Receiver for securing a firearm

Abstract

A barrel of a firearm is held by a firearm restraint housing having a pair of spaced apart rotors rotatably mounted and contoured for receiving the barrel of the firearm therebetween. A slide member is positionable in interference with rotation of the rotors in its first position and in non-interference with rotation of the rotors in its second position. The position of the slide is determined electromechanically or by a hand key operated lock. The rotors are contoured so that withdrawal of the firearm barrel counter-rotates them into a barrel receiving attitude, and further, placement of the barrel between the rotors forces them into counter-rotation for locking around the barrel.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Incorporation by Reference

Applicant(s) hereby incorporate herein by reference, any and all U.S. patents and U.S. patent applications cited or referred to in this application.

2. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to apparatus for securing and locking a firearm so as to prevent unauthorized access, and more particularly to such an apparatus wherein securement is achieved by merely pressing the firearm into a receiver.

3. Description of Related Art

The following art defines the present state of this field:

Zimmerman, U.S. Pat. No. 1,837,939: A device of the character described, comprising a body portion, an arm slidably received by said body portion, spring means arranged in the body portion having bearing upon said arm for normally imparting an outward thrust to the same, and article embracing means swingably connected at one end to said body portion and cooperable with said arm, the remaining end of said article embracing means being adapted to have detachable connection with the body portion.

Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,728, A holster that is attached to a vehicle with a plurality of electric solenoid operated plungers piercing the holster to lock a weapon therein. The plungers are withdrawn when a pushbutton switch is operated to release the weapon for use. The ignition switch, however, must be “on” before the pushbutton can close the circuit and operate the plungers. Hence, the operator must have an ignition key and know where the pushbutton switch is located before he can release the weapon for removal from the holster.

Sisak, U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,691, An improved gun lock for permitting a gun, particularly a shotgun, to be positioned within the passenger compartment of a vehicle, specifically a law enforcement vehicle. The gun lock includes a protective closable housing which surrounds the barrel and trigger mechanism of the gun for preventing unauthorized access to same. The housing has a cover which is spring urged into an open position. The cover is normally maintained in a closed position by a locking device which can be electrically actuated to release the cover only when the vehicle ignition switch is in the “on” or “accessory” positions. Upon release of the lock device, the spring automatically opens the cover, so that the shotgun is accessible only to those authorized persons having the vehicle ignition key.

McCue, U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,499, A rack for securely holding a shotgun in the front passenger compartment of a police car or other vehicle is disclosed in which the shotgun, when installed in the rack, is in a generally horizontal position with its barrel pointing forwardly and downwardly and with the stock of the gun overlying the front seat of the car, and in which the shotgun is positively locked in the rack which in turn is firmly secured to the floor of the police car. The rack includes a sturdy welded frame which has a selectively operable gun lock thereon for receiving and positively holding the middle portion of the shotgun (e.g., the receiver) and a muzzle plate in front of the end of the muzzle of the shotgun when the latter is installed in the rack. The muzzle plate has a plug secured thereto and is insertable into the muzzle of the shotgun so that when the gun lock is closed and locked, the gun lock prevents axial, sidewise, and vertical movement of the gun and the muzzle plug prevents sidewise and vertical movement of the muzzle of the gun relative to the rack. Upon opening the gun lock, the police officer may readily remove the gun from the gun rack for use.

Morford, U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,094, Modular, firearm support cradles, an assembled rack and means for securing the cradles and rack to a variety of vehicle configurations. The rack includes a longitudinal frame member and from which project multiple padded cradles. Strap fasteners and lock means respectively restrain firearms and sundry paraphernalia to the cradles and rack. A telescoping expander bar assembly and mating extension arms permit a vehicle ceiling mount and/or roll bar mount of the rack. Cradles having sleeves which mate to the expander bar assembly facilitate use tailored mountings. A clamp plate assembly and mating extension arms permit a vertical divide mount of the rack.

Avganim, U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,537, Firearm safeguard device of the type comprising a pair of mating blocking members adapted to be locked to each other within the trigger-guard. In one embodiment the device is mountable on a wall, preferably with a barrel support bracket. Release of the device can be electrically actuated. In another embodiment, a steel cable is attached, clamped between the blocking members at one end and secured to the wall at its other end.

Morford, U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,120, An improved, modular firearm support for retaining firearms in close association to a vehicle ceiling. The support includes a formed metal bracket having orthogonal top and back mounting plates and a pair of padded cradles which are fitted to opposite sides of firearm lock and trigger shroud assemblies. An adjustable lock plate offsets the lock from the back plate to fully seat the firearm at the cradles and trigger shroud. Multiple draw clamps are fitted to the back plate to retain the support to a vehicle support, for example, a roll bar, divider panel or a telescoping support, which spans the vehicle. A slide bracket is also provided at the telescoping vehicle support to vary the mounting location of the firearm support. Alternative shrouds are also disclosed to protect either the trigger or other critical firearm parts.

