Many people have long utilized firearms to shoot projectiles of various sorts. For example, military personnel, law enforcement officers, hunters, and precision target shooters use different types of firearms (or weapons platforms) for different purposes. Usually, people use firearms, in conjunction with an optical sight, or other pieces of optical equipment. Optical equipment can assist users in acquiring precision aim on a target and in determining whether or not an identified item is actually a correct or proper target.
Numerous types of optical equipment using visual various assistance technologies exist. Example types include optical sights, infrared imagers, thermal imagers, illumination lasers, spotting lasers, radio frequency devices, cameras, and the like. As those skilled in the art will understand other visual assistance technologies also exist. While each of these technologies has advantages and can greatly assist a user, they can have drawbacks relative to each other. For example, thermal imaging is beneficial of locating potential targets but is limited in actually helping a user discern one potential item from another as can an optical sight. As can be appreciated, firearm users always want to be certain of a target prior to operating their firearms.
To use a visual assistance technology, users typically locate use an optical device in concert with a firearm. For example, an optical sight (such as a scope) can be directly coupled to a firearm. In other applications, users may desire or require visual assistance devices separate from a firearm. For example, some applications may have an optical device, such as a thermal imager, as a stand alone piece of equipment. In this instance, the separate optical device can also be mounted or securedly affixed to a stand or support to enable beneficial use.
Current mounting devices that hold or support optical devices, while serving their respective purposes, have certain drawbacks. These drawbacks include that various pieces of optical device can not be substantially co-located or integrated with a single mounting device. Such non-integration requires separate pieces of equipment to be used rather than incorporation multiple optical devices on a single mounting device or support.
Other drawbacks include that current mounting devices are configured such that the optical devices are mounted in a top-mounted configuration. As can be appreciated, such top-mounted configurations can have undesirable balancing affects on a stand or support thus increasing tendency of tipping of a mounting device. A top-mounted configuration also requires a user to operate a visual assistance device at an unsafe height from the ground which may make the user visible to potential targets thereby possibly endangering a user and drawing enemy fire or unwelcome attention.
Still yet current conventional mounting devices and systems do not enable fine tuning and adjustments of an optical device to enable precise adjustments of a visual assistance device to increase a user's success of hitting a target. Rather, current mounting devices and systems typically utilize handles that are not designed to provide a user fine control of the positioning of optical devices.
Accordingly, there is a need for optical equipment mounting devices and systems that enable co-location and use of multiple types of optical devices, provide sound structural support having good balance properties, and have a low height from a ground surface to assist keeping a user hidden from a potential target. In addition, there is a need for improved optical equipment mounting devices and systems that enable the ability to fine tune with great precision the alignment of an optical device. It is to the provision of such optical equipment mounting devices and systems that the various embodiments of the present invention are directed.