RAIL CONTACTS FOR ACCESSORIES MOUNTED ON THE POWERED RAIL OF A WEAPON

• US 20120131837A1
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Worx Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Prototype Productions Incorporated (Prototype Productions)
• Inventors: Cabahug, Eric F., Dodd, James S., Feldman, Ben, McLaughlin, Don, Schroeder, John, Tapia, Hector
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 42/84
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 23/22 Stocks having space for the storage of objects
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 27/00 Accessories; Details or attachments not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 11/003 Mountings with a dove tail element, e.g. "Picatinny rail systems"

Abstract

A firearm may have a plurality of power-consuming accessories that can be attached to the weapon. In order to reduce the weight of these power-consuming accessories, as well as the proliferation of their batteries, the Weapon Accessory Power Distribution System provides a common power source to power the power-consuming accessories attached to the weapon. One or more powered rails are provided to encircle the barrel of the weapon, to provide a point of mechanical and electrical interconnection for the power-consuming accessories to provide quick connect mounting and dismounting of the power-consuming accessory, absent the use of connectors with their tethering cables, which are susceptible to entanglement. The Weapon Accessory Rail Contacts provide the mechanism to electrically interconnect the power-consuming accessory with the powered rail.

Claims

1. Weapon accessory rail contacts for providing a supply of electrical power for use by at least one power-consuming accessory operatively associated with a weapon, said weapon accessory rail contacts comprising:

a power source;

a power-consuming accessory;

a powered rail, extending along at least a portion of a length of a barrel of a weapon, and electrically connected to said power source, wherein said powered rail comprises;

a plurality of mechanical features formed on the outer surface of said powered rail in a parallel, spaced-apart relationship for mechanically positioning said power-consuming accessory,

an aperture formed in a plurality of sequential ones of said mechanical features,

a printed circuit board, mounted in said aperture, and which has formed thereon a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact positioned between at least two of said mechanical features for providing a first and a second electrical connection to said power source, respectively, as well as a switch for interconnecting said first electrical contact to said power source, and

wherein mechanical mounting of said power-consuming accessory between said two mechanical features activates the switch and electrically connects said power-consuming accessory to said first and said second electrical contacts;

wherein said power-consuming accessory has first and second electrical contacts positioned to mate with said first electrical contact and said second electrical contact formed on said printed circuit board, respectively, for electrically connecting said power-consuming accessory to said powered rail.

2. The weapon accessory rail contacts of claim 1 wherein said power-consuming accessory first and second electrical contacts comprise:

first and second contacts extending from a bottom surface of said power-consuming accessory to engage corresponding dome spring contacts for completing said first and second electrical connections to said power source in response to said power-consuming accessory being mounted on said powered rail.

3. The weapon accessory rail contacts of claim 1 wherein said power-consuming accessory first and second electrical contacts comprise:

first and second contacts extending from a bottom surface of said power-consuming accessory to engage corresponding covered contacts for completing said first and second electrical connections to said power source in response to said power-consuming accessory being mounted on said powered rail.

4. The weapon accessory rail contacts of claim 1 wherein said power-consuming accessory first and second electrical contacts comprise:

first and second piercing contacts extending from a bottom surface of said power-consuming accessory to pierce an elastomer coating which encapsulates electrical contacts for completing said first and second electrical connections to said power source in response to said power-consuming accessory being mounted on said powered rail.

5. The weapon accessory rail contacts of claim 1 wherein said power-consuming accessory first and second electrical contacts comprise:

terminals of an inductive coupling circuit to wirelessly receive power from a corresponding inductive coupling power source mounted on said powered rail and positioned under said power-consuming accessory.

6. Weapon accessory rail contacts for use with a handguard, which extends along a length of a barrel of a weapon and which mechanically supports one or more power-consuming accessories, for providing a supply of electrical power for use by said one or more power-consuming accessories operatively associated with said weapon, said weapon accessory rail contacts comprising:

a power source;

a power-consuming accessory;

a powered rail, incorporated in said handguard and extending along at least a portion of a length of said handguard, and electrically connected to said power source, wherein said powered rail comprises;

a plurality of mechanical features formed on the outer surface of said powered rail in a parallel, spaced-apart relationship for mechanically positioning said power-consuming accessory,

an aperture formed in a plurality of sequential ones of said mechanical features,

a printed circuit board, mounted in said aperture, and which has formed thereon a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact positioned between at least two of said mechanical features for providing a first and a second electrical connection to said power source, respectively, as well as a switch for interconnecting said first electrical contact to said power source, and

wherein mechanical mounting of said power-consuming accessory between said two mechanical features activates the switch and electrically connects said power-consuming accessory to said first and said second electrical contacts;

wherein said power-consuming accessory has first and second electrical contacts positioned to mate with said first electrical contact and said second electrical contact formed on said printed circuit board, respectively, for electrically connecting said power-consuming accessory to said powered rail.

7. The weapon accessory rail contacts of claim 6 wherein said power-consuming accessory first and second electrical contacts comprise:

first and second contacts extending from a bottom surface of said power-consuming accessory to engage corresponding dome spring contacts for completing said first and second electrical connections to said power source in response to said power-consuming accessory being mounted on said powered rail.

8. The weapon accessory rail contacts of claim 6 wherein said power-consuming accessory first and second electrical contacts comprise:

first and second contacts extending from a bottom surface of said power-consuming accessory to engage corresponding covered contacts for completing said first and second electrical connections to said power source in response to said power-consuming accessory being mounted on said powered rail.

9. The weapon accessory rail contacts of claim 6 wherein said power-consuming accessory first and second electrical contacts comprise:

first and second piercing contacts extending from a bottom surface of said power-consuming accessory to pierce an elastomer coating which encapsulates electrical contacts for completing said first and second electrical connections to said power source in response to said power-consuming accessory being mounted on said powered rail.

10. The weapon accessory rail contacts of claim 6 wherein said power-consuming accessory first and second electrical contacts comprise:

terminals of an inductive coupling circuit to wirelessly receive power from a corresponding inductive coupling power source mounted on said powered rail and positioned under said power-consuming accessory.