The present application generally relates to suppressor systems.
A discharge of a firearm generates substantial noise and recoil, which may prove harmful and disruptive to a user of the firearm. For example, the discharge of the firearm may propel a volume of gas through a barrel of the firearm at a high speed, while simultaneously generating inertial recoil. If the volume of gas is allowed to exit the barrel of the firearm at an uninhibited velocity, the egress may further generate a loud noise, in a similar manner to that produced by the popping of a balloon. Were the volume of gas forced to decrease its velocity before exiting into an external environment, the noise produced by the discharge of the firearm would be effectively dampened, in a manner instead akin to releasing air slowly from a balloon.
As such, it is desirable to control the flow of a volume of gas produced by the discharge of a firearm, thereby dampening noise and/or reducing recoil. Suppressors have been used to provide limited means of flow control following the discharge of firearms. However, there is a need for improved metering of the flow of gas produced by the discharge of firearms.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described below:
The present disclosure provides for suppressor systems and apparatuses. A suppressor may include a core, a main can, and a spring. The core may define a first channel that intersects a radially dispersed hole configuration and may be configured to be coupled to a firearm. The main can be disposed around the core and include a baffle structure. The baffle structure may include a plurality of baffles that define a second channel and a plurality of chambers intersecting the second channel. In various configurations, the core and/or the main can each be a unitary piece or be formed from a plurality of components.
The spring may be coupled to the core and configured to axially bias the main can, responsive to a discharge of the firearm, between at least a first position and a second position with respect to the core. The spring may be selected, altered, or installed based on a desired compressive force that the spring is to exert with respect to one or more components of the suppressor with which it engages, thereby providing for adjustment of the axial biasing operation. The first position and the second position may, respectively, define a first pathway and a second pathway between the first channel, the second channel, and/or the plurality of chambers via the hole configuration. The suppressor may be configured to control a flow of a volume of gas, produced by the discharge of the firearm, via the first pathway or the second pathway based on whether the main can is axially biased in the first position or the second position with respect to the core. As described in further detail below, the suppressor may thereby facilitate a valve action between the core and the main can that controls the flow of the volume of gas produced by the discharge of the firearm.
The firearm with which the suppressor is configured for use may be any suitable firearm. For example, the suppressor may be configured for use with a handgun, a long gun, a shotgun, or any other type of firearm compatible with any caliber of rounds of ammunition. Moreover, the suppressor may be configured for use with a blowback-operated firearm, a gas-operated firearm, a recoil-operated firearm, or a firearm capable of any other type of operational cycling. The type of firearm, intended caliber, and type of operational cycling with which the suppressor is intended for use may further inform the particular configuration and functionality of the suppressor.
Accordingly, various sources of energy associated with the discharge of the firearm may facilitate the axial biasing and/or opposed motion of the main can and the core with respect to one another. For example, in some embodiments, the spring may be configured to axially bias the main can with respect to the core responsive, at least in part, to a recoil produced by the discharge of the firearm. In other embodiments, the spring may be configured to axially bias the main can with respect to the core responsive, at least in part, to a change in gaseous pressure produced by the discharge of the firearm.
Moreover, depending on the desired performance characteristics of the suppressor, its various components may be formed from any suitable material. For example, one or more component(s) of the suppressor may be formed from metal (e.g., titanium, steel, stainless steel, and/or aluminum), rubber, plastic, another composite material, or any other suitable material. It will, of course, be understood by those having skill in the art that one or more material(s) may be selected or substituted depending on the applicable configuration of the suppressor and/or the firearm with which the suppressor is to be used, such alternative embodiments being envisioned by the present disclosure.
In various embodiments, the suppressor may provide numerous benefits associated with the discharge of the firearm by, for example, metering the flow of the volume of gas produced by the discharge of the firearm. For one, by lessening a speed with which the volume of gas escapes from a muzzle end of the firearm and/or the suppressor, the suppressor may dampen a sound generated by the discharge of the firearm. In addition or alternatively, the suppressor may lessen a recoil produced by the discharge of the firearm. In these and other manners, the suppressor may thereby provide for improved performance of the firearm.
Referring now to
The suppressor 100 may be configured for use with a firearm. The suppressor 100 may have a substantially cylindrical profile defining a longitudinal axis that corresponds to a longitudinal axis of a barrel of the firearm. In various embodiments, the suppressor 100 may be rigidly coupled to the firearm at a proximal end of the suppressor 100 nearest the mounting cap 102 (as opposed to a distal end of the suppressor 100 nearest the discharge cap 110). Accordingly, the barrel of the firearm and the suppressor may define a channel extending from the barrel of the firearm, through an internal volume of the suppressor 110, and terminating about the discharge cap 110.
