This disclosure is generally related to the field of weapon retention systems such as gun lock systems and, in particular, to ratcheted support anti-charging gun lock systems.
Typical weapon retention systems, also referred to herein as gun lock systems, prevent the unauthorized access to a weapon by locking key portions of the weapon, thereby neutralizing the weapon while it is positioned within the system. Weapon retention systems may be employed by law enforcement, military, or others to secure weapons while they are not in use. One way that weapon retention systems may secure a weapon is by securing a receiver of the weapon at key points, such as behind a pistol grip, within a trigger guard, around a barrel attachment, and elsewhere. Typical systems may further include anti-charging structures to prevent charging the weapon while it is retained.
However, current gun lock systems may be limited in the range of weapons that can be secured. For example, if the distance between a pistol grip rest and an anti-charging structure of a gun lock system is designed to secure an arma-lite-type (AR-type) rifle, then the gun lock may not be able to secure a shotgun. Likewise, gun locks that are designed to secure shotguns may not be capable of securing an AR-type rifle. Additionally, it may be dangerous to use posts or other structures to secure the weapon at some sensitive points, such as within the trigger guard. Other disadvantages may exist.
Disclosed is a weapon retention system that overcomes at least one of the disadvantages described above. In an embodiment, a weapon retention system includes a base assembly. The system further includes a first plate coupled to the base assembly. The system also includes a second plate coupled to the base assembly, where an open distance between the first plate and the second plate while the base assembly is in an open state is greater than a closed distance between the first plate and the second plate while the base assembly is in a closed state, where the first plate and the second plate are configured to receive a weapon therebetween, and where the first plate and the second plate are configured to retain the weapon between the first plate and the second plate while the base assembly is in the closed state. The system also includes a linear ratchet coupled to the first plate. The system includes a pistol grip rest coupled to the first plate, where the pistol grip includes a pin configured to engage the linear ratchet for unidirectional adjustment while the pistol grip rest is in a first state.
In some embodiments, the pin is configured to disengage the linear ratchet for multidirectional adjustment while the pistol grip rest is in a second state. In some embodiments, the weapon interferes with switching the pistol grip rest from the first state to the second state while the weapon is retained between the first plate and the second plate and while a pistol grip of the weapon is resting against the pistol grip rest. In some embodiments, the pistol grip rest includes a first portion and a second portion, where the second portion is configured shift relative to the first portion between a first position associated with the first state and a second position associated with the second state. In some embodiments, the pin includes a main body positioned within the first portion and a lateral post positioned within the second portion, and shifting the second portion to the second position interacts with the lateral post to draw the pin away from the linear ratchet. In some embodiments, the pin is spring loaded and shifting the second portion to the first position enables a spring to push the pin toward the linear ratchet.
In some embodiments, the ratchet enables the unidirectional adjustment at ⅛-inch intervals. In some embodiments, the ratchet includes four ratchet steps. In some embodiments, the first plate and the second plate omit any post configured to be positioned within a trigger guard of the weapon while the weapon is retained between the first plate and the second plate. In some embodiments, the first plate is configured to interfere with charging the weapon while the weapon is retained between the first plate and the second plate. In some embodiments, a first shape of the first plate and a second shape of the second plate are configured to retain an Arma-Lite-type (AR-type) rifle or a shotgun between the first plate and the second plate while the base assembly is in the closed state. In some embodiments, the base assembly includes a handle that is moveable between a first handle position and a second handle position, where the first handle position is associated with the open state and the second handle position is associated with the closed state, and where the handle is configured to lock in the second position.
In an embodiment, a weapon retention method includes, in response to movement of a handle of a base assembly from a first position to second position, reducing a distance between a first plate coupled to the base assembly and a second plate coupled to the base assembly to a closed distance, where the closed distance is associated with a closed state of the base assembly. The method further includes retaining a weapon between the first plate and the second plate while the base assembly is in the closed state. The method also includes adjusting a pistol grip rest along a linear ratchet until the pistol grip rest engages a pistol grip of the weapon, wherein the pistol grip includes a pin configured to engage the linear ratchet for unidirectional adjustment while the pistol grip rest is in a first state.
