Patent Application
20240251945
The present invention relates generally to a storage device for organizing and storing handguns on a fully extendable and retractable support, wherein the storage device may be attached to the underside of an existing horizontal surface in a gun safe or storage cabinet.
Proper storage of firearms inhibits theft by criminals and protects children or inexperienced adults from accessing and mishandling the guns. Responsible sportsmen who use or collect firearms should have a means by which to safely store and secure said firearms.
A quality gun safe, lockable cabinet, or lockable storage locker, whether homemade or commercial, are some of the most secure options for securing firearms. Gun safes come in different sizes and configurations to best serve their user, ranging from single weapon safes for storing a handgun to large standup safes for storing dozens of long guns with additional storage shelves and drawers. There remains room for improvement to these safes with respect to the most efficient and convenient ways by which to store the firearms and their accessories such as magazines and ammunition.
It is common that rifles and shotguns are stored in a vertical manner in a bottom portion of a storage container and that handguns are stored on the shelves of a standup safe or storage cabinet, though this causes many inconveniences. One of the inconveniences of storing handguns is that, by convention, a handgun is stored by laying it on its side. This orientation, though the most stable, also uses the greatest amount of shelf space, and thereby reduces the number of firearms which can be placed on a single shelf. It is undesirable to stack handguns, as bumping and rubbing against other firearms may damage the gun or mar its decorative surfaces and finishes. In some situations, the handgun can be placed in its original container and then stacked on the shelf However, stacking the containers can make it difficult to remove a particular gun that is arranged at the bottom of the stack or towards the rear of the shelf.
There is a desire to increase the effective storage capacity of gun safes and increase the ease with which the firearms can be retrieved. Numerous innovations for gun storage devices have been provided in the prior art and will be described below.
A gun cabinet containing drawers for effectively using the interior space of a gun safe is described in U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/716,397, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The invention teaches a cabinet having tall drawers which can be pulled forward from the cabinet to facilitate the removal of guns from the cabinet. Storage shelves are included between the tall drawers for the storage of ammunition, shooting accessories, handguns, and the like. The design of the drawers in the invention are directed towards storing long guns which must be stood in a vertical orientation to fit inside the safe.
A sliding gun safe panel is described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2019/0063871, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This design was configured to have firearm supports on at least one side of a panel mounted to a slide which could attach to the interior ceiling of the safe or underside of an interior shelf to allow the panel to be extended from the gun safe for easy access to firearms. The design is again directed towards storing long guns which must be stood in a vertical orientation to fit inside the safe.
A pull-out gun racking system is described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0283820, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The racking system comprises pull-out gun racks on rails which can be mounted to the bottom surface of an enclosure, thereby allowing the interior space to be used more effectively than for similar designs where the pull-out racks may be mounted to the side walls of the enclosure. The publication discloses that the racks can be made shorter in height to allow for the securing of smaller valuables and firearms.
A gun rack for display purposes is described in U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/321,758, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The invention teaches a modular firearms-display rack which can be easily broken down and transported. The rack includes grooves into which a pistol shelf can be inserted so that a pistol may be stowed with its butt or handle placed on the shelf while its barrel sits on an angled gun rest. The invention is directed towards the display of firearms and not the efficient use of the interior space of a gun safe.
An expandable modular pistol rack is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,584,861, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The invention teaches an expanding modular rack by which pistols can be stored in an upright position in bays having varying widths as desired by the user. The modular rack can be placed on a shelf or on the floor of a gun safe.
Accordingly, there is an unmet need for a means by which to organize and store handguns so that the storage density is high, the guns are easily retrievable, and that shelf or floor space can still be dedicated to long guns, ammunition, or other shooting accessories.
