Retrofittable laser and recoil system for a firearm

• US 5,842,300 A
• Filed: 09/09/1996
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Original Assignee: FSS Incorporated
• Inventors: Caraway, Edward Lee, Gazaway, Andrew R., Cheshelski, Ben, Belgin, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHELLIAH, MEENA A
• Application Number:
  US08/711,173
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 42/103, 42/7, 42/50, 89/41.06, 33/233, 359/131, 362/110
• US Class Current: 42/116
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 33/02 Light- or radiation-emitting guns ; Light- or radiation-sensitive guns; Cartridges carrying light emitting sources, e.g. laser

Abstract

The present invention relates to a retrofittable laser system (10) utilizing miniaturized components which are insertable into a pistol barrel (24B) of a pistol (24) which emits a laser module light pulse (12C) when a pistol firing trigger (24F) activates a pistol firing pin (24E). The pistol (24) further comprises a pistol housing (24A) and a pistol ammunition chamber (24D). The retrofittable laser system (10) comprises a laser module (12) which comprises at least one laser module pin (12A). The laser module (12) further comprises a laser module diode (12E) having a laser module diode driver circuit (12EA) electronically connected to the at least one laser module pin (12A). The laser module (12) further comprises a laser module graded index optics (12D) integrally associated with the laser module diode (12E). The retrofittable laser system (10) further comprises a processor module (14) which comprises at least one module pin receptacle which is complimentary to the at least one laser module pin (12A) forming an electrical connection when inserted therein and at least one processor module pin. The retrofittable laser system (10) further comprises a piezo module (16) which comprises at least one piezo module pin receptacle (16B) which is complimentary to the at least one processor module pin forming an electrical connection when inserted therein and at least one piezo module pin (16A) and a piezo module switch (16D) which is activatable when hit by the pistol firing pin (24E). The retrofittable laser system (10) further comprises a power module (18) which comprises at least one power module electronic connector pin receptacle which is complimentary to the at least one piezo module pin (16A)forming an electrical connection when inserted therein.

Claims

1. A retrofittable laser system (10) utilizing miniaturized components which are insertable into a firearm barrel (24B) of a firearm (24) which emits a laser module light pulse (12C) when a firearm firing trigger (24F) activates a firearm firing pin (24E), the firearm (24) further comprises a firearm housing (24A) and a firearm ammunition chamber (24D), the retrofittable laser system (10) is insertable into a retrofittable housing (11) and held in position at opposite distal ends by at least two retrofittable housing rings (11B), the retrofittable laser system (10) comprising:

A) a laser module (12) which comprises;

i) at least one laser module pin (12A),

ii) a laser module diode (12E) having a laser module diode driver circuit (12EA) electronically connected to the at least one laser module pin (12A), and

iii) a laser module graded index optics (12D) integrally associated with the laser module diode (12E);

B) a processor module (14) which comprises at least one module pin receptacle which is complimentary to the at least one laser module pin (12A) forming an electrical connection when inserted therein and at least one processor module pin, the processor module (14) further comprises a first processor module (14A) having at least one first processor module pin receptacle (14AB) and at least one first processor module pin (14AA) which is electronically insertably connectable to at least one first power module electronic connector pin receptacle (18AB) of a first power module (18A);

C) a piezo module (16) which comprises at least one piezo module pin receptacle (16B) which is complimentary to the at least one processor module pin forming an electrical connection when inserted therein and at least one piezo module pin (16A) and a piezo module switch (16D) which is activatable when hit by the firearm firing pin (24E);

D) a power module (18) which comprises at least one power module electronic connector pin receptacle which is complimentary to the at least one piezo module pin (16A)forming an electrical connection when inserted therein, the retrofittable housing (11) has at least one retrofittable housing groove (11A) which is complimentary to at least one laser module ridge (12B) extending from the laser module (12), the first power module (18A) further comprises at least one first power module electronic connector pin (18AA) which is electronically insertably connectable into at least one first cable/connector power module adaptor pin receptacle (22AAA) of a first cable/connector power module adaptor (22AA) of a first cable/connector (22A) which further comprises a first cable/connector piezo module adaptor (22AB) which comprises at least one first cable/connector piezo module adaptor pin (22ABA) which is complimentary to and insertable within the at least one piezo module pin receptacle (16B) forming an electronic connection therebetween, at least one processor module ridge extends from the processor module (14), the first power module (18A) further comprises a second power module (18B) which comprises at least one second power module electronic connector pin (18BA) which is which is electronically insertably connectable into at least one second cable/connector first power module adaptor pin receptacle (22BAA) of a second cable/connector first power module adaptor (22BA) of a second cable/connector (22B), at least one second cable/connector second power module adaptor pin receptacle (22BBA) of a second cable/connector second power module adaptor (22BB) is electronically insertably connectable into at least one first power module electronic connector pin (18AA) of the first power module (18A), the second cable/connector (22B) further comprises at least one second cable/connector piezo module adaptor pin (22BCA) of a second cable/connector piezo module adaptor (22BC) which is electronically insertably connectable into at least one piezo module pin receptacle (16B), at least one cable/connector line (22D) electronically connects the at least one first cable/connector power module adaptor pin receptacle (22AAA) and the at least one first cable/connector piezo module adaptor pin (22ABA) the at least one second cable/connector first power module adaptor pin receptacle and the at least one second cable/connector piezo module adaptor pin together, at least one piezo module ridge (16C) extending from the piezo module (16), and at least one first power module electronic ridge (18AC) extending from the power module (18); and

