U.S. patent application number 11/834032 was filed with the patent office on 2009-02-12 for firearm handgrip with a horizontal angle tracking bipod.
Invention is credited to Moshe OZ.
Application Number | 20090038199 11/834032 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40345167 |
Filed Date | 2009-02-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090038199 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
OZ; Moshe |
February 12, 2009 |
FIREARM HANDGRIP WITH A HORIZONTAL ANGLE TRACKING BIPOD
Abstract
A firearm handgrip with a collapsible and concealable bipod
positioned within the handgrip. The bipod enables tracking of the
horizontal angle of the firearm. Specifically, the bipod is quickly
deployable by pressing a button that activates a highly reliable
release mechanism. Upon bipod deployment, the shooter is free to
place the bipod on any surface, including uneven surfaces wherein
the bipod legs are positioned on different heights so that the
bipod maintains stability. The bipod enables panning (horizontal
rotation), tilting (up-down) and canting (right-left) of the
firearm. Additionally, after panning the firearm and subsequently
lifting the bipod from the surface it lies on, the bipod's legs
automatically realign to a plane perpendicular to the firearm, thus
tracking and adjusting to the new horizontal angle of the
firearm.
Inventors: |
OZ; Moshe; (Ramat Gan,
IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Fleit Gibbons Gutman Bongini & Bianco PL
21355 EAST DIXIE HIGHWAY, SUITE 115
MIAMI
FL
33180
US
|
Family ID: |
40345167 |
Appl. No.: |
11/834032 |
Filed: |
August 6, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
42/94 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41A 23/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
42/94 |
International
Class: |
F41C 27/20 20060101
F41C027/20 |
Claims
1. A firearm handgrip with a horizontal angle tracking bipod, said
handgrip comprising: a hollow housing mountable to a firearm; a
bipod that enables panning and canting and further comprises a
first torsion spring that enables tracking a horizontal angle for
quick realignment of the bipod legs; a first compression spring for
forcing deployment of the bipod; a release mechanism for releasing
the spring and deploying the bipod;
2. The handgrip according to claim 1, wherein the hollow housing
comprises a top end with a horizontal channel going through and an
open bottom end; and wherein the bipod comprises a vertically
sliding piston located within the housing, said piston having a top
end and a bottom end; two legs hingedly connected to the bottom end
of said piston; a first torsion spring positioned between the legs
causing the legs to expand outward whenever the legs are released
from the housing; a tracking mechanism comprising a horizontally
positioned second torsion spring having a first end and a second
end, wherein the first end is connected to the legs and the second
end is connected to the bottom end of the piston; wherein upon
bipod deployment and stabilizing the bipod on a surface, the
handgrip enables panning a firearm horizontally; and wherein upon
lifting the firearm from said surface, the legs track the new
horizontal angle of the firearm and align in a substantially
perpendicular manner to the firearm.
3. The handgrip according to claim 2, wherein the first compression
spring is positioned within the housing between the top end of the
housing and the top end of the piston.
4. The handgrip according to claim 1, wherein the release mechanism
for releasing the first compression spring, causes pushing the
piston down enabling the deployment of the bipod.
5. The handgrip according to claim 2, wherein upon bipod
deployment, the handgrip enables panning the firearm in a
horizontal rotational motion.
6. The handgrip according to claim 2, wherein upon bipod
deployment, the handgrip enables canting the firearm in a
rotational motion around the bore of the firearm.
7. The handgrip according to claim 2, wherein upon bipod
deployment, the legs adjust to an uneven surface, wherein one leg
is positioned higher than the other leg and wherein stabilized
panning is achieved.
8. The handgrip according to claim 2, wherein the piston further
comprises a first magnet piece positioned at the top end of said
piston and wherein the release mechanism comprises: a ram that is
fitted into the channel in the top end of the housing; and a second
magnet piece positioned within said ram; and a second compression
spring positioned between one end of the ram and the housing;
wherein the polarity of the first magnet piece and the second
magnet piece is opposite and wherein the magnetic attraction
between the pieces overcomes the counter compression power of the
first compression spring in the compressed position; and wherein
sliding the ram along the channel decreases the overlap between the
magnetic pieces and the magnetic attraction between then until the
first compression spring is released, which causes the deployment
of the bipod.
