Inertia-resistant preventer mechanism for firearm safety enhancement system

• US 6,343,429 B1
• Filed: 12/21/1999
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: O.F. Mossberg & Sons Incorporated (Mossberg Corporation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mossberg Group, LLC
• Inventors: Mossberg, Jonathan E., Safford, Robert, Kluwe, George E., Kinion, Kevin F.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELDRED, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US09/468,694
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 42/700.1, 42/700.4, 42/700.5, 42/700.8, 42/701.1, 891/42, 891/48, 891/50, 891/54
• US Class Current: 42/70.01
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/063 comprising a transponder

Abstract

An inertia-resistant preventer mechanism is provided for use in a firearm safety enhancement system to reliably and selectably prevent or to unblock a firing mechanism of a firearm. The inertia-resistant preventer mechanism includes a first solenoid having a moveable blocking rod with a first actuation response speed. The blocking rod is normally interposed in the firearm to prevent activation of the firing mechanism and is selectably activated to unblock the firing mechanism. A second solenoid is also included, having a second blocking rod with a second actuation response speed equal to or faster than the response speed of the first solenoid. The second blocking rod of the second solenoid is normally interposed at an angle to the first solenoid to block the first blocking rod of the first solenoid against accidental unblocking caused by inertia and relative movement of the firearm. The second solenoid is selectably activated to unblock the first rod of the first solenoid substantially simultaneously with, or prior to, actuation of the first blocking rod to unblock the firing mechanism of the firearm.

Claims

1. A method of preventing a firing mechanism of a firearm from being activated unless an authorized user is using the firearm comprising the steps of:

a. normally positioning a first blocker mechanism to prevent the firing mechanism from being activated;

b. normally positioning a second blocker mechanism to prevent the first blocker mechanism from inadvertently allowing the firing mechanism to be activatable as a result of inertia and relative movement of the firearm;

c. determining if an authorized user is using the firearm; and

d. positioning the first blocker mechanism and the second blocker mechanism to allow the firing mechanism to be activatable if an authorized user is found to be using the firearm.

2. The method of preventing a firing mechanism of a firearm from being activated unless an authorized user is using the firearm of claim 1 wherein step c. comprises the sub-steps of:

(i) interrogating an area in proximity to the firearm;

(ii) obtaining a user code stored in a personal identification device carried in a personal adornment by a user if the personal identification device is proximate the firearm; and

(iii) comparing the user code to a stored authorization code, with a match between the user code and the stored authorization code indicating that the user is authorized to use the firearm.

3. An inertia-resistant preventer mechanism for use in a firearm safety enhancement system to selectively and controllably prevent a firing mechanism of a firearm from activating, the inertia-resistant preventer mechanism comprising:

a. a first solenoid having a moveable blocking rod with a first actuation response speed, the blocking rod being normally interposed to prevent activation of the firing mechanism and selectably actuatable to allow activation of the firing mechanism; and

b. a second solenoid having a second blocking rod with a second actuation response speed at least as fast as the response speed of the first solenoid, the second blocking rod of the second solenoid being normally interposed at an angle to the first solenoid to interfere with the first blocking rod of the first solenoid to prevent accidental movement of the first blocking rod caused by inertia and relative movement of the firearm, and the second blocking rod being selectably actuatable, substantially simultaneously with, or prior to, actuation of the first blocking rod, to not interfere with the first blocking rod of the first solenoid to allow the firing mechanism of the firearm to activate.

4. The inertia resistant preventer mechanism for use in a firearm safety enhancement system of claim 3 wherein the moveable blocking rod of the first solenoid is positioned at substantially a right angle to the second blocking rod of the second solenoid.

5. An inertia-resistant preventer mechanism for use in a firearm safety enhancement system to selectively and controllably prevent a firing mechanism of a firearm from activating, the inertia-resistant preventer mechanism comprising:

a. a first controllably movable blocker normally positioned to prevent the firearm from being activated; and

b. a second controllably movable blocker normally positioned to prevent the first controllably movable blocker from being moved by inertia or relative movement of the firearm away from the first blocker'"'"'s normal position.

