Bipod for firearms

• US 20030192223A1
• Filed: 05/13/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ronnie L. Sharp
• Original Assignee: Ronnie L. Sharp
• Inventors: Sharp, Ronnie L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,843,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 42/94
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 23/10 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 23/04 Folding or telescopic stocks or stock parts articulated or collapsible guns F41A11/04
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 23/14 Adjustable stock or stock parts, i.e. adaptable to personal requirements, e.g. length, pitch, cast or drop

Abstract

A bipod for a firearm, or other equipment utilizing a multiple-leg pod, is provided that features easy, snap-apart and snap-together legs and snap-on and snap-off connection of the bipod to a ball or knob on the firearm or other equipment. The legs are preferably received in bores/holes in the bipod body and, during snapping in and out, the legs move past protrusions that restrict movement of the legs between different lobes of the bores/holes. The ball joint formed between the ball/knob and the main body of the bipod serves as preferably the only connection that moves during use by the shooter. As the shooter swivels, tilts, or pans the gun, the ball/knob attached to the firearm moves in the top socket of the main body of the bipod, with the legs being stationary relative to the main body.

Claims

1. A pod support for equipment such as a weapon, the pod support comprising:

a plurality of legs;

a main body with an interior and having a guide hole extending into the interior for each of said legs, wherein each guide hole comprises a plurality of lobes separated by protrusions;

wherein a leg is received in each of said guide holes and is movable between said plurality of lobes past said protrusions, wherein the protrusions restrict movement so that the leg snaps between the lobes of its guide hole and is held in a lobe until forced by the user to snap past said protrusion.

2. A pod support as in claim 1, further comprising a knob for attachment to said equipment, and said main body comprises a socket extending into a surface of the main body, the socket adapted to rotatably receive the knob so that the knob moves in said socket so that said equipment is movable relative to the main body of the pod support.

3. The pod support as in claim 2 comprising only one ball joint connection and said one ball joint connection is said knob being rotatably received in the socket.

4. The pod support as in claim 2, having only two legs and two guide holes.

5. The pod support as in claim 2, wherein the knob has a diameter and the socket has a restricted opening having a diameter smaller than the knob diameter, so that knob snaps into the socket past surfaces of the smaller diameter opening.

6. A pod support for a weapon, the pod support comprising:

a plurality of legs;

a main body with an interior and having a guide hole extending into the interior for each of said legs, wherein each guide hole comprises an inner lobe and an outer lobe and said inner lobe and said outer lobe are separated by protrusions providing a resistance to movement of the leg between said inner lobe and said outer lobe;

wherein a leg is received in each of said guide holes and is movable between said inner lobe and said outer lobe past said protrusions, wherein the leg snaps between said lobes of its guide hole and is held in one of said lobes until forced by the user to snap past said protrusion.

7. A pod support as in claim 6, wherein said main body is made of a resilient material.

8. A pod support as in claim 7, wherein said legs are extendable for adjusting length of the legs.

9. A pod support as in claim 6, wherein said main body comprises two portions and a plurality of fasteners connecting said two portions together, wherein the fasteners extend through the main body and are adapted to hold the legs in the guide holes so that the legs pivot on the fasteners.

10. A pod support as in claim 6, further comprising an adaptor that is attachable to a swivel stud on the firearm, and the adaptor having a ball on one end which is said knob and a bore on an opposite end that receives said swivel stud.

11. A pod support as in claim 10, wherein said adaptor further comprises an extension adapted to hold a firearm sling.