Patent Grant
10527387
The invention relates generally to firearms having one or more mounting rails such as a Picatinny rail. More particularly, the invention relates to an innovative modular foregrip for quick, one-handed installation, adjustment, swapping, or removal from the mounting rail and methods of using the same.
In one respect, disclosed is a foregrip comprising: a rail base mount, wherein the rail base mount comprises: a head portion having a slot adapted to mate with a sectional rail; a cylindrical portion coupled to the head portion and having one or more guide channels cut into an exterior surface of the cylindrical portion; and a rail base mount central longitudinal bore through the head portion and the cylindrical portion; a grip assembly, wherein the grip assembly comprises: a grip body having a grip central longitudinal bore with three or more diameters; one or more guide pins attached to the grip body and partially protruding into the grip central longitudinal bore; a plunger positioned substantially within the grip central longitudinal bore and captured within the body by an internal grip body portion and a stop plate coupled within the grip central longitudinal bore; and a locking spring disposed between the plunger and the stop plate; and a separating spring disposed within the grip body and partially disposed within a portion of the cylindrical portion of the rail base mount central longitudinal bore; wherein the cylindrical portion of the rail base mount fits within the portion of the grip central longitudinal bore where the one or more guide pins are attached to the grip body; wherein the one or more guide channels are configured to accommodate the one or more guide pins; wherein the grip assembly is rotatably coupled to the rail base mount in either an unlocked foregrip state or a locked foregrip state; wherein in the locked foregrip state, a portion of the plunger protrudes into the slot to secure the foregrip to the sectional rail; and wherein in the unlocked foregrip state; the plunger is retracted from the slot to permit the installation, repositioning, or removal of the foregrip from the sectional rail.
In another respect, disclosed is a foregrip comprising: a rail base mount, wherein the rail base mount comprises: a head portion having a slot adapted to mate with a sectional rail; a cylindrical portion coupled to the head portion and having one or more guide pins attached to an exterior surface of the cylindrical portion; and a rail base mount central longitudinal bore through the head portion and the cylindrical portion; a grip assembly, wherein the grip assembly comprises: a grip body having a grip central longitudinal bore with three or more diameters; one or more guide channels cut into a portion of the grip central longitudinal bore; a plunger positioned substantially within the grip central longitudinal bore and captured within the grip body by an internal grip body portion and a stop plate coupled within the grip central longitudinal bore; and a locking spring disposed between the plunger and the stop plate; and a separating spring disposed within the grip body and partially disposed within a portion of the cylindrical portion of the rail base mount central longitudinal bore; wherein the cylindrical portion of the rail base mount fits within the portion of the grip central longitudinal bore where the one or more guide channels are cut into the portion of the grip central longitudinal bore; wherein the one or more guide channels are configured to accommodate the one or more guide pins; wherein the grip assembly is rotatably coupled to the rail base mount in either an unlocked foregrip state or a locked foregrip state; wherein in the locked foregrip state, a portion of the plunger protrudes into the slot to secure the foregrip to the sectional rail; and wherein in the unlocked foregrip state; the plunger is retracted from the slot to permit the installation, repositioning, or removal of the foregrip from the sectional rail.
In another respect, disclosed is a method for installing, repositioning, swapping, and/or removing a foregrip on a sectional rail, the method comprising: a) providing a foregrip comprising: a rail base mount, wherein the rail base mount comprises: a head portion having a slot adapted to mate with the sectional rail; a cylindrical portion coupled to the head portion and having one or more guide channels cut into an exterior surface of the cylindrical portion; and a rail base mount central longitudinal bore through the head portion and the cylindrical portion; a grip assembly, wherein the grip assembly comprises: a grip body having a grip central longitudinal bore with three or more diameters; one or more guide pins attached to the grip body and partially protruding into the grip central longitudinal bore; a plunger positioned substantially within the grip central longitudinal bore and captured within the body by an internal grip body portion and a stop plate coupled within the grip central longitudinal bore; and a locking spring disposed between the plunger and the stop plate; and a separating spring disposed within the grip body and partially disposed within a portion of the cylindrical portion of the rail base mount central longitudinal bore; wherein the cylindrical portion of the rail base mount fits within the portion of the grip central longitudinal bore where the one or more guide pins are attached to the grip body; wherein the one or more guide channels are configured to accommodate the one or more guide pins; wherein the grip assembly is rotatably coupled to the rail base mount in either an unlocked foregrip state or a locked foregrip state; wherein in the locked foregrip state, a portion of the plunger protrudes into the slot to secure the foregrip to the sectional rail; and wherein in the unlocked foregrip state; the plunger is retracted from the slot to permit the installation, repositioning, or removal of the foregrip from the sectional rail; b) with the foregrip in the unlocked foregrip state, sliding the foregrip onto the sectional rail; c) positioning the foregrip in a desired position along the sectional rail; d) placing the foregrip into the locked foregrip state by rotating the grip assembly in a first direction about a central longitudinal axis of the grip assembly; e) placing the foregrip into the unlocked foregrip state by rotating the grip assembly in a second direction, opposite the first direction, about the central longitudinal axis of the grip assembly; and f) repeating steps b), c), d), and e) as many times as desired to install, reposition, or remove the foregrip from the sectional rail.
