SAFETY DEVICE FOR FIREARMS AND METHOD FOR SECURING FIREARMS PROVIDED WITH A SAFETY DEVICE

• US 20110061280A1
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Armatix GmbH, German Sport Guns GmbH (Lüke & Ortmeier Gruppe)
• Original Assignee: Armatix GmbH, German Sport Guns GmbH (Lüke & Ortmeier Gruppe)
• Inventors: Giebel, Karl-Friedrich, Emde, Dietmar
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 42/70.06
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/063 comprising a transponder
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/066 having means for recognizing biometric parameters, e.g. voice control, finger print or palm print control
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/56 Sear safeties, i.e. means for rendering ineffective an intermediate lever transmitting trigger movement to firing pin, hammer, bolt or sear F41A17/02 - F41A17/40 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a safety device for a firearm with a trigger bar in said firearm. The trigger bar moves in response to a pulling of a trigger. An actuator in said firearm is adapted to actively move said trigger bar between a first position and a second position. The trigger bar engages in the trigger induced movement with a hammer link for releasing a hammer and firing a cartridge bullet when the trigger bar is in the first position or first state. However, said trigger bar does not engage in the trigger induced movement with the hammer link, such that the cartridge bullet is not fired, when the trigger bar is in the second position or state.

Claims

1. Safety device for a firearm with the following features:

i) a trigger bar in said firearm moves in response to a pulling of a trigger,

ii) an actuator in said firearm which is adapted for actively moving said trigger bar between a first position and a second position (state),

wherein

iii) said trigger bar engages in the trigger induced movement a hammer link for releasing a hammer and firing a cartridge bullet when the trigger bar is in the first position, and

iv) said trigger bar does not engage in the trigger induced movement with the hammer link such that the cartridge bullet is not fired when the trigger bar is in the second position.

2. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein said actuator is at least one of the group consisting of a mechanical actuator, an electromechanical actuator, a one-wire element comprising a shape memory alloy, an electric motor, a piezoelectric actuator, a magnet and an electromagnet.

3. Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator moves (displaces) the trigger bar from the first position to the second position by means of a lever means, wherein said lever means is movable by said actuator.

4. Safety device according to claim 3, wherein a trigger bar spring element is provided between the lever means and the trigger bar such that the trigger bar spring element applies a force between the trigger bar and the lever means, in particular said force is substantially equal irrespective of whether the trigger bar is in the first or second position.

5. Safety device according to claim 3, wherein the lever means is connected with a rotatable lever element (cam) which engages with the trigger bar and is adapted for moving the trigger bar between the first and second position by rotational movement of the rotatable lever element.

6. Safety device according to claim 5, wherein the rotatable lever element comprises a rotation axis and a working point displaced from the rotation axis, wherein said working point is connected to the lever means such that a movement of the lever means results in a rotational movement of the rotatable element around the rotation axis.

7. Safety device according to claim 5, wherein said rotational lever element is preferably a cam element and wherein the trigger bar and the rotational lever element engage via substantially planar surfaces in the first state of the trigger bar, wherein a small rotational movement of the rotational lever element results in a larger vertical movement of the trigger bar due to lever actions.

8. Safety device according to claim 4, wherein the lever means comprises a frame for movably supporting a spring support element, wherein said spring support element is adapted to transfer forces from the trigger bar via the trigger bar spring element to the frame.

9. Safety device according to claim 8, wherein the spring support element comprises a support pin such that the support element engages with the trigger bar via said support pin.

10. Safety device according to claim 9, wherein a bushing is provided around said support pin such that the support element engages with the trigger bar via said support pin and said bushing.

11. Safety device according to claim 6, wherein the working point and the rotational axis are in line with the lever means when the trigger bar is in the second position.

12. Safety system comprising:

a safety device according to claim 1,

a transponder for authenticating at least one authorized firearm user carrying or wearing the transponder or for authenticating an allowed area for using the firearm.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the transponder is adapted to emit a wireless preferably cryptified authenticating signal and preferably communicate with each other preferably wireless, more preferably by a bidirectional wireless signal transmission, preferably based on a Challenge response algorithm, even more preferably with a frequency of approximately 25 kHz or via blue tooth interfaces.

14. Method for unlocking a firearm, particularly for operating a safety device according to claim 1, with the following steps:

providing a safety device in the firearm,

providing a transponder which is adapted to emit a wireless preferably cryptified authenticating signal which authenticates at least one authorized firearm user or authenticates an allowed area for using the firearm,

emitting the authenticating signal by the transponder to the safety device,

receiving and processing the authenticating signal from the transponder at the safety device, and

actively moving the trigger bar by means of an actuator into the first position upon receipt of an authenticating signal from the transponder authenticating an authorized user such that firing of the firearm is permitted.

15. Method for securing a firearm, particularly for operating a safety device according to claim 1, with the following steps:

providing the safety device in the firearm;

and when no authenticating signal is received by the safety device, actively moving the trigger bar by means of an actuator to the second position such that firing of the firearm is not possible.