Abstract:
A bipod attachment mechanism for small arms that is releasably attached to an elongated rail adaptor is disclosed. The attachment mechanism removably mounts an accessory to a small arms weapon. The bipod attachment mechanism includes a rail attachment mechanism and a grip element having an upper end and a lower end, and including a hollow interior cavity. A pin-receiving section includes an aperture for receiving an accessory mounting pin, and a spring-biased catch mechanism for securing the accessory mounting pin.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to firearm accessories. The invention relates more specifically to an attachment mechanism to attach a bipod to a weapon, a small arm that is typically a military weapon. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Military small arms must serve multiple purposes in the field. A soldier in the field desires that his rifle be effective, lightweight and easily maneuverable. This is particularly true when the soldier is operating in an urban combat environment, where maneuverability in close quarters can be a matter of life and death. However, since the military small arm is also used in other environments, it must versatile enough to fulfill multiple combat roles. One such role requires stability not generally found in the short-barreled rifle that is the standard issue military weapon. To maximize the stability of his weapon, the soldier looks for a stable rest in order to increase the accuracy of his weapon. 
         [0005]    The most reliable stable rest comes in the form of a bipod mounted to the military small arm. A distinct disadvantage to a permanent mounting of the bipod, however, arises due to the increased weight and reduced maneuverability of the weapon with the bipod mounted. It would therefore be advantageous to provide a bipod mounting system that is readily adapted to current military small arms. More particularly, it would be advantageous to provide a bipod that is readily removable, and that is easily stowed for carry when it is removed from the small arm. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Various embodiments of the accessory mounting mechanism for small arms disclosed herein may include a grip element including a pin-receiving section and an attaching element. The attaching element is adapted to secure the grip element to the small arm. A mounting pin secured to the small arms accessory is received in the pin-receiving section of the grip element. The mounting pin releasably locks the accessory onto the grip element. 
         [0007]    The pin-receiving section may include an aperture to receive the mounting pin and a pin-engaging element. The mounting pin may include a tapered tip forming a head. The base of the head has a first diameter. A neck of the mounting pin has a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. This allows the pin-engaging element to be received in the neck. When the pin-engaging element is received in the neck of the mounting pin, the mechanism is in a locked position that secures the mounting pin in the pin-receiving section. 
         [0008]    The pin-engaging element may be spring-biased toward the locked position. A pushbutton may be provided that when depressed overcomes the spring-bias of the pin-engaging element to disengage the pin-engaging element from the mounting pin. The mounting pin may then be removed from the pin receiving section, thereby releasing the accessory from the small arm. 
         [0009]    The accessory to be attached to the weapon may be a bipod comprising a head section, a pivot section, and two extendable legs. The legs are mounted to allow pivotal movement of the pivot section relative to the head section. This provides the mechanism to move the accessory back and forth between a use position and a carry position. The mounting pin may be fixed to the head section. 
         [0010]    The grip element may include a handgrip with an interior cavity. The interior cavity may include a lower end with a threaded opening. A threaded cap may be used to secure the threaded opening to enclose the cavity. An elongate sling member may be stored within the cavity in the grip element. A first end of the sling member may be secured within the cavity of the hollow grip portion, and a second end of the sling member may be secured to the threaded cap. The threaded cap may be mountable on a butt stock portion of the small arm, the sling member thereby extending from the hollow grip portion to the butt stock portion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bipod attachment mechanism for small arms according to various embodiments of the invention, with a bipod in a deployed position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the bipod attachment mechanism of  FIG. 1 , with the bipod in a maneuvering position. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the bipod attachment mechanism of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , with the bipod detached. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged partial perspective view of a connecting pin of the bipod attachment mechanism of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4A  is an enlarged partial perspective view of an attaching element of the bipod attachment mechanism of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a front view of the bipod attachment mechanism of  FIGS. 1-4 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the bipod attachment mechanism taken through line VI-VI of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a partial cross-sectional view of the latch mechanism of the bipod attachment mechanism taken through line VII-VII of  FIG. 6 , with the latch mechanism in the engaged position. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a partial cross-sectional view of the latch mechanism of the bipod attachment mechanism taken through line VII-VII of  FIG. 6 , with the latch mechanism in the disengaged position. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the bipod of  FIGS. 1-3  in a storage position. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a sling that may be stored in grip element. 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a small arm with a sling deployed between the grip element to the butt stock. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    Various embodiments of a bipod attachment mechanism  100  for small arms according to the invention include a grip element  110  that may be adapted to mount to the forward section  120  of a weapon  125 , typically a military small arm. The attachment mechanism  100  is shown generally in  FIGS. 1-3 , with portions detailed in  FIGS. 4-4A . The grip element  110  may include an attaching element  130 , a pin-receiving section  140 , and a handgrip  150 . The grip element  110  may be configured to be attachable to an accessory attachment rail  160  on the weapon. The pin-receiving section  140  is configured to receive a mounting pin  170  for attachment of additional weapon accessories, such as a bipod  175 , to the bipod attachment mechanism  100 . The handgrip  150  serves as a forward handgrip position for operation and maneuvering of the small arm. 
