Accessory devices for firearms

• US 7,325,352 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2004
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SureFire LLC (Surefire Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: SureFire LLC (Surefire Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Kim, Paul Y., Matthews, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELDRED, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US10/877,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20050217162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 421/13, 421/14, 421/15, 421/17, 421/46, 421/24, 42/90, 42/85, 892/00, 362/110
• US Class Current: 42/85
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 11/003 Mountings with a dove tail element, e.g. "Picatinny rail systems"

Abstract

An accessory device for being mounted to a longitudinal rail carried by a firearm and accommodating longitudinal rails of different configurations. A preferred embodiment comprises a light beam generator including a housing, elongate members removably secured to the housing and complementing the rail for enabling the housing to be retainably slid along the rail, a transverse rail latching device removably secured to the housing, and a replaceable ambidextrous tail cap switch.

Claims

1. An accessory device for a firearm including a longitudinal barrel, a longitudinal rail carried by the firearm, and a transverse slot in the rail, the accessory device comprising:

a housing having a top surface;

elongate rail interface members along said housing complementing the rail for enabling said housing to be retainably slid along the rail with said top surface facing the rail;

an elongate latch carried by said housing and transversely slidable along said top surface when said latch is transversely aligned with the slot, from an unlatched position disengaged from the slot to a latched position engaging the slot; and

a latch retainer carried by said housing transversely locking said elongate latch when in said latched position, said latch retainer adapted for being manipulated by a user for unlocking said elongate latch from said latched position and for permitting said elongate latch to be transversely urged by the user to said unlatched position with said elongate latch transversely retained to said housing.

2. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein:

said elongate rail interface members are removably secured to said housing.

3. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein:

said elongate latch extends through an opening in a side of said housing; and

said latch retainer and said latch are adapted for preventing transverse withdrawal of said latch through said opening when said latch is in said unlatched position.

4. The accessory device according to claim 1, including:

an adjustable device carried by said housing and longitudinally spaced from said latch, said adjustable device adapted for supportively engaging said housing to the rail.

5. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein:

said housing includes a transverse wall along said top surface; and

said latch is interposed between said wall and said latch retainer.

6. The accessory device according to claim 5, wherein:

said latch is restrained against longitudinal movement along said housing by said wall and said latch retainer.

7. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein:

said latch extends through respective openings in opposing longitudinal sides of said housing.

8. The accessory device according to claim 7, wherein:

said elongate rail interface members are removably secured along said opposing longitudinal sides including said openings for restraining said latch from movement normal to the top surface of said housing.

9. The accessory device according to claim 1, including:

an elongate depression in said latch for cooperating with said latch retainer for guiding said latch when said latch is transversely urged.

10. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein:

said latch retainer is removably secured to said housing.

11. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein:

said latch retainer is pivotally secured to said housing about a transverse axis.

12. The accessory device according to claim 11, wherein:

said elongate rail interface members are removably secured along opposing longitudinal sides of said housing; and

said latch retainer is pivotally restrained to said housing by said elongate rail interface members when said elongate rail interface members are secured to said housing.

13. The accessory device according to claim 12, wherein:

said latch retainer is removable from its securement about said transverse axis when said elongate rail interface members are removed from said housing.

14. The accessory device according to claim 2, wherein:

the securement of said elongate rail interface members to said housing is transversely adjustable.

15. The accessory device according to claim 2, wherein:

said elongate rail interface members are secured to said housing with headed screws retained in bores in said elongate rail interface members respectively communicating with threaded bores in said housing, said bores in said elongate rail interface members providing a loose fit with said headed screws at least in the transverse direction for adjusting the transverse distance between said members.

16. The accessory device according to claim 1, including:

a light emitter assembly carried by said housing;

a battery carried by said housing in circuit for energizing said light emitter assembly when switch actuated; and

a switch device including a switch actuator for said battery.

17. The accessory device according to claim 16, wherein:

said switch device is removably secured to said housing.

18. The accessory device according to claim 16, wherein:

said switch actuator is rotatably urgeable by either hand of a user when said housing is installed on the rail for placing said switch device in a CONSTANT ON or OFF position, and forwardly urgeable by either hand of the user when said housing is installed on the rail for placing said switch device in a MOMENTARY ON position.

19. The accessory device according to claim 18, including:

a remote switch actuator communicating with said switch device for remotely actuating said switch device to a MOMENTARY ON position.

20. The accessory device according to claim 16, wherein:

said switch device comprises a tail cap switch pivotally secured to said housing about a pivot axis.

21. The accessory device according to claim 20, wherein:

said tail cap switch is adapted for being removed by a user from its securement about said pivot axis.

22. The accessory device according to claim 20, wherein:

said tail cap switch is adapted for being removed by a user from its securement about said pivot axis only when said tail cap switch is pivoted away from said housing.

23. The accessory device according to claim 20, wherein:

said tail cap switch includes a switch actuator rotatably urgeable by either hand of a user when said housing is installed on the rail for placing said tail cap switch in a CONSTANT ON or OFF position, and axially urgeable by either hand of the user when said housing is installed on the rail for placing said tail cap switch in a MOMENTARY ON position.