As shown in
In various embodiments, the mounting cap 102 may be disposed around and rigidly coupled to the boost core 204. The boost sleeve 206 may be disposed around and engaged with the boost core 204. The spring 202 may be disposed between the boost core 204 and the boost sleeve and/or engaged against one or more radial extrusion(s) of the boost core 204 (such as radial extrusion(s) 408 illustrated in
The boost core 204, the boost sleeve 206, and/or the valve core 214 may define one or more channel(s) intersecting one or more set(s) of radially disposed holes. For example, the boost core 204 may define channel 414 intersecting one or more hole(s) 410 (illustrated in
The one or more sets of radially disposed holes may further define a hole configuration of the core 112 of the suppressor 100. For example, the hole configuration of the core 112 may include various configurations of hole(s) 410, hole(s) 506, hole(s) 902, hole(s) 904, and/or any additional or alternative hole(s) associated with one or more component(s) of the core 112. The hole configuration may include one or more hole types defined by one or more diameters or profiles. For example, the hole configuration may include one or more holes having a circular, diamond, oval, and/or teardrop profile or any other suitable hole profile.
In various embodiments(s), the first baffle(s) 210, the second baffle(s) 212, and/or one or more other baffle(s) may be rigidly coupled to one another, thereby forming, in whole or in part, a baffle structure (such as baffle structure 1302 illustrated in
The boost housing 106 may be disposed around at least a portion of the boost core 204, the boost sleeve 206, and/or the spring 202. The main housing 108 may be disposed around and/or engaged with the first baffle(s) 210, the second baffle(s) 212, and/or any other baffle(s) included in the baffle structure. As illustrated by the present embodiment, the suppressor 100 may include one boost housing 106 and one main housing 108. It will be understood by those having skill in the art, however, that inclusion of one or more additional boost housing(s) 106 and/or main housing(s) 108 is envisioned by the present disclosure. For example, in various embodiments, the core 112 may include any number of valve core(s) 214 rigidly coupled to one another, while the baffle structure may include any number of first baffle(s) 210, second baffle(s) 212, and/or other baffle(s). In this manner, an overall length of the core 112 and/or the baffle structure may vary. Accordingly, the main can 104 may include one or more additional boost housing(s) 106 and/or main housing(s) 108 rigidly coupled to one another and having an overall length that is adjustable based on the overall length of the core 112 and/or the baffle structure. It should further be understood that the baffle structure may be a component of the main can 104 or may be a separate component. For example, in some embodiments, the main can 104 may include one or more boost housing(s) 106 and/or main housing(s) 108 but not the baffle structure, whereas, in other embodiments (such as the present embodiment), the main can 104 may include the baffle structure. Thus, the functionality and configuration of the suppressor 100 may be further customized as desired.
One or more O-ring(s) or gasket(s) 208 may disposed within and/or around various components of the suppressor 100 to provide airtight and/or watertight seal(s) against an external environment or with respect to different internal volumes or chambers of the suppressor 100. For example, O-ring(s) or gasket(s) 208 may be disposed around the mounting cap 102 and/or the boost core 204, at the interface of the two, to prevent leakage of gas to the external environment except via intended egress at, for example, the discharge cap 110. Alternatively, or in addition, O-ring(s) or gasket(s) 208 may be disposed between the first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212 to prevent unintended leakage of gas from within the baffle structure when the firearm is discharged. Of course, it will be understood by those having skill in the art that numerous dispositions of O-ring(s) or gasket(s) 208 to form airtight or watertight seals within and/or about the suppressor 100 are further envisioned by the present disclosure.
At one end of the suppressor 100, the discharge cap 110 may be rigidly coupled to the main housing 108. At an opposite end of the suppressor 100, the boost core 204 may be configured to be coupled to a firearm, including but not limited to one of the firearms described herein. When the firearm is coupled to the boost core 204 and subsequently discharged, a volume of gas produced by the discharge may travel between the boost core 204 and the discharge cap 110 via the channel 216 and/or the other channel(s) described herein.
It will be understood by those having skill in the art that numerous means of mating, coupling, interfacing, engaging, and/or rigidly coupling components to one another are envisioned by the present disclosure. For example, in various embodiments, rigidly coupling one component to another may include screwably connecting, welding, fastening, securing, gluing, or otherwise fixably mating the components to one another. In certain embodiments, rigidly coupling one component to another may be directionally dependent, such that the components may be moveable with respect to one another in one direction but restricted from traveling with respect to one another in a different direction. In some embodiments, rigidly coupled components may be separable from one another, for example, during assembly or disassembly and/or during certain other operations. It will further be understood that the particular manners of mating, coupling, and/or rigidly coupling or otherwise associating components with one another are described herein for illustrative purposes only and that numerous other configurations and/or manners of assembly are envisioned by the present disclosure.
