Patent Application
20190107352
The present invention is directed generally to ammunition magazines for firearms, and in particular, to devices for covering ammunition magazines during use and/or storage.
Many common firearms are supplied ammunition via a box magazine. The magazine can be detached once the cartridges are expended and a new magazine can be inserted into the firearm providing more ammunition. It is advantageous for police officers, military personnel, competitive shooters, and other civilians engaged in shooting sports to have a readily available supply of ammunition. Typically spare magazines are carried on a user's clothing or belt. It can take extra time, however, to remove a magazine from its position on a belt or clothing. In order to increase the efficiency of switching magazines, several devices have been made that attach a spare magazine to a firearm.
In addition, it is common practice to link two magazines together and several devices have been made that couple or link two or more ammunition magazines together. Typically, when two magazines are coupled together, the first magazine is inserted into the firearm while the second is attached vertically to the first magazine by an apparatus. This reduces the time of a reload and makes a spare magazine very accessible. However, the coupling of two magazines, and the devices thereto, can result in several operational problems. First, the open end of the spare (second) magazine is left exposed to the elements. This can lead to debris getting into the magazine and causing a malfunction. Second, the first cartridge of the spare magazine has a tendency to slide forward while the first magazine is being fired or during transport. This results in the first cartridge protruding from the front of the spare magazine. The cartridge can then get caught on the magazine well during a reload and cause a malfunction.
There have been several unsuccessful attempts to address the aforementioned issues. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,962, entitled “Magazine Hanger,” a magazine hanger is described for carrying a spare magazine. According to the '962 patent, a magazine is inserted into the hanger and the hanger is then attached to an object via two loops on top of the hanger. If the hanger were to be used on a coupled magazine it would remain attached to the firearm even after the magazine was removed. This has the possibility to interfere with weapons manipulation by obstructing important firearm features such as, but not limited to, a bolt catch. The hanger also relies on a pendulum that fits under a magazine feed lip. This has the effect of compressing the cartridges in a magazine and would require one or more cartridges to be removed from the magazine to make the hanger work. In addition, in order to release the magazine a latch must be disengaged by finger pressure to a tab on the hanger, thus adding time to the reload process of the firearm.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,404, entitled “Spare Magazine Holder,” a protective carrier for a spare magazine is described. The '404 patent describes a covering that is attached to the left side of a fire arm. A loaded spare magazine is inserted into the cover and it is held in place by a latch mechanism. When the magazine release button is pushed, the latch mechanism is activated and the empty magazine will drop from the firearm. The spare magazine will drop from the cover at the same time, which prohibits the user from selectively ejecting a certain magazine for clearing a malfunction. The cover also obstructs the use of a bolt catch on certain types of rifles and other firearms. This means the user will have to use the charging handle to chamber a cartridge once the reload is completed, which takes more time than simply striking the bolt catch to chamber a cartridge. In addition, the cover described in the '404 patent would be expensive to the user due to material and manufacturing costs.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,562,482, entitled “Spare Magazine Cover with Independent Latch Mechanism,” a cover is described for carrying a spare ammunition magazine. The cover is attached to the left side of a firearm. The spare magazine is inserted into the cover and held in place by an independent latch mechanism. The magazine can be released by applying pressure to a lever on the carrier. However, the design and configuration of the cover described in the '482 patent requires additional time during a reload and would be expensive to the user due to material and manufacturing costs.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,043, entitled “Magazine Doubler,” a magazine doubling device is described that contains a body holding two magazines. The device includes an attached blocking element that goes in the magazine not in use. It is placed on the top of the loaded cartridges in the place of the top cartridge. However, this reduces magazine capacity and the blocking element must be manually removed before inserting the magazine into a firearm. In addition, the blocking element will remain attached via a rubber band allowing it to swing freely and interfere with weapons manipulations.
Accordingly, a need exists for a device that can allow for the efficient and effective use of linked or coupled ammunitions magazines with firearms without the aforementioned drawbacks and problems.
The present invention is directed to a cover for an ammunition magazine to protect the open end of the ammunition magazine during use and/or storage. According to one embodiment, the cover can be configured for use on a spare magazine that is coupled to a primary magazine during use with a firearm. According to one embodiment, the cover can be configured to automatically detach and eject away from the spare magazine when the primary magazine is removed from the firearm during a reload maneuver.
According to one embodiment, the cover can include main body portion comprising a top wall and a perimeter sidewall extending downward from the top wall and terminating at a lower perimeter edge. The perimeter sidewall can include a plurality of side walls, including a front wall, rear wall, first side wall and second side wall. The perimeter sidewall can define a cover cavity configured for receiving an upper open end of an ammunition magazine. The perimeter sidewall can create a cavity opening at its lower perimeter edge that provides access to the cover cavity from the lower end of the cover.