24. The accessory device according to claim 23, including:

a remote switch actuator communicating with said tail cap switch and operable by either hand of the user for placing said tail cap switch in a MOMENTARY ON position.

25. The accessory device according to claim 16, wherein:

said switch device comprises a tail cap switch and said switch actuator includes an actuator arm rotable at its center about a longitudinal axis of said housing, said actuator arm including longitudinally displaceable ends with handles at said ends, one of said handles accessible to one hand of a user and the other of said handles accessible to the other hand of the user when said housing is installed on the rail;

said switch actuator is adapted for placing said tail cap switch in a CONSTANT ON position when either of said handles is upwardly or downwardly urged by the user from an OFF position of said switch, and for returning said tail cap switch to the OFF position upon reverse urging of either of said handles; and

said switch actuator is adapted for placing said switch in a MOMENTARY ON position when either of said handles is forwardly urged from the OFF position by the user.

26. The accessory device according to claim 25, wherein:

said switch actuator is latched in the OFF position when said actuator arm is transversely oriented, and said switch actuator is latched in the CONSTANT ON position when said actuator arm is rotationally displaced from its transverse orientation.

27. The accessory device according to claim 25, wherein:

said tail cap switch is pivotally secured to said housing about a pivot axis.

28. The accessory device according to claim 27, wherein:

said tail cap switch is adapted for being removed by a user from its securement about said pivot axis.

29. An accessory device for a firearm including a longitudinal barrel, a longitudinal rail carried by the firearm, and a transverse slot in the rail, the accessory device comprising:

a housing having a top surface and an upstanding wall transversely extending along said top surface;

elongate rail interface members along said housing complementing the rail for enabling said housing to be longitudinally slid along the rail;

a bar transversely carried by said housing, said bar including an upper portion for being transversely received by the slot, said bar including a lower portion having a first surface in transverse sliding engagement with said wall and a second surface opposite said first surface including an elongate depression terminating at a first end with a second depression of depth greater than the depth of said elongate depression, said elongate depression terminating at a second end;

a retainer for said bar, said retainer secured to said housing and having a transverse edge portion including a longitudinally extending protuberance, said edge portion received by said elongate depression with said protuberance received by said second depression for preventing sliding of said bar along said wall, said retainer adapted for being manipulated by a user for longitudinally urging said edge portion from said elongate depression and said protuberance from said second depression whereupon said bar is transversely slidable along said wall with said protuberance captured within said elongate depression.

30. The accessory device according to claim 29, wherein:

said first surface comprises a front surface;

said second surface comprises a rear surface;

said transverse edge portion comprises a front edge portion;

said longitudinally extending protuberance comprises a forwardly extending protuberance; and

said longitudinally urging of said edge portion comprises a rearwardly urging of said edge portion.

31. The accessory device according to claim 30, wherein:

said retainer includes a forwardly biased elongate member having said front edge portion.

32. The accessory device according to claim 31, wherein:

said retainer includes a frame secured to said housing and a compression spring longitudinally securing said elongate member to said frame.

33. The accessory device according to claim 32, wherein:

said retainer includes a top plate secured to said frame and having a transverse front edge longitudinally spaced from said wall.

34. The accessory device according to claim 33, including:

a tab provided in said top plate; and

an actuator interposed between said top surface of said housing and said tab and operable by a user for causing said tab to contact the bottom surface of the rail.

35. The accessory device according to claim 29, including:

an adjustable device carried by said housing and longitudinally spaced from said bar, said adjustable device being adjustable for supportively engaging said housing to the rail.

36. The accessory device according to claim 29, wherein:

said retainer is pivotally secured to said housing about a transverse axis.

37. The accessory device according to claim 31, wherein:

said forwardly biased elongate member includes lateral arms extending through said housing and rearwardly urgeable by a user for rearwardly displacing said forwardly biased elongate member.

38. The accessory device according to claim 29, wherein:

said elongate rail interface members are removably secured to said housing.

39. The accessory device according to claim 38, wherein:

said retainer is removably secured to said housing.

40. The accessory device according to claim 38, wherein:

said retainer is pivotally secured to said housing about a transverse axis.

41. The accessory device according to claim 40, wherein:

said retainer is pivotally restrained to said housing by said elongate rail interface members when said elongate rail interface members are secured to said housing.

42. The accessory device according to claim 41, wherein:

said retainer is removable from its securement about said transverse axis when said elongate rail interface members are removed from said housing.

43. The accessory device according to claim 38, wherein:

the securement of said elongate rail interface members to said housing is transversely adjustable.

44. The accessory device according to claim 43, wherein:

said elongate rail interface members are secured to said housing with headed screws retained in bores in said elongate rail interface members respectively communicating with threaded bores in said housing, said bores in said elongate rail interface members providing a loose fit with said headed screws at least in the transverse direction for adjusting the transverse distance between said elongate rail interface members.

45. The accessory device according to claim 38, wherein:

said elongate rail interface members restrain movement of said bar normal to said top surface when said elongate rail interface members are secured to said housing.

46. The accessory device according to claim 45, wherein:

said bar is removable from said housing when said elongate rail interface members are removed from said housing.

