Quick detach sling swivel

The present invention is a quick detach swivel utilizing pawls to engage a ridge or trench in a socket. The pawls are biased outward by the spurs of two sliding buttons which cam the pawls in an upright and outward orientation. When the buttons are squeezed together, the cam lock is released and the pawls fall into the swivel frame, releasing the swivel body. When pressure on the buttons is released, the buttons return to their normal positions and catch the pawls, returning them to their upright and engaged position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of firearms and more particularly relates to a quick detach sling swivel for firearms and other similar devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Since the invention of the long firearm, there has been a need to safely and effectively carry, handle and manipulate the weapon. One solution to the problem is the use of a sling. Slings are connected to firearms, and other devices, in many ways, but one of the most common is the use of a sling swivel. The sling swivel, as the name suggests, allows the sling to pivot, or swivel, in relation to the object being carried. This allows for greater freedom of movement on the part of the user. However, despite many advances in sling technology, slings can sometimes encumber or entangle the user more than it can help. For this reason, many sling swivels have been developed with a quick detach feature. In most cases, the quick detach feature of a sling swivel is an internal spring loaded plunger that biases a plurality of ball bearings through the swivel casing. The ball bearings then interface with a ridge in a swivel socket and hold the swivel in place. When desired, the user simply depresses the plunger and the bias on the ball bearings is removed, allowing them to roll into the casing and thereby allowing the swivel to be removed from the socket.

The current designs of the prior art do have one disadvantage. The action used to release the ball bearings directly opposes the action to remove the swivel from the socket. While this does help prevent accidental removal, it is counter-intuitive and somewhat awkward.

The present invention represents a departure from the prior art in that the quick detach swivel of the present invention utilizes a motion orthogonal to the action of removal. Being in a different direction than the action of removal, action of release still provides limitation to accidental removal; however that action is not counter to the action of removal and eliminates the inefficiency the counter actions provide in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of sling swivels, this invention provides a quick detach sling swivel with a pinch release. As such, the present invention's general purpose is to provide a new and improved quick detach sling swivel that is easy and intuitive to use and efficient to manufacture.

To accomplish these objectives, the quick detach sling swivel comprises a swivel frame and a pair of opposed slidable buttons and a pair of opposed pivoting pawls. The swivel interfaces with a socket that has an internal ridge for which the swivel to interact. The two opposing top slide buttons are pinched together to release the swivel. The buttons are spring-biased and feature distal cam structures that hold the two pawls in position to interface with the ridge. When squeezed together, the slide buttons release the cam lock on the pawls and the pawls then disengage the ridge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the quick detach swivel is herein described. It should be noted that the articles “a”, “an”, and “the”, as used in this specification, include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

With reference toFIGS. 1-5, the sling swivel10fits inside a swivel socket20. Swivel socket20is known in the prior art and embedded into a firearm, usually a stock or other non-mechanical component, so that swivel body10may connect therein. Texturing on the exterior of the swivel socket20helps maintain the swivel socket20in the stock. Swivel10is connected to the sling itself, usually by threading the sling through bail19, though other sling attachment means are possible.

As seen inFIG. 6, the swivel10comprises a swivel frame11having a central passage15. The passage15extends across an upper portion of the swivel frame11, ending in two openings, and also downwards and across a lower portion of the swivel frame11such that it ends in two open slots that are orthogonally related to the openings in the upper portion of the passage15.

As seen inFIGS. 6-11, two slidable buttons12reside in the upper portion of passage15. The slidable buttons are counter-biased against each other by a spring14through passage15in the swivel frame11. Each button12has a spur13extending into the passage15. Two pawls16reside in the lower portion of the swivel frame11, projecting in directions perpendicular to the sliding buttons12. Each pawl16has an upper projection17that extends into the passage15and each pawl16is secured in position by a retaining ring18about a lower end of the swivel frame11and pawls16.

In use, shown inFIGS. 11-20, the two sliding buttons12naturally reside about a perimeter of the swivel frame11and their spurs13extend into the swivel frame11through the passage15(FIG. 12). These spurs13project downward at their terminal ends and interface with and nests the upper projection17of each pawl16(FIG. 13). To release the swivel, the two sliding buttons12are squeezed together, moving the spurs13away from the upper projections17(FIGS. 15 and 16) and allowing the pawls16to fall into the swivel frame11. Pawls16may be leveraged to fall inward into the swivel frame11or may rely on the fact the pawls are no longer biased outward as the swivel is removed in order to disengage the pawls16from the swivel socket20. When pressure on the sliding buttons12is released, a wedge on the spurs13moves the pawls16outwards again, and nests the upper projection17back inside the spurs13.

When inside the swivel socket20, the swivel10connects by the interface of the pawls16with a trench or ridge inside the socket20(FIGS. 17-20). When engaged, the pawls16have teeth that are forced outwards and into the trench/against the ridge (FIGS. 17 and 18). When the pawls16have fallen into the swivel frame11(FIGS. 19 and 20), the teeth disengage and the swivel body10may be removed from the swivel socket20.

The swivel may be constructed of any suitable material, including but not limited to metal, polymer and composite materials and combinations thereof. The latching mechanism may also be readily adapted to other fields and such adaptations should be seen as equivalent constructions and inherently included in this invention.