Patent Publication Number: US-11378354-B1

Title: Firearm foregrip

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to firearms in general and, in particular, to a foregrip for a firearm. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many firearms, particularly rifles, are controlled with a firing hand holding a portion of the firearm stock, and the non-firing or off-hand holding a foregrip or hand guard surrounding the firearm barrel. A conventional AR-15 rifle includes as original equipment a polymer hand guard encircling the barrel of the rifle. However, the large diameter can be cumbersome to grasp, and can lead to fatigue in the off-hand, particularly when many rounds are fired. To address this drawback, numerous styles of foregrips have been introduced to improve the shooter&#39;s comfort and accuracy. Pistol style grips and vertical foregrips are two such examples. 
     Although pistol and vertical foregrips can be useful and may be advantageous for certain applications, they too suffer from drawbacks. One noted problem is that they may be comfortable in one shooting position, such as standing, but do not rapidly adapt to other positions, such as a crouch or prone position. Sometimes the foregrip being vertical makes shooting cumbersome, depending on the shooting position. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention seeks to provide a novel firearm foregrip, as is described hereinbelow. 
     There is thus provided in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention a firearm accessory including a firearm foregrip including a grip portion that includes a first mounting rail interface at a first end of the firearm foregrip, and a second mounting rail interface at another portion of the firearm foregrip, the mounting rail interfaces being mountable on an accessory mounting rail of a firearm. 
     In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention the second mounting rail interface is at an end opposite to the first end of the firearm foregrip. 
     In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention the first and second mounting rail interfaces are tilted with respect to a longitudinal axis of the grip member at different angles. 
     In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention the first mounting rail interface is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the second mounting rail interface is tilted with respect to the longitudinal axis at an acute angle or an obtuse angle. 
     In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention the grip portion is formed with different textures. 
     In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention the grip portion includes partial rings spaced from one another by gaps. 
     In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention the partial rings are joined at a common longitudinal spine. 
     In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention the partial rings include one set of partial rings with the spine facing in a shooting direction and another set of partial rings with the spine facing in another direction. 
     In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention the firearm foregrip may be constructed of left and right halves secured together by fasteners. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a simplified perspective illustration of a firearm foregrip, showing two different mounting provisions, in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded assembly illustration of the firearm foregrip; and 
         FIG. 3  is a simplified perspective illustration of the firearm foregrip mounted on the underside of an accessories rail (e.g., Picatinny rail) of a firearm (e.g., an assault rifle), in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 1 , which illustrates a firearm foregrip  10 , in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. 
     The firearm foregrip  10  may include a grip portion  12 , which may be formed with different textures for enhancing grip strength and comfort. In one non-limiting example, the grip portion  12  may include partial rings  14  spaced from one another by gaps  16 . The partial rings  14  may be joined at a common longitudinal spine  18 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , there may be one set (e.g., the lower set) of partial rings  14  with the spine  18  facing in the shooting direction (forward), whereas another set (e.g., the upper set) of partial rings  14  may have its spine  18  facing in another direction, such as being phase-shifted 90° with respect to the other spine (so that it faces to the side). Other angular phase shifts and other arrangements are in the scope of the invention. 
     The firearm foregrip  10  may be constructed of metal (e.g., steel or aluminum alloy) or a polymer, such as a glass-fiber reinforced polyamide, or ZYTEL from Dupont, or other materials such as wood. 
     As seen more in detail in  FIG. 2 , the firearm foregrip  10  may be constructed of left and right halves  12 L and  12 R, secured together by fasteners  20 , such as bolts which pass through mounting holes  21  and which are tightened by nuts  22 . As seen, fasteners of different sizes may be used and some of the fastener heads may be positioned on one of the halves and some of the fastener heads may be on the other of the halves. 
     Reference is made again to  FIG. 1 . In accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the firearm foregrip  10  may include a first mounting rail interface  24  at one end (e.g., the upper end) of firearm foregrip  10 , and a second mounting rail interface  26  at another portion of firearm foregrip  10 . In the preferred embodiment, the second mounting rail interface  26  is at the opposite end of firearm foregrip  10  (in this case, the lower end). The first and second mounting rail interfaces  24  and  26  interface with an accessory mounting rail  28  ( FIG. 3 ) of a firearm  30 , such as a Picatinny or Weaver mounting rail. 
     As seen in  FIG. 1 , the mounting rail interfaces  24  and  26  of firearm foregrip  10  are tilted with respect to a longitudinal axis  32  of grip member  12  at different angles A and B, respectively. For example, A may be 90°, whereas B may be an acute angle or an obtuse angle. Accordingly, as seen in  FIG. 3 , firearm foregrip  10  may be mounted at two different angles with respect to the accessory mounting rail  28  of firearm  30 .