This disclosure relates to a portable kit used for firearm cleaning. More specifically, it relates to a portable, cable-based, caliber-specific cleaning kit having a cable, which can be attached on one end to a handle and on another end to a plurality of cleaning tools, the cleaning kit being used during maintenance of gun bores.
After use and throughout their lives, gun bores are affected by debris, moisture, rust, copper, carbon, and gunpowder residue. Therefore, gun bores need to be cleaned so they can function properly and so they do not rust and decay. Further, cleaning must occasionally occur while the user is on the go. To accomplish this, individuals must be able to access the inside surface of a gun bore and any carbon or residue therein. However, storage and use of existing bore cleaners is not ideal.
Some cleaning tools are flexible so they can be fed into the gun bore through an opening in the chamber, but this flexibility means they are difficult to move around once inside the gun bore. Additionally, most existing bore cleaners do not provide their own storage options. After use, the cleaner is usually covered with carbon and residue and, if the user stores the bore cleaner with other tools, the user is at risk of the carbon and residue transferring to other clean tools. Further, the flexible cord of the bore cleaner can easily get tangled in other items. Therefore, a new bore cleaner is needed that is portable, includes several cleaning components, and provides its own storage compartment.
The present disclosure relates to a portable, cable-based, caliber-specific cleaning kit allowing a cable to attach on one end to an ergonomic handle and on another end to a plurality of cleaning tools, the cleaning kit being used during maintenance of gun bores. The cable is stiff enough so that a first end can be fed through a gun barrel and, after exiting the end of the barrel, can attach to the handle. The plurality of cleaning tools, which are attached to a second end of the cable, can then be pulled through the barrel by the handle and cable combination to clean and remove carbon and residue. After cleaning is complete, a user can wind up and secure the cable and cleaning tools to the handle, which has a cover and can compactly store the cleaning elements.
The present disclosure relates to a caliber-specific cleaning kit that is used to clean the interior barrel (i.e., the bore) of a gun. Various embodiments of the caliber-specific cleaning kit will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the caliber-specific cleaning kit disclosed herein. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the caliber-specific cleaning kit. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but these are intended to cover applications or embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Some embodiments of the caliber-specific cleaning kit disclosed herein include features that are best suited for cleaning the interior surfaces of a gun barrel, otherwise known as the bore of a gun. Most modern rifle and pistol bores have rifling, wherein the bore is comprised of lands and grooves. The grooves are cutout, helical spaces that extend down the bore. The lands are the ridges in between the grooves. The modular configuration of the caliber-specific cleaning kit allows the device to operate as storage and cleaning tool for specific calibers of guns, and the combination of cleaning tools enables both grooves and lands to be cleaned simultaneously.
More specifically, the caliber-specific cleaning kit is a portable, cable-based, caliber-specific cleaning kit having a cable attachable on a first end to an ergonomic handle and on a second end to a plurality of cleaning tools. The cable is stiff enough so that a first end can be fed through a gun bore and thereafter attached to an ergonomic handle that a user can grab and pull. The user can, therefore, pull on the handle that is attached to the first end of the cable, and the cleaning tools, which are attached to the second end of the cable, can then be pulled through the bore to remove carbon and residue. After cleaning is complete, a user can also use the caliber-specific cleaning kit as a storage unit. For example, the user can wind up and secure the cable and cleaning tools to the reel of the handle, wherein the handle may also have a cover to conceal the cable and the cleaning tools and can compactly store the cable and the cleaning tools.
Generally, in a closed configuration, the caliber-specific cleaning kit is roughly cylindrical with a relatively short height compared to its diameter. In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
The flexible cover 102 can be made of any flexible material. For example, it can be made of silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). However, preferably, the durometer of the flexible cover 102 ranges between 30 and 50 with the specific durometer dependent on the flexible material comprising the flexible cover 102. In some embodiments, the flexible cover 102 has a top edge and a bottom edge, is roughly tire shaped or the shape of a ring, is fixedly attached to the reel 104 along one of its edges, and is configured to move between a first position and a second position relative to the reel.