9. The handgrip according to claim 1, wherein the housing is made
from at least one of the following materials: aluminum, hardened
polymer, composite material.
10. A method for tracking the horizontal angle of a firearm using a
handgrip with a deployable bipod, said method comprising the steps
of: releasing the bipod from the handgrip resulting in bipod
deployment upon a support surface; horizontally rotating the
firearm in accordance with a moving target; lifting the bipod from
the support surface, causing the legs of the bipod to realign so
that the plane of the legs becomes substantially perpendicular to
the firearm.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein lifting the bipod
from the support surface is followed by repositioning the bipod on
said support surface.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein horizontally rotating
the firearm in accordance with a moving target is performed while
canting the firearm to adjust the bipod to an uneven support
surface.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to firearm
accessories and more specifically to a firearm handgrip with a
bipod.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Shooting firearms, specifically during combat requires
maintaining a steady and stable position to insure accuracy of aim.
Stabilizing the firearm manually, simply by holding it tight is
usually impractical due to the size and weight of the firearm.
Therefore, peripheral support devices have been developed during
the years for use in conjunction with firearms as a means for
stabilizing and improving accuracy.
[0003] Early stabilizing means were large stationary objects such
as rocks and tree branches to forked sticks, shooting slings,
bipods and tripods. In more recent times, compact collapsible bipod
supports have been developed. These collapsible bipods are
relatively lightweight and are mountable to the forearm stock of a
firearm. Most conventional bipod supports include a pair of legs
that can be pivoted from an up position adjacent the firearm stock,
to a down position engaging a support surface.
[0004] Tracking moving targets requires several different motions
of the firearm in the hand of the shooter. The first motion is
horizontal or lateral rotation, also referred to as "panning".
Another motion is sometimes required when the shooter places the
bipod on an uneven support surface. In this case, the firearm has
to be rotated around the axis of the bore. This motion is also
referred to as "canting."
[0005] Several attempts have been made in designing compact,
ergonomic bipods that are both collapsible and concealable within a
handgrip of a firearm. Some references focus on the quick
deployment of the bipods whereas other references focus on lock
mechanisms that lock the bipod upon deployment.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 7,111,424, which is incorporated by reference
in its entirety herein, discloses a fore grip or a gun handle with
a concealable and collapsible bipod that requires only one action
to deploy and lock the bipod. Specifically, locking the bipod
prevents the abovementioned motions (panning, tilting canting) and
therefore the suggested bipod is limited to shooting activities
where these motions are not required.
[0007] U.S. Patent Application No. 2005/0241206, which is
incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, discloses a
hollow grip handle with a bipod for quick deployment. When the legs
are extended, and placed on a support surface, the weight of the
weapon causes the feet to pivot against the bias springs to align
the feet with the support surface. In addition, stop members allow
a desired degree of horizontal rotation of the leg assembly
relative to the housing. The relative rotation permits the weapon
to be horizontally pivoted to engage the target without the need to
move or shift the feet relative to the underlying support
surface.
[0008] Sometimes during combat it is required to perform panning of
a target (horizontal tracking) for a while prior to shooting. In
the case that the angle of rotation is substantial, the accuracy of
the shooting is decreased. It would be advantageous therefore to
have a quick deployment bipod that tracks the horizontal rotation
angle of the firearm and enables a quick realignment of the bipod,
for an accurate shooting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention discloses a firearm handgrip with a
collapsible and concealable bipod positioned within the handgrip.
The bipod enables tracking of the horizontal angle of the firearm.
Specifically, the bipod is quickly deployable by pressing a button
that activates a highly reliable release mechanism. Upon bipod
deployment, the shooter is free to place the bipod on any surface,
including uneven surfaces wherein the bipod legs are positioned on
different heights so that the bipod maintains stability. The bipod
enables panning (horizontal rotation) and canting (right-left) of
the firearm. Additionally, after panning the firearm and
subsequently lifting the bipod from the surface it lies on, the
bipod's legs automatically realign to a plane perpendicular to the
firearm, thus tracking and adjusting to the new horizontal angle of
the firearm.
[0010] The handgrip comprises four main elements: The first element
is a hollow housing that may be mountable to a firearm. The housing
may be composed of aluminum, hardened polymer, composite material
and the like. The second element is a bipod that enables panning
and canting and further enables tracking a horizontal angle for
quick realignment of the bipod legs. The third element is a
compression spring for forcing deployment of the bipod and the
third element is a release mechanism for releasing the spring and
deploying the bipod.