The extendible handgun rack of the present invention incorporates a linear slide having a bearing designed to provide free motion in one direction. Ball bearing slides offering smooth precision motion along a single-axis linear design, aided by ball bearings housed in the linear base, with self-lubrication properties that increase reliability. Constructed from materials such as aluminum, hardened cold rolled steel and galvanized steel, ball bearing slides consist of two linear rows of ball bearings contained by four rods and located on differing sides of the base, which support the carriage for smooth linear movement along the ball bearings. This low-friction linear movement can be powered by hand. The traveling distance of linear recirculating ball bearings is only limited by the length of their rail, as the balls re-circulate inside the bearing's housing. Linear non-recirculating ball bearings have balls installed on a bracket and only move in one axis without re-circulation. Since the balls do not re-circulate, this type of bearings can provide extremely smooth motion. The traveling distance of linear non-recirculating ball bearings is limited by the length of the bracket.
Compound slides can be constructed with two sections or multiple sections. A compound slide typically has a fixed section and a section attached to the equipment. Optionally, a floating intermediate member is disposed there between so the compound slide can extend at least as far as the compressed slide length.
Rack slides are specifically intended for mounting equipment and use friction bearings, ball bearings, or roller bearings. They are sized to fit into racks with mounting flanges on the ends to mate to the mounting holes in racks. In some cases, one mounting flange is formed into the rack slide with an adapter bracket attached to the other end to accommodate different depths of the rack. The outer fixed member is attached to the rack and the inner moving member is generally screwed to the side of the mounted equipment. Rack slides are typically compound or 3-part slides allowing full extension of the mounted equipment and generally include provision for sliding the inner member completely free to allow removal of the equipment from the rack. They can also include stops to prevent accidentally pulling the equipment out of the rack without releasing the stop mechanism.
The present invention provides a storage device comprising a mounting bracket, a sliding assembly, and at least one mount by which to provide an interface for hanging and storing handguns within a cabinet or other suitable storage space whereby the sliding assembly can project outward from the storage device for unencumbered access to the handguns.
Moreover, the present invention provides a storage device adapted to be attached to a mounting surface, the storage device comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of a sliding assembly having a chassis and an inner member slidingly attached to the chassis. A support piece interconnects with the inner member and at least one mount is secured to the support piece. The mount comprises a hanging member having a first neck with a proximal and distal end with the proximal end securing to the support piece and the distal end having a pair of upward facing arms extending oppositely and perpendicularly from the first neck to form a suspension valley which is sufficiently wide to cradle a trigger guard of a handgun. An alignment member having a second neck with a proximal and distal end has the proximal end secured to the support piece. The distal end has a nose and a pair of downward facing arms extending oppositely and perpendicularly from the second neck to form an alignment trough in which a barrel or handle of the handgun may rest. The angle between the hanging member and alignment member of the mount is such that simultaneously the trigger guard of the handgun may be cradled in the suspension valley and the barrel of the handgun may rest in the alignment trough securing the position and orientation of the handgun within the storage device. The storage device may further comprise a finger aperture as a means for assisting the grip of a user attempting to extend or retract the sliding assembly; the finger aperture selected from the group consisting of a lever, a knob, a hook, a handle, an indent, and a hole. Optionally, the storage device may include the feature of having the walls of the distal end of the first neck of the hanging member flare outwards to passively align the trigger guard in the suspension valley. In addition, the walls of the nose at the distal end of the second neck of the alignment member is angled to passively align the resting barrel or handle in the alignment trough.
The extendable gun rack of the present invention can be fabricated using plain bearings or “bushings”, a simple friction fit slide, or more preferably a linear ball bearing slide. A compound slide such as shown in
Embodiments of the present invention contemplate a novel storage device which can be mounted to a shelf or bottom surface of a lid or cover of an existing gun safe, or any horizontal support structure, to increase its handgun storage capacity while avoiding disadvantages of the prior art. It is contemplated that an end mounting adaptor can be utilized to enable the present invention to be utilized with a rack slide and mounted by one end to a vertical support structure such as a back wall.
It is an objective of the present invention, to mount the extendable handgun rack to a shelf or bottom surface of a lid or cover of an existing gun safe, or any horizontal support structure.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a system that allows easy access to all the items being stored in the storage space, regardless of the stored item's position in the storage space (e.g., front, middle, or back).
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a system that prevents stored items from contacting each other, to minimize the damage to the outer surfaces of the items.