The free edge of the flexible cover 102 enables the flexible cover 102 to flip inside out so that the flexible cover 102 is effectively inverted, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, instead of a flexible cover 102, the cover may be rigid. Therefore, to move between the first position and the second position in relation to the reel to expose the cable 110, anchor 112, and cleaning tool 114, the cover may, instead of flipping inside out, twist around and upward to expose the reel 104 or it may removably snap onto and off of the reel 104. Alternatively, the cover, in its flexible or rigid form, may have an interference fit with the reel 104 and, therefore, can securely confine the reel 104. When a user would like to expose the cable 110, anchor 112, and cleaning tool 114, the user can simply pull the cover off.
In the closed configuration, the flexible cover 102 can, in addition to encasing the various components of the caliber-specific cleaning kit, such as the reel 104 and cleaning tool 114, provide a comfortable grip point for a user when the flexible cover 102 and reel 104 are used as a handle. However, in some embodiments, the flexible cover 102 is not included in the cleaning kit.
The reel 104 of the handle, as mentioned above, can be made of a rigid material, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, or other thermoplastic polymers or plastics. However, the reel 104 does not have to be rigid; it can be made of a flexible material. The reel 104 can be any shape. However, in a preferred embodiment, the reel 104 is cylindrical, is roughly the same height as the flexible cover 102, has a hollow center cavity 120, and has a groove 116 with upper and lower lips 118 around the outer perimeter, as illustrated in
In a preferred embodiment, the reel 104 also has a hollow storage cavity 108 that is an inner extension 122 of the reel 104. More specifically, the back portion of the reel 104 can extend into the hollow center cavity 120, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, one or more inserts of varying diameters can be placed into the storage cavity 108 to reduce the storage cavity's diameter. The external diameter of the storage cavity 108 therefore stays the same, but the internal diameter changes. With an insert, the storage cavity 108 may be able to snuggly enclose a cleaning tool 114 of any shape and size. Preferably, the external shape of the insert conforms to the internal shape of the storage cavity 108 in a unique arrangement, which enables the insert to fit into the storage cavity 108 in one direction. The fit of the insert inside the storage cavity 108, in some embodiments, can be a pressure fit.
In some embodiments, the reel 104 has an anchor site 106 located on its inner surface across from the storage cavity 108, as illustrated in
In use, an individual can quickly connect the cable 110 to the handle by inserting a portion of the cable 110 through the notch 126 of the anchor site 106 with the anchor 112 located underneath the anchor opening 128 of the anchor site 106. The individual can then pull the cable 110 through the anchor site 106 until the anchor 112 reaches the anchor site 106 and is secured to or within the walls 124 of the protruding anchor site 106. Once the anchor 112 is secured, the flexible cover 102 and reel 104, in the closed configuration, can act as an ergonomic grip or handle for the caliber-specific cleaning kit, as illustrated in
As mentioned above, some embodiments of the caliber-specific cleaning kit have a cable 110, an anchor 112, and a cleaning tool 114. The cable 110 is preferably a 1.5 mm coated cable (for example, a plastic coated steel cable) that is longer than the gun bore. Further, the cable 110 is preferably stiff so that it can be fed horizontally through the gun bore. The anchor 112 also preferably has some rigidity to it so the user can push it through the bore instead of relying on gravity. In a preferred embodiment, the anchor 112 is round, such as a spherical ball, so that it does not scratch the bore. However, the anchor 112 can take any shape. This enables someone to efficiently insert the cable 110 into the chamber, through the bore, and out through the barrel's crown.
On the first end of the cable 110, an attached anchor 112 exists that, after being pushed or “fed” through the bore, can be secured to the anchor site 106, as described above and illustrated in
In some embodiments, the cleaning tool 114 is comprised of cleaning implements, as illustrated in
While any variety of cleaning implements may be used, the order of the cleaning implements is important. For example, carbon and other residue typically need to be scraped off the surface of the bore and out of the rifling grooves before they can be wiped away from the surface on which they were coated. Therefore, in one embodiment, the cable is attached to a brush (for example, a 50 mm long brush), which is then attached to a woven bore cleaner (for example, a 100-220 mm long woven bore cleaner), as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the diameter of the cleaning tool 114, such as the brush and woven bore cleaner, may be designed for a single caliber barrel. For example, the cleaning tool 114 may be designed for a .22 handgun; a .22 rifle; a .223 or 5.56 rifle; a .240, .243, .244, or 6 mm rifle; a .270, .280, or 7 mm rifle; a .30, .308, or 9 mm handgun; a .40 or .41 handgun; a .44 or .45 handgun; a 20-gauge shotgun; or a 12-gauge shotgun. However, the cleaning tool 114 is not limited to these calibers. It may be any size and may be designed for any caliber barrel.
