U.S. patent application number 10/963119 was filed with the patent office on 2006-04-13 for firearm mounting apparatus.
Invention is credited to Tai Lai Ding.
Application Number | 20060075674 10/963119 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36143858 |
Filed Date | 2006-04-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060075674 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ding; Tai Lai |
April 13, 2006 |
Firearm mounting apparatus
Abstract
A mounting apparatus for use with a firearm includes a body
member having at least one mounting rail configured to support a
firearm accessory and a barrel adapter positioned between the body
member and a firearm barrel. The barrel adapter including a
movement limiting member configured to limit movement of the body
member relative to the firearm barrel.
Inventors: |
Ding; Tai Lai; (Northville,
MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HONIGMAN MILLER SCHWARTZ & COHN LLP
38500 WOODWARD AVENUE
SUITE 100
BLOOMFIELD HILLS
MI
48304-5048
US
|
Family ID: |
36143858 |
Appl. No.: |
10/963119 |
Filed: |
October 12, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
42/124 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41G 11/003
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
042/124 |
International
Class: |
F41G 1/38 20060101
F41G001/38 |
Claims
1. A mounting apparatus for use with a firearm, comprising: a body
member including at least one mounting rail configured to support a
firearm accessory; and a barrel adapter positioned between the body
member and a firearm barrel, the barrel adapter including a
movement limiting member configured to limit movement of the body
member relative to the firearm barrel.
2. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body member
includes a plurality of mounting rails.
3. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mounting rail
includes at least one aperture sized to receive a secondary
accessory.
4. The mounting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the aperture includes
an inner groove having a diameter greater than the aperture itself,
the groove sized to receive one or more spring loaded bearings in
the secondary accessory, which retain the secondary accessory
within the aperture.
5. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body member is a
generally U-shaped structure having a pair of deflectable
longitudinally extending side members that define a variable
capacity channel sized to receive the barrel adapter.
6. The mounting apparatus of claim 5, wherein the body member
includes at least one threaded fastener secured to each of the
longitudinally extending side members and rotatable to move the
longitudinally extending side members toward and away from each
other to reduce and enlarge the size of the channel,
respectively.
7. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the barrel adapter
includes a pair of generally semi-circular adapter halves.
8. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movement limiting
member includes a radially outwardly extending flange.
9. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movement limiting
member includes a gripping surface that contacts the barrel.
10. The mounting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the gripping surface
includes a plurality of elevated ridges.
11. The mounting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the gripping surface
includes an adhesive that contacts the barrel.
12. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mounting rail is
a Picatinny or Weaver-style mounting rail.
13. A mounting apparatus for use with a firearm, comprising: a body
member including at least two mounting rails configured to support
a firearm accessory; and a barrel adapter positioned between the
body member and a firearm barrel, the barrel adapter configured to
limit movement of the body member relative to the firearm
barrel.
14. The mounting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the body member
includes a plurality of mounting rails.
15. The mounting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the mounting rails
include at least one aperture sized to receive a secondary
accessory.
16. The mounting apparatus of claim 15, wherein the aperture
includes an inner groove having a diameter greater than the
aperture itself, the groove sized to receive one or more spring
loaded bearings in the secondary accessory, which retain the
secondary accessory within the aperture.
17. The mounting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the body member is
a generally U-shaped structure having a pair of deflectable
longitudinally extending side members that define a variable
capacity channel sized to receive the barrel adapter.
18. The mounting apparatus of claim 17, wherein the body member
includes at least one threaded fastener secured to each of the
longitudinally extending side members and rotatable to move the
longitudinally extending side members toward and away from each
other to reduce and enlarge the size of the channel,
respectively.
19. The mounting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the barrel adapter
includes a pair of generally semi-circular adapter halves.
20. The mounting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the barrel adapter
includes a radially outwardly extending flange.
21. The mounting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the barrel adapter
includes a gripping surface that contacts the barrel.
22. The mounting apparatus of claim 21, wherein the gripping
surface includes a plurality of elevated ridges.
23. The mounting apparatus of claim 21, wherein the gripping
surface includes an adhesive that contacts the barrel.
