The present disclosure relates generally to firearm safety selector switches. In particular, the subject matter herein generally relates to an adjustable safety selector switch.
Firearms often include a safety selector to selectively inhibit operation of the firearm. Safety selectors engage a portion of a firing mechanism, thereby preventing operation of the firing mechanism, thereby preventing operation of the firearm. In some firearm platforms, the safety selector can further be utilized to transition the firearm from a safe position to either a semi-automatic operating mode or a fully automatic operating mode. Customizable safety selectors are available for a number of firearm platforms, including the AR15/M16, that allow users to select the desired length, size, and shape of the safety lever; however, these customizable safety selectors are not adjustable to individual preferences, and as such even with this customization many users have to change grip position to manipulate the controls, specifically between safe, semi-auto and full-auto.
Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures, wherein:
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure.
Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected.
The present disclosure is directed to an adjustable position safety selector switch for a firearm. The firearm can be any firearm known in the art including, but not limited to, AR15/M16 firearms and air soft replicas. While the present disclosure is shown and described with respect to an AR15/M16 safety selector, it is within the scope of this disclosure to implement the adjustable safety selector with any known firearm platform. The adjustable position safety selector switch allows a user to adjust and/or customize the positions to suit each user based on his/her individual comfort as well as physical characteristics such as hand size, thumb length, or the like. The adjustable position safety selector switch can be adjusted in lever angle, position, length of levers, style of lever, as well as position of an indicator independent of lever angle/position.
The present disclosure is drawn to an adjustable safety selector having a rotatable lock member transitionable between a first position and a second position. In the first position at least a portion of the lock member is configured to inhibit movement of at least a portion of a firing mechanism of a firearm. A first lever member can be coupled with a first end of the lock member and a second lever member coupled with the first end and engageable with an outer surface of the first lever member. The first lever member and the second lever member can be coupled with the first end of the lock member in a plurality of positions. The rotatable lock member can have a longitudinal axis extending through the first end, and the first and second lever members can be independently rotatable about the longitudinal axis into the plurality of positions.
Moreover, while the present disclosure generally refers to an adjustable safety lever having two levers formed on one end or an ambidextrous safety selector having two levers formed on one end a third lever formed on the opposing end, it is within the scope of this disclosure to implement the safety selector having a single lever formed on one end, or a single lever formed on each of the opposing ends.
The following provides a more detailed discussion of the components herein.
The trigger assembly 12 can include a trigger 16, a hammer 18, and/or a disconnector (not shown). The safety selector 14 can be received in the lower receiver 10 and prevent operation of the trigger assembly by inhibiting movement of the trigger 16, hammer 18, and/or the disconnector. As described below in more detail, the safety selector 14 can be rotatable between a first position and a second position, the first position aligning the trigger assembly 12 with a solid portion disposed on the safety selector 14 inhibiting actuation of the trigger assembly 12 while the second position can align the trigger assembly with a recess portion disposed on the safety selector thereby allowing actuation of the trigger assembly 12.
The safety selector 14 can have a lever 20 to allow a user to rotate the safety selector 14 between the first and second positions. The lever 20 can be sized and shaped to allow actuation by a user's thumb and/or finger during handling of the firearm.
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The adjustable safety selector 100 and related components can be formed by machining, die casting, sand casting, milling, injection molding, 3-D printing, or any other manufacturing process known in the art. The adjustable safety selector can be formed from metal, ceramics, plastics, polymers or other material having suitable strength for use with a firearm.
A first lever 108 can be coupled with the first end 104 and a second lever 110 can also be coupled with the first end 104 and abuttingly engage with an outer surface 112 of the first lever 108. The first lever 108 and the second lever 110 can receive a force from a user thus imparting rotation on the rotatable lock member 102 and transitioning the rotatable lock member 102 between the first position and the second position.
The rotatable lock member 102 can have a solid portion 114 configured to inhibit movement of a firing mechanism of a fire arm when in the first position. The solid portion 114 can protrude into the path of one or more movable members of the firing mechanism, such as the trigger and/or hammer, thereby preventing operation of the firing mechanism. The rotatable lock member 102 can have a recess 116 configured to allow free movement of the firing mechanism when in the second position. The recess portion 116 can provide a clear path for the moveable members of the firing mechanism allowing proper operation of the firing mechanism and the firearm. The solid portion 114 and the recess portion 116 can be disposed on opposing surfaces of the rotatable lock member 102. In other instances, the solid portion 114 and the recess portion 116 can be disposed on adjacent sides of the longitudinal axis 150 of the rotatable lock member 102.
The lock member 102 can have additional surfaces to engage the firing mechanism to transition the weapon from a second position, such as a semi-automatic firing mode, to a third position, such as a fully automatic firing mode. The firing mechanism can include a hammer, a trigger, and a disconnector interface. Transition of the lock member 102 to the third position can involve rotation about the longitudinal axis 150 past the second position, such that transition of the lock member 102 from the first position to the third position requires passing second position.
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The first lever 108 and the second lever 110 can be molded so as to flushly receive one another, while providing an actuation surface 120 capable of transitioning the rotatable lock member 102. The actuation surfaces 120 of the first lever 108, second lever 110, and third lever 118 can vary in size, shape, or length according to a user's preference.
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While the illustrated embodiment shows and describes an ambidextrous safety selector having two levers 108, 110 on a first end 104 and a single lever 118 on the second end 106, it is within the scope of this disclosure to include two levers on either of the first end 104, the second end 106, or both.
