Patent Grant
10788292
The present disclosure relates to firearms, and, more particularly, to firearm accessory systems.
Standard mounting platforms have been used for attaching optics and other accessories to firearms. One such platform is the Picatinny rail, which includes a rail having multiple transverse slots. An accessory having a corresponding rail mount can be mounted to the firearm by sliding the accessory down the Picatinny rail and securely clamping the accessory to the rail, typically using clamps or screws. After optics accessories, such as telescopic sights or laser optics, are mounted to a firearm, the firearm is then zeroed by adjusting the optics so as to ensure that the point of aim of the optics is the point of impact. However, each time an accessory is detached from the firearm and later re-mounted, the firearm must be zeroed again. It would be desirable to provide a more effective accessory mounting system for firearms.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, an accessory mounting system offering quick disconnect is provided. This mounting system can provide a true return-to-zero reattach. The mounting system includes a base, which is attached to the host platform, and a top mount onto which one or more accessories can be mounted. The base may be installed with a friction clamp and can remain attached to the host platform while the top mount can be removed and returned while keeping all optics and lasers mounted. The coupling of the base and top mount can provide sufficient precision such that the mounting system can retain zero upon reattach. The top mount may include one or more rail segments, which can enable the mounting of a laser system in conjunction with a top mounted optic, even when the firearm is used in conjunction with a gun shield.
In accordance with some embodiments, the mounting system can provide a low profile for an optics mount, which can enable the user to keep the user's head as low behind the gun shield as possible while still having a pass-through to utilize the standard iron sights. The system may be snag and sharp edge free so as not to interfere with the operating of the host weapon. The base of the mount may include a host connector portion which can enable the base to be left in place on the host system or can be easily removed as needed. The host connector portion may enable the base to be re-indexed to the same location upon re-mounting, and can be non-marring on the host system.
Systems and methods are provided for a firearm accessory mounting system. In a first embodiment, a firearm accessory mounting system comprises: a base assembly comprising: a host connector on a bottom side of the base assembly operable to couple with a firearm; and a mount connector on a top side of the base assembly; and a top mount comprising: a base connector on a bottom side of the top mount, the base connector being detachably coupled to the mount connector of the base assembly; and a rail connector on a top side of the top mount.
Still other embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which describes embodiments illustrating various examples of the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modifications in various respects, all without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.
In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and system or process changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the embodiments of the present invention is defined only by the claims of the issued patent. It is to be understood that drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved firearm accessory mounting systems. These embodiments may enable accessories to be quickly mounted and detached, while maintaining precise calibration of the accessory. In contrast with conventional rail systems which are designed to enable the user to quickly detach an accessory from the rail, embodiments of the present invention are designed to enable the user to quickly detach the rail from the firearm, with the accessory still attached to the rail. Then, the rail with the attached accessory can then be quickly re-mounted onto the firearm.
The illustrated example system 100 is configured for use with a belt-fed, crew-serviced M2 machine gun, but other embodiments may be configured for use with other types of firearms. The system 100 includes a top mount 150 releasably attached to a base assembly 110.
In the illustrated embodiment, the base 110 includes a host connector portion 112 operable to couple with the receiver component of the M2 machine gun and a mount connector portion 114 operable to couple with a corresponding base connector portion 154 of the top mount 150. The top mount 150 includes an accessory mounting rail connector 152 to which an accessory can be attached.
The base assembly 110 comprises a body portion 916, a left side member 910, a right side member 920, and a mount connector 114. An upper end 914 of the left side member 910 and an upper end 924 of the right side member 920 are coupled to the body portion 916. The lower ends of the side members 910, 920 comprise flange members 912, 922, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the body portion 916, left side member 910, right side member 920, and mount connector 114 are formed by a single metal component. Any suitable material may be used for the system 100, such as, e.g., aluminum, steel, titanium, or alloys thereof. As can be seen in
In order to provide a more secure coupling of the base assembly 110 to the firearm 1300, clamping assemblies may be used in order to take up any slack in the coupling between the base assembly 110 and the receiver 1310. As shown in
In some embodiments, it may be desirable to distribute the downward force applied by the set screws 950 onto the top of the receiver 1310 over a larger area than just the lower ends of the set screws 950, so as to prevent the ends of the set screws 950 from digging into the top of the receiver 1310, thereby marring the firearm 1300. One or more force-distributing top plates 1110 (labelled in
Similarly, the lateral set screw assembly 940 may comprise one or more laterally-oriented set screws 950 which can be tightened so as to apply a lateral force on a lateral side of the receiver 1310. In the illustrated embodiment, the lateral set screw assembly 940 is provided on the left side member 910 so that the set screws 950 apply a force on the left side of the receiver 1310, thereby providing a more secure coupling between the right side member 920 and the right side of the receiver 1310. One or more force-distributing side plates may also be used, as described above.