William et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,654, A tamper resistant safety gun lock (20) utilizes a case (22) having opposing sidewalls (24, 26) and at least one lateral wall (42, 48, 62) to inhibit access to crucial components of a firearm (28). A plurality of gun anchor posts (34) are selectively positionable inside of the case (22), so that the case (22) may be adapted for different types of firearms (28). The gun anchor posts (34) are held in a perforated plate (74) and have a flat disk (68) at one end which is held between the perforated (74) plate and one of the sidewalls. Because the flat disk (68) is held between the perforated plate (74) and one of the sidewalls the gun anchors (34) are generally inaccessible from the exterior of the case. The tamper resistant safety gun lock (20) is provided with a lock mechanism (32) which utilizes a catch (100) extending inwardly from a lateral lock wall. (48). The catch (100) is covered to make the case (22) difficult to pry open. Further, the lock mechanism utilizes a latch plate (92) having a width perpendicular to an opening direction (106) of the case (22) to provide additional strength against the case (22) being pried open.

Murray, U.S. Pat. No. 6,438,885 B1, A weapon trigger guard apparatus is provided for use on a gun rack having a support member and a lock coupled to the support member. The weapon trigger guard apparatus comprises a base rigidly coupled to the support member of the rack, and a cover pivotably coupled to the base. The cover is movable between a first open position to permit installation and removal of the weapon from the rack and a second closed position in which the cover and the base cooperate to surround and enclose a trigger housing of the weapon.

Hancock et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,618 B1, An all terrain vehicle (ATV) mounting bracket assembly that is adapted to mount to the rear deck of an ATV and to hold a scabbard or gun case outwardly of either side or the rear of the vehicle and in position to allow a tong gun to be easily inserted into or withdrawn from such scabbard or gun case includes a universal mounting plate to be secured to an ATV deck, a support plate extending upwardly from the universal mounting plate and outwardly from the vehicle and a holding plate carried by the support plate and capable of being tipped to insure proper angular mounting of a scabbard or gun case fixed to the holding plate.

Murray et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,259 B2, A vehicle security partition for use in vehicles to form a barrier between front and rear occupant areas.

Sanchez, WO 9811399, An electronically activated holster that releasably secures a weapon to the holster. Locking mechanism releases the weapon upon receiving an electrical signal generated when certain conditions are present. These predetermined conditions are selected by a user and these inputs can be sensed with photosensitive devices and attached to the holster that detect bar codes on a user's hand or glove so that a predetermined pattern can be read and conveyed to a control circuit, such as a central processing unit. In turn, control circuit records the event and causes the locking mechanism to release weapon if the necessary conditions are present. Alternatively, an ultrasonic transmitter can be worn by a user in a wristband and a cooperative receiver on the holster designed to be activated when a predetermined proximity is achieved. An alarm output is provided to visually or audibly broadcast a violated condition. Optionally, a transmitter is incorporated to the holster to broadcast the condition of the alarm and a remotely placed receiver is used to monitor the broadcast. Another input is supplied by a general positioning system that ascertains the location of the holster at selected times, stores it, and/or broadcasts it. An input/output port permits exchange of data and instructions to and from the control circuit.

Our prior art search with abstracts described above teaches: a gun holding device, a weapon holster, an enclosed gun lock, a gun rack for police car, a vehicle mounted locking firearm support, a firearm safeguard device, a firearm support, a tamper-resistant safety gun lock, a weapon trigger guard apparatus, an all terrain vehicle rear deck bracket assembly, a vehicle partition, and an electronically activated holster. Thus, the prior art shows that it is well known to lock firearms and such locking devices include sliding, rotating and closure mechanisms capable of securing firearms by their several mechanisms. However, the prior art fails to teach a barrel gripping apparatus having opposing rotors with concave contours for placement of the barrel, nor a linear slide mechanism for releasing the rotors for barrel removal. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.

In a best mode preferred embodiment of the present invention, a barrel of a firearm is held by a firearm restraint housing having a pair of spaced apart rotors rotatably mounted and contoured for receiving the barrel of the firearm therebetween. A slide member within the housing is positionable in interference with rotation of the rotors in its first position and in non-interference with rotation of the rotors in its second position. The position of the slide is determined electromechanically or by a hand key operated lock. The rotors are contoured so that, when unlocked, withdrawal of the firearm barrel counter-rotates them into a barrel receiving attitude. Placement of the barrel between the rotors forces them into counter-rotation for locking around the barrel. The rotors are double sided for two ranges of barrel diameter and a release pin is positioned for reversal of the rotors. The housing may provide track mounting. A transverse orientation of the actuating solenoid provides for a highly compact unit and prevents external magnet actuation. A non-magnetic push rod prevents external magnet actuation.