In another respect, disclosed is a method for installing, repositioning, swapping, and/or removing a foregrip on a sectional rail, the method comprising: a) providing a foregrip comprising: a rail base mount, wherein the rail base mount comprises: a head portion having a slot adapted to mate with the sectional rail; a cylindrical portion coupled to the head portion and having one or more guide pins attached to an exterior surface of the cylindrical portion; and a rail base mount central longitudinal bore through the head portion and the cylindrical portion; a grip assembly, wherein the grip assembly comprises: a grip body having a grip central longitudinal bore with three or more diameters; one or more guide channels cut into a portion of the grip central longitudinal bore; a plunger positioned substantially within the grip central longitudinal bore and captured within the grip body by an internal grip body portion and a stop plate coupled within the grip central longitudinal bore; and a locking spring disposed between the plunger and the stop plate; and a separating spring disposed within the grip body and partially disposed within a portion of the cylindrical portion of the rail base mount central longitudinal bore; wherein the cylindrical portion of the rail base mount fits within the portion of the grip central longitudinal bore where the one or more guide channels are cut into the portion of the grip central longitudinal bore; wherein the one or more guide channels are configured to accommodate the one or more guide pins; wherein the grip assembly is rotatably coupled to the rail base mount in either an unlocked foregrip state or a locked foregrip state; wherein in the locked foregrip state, a portion of the plunger protrudes into the slot to secure the foregrip to the sectional rail; and wherein in the unlocked foregrip state; the plunger is retracted from the slot to permit the installation, repositioning, or removal of the foregrip from the sectional rail; b) with the foregrip in the unlocked foregrip state, sliding the foregrip onto the sectional rail; c) positioning the foregrip in a desired position along the sectional rail; d) placing the foregrip into the locked foregrip state by rotating the grip assembly in a first direction about a central longitudinal axis of the grip assembly; e) placing the foregrip into the unlocked foregrip state by pushing the grip assembly up towards the rail base mount and then rotating the grip assembly in a second direction, opposite the first direction, about the central longitudinal axis of the grip assembly; and f) repeating steps b), c), d), and e) as many times as desired to install, reposition, or remove the foregrip from the sectional rail.
In yet another respect, disclosed is a firearm comprising: a firearm body; one or more sectional rails coupled to the firearm body; and a foregrip coupled to one of the one or more sectional rails, the foregrip comprising: a rail base mount, wherein the rail base mount comprises: a head portion having a slot adapted to mate with a sectional rail; a cylindrical portion coupled to the head portion and having one or more guide channels cut into an exterior surface of the cylindrical portion; and a rail base mount central longitudinal bore through the head portion and the cylindrical portion; a grip assembly, wherein the grip assembly comprises: a grip body having a grip central longitudinal bore with three or more diameters; one or more guide pins attached to the grip body and partially protruding into the grip central longitudinal bore; a plunger positioned substantially within the grip central longitudinal bore and captured within the body by an internal grip body portion and a stop plate coupled within the grip central longitudinal bore; and a locking spring disposed between the plunger and the stop plate; and a separating spring disposed within the grip body and partially disposed within a portion of the cylindrical portion of the rail base mount central longitudinal bore; wherein the cylindrical portion of the rail base mount fits within the portion of the grip central longitudinal bore where the one or more guide pins are attached to the grip body; wherein the one or more guide channels are configured to accommodate the one or more guide pins; wherein the grip assembly is rotatably coupled to the rail base mount in either an unlocked foregrip state or a locked foregrip state; wherein in the locked foregrip state, a portion of the plunger protrudes into the slot to secure the foregrip to the sectional rail; and wherein in the unlocked foregrip state; the plunger is retracted from the slot to permit the installation, repositioning, or removal of the foregrip from the sectional rail.
