Abstract:
A new and improved firearm cleaning kit including a housing having a plurality of chambers defining openings and lids for covering the chambers to form seals. Pre-moistened patches impregnated with gun cleaning solvent are disposed in at least one of the chambers and pre-moistened patches impregnated with gun oil can be disposed in at least another one of the chambers. The pre-moistened patches can be accordion folded and joined together at perforations. The invention includes a method of cleaning a gun bore including providing a kit with airtight chambers at least one having patches pre-moistened with gun cleaner and/or gun oil, and running one of the pre-moistened patches through the gun bore.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/405,275, filed on Aug. 22, 2002, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates in general to apparatus used for cleaning gun bores, and more particularly to a gun cleaning kit that can be carried easily by a hunter or marksman in the field.  
           [0003]    Cleaning and polishing the gun bore can significantly improve shooting accuracy and consistency. The sooner copper, powder and lead fouling are removed from the bore or barrel, the easier is the cleaning task. Timely cleaning can even preserve the value of the gun. Therefore, frequent cleaning is desirable.  
           [0004]    One problem often encountered when hunting is that the hunter trips and the muzzle of the rifle or shotgun is jammed into the earth or snow, blocking the muzzle and the barrel. This can be dangerous, since should the firearm be fired with the obstruction in the barrel it could explode, possibly harming the shooter.  
           [0005]    The gun cleaning process is quite simple. A bore cleaning kit typically includes a cleaning rod, brushes and jag attachments of appropriate caliber, pre-cut patches, and cleaning solvent. Immediately after shooting or hunting, the barrel is cleaned using a solvent-bearing brush attached to the end of the cleaning rod which is run through the bore to loosen residue. This is followed by a jag-mounted patch impregnated with solvent to mop out any loose residue and dirt. Patches containing cleaning solvents are run through the bore until a patch comes out clean. A dry patch may then be run through the bore.  
           [0006]    Gun cleaning kits typically contain a collection of materials used to clean and oil a gun. These cleaning kits have not changed much since the 1920&#39;s, but the way in which people hunt has changed. No longer do hunters have gun bearers, nor do hunters hunt from a horse drawn wagon or motorized vehicle. Today hunters trek off into the bush, carrying whatever they believe will be needed to sustain them for the length of time they will stay in the woods.  
           [0007]    However, hunters in the field and recreational shooters rarely carry gun cleaning kits due to the size and bulk of conventional kits. The existing kits are too large to be carried easily, and the cleaning fluids and oils used in the kits have a strong odor that can be smelled at quite a distance by wary game animals. One reason that the game animals can smell these fluids is that the bottles in which they are sold can easily leak, break or be punctured or crushed.  
           [0008]    Accordingly, it is desirable to have a kit designed to make firearms cleaning in the field, or on the shooting range, as efficient, easy, and scent free as possible.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    According to the present invention, a new and improved firearm cleaning kit is provided.  
           [0010]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the firearm cleaning kit includes a housing having a plurality of chambers defining openings. The kit further includes lids for covering the chambers and forming seals that minimize any odor from escaping the chamber when the lid is closed.  
           [0011]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the gun cleaning kit includes a housing defining a first chamber and a second chamber. A lid attaches to the housing and is adapted to selectively close the first chamber. An internal wall is disposed in the housing for providing an impervious barrier between the first chamber and the second chamber.  
           [0012]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of cleaning a gun is provided. The method of cleaning a bore of a gun includes providing a kit having patches pre-moistened with a gun cleaning chemical and running one of the pre-moistened patches through a bore of an associated gun.  
           [0013]    The advantages and benefits of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. The invention may take form in various components and arrangement of components, and in various steps and arrangements of steps, preferred embodiments of which will be illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the gun cleaning kit in accordance with the invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the gun cleaning kit shown in FIG. 1, with the lids removed;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a chamber of the gun cleaning kit without a lid adapted to store patches pre-moistened with gun oil;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a chamber of the gun cleaning kit without a lid adapted to store patches pre-moistened with gun cleaner; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of the gun cleaning kit in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    It is to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts. Hence, specific examples and characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a firearm cleaning kit shown generally at  10  includes a housing  12 . The housing is made of a plastic or other material that is impervious to the chemicals used in cleaning and oiling firearms. The housing material also preferably resists crushing and puncturing.  
