Patent Publication Number: US-2017370668-A1

Title: Rotational safety device for firearm

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/194,507, filed Jun. 27, 2016, which claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/153,072, filed Jan. 12, 2014, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,377,260, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Firearms such as rifles, pistols and shotguns have included a safety mechanism to prevent unintended firing of the firearm. Typically, a safety is implemented as a crossbar that may be pushed horizontally in one direction to allow the firearm to be fired and in the opposite horizontal direction to prevent the firearm from being fired. 
     Though crossbar safeties are reasonably effective, they have disadvantages. A crossbar safety can be difficult to engage while aiming a firearm at a target. The crossbar safety is typically engaged with a user&#39;s pointer finger in a curled position. Depressing crossbar safeties in one direction or the other typically moves the firearm itself off a target. Additionally, it is difficult to determine the state of a crossbar safety by looking at the firearm when the firearm is pointed at a target, and can be a safety concern due to the position of the pointer finger. A crossbar safety is usually small and not visible when a firearm is being aimed at a target. 
     What is needed is an improved safety for a firearm. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present technology provides a rotational safety device for a firearm that replaces a traditional cross bar safety device. The safety device is easier to operate and easier for a firearm user to assess whether the firearm can be fired than previous safety systems. The safety device of the present technology involves setting a safety to “fire” or to a no fire or “safety on” position by causing a safety member installed within a trigger mechanism to rotate about an axis. In some instances, a lever or other means may be used to rotate a safety member. The safety device may include a recessed portion that may be rotationally positioned to face a trigger to allow the trigger to be completely depressed. The safety device may also include one or more locking positions in a range of rotation, limits on the range of rotation such as pins that engage surfaces of a firearm, and may be used with a variety of levers or other devices to provide rotation. 
     In some embodiments, a safety member for providing a rotational safety for a firearm may include a cylindrical portion, a recessed portion and a connection portion. The recessed portion may exist within the cylindrical portion. The connection portion may also exist within the cylindrical portion and may be used to couple the cylindrical portion to an external member that provides rotation. The rotational safety device may be installable in a trigger mechanism of a firearm and configured to rotate within the trigger mechanism. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a safety system and a trigger mechanism. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an end view (bottom left of  FIG. 2 ), top view (top left of  FIG. 2 ) and side view (bottom right of  FIG. 2 ) of a safety member  130 . 
         FIG. 3  provides a perspective view of a safety member. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a safety member in a first rotational position within a trigger mechanism. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a safety member in a second rotational position within a trigger mechanism. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a firearm having a rotational safety device with a first lever. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a user of a firearm using the rotational safety device of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a firearm having a rotational safety device with a second lever. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a user of a firearm using the rotational safety device of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  illustrates an alternative guide pin. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates another alternative guide pin. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a safety member for use with the guide pin of  FIGS. 10 and 11 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present technology provides a rotational safety device for a firearm that replaces a traditional cross bar safety device. The safety device is easier to operate and assess whether the firearm can be fired than previous safety systems. The safety device of the present technology involves setting a safety to “fire” or to a no fire or “safety on” position by causing a safety member installed within a trigger mechanism to rotate. In some instances, a lever or other means may be used to rotate a safety member. 
     The safety device may include a recessed portion that may be rotationally positioned to face a trigger to allow the trigger to be completely depressed. The safety device may also include one or more locking positions in a range of rotation, limits on the range of rotation such as pins that engage surfaces of a firearm, and may be used with a variety of levers or other devices to provide rotation. 
     When a lever is used, the lever may extend from the trigger frame up along a side of the firearm and may be engaged by a thumb or finger of the firearm user. The lever may be moved in such a manner as to rotate a trigger member that provides the safety setting. Hence, when the lever is moved to a first position, the safety member rotates to a position that sets the safety device in a “safety on” state. When the lever is moved to a second position, the safety member is rotated out of the safety on state and into a “fire” state. The lever may be moved forward or backward to rotate the safety member, which results in toggling between the safety positions, with a thumb or quick swipe of one or more fingers without removing a use&#39;s hand from the firearm. Manipulating a lever that extends up a side of the firearm is much easier than pressing a traditional safety button using a single finger in a bent position, which often requires removing the trigger finger from the trigger. 
