Patent Publication Number: US-8109027-B2

Title: Weapon forend support pad

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/003,696, entitled “Weapon Forend Support Pad,” filed Nov. 19, 2007, which application is incorporated in its entirety here by this reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to firearm equipment. 
     2. Background Art 
     Those accustomed to using guns, particularly rifles and shotguns, such as the military, law enforcement, and hunters, are familiar with the recoil action, or the backward kick, of the gun upon discharge. That recoil is generally absorbed by the shooter either into his shoulder or through his hands. Such recoil can negatively effect the shooter&#39;s next shot. 
     In addition, the shooter is also subject to slight movements that could affect the accuracy of the shot. For example, nervous energy due to adrenaline or slight movements of the hand due to a normal heartbeat could both affect the accuracy of a shot. This is particularly true for sharp shooters or snipers who require extreme steadiness for pinpoint accuracy. 
     Some firearms have been designed to inherently absorb the recoil; however, manufacture of such firearms increases cost. In addition, this would be of no use to pre-existing guns. 
     Thus, there exists a need for an apparatus to absorb the recoil of a firearm and to provide the ability to hold a gun steady that is versatile and affordable. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a weapon forend support pad that can absorb the recoil of a discharged firearm and the minute movements of the user. The weapon forend support pad comprises a pad and a means for attaching the pad to the firearm in a quick and efficient manner. The weapon forend support pad can be made of any material that can absorb the energy created by a discharged firearm. For example, the weapon forend support pad may comprise rubber or foam. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention shown with a firearm; 
         FIG. 1B  is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention attached to a firearm; 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2B  is a front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 2C  is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2A  being installed on a firearm; 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 3C  is a front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3A  installed on a firearm; 
         FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4B  is a close-up of the circled portion shown in  FIG. 4A ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently-preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     The weapon forend support pad  100  is designed to absorb unwanted forces, such as the recoil of a firearm being fired or the slight vibration in the hands created by a heart beat or a pulse. As shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the weapon forend support pad  100  comprises a pad  102  with an attachment means or a means for attaching  104  to attach to the forestock or forend  106  of a firearm  101 , such as a gun, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, and the like. The pad  102  comprises an engagement surface  108  and a grip surface  110 . The pad  102  may comprise any vibration absorbing material such as foam, cork, elastomer or any combination thereof. For example, the pad  102  can be made of rubber or it can be made of foam made from polyurethane. Any other material that can absorb and disperse the unwanted forces would be suitable material for the pad. The weapon forend support pads  100  may be disposable or reusable. 
     The pad  102  may be cut into a square or rectangular piece so as to partially wrap or partially cover the forend  106  of a firearm. Other suitable shapes can be used so long as the shape is configured to wrap around the forend of the firearm. For example, the shape may be square, oval, round, triangular, and the like. Regardless of the precise shape, the pad comprises two lateral edges  204 ,  206 , a front edge  208  adjacent to the two lateral edges  204 ,  206 , and a rear edge  210  opposite the front edge  208  and adjacent to the two lateral edges  204 ,  206 , wherein the pad  102  is bendable to form a “U”-shaped cross-section so as to partially wrap around the forend  106  of the weapon with the engagement surface engaging the forend. Alternatively, the pad  102  may be formed to fit the forend  106  of a rifle. 
     In some embodiments, the pad  102  may be covered, wrapped, or enveloped in a cover  112 . The cover  112  may be made from any durable material or fabric that is resistant to slippage, such as cloth, leather, nylon and the like, to provide durability and stability. In some embodiments, viscous fluids encased in a cover  112  may also be suitable, in which case the cover may be lined with water-proof lining. In embodiments utilizing the cover  112 , the attachment means or means for attaching  104  would be on the cover  112  rather than the pad  102 . 
     The engagement surface  108  engages with the forend  106  of a rifle. In embodiments comprising a cover  112 , the engagement surface  108  and grip surface  110  refers to the cover  112  portion adjacent to the engagement surface  108  and grip surface  110 , respectively. The engagement surface  108  may comprise a fastening mechanism or means for attaching  104  that allows for quick attachment and detachment of the pad to the forend  106 , such as hook-and-loop fasteners, snap buttons, grommets, tongue and groove, non-slip pads, non-skid material, magnets and any other mechanisms that would provide traction, resistance, adhesion, friction or the like, between the forend  106  and the pad  102  or cover  112 . 
     The forend  106  may be lined with the reciprocal fastening or attachment mechanism  114 . The reciprocal attachment mechanism  114  may be permanently or temporarily attached to the forend  106 . For example, in the hook-and-loop embodiments, the forend  106  may be permanently lined with either the hook or the loop and the engagement surface  108  may be permanently lined with the loop or the hook, respectively. 
     In some embodiments, the reciprocal fastening mechanism  114  may be an integral part of the forend  106 . For example, the forend  106  may have grooves  202  and the engagement surface  108  may have a tongue  200  to slide into the groove  202 , as shown in  FIGS. 2A-2C . Conversely, the forend  106  may have the tongue  200  and the engagement surface  108  may have the groove  202 . 
