Firearm orientation and drop sensor system

• US 20020174588A1
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: REM TML Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: RA Brands LLC (RA Factors, Inc.)
• Inventors: Matteson, David O., Danner, Dale R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,785,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 42/70.09
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/06 Electric or electromechanical safeties F41A17/04, F41A17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/08 for inhibiting firing in a specified direction, e.g. at a friendly person or at a protected area F41A27/02 takes precedence

Abstract

A sensor system for detecting jarring, acceleration or other application of force to a firearm, and/or movement of the firearm into an undesired orientation, which includes a sensor array mounted to a firearm. The sensor array detects the excessive acceleration and/or movement of the firearm into certain orientations and generates a sensor signal indicative of a fault condition. In response, a control system blocks or interrupts the firing sequence of the firearm to prevent inadvertent discharge of a round of ammunition by the firearm.

Claims

1. A sensor system for a firearm, comprising:

a sensor array mounted to the firearm for sensing at least one of an application of a force to the firearm, an acceleration of the firearm or the firearm being moved into an undesired orientation, and generating a sensor signal indicating a fault condition; and

a control system receiving said sensor signal from said sensor array and stopping a firing sequence of the firearm sequence of the firearm upon detection of the fault condition.

2. The system of claim 1 and wherein said sensor array includes at least one of the following:

a magnetometer, inclinometer, tilt switch, gyro, accelerometer, inertia switch, acceleration switch, and a strain gauge mounted along a mass suspended along the firearm.

3. The system of claim 1 and wherein said sensor array includes at least one omni-directional sensor.

4. The system of claim 1 and wherein said control system includes a fire control, and a control processor.

5. The system of claim 4 and wherein said fire control includes an electrically conductive firing pin connected to a voltage supply for transmitting an electrical firing pulse to a round of ammunition for firing the round of ammunition.

6. The system of claim 4 and wherein said fire control includes a firing pin, a firing pin spring engaging and urging said firing pin toward engagement with a round of ammunition to fire the round of ammunition, and a solenoid for holding said firing pin in a ready to fire position, said firing pin is biased into contact with the round of ammunition by said firing pin spring to cause the firing of the round of ammunition.

7. The system of claim 4 and wherein said control system includes a voltage reference signal provided to said comparator for comparison to a voltage signal generated by said sensor array to produce a comparison signal for enabling firing of the firearm if said comparison signal is within an acceptable threshold reference.

8. The system of claim 1 and wherein said control system comprises a processor and a firearm control system controlled by said processor for actuating firing of a round of ammunition.

9. The system of claim 8 and further comprising a threshold reference signal and a comparator in communication with said processor, wherein said sensor signal is compared with said reference signal at said comparator to generate an output signal to said processor for controlling the firing of the round of ammunition.

10. The system of claim 9 and wherein said control system further comprises an amplifier connected to said sensor array for amplifying said sensor signal communicated to said comparator.

11. A method of controlling firing of a round of ammunition, by a firearm, comprising:

providing a sensor array mounted along the firearm;

activating a firing sequence for the firearm to fire the round of ammunition;

sensing a fault condition with the sensor array, including an application of force to the firearm, acceleration of the firearm or orientation of the firearm, and generating a sensor signal in response;

comparing the sensor signal to a threshold reference signal and blocking the firing sequence for firing the round of ammunition if the sensor signal falls outside the threshold reference signal; and

if the firing sequence is allowed to proceed, firing the round of ammunition.

12. The method of claim 11 and wherein providing a sensor array comprises positioning at least one magnetometer, accelerometer, inertia switch, acceleration switch, inclinometer, tilt switch, gyro, or strain gauge along the firearm.

13. The method of claim 11 and wherein sensing an application of force to the firearm comprises sensing a jarring of the firearm with the sensor array including at least one accelerometer, inertia switch, acceleration switch or strain gauge.

14. The method of claim 11 and wherein sensing orientation of the firearm comprises measuring an angle of inclination of the firearm with respect to a predetermined axis.