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While the first lever 108 is showing having protrusions 126, and the second lever 110 is shown having apertures 128, it is within the scope of this disclosure to provide a first lever 108 having a plurality of apertures and a second lever 110 having one or more protrusions.
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The set screw 120 can have a pointed engagement end 138 to secure the first lever 108 to the first end 104. The set screw 120 can further include a tool engagement end 140 disposed opposite the engagement end 138. The tool engagement end 140 can receive a tool to thread the set screw 120 through the first lever 108, thereby engaging or disengaging the first lever 108 from the first end 104 of the lock member 102. The tool engagement end 140 can be configured to receive various shaped engagement tools, including, not limited to, hex-shaped tool, cross-point shaped tool, flat head shaped tool, torx shaped tool, pentalobe shaped tool, or any other shaped tool known in the art.
The lock member 102 can further include an indicator ring 146 disposed at the first end 104. The indicator ring 146 can indicate the position of the lock member 102 when disposed within the firearm. The indicator ring 146 can provide the user an indication that the lock member 102 is in the first position, the second position, or the third position. In some instances, the indicator ring 146 can be integrally formed with lock member 102. In other instances, the indicator ring 146 can be press fit, welded, adhered, or otherwise coupled to the lock member 102. The lock member 102 can further include a second indicator 148 disposed at the second end 106. In other instances, the second indicator 148 can be similar to indicator ring 146 and be configured to couple with the lock member 102 after the lock member 102 is received within the firearm.
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A first lever 208 can be coupled with the first end 204 and a second lever 210 can be coupled with the first end 104 and abuttingly engage with an outer surface 212 of the first lever 208. The first lever 208 and the second lever 210 can receive a force from a user thus imparting rotation on the rotatable lock member 202 and transitioning the rotatable lock member 202 between the first position and the second position.
Similar to the lock member 102 discussed above with respect to
The lock member 202 can have additional surfaces to engage the firing mechanism to transition the weapon from a second position, such as a semi-automatic firing mode, to a third position, such as a fully automatic firing mode. The firing mechanism can include a hammer, a trigger, and a disconnector interface. Transition of the lock member 202 to the third position can involve rotation about the longitudinal axis 250 past the second position, such that transition of the lock member 202 from the first position to the third position requires passing second position.
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The first lever 208 can have a protrusion 226 extending from an outer surface 112 thereof. The protrusion 226 can engage the second lever 210 to prevent rotation of the first lever 208 relative to the second lever 210. The first lever 208 can have any number of protrusions 226 extending therefrom to engage the second lever 210, and the protrusions 226 can be of any shape including, but not limited to, circular, square, triangular, hexagonal, or any other polygon.
The second lever 210 can have a plurality of apertures 228 formed on an inner surface 230 thereof The plurality of apertures 228 can be correspondingly shaped and configured to receiver the two protrusions 226 extending from the outer surface 212 of the first lever 208. The second lever 210 can have any number of apertures 228 formed therein to provide numerous coupling positions of the second lever 210 relative to the first lever 208. A user can secure the first lever 208 to the lock member 202 in the desired position/orientation and then position the second lever 210 on the lock member 202 in the desired orientation relative to the first lever 208. The second lever 210 and the plurality of apertures 228 formed therein can engage with the protrusions 226 as the second lever engages an outer surface 212 of the first lever 208, thereby providing the adjustable safety selector 200 with a first lever 208 and a second lever 210 in user selected positions/orientations.
While the first lever 208 is shown having protrusions 226, and the second lever 210 is shown having apertures 228, it is within the scope of this disclosure to provide a first lever 208 having a plurality of apertures and a second lever 210 having one or more protrusions.
In some instances, the first lever 208 can have an aperture 236 formed therein and configured to receive at least a portion of the first end 204. The aperture 236 and the first end 204 can form a friction fit when coupled one to the other while allowing a user to freely rotate the first lever 208 into a desired position/orientation. The first lever 208 can have a set screw 220 disposed therein to engage the lock member 202 and fix the first lever 208 relative to the lock member 202. The set screw 220 can be threaded through at least a portion of the first lever 108 and engage with the first end 204 of the lock member 202. The set screw 220 can be threaded to form a pressure engagement with the first end 204. The set screw 220 can be threaded to extend into the aperture 236, thereby engaging the first end 204. The set screw 220 can have a pointed engagement end 238 to secure the first lever 208 to the first end 204. The set screw 220 can further include a tool engagement end 240 disposed opposite the engagement end 238. The tool engagement end 240 can receive a tool to thread the set screw 220 through the first lever 208, thereby engaging or disengaging the first lever 208 from the first end 204 of the lock member 202. The tool engagement end 240 can be configured to receive various shaped engagement tools, including, but not limited to, a hex-shaped tool, cross-point shaped tool, flat head shaped tool, torx shaped tool, pentalobe shaped tool, or any other shaped tool known in the art.
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The coupling arrangement can also be six-plus sided polygon arrangement allowing incremental adjustability between the lever(s) and the lock member. Polygons having additional sides allow increased positional adjustability for coupling the one or more levers to the lock member. The coupling arrangement can further be serrations formed on the face of the lock member providing incremental adjustability in coupling the lever(s) and the lock member.
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Numerous examples are provided herein to enhance understanding of the present disclosure. A specific set of statements are provided as follows.
The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the attached claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/317,784, filed Apr. 4, 2016, the contents of which are entirely incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62317784 | Apr 2016 | US |