinkle Scott D
• Miller Evan

Classifications

• F41A9/62

  having means for indicating the number of cartridges left in the magazine, e.g. last-round indicators (last-round safeties F41A17/40) · CPC title

• F41G1/30 Primary

  Reflecting-sights specially adapted for smallarms or ordnance (reflecting-sights in general G02B) · CPC title

• F41G1/065

  Protection means therefor (F41G1/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F41G11/005 Primary

  Mountings using a pivot point and an anchoring point · CPC title

• F41A9/53

  Charged-condition indicators, i.e. indicating the presence of a cartridge in the cartridge chamber · CPC title