Patent Application
20180347931
The present disclosure relates to a firearm suppressor with a modular design.
A firearm suppressor is a device attached to the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise generated from firing the firearm. Suppressors are typically constructed of a metal cylinder with an internal mechanism to reduce the sound of firing by slowing the escaping propellant gas. Most suppressors are designed to work with a particular firearm type. Therefore, it is desirable for a suppressor that is configured for attachment to different types of firearms.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a firearm suppressor has a modular design permitting the firearm suppressor to be converted between an over-barrel configuration to a muzzle-forward configuration. The firearm suppressor includes a hollow sleeve with an outer surface extending between an entry end and an exit end of the hollow sleeve and a locator cap connected at the exit end of the hollow sleeve. The locator cap includes a central hole and a first alignment feature. The firearm suppressor further includes a cylindrical body defining a central longitudinal passage and a plurality of vents. The plurality of vents are in fluid communication with the longitudinal passage and are oriented at an angle with respect to a central axis of the central longitudinal passage. The cylindrical body includes a first end that is configured to removably attach to a barrel of a firearm and a second end that is positioned opposite to the first end.
The example firearm suppressor also includes a centering ring connected to the cylindrical body at the second end. The centering ring includes a second alignment feature that is configured to engage the first alignment feature on the locator cap to align the cylindrical body in the sleeve such that the central longitudinal passage is aligned with the central hole of the locator cap. The firearm suppressor includes a plurality of baffles received over the body and spaced apart from one another by a plurality of spacers. The plurality of baffles positioned between the plurality of vents to define a plurality of chambers between the hollow sleeve and the cylindrical body.
The firearm suppressor also includes an expansion chamber removably connected to the first end of the cylindrical body opposite to the centering ring. The expansion chamber extends away from the first end of the cylindrical body such that when the cylindrical body is attached to the barrel of the firearm, the expansion chamber surrounds a portion of the barrel. The firearm suppressor includes an end cap removably connected to the entry end of the sleeve. The end cap contacts the expansion chamber to retain the expansion chamber and the cylindrical body in the hollow sleeve.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for converting a firearm suppressor from the over-barrel configuration to the muzzle-forward configuration is contemplated. One example method includes removing an end cap from a first sleeve of the firearm suppressor and removing a core assembly from the first sleeve. The example method also includes removing the expansion chamber from the core assembly, inserting the core assembly without the expansion chamber into a second sleeve wherein the second sleeve has a length that is shorter than a length of the first sleeve and connecting the end cap to the second sleeve to retain the core assembly without the expansion chamber inside the second sleeve.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a kit can be provided that permits a user to assemble an example firearm suppressor of the present disclosure and to convert the firearm suppressor between the over-barrel configuration and the muzzle-forward configuration. An example kit includes a locator cap, a first sleeve, a second sleeve (having a length that is shorter than the length of the first sleeve), a body, a centering ring, a series of baffles, a series of spacers, an expansion chamber and an end cap.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to
The elements of the example firearm suppressor 20 are axially aligned along a center axis 40. When the firearm suppressor 20 is attached to a firearm, as will be explained in more detail below, the firearm suppressor 20 is oriented with one end positioned at or near a muzzle of the firearm and the opposite end positioned distally away from the muzzle of the firearm. In this manner, a projectile that is fired from the firearm can travel through the firearm suppressor 20 and exit the firearm suppressor and travel toward a target. During this action, propellant gas is ejected from the muzzle of the firearm. The firearm suppressor 20 slows and cools the propellant gas that is ejected from the firearm which, in turn, reduces the sound caused by the ejected propellant gas.
Referring now to
The sleeve 24 is configured such that the locator cap 22 can be connected at the exit end 44 and the end cap 28 can be connected to the entry end 42. In the example shown, the sleeve 24 includes a threaded portion 48 at the exit end 44 on the inner surface of the sleeve 24. The threaded portion 48 engages a complimentary threaded portion 50 on the outer surface 52 of the locator cap 22. In this manner, the locator cap 22 can be tightened into the exit end 44 of the sleeve 24. The locator cap 22 can also be removed from the sleeve 24 by unscrewing the locator cap 22. In other examples, the locator cap 22 can be otherwise removably attached to the sleeve 24 by using other configurations of the locator cap 22 and/or the sleeve 24. For example, the locator cap 22 can have internal threads and the sleeve 24 can have complimentary threads on the external surface 46 at the exit end 44. In still other examples, the locator cap 22 can be fixedly secured to the exit end 44 of the sleeve 24. In such examples, the locator cap can be welded or otherwise secured to the sleeve 24.
