Back-up sights with compact aperture, centering sight post, and miniaturized windage detent mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11815331-B2
Application number	US-202117802245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2021
Priority date	Aug 26, 2020
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A sighting system for a firearm and related methods are disclosed. The sighting system has front and rear flip-up sights, wherein the front sight comprises a flip-up portion having an aperture through which a sight post can partially extend; a knob comprising one or more notches on a first side and the sight post extending from a second side; at least one detent arranged to face and interact with the one or more notches. The knob is configured to rotate about a first axis, where the rotation causes the sight post to move in a first direction along the first axis; tilting of the knob in a second direction based on the detent interfacing with the notches; and tilting of the sight post in the second direction, thereby forcing at least a portion of the sight post to press against the aperture, or a combination thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sighting system for a firearm, comprising:
a front sight;
a rear sight;
wherein the front sight further comprises:
a first base;
a first flip-up portion, the first flip-up portion comprising two front arms and a horizontal connector connecting the two front arms, wherein the horizontal connector includes an aperture;
a knob comprising one or more notches on a first side of the knob;
a sight post extending from a second side of the knob, wherein the sight post is shaped and sized to extend at least partially through the aperture;
at least one detent and one or more protrusions, the at least one detent and one or more protrusions arranged to face the one or more notches, and wherein the one or more notches are shaped and sized to interact with one or more of the at least one detent and the one or more protrusions;
wherein the knob is configured to rotate about a first axis, the rotation causing one or more of:
tilting of the knob in a second direction, the tilting based at least in part on one or more of the at least one detent and the one or more protrusions interfacing with the one or more notches; and
tilting of the sight post in the second direction, wherein the tilting of the sight post in the second direction forces at least a portion of the sight post to press against the aperture.

2. The sighting system of claim 1 , wherein each of the sight post and the aperture comprise a plurality of angled faces, and wherein the tilting of the sight post in the second direction forces one or more angled faces of the sight post to press against one or more angled faces of the aperture.

3. The sighting system of claim 1 , wherein the aperture is a diamond-shaped aperture.

4. The sighting system of claim 1 , wherein the first flip-up portion further comprises:
a first opening and a second opening, wherein the first and the second openings are arranged between the two arms and separated by the horizontal connector, wherein the knob is rotationally arranged within the first opening, and wherein the sight post extends at partially through the aperture into the second opening.

5. The sighting system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one detent is arranged below the knob and near a front or a rear of the first opening, and wherein the tilting of the knob and the sight post in the second direction comprises:
tilting forward when the at least one detent is arranged near the rear of the first opening, or tilting rearward when the at least one detent is arranged near a front of the first opening, wherein the forward or rearward tilting is based at least in part on the at least one detent pushing up on the knob.

6. The sighting system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more notches comprises at least two notches arranged around an outer circumference of the knob, and wherein adjacent notches of the at least two notches are separated by a non-notched portion, wherein the non-notched portions of the knob are shaped and sized to pass over, and press against, the at least one detent when the knob is rotated.

7. The sighting system of claim 1 , wherein the aperture is a diamond-shaped aperture comprising four corners and one or more circular cutouts, one circular cutout per corner.

8. The sighting system of claim 7 , wherein the sight post comprises a diamond-shaped cross section, and wherein the aperture comprises four angled faces, and wherein the tilting of the sight post comprises:
applying a bias to the sight post, wherein the bias is arranged to split two of the four angled faces of the aperture and wedge or force the sight post to a centered position relative to a plane comprising a barrel axis and parallel to the barrel axis of the firearm.

9. The sighting system of claim 1 , wherein the first axis passes through one or more of a center of the knob and a center of the sight post, and wherein a second axis passes through a center of the diamond-shaped aperture.

10. The sighting system of claim 9 , wherein the first axis and the second axis tilt with respect to each other based at least in part on the tilting of the sight post, the tilting of the knob, or a combination thereof.

11. The sighting system of claim 1 , wherein the rear sight comprises a second base and a second flip-up portion, the second flip-up portion further comprising:
two rear arms;
a third opening positioned between the two rear arms; and
an aperture mechanism, wherein the aperture mechanism comprises a first end having a first rear aperture and a second end having a second rear aperture, wherein the first rear aperture is of a different size than the second rear aperture, and wherein the first aperture and the second aperture are aligned along a first vertical axis.

12. The sighting system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a windage screw, the windage screw passing through each of the two rear arms of the second flip-up portion;
a windage knob coupled to the windage screw, wherein the windage knob is arranged on an outside face of one of the two rear arms of the second flip-up portion; and
wherein the aperture mechanism is configured to flip around the windage screw when the windage knob is rotated.

13. The sighting system of claim 12 , further comprising: a first tab and a second tab, and wherein the aperture mechanism is slidably coupled to the windage screw via at least one of the first tab and the second tab.

14. The sighting system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a third tab positioned between the first tab and the second tab, wherein the third tab is a threaded tab configured to move laterally along the windage screw when one or more of the windage knob and the windage screw rotate.

15. The sighting system of claim 14 , wherein rotation of the windage knob further causes one or more of:
the third tab to push against an inside edge of one of the first tab and the second tab; and
lateral movement of the aperture mechanism with the third tab.

16. The sighting system of claim 1 , wherein the rear sight comprises a second base and a second flip-up portion, the second flip-up portion further comprising:
two rear arms;
a third opening positioned between the two rear arms; and
an aperture mechanism, wherein the aperture mechanism comprises a first end having a first rear aperture and a second end having a second rear aperture, wherein the first rear aperture is of a different size than the second rear aperture, and wherein a first vertical axis passes through a center of the first aperture and a second vertical axis passes through a center of the second aperture, and wherein the first vertical axis is different from the second vertical axis.

17. A flip-up aiming sight for use with a firearm, the flip-up aiming sight positioned near a distal end of the firearm, the flip-up aiming sight comprising:
a base for attachment to the firearm;
a first arm and a second arm, the first arm and the second arm positioned on opposite sides of a longitudinal plane through the firearm;
a horizontal connector for connecting the first arm and the second arm, wherein the horizontal connector includes a first aperture, the first aperture having a plurality of angled faces;
a second aperture, the second aperture formed by the first arm, the second arm, and the horizontal connector;
a knob, the knob positioned within the second aperture, the knob comprising:
one or more notches on a first side of the knob;
a sight post, the sight post extending from a second side of the knob, and wherein at least a portion of the sight post extends through the first aperture;

wherein the second a

Assignees

• Magpul Ind Corp

Inventors

• Freeman Zachary
• Nakayama Eric
• Roberts Timothy Eric

Classifications

• F41G1/26

  screw · CPC title

• F41G1/17

  Convertible sights, i.e. sets of two or more sights brought into the sight line optionally · CPC title

• F41G1/18 Primary

  Clicking-indicators with spring detents · CPC title

• F41G1/033 Primary

  adjustable · CPC title

• F41G1/08

  with aperture {; tubular or of ring form; Peep sights (F41G1/42 takes precedence)} · CPC title