     The safety device mechanism may also provide a much easier way to determine whether a firearm safety is turned on or off. For a traditional safety pin, a user of a firearm must look at the pin housed inside a trigger frame to determine if a portion of the pin, usually with red coloring to it, is extending from the trigger frame in a particular direction. Hence, a user must view a small part of the trigger area of previous firearms at a particular angle to look for the pin. The present trigger mechanism includes a lever that can be seen from multiple angles, and even while aiming the firearm at a target. As such, a user of the firearm may quickly determine whether the safety is on without removing the gun from a target, but rather while maintaining the gun aimed at a particular target. 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a safety system and a trigger mechanism. Safety system includes first screw  110 , lever  120 , safety member  130 , and second screw  140 . Trigger mechanism includes trigger  180 , trigger pin  190 , and trigger housing  150 . The safety system and a trigger mechanism may be used in a firearm such as a rifle, shotgun, pistol, or other firearm. The details of a particular firearm, such as a barrel, sight, and other parts, are not shown in  FIG. 1  for purposes of simplicity. 
     First screw  110  is used to attach lever  120  to safety member  130 . Second screw  140  is used to secure safety member  130  to trigger housing  150 . The screws may each attach to a connection portion of the safety member. A connection mechanism may include threads for receiving the screw or other mechanisms configured to attaching the safety member to another part. Though screws are used to assemble the safety system and couple it to the trigger housing, other devices and parts may be used to achieve this purposes. 
     A guide pin  170  may be installed into trigger housing  150 . The guide pin is coupled to a spring  160  which provides a force on guide pin  170  towards the safety member  130 . The safety member  130  includes positioning apertures (see  FIG. 2-3 ) to receive the guide pin when the safety member is positioned at a “fire” position and when at a “safety on” position. The guide pin  170  may engage the positioning apertures when the safety member  130  is at the “fire”, “safety on” position, or other positions. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an end view (bottom left of  FIG. 2 ), top view (top left of  FIG. 2 ) and side view (bottom right of  FIG. 2 ) of a safety member  130 .  FIG. 3  provides a perspective view of a safety member. Safety member  130  may include a recessed portion (or notch)  210 , a guide  220 , positioning apertures  250 , and position pins  230  and  240 . As shown in the end view, portions of safety member  130  may be cylindrical in shape. Some portions may be cylindrical but have a different radius at other portions. For example, the portion that includes recessed portion  210  may have smaller radius than the portion that includes position pins  230  and  240 . Having multiple radius lengths may help maintain the safety member  130  in position when installed within a trigger mechanism. 
     The recessed portion may enable the trigger to be pulled far enough to fire the firearm. When safety member  130  is rotated into a position associated with the safety being “on”, the recessed portion may not be facing the trigger. In this position, the recessed portion  210  may be facing up, down, or otherwise away from the trigger, and a depressed trigger will engage an outer surface of safety member  130  other than recessed portion  210 . The outer surface of safety member  130  other than the recessed portion prevents a trigger from being depressed enough to fire the firearm. When safety member  130  is rotated into a position associated with the safety being “off”, the recessed portion  210  faces the trigger which allows the trigger to be depressed enough to fire the firearm. In particular, the trigger may be depressed into the recessed portion when the safety member  130  is rotationally positioned such that the recessed portion faces the trigger. 
     As mentioned with respect to  FIG. 1 , the positioning apertures  250  may be engaged by guide pin  170 . As the safety member  130  is rotated between a safety “on” position and safety “off” position, the guide pin  170  may engage the positioning apertures  250  by extending into an aperture as it aligns with pin  170 . A safety member  130  may include one or more positioning apertures  250 . Each aperture may include cone or otherwise slanted sidewall. 
     The cone or slanted side wall may make it easier for the positioning pin to “click” into place inside the aperture but still allow the guide pin  170  to disengage from the aperture when the safety position is changed by a user. 