The set screws 950 may be configured to receive a hex key for tightening and loosening. In some use cases, the base assembly 110 will frequently be left coupled to the firearm 1300 for extended periods of time (e.g., several days or more), and the top mount 150 with an accessory still attached is removed much more frequently (e.g., every day) in order to separate the accessory from the firearm. The use in some embodiments of hex key set screws 950 may cause the user to spend a greater length of time for attaching and detaching the base assembly 110 from the firearm 1300 than embodiments utilizing clamps or other tool-free mechanisms. However, the burden imposed may be offset by the less frequent need to detach the base assembly 110 from the firearm 1300.
In other embodiments, other types of clamping assemblies may be used to securely and releasably couple the base to the firearm. For example, different numbers, sizes, and configurations of set screw assemblies, set screws, and force-distributing plates may be used in place of the illustrated design.
Some conventional accessory rail systems are attached to the firearm using clamps. Because these clamps provide a fixed amount of travel between the unclamped and fully clamped positions, they may not effectively accommodate variations in the sizes of the various components. For example, in some cases, either the rail system or the receiver may become deformed over time, which can reduce the force applied by the clamps and possibly result in movement of the rail system during use. In other cases, different receivers may have slightly different widths, which can cause the clamps to apply either a greater or lesser clamping force than intended. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, because the clamping assemblies utilize set screws 950 which can be tightened to a desired torque level, the clamping forces applied by the set screws 950 can be precisely controlled, despite variations in the dimensions of the base 110 and/or the receiver 1310.
In the illustrated embodiment, the mount connector portion 114 of the base assembly 110 comprises a Picatinny rail, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, which extends longitudinally along the top side of the base assembly 110, parallel with the direction of aim of the firearm. The base connector portion 154 of the top mount 150 may utilize any of a variety of designs for coupling the top mount 150 to the mount connector portion 114. In the illustrated embodiment, the base connector portion 154 comprises a fixed lower flange 510 and a side clamping mechanism 520. The side clamping mechanism 520 comprises a pair of levers 522 and a movable side clamp flange 524. When the levers 522 are closed, the side clamp flange 524 applies a lateral force onto the side of the rail (mount connector portion 114) to securely retain the rail between the side clamp flange 524 and the lower flange 510. Advantageously, these levers 522 provide a secure coupling, but can also be quickly and easily released manually without the use of tools.
In the illustrated embodiment, a body portion 916 of the top mount, the lower flange 510, and the accessory mounting rail connector 152 are formed by a single metal component, with the side clamp flange 524 coupled to the body portion 916 using screws 526 which extend from the lower flange 510 side of the top mount 150 to the side clamp flange 524. In other embodiments, the design and components for attaching the side clamp flange can vary.
In some embodiments, the top mount 150 may include one or more additional accessory mounting rail connectors 152. As shown in
Offset Mount Connector
Many firearms, such as crew-served machine guns, are mounted onto vehicles and equipped with gun shields for protecting the operator of the firearm. These gun shields typically comprise a metal plate with an opening through which the barrel group of the firearm extends. During operation, it is desirable to enable the operator to keep his or her head as low as possible in order to maximize the amount of coverage provided by the gun shield. However, when a conventional accessory mount is attached to the top of the firearm, the optics accessory attached to the accessory mount is positioned far above the top of the firearm, thereby requiring the operator to extend his or her head farther above the top of the firearm in order to use the optics.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the accessory mounting system 100 utilizes a low-profile design so as to position the accessory closer to the firearm than conventional mounts. A low-profile design can be achieved using an offset lateral centerline of the mount connector portion 114. The front plan view of
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the lateral centerline 420 of the mount connector portion 114 of the base 110 is laterally offset from the centerline 430 of the accessory mounting rail connector 152 and the centerline 410 of the receiver 1310. As a result of this offset, the levers 522 may be positioned closer to the side of the base assembly 110 and directly above the top of the base assembly 110, thereby improving the operator's access to the levers 522. In some embodiments, the bottom side of the levers 522 are positioned less than approximately 3 mm, 2 mm, or 1 mm above the upper surface of the base assembly 110. If the levers 522 were positioned closer to the centerline 440 of the base 110, the body portion 916 of the base 110 would get in the way, thereby making it more difficult for the operator to reach the levers 522 with his or her fingers. To overcome this, the levers 522 may be positioned further away from the top of the base assembly 110, so as to provide easier access to the levers 522 without the body portion 916 getting in the way. However, this could cause an undesirable increase in the overall height of the system 100.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the accessory mounting system 100 provides a low profile such that the distance from the top of the accessory mounting rail connector 152 to the top of the receiver 1310 is less than approximately 2.5″, 2.1″, or 2.0″.