At the entry end 42 of the sleeve 24, the sleeve 24 includes, in the example shown, a threaded portion 52. The threaded portion 52 is positioned on the inside surface of the sleeve 24 and is configured to engage a complimentary threaded portion 54 positioned on an external surface of the end cap 28. In this manner, the end cap 28 can be tightened to (or loosened from) the entry end 42 of the sleeve 24. In other examples, the end cap 28 can be otherwise removably attached to the sleeve 24 by using other configurations of the end cap 28 and/or the sleeve 24. For example, the end cap 28 can have internal threads and the sleeve 24 can have complimentary threads on the external surface 46 at the entry end 42. In still other examples, the end cap 28 can be fixedly secured to the entry end 42 of the sleeve 24. In such examples, the end cap 28 can be welded or otherwise secured to the sleeve 24.
As shown in
The locator cap 22, in this example, also includes a sleeve alignment feature 58. The sleeve alignment feature 58 interacts with a complimentary alignment feature (e.g., core alignment feature 88, as will be described below) to align and/or center the core assembly 26 inside the sleeve 24 when the core assembly 26 is inserted into the sleeve 24. In this example, the sleeve alignment feature 58 is a raised bar that spans across a side of the locator cap 22 that is positioned inside the sleeve 24 when the locator cap 22 is connected to the sleeve 24. In this manner, the sleeve alignment feature 58 projects axially into the sleeve 24. In other examples, the sleeve alignment feature 58 can have other shapes and configurations. For example, the sleeve alignment feature 58 can be a pin, depression, slot, groove, rib or other shape.
As shown in
The body 36 is an elongated cylindrical member that includes a longitudinal passage 62 and a series of vents 64. The longitudinal passage 62 is a cylindrical passageway that extends through the body 36 from a muzzle end 66 to an distal end 68 of the body 36. The longitudinal passage is aligned with the center axis of the firearm suppressor 20 and is sized so that the projectile that is fired from the barrel of the firearm can travel through the longitudinal passage 62.
The vents 64 are positioned radially around the longitudinal passage 62 along the body 36. The vents 64 are circular openings that extend from an outer surface 70 of the body 36 to the longitudinal passage 62 to fluidly connect the vents to the longitudinal passage 62. As such, the propellant gas that is ejected from the firearm can travel from the barrel of the firearm into the longitudinal passage and through the vents 64.
The vents 64, in the example shown, are positioned in staggered radial rows along the outer surface 70 of the body 36. The vents 64 are positioned at an oblique angle with respect to the center axis 40. The vents 64, in this example, are positioned such that the vents 64 are angled toward the distal end 68 of the body 36. The vents 64 are angled at a 45 degree angle relative to the center axis in this example. In other examples, the vents can be angled toward the muzzle end 66 of the body 36 and can be angled at other angles but are preferably angled with an angle of 45 degrees to 65 degrees relative to the center axis 40.
The body 36, in the example shown in
The body 36, in the example shown, also includes a first shoulder 76 and a second shoulder 78. The first shoulder 76 is a raised circumferential rib that projects radially outward from the outer surface 70. The first shoulder 76 has an outer diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of the outer surface 70. The first shoulder 76 is suitably positioned from the distal end 68 of the body 36 so that the baffles 34 and the spacers 32 that are installed over the body 36 are disposed relative to the vents 64 in a manner to create evenly distributed chambers, as will be further described. In other examples, the first shoulder 76 can have other shapes or profiles. For example, the first shoulder 76 can be configured as one or more discrete projections that project away from the outer surface 70 of the body 36.
The second shoulder 78 is similarly configured as that of the first shoulder 76. The second shoulder 78 is a raised circumferential rib that projects radially outward from the outer surface 70. The second shoulder 78 has an outer diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of the outer surface 70. The second shoulder is suitably spaced at an axial distance away from the muzzle end 66 of the body 36 so that the expansion chamber 38 and/or the end cap 28 can abut the second shoulder 78 to retain the body 36 in position inside the sleeve 24. In other examples, the second shoulder 78 can have other shapes or profiles. For example, the second shoulder 78 can be configured as one or more discrete projections that project away from the outer surface 70 of the body 36.
As shown in
The attachment surface 82 is positioned on an external surface of the body 36 at the muzzle end 66. The attachment surface 82 is configured to attach to the expansion chamber 38. In the example shown, the body 36 is threaded at the attachment surface 82. The expansion chamber 38 has a complimentary threaded surface on an inner surface thereof such that the expansion chamber 38 can be secured (or removed) from the body 36. As explained above, the second shoulder 78 is positioned, in this example, such that the expansion chamber abuts the second shoulder 78 when it is threaded over the attachment surface 82.
