Shooting support bag

Abstract

A bag specially adapted as a shooting rest with multiple flexible legs extending from the bottom, and handle around the perimeter of the bag, and multiple attachment points for attaching items to the bag or the bag to items. The bag is recloseable and the amount of material in the bag may be adjusted to adapt to a user's preference by adding or removing material through a recloseable opening.

Description

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING,” A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC AND AN INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF THE MATERIAL ON THE COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY AN INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

The applicant has previously sold the device through the distributor “Bison Tactical” under the name “The Tactical Udder.” This device was designed and manufactured by the applicant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Consistency is of great importance when shooting firearms for accuracy. In order to shoot with greater accuracy, people frequently use some sort of a support for either the firearm or the shooter. These supports take a wide variety of forms from a mound of dirt or a tree branch to highly adjustable and engineered supports costing thousands of dollars. Supports frequently have two features. First, they support at least a portion of the weight of the firearm thereby reducing the stress on the shooter. Second, they frequently provide a degree of resistance of the firearm moving relative to the support either rotationally or laterally.

Supports generally fall into one of two categories: those which are attached to the firearm and those which are not. Among those which attach to firearms are slings and bipods among others. Slings may be attached to rifles and secured to, or braced against, a shooter to provide a more stable shooting arrangement. A two-legged device (a bipod) may be attached, frequently between the trigger and muzzle, to a firearm to provide a more stable arrangement when the bipod is used to support a portion of the weight of the firearm.

Supports to which a firearm is not attached include earthen features, shooting sticks, shooting bags, and monopods among others. People have used natural features like mounds of dirt, rocks, and tree limbs to support their firearms, or themselves, when aiming and shooting. People may tie two sticks together, separate the long ends, and rest a firearm between the short ends. People may rest a firearm on a bag, filled with various materials, to support a firearm for more stable aiming and shooting. A firearm may be rested in a yoke attached to a post (a monopod) to support a portion of the weight of the firearm thereby providing a less fatiguing and a more stable shooting arrangement.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A bag specially adapted as a shooting support. One face of the bag is integrally configured with more than two projections adapted to facilitate stable contact with uneven surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a bottom corner orthogonal view of the support.

FIG. 2 shows a top side perspective view of the support.

FIG. 3 shows a top orthogonal view of the support.

FIG. 4 shows a side corner orthogonal view of the support.

FIG. 5 shows a side orthogonal view of the support.

FIG. 6 shows an orthogonal view of a side panel of the support.

FIG. 7 shows four side panel pieces with their sides attached to each other.

FIG. 8 shows a side panel piece according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows a top panel piece according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows a bottom panel piece comprising a portion of an extrusion according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows a bottom panel piece of a reclosable opening according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 shows a top panel piece of a reclosable opening according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 shows a reclosable opening side panel according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The applicant's invention is a bag specially adapted for use as a support on irregular surfaces. In a preferred embodiment, the bag is generally material enclosing a hollow cavity. The bag is preferably constructed of a material which is substantially impermeable to moisture. When filled, the body of the bag generally forms a prism 2. In an alternative embodiment, the body has a cylindrical or polygonal cross-section and having generally straight sides. On the bottom, when filled, the bag encloses a plurality of excursions 1 similar to legs. In a preferred embodiment, there are four excursions 1, one extending downward from the bottom of the prism at each corner. In a preferred embodiment, when filled, the excursions 1 are generally the shape of a round-tipped cone. In a preferred embodiment the volume of the excursions is increased by adding a panel 7 between the portions of the side-panels which form part of the excursion.

In a preferred embodiment, the bag is further configured with flexible handles 4 attached to the generally vertical faces of the body 2 the bag. In a preferred embodiment, the handles are made of webbing which has been sewn 3 in a generally continuous loop around the bag, attached to the bag at or above the excursions and not attached to the bag at the middle of the vertical faces. Where the handles are not attached to the bag 4, a user may grasp the handle and use the handle to move the bag. In a preferred embodiment, the edges of the webbing are folded over and sewn to the webbing where the webbing is not attached to the bag 4 for greater comfort when holding, lifting, and transporting the bag by its straps.

In a preferred embodiment, slide buckle 5 attachment means are attached to the handle attachment points above the handle. In a preferred embodiment a strap with d-rings may be attached to the bag by passing the slide buckle 5 through the d-ring at an angle and aligning the slide buckle 5 with the d-ring and sizing the d-ring and slide buckle 5 such that when aligned the slide buckle 5 cannot pass through the d-ring. In a preferred embodiment, the strap is configured with hook-and-loop material so the effective length of the strap may be adjusted as necessary. In an alternative embodiment, other attachment means such as male and/or female release buckle members, carabiners, or quick-detachment mount points are attached to the handle at various points around the handle. The attachment means are configured to facilitate a person using the bag to attach a pack, firearm, or other object, to the bag using the attachment means.