24. The mounting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the mounting rail
is a Picatinny or Weaver-style mounting rail.
25. A mounting apparatus for use with a firearm, comprising: a body
member including a generally U-shaped structure having a pair of
longitudinally extending side members that define a variable
capacity channel, the longitudinally extending side members each
including a mounting rail, each mounting rail being configured to
support a firearm accessory; and a barrel adapter positioned
between the body member and a firearm barrel, the barrel adapter
including a pair of generally semi-circular adapter halves and a
movement limiting member configured to limit movement of the body
member relative to the firearm barrel.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a mounting apparatus for firearms
and, more particularly, to a firearm accessory mount including a
number of auxiliary mounting features for mounting additional
accessories to a firearm.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A telescopic sight is one type of aiming device that has
long been used in conjunction with firearms, such as rifles and
handguns, to assist a shooter in aiming the firearm. More recently,
other aiming devices such as laser markers, range finders, and
infrared imaging devices have been developed for use with firearms.
These aiming devices are typically mounted to the firearm above a
barrel or receiver of the firearm using a mounting rack or mounting
rings. In addition to aiming devices, other accessories may be
mounted to a firearm, such as a flashlight, to aid in the use of
the firearm.
[0005] Conventional mounting apparatus, while satisfactory in
facilitating the removal of a firearm accessory from a firearm for
replacement with another firearm accessory, are adapted to mount
only one accessory to a firearm at a time. Additionally, the
location of a firearm accessory on a firearm may be dependent on
the environment in which the firearm will be used. For example,
firearm mounting apparatus positioned near the middle or rear of a
firearm are more suitable for middle or long distance shooting
where the firearm user has sufficient time to aim and shoot. In
contrast, close-combat environments, such as an urban environment,
typically afford the user very little time to aim and shoot. In
this type of environment, it may be more practical to mount a
firearm accessory near the front of a firearm barrel, since
shooters intuitively point the end of their firearm barrel at a
target.
[0006] Accordingly, a need exists for an improved firearm mounting
apparatus that is configured to secure more than one firearm
accessory to a firearm and is adapted to be mounted near the front
of a firearm barrel for use in close-combat environments or other
quick-aiming situations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A mounting apparatus for use with a firearm is provided that
include a body member including at least one mounting rail
configured to support a firearm accessory and a barrel adapter
positioned between the body member and a firearm barrel. The barrel
adapter includes a movement limiting member configured to limit
movement of the body member relative to the firearm barrel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way
of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a firearm and a mounting
apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention, showing the
mounting apparatus supporting a number of firearm accessories on
the firearm;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the firearm mounting
apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the firearm mounting
apparatus of FIG. 1, shown with a barrel adapter;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the firearm mounting
apparatus of FIG. 1, shown without the barrel adapter;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the firearm mounting
apparatus of FIG. 1, shown without the barrel adapter;
[0014] FIG. 6 is an exploded end view, in perspective, of the
barrel adapter shown in FIG. 3;
[0015] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a mounting rail
of the firearm mounting apparatus of FIG. 1, showing a swivel
received in an aperture of the mounting rail; and
[0016] FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a mounting rail
of the firearm mounting apparatus of FIG. 1, showing a swivel stud
received in an aperture of the mounting rail.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Referring now to the drawings, the preferred illustrative
embodiments of the present invention are shown in detail. Although
the drawings represent some preferred embodiments of the present
invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain
features may be exaggerated to better illustrate and explain the
present invention. Further, the embodiments set forth herein are
not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limit or restrict the
invention to the precise forms and configurations shown in the
drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description.
[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary firearm 10, such as a
rifle, is provided that includes a barrel 12 secured to a receiver
14 in a known manner. A first firearm accessory 16, which in the
illustrated embodiment is a long range flashlight but is not
limited thereto, is secured to barrel 12, and therefore to firearm
10, by a mounting apparatus 18 according to the present invention.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, mounting apparatus 18 may be configured
to support more than one firearm accessory 16, including without
limitation, a short range flashlight 16', as will be described in
further detail below.