In yet another respect, disclosed is a firearm comprising: a firearm body; one or more sectional rails coupled to the firearm body; and a foregrip coupled to one of the one or more sectional rails, the foregrip comprising: a rail base mount, wherein the rail base mount comprises: a head portion having a slot adapted to mate with a sectional rail; a cylindrical portion coupled to the head portion and having one or more guide pins attached to an exterior surface of the cylindrical portion; and a rail base mount central longitudinal bore through the head portion and the cylindrical portion; a grip assembly, wherein the grip assembly comprises: a grip body having a grip central longitudinal bore with three or more diameters; one or more guide channels cut into a portion of the grip central longitudinal bore; a plunger positioned substantially within the grip central longitudinal bore and captured within the grip body by an internal grip body portion and a stop plate coupled within the grip central longitudinal bore; and a locking spring disposed between the plunger and the stop plate; and a separating spring disposed within the grip body and partially disposed within a portion of the cylindrical portion of the rail base mount central longitudinal bore; wherein the cylindrical portion of the rail base mount fits within the portion of the grip central longitudinal bore where the one or more guide channels are cut into the portion of the grip central longitudinal bore; wherein the one or more guide channels are configured to accommodate the one or more guide pins; wherein the grip assembly is rotatably coupled to the rail base mount in either an unlocked foregrip state or a locked foregrip state; wherein in the locked foregrip state, a portion of the plunger protrudes into the slot to secure the foregrip to the sectional rail; and wherein in the unlocked foregrip state; the plunger is retracted from the slot to permit the installation, repositioning, or removal of the foregrip from the sectional rail.
Numerous additional embodiments are also possible.
Other objects and advantages of the invention may become apparent upon reading the detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.
While the invention is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and the accompanying detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description are not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments. This disclosure is instead intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
One or more embodiments of the invention are described below. It should be noted that these and any other embodiments are exemplary and are intended to be illustrative of the invention rather than limiting. While the invention is widely applicable to different types of systems, it is impossible to include all of the possible embodiments and contexts of the invention in this disclosure. Upon reading this disclosure, many alternative embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art.
Firearms may be equipped with longitudinal rails, such as Picatinny rails, for attaching a variety of accessories. The rails may be found on many different positions of the firearm. One of the accessories that may be mounted to the rails is a foregrip. The foregrip provides an additional gripping position for the firearm to facilitate the handling and control of the firearm. In some circumstances, there may be a need to readjust the position of the foregrip. Unfortunately, existing foregrips require screws and/or levers to remove or adjust the position of the foregrip and are not designed for quick, singled handed operation. Additionally, situations may arise where the shape and/or style of the grip portion of the foregrip is desired to be changed without having to remove the foregrip from the firearm. Existing foregrips are also not capable of merely swapping the grip style/shape of the foregrip without having to replace the entire foregrip.
The embodiment described herein solves these problems and others by proposing a new modular foregrip for quick, one-handed installation, adjustment, swapping, or removal from the mounting rail and methods of using the same. Throughout the patent, the positions such as “bottom,” “top,” “left,” “right,” “up,” “down” and the like are referenced to the firearm held horizontally in a normal firing position.
In some embodiments, a firearm 100 comprises a firearm body 102, a sectional rail 105 mounted to the bottom of the front end of the firearm body 102 and a foregrip 110 mounted onto the sectional rail 105. The foregrip is capable of being installed, adjusted, swapped, or removed from the bottom sectional rail quickly and with only one hand. The foregrip may also be attached onto either the right side sectional rail 115, the left side sectional rail 120, or even the top section rail 125. To install the foregrip, the foregrip, in an unlocked state, is slid and positioned onto a sectional rail. Once positioned, the grip portion of the foregrip is rotated about the central axis A of the foregrip in a clockwise direction as viewed from the bottom of the firearm, illustrated by arrow B, to advance a spring-loaded plunger up towards the firearm which results in a locking force being applied onto the groove of the sectional rail. If the foregrip needs to be repositioned, the grip portion of the foregrip is pushed up towards the sectional rail and rotated about the central axis A of the foregrip in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from the bottom of the firearm, illustrated by arrow C, to retract the spring-loaded plunger away from the firearm. When the spring-loaded plunger is retracted, the foregrip may then be slid toward the user as illustrated by arrow D or away from the user as illustrated by arrow E. To remove the foregrip, the foregrip is slid in the direction of arrow E until it has been separated from the section rail. The user may also desire to change or swap the grip of the foregrip. To accomplish this, the grip portion of the foregrip is pushed up toward the sectional rail and rotated in the direction of arrow C followed by pulling the grip portion of the foregrip down away from the sectional rail to separate the grip portion of the firearm from the rail base mount. Once separated, another grip may be attached to the rail base mount by pushing the grip up toward the sectional rail until it reaches a stopping point and then rotating the grip in the direction of arrow B. The internal workings of the foregrip will be illustrated in
In some embodiments, the foregrip 110 comprises a rail base mount 205, a separating spring 210, and a grip assembly 215. The grip assembly comprises a grip body 220 having a grip central longitudinal bore 225, one or more guide pins 230, a retaining pin 235, a plunger 240, a thrust washer 245, a locking spring 250, a stop plate 255, and a bottom cap 260 which conceals the thrust washer, the locking spring, the stop plate, and a portion of the plunger within the grip assembly. The rail base mount 205 comprises a head portion 265 having a slot 270 shaped to mate with a sectional rail, a cylindrical portion 275 coupled to the head portion and having one or more guide channels 280 cut into the exterior surface of the cylindrical portion, and a rail base mount central longitudinal bore (shown in
In an alternate embodiment, the positions of the one or more guide pins 230 and the one or more guide channels 280 are swapped such the one or more guide pins are part of the rail base mount 205 and the one or more guide channels are cut into the interior surface of the upper portion of the grip body 220. In this embodiment, the foregrip would still function the same in that the grip body would be rotated relative to the rail base mount in order to swap the grip body or to install, reposition, or remove the foregrip.