         [0022]    The housing  12  includes chambers  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  each chamber having an opening  24 ,  26 ,  28  and  30 . The exact number of chambers is not critical, however four chambers will be described. One or more of the chambers is adapted to hold moistened patches  22 , as discussed in further detail below.  
         [0023]    Each opening  24 ,  26 ,  28  and  30  can be covered by a lid  34 ,  36 ,  38  and  40 , respectively. The lid is preferably attached to the housing when the opening is uncovered. Attaching the open lid to the housing lessens the chances of losing the lid in the field. The lid can be attached by a hinge, a string or chain, or in any other suitable known manner. When closed, the lids  34 ,  36 ,  38  and  40  form a seal which minimizes the release of fumes and/or odors from the chambers. The seal can be formed in any suitable known manner. The lids can close with a snapping sound, or another audible indicator, to indicate closure and that the seal has been formed. Accordingly, the lid, the housing or both can be made to provide the audible indication that the chamber has been sealed.  
         [0024]    In alternative embodiments only certain compartments secure to a condition that minimizes the escape of fumes and/or odors, preferably the compartments that may carry items having a strong odor and/or moistened patches. Furthermore, less than four lids can be provided. For example, one lid could cover two compartments.  
         [0025]    The chambers  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  are separated from one another in the housing  12  by internal walls  44 ,  46  and  48  (FIG. 2). The internal walls  44 - 48  and the lids  34 - 40  are made of the same impervious material as the housing.  
         [0026]    One or more of the chambers is adapted to store pre-moistened gun cleaning patches  22 . For example in the preferred embodiment, chamber  14  can be used to store a plurality of patches  22   a  (FIG. 3) that are pre-moistened with bore cleaner. Lid  34  covers opening  24  to form a seal to minimize fumes and/or odors from the patches  22   a  pre-moistened with bore cleaner from escaping. The seal not only inhibits fumes and/or odors from escaping, the seal also inhibits evaporation keeping the patches moist for an extended period of time.  
         [0027]    Chamber  16  is used to store patches  22   b  (FIG. 4) that are pre-moistened with gun oil. Again, this chamber is also designed to hold a plurality of patches  22   b.  With the seal formed when the opening  26  is closed by lid  36 , minimal scent can escape from chamber  16  that might be detected by an animal and minimal evaporation can occur. Furthermore, the internal wall  44  divides the bore cleaner chamber  14  from the gun oil chamber  16 . The wall  44  is made from a plastic that is impervious to the cleaning chemicals used in cleaning and oiling firearms so that no cross-contamination between the chambers can occur.  
         [0028]    Chamber  18  can be used to store dry patches. The dry patches are used to wipe the bore after the pre-moistened patches have been used. Also, the impervious internal wall  46  divides the dry patch chamber  18  from the gun oil chamber  16  so that no cross-contamination may occur.  
         [0029]    Chamber  20  is adapted for storing other cleaning accessories, including but not limited to, a bore or barrel cleaning rod, a brush and a jag. Both the bore cleaning brush and the jag can be made of nylon. Chamber  20  may also store a flexible, pull-through cleaning rod having a threaded ferrule that can accept the brushes and jag. Chamber  20  may also store a rod having a screw-to-assemble T-handle that is assembled by screwing the rod together. The rod may be disassembled to be stored in the chamber  20 . Internal wall  48  divides the storage chamber  20  from the dry patch chamber  18 .  
         [0030]    Lid  40  covers opening  20  to retain the stored implements inside the chamber. Lid  40  can form a seal with housing  12 . Lid  40  snaps when closed so that the lid will not open during jostling or other movement, including inverting the kit  10 .  
         [0031]    The exact location and positioning of the chambers with respect to one another is not critical. The chambers may be positioned in any order and may be horizontal as opposed to the vertical orientation shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.  
