Patent Application
20090241397
Firearms, and more particularly, a modular rail cover panel for a firearm mounting rail.
Modern firearms, in particular, military assault rifles, can be deployed for a number of combat missions such as sniper weapons and in close combat. They are commonly used for nighttime combat. These applications can require fitting a variety of telescopic sites, infrared sites, tactical lights, laser sighting modules, grenade launchers, bipods and other accessories to the firearm. For mounting purposes, standardized mounting platforms have been developed. One such platform is known as a Picatinny rail, which is a standardized mounting rail. The standard was first published by the Picatinny Arsenal and carries the official title MIL-STD-1913. It is also known by a NATO designation STANAG 2324. The Picatinny rail is a cross-section shaped roughly like a wide T with the top of the T corresponding to the top of the rail. The rail has a number of evenly spaced transverse slots in the top spanning the width of the T-shaped cross-section. The Picatinny rail the transverse slots or “locking slots” have a standard width of 0.206 inch (5.2324 mm) and the spacing of the slot centers is 0.394 inch (10.0076 mm) with a slot depth of 0.118 inch (2.9972 mm).
Such rails are often placed directly on the weapon's receiver, in the position normally occupied by the rear sights. The rail may also extend over rifle hand guards associated with the rifle barrel. Mounting rails such as Picatinny rails were originally used for telescopic sights and were originally found only on larger caliber rifles. With the prevalence of night vision devices, they started to appear on smaller assault rifles as well, to the point today where they are displacing iron sights used on older weapons and now sights are provided that can be mounted on the rails. In addition to top mounting rails, firearms may now include rails fastened to guns in various locations. In some cases, grips are surrounded with top, bottom and side rails. Mounting rails are also appearing on shotguns and pistols.
While the mounting rails have obvious utilitarian benefits, they are not without some shortcomings. Most notably, they can be uncomfortable when grasped by a user's hands and may under certain field conditions become clogged with dirt and other debris that make it difficult to install one of the many accessories receivable on the rails. To address these problems, a number of rail covers have been developed. One form of rail cover is designed to embrace the top of the T and be slid onto the rail lengthwise. Among the problems with such a rail cover is it can be difficult to slide onto longer rails due to the inherent friction. In addition, if there is debris lodged in the rail slots this can interfere with sliding this type of rail cover on. While in many instances such rail covers can be cut to a select length, this is an extra step making such rail covers more incontinent to use. Finally, such rail covers are typically formed as a single elongate piece of only one color, which is not optimum for a camouflage effect.
Flexible mounted panels generally work better than the slide-on type since they do not have to slide down the entire length of rail. Instead they are mounted by engaging one end of the flexible panel over an end of the T and then engaging the other end of the panel with the other end of the T. One advantage of this form of mounting is that sights and lasers which require precise alignment do not have to be removed and recalibrated when reconfiguring modular weapons and panels. Additionally, they can be more easily customized for length to fit specific areas of rail which need protection or are useful for grasping. However, since flexibly-mounted panels are somewhat pliable, they can be affected negatively by temperature extremes. In elevated temperatures such as desert warfare conditions, flexible panels may become too soft to be effectively retained by the rail. That is, they may shift or fall off under heavy operational use. This problem is exacerbated when flexible panels are cut to shorter custom lengths. Lowered temperatures can cause stiffness and brittleness which may not allow panels to be effectively mounted or removed without damage.
The modular rail cover panel for a firearm disclosed and claimed herein is intended to overcome one or more of the problems discussed above.
One aspect is a panel system for covering a lengthwise segment of an elongate firearm mounting rail. The firearm mounting rail is a T rail comprising a T-shaped cross-section with the top of the T corresponding to the top of the T rail. The firearm T-rail further includes a number of transverse slots in the top spanning the length of the T-shaped cross-section. The panel system comprises a pair of identically shaped panel halves. Each panel half comprises a body having a top, a bottom, an abutting proximal edge and a distal edge. At least one axial tongue extends from the abutting proximal edge and a corresponding axial groove is defined in the body, each axial groove having a groove mouth associated with the abutting proximal edge. A cantilevered clip extends from the abutting proximal edge. A clip receiver is defined by the cover body. A proximally extending lip extends from the cover bottom near the distal edge. Each panel half is configured so that with the abutting proximal edges brought into abutment, the axial tongue of each panel is received in the axial groove of the other and the cantilevered clip engages the clip receptacle of the other.
In one embodiment an alignment post is provided extending from the cover bottom. Such an alignment post is sized to be received in a transverse slot of a firearm T-rail to which the panel mounts.