In an alternate embodiment, the foregrip 110 can be arranged so that the separating spring may be integrated into either the rail base mount or the grip assembly. Integrating the separating spring helps to ensure that it does not get lost during the swapping of the grip assembly. If the separating spring is not integrated, when swapping the grip body, once the original grip body has been removed, the separating spring would have to be positioned within the new grip body before the new grip body is coupled to the original rail base mount.
In some embodiments, the rail base mount 205, the grip body 220, the plunger 240, the stop plate 255, and bottom cap 260 are each formed of a monolithic piece of rigid material, such as (but not limited to) metal, plastic, polycarbonate, compounds thereof and the like, all of which are well known in the art for their suitability for firearm accessory material. Alternatively, the rail base mount 205, the grip body 220, the plunger 240, the stop plate 255, and bottom cap 260 may each be formed from one or more pieces of rigid material and then joined together via conventional means. Such forming and/or joining may be accomplished through any methods known in the art for producing metal and plastic materials. Accordingly, the methods of making the rail base mount 205, the grip body 220, the plunger 240, the stop plate 255, and bottom cap 260 are not further discussed herein.
In some embodiments, the rail base mount 205, the grip body 220, the plunger 240, and the stop plate 255 are formed of a monolithic piece of rigid material, such as (but not limited to) metal, plastic, polycarbonate, compounds thereof and the like, all of which are well known in the art for their suitability for firearm accessory material.
In some embodiments, the one or more guide pins 230, the retaining pin 235, the separating spring 210, the locking spring 250, and the thrust washer 245 are formed of a monolithic piece of rigid material, such as (but not limited to) metal, plastic, polycarbonate, compounds thereof and the like, all of which are well known in the art for their suitability as pins, springs, and washers, respectively.
When the grip assembly 215 and rail base mount 205 of the foregrip 110 are brought together, the one or more guide pins are guided by an entry portion 305 of the one or more guide channels 280 and the separating spring is compressed. Once the grip assembly and rail base mount can no longer be brought together, the grip assembly may be rotated in the direction illustrated by arrow B of
In the embodiment illustrated in
In an alternative embodiment, the one or more guide channels may be configured such that rotating the grip assembly in the direction of arrow B as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the foregrip 110 comprises a rail base mount 205, a separating spring 210, and a grip assembly 215. The grip assembly comprises a grip body 220 having a grip central longitudinal bore, one or more guide pins 230, a retaining pin 235, a plunger 240, a thrust washer 245, a locking spring 250, a stop plate 255, and a bottom cap 260 which conceals the thrust washer, the locking spring, the stop plate, and a portion of the plunger within the grip assembly. The rail base mount 205 comprises a head portion 265 having a slot 270 shaped to attach/mate to a sectional rail, a cylindrical portion 275 coupled to the head portion and having one or more guide channels 280 cut into the exterior surface of the cylindrical portion, and a rail base mount central longitudinal bore configured to accommodate a portion of the separating spring 210 and a portion of the plunger 240 of the grip assembly. The rail base mount central longitudinal bore has two or more diameters such that a portion of the plunger 240 penetrates into the slot 270, but the separating spring 210 does not penetrate into the slot. The grip central longitudinal bore has three or more diameters such that the cylindrical portion 275 of the rail base mount may be accommodated into the upper portion of the grip assembly and the plunger 240, the thrust washer 245, and the locking spring 250 will be captured between the stop plate 255 and an internal grip body portion 505. The internal grip body portion 505 has a diameter and/or shape such that the larger shaped head of the plunger cannot pass through it. The stop plate 255 is secured within the grip body by the retaining pin 235 passing through a grip body aperture and a stop plate bore. The one or more guide pins 230 are positioned in the upper portion of the grip assembly and are configured to fit and travel within the one or more guide channels 280.