In some embodiments, the anchor site 106 and the anchor 112 are the same size regardless of the size of the cleaning tool 114 attached to the cable 110 and anchor 112. This enables the flexible cover 102 and the reel 104 to be interchangeable as pull handles even if they are not interchangeable as storage units. Therefore, if two embodiments exist, for example a .22 rifle embodiment and a 9 mm handgun embodiment, a user can use the same handle while switching out the cable 110, anchor 112, and cleaning tool 114 combinations for each.
In some embodiments where several variations in size exist, a caliber marking can be printed on the reel 104 to ensure an individual knows the type of firearm for which the cleaning tool is appropriate. Further, in embodiments where at least a portion of the reel 104 is clear, the caliber marking can be located on the clear portion.
The design of the cleaning tool 114 is such that the cleaning implements, in some embodiments, are directly connected to one another. More specifically, as described above, the parts of the caliber-specific cleaning kit that are independent of the flexible cover 102 and reel 104 combination can be attached as follows. The first end of the cable 110 can be attached to the anchor 112, and the second end of the cable 110 can be directly attached to the first cleaning implement, such as the brush, which can directly attach to a second cleaning implement, such as a woven bore cleaner, mop, etc.
In an alternative embodiment, the cleaning implements can rotate independently of the cable 110. For example, the first end of the cable 110 can be attached to the anchor 112 and the second end of the cable 110 can be attached to a swivel, which can attach to the cable 110 by being crimped onto the second end of the cable 110. This attachment can be permanent or replaceable. The swivel can then attach to the first cleaning implement, such as the brush, which can directly attach to a second cleaning implement, such as a woven bore cleaner or mop. In some embodiments, the first cleaning implement can attach to the second cleaning element via a second swivel. This would enable both cleaning elements to rotate independently of each other and the cable 110. Any number of cleaning implements can be attached together directly, via swivel, or any combination of direct and swivel connections.
One example of a use case is as follows: a user flips the flexible cover 102 down, thereby exposing the cable 110 that is wrapped around the reel 104, as illustrated in
When the user has completed cleaning the bore, the user can detach the anchor 112 from the anchor site 106, flip the flexible cover 102 down (i.e., inside out), insert the cleaning tool 114 into the storage cavity 108, as illustrated in
In another example of a use case, the flexible cover 102 can slide over the reel 104 instead of fold over, thus exposing the reel 104 and the cable 110, anchor 112, and cleaning tool 114 for use as described above. The flexible cover 102 can, in some embodiments, remain fixed to the reel 104 or, in other embodiments, can slide completely off.
In a further example, the flexible cover 102 can twist and rotate upward to expose the reel 104 and the cable 110, anchor 112, and cleaning tool 114 for use as described above. The flexible cover 102 can, in some embodiments, remain fixed to the reel 104 or, in other embodiments, can slide completely off. Other embodiments are envisioned wherein the flexible cover 102 exposes the reel 104 and the cable 110, anchor 112, and cleaning tool 114 for use as described above.
In addition to, or instead of, using the above-described device as a firearm-cleaning tool, the device could be used as a general cleaning tool for pipes or enclosed spaces having two openings, wherein the anchor 112 and cable 110 could be threaded through the enclosed space and the cleaning tool 114 pulled through to scrape and wipe the surface of the enclosed space clean. Alternatively, the above-described device could be used to create a handle and better gripping surface without necessarily being used as a cleaning device.
The various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the claims attached hereto. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize various modifications and changes that may be made without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described herein and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the following claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20180172386 A1 | Jun 2018 | US |