47. The accessory device according to claim 29, including:

a light emitter assembly carried by said housing;

a battery carried by said housing in circuit for energizing said light emitter assembly when switch actuated; and

a switch device including a switch actuator for said battery.

48. The accessory device according to claim 47, wherein:

said switch device is removably secured to said housing.

49. The accessory device according to claim 47, wherein:

said switch actuator is rotatably urgeable by either hand of a user when said housing is installed on the rail for placing said switch device in a CONSTANT ON or OFF position, and longitudinally urgeable by either hand of the user when said housing is installed on the rail for placing said switch device in a MOMENTARY ON position.

50. The accessory device according to claim 49, including:

a remote switch actuator communicating with said switch device for remotely actuating said switch device to a MOMENTARY ON position.

51. The accessory device according to claim 47, wherein:

said switch device comprises a tail cap switch pivotally secured to said housing about a pivot axis.

52. The accessory device according to claim 51, wherein:

said tail cap switch is adapted for being removed by a user from its securement about said pivot axis.

53. The accessory device according to claim 51, wherein:

said tail cap switch is adapted for being removed by a user from its securement about said pivot axis only when said tail cap switch is pivoted away from said housing.

54. A method of assembling an accessory device for installation on a longitudinal rail having a transverse slot therein, comprising:

providing the accessory device including a housing having a top surface and a transverse wall along said top surface;

providing elongate rail interface members complementing the rail;

providing an elongate latch member sized for being slidably received by the slot in the rail;

providing a latch retainer having a forwardly biased front edge portion;

placing said latch member to said front edge portion of said latch retainer;

securing said latch retainer to said housing with said latch member interposed between said wall and said forwardly biased edge portion of said latch retainer; and

removably securing said elongate rail interface members to said housing with said elongate rail interface members capturing said latch retainer and said latch member to said housing.

55. The method according to claim 54, further including:

sliding said latch member transversely along said top surface of said housing to an unlatched position;

sliding said housing longitudinally along the rail until said latch member is transversely aligned with the slot in the rail; and

sliding said latch member transversely for being received by the slot.

56. The method according to claim 55, further including:

causing said housing to engage the bottom of the rail at a location longitudinally spaced from said latch member.

57. The method according to claim 54, wherein:

in the latch retainer providing step, said latch retainer is removably securable to said housing about a transverse axis.

58. The method according to claim 54, wherein:

in the latch member providing step, said latch member includes an elongate depression; and

in the latch member placing step, said forwardly biased front edge portion of said latch retainer is received by said elongate depression of said latch member.

59. The method according to claim 54, wherein:

in the latch member providing step, said latch member includes an elongate depression terminating with a second depression of greater depth;

in the latch retainer providing step, said forwardly biased front edge portion includes a forwardly extending protrusion; and

in the latch member placing step, said forwardly biased front edge portion of said latch retainer is received by said elongate depression of said latch member with said protrusion received by said second depression.

60. The method according to claim 59, further including:

rearwardly urging said forwardly biased front edge portion of said latch retainer for urging said edge portion from said elongate depression and said protuberance from said second depression for permitting transverse sliding of said latch member with said protuberance captured within said elongate depression;

sliding said latch member transversely along said top surface of said housing to an unlatched position;

sliding said housing longitudinally along the rail until said latch member is transversely aligned with the slot in the rail; and

sliding said latch member transversely for being received by the slot.

61. The method according to claim 60, further including:

rearwardly urging said forwardly biased front edge portion of said latch retainer for urging said edge portion from said elongate depression and said protuberance from said second depression such that said latch member is transversely slidable with said protrusion captured within said elongate depression;

sliding said latch member transversely along said top surface of said housing to an unlatched position; and

sliding said housing longitudinally along the rail until said housing is removed therefrom.

62. The method according to claim 54 wherein the rail is a first rail, further including:

removing said elongate rail interface members from said housing;

removing said latch member from said housing;

providing a second latch member sized for being slidingly received by a slot in a second rail carried by a firearm;

placing said second latch member to said front edge portion of said latch retainer with said latch member disposed for being transversely slid along the top surface of said housing; and

removably securing said elongate rail interface members to said housing with said elongate rail interface members capturing said latch retainer and said second latch member to said housing.

63. The method according to claim 62, wherein:

in the second latch member providing step, said second latch member is of a different width than said first latch member.

64. The method according to claim 54, wherein:

in the latch retainer securing step, pivotally securing said latch retainer to said housing and pivoting said latch retainer with said latch member placed thereto toward said top surface of said housing.

65. The method according to claim 64, further including:

removing said elongate rail interface members from said housing;

pivoting said latch retainer with said latch member away from said top surface;

removing said latch member from its placement to said latch retainer;

providing a second latch member sized for being slidably received by a slot in a second rail carried by a firearm;

placing said second latch member to said front edge portion of said latch retainer;

pivoting said latch retainer with said latch member toward said top surface; and

removably securing said elongate rail interface members to said housing with said elongate rail interface members capturing said latch retainer and said latch member to said housing.

66. The method according to claim 65, wherein:

in the second latch member providing step, said second latch member is of a different width than the removed latch member.