Patent Application
20120311910
The present invention pertains generally to firearms. More particularly, the present invention pertains to rail systems for mounting accessories on firearms and modification systems to add rail systems to existing firearms. Additionally, the present invention pertains to modifications to a pistol grip on a firearm.
Many firearm users attach additional equipment such as optical sights, flashlights or laser sights to their weapons. Such equipment is attached to a rail system on the firearm. Not all firearms come with a rail system for attachments, so rail system modification systems allow a user to add a rail system to their firearm. Examples of rail systems used on firearms are known as a Picatinny rail or Weaver rail MIL-STD.
Rail system modifications are known in the art to replace parts on a firearm to accommodate for the rails. Existing rail system modification systems such as “Firearm Modification Assembly,” U.S. Pat. No. 7,231,861 B1 to Gauny address modification of a Colt M4A1 or M16. “Rail Connector and Method,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,206 B2 to Oz provides a rail connector mounted onto the front sight of a rifle. Other known rail mount modification systems specifically for a Kalashnikov-family rifle require modifications of existing components such as the upper or lower handguards. Furthermore, known rail mount systems cannot be positioned on the barrel of the rifle just under the gas piston tube due to structural infeasibility.
Other rail modifications known in the art are listed below:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,571,562 B2, titled “Accessory Rail for a Rifle” to Sutherby.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,191,557 B2, titled “Firearms, Grips for firearms, and Methods for Using the Same” to Gablowski, et al.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a rail system modification for a rifle based on the standardized Picatinny and Weaver rail systems. Another object of the present disclosure is a rail system modification for a rifle that adapts to the mechanical structure of the gas piston tube featured on a Kalashnikov rifle. A further object of the present disclosure is to provide a rail system modification that can be added without modifying existing parts already on a rifle. Yet another object of the present disclosure is a modified pistol grip with an embedded remote control for associated electronics.
In one aspect of the invention, a rail mount modification system is provided having a rail mount and a base bracket. The rail mount has an upper rail portion and a lower rail portion and is configured to receive a firearm attachment, such as a flashlight. The base bracket is attached over a barrel of a rifle rather than over a handgrip. The rail mount attaches to the base bracket to be secured to the rifle. The base bracket has a first bracket portion and a second bracket portion combined to form an inner cavity to fit the barrel of the rifle. Each bracket portion has an inner cavity approximately the size of half of the barrel.
In another aspect of the present invention, a handgrip modification system has a modified pistol grip. The modified pistol grip has an embedded remote control and a power supply to provide power to said modified pistol grip. The power supply is optimally a lithium-ion battery to achieve an extended battery life. The embedded remote control is configured to control an electronic device, such as the flashlight attached to the rail mount.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for providing a rail mount and handgrip modification. The method has the steps of providing a rail mount having an upper rail portion and a lower rail portion, a base bracket having a first bracket portion and a second bracket portion, and a modified pistol grip having an embedded remote control and a power supply to provide power to said modified pistol grip.
The invention can be better visualized by turning now to the following drawings.
The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
With reference to
The rail mount modification system 10 is arranged in a way to accommodate a gas piston tube 52 and a barrel 54 on a Kalashnikov-family rifle 50 such as the AKM or AK-47. The rail mount modification system 10 can be attached to the rifle 50 without having to do additional modifications to existing parts by fitting over the gas piston tube 52 and the barrel 54. Moreover, the position of the rail mount modification system 10 would not interfere with any existing modifications or attachments due to its unique positioning relative to the traditional positions for attachments such as the upper handguard or the lower handguard. Such unique positioning would allow for more auxiliary attachments such as a flashlight, laser sights, infrared scopes or collimator sights without interfering with other attachments such as a bayonet or grenade launcher.
Furthermore, the material used in the construction of the rail mount modification system 10 mirrors the materials used in the construction of the gas piston tube 52 and the barrel 54, so there is an identical thermal expansion factor to the barrel 54 to act a heat sink. The durability of the rail mount modification system 10 would be improved over using traditional materials.
With regard to
With regard to
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Another aspect of the rail mount modification system 10 is illustrated in
The embedded remote control 62 within the modified pistol grip 60 has a low-power radio frequency (RF) transmitter capable of being powered by a lithium-ion battery for up to 20 years. The embedded remote control 62 would be fully contained by the modified pistol grip 60 in such a way that a user will not need to service the parts on the remote control 62. Additionally, the embedded remote control 62 would be shielded from outside elements. The modified pistol grip 60 is sealed to be waterproof to protect the embedded remote control 62 and its components.
Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different elements, which are disclosed in above even when not initially claimed in such combinations.
While the particular rail mount and handgrip modification for a rifle as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.
Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61426835 | Dec 2010 | US |
