How do red dots work?

[Machina]

I've been wondering this for a while now.

I know the basic red dots have 2 layers of glass, one that allows a projected LED to shine through at an angle of refraction so it reaches your eye, and a platform the led sits on to be moved for windage and what not.

The one I have currently on my 22 looks to have a single pane, and doesn't have a large enough area for a projected red dot to work how I would reason it would. So how do these smaller red dots work?

Maybe it's the engineer in me, but I want to know and I don't want to take it apart (yet).

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Ram Rod]

Well, I took a lot of things apart when I was younger...still do, but now it's in order to repair them. LOL! I didn't become an engineer nor can I demand the average yearly salary of an engineer.......IMO, I do better at an hourly wage to fix what they've done.
Mirrors and angles. Read more.
Red Dot Scope FAQ's
Red Dot Sights / Reflex Sights & Holosights Explained

[Machina]

Internal red dot sight - Google Patent Search

This has a picture of what I understand of a red dot. It only think here I see is that there are multiple panes even though a red dot apparently needs only one pane of sensitized glass that reflects a very small wavelength of light that the LED produces.

My sight has only one pane, which makes sense, however I cannot see where the projection comes from.

EDIT: Dur, it projects from 2-3 inches before the pane, I just didn't look hard enough. If I turn the brightness up, I can get the projection to fall on my finger before it hits the pane. Didn't even need to take it apart :)

Mystery solved! This calls for a beer.

[Ram Rod]

[alexcantslee]

So when you look through it are you seeing a dot reflected on both panes that youhave to line up. IE the two reflection are in a straight line in relation to the barrel? I hadnt given it much thought and after seeing the diagrams now I dont get it :(

Alex!