Patent Application
20220136796
The present disclosure is directed to bipods for use with aimable devices such as firearms, crossbows, and other devices.
Bipods are conventionally used with aimable devices such as crossbows, long arms such as firearm rifles and crossbows. Conventionally bipods are mounted to a stock of a rifle at mounting hard points such as mounting holes, posts or studs provided or formed in or on the bodies of weapon systems. Alternatively, bipdods are known that are designed to be mounted to rails such as the Picatinny rail. One example of this is U.S. Pat. No. 9,993,225 which discloses a bipod with a quick connect feature for a standard rails. While commercially useful such a product presupposes the presence of such a rail on the aimable device. Such rails, of course, add cost and expense. Similarly, it is known to provide bipods that are integrated in some fashion with the firearm such as by being integrated with a mounting system such as is done in bipods sold by BLK LBL Bipod and such as are provided in toy foam dart guns.
Stocks for aimable devices are provided. In one aspect, stock has a body mechanically associated with the aimable device and movable to determine an aiming axis of the aimable device, a shoulder mount positioned proximate to one end of the body, a firing grip positioned apart from the shoulder mount along a length of the body; a support leg having a mounting end pivotably mounted to the body between the firing grip and an end of the body opposite from the shoulder mount and having a foot end movable between a first range of positions and a second range of positions and a receiver located between the mounting of the support leg to the body and the firing grip and adapted to releasably hold the support leg in the first range of positions wherein the support leg provides a grippable forestock.
In embodiments, stock 20 can have a shoulder mount 22 with a shoulder confronting portion 24 shaped to allow a shoulder of a user to be butted up against shoulder confronting portion 24 to help brace or stabilize stock 20 and associated aimable device 200 during aiming and firing of aimable device 200. In embodiments, shoulder mount 22 can be integrally formed as a part of a body 26 of stock 20. In other embodiments, shoulder mount 22 and body 26 can comprise separate or separable structures that can be positioned together in a manner that limits relative movement between shoulder mount 22 and body 26 so as to provide the aforementioned bracing or stabilization.
In embodiments, shoulder mount 22 and body 26 can be configured so that shoulder mount 22 and body 26 can be held at any of a plurality of positions relative to each other.
In embodiments, shoulder mount 22 can have a latch 36 that has a surface (not shown) such as a pawl or pin shaped to engage a positioning surface 42 of a ridge area 44. Positioning surface 42 can have surface features such as, for example and without limitation, a ratchet, hole, or detent to hold buffer tube 40 at any one of a plurality of different extents of insertion relative to shoulder mount 22. In embodiments, positioning surface 42 of ridge area 44 may be notched with shoulder mount 22 providing a latch 36 or other features that can selectively interact with the notches to hold stock 20 at a preferred distance from trigger 212. Such embodiments allow a user to adjust a distance between shoulder confronting portion 24 of shoulder mount 22 and trigger 214 within a range of distances. This can be used for example to allow individualized settings for users or to shorten the overall length of stock 20 during transportation.
In embodiments, ridge area 44 can also provide surfaces 46 and 48 that cause buffer tube 40 to have a non-circular cross-section along a length of buffer tube 40 where present. Similarly interior pathway 30 and opening 32 are shaped with a shoulder portions 50 and 52 within which a length of ridge area 44 can be received. In the event that forces are applied that urge shoulder mount 22 to rotate about buffer tube 40, one of shoulder 50 and shoulder 52 will be blocked by a respective one of side surface 46 and side surface 48 to prevent rotation relative to buffer tube 40.
In
As is shown in
A bowstring 280 is provided having one end fixed to right side cams 260 and another end fixed to left side cam 262. Tension in bowstring 210 is typically established by action of limbs 250, 252, 254 and 256 during assembly of crossbow type aimable device 200. This is generally accomplished by applying a compressive force against limbs 250 and 254 and limbs 252 and 256 sufficient to drive the second ends of limbs 250 and 254 and second ends of limbs 252 and 256 toward each other until they reach a first range of relative positions. Limbs 250, 252, 254 and 276 are shaped and made of materials that are elastically deformable within a total range of elastic deformation. Bowstring 280 and lateral support strings 290, and 292 are installed to hold limbs 250, 252, 254, and 256 in the first range of positions that is one part of the total range of elastic deformation.
A lateral support string 290 can be connected to left side pin 272 at one end and to right side cam 190 at the other end, while another lateral support string 292 is connected at one end to right side pin 270 and to left side cam 262 at the other end. Such connections are done so that limbs 250, 252, 254 and 256 will be held within the first range of positions after the compressive force is removed. Thereafter limbs 250, 252, 254, and 256 resist being held in this state and apply a first range of bias forces against bowstring 280.
To ready crossbow type aimable device 200 for use, bowstring 280 is pulled from an initial configuration shown in
It will be appreciated that stock 20 is not limited for use with an aimable system 200 of the type illustrated here and that stock 20 may be defined for use with other crossbow designs. Additionally, stock 20 may be defined for use with other aimable device 200 including but not limited to devices such as such as the Crosman Airbow which launch arrows using compressed gasses, air guns of the type that use energy from the release of compressed gasses to thrust projectiles along the functional axis, firearms and other devices that use rapidly expanding heated gases to launch projectiles along the functional axis. Similarly, stock 20 may be defined for use with an aimable system 200 having electronic components that generate outputs directed generally with respect to a functional axis non-limiting examples of which include illuminators, lasers, sonic or ultrasonic emitters, that use electro-magnetic or electro-mechanical systems to thrust projectiles from the aimable system laser such as railguns or that have electronic components that sense conditions in an area determined generally by the aimed axis including but not limited to sound waves, visible or non-visible light, LIDAR, RADAR or SONAR reflections, electro-magnetic signals, and vibrations. Examples of projectiles can include but are not limited to medicinal darts, pellets, ball bearings, paintballs, airsoft projectiles, bullets, fluids including but not limited to water based fluids and non-lethal irritants, gels, particulates, sabot type rounds, sound waves, explosives, and smart projectiles such as electronic systems including but not limited to sensors, drones, RFID and IoT enabled devices.
