This application is a United States National Phase Patent Application of International Patent Application Number PCT/EP2021/063474, filed on May 20, 2021, which claims the benefit of priority to FI application Ser. No. 20/205,509, filed May 20, 2020.
The present invention relates generally to firearms, in particular to gas systems for firearms, especially for automatic and semi-automatic firearms. More precisely the present invention relates to a gas system of a firearm according to the preamble part of claim 1.
In firearms, usually in semi-automatic or automatic firearms, a gas system is used for the autoloading cycle for loading the cartridge and removing the shells. In the gas system of the firearm, part of pressurized gas from the cartridge being fired is used to power the gas system to extract the spent case and chamber a new cartridge. Energy from the gas is transmitted through gas openings in the barrel of the firearm. This high-pressure gas impinges on a surface such as a piston head to provide motion for unlocking of the action, extraction of the spent case, ejection, cocking of the hammer and loading of a fresh cartridge. A short stroke gas piston operating system is common on modern rifles. It is defined as a gas piston which travels less than the distance of the bolt carrier. The present invention relates to gas systems operating based on the short stroke gas piston.
The gas systems of firearms known from prior art known as fixed gas systems take gas all the time from the barrel as long as there is pressure, which may lead to variations in acceleration to the bolt carrier assembly, which typically causes functional issues (reliability, cycling, feeding, extraction etc.), dependent on loading and type of used cartridge (bullet, powder etc.). In prior art gas system this is usually overcome by using a manually adjustable gas regulator. Disadvantage of the regulator being manual, is that the user can forget to use the regulator for example in stressing situations, which naturally may have technical and/or functional consequences. Especially difficult situation may be caused, when a suppressor is used as then a back-pressure phenomena might be caused and in worst case the firearm malfunctions and/or breaks down. Thus, in these types of firearms typically only one or a few types of ammunition is used.
In patent publication U.S. Ser. No. 10/222,151 B2 is disclosed an autoloader for a gas operated automated firearm, comprising a gas chamber including an inner diameter and constructed and arranged to receive pressurized combustion gas from a gas port of a barrel of the firearm when a round is fired from the firearm; a piston having a piston head in fluid communication with said gas chamber, said piston constructed and arranged to move away from a firing position to actuate at least a portion of a cycle of the firearm when urged by pressurized combustion gas received in said gas chamber and an expansion valve disposed within the gas chamber, the expansion valve constructed and arranged to move along the inner diameter of the gas chamber from a firing position to increase a volume of said gas chamber when pressure in the gas chamber exceeds a threshold level.
In patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 9,702,644 B2 is disclosed a regulator for a gas operated firearm auto loader, comprising a chamber constructed and arranged to receive pressurized combustion gas from a gas port of a barrel of the firearm when a round is fired from the firearm, a piston having a piston head in fluid communication with said chamber, the piston constructed and arranged to move away from a firing position to actuate at least a portion of a cycle of the firearm when urged by pressurized combustion gas received in said chamber, and a throttling valve in fluid communication with said chamber, the throttling valve having a first position in which pressurized combustion gas from the gas port of a barrel of a firearm can flow into the chamber, and a second position in which pressurized combustion gas from the gas port of a barrel of a firearm cannot flow into the chamber, and wherein the throttling valve is configured to move from the first position to the second position when pressure in the chamber exceeds a threshold level.
An object of the present invention is to create a gas system of a firearm by which the above described problems and disadvantages of gas systems known from prior art are eliminated or at least minimized.
Another object of the present invention is to create an improved gas system of a firearm, in which human error caused disadvantages are minimized.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved gas system of a firearm, which is not ammunition sensitive.
Yet, another object of the present invention is to provide an improved gas system, in which manual gas adjustment is not needed.
In order to achieve the above objects and those that will come apparent later the gas system of a firearm is mainly characterized by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1.
Dependent claims present advantageous features and embodiments of the invention.
According to the invention the firearm comprises a barrel comprising gas openings, and a gas system, which gas system comprises a gas block, a gas piston, a force transmitter assembly, an indexing part and an indexing counterpart, gas openings, wherein the gas block is fixedly attached to the barrel, the gas piston is positioned by the indexing part, in the gas system gas is configured to pass through the gas opening of the barrel via the gas openings of the gas system into the gas block and to set the gas piston to movement and that in the gas system the gas piston during its movement backwards is configured to close the gas opening of the barrel for a defined time period and the gas piston is not transmitting power/energy from combustion gas to the force transmitter assembly unless the gas openings are closed. Thus, the gas system is connected to the gas of the barrel only during the defined time and the gas system is automatically controlled to prevent unlimited amount of gas entering from the barrel to the gas block. First the gas piston moves back, at the same time shutting the gas openings and finally making contact and transmitting energy/forces to the bolt carrier via the force transmitter assembly.
According to an advantageous feature of the invention the gas system is a short stroke gas piston system.
According to an advantageous feature of the invention the gas block is attached onto the barrel of the firearm.