         [0024]    A common accessory attachment rail  160  found on military small arms is the “picatinny” rail, also know as a “NATO” rail, depicted in  FIGS. 1-3 , for which a plethora of accessories have been created, including weapon optics, lights, and grips. The accessory attachment rail  160  is an elongate structure extending from a lower surface of the weapon. The accessory attachment rail  160  may have a flat face  180  with periodic transverse grooves (not shown) defining multiple mounting positions. The accessory attachment rail  160  may further include a continuous lateral recess  190  (see  FIG. 5 ) on each opposing side. The attaching element  130  may include protruding upper elements that engage the lateral recesses  190  of the accessory attachment rail to prevent the attachment mechanism  100  from being unintentionally detached from the accessory attachment rail  160 . 
         [0025]    The grip element  110  may be configured to project perpendicularly from the accessory attachment rail  160 , although a non-perpendicular orientation may also be utilized. The handgrip  150  may be generally rigid and contoured for comfort, and may include a plurality of circumferential ridges  230  to aid in gripping. 
         [0026]    The handgrip  150  may further include an internal cavity  240  and an end grip cap  250  sealing the cavity  240 . An elongate cord or web  260  (see  FIG. 10 ) may be retained within the cavity  240 , with a first end  270  of the cord  260  attached within the cavity  240  and a second end  280  of the cord  260  attached to the end grip cap  250 . The end grip cap  250  may be received in a threaded manner on the handgrip  150  to secure the cavity  240 . When deployed, the elongate cord or web  260  may serve as a sling. The end cap  250  may be configured to attach to a butt stock  265  of the small arm as illustrated in  FIG. 11 , the cord  260  then forming a sling between the butt stock  265  and the handgrip  150 . 
         [0027]    Referring chiefly to  FIGS. 5-8 , the pin-receiving section  140  may be formed in an upper end of the grip element  110 . The grip element  110  includes a longitudinally oriented passage  280  having a forward-facing aperture  290  and a transverse aperture  300 . A spring-loaded catch mechanism  310  may be mounted in the transverse aperture  300 . The catch mechanism  310  may include a pin-engaging element  320 , a pushbutton  330 , and a pair of compression springs  340 . The pin-engaging element  320  includes a central aperture  350  to receive a pin  170 . The pin  170  may include a lead-in taper  370 , an enlarged head  380 , and a neck  390  having a diameter smaller than the head  380  (see  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0028]    The bipod  175  has a head section  400 , a pivot section  410 , and two legs  420 ,  430 . The pin  170  may be fixedly mounted to the head section  400 . The pivot section  410  may provide pivot axes for rotation of the head  410  and the legs  420 ,  430 . The legs  420 ,  430  are pivotally mounted to the pivot section  410  so as to be movable between a spread position ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ) and a retracted position ( FIGS. 2 and 9 ). The legs  420 ,  430  are extendable and include feet  425 ,  435  adaptable to different support surfaces, as is well known in the art. 