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The chamber(s) 1310 may be entirely included within the first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212. In some embodiments, for example, the first baffle(s) 210 may include open portion of the chamber(s) 1310, while the second baffle(s) 212 may include another open portion of the chamber(s) 1310, thereby requiring two of the first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212 to form the chamber(s) 1310. In some embodiments, the channel 1304 defined by the baffle structure 1302 may intersect the chamber(s) 1310. In other embodiments, access to the chamber(s) 1310 may be via a different channel, hole, and/or bore, either included within the baffle structure 1302 or otherwise. It will be understood by those having skill in the art that numerous other chamber configurations requiring one or more baffles are envisioned by the present disclosure.
The configuration of the first baffle(s) 210 may be the same or different from that of the second baffle(s) 212. In various embodiments the outer surface 706 of each of the first baffle(s) 210 may be the same or substantially similar to that of the outer surface 810 of each of the second baffle(s) 212. In some embodiments, the orientation of the first baffle(s) 210 with respect to one another and/or with respect to the second baffle(s) 212 may be reconfigured. In other words, the baffle structure 1302 may be modular in assembly such that the definition of the channel 1304 and or the chamber(s) 1310 may be modified or adjusted without the need for a different suppressor from the suppressor 100.
Referring now to
Various components, including but not limited to the ring 302 of the mounting cap 102, the ring 602 and/or the ring 616 of the boost housing 106, the outer ring 908 and/or the interior ring 910 of the valve core 214, the inner ridge 1002 and/or the ring 1406 of the main housing 108, and/or the ring 1102 of the discharge cap 110, may be engaged or coupled to one another and/or to other components of the suppressor 100 as illustrated and/or described throughout the present disclosure or otherwise to secure the one or more components of the suppressor 100 together. For example, the aforementioned components may include screw threads and be screwably connected. The boost core 204 and the valve core 214 may include corresponding protrusions extending outward in an axial direction along the channel 216. The outer ring 908 and/or the interior ring 910 may be configured to hold these protrusions together. The ring 1406 of the main housing 108 may fit over the ring 616 of the boost housing 106 to hold the main housing 108 and the boost housing 106 together.
In various embodiments, the channel 216 may extend along a longitudinal axis of the suppressor 100, for example, between the mounting cap 102 and the discharge cap 110 through the boost core 204 and the valve core 214. The channel 216 may be configured such that a round discharged from a firearm, along with a volume of gas produced by the discharge, may travel through the channel 216 when the suppressor 100 is coupled to the firearm.
The suppressor 100 may be oriented in various positions, including a first position (illustrated in
The axial biasing of the main can 104 with respect to the core 112 may be facilitated by a spring, such as the spring 202. Although not shown in
In various embodiments, the various positions in which the suppressor 100 may be oriented may be defined, for example, by a distance with which the mounting cap 102 is biased with respect to the boost core 204. For example, in the present embodiment, the mounting cap 102 is biased with respect to the boost core 204 by distance 1402 in the first position, by distance 1410 in the intermediate position, and by distance 1412 in the second position. As illustrated in
The suppressor 100 may be configured with one or more holes disposed along the boost core 204, the boost sleeve 206, and/or the valve core 214. The boost core 204 may include one or more radially disposed hole(s) 410 that may be configured to facilitate the flow of the volume of gas through and into the channel 608 of the boost housing 106. The valve core may include one or more radially disposed hole(s) 902 and/or hole(s) 904, as well as one or more radially disposed indent(s) 906 along an external surface of the valve core 214, the configuration of which may further facilitate the flow of the volume of gas about the core and/or the main can.
The first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212 may be configured such that one or more chamber(s) are formed. For example, the present embodiment may include chamber(s) 1310 and chamber(s) 1404, both of which may be formed by a configuration of the first baffle(s) 210 with respect to one another and further with respect to the second baffle(s) 212. One or more bore(s) (e.g., bore(s) 702 of the first baffle(s) 210 and/or bore(s) 804 of the second baffle(s) 212) may be radially disposed within the chamber(s) 1310 and/or the chamber(s) 1404 to allow a limited flow of the volume of gas from one chamber to the next, regardless of the current position of the suppressor 100.
The flow of the volume of gas is illustrated in the present embodiment by flow 1408. Depending on whether the suppressor 100 is oriented in the first position, the intermediate position, or the second position, the flow 1408 may follow one or more different pathways through the various channels, holes, bores, and/or chambers defined by the various components of the suppressor 100. For example, in the present embodiment, the hole(s) 902 may be configured to facilitate flow 1408 into one of the chamber(s) 1404. The hole(s) 904 may be configured to facilitate the flow 1408 into the chamber(s) 1310. The chamber(s) 1310 may be configured to receive the flow 1408 from the valve core 214 through the hole(s) 904.