A primary objective of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that yields advantages not taught by the prior art.

Another objective is to assure that an embodiment of the invention is capable of locking a firearm by merely inserting the barrel of the firearm into the invention.

A further objective is to assure that an embodiment of the invention is capable of releasing the barrel by electromagnetic means.

A still further objective is to assure that an embodiment of the invention is capable of adaptation to more than one barrel size.

Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of at least one of the possible embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate at least one of the best mode embodiments of the present invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention as mounted onto a rail;

FIG. 1B is an elevational view thereof showing an alternate manner of mounting the invention on a U-shaped rail wherein the housing of the invention has indentations for receiving the rail;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an interior plan view thereof showing the invention in an receiver attitude for accepting or for removal of a barrel of a firearm; and

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 but showing the invention in a locked attitude.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The above described drawing figures illustrate the present invention in at least one of its preferred, best mode embodiments, which is further defined in detail in the following description. Those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make alterations and modifications in the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of example and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined in the following.

In the best mode embodiment of the present invention a housing 10 supports, a pair of spaced apart rotors 20 which are rotationally mounted in the housing 10 at bushings 11, and are contoured for receiving a firearm barrel 30 between them as shown in FIG. 1 at the left. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, a slide 60 is a positionable member and as such is positionable in interference with rotation of the rotors 20 in a first position (FIG. 4), and in non-interference with rotation of the rotors 20 in a second position (FIG. 3) and this enablement will be further described in detail in the following. The positionable member (slide 60) may be any form of positionable element and is not restricted in the scope of this invention to a sliding element. However, the positionable member will be referred to as “slide 60” herein for convenience. The rotors 20 are contoured so that withdrawal of the firearm barrel 30 from between the rotors 20 counter-rotates the rotors 20 into a barrel receiving attitude 50 which is shown in FIG. 3, and further, so that placement of the barrel 30 between the rotors 20, with the rotors 20 in the barrel receiving attitude 50, counter-rotates the rotors 20 into a barrel locking attitude 50′ (FIG. 4).

Preferably, the housing 10 comprises two housing portions 12 and 14 joined by fasteners 15 (FIG. 2) at medial abutment surfaces 16 as best seen in FIG. 2. Preferably, the housing 10 provides a housing notch 18 and contoured elements of the rotors 20 extend into the notch 18 from opposing sides of the housing notch 18 as is clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The contoured elements of the rotors 20 comprise concave surfaces 22 and preferably comprise two of such surfaces on each rotor 20 so as to accommodate barrels 30 of two different diameter ranges. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rotors 20 may be aligned so that a larger diameter pair of the concave surfaces 22 are mutually facing for receiving a barrel 30 of a corresponding diameter range, and alternatively a smaller diameter pair of the concave surfaces 22, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 as facing away from each other may be rotated by 180° to mutually face each other across the notch 18 for correspondingly smaller diameter barrels 30. Thus, as shown, the rotors 20 preferably each have two opposing of the concave surfaces 22 located on opposite sides of the rotor 20.

Preferably, the rotors 20 each provide two first rotor grooves 24 each positionally associated with one of the concave surfaces 22. Grooves 24 enable the rotors 20 to be locked at preferred rotational positions as will be described. See FIGS. 3 and 4. Preferably, a slide 60 provides a pair of slide grooves 62, and the housing 10 provides a pair of pin grooves 18; such that with the slide 60 positioned in a first slide position (FIG. 4), the slide grooves 62 are not aligned with the pin grooves 18, while with the slide 60 moved to a second slide position (FIG. 3), the slide grooves 62 are aligned with the pin grooves 18.

A pair of locking pins 70 are held within the pin grooves 18 of the housing 10. The locking pins 70 engage with the first rotor grooves 24 for locking the rotors 20 in the barrel locking attitude 50′ (FIG. 4) when the slide grooves 62 are non-aligned with the locking pins 70. The pin grooves 18 are located and sized so as to allow release of the locking pins 70 from the first rotor grooves 24 when the slide grooves 62 are aligned with the locking pins 70, as shown in FIG. 3.

Preferably, the rotors 20 each provide a second rotor groove 26 which is aligned with the locking pins 70 when the rotors 20 are in the barrel receiving attitude 50 (FIG. 3). The second grooves 26 are shallow so as to function as detents for capturing and holding the rotors 20 and biasing them to stay in the receiving attitude, but also allowing the rotors to move out of the receiving attitude when pressed by a barrel 30, so as to move to the barrel locking attitude (FIG. 4).