According to one embodiment, the cover can include a feed lip edge located on the lower perimeter edge of one of the walls forming the perimeter sidewall. According to one embodiment, the feed lip edge can form an angled and narrowing edge extending downward beyond the remainder of lower perimeter edge. According to another embodiment, the feed lip edge can form an angled and narrowing edge defined into one of the walls forming the perimeter sidewall along the lower perimeter edge and terminate in alignment with lower perimeter edge.
According to one embodiment, the cover can include a bracket portion comprising a bracket mounting wing that extends outward from on the walls of the perimeter sidewall and a bracket connected to the bracket mounting wing. The bracket can be configured with an L-type shape and include a lower vertical portion and an upper horizontal portion. The lower vertical portion can be generally aligned with the plane of the bracket mounting wing and the upper horizontal portion can extend perpendicularly away from the vertical portion. The bracket and the bracket mounting wing can be connected together by any suitable means, including a fastener, and can also be integrally or removably connected.
According to one embodiment, the cover can be used in connection with two ammunition magazines that are coupled together. When the primary magazine is inserted into a firearm, the coupled spare magazine is positioned to the side of primary magazine and to the side of the firearm. Because the spare magazine is not in use, its open upper end is exposed to potential damage and debris. The cover can be inserted over the open end of the spare magazine for protection by inserting the upper open end into the cover cavity. The cover can be frictionally retained on the spare magazine by the perimeter sidewall of the cover. When the cover is placed on the spare magazine, the bracket, and particularly the horizontal portion of the bracket, extends over and above the upper receiving portion of the firearm. Then, when the user of the firearm elects to reload and change to the spare ammunition magazine, the primary magazine is removed from the firearm by pulling the magazine downward. Because the two magazines are connected together, the spare magazine also travels in the downward direction which causes the horizontal portion of the bracket to contact the upper receiving portion of the firearm. This restricts the cover from traveling downward along with the spare magazine, which causes the cover to detach and eject from the upper open end of spare magazine. As the cover falls to the ground, the user can freely insert the spare magazine into the firearm without having to take any additional actions to remove the cover from the spare magazine.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the accompanying drawing figures.
In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of the specification and is to be read in conjunction therewith in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like or similar parts in the various views:
The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures.
The following detailed description of the invention references specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The present invention is defined by the appended claims and the description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense and shall not limit the scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
The present invention is directed to a magazine cover 10 that can be configured for use with an ammunition magazine 100/102 and/or a firearm 106 (see
Turning to
Cover opening 24 and cavity 26 can be configured to generally conform to the shape and configuration of the open end of an ammunition magazine 100/102. In such a configuration, the interior of side walls 14-20 can be configured to engage the corresponding exterior sides of the end of a magazine 100/102 so that the dimensional configuration of the interior cavity 26 is approximately equal to or similar to the dimensional configuration of the outer portion of magazine 100/102. As described in greater detail below, this can enable cover 10 to engage the end of magazine 100/102 and remain in place by means of friction until an appropriate disengaging force is applied.
For merely exemplary purposes, according to one particular embodiment, cover 10 can be constructed with the following interior dimensions in order to fit the outer dimensions of one type of standard magazine 100/102: side walls 14-20 can have an interior height of approximately 0.9 inches extending downward from top wall 12 and terminating at perimeter edge 22; side walls 14-20 can have a thickness of approximately 0.15 inches; the distance between the interior surfaces of left side wall 14 and right side wall 16 can be approximately 0.9 inches; and the distance between the interior surfaces of front side wall 18 and rear side wall 20 can be approximately 2.52 inches. The foregoing dimensional configuration is intended to illustrate only one potential dimensional configuration for cover 10 designed to fit a particular type of ammunition magazine 100/102, and it is understood that any number of different dimensional configurations of cover 10 configured for different types of magazines 100/102 are considered within the scope of the present invention. For example, one embodiment of cover 10 can be sized and configured for use with an MP5 magazine, while another embodiment can be sized and configured for use with an AR 15 magazine. Other embodiments can be configured for one or more of UMP 40 magazines, UMP 45 magazines or any other type of magazine.
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Depending on the particular embodiment of the present invention, bracket mounting wing 30 and bracket 32 can be constructed as individual components that are connected together using any suitable means (including but not limited to fasteners, screws, adhesives, welding, melting, molding, or other suitable means), or bracket mounting wing 30 and bracket 32 can be constructed as a single unitary component along with the remainder of cover 10.
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According to another embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in
Cover 10 can be constructed from any suitable material(s) using any suitable method depending on the desired application and particular embodiment of the present invention. For example, cover 10 can be constructed using 3D printing technology, through injection molding processes, by molding, milling, resin casting or other suitable manufacturing method. In addition, cover 10 can be constructed from any suitable material, including but not limited to, reinforced polymer, other plastics, metal, wood or other suitable material.