E) at least one recoil module (20) which comprises a gas cylinder (25) removably insertable into an ammunition magazine gas cylinder chamber having an ammunition magazine gas cylinder chamber cap removably mounted thereon, the ammunition magazine gas cylinder chamber cap further comprises a pistol ammunition magazine gas cylinder chamber cap point thereon which functions to pierce the gas cylinder (25) permitting pressurized gas to escape therefrom into the ammunition magazine gas cylinder chamber, the at least one recoil module (20) further comprises a ammunition magazine gas pre-chamber pneumatically connected to the ammunition magazine gas cylinder chamber having an ammunition magazine gas pre-chamber first switch therebetween which functions to allow a pre determined amount of pressurized gas to be released and expand in the ammunition magazine gas pre-chamber, the at least one recoil module (20) further comprises an ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber pneumatically connected to the ammunition magazine gas pre-chamber having an ammunition magazine gas pre-chamber second switch therebetween which functions to release pressurized gas from the ammunition magazine gas pre-chamber to the ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber simultaneously with emission of the laser module light pulse (12C), an ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber anvil is positioned within the ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber at a resting position adjacent to the pneumatic connection, the ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber anvil is securely fastened at a first distal end to an ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber return means and securely fastened at a second distal end to an ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber stopper, when a user pulls the firearm firing trigger (24F), the firearm firing pin (24E) is released hitting a piezo module switch (16D) which opens the ammunition magazine gas pre-chamber second switch releasing pressurized gas into ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber expanding therein forcing the ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber anvil to strike the ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber stopper simulating recoil, the expanded gas then escapes from an ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber port while the ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber anvil returns to the resting position by the ammunition magazine gas expansion chamber return means, the recoil module (20) is housed within an ammunition magazine, the power module (18) further comprises a power module spacer (18C) which comprises at least one power module spacer pin (18CA) electronically connectably insertable into the at least one second cable/connector first power module adaptor pin receptacle (22BAA) and at least one power module spacer pin receptacle (18CB) within which at least one piezo module pin (16A) is insertable therein.

2. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein the laser module (12) further comprises a laser module focus adjustment (12F).

3. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein the fire arm (24) is selected from a group consisting of pistol (124), machine gun (224), sub-machine gun, shotgun (324), rifle, and revolver.

4. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein at least one power module (18) is housed within an ammunition magazine.

5. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein the firearm barrel assembly and magazine are colored in a highly visible color.

6. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 5, wherein the highly visible color is "safety" orange.

7. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 5, wherein the a simulator fire barrel assembly has warning labels and the precautions thereto as to the type of laser module (12) therein.

8. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein the retrofittable laser system (10) firearm barrel and retrofittable laser system (10) ammunition magazine are designed to prevent introduction of live ammunition into a breech.

9. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein the processor module (14) controls microcontroller processing of mechanical and electrical functions and storage of these parameters in solid state memory.

10. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 9, wherein the processor module (14) controls pulse code and frequency modulation of the laser module (12).

11. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 9, wherein the processor module (14) controls coding of the laser module (12) and transmiting a plurality of different coded laser module light pulses (12C).

12. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 1, wherein the piezo module (16) comprises a switching means whereby an impact block is coupled to a generally spherical shaped ball further coupled to a spring which is further coupled to the piezo module switch (16D) having electrical outputs communicating with the firearm firing trigger (24F) and power module (18) and processor module (14).

13. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 12, wherein the piezo module switch (16D) comprises an electrical switch communicating with the firearm firing trigger (24F).

14. The retrofittable laser system (10) as described in claim 13, wherein the piezo module switch (16D) is contained in the simulator firearm barrel of the retrofittable laser system (10).