[0011] The steps of the method according to the present invention
are: (a) releasing the bipod from the handgrip resulting in bipod
deployment upon a support surface; (b) horizontally rotating the
firearm in accordance with a moving target and finally (c) lifting
the bipod from the support surface, causing the legs of the bipod
to realign so that the plane of the legs becomes substantially
perpendicular to the firearm.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0012] The subject matter regarded as the invention will become
more clearly understood in light of the ensuing description of
embodiments herein, given by way of example and for purposes of
illustrative discussion of the present invention only, with
reference to the accompanying drawings (Figures, or simply
"FIGS."), wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an embodiment of the
invention showing the firearm handgrip with the bipod in a
deployment position;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the invention
showing the firearm handgrip;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the
invention showing the firearm handgrip with the bipod in a
deployment position; and
[0016] FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are cross-sectional views of an
embodiment of the invention showing the firearm handgrip with the
bipod in a stored and deploy positions respectively;
[0017] Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals
may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or
analogous elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] FIG. 1 shows an elevational view of an embodiment of the
invention showing the firearm handgrip 100 with the bipod in after
deployment 101. The handgrip 100 enables the shooter to practice
all the motions required in combat. Specifically, the handgrip 100
may be horizontally rotated around its axis in a panning motion
l102. Finally, the handgrip 100 may be canted to the right 103B and
to the left 103A in order to fit the bipod to an uneven support
surface.
[0019] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the
invention showing the firearm handgrip 100. The handgrip 100
comprises a hollow housing 210 mountable to a firearm. The housing
210 has a top end with a horizontal channel and an open bottom end.
The handgrip 100 further comprises a bipod comprising a vertically
sliding piston 220 located within the housing 210. The piston 220
has a top end and a bottom end. The handgrip 100 further comprises
two legs 252A, 252B hingedly connected to the bottom end of said
piston 220, wherein a first torsion spring 253 positioned between
the legs 252A, 252B causes the legs 252A, 252B to expand outwardly
whenever the legs 252A, 252B are released from the housing 210. The
bipod further comprises a tracking mechanism comprising a
horizontally positioned second torsion spring 221 having a first
end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the
legs 252A, 252B and the second end is connected to the bottom end
of the piston 220. The deployment of the bipod is achieved by a
first compression spring 231) positioned within the housing 210
between the top end of the housing 210 and the top end of the
piston 220. At the top end of the housing a release mechanism for
releasing the first compression spring 230 and pushing the piston
220 down causing the deployment of the bipod.
[0020] Upon the deployment of the bipod and stabilizing the bipod
on a support surface, the handgrip 100 enables panning the firearm
horizontally. The tracking mechanism is configure so that upon
lifting the firearm from the support surface, the legs 252A, 252B
track the new horizontal angle of the firearm and the plane
including the legs 252A, 252B aligns substantially perpendicularly
to the firearm.
[0021] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the
invention showing the firearm handgrip with the bipod in a
deployment position. The horizontal tracking mechanism is depicted
in details. The piston 220 is positioned at the bottom end of the
housing 210. The horizontal torsion spring 320 is connected to the
bottom end of the piston 220 in one end and to the legs 252A, 252B
on the other end. The inner side of the bottom end of the housing
may be threaded, 310A, 310B so that it may serve as outline for
panning movements.
[0022] FIG. 4A and FIG. 4A show cross-sectional views of an
embodiment of the invention showing the firearm handgrip with the
bipod in a stored and deploy positions respectively; These figures
illustrates the operation of the release mechanism: Whenever the
bipod is in the stored positioned, the first compression spring
440A is compressed between the piston and the bottom side of you
bottom. The ram 410A is fitted within the channel and both magnet
pieces 420A and 450A are aligned so that they attract each other.
The magnetic attraction power is selected so that it overcomes the
expansion power of the first compression spring 440A. Then, pushing
the ram 430B inside realigns the magnets so that the magnetic
attraction force decreases and so the compression spring 440B is
release, pushing down the piston and the legs. The magnetic release
mechanism is more reliable than mechanical mechanism, as there is
practically no contact between the first compression spring and the
ram.