In one embodiment the proximally extending lips are configured so that with the panel halves brought into abutment in an operative position on a firearm T-rail, the proximally angled lips snugly receive the ends of the T-shaped cross-section. The proximally extending lips may each comprise at least two lip segments, with a first lip segment having a thickness less than a second lip segment and the first lip segment being proximally angled to extend further proximal than the second lip segment.
In any of these embodiments, the clip may comprise transverse lip having a beveled leading surface facilitating deflection of the cantilevered lip as the beveled leading surface strikes an abutting proximal edge of the other panel. In any of the embodiments, each panel half may be of a different color. Embodiments may include each panel half having a number of axially extending tongues greater than one and the same number of axial grooves, with each tongue received in a corresponding groove with the abutting proximal ends in abutment. The panel halves may further include ridges on the body tops which are aligned with the panel halves in abutment. The elongate firearm T-rail may be a Picatinny rail. The axial tongue may have a non-circular cross-section and the axial groove then has a mating non-circular cross-section. The non-circular cross-section may be T-shaped.
Another aspect disclosed herein is a panel system for covering a plurality of lengthwise segments of an elongate firearm rail of the type described above, which may include Picatinny rails. The panel system comprises a plurality of pairs of identically shaped panel halves in any of the various embodiments described above. For example, the panel system may include panel halves of different colors to provide a camouflage effect.
Yet another aspect is a method of covering an elongate firearm rail of the type described above, which can include Picatinny rails. The method comprises operatively associating a pair of panel halves as described in the various embodiments above by bringing the abutting edges into abutment as described above with the proximally angled lips capturing opposing ends of the T-shaped cross-section.
Another aspect is a firearm comprising an elongate firearm rail, which may be a Picatinny rail, in combination with a panel comprising any of the embodiments discussed above.
Yet another aspect is a method of making a panel in any of the embodiments as described above, wherein the panel halves are injection molded of a resilient polymer as a single integral piece.
A rail cover panel system for a firearm as described herein in its various embodiments locks the rail cover securely over the mounting T-rail of a firearm to provide a sure grip for a user. The rail cover panel can be quickly installed on a firearm simply by bringing the pieces into mating abutment in engagement with the rail top. The rail cover panels provide great flexibility as, in one embodiment, each is only about 1.5 inches in length and can thus be attached or removed as necessary to accommodate various accessories attached to the firearm rail. The rail panels can be provided in different colors to enable a camouflage effect. Furthermore, each panel half is configured to be identically shaped so that only a single mold is required for injection molding of the panel halves, minimizing tool costs and minimizing SKUs associated with the cover panels. Further advantages of the rail cover panels and rail cover panel system can be derived from review of the figures, detailed description and claims attached hereto.
The Picatinny rail 12 depicted in
The body 20 also defines first and second axial grooves 34, 36, each having a groove mouth 38, 40 associated with the abutting proximal edge 26. Each of the first and second axial grooves 34, 36 has a non-circular cross-section corresponding to that of the tongue received therein; in this case, a T-shaped cross-section configured to receive a corresponding axial tongue 30, 32. In the embodiment illustrated herein, each of the grooves has an open slot 42 configured to receive the stem of the “T” of the axial tongues 30, 32.
A cantilevered clip 44 extends from the abutting proximal edge 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the cantilevered clip has a transverse lip 46 with a beveled leading surface 48.
The body 20 further includes a clip receptacle in the form of a shoulder 50 on the top of the body 20. A number of ridges 52 extend transverse the length of the body 20.
Referring to
An alignment post 58 extends from the bottom 24 of the body 20. The alignment post 58 is sized to be received in a transverse slot of a T-rail 12 such as the Picatinny rail depicted in the figures. The width of the alignment post 58 in one embodiment is just less than the width of the transverse slots in the T-shaped rail to fit snugly therein.
The panel halves can be injection molded from a single mold. In addition, the panel halves can be injection molded of a resilient material to facilitate secure attachment to the T-shaped rail, as the resiliency enhances the spring effect securing the panel to the T-shaped rail. Representative resilient materials from which the panels can be made include a number of resilient polymers such as nylon, polypropylene, styrene and other synthetic organic polymers. The resilient material may include glass fiber reinforced polymers and the polymers may include impact modifiers
The disclosure also encompasses all possible permutations of the claim set, as if they were multiple dependent claims.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a number of embodiments, it would be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in the form and details may be made to the various embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and that the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to act as limitations on the scope of the claims. All references cited herein are incorporated in their entirety by reference.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/023,541, filed Jan. 25, 2008, entitled “Rail Cover Panel for a Firearm,” which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61023541 | Jan 2008 | US |