     Alternatively, if grommets  302  are used as the fastening mechanism  104  on the engagement surface  108 , then holes or hooks  300 , to which the grommets  302  can be fitted, may be permanently machined into the forend  106 . Conversely, the grommets  302  may be permanently or removably attached to the forend  106  and the holes  300  or hooks can be created on the engagement surface  108 , as shown in  FIGS. 3A-3C . 
     The attachment mechanisms  104  may be lined anywhere along the engagement surface  108  such that engagement with the forend  106  will prevent or minimize slipping between the pad  102  and the forend  106 . The amount of surface area covered by the fastening mechanism  104  may depend on the strength of the fastening mechanism. For example, the hook or the loop portion of a hook-and-loop may be lined longitudinally along two lateral sides of the pad  102  on the engagement surface  108 . The loop or the hook portion of the hook-and-loop may substantially cover the entire surface of the forend  106 . In embodiments utilizing non-slip pads, the entire engagement surface  108  and the forend  106  may be made of the non-slip material. In embodiments using snap buttons or grommets, only the four corners of the engagement surface  108  may require the fastening mechanism  104 . Increasing the number of points of contact, however, would increase the strength of the contact. 
     The grip surface  110  may be smooth or ergonomically designed to be comfortably and securely grasped with one hand. For example, the grip surface  110  may have grooves  116  or projections or bumps. Alternatively, the grip surface may be lined with any material that has particular traction with the hand. 
     In embodiments with grooves  116  or projections, the grooves  116  or projections may also provide guidance for proper hand placement. 
     In some embodiments, the pad  102  or cover  112  may further comprise loops  118 , hooks, or rings. The loops  118  may be made of any durable material such as metal, plastic, leather, fabric, or the like. In some embodiments, the loop is made of nylon. The loops provide a suspension system as an additional means for suspended shooting. For example, straps secured to a ceiling may be attached to the loops  118  to provide further stability while holding the rifle  101 . This may be particularly important if the user is shooting from a moving vehicle such as a helicopter. 
     In some embodiments, the pad  102  may be provided as a plurality of detachable sections  400 , as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . The detachable sections  400  may be permanently detachable or reversibly detachable. In embodiments with covers, each section  400  may be secured or sealed in a separate cover  112 . Each separate cover  112  may be connected to another through perforated attachments, weak stitching, or some other form of weak attachment that can be easily ripped or torn off. Alternatively, in embodiments without covers  112 , the pads  102  may be attached to each other through perforated attachments, weak stitching, or some other form of weak attachment that can be easily ripped or torn off. To remove a first detachable section  400   a  from an immediately adjacent section  400   b  of the plurality of detachable sections  400 , the user need only tear the detachable section  400  or cover  112  at its weakest connection, such as the perforations, stitching, or the like, thereby effectively decreasing the overall size of the weapon forend support pad  100 . Therefore, the size of the weapon forend support pad  100  may be adjusted to accommodate rifles of various sizes. 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  show a series of perforations extending laterally across a planar or flat pad  102  perpendicular to the length of the forend  106 , forming lines of perforation  402 . Thus, each section  400  is a lateral section and tearing of each lateral section makes the overall length of the pad shorter and shorter for rifles with shorter forends. In some embodiments, the perforations may extend longitudinally, parallel to the forend. Tearing off sections of this embodiment makes the pad  102  narrower. 
     In embodiments with reversibly detachable sections, the pads  102  or covers  112  may be attached to each other by reversible attachment means such as the hook and loop, zippers, buttons, adhesives, and the like. 
     In some embodiments, the weapon forend support pad  100  further comprises an auxiliary pad  500 . The auxiliary pad  500  may be an extension of the pad  102  at a perimeter edge, such as the rear edge  210  or the front edge  208 , to provide additional support at different portions of the firearm  101 . For example, in an M-16 rifle the weapon forend support pad  100  may be wrapped around the forend  106  and the auxiliary pad  500  may rest up against the magazine chamber  502 . In some embodiments, the auxiliary pad  500  may be formed integrally with the weapon forend support pad  100 . In some embodiments, the auxiliary pad  500  may be a separate piece with means to attach to the weapon  101  and the weapon forend support pad  100 . 
     In some embodiments, the weapon forend support pad  100  may be configured to receive a support device, such as a monopod, bipod, or tripod. The pad may have a receiving orifice  504  for the secure insertion of the support device. 
     Thus, a user can attach a weapon forend support pad  100  onto his weapon  101  and mount the weapon forend support pad  100  on a surface to improve shooting off any type of surface including unconventional surfaces, and in unconventional positions. Without a weapon forend support pad  100 , a user may place the forend  106  on a hard surface such as a window sill, a brick wall, the hood of a car, and the like. Upon discharge of the firearm, the hard forend  106  of the firearm may reverberate or bounce on top of the surface potentially damaging the firearm. With the weapon forend support pad  100 , the reverberations are absorbed into the pad  102 , thereby reducing damage to the firearm and minimizing recoil felt by the user. This provides positional integrity for the user to allow for more accurate shots. 
     Thus, a method is provided to absorb recoil, maintain positional integrity, provide hand placement reminder, provide suspension system for suspended shooting, and provide improved mount for shooting off unconventional surfaces and unconventional positions. The support pad can be mounted, removed and replaced quickly and easily and does not require gunsmithing for installation or retrofitting. 
     The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.