Stock 20 has a body 26 that extends generally along an aiming axis AA. Body 26 is adapted to be mechanically associated with an aimed device 200 so that adjusting aiming axis AA of body 26 changes a functional direction FD of the aimed device 200 in a generally predictable manner. This way, the user can determine the functional direction FD of aimable device 200 by adjusting the orientation of body 26 in space.
In embodiments, body 26 can have a mounting 62 with an interior area 64 having a first side wall 64, a second side wall 66, a rear wall 68 and a base wall 70 within which a frame 216 or other portion of aimable device 200 can be located during use. Body 26 can also provide an opening 72 in base wall 74 through which trigger 212 can pass.
To aid a user in adjusting the aiming axis of stock 20, a plurality of body contact areas are associated with body 26. In embodiments, such body contact areas can comprise for example a shoulder mount 22, a firing grip 80 and a forestock support 100 each of which can be mechanically associated with body 26 such that the position of these body contact areas determines an orientation of body 26. In certain circumstances, a user may elect to use all three body contact areas For example a user may position shoulder confronting surface 24 against his or her shoulder, grip firing grip 80 by wrapping one hand about firing grip 80 and by grasping forestock support 100 with another hand so that the orientation of body 26 is determined based the relative positions of shoulder mount 22, firing grip 80 and forestock support 100. In other circumstances a user may wish to aim using only firing grip 80 and forestock support 100.
In embodiments, firing grip 80 can comprise a grip surface 82 which can for example and without limitation take the form of a pistol type grip 84 that is positioned. In this arrangement a user can insert an index finger inside a trigger guard 86 to contact a trigger 212 that is connected to string capture and fire control system 214 such that an aimable device 200 can be activated by action of the user's finger against trigger 212. As is shown here, a firing grip 80 can include a trigger guard 86 to help protect against inadvertent contact driving trigger 212 such that aimable device 200 is activated. Other features may be positioned such that they additionally may be actuated or otherwise operated by a user's index finger or other fingers or portions of hand gripping firing grip 80. These may include but are not limited to safety activation or deactivation controls and other controls useful by aimable device 200. In embodiments, firing grip 80 can be integrally formed with body 26, however, in other embodiments, firing grip 80 can, in whole or in part be separately formed
Forestock support 100 is shown in
In embodiments, a support b 110 extends from a mounted end 112 along a length to a foot end 114 with the mounted end 112 joined to body 26 such that foot end 114 is movable relative to body 26.
When positioned as illustrated in
For example, receiver connector 132 can be shaped with sidewalls 134 that confine foot connector 140 such that foot connector 140 cannot escape side walls 134 other than when moved along a predetermined direction and by a predetermined distance relative to receiver connector 132. In this example embodiment, the first range of relative motion of foot connector 140 and sidewalls 134 is less than a distance sufficient for foot connector 140 to be moved to escape receiver connector 132. In embodiments, receiver connector 140, foot connector 140 or both can incorporate resilient materials so as to provide a conformal contact between foot connector 140 and sidewalls 134 that allowing a certain degree of relative motion to ensure contact is made between foot connector 140 and sidewalls when foot connector 140 is inserted into receiver connector 132. In embodiments, receiver connector 132, foot connector 140 or both can incorporate resilient materials that provide an extent of vibration or noise dampening. In embodiments, either or both receiver connector 132 and foot connector 140 may be configured to provide frictional resistance to movement that urges separation of receiver connector 132 and foot connector 140.
In embodiments, support leg 110 can be mounted to body 26 at mounting end 112 with receiver connector 132 positioned apart from mounting end by a distance that creates an interference fit between foot connector 140 and a front wall 136 of receiver connector 132. In such an embodiment elastic deformation of any or all of support leg 110, a mounting 116 that joins support leg 110 to body 26, portions of body 26 to which mounting 116 is joined, and foot connector 140, can be used to create a bias force that resist separation of foot connector 140 and receiver connector 132.
As is shown in
As is also shown in
For example as is shown in
It will be appreciated that support leg 110 extends for a length that is at least twice as long as it is wide accordingly support leg 110 has greater strength when used to manage a compression load than when used to receive a beam load. However, structures designed to provide significant beam strength and compression loading can be complex to design and manufacture where it is also required that such structures be light weight. In embodiments, stock 20 allows for less complex and lighter weight design of support legs 110 by enabling the use of a structure that is primarily shaped to provide compression support such that support leg 110 can independently support a front end of stock 20 in compression when in the open position while still allowing for significant beam strength through the use of two ends of support when in the closed position. It will also be appreciated that in embodiments, recoil energy from firearms, crossbows or other types of aimable devices 200 can be managed in part by channeling a portion of such energy through support leg 110 which can provide stiffening or dampening effects in embodiments.
As is further illustrated in
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example and without limitation, in embodiments, any support leg may be extendable or contractable.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/661,633 filed Apr. 24, 2018.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62661633 | Apr 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16871950 | May 2020 | US |
| Child | 17521351 | US | |
| Parent | 16393581 | Apr 2019 | US |
| Child | 16871950 | US |