It is noted that the centerlines 410, 430, and 440 may be considered to be aligned even though they are not in precisely the same location, due to the slack provided between the left side member 910 and the right side member 920 which is taken up by the lateral set screw assembly 940, as well as other tolerances and deviations. In some embodiments, the centerlines 410, 440, may be separated by any distance that avoids an undesirable level of lateral error in the zeroing procedures for the mounted optics and still be considered as being aligned. In one example, an acceptable level of offset of the centerlines is up to 5 mm. When used with an M2 firearm, a 5 mm offset of the centerlines would produce a 50 cm lateral error at 1000 m, which could be an acceptable level of variation. Accordingly, up to a 5 mm offset of the centerlines would still be considered as being aligned. In other embodiments, an offset of up to approximately 1 mm would be considered as being aligned.
Sight Access Features
Many firearms, such as the M2, are provided by default with an iron sight system. As described herein, embodiments of the present invention can provide users with the option of utilizing more modern and useful sighting systems in place of or to supplement these standard iron sights. Conventional iron sight systems can comprise two component sights: a rear sight mounted on the top of the receiver and a front sight provided on the top of the barrel or barrel group. Any structure that is attached to the top of the receiver 1310 of a firearm 1300 could potentially interfere with the operator's use of the iron sight system.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a firearm accessory mounting system is provided which can be attached to the top of a receiver of a firearm while still enabling use of and/or access to the iron sight system.
In some embodiments, the top mount 150 includes a sight passage opening 155, which extends the length of the top mount 150 such that a line of sight from the rear sight to the front sight passes through the sight passage opening 155, thereby enabling an operator to utilize the iron sight system in addition to the use of an accessory attached to the top mount 150. In some embodiments, the bottom 156 of the sight passage opening 155 is positioned approximately 23 mm above the top of the receiver 1310, which leaves the 8.5 mm rear ring of the M2 iron sight substantially unobstructed.
In some embodiments, the top mount 150 may include a sight access cutout 200 (as can be seen in
While the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and illustrative figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments or figures described. For example, in various embodiments described above, the firearm accessory mounting system is sized and configured for use with an M2 machine gun. Many of the aspects described herein are particularly desirable when used with belt-fed, crew-serviced M2 machine gun, which is a very heavy firearm with a large receiver system. For instance, example mounting systems described above can provide a low profile for an optics mount, while still having a pass-through to utilize the standard M2 iron sights. In addition, the ability to quickly detach the top mount from the base, and then re-index the accessory to the same location upon re-mounting can improve the ease and speed with which soldiers can comply with accountability requirements for sensitive items, such as optics and other accessories. In other embodiments, the system may be sized and configured for use with other types of weapons, including, e.g., other types of belt-fed and/or crew-serviced firearms.
The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of various embodiments of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings and/or examples making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.
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 and singular number, respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” and “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 the application.
The description of embodiments of the disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. While specific embodiments and examples for the disclosure are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the disclosure, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Such modifications may include, but are not limited to, changes in the dimensions and/or the materials shown in the disclosed embodiments.
Specific elements of any embodiments can be combined or substituted for elements in other embodiments. Furthermore, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described in the context of these embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the disclosure.
Therefore, it should be understood that the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be understood that the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration and that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/478,503, filed Mar. 29, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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