In a preferred embodiment, the bag is configured with a recloseable opening 8 allowing fill material to be added to, or removed from, the bag to achieve the desired amount of firmness. In a preferred embodiment, the recloseable opening is integral to the side panel of the bag, is secured with hook-and-loop material, and is positioned behind a handle 4. In a preferred embodiment, the recloseable opening is constructed with a tongue of material 7 configured to hang out of the bag and cover the hook portion of the hook-and-loop-material when filling the cavity with fill material and tuck back inside the bag when closed. In a preferred embodiment, the recloseable opening is configured with tails which form the excursions 1 of the support. In an alternative embodiment, the recloseable opening is secured with a zipper, a zipper and hook-and-loop material, or other closure mechanism which substantially prevents fill material from escaping the bag when closed. The bag is preferably filled with granular material to achieve a desired combination of firmness and flexibility. In a preferred embodiment, the fill material is kernels of wheat. In alternative embodiments, the fill material is plastic pellets, sand, pea gravel, or dried beans, or other granular material.

In a preferred embodiment, the bottom of the bag is configured with one or more wear patches. In a preferred embodiment a wear patch is preferably located in approximately the center of the bottom where a number of seams meet. The wear patch preferably has high abrasion resistance helping reduce the likelihood of rips, tears, and punctures to the bag. The wear patch also preferably has a relatively high coefficient of friction thereby helping the bag resist movement relative to an object on which it is placed. In certain embodiments, one or more wear patches are attached to the bottoms of the excursions. In certain embodiments, the bag is configured with material having a high-coefficient of friction and high abrasion resistance on at least a portion of the top face.

Claims

1. A rifle rest comprising: a generally hollow primary cavity, said generally hollow primary cavity being fillable with particulate material;at least three generally hollow support lobes attached to said generally hollow primary cavity, said generally hollow support lobes being fillable with particulate material;said generally hollow support lobes extending away from said generally hollow primary cavity in a common direction.

2. The rifle rest of claim 1 wherein: said primary cavity and said generally hollow support lobes being configured to, when filled, allow particulate material to pass between and among them

3. The rifle rest of claim 2 wherein: said generally hollow primary cavity has a cross section of a generally regular polygon with a number of sides corresponding to the number of generally hollow support lobes.

4. The rifle rest of claim 2 wherein: said generally hollow primary cavity has a generally cylindrical shape.

5. The rifle rest of claim 2 further comprising: a reclosable opening in said generally hollow primary cavity configured, when opened, to permit particulate material to be added to or removed from said generally hollow primary cavity and said generally hollow support lobes and when closed to prevent particulate material from entering or escaping said generally hollow primary cavity and said generally hollow support lobes.

6. The rifle rest of claim 2 further comprising: a reclosable opening in at least one of said generally hollow support lobes configured, when opened, to permit particulate material to be added to or removed from said generally hollow primary cavity and said generally hollow support lobes and when closed to prevent particulate material from entering or escaping said generally hollow primary cavity and said generally hollow support lobes.

7. The rifle rest of claim 2 further comprising: a plurality of attachment points around the exterior face(s) of said generally hollow primary cavity.

8. The rifle rest of claim 7 wherein: said attachment points are comprised of flexible material discontinuously attached to said generally hollow primary cavity.

9. The rifle rest of claim 2 further comprising: at least one strap passing over said generally hollow primary cavity opposite said support lobes.

10. The rifle rest of claim 9 further comprising: said strap(s) having an adjustable effective length.

11. The rifle rest of claim 2 further comprising: an abrasion and/or puncture resistant material, different from that comprising the remainder of the surface of said generally hollow primary cavity, at the intersection of said generally hollow support lobes.

12. A rifle rest comprising: three or more flexible side panels, said flexible side panels having a greatest height not occurring at the center of the width, wherein sides of said flexible side panels, when connected directly or indirectly, form the perimeter of an enclosure.

13. The rifle rest of claim 12 wherein: one or more of said flexible side panels are comprised of more than one flexible panels.

14. The rifle rest of claim 12 wherein: said flexible side panels are generally bilaterally symmetrical.

15. The rifle rest of claim 12 further comprising: a flexible top panel which, when attached to a top of said flexible side panels forms a top of an enclosure having sides comprised of said flexible side panels.

16. The rifle rest of claim 15 further comprising: one or more flexible bottom panels which, when connected to the bottoms of said flexible side panels, form the bottom of said enclosure having sides comprised of said flexible side panels.

17. The rifle rest of claim 16 wherein: said enclosure is fillable with particulate material.

18. The rifle rest of claim 17 further comprising: a reclosable opening in said enclosure configured, when opened, to permit particulate material to be added to or removed from said enclosure and, when closed, to prevent particulate material from entering or escaping said enclosure.

19. The rifle rest of claim 18 further comprising: a plurality of attachment points around the exterior face(s) of said enclosure.

20. The rifle rest of claim 19 wherein: said attachment points are comprised of flexible material discontinuously attached to said enclosure.