         [0032]    The gun cleaning kit  10  can also include straps or other equipment so that the kit can be carried easily while hunting. Referring specifically to FIG. 2, the gun cleaning kit  10  may have loops  60  and  62  mounted to a rear wall  64  of the housing  12 . The loops  60 ,  62  allow the user to place the kit on the hunter&#39;s belt as opposed to having to carry a cleaning kit in a backpack or other carrying implement. In an alternative embodiment, clips, snaps, hook and loop fasteners or other known elements can be used so that the housing  12  can attach to a hunter&#39;s belt.  
         [0033]    Chambers  14 - 18  are designed to hold a plurality of cleaning patches  22 , and in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each chamber that holds patches is designed to hold  300  patches though it may be sized to hold any suitable number. The patches  22  are disposed in the chambers in a manner that allows them to be removed individually. For example, the patches can be separate and be folded together to be dispensed similar to facial tissue. As seen in FIG. 3 and  4 , the cleaning patches  22   a  and  22   b  may be accordion folded having perforations  32   a  and  32   b  so as to tear off easily when needed.  
         [0034]    Referring now to FIG. 5, another embodiment of a firearm cleaning kit is shown generally at  100 . The gun cleaning kit  100  includes a housing  112  made of plastic or other material that is impervious to the cleaning chemicals used in cleaning and oiling firearms. The housing  112  includes chambers  114 ,  116 ,  118  and  120  each chamber having an opening  124 ,  126 ,  128  and  130 , respectively. As with the kit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the exact number of chambers is not critical, however four chambers will be described.  
         [0035]    Each opening  124 ,  126 ,  128  and  130  can be covered by a lid  134 ,  136 ,  138  and  140 , respectively. Lids  134 ,  136 , and  138  can be hingedly attached to an upper edge  142  of the housing  112 . Lid  140  may be hingedly attached to a wall  144  of the housing  112 . The chambers  114 ,  116  and  118  may be separated from one another in the housing  112  by internal walls  146  and  148 . Chamber wall  150  separates chamber  120  from chambers  114 ,  116 , and  118 . The internal walls  146  and  148 , chamber wall  150  and lids  134 - 140  are made of the same impervious material as the housing. The lids  134 ,  136 ,  138  and  140  can snap closed for a seal, so that minimal fumes and/or odors are released from the compartments when they are closed. Also, lid  140  covers opening  120  to retain the stored implements inside the chamber. Lid  140  can form a seal with housing  112 . Lid  140  snaps when closed so that the lid will not open during jostling or other movement, including inverting the kit  110 . In other embodiments only certain compartments may secure to a sealed condition.  
         [0036]    Similar to the gun cleaning kit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two of the chambers can store a plurality of pre-moistened patches impregnated with bore cleaning solution and gun oil. Another chamber can hold dry patches. The patches may be accordion folded with perforations so as to tear off easily when needed. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the patches are stored in the uppermost chambers  114 - 118 . The internal walls  146  and  148  and the chamber wall  150  insure that no cross-contamination occurs.  
         [0037]    Chamber  120  may be located below and spaced from the three uppermost chambers  114 - 118 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, chamber  120  is horizontally disposed, while chambers  114 - 118  are disposed vertically. Chamber  120  is used to store the same or similar gun cleaning implements as those that are held in chamber  20  shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.  
         [0038]    Similar to the kit shown in FIG. 2, the kit  100  shown in FIG. 5 may have loops (not shown) attached to the rear of the kit. The loops allow the hunter or shooter to place the kit on the hunter&#39;s belt.  
         [0039]    Each kit disclosed can be unique to a specific caliber, millimeter, or gauge of shotgun, pistol or rifle. Furthermore alternate orientations of the chambers may be offered and additional chambers may be added.  
         [0040]    Since the kit can be mounted directly on a hunter&#39;s belt, the housing should be as compact as possible. Furthermore, since the kit is to be used in the field it should contain everything needed to allow a shooter to clear a blocked barrel, or to clean his rifle, pistol, or shotgun, eliminating the need for a larger more awkward gun cleaning kit. Additionally, since the kit is to be used while hunting, the scent of the pre-moistened patches needs to be contained. If the smell of the cleaning liquid or gun oil is allowed to escape, game animals at distances as great as a mile or more away may smell the contents of the hunter&#39;s gun cleaning kit and avoid the hunter.  
         [0041]    The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations.