Patent Application
20060065560
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to gun cases. More particularly, the present invention pertains to gun cases that include adjustable features to allow one gun case to hold guns of many different shapes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Guns come in a great variety of configurations, shapes, sizes, and dimensions. More particularly, long barreled weapons (i.e. “long guns”) include rifles, shotguns, and various automatic-firing variations of the same. For instance, the 0.22 caliber rifle is a relatively small, rifle. A double-barreled 12-gage shotgun is an example of a larger weapon. Many gun collectors, hobbyists, hunters, and the like frequently desire to store, or ship, several of these weapons at a time. Because of the wide variety of shapes, sizes and dimensions no single existing gun case can hold every type of available gun. Thus, the variety of guns frequently makes it necessary for the gun enthusiast to have several different gun cases.
Most guns are worth hundreds of dollars and therefore require protection from mechanical abuse while being shipped or stored. Moreover, gunsmiths often decorate guns with a variety of ornamental designs that can be damaged by neglect or abuse. Embossing, engraving, and plating demonstrate just a few of the many types of surface treatments available to the gunsmith for decorating the weapon. Additionally, the stock of the weapon is often made of polished wood in accordance with the desire to create a weapon with a tasteful appearance. Thus, the owner of the gun needs a storage/transport case capable of protecting these surface features. Guns also include moving parts that must remain aligned for proper operation. In particular, the action (e.g. bolt, lever, or pump) can be damaged if subjected to mechanical abuse. Thus, the storage and transport case must protect the weapon from impacts and other mechanical abuse in addition to surface abrasion.
Protecting the guns with a conventional gun case solves the problems discussed above to some degree. However, placing a gun in a case gives rise to other problems. In particular, gun cases typically include pieces of foam rubber upon which the gun rests. The foam absorbs moisture that may cause the gun barrel or other metallic parts to rust. The moisture may also cause the wooden stock to swell or rot, thereby degrading the aim of the weapon. Another problem is that some gun cases utilize a trimmable layer of foam to protect the weapon. Once the foam is trimmed for a particular weapon the case may not be satisfactory for storing other weapon models.
Thus a need exists for a gun case that provides storage for a wide variety of guns while protecting the gun from the environment.
It is in view of the above problems that the present invention was developed. The invention includes gun cases, gun rests, and methods for storing guns having different shapes.
More particularly, the present invention provides a gun case that suspends guns on plastic rests. The gun rests have generally U-shaped cradles, or recesses, for holding the guns and are received in a lower portion of the gun case interior in one of several vertically aligned slots. A plurality of ribs along the side walls of the case define the slots. The plastic rests may also contain cradles of different shapes to accommodate guns of different shapes. Each plastic rest is preferably comprised of two pieces connected together along a centerline that permits them to be interchanged with one another as needed. For corrosion prevention, the rests suspend the guns in the cradles with no other contact with the gun case except, preferably, hook and loop tie down straps (e.g. Velcro®). Thus, the various features of the gun case allow the user the flexibility to store many differently shaped weapons in one gun case while preventing corrosion due to moisture.
In another preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a case for storing a plurality of guns. The case includes a protective housing and a gun rest. The housing has a longitudinal length, a lateral width, and a bottom section having a front wall and a back wall. The bottom section surrounds an interior volume of the housing that is accessible through a top opening. A top section of the housing is movable between opened and closed positions relative to the opening. One of the walls of the bottom section defines a groove that is open toward the housing interior volume. More particularly, it is preferred that the groove open toward the front or back wall of the gun case. The gun rest is removably insertable into the groove and includes a cradle that is configured to receive a portion of a gun.
The gun case may also include a second groove that is defined by one of the walls and that opens toward the interior volume. Moreover, the second groove may be spaced longitudinally from the first groove. An additional gun rest may be inserted into the second groove so that the pair of gun rests can receive a gun and hold the gun spaced apart from the bottom and top sections. Each of the gun rests may include two pieces that connect to each other via connectors on one edge of each of the pieces. Further, the connectors may be reversible so that the gun rest pieces may be connected to each other in two different relative orientations of the two pieces. The gun rests may include differently shaped cradles on opposite ends of each rest. Optionally rubber pads line the cradles so that the guns rest on the pad and do not chafe against the case.
In a yet another preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a gun rest for use with a gun case. The gun rest includes a proximal end, an opposite distal end, and a side extending between the proximal and distal ends. The side of the gun rest may be adapted to engage a groove in a gun case to thereby allow the gun case to support the gun rest along the one side and in a vertical orientation of the gun rest. Either the proximal or distal end includes a cradle that is adapted and dimensioned to allow a portion of at least one gun to rest therein. Of course, the proximal and the distal ends may include cradles of different shapes. A connector on a second side of the gun rest is adapted to connect the gun rest to a connector of an adjacent gun rest. Further, the connectors may connect the gun rests together whether the proximal ends of the gun rests are adjacent to one another or whether the proximal end of one gun rest is adjacent the distal end of the other gun rest.
In still another preferred embodiment, a method of storing guns that have different shapes and sizes is provided. The method includes selecting an orientation for a gun rest that has a proximal end, a distal end, and a cradle at one of the ends. The orientation chosen for the gun rest positions either the proximal or the distal end of the gun rest downwardly. The method also includes placing the gun rest in a gun case in the selected orientation and resting a gun in the cradle. In addition, the selected orientation may be reversed with the gun rest being placed in the gun case in the reversed orientation.
In yet another preferred embodiment, a method of storing guns is provided. The method of this embodiment includes connecting a pair of gun rests together along an edge of each gun rest. At least one of the gun rests has a cradle at one end that is shaped and dimensioned to receive and support a gun in the cradle. The method may also include placing the connected pair of gun rests in a gun case and resting a gun in the cradle.