[0019] Referring to FIGS. 2-5, an embodiment of mounting apparatus
18 is shown. Mounting apparatus 18 includes a body member 20 having
at least one mounting rail 22, including without limitation, a
Picatinny or Weaver-style mounting rail, configured to support
firearm accessories 16, 16'. In the illustrated embodiment,
mounting apparatus 18 includes three mounting rails 22, each
configured to support a firearm accessory 16, 16'. However, it will
be appreciated that body member 20 may be configured with any
number of mounting rails 22, or no mounting rail at all.
[0020] In an embodiment, body member 20 is a generally U-shaped
structure having a pair of deflectable longitudinally extending
side members 24 and 26 that define a variable capacity channel 28
sized to receive a barrel adapter 30. As shown in FIG. 1, barrel
adapter 30 is positioned between body member 20 and firearm barrel
12. In an embodiment, barrel adapter 30 includes a pair of
generally semi-circular adapter halves 32A, 32B (FIGS. 3 and 6)
that are inserted into channel 28 between firearm barrel 12 and
body 20.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 6, barrel adapter 30 also includes a
movement limiting member 34 configured to limit movement of body
member 20 relative to firearm barrel 12. In an embodiment, movement
limiting member 34 includes a radially outwardly extending flange
36 that abuts body member 20 when mounting apparatus 18 is secured
to barrel 20. When so configured, body member 20 is sandwiched
between a structural member of firearm 10, such as a sight housing
38, and flange 36 to inhibit axial movement of body member 20 on
barrel 12.
[0022] To inhibit movement of barrel adapter 30 relative to barrel
12, movement limiting member 34 may include a gripping surface 40
(FIG. 3) that contacts barrel 12. For example, gripping surface 40
may include a plurality of elevated ridges formed on the inside of
barrel adapter 30 that "bite" into the surface of barrel 12 when
adapter 30 is pressed against barrel 12. In another example,
gripping surface 40 may include an adhesive coating on the inside
of barrel adapter 30 that adheres to barrel 12 when adapter 30 is
placed upon barrel 12.
[0023] Body member 20 also includes at least one threaded fastener
42, such as a screw, which is secured to each of the longitudinally
extending side members 24, 26 and is rotatable relative to side
members 24, 26 to move the longitudinally extending side members
toward and away from each other to reduce and enlarge the capacity
of channel 28, respectively. Enlarging the capacity of channel 28
allows barrel adapter 30 to be easily inserted into channel 28
between barrel 12 and body member 20 during assembly of the
components onto firearm 10. Reducing the capacity of channel 28
secures body member 20 to firearm 10 by pressing the barrel adapter
30 between barrel 12 and body member 20. The variable capacity
channel 28 allows the use of different diameter barrel adapters 30
to accommodate various barrel diameters.
[0024] Each mounting rail 22 may also include at least one aperture
44 sized to receive a secondary accessory 46, such as, for example,
a swivel or swivel stud. When so configured, aperture 44 may
include an inner groove 48 having a diameter greater than the
diameter of the aperture 44 itself. As shown in FIG. 7, groove 48
receives one or more spring loaded bearings 50 in secondary
accessory 46, which function to releasably retain secondary
accessory 46 within aperture 44. In another embodiment shown in
FIG. 8, aperture 44 includes a ledge 52 that prevents passage of a
flange 54 of the secondary accessory 46 and, accordingly, removal
of secondary accessory 46 from the corresponding mounting rail
22.
[0025] The present invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to the foregoing embodiments, which are
merely illustrative of the best modes for carrying out the
invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that
various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described
herein may be employed in practicing the invention without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in
the following claims. It is intended that the following claims
define the scope of the invention and that the method and apparatus
within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered
thereby. This description of the invention should be understood to
include all novel and non-obvious combinations of elements
described herein, and claims may be presented in this or a later
application to any novel and non-obvious combination of these
elements. Moreover, the foregoing embodiments are illustrative, and
no single feature or element is essential to all possible
combinations that may be claimed in this or a later
application.
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