15. The method of claim 11 and further including measuring an angle of rotation of the firearm about a predetermined axis.

16. The method of claim 11 and wherein sensing acceleration of the firearm comprises providing a mass suspended from a cantilevered beam, mounting a strain gauge along the beam and measuring strain applied to the beam.

17. The method of claim 11 and wherein comparing the sensor signal to a threshold signal further comprises generating an output signal based upon the comparison and communicating the output signal to a control processor for controlling the firing sequence.

19. The firearm of claim 18 and wherein said sensor system generates a signal in response to a drop or other jarring event.

20. The firearm of claim 19 wherein said sensor system comprises an array of at least one acceleration switch or inertia switch.

21. The firearm of claim 19 wherein said sensor system comprises an array of at least one accelerometer or shock sensor.

22. The firearm of claim 19 wherein said sensor system comprises at least one strain gauged cantilevered mass.

23. The firearm of claim 18 wherein said sensor system is omni-directional.

24. The firearm of claim 18 and wherein said sensor system includes an orientation sensor that generates a signal that is related to the orientation of the firearm in relation to the earth.

25. The firearm of claim 24 wherein said sensor system comprises any of the following;

magnetometers, accelerometers, electrolytic tilt sensors, tilt or tip-over switches, inertia switches and shock sensors.

26. The firearm of claim 24 wherein said orientation sensor senses a single axis of angular orientation of the firearm relative to the earth.

27. The firearm of claim 26 wherein said sensor system comprises one or more electrolytic tilt sensors.

28. The firearm of claim 26 wherein said sensor system comprises one or more tilt or tip-over switches.

29. The firearm of claim 24 wherein said sensor system senses two orthogonal axes of angular orientation.

30. The firearm of claim 18 wherein said sensor system comprises at least one electrolytic tilt sensor.

31. The firearm of claim 18 wherein said sensor system comprises at least one tilt or tip-over switch.

32. The firearm of claim 18 wherein said sensor system comprises a three-axis accelerometer.

33. The firearm of claim 32 wherein said accelerometer senses two axes of angular orientation.

34. The firearm of claim 18 wherein said sensor system comprises a three-axis magnetometer.

35. The firearm of claim 18 wherein said sensor system comprises a three-axis magnetometer and a three-axis accelerometer.

36. The firearm of claim 18 and wherein said control system includes a trigger system and a firearm control system.

37. The firearm of claim 36 wherein said control system includes a comparator and threshold reference.

38. The firearm of claim 36 and wherein the firearm includes an electrically conductive firing pin connected to a voltage supply for transmitting an electrical firing pulse to a round of electrically primed ammunition for firing the round of ammunition.

39. The firearm of claim 36 and wherein the firearm includes a firing pin, moveable into engagement with a round of percussion primed ammunition to fire the round of ammunition, and an electronically controlled actuator for holding said firing pin in a ready to fire position.

40. The firearm of claim 18 and wherein said control system comprises a firearm control system and a trigger system controlled by said firearm control system for actuating of a round of ammunition.

41. The firearm of claim 40 and further comprising a reference signal and a comparator in communication with said firearm control system, wherein said sensor signal is compared with said reference signal at said comparator to generate an output signal to said firearm control system for controlling the firing of the round of ammunition.

42. The firearm of claim 41 and wherein said control system further comprises an amplifier connected to said sensor array for amplifying said sensor signal communicated to said comparator.

43. The firearm of claim 40 and wherein said sensor system communicates directly with said firearm control system.

44. The firearm of claim 40 and wherein said control system further comprises a control processor, and wherein said sensor signal is sent to said controller for processing into a processed sensor signal.

45. The firearm of claim 44 and wherein said processed sensor signal is communicated to said firearm control system.

46. The firearm of claim 44 and further comprising a reference signal and a comparator in communication with said firearm control system, wherein said processed sensor signal is compared with said reference signal at said comparator to generate an output signal to said firearm control system for controlling the firing of the round of ammunition.

