Laser system mounting device

• US 5,758,448 A
• Filed: 01/02/1997
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Laser Devices Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Laser Devices Incorporated
• Inventors: Thummel, Heinz F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US08/774,737
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 42/103, 42/101, 362/110, 362/113, 362/114
• US Class Current: 42/114
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/36 with infrared light source

Abstract

A mounting system attaches directly to a square or round trigger guard of a firearm. A separate trigger guard mount assembly includes a base having a groove formed therein for receiving a forward portion of a trigger guard of the firearm. A trigger guard mount clamp for attaches the trigger guard mount base to the forward portion of a trigger guard. A screw-operated clamp removably attaches a light housing assembly to the trigger guard mount assembly where the light housing contains a laser light source or a light bulb. A dovetail is formed on the trigger guard mount base to engage a dovetailed slot on the light housing, where the dovetailed slot is adjustable in width for releasably capturing the dovetail of the trigger guard mount base. The trigger guard mount assembly also includes set screws for fixing the trigger guard mount assembly in position on the forward portion of the trigger guard of the firearm. One or more shims are contained within the groove of the trigger guard mounting assembly. The shims have various thicknesses to compensate for the widths of the trigger guard of the various firearms. The trigger guard mount base and the trigger guard mount clamp are held together with a self-tapping screw.

Claims

1. A mounting system for attachment to a trigger guard of a firearm, comprising:

a trigger guard mount base having a groove for receiving a forward portion of said trigger guard of said firearm;

a trigger guard mount clamp for attaching the trigger guard mount base to the forward portion of said trigger guard of said firearm to form a separate trigger guard mount assembly;

a light housing containing a light emitting element;

wherein the trigger guard mount includes a tongue which engages a slot for removably attaching the light housing to the trigger guard mount having an adjustable width on the light housing; and

wherein the tongue of the trigger guard mount assembly includes a dovetail which is formed on the trigger guard mount base and wherein the slot having an adjustable width on the light housing is formed as a dovetailed slot for receiving and capturing the dovetail of the trigger guard mount base.

2. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the trigger guard mount assembly includes set screws for fixing the trigger guard mount assembly in position on the forward portion of the trigger guard of the firearm.

3. The mounting system of claim 1 including a shim which is contained within said groove of the trigger guard mounting assembly and which has a thickness to compensate for the widths of the trigger guard of the various firearms.

4. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the trigger guard mount base and the trigger guard mount clamp are held together with a self-tapping screw.

5. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the light element includes a laser light source.

6. The mounting system of claim 5 wherein the laser light source provides visible light.

7. The mounting system of claim 5 wherein the laser light source provides invisible light.

8. The mounting system of claim 1 wherein the light element includes a light bulb.

9. A laser mounting system for a sighting laser which is removably attached to a trigger guard of a firearm, comprising:

a separate, fixed trigger guard mount assembly which is fixed to the forward part of said trigger guard of said firearm and which includes a dovetail mount;

a separate, detachable laser housing assembly which includes a dovetailed slot which has laterally-adjustable width and which engages the dovetail mount on the trigger guard mount assembly to provide for removable attachment of the laser housing assembly to the dovetail on the trigger guard mount assembly and;

wherein the separate detachable laser housing assembly includes a spring-loaded adjustable clamp piece for adjustment of the width of the dovetailed slot and engagement with the dovetail mount on the trigger guard mount assembly.

10. The mounting system of claim 9 wherein the separate trigger guard mount assembly includes a trigger guard mount base which has a slot formed therein for receiving the forward portion of the trigger guard and wherein the separate trigger guard mount assembly includes a trigger guard clamp piece which is adjustable fixed to the trigger guard mount base and which also has a slot formed therein for receiving the portion of the trigger guard.

11. The mounting system of claim 10 wherein the trigger guard mounting base and the trigger guard clamp piece are fixed together with projecting pins which project from the trigger guard mount base and which engage corresponding holes in the trigger guard clamp piece and at least one self-tapping screw which engages a corresponding hole in the trigger guard clamp piece.

12. The mounting system of claim 10 including at least one pair of shims which fit in the respective slots in the trigger guard mount base and the trigger guard clamp piece for adjusting the separate distance between the slots formed in the trigger guard mount assembly and in the trigger guard clamp piece to conform to the various widths of trigger guards for various firearms.

13. The mounting system of claim 9 wherein the trigger guard mount base has a pair of threaded bores formed therein for receiving respective set screws which engage the trigger guard and fixes the trigger guard mount assembly in position with respect to the trigger guard.

14. The mounting system of claim 13 wherein the trigger guard mount assembly has another threaded bore formed therein for receiving another set screw which also engages a round trigger guard and fixes the trigger guard mount assembly in position with respect to the round trigger guard.

15. The mounting system of claim 9 wherein the position of the spring-loaded adjustable clamp piece is adjusted with a set screw.

16. The mounting system of claim 9 wherein the position of the spring-loaded adjustable clamp piece is adjusted with a thumbscrew.

17. The mounting system of claim 9 including a resilient clamp member, which has its two proximate ends engaging slots formed in opposite sides of the laser housing assembly, which has a distal loop portion for engagement with a flashlight, and which has a mid portion which is laterally adjustable using a screw and nut for resiliently clamping the loop portion around the flashlight and for resiliently clamping the ends of the clamp member in the slots formed in the sides of the laser housing assembly.