According to an advantageous feature of the invention the gas block is attached around the barrel of the firearm.
According to an advantageous feature of the invention the gas system comprises an exhaust opening in the gas block and after a certain period of time the exhaust opening connected to ambient pressure is opened.
According to an advantageous feature of the invention the gas block and the gas piston together form a hollow encapsulation which is filled with gas from barrel.
According to the invention the gas piston is connected via a spring-loaded pin or bushing to at least one force transmitter of the force transmitter assembly.
According to an advantageous feature of the invention the force transmitter assembly comprises a helical return spring, which is configured to function as a return-spring returning the force transmitter assembly and the gas piston to its initial position.
According to an advantageous feature of the invention the indexing part comprises beveled surfaces and an indexing groove to keep the gas openings of the gas piston aligned with gas openings in the barrel and the gas block.
According to an advantageous feature of the invention the indexing part has an indexing counterpart with an indexing protrusion, which corresponds to the indexing groove of the indexing part of the gas piston.
According to an advantageous feature of the invention the gas system is located around the barrel of the firearm and comprises the gas block, the gas piston by which the energy of the gas is transmitted to mechanical movement inside the gas block, the indexing part and the force transmitter assembly and that the force transmitter assembly comprises a force transmitter sleeve, an extension part with a spring, spring-loaded pins with springs and a guide pin for keeping the gas openings in gas piston and barrel aligned.
According to an advantageous feature of the invention outer surface of the gas piston is provided with grooves for crust removal.
In this description the terms, back, front, upper, lower etc. are used as reference to the normal position of a firearm, when used for firing. They are not to have any as such limiting effect.
According to the invention in the autoloading cycle, the gas space within the gas block is filled for a determined time, the gas system is configured to close the gas connection between the gas openings of the gas system and the gas opening of the barrel and thus, only a certain, selected amount of gas is let into the gas space within the gas block to create the pressure behind the gas piston.
By the gas system according to the invention and its advantageous features many advantages are achieved: The gas system of the firearm according to the invention has an automatic function principle and thus, there is no need of human input and any disadvantages caused by human error are minimized. The gas system of the firearm according to the invention has a self-regulating function principle and thus, no manual gas adjustment is necessary. In the gas system of the firearm according to the invention the gas system shuts gas opening in the gas block once a specific amount of gas is taken for cycling the firearm. The user can safely operate the firearm with both a suppressor and without a suppressor. Further, the firearm is not ammunition sensitive as the gas system functions well with different kinds of loads. The risk of overloading the firearm system is eliminated and hence long-lifetime for the components (extractor, buffer etc.) is achieved.
In the following the invention and its advantages are explained in greater detail below in the sense of example and with reference to accompanying drawing, where
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During the course of the following description like numbers and signs will be used to identify like elements according to the different views which illustrate the invention and its advantageous examples. In the figures some repetitive reference signs may have been omitted for clarity reasons.
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The gas block 11 and the indexing part 21 are not moving parts but instead stay at their locations. In the basic situation the force transmitter assembly 13 has pushed the gas piston 12 to its front position and thus, the spring-loaded pins 14 have pushed the gas piston 12 to its front position and the gas can flow through the gas openings 18 to the space in between the gas piston 12 and the gas block 11. Pressure of the gas in the space between the gas piston 12 and the gas block 11 moves the gas piston 12 and from the gas opening 18 no further gas can enter the space between the gas piston 12 and the gas block 11. The spring-loaded pins 14 of the force transmitter sleeve 15 have been pressed in to pressed position. When the pressure of the gas between the gas piston 12 and the gas block 11 has moved the force transmitter assembly 13 against the indexing part 21 the gas can flow off through the openings 32 in the gas block 11. At the end, the force transmitter assembly 13 and the gas piston 12 are pushed to the front position and the spring-loaded pins 14 push the gas sleeve to its front position and the gas system 10 is back in the basic situation.
In the description in the foregoing, although some functions and elements have been described with reference to certain features and examples, those functions and elements may be performable by other features and examples whether described or not. Although features have been described with reference to certain embodiments or examples, those features may also be present in other embodiments or examples whether described or not.
Above only some advantageous examples of the inventions have been described to which examples the invention is not to be narrowly limited and many modifications and alterations are possible within the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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20205509 | May 2020 | FI | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/063474 | 5/20/2021 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2021/234090 | 11/25/2021 | WO | A |
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Entry |
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International Search Report and Written Opinion in Application No. PCT/EP2021/063474, mailed Sep. 10, 2021, 14 pages. |
Finnish Search Report in Finnish U.S. Appl. No. 20/205,509, dated Dec. 3, 2020, 2 pages. |
“U.S. Rifle, Caliber 7.62MM, M14—Operation and Cycle of Functioning”, Youtube [online] [video], uploaded Aug. 8, 2010, retrieved on Nov. 27, 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1 Kgnh4neVaY>, time frame 16:00-18:30; screenshots—document made by the examiner on Nov. 27, 2020 the video and the document made by the examiner. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20230160648 A1 | May 2023 | US |