The core assembly 26 includes the centering ring 30. As shown in the example of
The centering ring 30 also includes a core alignment feature 88. The core alignment feature 88 engages the sleeve alignment feature 58 on the locator cap 22. The core alignment feature 88 orients the core assembly 26 inside the sleeve 24 in a repeatable manner so that the firearm behaves in a similar manner when the firearm suppressor 20 is disassembled and/or reassembled for cleaning or re-configuration. In the example shown, the core alignment feature 88 is a slot that spans across the centering ring 30 and through the rim 90. The sleeve alignment feature 58 (or raised bar in the example shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The projections 98, in the example shown, are wedge-shaped projections that project radially away from the cylindrical shell 96. The first projections 98 are positioned at or near a first end 104 of the expansion chamber 38. The projections 98 project outward and together have an outer radial dimension that fits inside the sleeve 24. The projections 98 are spaced apart from one another around the circumference of the cylindrical shell 96 and assist in centering the expansion chamber 38 inside the sleeve 24. As such, the outer radial dimension is sized relative to the inner diameter of the sleeve 24 so that the expansion chamber 38 fits inside the sleeve 24. In the example shown, the expansion chamber 38 includes five projections 98 evenly spaced around the cylindrical shell 96. In other examples, the expansion chamber 38 can include more or less than five projections 98. In still other examples, the projections 98 can include a single rib or annular wall with openings spaced around the cylindrical shell 96 or the projections 98 can have other shapes or profiles.
The projections 100 are similar to the projections 98 previously described. The projections 100 are positioned at an intermediate location on the cylindrical shell 96 between the first end 104 and a second end 106. The projections 100, in this example, are wedge-shaped projections that extend radially outward from the cylindrical shell 96. The projections 100 are similarly sized as the projections 98 to center the expansion chamber inside the sleeve 24. As shown, the expansion chamber 38 includes five projections evenly spaced around the cylindrical shell 96. In other examples, the expansion chamber 38 can include more or less than five projections 100. In still other examples, the projections 100 can include a single rib or annular wall with openings spaced around the cylindrical shell 96 or the projections 100 can have other shapes or profiles.
The base 102 of the expansion chamber 38 is positioned at the second end 106. The base 102 is an annular wall that projects outward from the cylindrical shell 96. The base 102 is sized with an outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the sleeve 24 so that the expansion chamber 38 can fit inside the sleeve 24. The base 102 can have an outer diameter that is the same or approximately the same as the outer radial dimension of the projections 98 and/or the projections 100. The base 102 is positioned at the second end 106 of the expansion chamber 38 and forms an end of the core assembly 26 that is opposite to the centering ring 30. In other examples, the base 102 can have other configurations or other features to interact with adjacent elements of the firearm suppressor 20.
The expansion chamber 38, in this example, includes a cylindrical cavity 108 that is defined by an inner surface of the cylindrical shell 96. The cavity 108 extends through the expansion chamber 38 from the first end 104 to the second send 106. The cavity 108 is sized with a diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the barrel of the firearm to which the firearm suppressor 20 is attached. This sizing permits the expansion chamber 38 to be received over the barrel of the firearm. To this end, the cavity 108 is aligned with the center axis 40 when the expansion chamber 38 is connected to the body 36.
At the first end 104 of the expansion chamber 38, the inner surface of the cylindrical shell 96 includes, in this example, a threaded portion 110 that extends axially inward from the first end 104. The threaded portion 110 is configured to engage the attachment surface 82 of the body 36. The threaded portion 110 permits the expansion chamber 38 to be threaded, and secured, to the attachment surface 82 of the body 36. As can be appreciated, the expansion chamber 38 can also be easily removed from the body 36. When secured to the body 36, the first end 104 of the expansion chamber 38 is positioned adjacent to the second shoulder 78 of the body 36.
Referring back to
Example core assemblies 26a, 26b are shown in
The example core assembly 26a shown in
In the alternating pattern previously described, the baffles 34a are spaced apart from one another by the spacers 32 such that the baffles 34a are positioned between the vents 64a. This positioning of the baffles 34a relative to the vents 64a defines annular angled chambers that surround the body 36. The propellant gases that are ejected when a projectile is fired from the firearm exit the body 36 through the vents 64a and enter the annular angled chambers defined by the baffles 34a, the body 36 and the spacers 32(or the sleeve 24). The propellant gases can expand and cool in the annular angled chambers in order to reduce the sound and/or heat that would otherwise occur if the firearm were not fitted with the firearm suppressor 20.
The example core assemblies 26a and 26b include nine such annular angled chambers. The chambers are defined by the series of nine baffles 34a, 34b and nine spacers 32. In other examples, the core assembly 26 can include more or less than nine annular angled chambers and subsequently include more or less than nine baffles 34 or nine spacers 32.