[0023] According to some embodiments of the invention, the
invention may also be practices as a method. The method is a method
for tracking the horizontal angle of a firearm using a handgrip
with a deployable bipod. The steps of the method are: (a) releasing
the bipod from the handgrip resulting in bipod deployment upon a
support surface; (b) horizontally rotating the firearm in
accordance with a moving target and finally (c) lifting the bipod
from the support surface, causing the legs of the bipod to realign
so that the plane of the legs becomes substantially perpendicular
to the firearm.
[0024] According to other embodiments of the invention, lifting the
bipod from the support surface is followed by repositioning the
bipod on said support surface and finally shooting the target.
[0025] According to other embodiments of the invention, the method
enables canting of the firearm as well as horizontally rotating the
firearm in accordance with a moving target.
[0026] In the above description an embodiment is an example or
implementation of the inventions. The various appearances of "one
embodiment," "an embodiment" or "some embodiments" do not
necessarily all refer to the same embodiments.
[0027] Although various features of the invention may be described
in the context of a single embodiment, the features may also be
provided separately or in any suitable combination. Conversely,
although the invention may be described herein in the context of
separate embodiments for clarity, the invention may also be
implemented in a single embodiment.
[0028] Reference in the specification to "some embodiments", "an
embodiment", "one embodiment" or "other embodiments" means that a
particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in
connection with the embodiments is included in at least some
embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the
inventions.
[0029] It is understood that the phraseology and terminology
employed herein is not to be construed as limiting and are for
descriptive purpose only.
[0030] The principles and uses of the teachings of the present
invention may be better understood with reference to the
accompanying description, figures and examples.
[0031] It is to be understood that the details set forth herein do
not construe a limitation to an application of the invention.
[0032] Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention can
be carried out or practiced in various ways and that the invention
can he implemented in embodiments other than the ones outlined in
the description below.
[0033] It is to be understood that the terms "including",
"comprising", "consisting" and grammatical variants thereof do not
preclude the addition of one or more components, features, steps,
or integers or groups thereof and that the terms are to be
construed as specifying components, features, steps or
integers.
[0034] If the specification or claims refer to "an additional"
element, that does not preclude there being more than one of the
additional element.
[0035] It is to be understood that where the claims or
specification refer to "a" or "an" element, such reference is not
be construed that there is only one of that element.
[0036] It is to be understood that where the specification states
that a component, feature, structure, or characteristic "may",
"might" "can" or "could" be included, that particular component,
feature, structure, or characteristic is not required to he
included.
[0037] Where applicable, although state diagrams, flow diagrams or
both may be used to describe embodiments, the invention is not
limited to those diagrams or to the corresponding descriptions. For
example, flow need not move through each illustrated box or state,
or in exactly the same order as illustrated and described.
[0038] Methods of the present invention may be implemented by
performing or completing manually, automatically, or a combination
thereof, selected steps or tasks.
[0039] The term "method" may refer to manners, means, techniques
and procedures for accomplishing a given task including, but not
limited to, those manners, means, techniques and procedures either
known to, or readily developed from known manners, means,
techniques and procedures by practitioners of the art to which the
invention belongs.
[0040] The descriptions, examples, methods and materials presented
in the claims and the specification are not to be construed as
limiting but rather as illustrative only.
[0041] Meanings of technical and scientific terms used herein are
to be commonly understood as by one of ordinary skill in the art to
which the invention belongs, unless otherwise defined.
[0042] The present invention can be implemented in the testing or
practice with methods and materials equivalent or similar to those
described herein.
[0043] Any publications, including patents, patent applications and
articles, referenced or mentioned in this specification are herein
incorporated in their entirety into the specification, to the same
extent as if each individual publication was specifically and
individually indicated to he incorporated herein. In addition,
citation or identification of any reference in the description of
some embodiments of the invention shall not be construed as an
admission that such reference is available as prior art to the
present invention.
[0044] While the invention has been described with respect to a
limited number of embodiments, these should not be construed as
limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as
exemplifications of some of the embodiments. Those skilled in the
art will envision other possible variations, modifications, and
applications that are also within the scope of the invention.
Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not he limited by
what has thus far been described, but by the appended claims and
their legal equivalents. Therefore, it is to be understood that
alternatives, modifications, and variations of the present
invention are to be construed as being within the scope and spirit
of the appended claims.
* * * * *