In some embodiments, the pin is configured to disengage the linear ratchet for multidirectional adjustment while the pistol grip rest is in a second state. In some embodiments, the pistol grip rest includes a first portion and a second portion and the method further includes, in response to shifting of the second portion relative to the first portion from a first position associated with the first state to a second position associated with the second state, drawing the pin away from the linear ratchet. In some embodiments, the method further includes, in response to shifting of the second portion to the first position, pushing the pin toward the linear ratchet. In some embodiments, retaining the weapon between the first plate and the second plate is performed without positioning a post within a trigger guard of the weapon. In some embodiments, the method includes interfering, by the first plate, with charging the weapon while the weapon is retained between the first plate and the second plate.
In an embodiment, a weapon retention system includes a base assembly. The system further includes a first plate coupled to the base assembly. The system also includes a second plate coupled to the base assembly. The system includes a linear ratchet coupled to the first plate. The system further includes a pistol grip rest coupled to the first plate, where the pistol grip rest includes a pin configured to engage the linear ratchet for unidirectional adjustment while the pistol grip rest is in a first state, and where the pin is configured to disengage the linear ratchet for multidirectional adjustment while the pistol grip rest is in a second state.
In some embodiments, the first plate and the second plate omit any post configured to be positioned within a trigger guard of the weapon while the weapon is retained between the first plate and the second plate, and the first plate is configured to interfere with charging the weapon while the weapon is retained between the first plate and the second plate.
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.
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The system 100 may include a base assembly 102. The base assembly 102 may provide locking functions and mounting functions to enable the system 100 to pass between a closed state and an open state. As such, the base assembly 102 may be switched between an open state and a closed state. An example of a base assembly that may be used with the system 100 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,266,835, filed on Jan. 6, 2010, and entitled “Firearm Security Device,” the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
A handle 108 may be used to switch a state of the base assembly 102. When the handle 108 is in an up, or vertical, position, the base assembly 102 may be in an open state. When the handle 108 is in a down, or horizontal position, the base assembly 102 may be in a closed state. The handle 108 may include one or more mechanical locking mechanisms 110. Further, the base assembly 102 may include one or more electronic locking and/or release mechanisms. An example of an electronic release mechanism that may be used with the base assembly 102 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,584,931, filed on Mar. 18, 2019, and entitled “Systems and Methods to Prevent Hot-Wiring of Electronic Gun Racks,” the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
The system 100 may include a first plate 104 coupled to the base assembly 102. The first plate 104 may be fixed relative to the base assembly 102 such that it does not move when the base assembly 102 switched from the open state to the closed state. The system 100 may further include a second plate 105 coupled to the base assembly 102. The second plate 105 may be configured to move between an open position and a closed position that correspond to the base assembly 102 being in the open state and the closed state.
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A linear ratchet 602 may be coupled to the first plate 104. The pistol grip rest 106 may interact with the linear ratchet 602 to provide for unidirectional adjustment of the pistol grip rest 106 while the pistol grip rest 106 is in a first state and multidirectional adjustment while the pistol grip rest 106 is in a second state.
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The pistol grip rest 106 may include a first portion 702 and a second portion 704. The portions 702, 704 may sit flush with each other and may be held together by a first fastener 706 and a second fastener 708. A head 710 of the first fastener 706 may sit in a first elongate groove 714 within the second portion 704. A head 712 of the second fastener 708 may sit in a second elongated groove 716 within the second portion 704. As shown in
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The weapon retention system 100 described herein, including the pistol grip rest 106, may include several advantages over typical weapon retention systems. For example, it may be adjustable to accommodate multiple types of firearm weapons including AR-type rifles and shotguns. Further, when a weapon is retained within the weapon retention system 100 as shown in
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The method 1800 may further include retaining a weapon between the first plate and the second plate while the base assembly is in the closed state, at 1804. For example, the weapon 202 may be retained between the first plate 104 and the second plate 105.
The method 1800 may also include adjusting a pistol grip rest along a linear ratchet until the pistol grip rest engages a pistol grip of the weapon, where the pistol grip includes a pin configured to engage the linear ratchet for unidirectional adjustment while the pistol grip rest is in a first state, at 1806. For example, the pistol grip rest 106 may be adjusted along the linear ratchet 602 until it abuts the weapon 202.
Although various embodiments have been shown and described, the present disclosure is not so limited and will be understood to include all such modifications and variations as would be apparent to one skilled in the art.
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