It is another objective to provide an optional retaining means such as a spring or elastomer attaching the sliding inner member to the stationary chassis of the bracket in order to retract the sliding inner member to a resting position nesting in the chassis. It is another object to include at least one releasable stop means to temporarily hold the sliding inner member in an extended position with respect to the chassis such as a spring tab biasing against a detent “hole, crease, lug, slot, or indent”.
It is another aspect of embodiments of the present invention to provide a storage device that fits within an interior space of a gun safe or storage cabinet when the storage device is in a retracted position but that can extend fully from the interior space in an extended position.
Thus, one aspect of the present invention provides a storage device comprising a mounting bracket, a sliding assembly, and at least one mount on which at least one handgun can be stored. The handgun can be placed on the mount when the sliding assembly is in at least a partially extended configuration. The handgun can be secured in its enclosure after the sliding assembly is subsequently fully retracted.
One aspect of the invention provides a mounting system for a handgun comprising a hanging member and an alignment member. The trigger guard of the handgun can be suspended from the hanging member and the barrel or handle of the handgun can be balanced and aligned on the alignment member. The mounts of the mounting system are designed to allow for storage of multiple handguns while preventing contact between handguns or with other surfaces of the enclosure to minimize damage to the items being stored. Although the barrel of the handgun typically rests on the alignment member, handguns having shorter barrels may best be balanced and stored by resting the handle on the alignment member instead of the barrel.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent with the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.
The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and form a part of the specification to illustrate examples of the aspects, embodiments, or configurations disclosed herein. The drawings together with the description, are meant to explain the principle aspects, embodiments, or configurations of the invention. The drawings illustrate preferred and alternative examples of the aspects, but are not intended to limit the aspects, embodiments, or configurations to only the illustrated and described examples. Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following, more detailed, description of the various aspects, embodiments, or configurations, as illustrated by the drawings referenced below. Reference numbers are the same for those elements that are the same across different figures.
Various embodiments of the present invention are described herein and depicted in the drawings. To acquaint persons skilled in the pertinent arts most closely related to the present invention, a preferred embodiment that illustrates the best mode now contemplated for putting the invention into practice is described herein by, and with reference to, the annexed drawings that form a part of the specification. This exemplary embodiment is described in detail without attempting to describe all the various forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied. As such, the embodiments described herein are illustrative and, as will become apparent to those skilled in the arts, may be modified in numerous ways within the scope and spirit of the invention.
References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, dimensions, conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” The term “a” or “an” entity, as used herein, refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” or “an”, “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein.
The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Accordingly, the terms “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” and variations thereof can be used interchangeably herein.
It shall be understood that the terms “means” as used herein shall be given its broadest possible interpretation in accordance with 35 U.S.C., Section 112, Paragraph 6. Accordingly, a claim incorporating the term “means” shall cover all structures, materials, or acts set forth herein, and all of the equivalents thereof. Further, the structures, materials, or acts and the equivalents thereof shall include all those described in the summary of the invention, brief description of the drawings, detailed description, abstract, and claims themselves.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the claims use the word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to
The storage device 100 has a mounting bracket 110 which has a top surface 112 and a bottom surface 114. The top surface 112 can be mounted flush to the bottom of a horizontal support structure 20. As would be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the horizontal support structure may include structures such as underside of a shelf, counter top, desktop, cabinet, gun safe, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the top surface 112 of the mounting bracket 110 has a plurality of mounting holes 116 by which a fastening means 117 may be used to affix the mounting bracket 110 to the horizontal support structure 20. The fastening means 117 may include, but is not limited to rivets, screws, nails, staples, or bolts. In an alternative embodiment, the top surface 112 may be secured to the bottom of the horizontal support structure 20 by means of an adhesive, welding, or as a slot and groove interconnect.
A first support piece 118 extends substantially perpendicular from the bottom surface 114 of the mounting bracket 110. In a preferred embodiment, the first support piece 118 extends continuously down the length of the mounting bracket 110. In an alternative embodiment the first support piece 118 may comprise a discontinuous set of supporting sections. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the first support piece and the mounting bracket may be integrally formed by machining or molding to reduce the complexity of the assembly or increase the strength of the storage device.
The storage device 100 further comprises a sliding assembly 200 containing a chassis 210 and an inner member 240. The chassis 210 is affixed substantially parallel to the first support piece 118. The chassis 210 contains a channel 212 for receiving and slidingly attaching to inner member 240.
Additionally, or alternatively, the sliding assembly 200 may include an optional sliding rail to enable the sliding assembly 200 to extend further slidingly interconnecting with the fixed chassis 210 and the inner member 240.
Additionally, or alternatively, the sliding assembly 200 may further comprise ball bearings or rollers to increase the load bearing capacity of the sliding assembly and reduce friction forces experienced by the sliding assembly 200. Optionally, the sliding assembly 200 may be obtained commercially from various suppliers.
As best shown in
In a preferred embodiment of the current invention, the hanging member 260 is disposed from the bottom of the second support piece 250 substantially perpendicular to the horizontal support structure 20. The hanging member 260 acts as a fulcrum on which the trigger guard 42 of the handgun 40 can balance. The alignment member 280 is disposed at an angle less than 90 degrees, but more preferably 15 to 75 degrees, more preferably from 25 to 55 degrees, and most preferably at about 45 degrees from the hanging member 260. The first neck 262 of the hanging member 260 and the second neck 282 of the alignment member 280 must be sufficiently long, and the angle of the alignment member 280 relative to the hanging member 260 appropriately designed, to ensure no component of the handgun 40 will touch the horizontal support structure 20 while being stored. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that different handgun geometries may require mounts of various lengths, angles, and widths to accommodate different styles of handguns. The mount can be fabricated as an integral one piece molded structure formed from a metal such as aluminum or a plastic, or the hanging member 260 can be affixed to the support piece 250 by rivets, welding, adhesives, bolts, or other means of fastening. In addition, the alignment member may be curved outwardly slightly in order to minimize the angle between the hanging member and alignment member and minimize interference with the trigger guard and the alignment member and still provide optimal support against the bottom portion of the barrel of the upside down hanging handgun.
The sliding assembly 200 is illustrated to be either extendable or retractable. A handgun can be placed on a mount 252 when the sliding assembly 200 is in a retracted stored position, extended position, or in a partially extended configuration; however, the sliding assembly or rack is designed to hold a plurality of handguns, and selection of a handgun is more readily accomplished by extending the rack, out from the chassis. Once the handgun has been placed on the mount 252, the sliding assembly 200 can be retracted fully underneath the horizontal support structure 20.
Referring now to
Referring now to
When more than one mount 252 is attached to the second support piece 250, the mounts are sufficiently spaced so that the gap between distal ends of the upward facing arms 264 of the hanging members 260 and the gap between the distal ends of the downward facing arms 284 of the alignment members 280 provide enough space so that a handgun 40 may be easily stored and retrieved by a user.
Referring now to
The mount 352 may have a coating 354 to prevent damage or marring to the exterior surfaces or finishes of the handgun. Optional coatings may include an elastomeric or polymeric material such as silicone, rubber, or plastic. The mount 452 may have a covering 454, to prevent damage or marring to the exterior surfaces or finishes of the handgun. Optional coverings may include a soft non-scratching fabric, foam, or felt.
In all the embodiments described herein, when the sliding assembly is at least partially extended, the user has easy, unrestricted access to the mounts on which to store handguns. The invention described herein provides a convenient and high-density storage solution for storing handguns, without occupying precious shelf or floor space in an enclosure such as a gun safe.
The disclosure has been described with reference to various specific embodiments and techniques. However, it should be understood that many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention.
It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any sub-combination.
The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, for modification will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made upon departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, this invention is not intended to be limited by the specific exemplifications presented herein above. Rather, what is intended to be covered is within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/441,423 filed on Jan. 26, 2023 and is incorporated herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63441423 | Jan 2023 | US |
