Patent ID: 6829917
Filing Date: 2004-12-14
Classification: F41A,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A weapon container for mounting in a vehicle subject to a positive accelerated gravity environment, the vehicle having a longitudinal axis, comprising:a container body having a top edge and having an interior cavity defined therein; a top lid; a container opening assembly constructed and arranged for selective movement of the top lid from an open position to a closed position in which at least a portion of the top lid is received onto at least a portion of the top edge of the container body to substantially enclose the interior cavity; and a lock assembly constructed and arranged for movement between a first, locked, position and a second, unlocked, position upon application of an accelerated gravity condition of a predetermined level, the lock assembly mounted to a portion of an interior surface of the interior cavity, the lock assembly being further constructed and arranged for preventing movement of the container opening assembly when the lock assembly is in the first position and allowing movement of the container opening assembly when the lock assembly is in the second position; the lock assembly further comprising: a) a substantially planar mounting plate that is affixed to the portion of the interior surface of the cavity, the mounting plate having a first mounting pin extending substantially transverse to the plate, a second mounting pin spaced from the first mounting pin and extending away from the plate, and a third mounting pin spaced from the first and second mounting pins and extending away from the plate; b) a locking member having a first end, an opposed second end, and having a longitudinal axis L, at least a portion of the first end being constructed and arranged for selective operable contact with a portion of the container opening assembly, the locking member being constructed and arranged for movement along the longitudinal axis L between an extended position and a collapsed position; c) a lever member constructed and arranged for rotational movement about the actuating pin upon the application of the predetermined level of the accelerated gravity condition, the lever member having a distal end, an opposed proximal end, an upper surface, and a longitudinal axis W, the distal end of the lever member having a weight attached thereto, wherein the lever member defines a bore proximate the proximal end of the lever member, the bore constructed and arranged for receiving the first mounting pin for pivotally connecting the lever member to the first mounting pin of the mounting plate, the lever member further having an actuation arm extending away from a portion of the proximal end of the lever member and extending above the upper surface thereof; and d) a knuckle assembly comprising: i) a mounting member that is substantially T-shaped and has a first mounting end, an opposed second mounting end, and a third mounting end that is intermediate the first and second mounting ends, the first mounting pin is connected to the first mounting end and the second mounting pin is connected to the second mounting end to fix the mounting member relative to the mounting plate; ii) a first member; iii) a second member, each of the respective first and second members having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the first member being pivotally connected to the upper end of the second member to form a first joint, the upper end of the first member being pivotally connected to a portion of the second end of the locking member to form a second joint, and the lower end of the second member being pivotally connected to the third mounting pin extending between the third mounting end of the mounting member and the mounting plate to form a third joint that is offset from the longitudinal axis W and is above the upper surface of the lever member, the respective second and third joints being substantially co-axial with respect to the longitudinal axis L of the locking member.