In the over-barrel configuration shown in
As shown in
The firearm suppressor 20 is a versatile, modular suppressor that can be easily converted from the over-barrel configuration to the muzzle-forward configuration. The modular nature of the firearm suppressor 20 also permits a user to easily assembly or disassemble the firearm suppressor 20 for transport, cleaning or other maintenance.
The firearm suppressor 20 is versatile in that it can be used with a variety of firearms as well. As shown in
As shown in
Referring now to
At step 132, the user removes the core assembly 26 from the sleeve 24. Since the entry end 42 of the sleeve 24 is open at this stage of the process, the core assembly 26 can slide out of the sleeve 24 by moving the core assembly 26 along the center axis 40.
At step 134, the user removes the expansion chamber 38 from the core assembly 26. The expansion chamber 38 can be removed from the core assembly, in this example, by unscrewing the expansion chamber 38 from the muzzle end 66 of the body 36. Since the centering ring 30 has not been removed from the distal end 68 of the body 36, the baffles 34 and the spacers 32 are retained to the body 36.
At step 136, the user inserts the core assembly 26 without the expansion chamber 38 into a second sleeve 24a. The second sleeve 24a is similar in most respects to sleeve 24 except that the second sleeve 24a has a length that is shorter than the length of the sleeve 24. The second sleeve 24a is shorter because the overall length of the firearm suppressor 20 in the muzzle-forward configuration is shorter than the firearm suppressor 20 in the over-barrel configuration because the firearm suppressor 20 in the muzzle-forward configuration does not include the expansion chamber 38. When the user inserts the core assembly 26 into the second sleeve 24a, the user aligns the core alignment feature 88 located on the centering ring 30 with the sleeve alignment feature 58 located on the locator cap 22 to align and orient the core assembly 26 in the second sleeve 24a.
The example method can optionally include a step in which the user removes the locator cap 22 from the sleeve 24 and connects the locator cap 22 to the second sleeve 24a. This step may be taken in examples of the firearm suppressor 20 in which the locator cap 22 is removable from the sleeve 24. In examples of the firearm suppressor 20 in which the locator cap 22 is fixed to the sleeve 24 (e.g., by welding or by other suitable connection method), the second sleeve 24a can be supplied with a second locator cap removably or fixedly connected to the second sleeve 24a.
At step 138, the end cap 28 is connected to the entry end of the second sleeve 24a. At this step, the end cap 28 contacts the core assembly 26 without the expansion chamber 38 as the end cap 28 is secured to the second sleeve 24a. In this manner, the core assembly 26 without the expansion chamber 38 is retained in the second sleeve 24a between the locator cap 22 and the end cap 28. At this point, the conversion process is complete and the firearm suppressor 20 is in the muzzle-forward configuration as shown in
As can be appreciated, a similar method can also be used to convert the firearm suppressor 20 from the muzzle-forward configuration back to the over-barrel configuration. In such a method, the foregoing steps are reversed. The expansion chamber 38 is re-attached to the core assembly 26 and the core assembly 26 is inserted back into the sleeve 24 and the end cap 28 is secured to the sleeve 24 to retain the core assembly 26 in the sleeve 24.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a kit can be provided that enables a user to assemble the firearm suppressor 20 and/or to convert the firearm suppressor 20 from the over-barrel configuration to the muzzle-forward configuration. An example kit includes the locator cap 22, the sleeve 24, the second sleeve 24a, the body 36, the centering ring 30, the spacers 32, the baffles 34, the expansion chamber 38 and the end cap 28. The firearm suppressor 20 described above can be assembled using this kit. The firearm suppressor 20 can also be converted between the over-barrel configuration and the muzzle-forward configuration using this kit. In other example kits, the previously described elements can be pre-assembled or the different components can be combined or further separated in accordance with the present disclosure.
In other example kits, the firearm suppressor 20 can be supplied with one or more different bodies 36 and/or different core assemblies 26. Such alternate bodies 36 and/or alternate core assemblies 26 can have different sizes and/or different angles to accommodate different size firearms or different size projectiles. Such alternate bodies 36 or alternate core assemblies 26 can have common outer diameters such that a common sleeve 24, a common locator cap 22 and/or a common end cap 28 can be used. In such examples, an initial core assembly 26 can be removed and replaced with an alternate core assembly 26 to accommodate a firearm with a larger barrel, for example.
The modular nature of the firearm suppressor 20 permits such interchangeability with different size internal components of the firearm suppressor 20. The modular nature of the firearm suppressor 20 also permits a user to convert, clean, repair and/or maintain the firearm suppressor 20 without tools.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
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.
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.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/424,757, filed on Nov. 21, 2016. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62424757 | Nov 2016 | US |
