Eltro Gmbh

Gerhard Raubinger

Wolfgang Weigel

Heinrich Karning

A method and apparatus for changing the operational state of an optical or optoelectronic sighting device from the READY state to an operational state and vice versa, wherein the change in the state of the device is effected automatically, thereby freeing the user's hands for use in other immediate tasks. The apparatus comprises an eyepiece, a deformable eye rest, shutter means formed integrally therewith, transmitter means, receiver means, reflecting means fixed to the shutter means, and switch means. In the READY state, only those parts of the apparatus which require a relatively longer start-up time are energized. Also, in the READY state, a beam is transmitted from the transmitter means to the reflecting means and then back to the receiver means. When the user presses his head against the deformable eye rest, the eye rest deforms and the shutter means opens, uncovering the sight channel formed by the eyepiece and the eye rest. Also, the optical path of the transmitted beam is interrupted. The switch means opens in response to this interruption, thereby fully energizing the apparatus and transferring it from the READY state to its operational state. When the head of the user is removed, the shutter means are restored to the closed position and the apparatus is switched back to the READY state.

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Heidelberg, Germany

Gerhard Raubinger