The flow 1408 may cause torsional and/or axial force to be applied to various components of the suppressor (e.g., torsional force to the valve core 214 and/or axial force to the first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212), which may cause the suppressor 100 to be oriented in, for example, the first position, the intermediate position, or the second position. It should be noted that, instead of being gas-based, the orientation of the suppressor may alternatively be inertia-based (e.g., responsive to a recoil caused by discharging the firearm).
Regardless of the particular manner in which the suppressor 100 comes to be oriented in the various positions, the flow 1408 may differ based on the current position. For example, in the first position, the flow 1408 may be directed into the chamber(s) 1310 and/or the chamber(s) 1404. In the intermediate position, the flow 1408 may be able to partially escape the chamber(s) 1310 and/or the chamber(s) 1404, as the indent(s) 906 may be positioned to allow partial passage of the flow 1408 from one of chamber(s) 1310 or chamber(s) 1404 to the next. The hole(s) 902 and/or the hole(s) 904 may continue to allow flow 1408 into the chamber(s) 1310 and/or the chamber(s) 1404. In the second position, the hole(s) 902 and/or the hole(s) 904 may restrict flow 1408 from entering or leaving the chamber(s) 1310 and/or the chamber(s) 1404 by aligning with a solid portion of the first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212. Over time, the flow 1408 in the chamber(s) 1310 and/or the chamber(s) 1404 may cool, which may cause the flow 1408 to reverse direction, thereby normalizing a pressure of the flow 1408 within the suppressor 100.
It again warrants mentioning that the hole(s) 410, the hole(s) 902, and the hole(s) 904 may be of any size, shape, profile, and/or orientation to control the flow of gas within the suppressor 100. In some embodiments, the various holes may be circular, but, in other embodiments, the holes may be diamond-shaped, oval-shaped, and/or teardrop-shaped, or any other suitable shape or combination of shapes to provide the desired flow 1408. In certain embodiments, the hole(s) 902 and/or the hole(s) 904 may increase or decrease in size and/or number along the length of the valve core 214. The various holes may be located in the center of the first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212, or formed from a combination of the first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212, or offset from the center of either the first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212 to control the flow 1408 in a desired manner. The timing with which the suppressor 100 changes orientation may be controlled by variables such as the size(s), shape(s), number, orientation(s), and/or distribution of the hole(s) 902 and/or the hole(s) 904, as well as their alignment(s) relative to the first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212 as the valve core 214 experiences the axial biasing described herein. By defining the sizes, shapes, and/or locations of the hole(s) 902 and/or the hole(s) 904 relative to the first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212, the suppressor 100 may allow more or less of the flow 1408 from the valve core 214 into the first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212, which may affect the speed of reorientation and/or performance of the suppressor 100.
Further, or alternatively, the spring 202 may be replaced with a different spring having different characteristics to adjust the timing of the suppressor 100. Different calibers of rounds and/or different types of ammunition may be accommodated by the size(s), shape(s), and/or orientation of the hole(s) 902 and/or the hole(s) 904 relative to the first baffle(s) 210 and/or the second baffle(s) 212. For example, in some embodiments, the valve core 214 may be the only component of the suppressor 100 that must be replaced when switching from a .45 caliber round to a 9 mm round, such that the suppressor 199 may operate at an acceptable pressure. It will, of course, be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art that numerous other modifications, alterations, and/or assemblies of the suppressor 100 are envisioned by the present disclosure, many of which may provide for further customization of the suppressor 100 in the field.
In various embodiments, the transition of the suppressor 100 between the first position, the intermediate position, and/or the second position may prove beneficial for numerous reasons. For one, controlling the otherwise rapid expansion of gas and subsequent egress from a muzzle end of a firearm following discharge of the firearm may dampen a noise produced by the discharge. Moreover, metering the flow of gas may serve to lessen a recoil felt immediately following the discharge of the firearm. Further still, the travel of various components of the suppressor 100 between the first position, the intermediate position, and/or the second position may cause a shearing effect within the suppressor 100, which may clean or remove grime, residue, dirt, or carbon from the faces of the various components of the suppressor 100.
Although specific embodiments of the disclosure have been described, numerous other modifications and alternative embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure. For example, any of the functionality described with respect to a particular device or component may be performed by another device or component. Further, while specific device characteristics have been described, embodiments of the disclosure may relate to numerous other device characteristics. Further, although embodiments have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms of implementing the embodiments. Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments could include, while other embodiments may not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments.
This application is related to, and claims the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/266,665, filed Jan. 11, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20230221088 A1 | Jul 2023 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63266665 | Jan 2022 | US |