In still another preferred embodiment, the present invention provides another method of storing guns of different shapes and sizes. The method of this embodiment includes selecting a first position along a longitudinal axis of the gun case for a first gun rest and placing the first gun rest in the gun case at the first elected position. A second position is selected for a second gun rest and the second gun rest is placed in the second position. Resting a gun in the cradle of the first and the second gun rests may also be included in the method of this embodiment. Of course the position of the second gun rest may be changed to accommodate guns of different sizes.
Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the present invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate like elements,
It is intended that terms such as “top” and “bottom,” which might be taken to imply a particular orientation of the gun case 10, do not imply that the gun case 10 of the present invention must be oriented in a particular manner. Rather, the gun case can be positioned in any orientation suitable for storing weapons. For instance, a gun case 10 can stand on an end with the “top” section 14 opening in a forward direction. Thus, “top,” “bottom,” and other similar terms are used merely to provide a description of a particular orientation in which the gun cases 10 of the present invention may be placed.
Each gun rest 16 has a proximal end 26, a distal end 28, and a pair of edges 30. Additionally, each gun rest 16 has cradles 32A to 32H on the gun rest ends 26 and 28, as shown in
The edges 30 of the gun rests 16 are adapted to engage the grooves 22 so that the gun case bottom section 12 holds the gun rests 16 in a vertical orientation when the gun rests 16 are inserted into the grooves 22. Preferably the grooves 22 open toward either the front wall 18 or the back wall 20. Of course, the gun rests 16 may be removed from the grooves 22 by pulling up on the gun rests 16. Further, since all of the gun rest edges 30 are approximately the width of the grooves 22, any gun rest 16 can be removably inserted into any groove 22. Thus, the longitudinal position of the gun rests 16 relative to the bottom section 12 may be changed by selecting a different groove 22 to hold the gun rest 16. Plus, because the width of each edge 30 is relatively constant, the gun rests 16 can be inserted into the grooves 22 with either the proximal end 26 or distal end 28 pointing up (i.e. toward the top section 14). By selecting the number of gun rests 16 in the gun case, the longitudinal positions of the gun rests 16, the shapes of the cradles 32 (i.e. changing gun rests 16), and the orientation of the gun rests 16, one gun case 10 can accommodate a large variety of differently shaped and sized guns.
With reference to
Additional flexibility can be achieved through selectively orienting the gun rest pieces 16A and 16B. For instance, the individual pieces 16A and 16B can be inserted into the gun case 10 with the proximal end 26 or distal end 28 oriented pointing up. Each gun rest piece 16A or 16B provides two cradles for holding guns, one on the proximal end 26 and one on the distal end 28. Further, since the cradles 32 at each end 26 and 28 may be shaped differently from one another, many combinations of cradles 32 can be created from just a few gun rest pieces 16A and 16B being selectively joined together. Further, the connector 40 may be reversible. That is, the connector 40 will connect two pieces 16A and 16B regardless of whether the proximal end 26 of one piece 16A is adjacent the proximal end 26 or distal end 28 of another piece 16B. As a result, each assembled gun rest 16 (of at least two pieces) can provide up to four combinations of cradles 32 for holding guns of different shapes. One preferred reversible connector 40 includes a set of hook shaped members 40A on one of the pieces 16A and a set of pin like projections 40B on the other piece 16B. Pieces 16A and 16B of the current embodiment therefore slide together conveniently when one of the pieces is moved vertically with respect to the other piece. Thus, one piece 16A may be removed from the bottom section 12 without disturbing the other piece 16B (and any guns resting thereon). Of course, each piece 16A and 16B may include both hooks and pins (as shown) so that no restriction exists with regard to which pieces 16A and 16B can be assembled together.
In addition to holding the guns, the gun rests 16 serve another function, namely suspending the guns so that they do not contact the sides of the case 10 even if the case 10 is handled roughly. As shown in
Thus, the gun rests 16 prevent chafing between the surfaces of the guns and the gun case 10. As a result, the gun case 10 can be made from essentially any material without risking abrasions to the guns. In other preferred embodiments, the gun rests 16 also include rubber pads 44 that line the cradles 32. The rubber pads 44 prevent the gun rests 16 themselves from scuffing, or otherwise marring, the surface finish of the guns. Further, suspending the guns in the cradles 32 in isolation from the bottom 12 and top sections 14 prevents entrapment of moisture between the guns and the gun case 10. Corrosion and degradation of the guns are therefore obviated by the present invention.
A pair of hold down straps 46 (e.g. hook and fastener straps) affixed to the bottom section 12 may further secure the stored guns against movement. Once wrapped over the stored guns, the straps 46 prevent the guns from becoming dislodged and contacting the top section 14. The present invention also provides gun rests 16 with cradles 32 providing slight interference fits between the guns and the cradles 32 (lined with a material with properties such that the cradle 32 yields rather than the gun) to retain the guns in the cradles 32. In the alternative, detents and other equivalent retaining means may retain the guns in the cradle 32. Thus, the cradles 32 prevent relative upward movement between the gun case 10 and the guns stored therein. Yet another feature, a set of wheels or casters 48 (See
Yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method of storing guns as illustrated by
In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the several advantages of the invention are achieved and attained. Gun cases have been provided that protect guns from damage and corrosion. Moreover, the gun cases provided allow the user a considerable degree of flexibility with regard to the shapes of the guns that can be stored in the gun cases of the present invention. Methods have also been provided for storing and protecting guns from corrosion and mechanical damage while providing similar flexibility in the types of guns to be stored in the gun case.
The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