Turning now to
Once primary magazine 100 is inserted into the magazine well of firearm 106, then cover 10 can be placed over the open upper end of spare magazine 102. As described above, cover opening 24 defined by the perimeter edge 22 of the cover side walls 14-20 can be configured to approximately conform to the outer shape of the open end top of magazine 102 so that cover 10 can slide over the open end top of magazine 102 and the open end top can be received within the cover cavity 26. According to one embodiment, the dimensions of cover cavity 26 (and side walls 14-20) can be configured to be slightly less than the dimensions of the top end of spare magazine 102 so that cover 10 is removably held in place on the top end of spare magazine 102 by friction. This friction can be a strong enough force to keep the cover 10 in place during normal wear and tear but not so great that it is too difficult for the cover 10 to separate itself from spare magazine 102 during a reload as described in greater detail below. In addition to or alternatively to, according to an certain embodiments (as illustrated in
As further shown in
Once the user of firearm 106 has expended the ammunition/cartridges in primary magazine 100 and/or decides to reload with spare magazine 102, the user can initiate a reload action in the same manner that the user would normally reload firearm 106 and coupled magazines 100/102. During the reload action, primary magazine 100 is removed from the magazine well of firearm 106 with a downward motion of primary magazine 100. Because spare magazine 102 is connected to primary magazine 100 (via magazine coupler 104), spare magazine 102 also moves with the same downward motion as primary magazine 100. As both magazines 100 and 102 move downward, the horizontal portion 32b of bracket 32 engages the upper receiving portion of firearm 106 and prevents cover 10 from continuing the same downward motion of spare magazine 102. As a result, the top end of spare magazine 102 slides away from cover 10 and cover 10 disengages and ejects from spare magazine 102 and falls away from firearm 106 without any additional interaction form the user. The user can then complete the reload action by inserting spare magazine into the magazine well of firearm 106.
Cover 10 can provide the advantage of covering the spare magazine 102 without requiring any additional time and/or maneuvers during a reload action. Cover 10 can prevent debris and other objects from entering spare magazine 102 when the primary magazine 100 is being used in firearm 106 and can also reduce malfunctions due to the first cartridge in spare magazine 102 moving forward unintentionally within spare magazine 102.
Cover 10 also does not obstruct or limit a user from conducting a reload action. As described above, cover 10 can be configured to have a cavity 26 defined by the perimeter sidewall (i.e., side walls 14-20) and configured to approximately conform to the exterior shape of a spare magazine 102 so that a frictional force maintains engagement of cover 10 onto spare magazine 102 until a routine downward movement is applied to primary magazine 100 (and the coupled spare magazine 102), which causes cover 10 to disengage spare magazine 102 due to the upper receiving means 108 of firearm 106 preventing further movement of the horizontal portion 32b of bracket 32 of cover 10. Spare magazine 102 is then freed from cover 10, which can fall away to the ground, and spare magazine 102 can be inserted into firearm 106 to complete the reload. As a result, fast and efficient reloads can be carried out by a user without any additional time or movements in the reloading process, which can be the difference in an armed force member, police force member or other user's survival.
Cover 10 need not be used solely in connection with coupled magazines 100/102. For example, cover 10 can be placed on a single magazine 100 (or two coupled magazines 100/102) for storage to prevent debris from entering the magazine 100/102 or damage to the magazine 100/102. In such instances, cover 10 can be easily removed by striking the horizontal portion 32b of bracket 32 of cover 10 against any solid object, such as the user's belt of a piece of equipment or gear.
As shown in the several figures, cover 10 can be configured and orientated so that mounting wing 30 and bracket 32 are located on the rear-end of a magazine 102 when engaged with the upper receiving region 108 of a firearm 106. However, cover 10 can alternatively be configured and orientated in any desired manner. For example, cover 10 can be configured to have mounting wing 30 and bracket 32 located at the forward-end of a magazine 102 when engaged with a firearm 106 by reversing the direction of the horizontal portion 32b of bracket 32. According to one embodiment, as illustrated in
From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and sub combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. Since many possible embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is also to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting.
The constructions described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts and principles of the present invention. Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required”. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present construction will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.
This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/570,725, filed on Oct. 11, 2017, to Jacob Alexander Seibel, entitled “Self ejecting magazine cover for use with coupled ammunition magazines,” currently pending, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/637,624, filed on Mar. 2, 2018, to Jacob Alexander Seibel, entitled “Self ejecting magazine cover for use with ammunition magazines,” currently pending, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62570725 | Oct 2017 | US | |
| 62637624 | Mar 2018 | US |