6. An inertia-resistant preventer mechanism for use in a firearm safety enhancement system to selectively and controllably prevent a firing mechanism of a firearm from activating, the inertia-resistant preventer mechanism comprising:

a. a first solenoid having a first moveable blocking rod, the first solenoid being actuatable to move the first blocking rod between a safety position preventing the firing mechanism from being activated and a firing position allowing the firing mechanism to be activated; and

b. a second solenoid having a second blocking rod, the second locking rod of the second solenoid being interposed at an angle to the first solenoid, and the second solenoid being actuatable to move the second blocking rod between an interference position preventing the first blocking rod of the first solenoid from moving to the firing position as a result of inertia and relative movement of the firearm, and a retracted position allowing the first blocking rod of the first solenoid to move to the firing position.

7. The inertia preventer mechanism of claim 6 wherein:

a. the first blocking rod is normally in the safety position unless the first solenoid is actuated to move the first blocking rod to the firing position; and

b. the second blocking rod is normally in the interference position unless the second solenoid is actuated to move the second blocking rod to the retracted position.

8. The inertia preventer mechanism of claim 6 wherein the first blocking rod has a first actuation response speed, and the second blocking rod has a second actuation response speed at least as fast as the response speed of the first blocking rod, whereby when the first blocker rod is in the safety position and the second blocker rod is in interference position the first solenoid and the second solenoid may be actuated at the same time with the second blocker rod thereby moving to the retracted position at least as soon as the first solenoid moves to the firing position to permit activation of the firing mechanism.

9. The inertia resistant preventer mechanism for use in a firearm safety enhancement system of claim 6 wherein the moveable first blocking rod of the first solenoid is positioned at substantially a right angle to the second blocking rod of the second solenoid.

10. The inertia resistant preventer mechanism of claim 6 further comprising an electrical activation circuit, electrically connected to the first solenoid and the second solenoid, for actuating, when an authorized user is proximate the firearm, the second solenoid to move the second blocking rod to the retracted position and the first solenoid to move the first blocking rod to the firing position, and for actuating, when no authorized user is proximate the firearm, the first solenoid to move the first blocking rod to the safety position and the second solenoid to move the second blocking rod to the interference position.

11. The inertia resistant preventer mechanism of claim 10 further comprising at least one system switch mounted in the firearm and electrically connected to the electrical activation circuit, the electrical activation circuit only actuating the second solenoid to move the second blocking rod to the retracted position and the first solenoid to move the first blocking rod to the firing position when the system switch is thrown by a user of the firearm.

12. The inertia resistant preventer mechanism of claim 11 wherein the system switch is a grip switch located in a grip of the firearm, the grip switch being thrown by a user when the user grasps the grip of the firearm.

13. The inertia-resistant preventer mechanism for use in a firearm safety enhancement system of claim 6 further comprising:

a. a selectable activation device including an interrogator circuit for interrogating the area in proximity to the firearm for a coded personal identification device, a coded signal return device carried in a personal adornment by an authorized user, and a decoder circuit coupled to the interrogator device for reading the coded signal and comparing the signal to a stored authorization code; and

b. an electrical activation circuit, powered by a portable battery supply in the firearm and electrically connected to the inertia-resistant preventer mechanism for unblocking the firing mechanism of the firearm only when an authorized personal identification code is detected in the coded signal from the coded signal return device.

14. The inertia-resistant preventer mechanism for use in a firearm safety enhancement system of claim 6 wherein the firearm is a shoulder-mounted firearm.

15. The inertia-resistant preventer mechanism for use in a firearm safety enhancement system of claim 14 wherein the shoulder-mounted firearm is a shotgun.

16. An inertia-resistant preventer mechanism for use in a firearm safety enhancement system comprising:

a. a first controllable blocker means for selectively preventing a firing mechanism of the firearm from being activated; and

b. a second controllable blocker means for selectively preventing the first blocker means from inadvertently allowing, as a result of inertia and relative movement of the firearm, the firing mechanism of the firearm to be activatable.

17. An inertia-resistant preventer mechanism for use in a firearm safety enhancement system comprising:

a. a first controllable blocking element positioning means for selectively positioning a first blocking element at one of a safety position preventing a firing mechanism of the firearm from being activated and a firing position allowing the firing mechanism to be activated; and

b. a second controllable blocking element positioning means for selectively positioning a second blocking element at one of a retracted position allowing the first blocking element to be positionable at the firing position and an interference position preventing the first blocking element from inadvertently being positioned at the firing position as a result of inertia and relative movement of the firearm.