The apparatus preferably uses an electromechanical device 80, such as an electrical solenoid actuator, well known in the art, to engage the slide 60 in moving it from its locking (default) position, shown in FIG. 4 to its unlocking position, shown in FIG. 3. When electric current is applied to the electomechanical device 80 through feed wire 85, a ferromagnetic actuator 82 is moved to the left in the figures against a biasing expansion spring 90, thereby aligning the slide grooves 62 with the locking pins 70. This enables the locking pins 70 to move out of the first rotor grooves 24 so that the rotors 20 are free to rotate into the barrel receiving attitude shown in FIG. 3 normally by the force that the barrel 30 exerts on the rotors 20 at their outer lips 27 (FIG. 4). When the electrical current is cancelled, the expansion spring 90 is not able to move the slide 60 and the actuator 82 back to their rest positions because the shallow second grooves 26 in rotors 20 force the locking pins 70 into slide grooves 62 which holds the slide 60 from moving. However, when barrel 30 is again pressed into the notch space between rotors 20, its force against inner lips 27′ (FIG. 4), causes the rotors 20 to rotate until the locking pins 70 engage rotor first grooves 24 which are deeper grooves than rotor second grooves 26. This enables locking pins 70 to move out of slide grooves 62 and permits the slide 60 to move back to its original, default position. Clearly pin grooves 18 are adapted by being elongated to allow locking pins 70 to have a small amount of lateral movement.

Preferably, the housing 10 provides engagement cavities for receiving mounting hardware 110 as shown in FIG. 2. The mounting hardware 110 may provide a threaded hole 112 for receiving a threaded fastener (screw) or may be any other type or kind of mounting device.

Alternately, a mechanical device, such as the rotational key lock 100 shown in FIG. 2 may be positioned as shown in the figures for mechanically pushing, using pusher 102, against one end of the slide 60. The key lock 100 is turned with one hand while the barrel 30 is withdrawn from the apparatus or inserted into the apparatus with the other hand. As in the above description, while holding the slide in the unlocked position with the key lock, removal of the barrel 30 rotates the rotors 20 to the unlocked attitude 50 and they remain in that state until the barrel is again replaced.

The enablements described in detail above are considered novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to the operation of at least one aspect of one best mode embodiment of the instant invention and to the achievement of the above described objectives. The words used in this specification to describe the instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification: structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word or words describing the element.

The definitions of the words or elements of the embodiments of the herein described invention and its related embodiments not described are, therefore, defined in this specification to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the invention and its various embodiments or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim.

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 equivalents within the scope of the invention and its various embodiments. 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. The invention and its various embodiments are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the invention.

While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that the inventor(s) believe that the claimed subject matter is the invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for securing a barrel of a firearm, the apparatus comprising: a housing, and supported by the housing, a pair of spaced apart rotors rotatably mounted and contoured for receiving the barrel of the firearm therebetween; and a positionable member in interference with rotation of the rotors in a first position and in non-interference with rotation of the rotors in a second position; the rotors further contoured so that withdrawal of the firearm barrel from between the rotors counter-rotates the rotors into a barrel receiving attitude, and further, so that placement of the barrel between the rotors, with the rotors in the barrel receiving attitude, counter-rotates the rotors into a barrel locking attitude.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises two housing portions joined at medial abutment surfaces.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing provides a housing notch; contoured elements of the rotors extending from opposing sides of the housing notch.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the contoured elements of the rotors comprise concave surfaces thereon.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the concave surfaces on each of the rotors comprise two opposing concave surfaces.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the rotors each provide two first rotor grooves each of the first rotor grooves positionally associated with one of the concave surfaces.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a slide provides a pair of slide grooves, the rotors each providing a first rotor groove, and the housing providing a pair of pin grooves; such that with the slide positioned in a first slide position, the slide grooves are misaligned with the pin grooves, and with the slide positioned in a second slide position, the slide grooves are aligned with the pin grooves.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a pair of locking pins engaged with the pin grooves of the housing; the locking pins engaging the first rotor grooves for locking the rotors in the barrel locking attitude when the slide grooves are misaligned with the locking pins; the pin grooves located and sized as to release the locking pins from the first rotor grooves when the slide grooves are aligned with the locking pins.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the rotors each provide a second rotor groove, the second rotor grooves aligned with the locking pins when the rotors are in the barrel receiving attitude for securing the rotors in an unlocked orientation.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a motive device engaged with the slide for placing the slide grooves between the aligned and the misaligned positions with the locking pins.