         [0029]    In the spread position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the legs  420 ,  430  are rotated with the pivot section  410  into a plane perpendicular to the pin  170  and the accessory attachment rail  160 . A clearance gap between upper ends of the legs  420 ,  430  and the head section  400  allows the legs to pivot outward to the spread position. A spring  440  may be positioned between the legs  420 ,  430  for biasing the legs  420 ,  430  into the spread position. 
         [0030]      FIG. 2  shows the pivot section  410  as having been rotated away from the grip element  110  to a carry position parallel to the accessory attachment rail  160  and the pin  170 . In the carry position of  FIG. 2 , the legs  420 ,  430  are in the retracted position. The clearance gap between the upper ends of the legs  420 ,  430  and the head section  400  is reduced in this position, so that the legs are restricted from rotating outwardly to the spread position. In order to rotate the pivot section  410  from the spread position of  FIG. 1  to the retracted, carry position of  FIG. 2 , the legs  420 ,  430  must be squeezed inwardly against the bias of the spring  440 . With the legs  420 ,  430  pressed inwardly, the upper ends of the legs  420 ,  430  clear the head section  400 , permitting the rotation of the pivot section  410  with the legs  420 ,  430  to the carry position. Once in the carry position, the legs  420 ,  430  can be released. The bias of the spring  440  presses the upper ends of the legs  420 ,  430  against the head section  400 , effectively locking the pivot section  410  and the legs  420 ,  430  in position until the legs are again pressed to together. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , the head section  400  can be seen to be symmetrical about a transverse axis, so that the pivot section  410  can be rotated in a direction opposite to that of  FIG. 2 . In the position of  FIG. 9 , the pivot section  410  and legs  420 ,  430  are rotated alongside and parallel to the pin  170 . In this storage position, the bipod  175  is in its most compact configuration, with the legs  420 ,  430  in the retracted position and the head section  400  and pin  170  rotated into close proximity to the legs  420 ,  430 . 
       Operation 
       [0032]    To install the bipod  175  on the weapon  125  in various embodiments of the invention, the pin  170  is inserted into the aperture  290  in the forward face of the pin-receiving section  140  of the grip element  110 . The tapered end  370  of the pin  170  bears against the pin-engaging element  320  and pushes it aside, overcoming the bias of the springs  340 . As the enlarged head  380  clears the pin-engaging element  320 , the pin-engaging element  320  is driven into the reduced diameter neck  390  of the pin  170 , biased by the springs  340  ( FIG. 7 ). With the pin-engaging element  320  aligned with the neck  390 , the pin  170  cannot be removed due to the obstruction of the enlarged head  380 . 
         [0033]    In order to remove the bipod  175  from the weapon  125 , the pin  170  is removed from the pin-receiving section  140  of the grip element  110 . The pin  170  is released by disengaging the pin-engaging element  320  from the neck  390  of the pin  170 . The pushbutton  330  is depressed to overcome the bias of the springs  340 . When the pushbutton  330  is sufficiently depressed, the pin-engaging element  320  is pushed clear of the enlarged head  380  of the pin  170  so that the pin  170  can be removed (see  FIG. 8 ). 
         [0034]    When the bipod  175  is installed on the weapon  125  with the pin  170  engaged in the pin-receiving section  140  of the grip element  110 , the bipod  175  may be placed in either the carry ( FIG. 2 ) or deployed ( FIG. 1 ) positions as desired. If the user desires to remove the bipod  175  from the weapon  125 , the user may simply depress the pushbutton  330  to release the pin-engaging element  320  from the pin  170 . Once the bipod  175  is removed from the weapon  125 , the pivot section  410  and the legs  420 ,  430  can be rotated relative to the head section  400  to the storage position shown in  FIG. 9 , and stored in a convenient manner, such as in a compact carrying case, or an empty magazine pouch. 
         [0035]    While the present invention has been described in connection with a series of preferred embodiments, these descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular forms set forth herein. It will be understood that the methods of the invention are not necessarily limited to the discrete steps or the order of the steps described. To the contrary, the present descriptions are intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and otherwise appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.