Patent Publication Number: US-2006010746-A1

Title: Repositionable trigger system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to firearms and, more particularly, pertains to minimum exposure weapons which allow the user to fire a weapon from a covered position with minimal exposure to enemy fire.  
       2 . Description of Prior Art  
      The use of firearms is known in prior art. More specifically, firearms heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriads of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.  
      Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. Des 324,557; 6,637,141B1; 6,517,133 B2; 6,397,507 B1; 6,070,355; 5,675,112; 4,878,305; 4,827,652; 4,677,781; 3,369,316; 2,826,848; 2,771,697; and 1,386,247.  
      The inventive device substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art and in doing so provide a weapon primarily developed for the purpose of allowing a user to fire the weapon with a minimum of exposure from enemy fire. A previous invention of the inventor, was a Minimum Exposure Weapon, which allows a shooter to fire a weapon from behind a wall with minimum exposure to the shooter with exception to the shooter&#39;s trigger hand, which remains exposed. The present invention will effectively mate to the Minimum Exposure Weapon, as well as other weapons, and reduce the exposure from enemy fire to that hand.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Although the repositionable trigger system was designed with the M-16 type weapons in mind, it is certainly not limited to that application, but for the current discussion the M-16, will be the focus. The repositionable trigger system was designed to replace the handgrip, and the trigger guard on the lower receiver of the M-16. The invention allows the shooter to extent the handgrip downward and to pivot the handgrip either to the right or to the left a few inches. The hand grip contains the linkages necessary and a secondary trigger to allow the weapon to be fired by exerting a force on the primary trigger through the primary trigger interface control rod. The system was designed with the criteria to be able to retrofit existing weapon designs with a minimum of changes. The invention when installed on current M-16, looks very much like the current hand grip and allows the user to fire the weapon using the primary trigger. But when the user wants to protect his hand, the invention will rapidly offset either to the right or to the left to allow the hand to be protected behind a wall.  
      When coupled to the inventers previous invention the Minimum Exposure Weapon, the shooter&#39;s entire body can be shielded, behind a wall, while he fires his weapon. The invention also contains a special retainer which is used to hold captive the improved detent and spring, used in the safety-Fire lever function. Normally, when the handgrip is removed, from the lower receiver, the detent and spring fall out of the detent and spring orifice. The spring is actually housed in the upper hand grip. But by using a shorter spring and detent with the retainer, the handgrip can be removed with out impeding the Safe-Fire lever.  
      To operate the trigger system, the release screw would be unscrewed from the bottom of the hand grip. This step could be accomplished before a user suspected that he may want to utilize the unique feature of the trigger system. Then, when needed, the release lever is depressed and the spring loaded secondary trigger rotates out. The secondary trigger also functions as a holding pin, so once it is deployed the handgrip can be extended and rotated into position. The internal control rods and linkages are automatically aligned to support the function of the secondary trigger to fire the weapon.  
      To convert back to the normal mode, where the primary trigger is used and the secondary trigger in housed in the handgrip, the user would swing the handgrip back to the bottom and slide the grip up mate with the lower receiver. When in the upper position the secondary trigger can be pulled back where it will function as a locking pin. It will be latched into position by the release lever. Because of the design, the secondary trigger can only fire the weapon when it is fully extended.  
      It is an object of the present invention to provide a trigger system which will complement a weapon which can be carried and used as a conventional weapon and when necessary this weapon can be converted real time to support firing from behind a corner of a building or object; this trigger system supports this object by allowing the user&#39;s hand to be under cover while firing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a profile view of a lower receiver with the present invention installed and configured to use the primary trigger.  
       FIG. 2  is a profile view of a lower receiver with the present invention installed and configured to use the secondary trigger.  
       FIG. 3  is profile view detailing the trigger mount adapter and the Fire-Safe detent spring retainer.  
       FIG. 4  details the secondary trigger in the fire position.  
       FIG. 5  details the secondary trigger in the primary trigger fire mode.  
       FIG. 6  details the secondary trigger and linkages when fired.  
       FIG. 7  details the secondary trigger and linkages prior to firing.  
       FIG. 8  is an isometric projection of the handgrip off set to the left side.  
       FIG. 9  is an isometric projection of the handgrip off set to the right side.  
       FIG. 10  is a top view of the trigger mount adapter.  
       FIG. 11  is the left end view of the trigger mount adapter.  
       FIG. 12  is a lateral view of the trigger mount adapter.  
       FIG. 13  is the right end view of the trigger mount adapter.  
       FIG. 14  is the bottom view of the trigger mount adapter.  
       FIG. 15  is a lateral view of the superior support arm.  
       FIG. 16  is an end view of the superior support arm.  
       FIG. 17  is a lateral view of the inferior support arm.  
       FIG. 18  is an end view of the inferior support arm.  
       FIG. 19  is the end view of the Fire-Safe detent spring retainer.  
       FIG. 20  is a side view of the Fire-Safe detent spring retainer.  