48. The method of claim 47 and wherein providing a sensor system comprises positioning at least one magnetometer, accelerometer, inertia switch, acceleration switch, inclinometer, tilt switch, gyro, or strain gauge along the firearm.

49. The method of claim 47 and wherein sensing an application of force to the firearm comprises sensing a jarring of the firearm with the sensor system including at least one accelerometer, inertia switch, acceleration switch, shock sensor or strain gauge.

50. The method of claim 47 and wherein sensing orientation of the firearm comprises measuring an angle of inclination of the firearm with respect to a predetermined axis.

51. The method of claim 47 and further including measuring an angle of rotation of the firearm about a second predetermined axis.

52. The method of claim 47 and wherein sensing acceleration of the firearm comprises providing a mass suspended from a cantilevered beam, mounting a strain gauge along the beam and measuring a strain applied to the beam.

53. The method of claim 47 and wherein comparing the sensor signal to a threshold reference signal comprises generating an output signal based upon the comparison and communicating the output signal to a control processor for controlling the firing sequence.

54. The method of claim 47 wherein the sensor system is monitored for some delay time prior allowing the firing sequence to proceed if no faults are sensed.

18. A firearm comprising:

a sensor system mounted to the firearm for sensing undesirable acceleration, jarring, re-orientation of the firearm to an unsafe condition, or an unsafe rate of change in orientation of the firearm, and generating a sensor signal indicating a fault condition; and

a control system receiving said sensor signal from said sensor system and stopping a firing sequence of the firearm upon detection of a fault condition.

47. A method of controlling firing of a round of ammunition by a firearm, comprising:

providing a sensor system mounted along the firearm;

activating a firing sequence for the firearm to fire the round of ammunition;

sensing a fault condition with the sensor system, including an application of force to the firearm, acceleration of the firearm and/or orientation of the firearm and generating a sensor signal in response;

comparing the sensor signal to a threshold signal and blocking the firing sequence for firing the round of ammunition if the sensor signal falls outside the threshold; and

if the firing sequence is allowed to proceed, firing the round of ammunition.

55. A method of controlling firing a round of ammunition by a firearm, comprising:

monitoring a rate of change of an orientation of the firearm and generating a signal indicative of a measured rate of change in orientation of the firearm;

comparing the measured rate of change in orientation of the firearm to a threshold rate of change; and

if the measured rate of change exceeds the threshold rate of change, disabling the firearm.

56. The method of claim 55 and wherein generating a signal indicative of a measured rate of change in orientation comprises determining an initial orientation of the firearm and determining the change in orientation of the firearm from its initial orientation over a predetermined time interval.

57. The method of claim 55 and wherein disabling the firearm comprises issuing an interrupt signal to cause a firearm control system to block the generation of a firing signal.

58. The method of claim 55 and wherein disabling the firearm comprises operating a solenoid to block the firing of the round of ammunition.

60. The system of claim 59 and wherein said at least one sensor comprises any one of the following:

accelerometers, angular rate sensors, inertia switches, and magnetometers.

61. The firearm of claim 59 and wherein the firearm includes a firing pin, moveable into engagement with a round of percussion primed ammunition to fire the round of ammunition, and an electronically controlled actuator for holding said firing pin in a ready to fire position.

62. The firearm of claim 59 and wherein the firearm includes an electrically conductive firing pin connected to a voltage supply for transmitting an electrical firing pulse to a round of electrically primed ammunition for firing the round of ammunition.

59. A system for controlling the firing of a round of ammunition by a firearm, comprising:

a sensor array mounted along the firearm;

said sensor array including at least one sensor capable of sensing a rate of change in orientation in the firearm and generating a sensor signal indicative thereof; and

a control system receiving said sensor signal and causing the firearm to be disabled when said sensor signal exceeds a threshold rate of change in orientation of the firearm.