In an alternate embodiment, the positions of the one or more guide pins 230 and the one or more guide channels 280 are swapped such the one or more guide pins are part of the rail base mount 205 and the one or more guide channels are cut into the interior surface of the upper portion of the grip body 220. In this embodiment, the foregrip would still function the same in that the grip body would be rotated relative to the rail base mount in order to swap the grip body or to install, reposition, or remove the foregrip.
In some embodiments, the foregrip 110 comprises a rail base mount 205, a separating spring, and a grip assembly, and has an overall width of about 1.47 inches. As viewed from the top, the plunger 240 is visible through the rail base mount central longitudinal bore 605. The rail base mount central longitudinal bore is centered within the slot 270.
In some embodiments, the foregrip illustrated and described in
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method begins at block 705, where, with a foregrip, in an unlocked state, separated from a firearm and the foregrip having a rail base mount, a separating spring, and a grip assembly, the foregrip is slid onto a sectional rail of a firearm. At block 710, the foregrip is positioned to a desired position along the sectional rail. Next, at block 715, the foregrip is placed into a locked state by rotating the grip assembly in a first direction about a central longitudinal axis of the grip assembly to force a plunger into and against a groove of the sectional rail. At block 720, if it is desired to reposition or remove the foregrip, the foregrip is placed into the unlocked state by pushing the grip assembly up towards the rail base mount and then rotating the grip assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction about the central longitudinal axis of the grip assembly to retract the plunger from the groove of the sectional rail. At block 725, the unlocked foregrip may now be repositioned by sliding the unlocked foregrip along the sectional rail or if desired, removed completely from the sectional rail. Alternatively, at block 730, the grip assembly may be swapped by pushing the grip assembly up towards the rail base mount followed by a rotation in the second direction after which the grip assembly may be removed from the rail base mount by pulling the grip assembly away from the rail base mount. Once the grip assembly has been removed, a second grip assembly may be attached to the sectional rail by pushing the second grip assembly up onto the rail base mount with the one or more guide pins aligned with the entry portion of the one or more guide channels, followed by a rotation in the first direction and subsequent release of the second grip assembly to place the foregrip in an unlocked state. Lastly, at block 735, the steps described in block 705, block 710, block 715, block 720, and block 725 may be repeated as many times as desired to install, reposition, or remove the foregrip from the sectional rail. Additionally, the steps described in block 730 may be repeated as many times as desired to swap the grip assembly of the foregrip.
The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
The benefits and advantages that may be provided by the present invention have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. These benefits and advantages, and any elements or limitations that may cause them to occur or to become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features of any or all of the claims. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variations thereof, are intended to be interpreted as non-exclusively including the elements or limitations which follow those terms. Accordingly, a system, method, or other embodiment that comprises a set of elements is not limited to only those elements, and may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to the claimed embodiment.
While the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it should be understood that the embodiments are illustrative and that the scope of the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Many variations, modifications, additions and improvements to the embodiments described above are possible. It is contemplated that these variations, modifications, additions and improvements fall within the scope of the invention as detailed within the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/485,533, filed on Apr. 14, 2017, entitled “Quick adjusting/repositioning, modular foregrip,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6487807 | Kopman | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 6698127 | Weber | Mar 2004 | B2 |
| 7191557 | Gablowski et al. | Mar 2007 | B2 |
| 7584568 | Brownlee | Sep 2009 | B1 |
| 7937875 | Berg | May 2011 | B1 |
| 8215047 | Ash, Jr. | Jul 2012 | B2 |
| 8245428 | Griffin | Aug 2012 | B2 |
| 8402684 | Beltz | Mar 2013 | B1 |
| 8839544 | Troy | Sep 2014 | B2 |
| 9285075 | Moody | Mar 2016 | B2 |
| 9383163 | Kincel | Jul 2016 | B2 |
| 9573268 | Azhocar | Feb 2017 | B2 |
| 9709356 | Anstett | Jul 2017 | B1 |
| 9718182 | Azhocar | Aug 2017 | B2 |
| 9851180 | Ley | Dec 2017 | B2 |
| 20050241206 | Teetzel | Nov 2005 | A1 |
| 20090313873 | Roth | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20160349013 | Ley | Dec 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62485533 | Apr 2017 | US |