       FIG. 21  is an isometric view of the Fire-Safe detent spring retainer.  
       FIG. 22  is the top view of the Fire-Safe detent spring retainer.  
       FIG. 23  is a left end view of the primary trigger interface control rod installed in the trigger mount adapter.  
       FIG. 24  is a lateral view of the primary trigger interface control rod installed in the trigger mount adapter.  
       FIG. 25  is an end view of the primary trigger interface control rod.  
       FIG. 26  is a lateral view the primary trigger interface control rod.  
       FIG. 27  is the top view the primary trigger interface control rod. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Turning now to the drawings, the repositionable trigger system embodying the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral  10  in  FIG. 1 . The repositionable trigger system  10  is attached to the lower receiver  30  using the trigger mount adapter  20 . The configuration is shown for firing using the primary trigger  18 . In  FIG. 2 , the repositionable trigger system  10  is now configured to be fired using the secondary trigger  14  which is housed in handgrip  12 .  
       FIG. 3  details a cutaway view of the trigger mount adapter  20  as well as a cutaway view of the Safe/Fire detent  32  and spring  28  which is held in place by retainer  60  which is sandwiched between trigger mount adapter  20  and lower receiver  30 . Additional items shown in this view through the handgrip  12  which has been outlined are the inferior support arm  26  which is connected to the superior support arm  24  which in turn is connected to the trigger mount adapter  20 . Fastener  38  secures handgrip  12  into primary trigger  18  mode firing. Detailed in the cutaway view of trigger mount adapter, are the primary trigger interface control rod  22 , the mounting bolt  36  which mounts the trigger mount adapter  20  to the lower receiver  30  with the retainer  60  retaining the Safe/Fire detent  32  and spring  28  into proper position. Detent  34  is shown which will provide positive stops for superior support arm  24 .  
       FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5  detail the working relationship of the secondary trigger  48  with the control linkages  42 ,  44 , and  46 .  FIG. 5  shows the position of secondary trigger  48 , held in place by trigger release lever  50 , when configured for primary trigger  18  firing. In this position secondary trigger  18  is out of reach of the control linkage  46 . In this position, the posterior arm of secondary trigger  48  acts as a retaining pin interfacing opening  54  ( FIG. 16 ) in superior support arm  24 . When the handgrip  12  is deployed, in  FIG. 4 , secondary trigger displaces control linkage  42  to fire the weapon.  
       FIG. 6  shows secondary trigger  48  in position when the weapon is fired. The posterior arm of secondary trigger  48  has displaced lever  42  and through displacements of levers  44  and  46 , the primary trigger interface control rod  52  has pulled the primary trigger  18  to fire the weapon.  FIG. 7  details these components prior to the pulling of the secondary trigger.  
       FIG. 8  shows the repositionable trigger system isolated from the lower receiver while it is offset to the left side. Wing flap  11  (not seen) has been rotated into a horizontal position under superior support arm  24 . The two holes  25  are used to aid in mounting trigger mount adapter  20 .  FIG. 9  shows the repositionable trigger system isolated from the lower receiver while it is offset to the right side. Wing flap  13  (not seen) has been rotated into a horizontal position under superior support arm  24 .  
       FIGS. 10, 11 ,  12 ,  13 , and  14  show the trigger mount adapter  20  in the top view, left end view, side view, right end view, and bottom view.  FIG. 15  is a lateral view of the superior support arm  24  and  FIG. 16  is the end view of the same showing opening  54  which is used as a receptacle for the posterior arm of the secondary trigger  48  to secure the handgrip into position.  FIG. 17  is the lateral view of the inferior support arm  26 . A cut away section reveals the securing fastener which mates with the securing screw ( FIG. 3  item  38 ) to secure the handgrip  12  into position.  FIG. 18  is a left lateral view of the inferior support arm  26  detailing opening  56  which allows the posterior arm of secondary trigger  48  to push the linkage  42  ( FIG. 4 ) which in turn fires the weapon. Not shown are the return springs that return the linkages and the trigger to the ready to fire positions.  
       FIGS. 19, 20 ,  21 , and  22  are the end view, side view, a prospective view, and a top view. These views detail the Safety/Fire Spring  28  ( FIG. 3 ) and detent  32  ( FIG. 3 ) retainer whose primary purpose is to keep the detent and spring in proper position when the handgrip ( 12 ) is repositioned in a lateral position. The secondary purpose of the retainer is to eliminate long term wear from occurring from the lower receiver (typically manufactured from aluminum) from the upper handgrip being mated and unmated. Item  62  is the hole that bolt  36  ( FIG. 3 ) passes through to screw into the trigger mount adapter  20  ( FIG. 3 ).  FIGS. 23, 24 ,  25 ,  26  &amp;  27  detail the primary trigger interface control rod. Notch  64  is used to interface lever  46  ( FIG. 6 ).  
      It is noted that the embodiment of the repositionable trigger system described herein in detail for exemplary purposes is of course subject to many different variations in structure, design, application and methodology. Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept(s) herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiment herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.