     Safety member  130  may include a positioning aperture wherever a lockable position is desired. For example, safety member  130  may include a positioning aperture at a rotational position where the safety is completely on and a rotational position where the safety would be completely off. Guide  220  may guide the guide pin  170  and/or keep the positioning pin in place and aligned with the positioning apertures as the safety member  130  is rotated. 
     Position pins  230  and  240  may be used to stop rotational movement of the safety member  130  by engaging a surface of a trigger mechanism, firearm surface, or other object. In some embodiments of the present technology, there may be a first position pin to stop rotation of safety member  130  in one direction and a second position pin to stop rotation of safety member  130  in a second direction. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a safety member in a first rotational position within a trigger mechanism. In  FIG. 4 , the safety member  130  is installed into a trigger mechanism and position pin  230  is engaged with a surface of the trigger mechanism. When in this position, the safety member  130  may not be rotated any further in a clockwise position. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a safety member in a second rotational position within a trigger mechanism. The safety member  130  in  FIG. 5  is rotationally positioned such that position pin  230  is engaged with a surface of the trigger mechanism. When in this position, the safety member  130  may not be rotated any further in a counter-counter-clockwise position. 
     In operation, a user of a firearm that includes the safety system and a trigger mechanism would move lever  120  forward or backward along the length of the firearm.  FIG. 6  illustrates a firearm having a rotational safety device with a first lever. The lever  120  is attached to an end of the safety member (not shown) and extends towards the top surface of the firearm.  FIG. 7  illustrates a user of a firearm using the rotational safety device of  FIG. 6 . As shown, the user is handling the firearm with the user&#39;s hand over the top of the firearm, and in particular with the user&#39;s thumb over the top of the firearm. As such, the lever is accessible to the user&#39;s finger for rotationally setting the safety on and off by moving the lever forward or backward. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a firearm having a rotational safety device with a second lever. The lever  120  of  FIG. 8  is attached to an end of the safety member (not shown) and extends upwards towards the top surface of the firearm, but does not reach the top of the firearm.  FIG. 9  illustrates a user of a firearm using the rotational safety device of  FIG. 8 . As shown, the user is handling the firearm with the user&#39;s hand underneath the firearm. The lever of  FIG. 9  is positioned to allow a user&#39;s thumb to engage the lever to move it forward or backward, thereby rotating the safety member. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates an alternative guide pin  300  having a spring mount portion  302  which extends into the interior of spring  160  for engagement of the spring. The spring mount portion is sized to provide a friction fit with the spring to provide a positive lock between the spring mount portion and the spring. The spring mount portion  302  can have a chamfered leading edge  304  to assist in guiding the spring mount portion into the spring. The length of the spring mount portion and the diameter thereof can vary depending upon the particular application. Alternatively no chamfered leading edge can be provided. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates another alternative guide pin  310  wherein the spring mount portion  312  is sized to include a bore  314  for receipt of the spring  160 . In this embodiment, the bore  314  is sized to provide a friction fit with the outside diameter of the spring coils to provide locking engagement with the spring. Alternatively, the bore can be slightly oversized so that no friction fit is provided. Guide pins  300 ,  310  also include a trigger plate contact surface portion  306 ,  316  respectively, slightly smaller in diameter than the trigger plate safety mechanism spring hole  330  shown in  FIG. 1 . Trigger plate contact surface portion  306  can have a chamfered leading edge  308  so that the guide pin  300  slides smoothly within the trigger plate safety mechanism spring hole  330 . The length of trigger plate contact surface portion can vary depending upon the particular application as well as the angle to the leading chamfered end. 
     Guide pins  300  and  310  include safety member contact portions  303  and  318 , respectively. Safety member contact portions include a cylindrical portion  305 ,  320 , a tapered portion  307 ,  322  and a nose portion  309 ,  324 . Safety member contact portions  303 ,  318  engage safety member  340  shown in  FIG. 12  by extending into bore  342  such that portion  305 ,  320  engage sidewall  344  and tapered portion  307 ,  322  can toggle between two cone shaped recesses  346 ,  348  to move the safety device between the safety on and safety off position. A round over  350  is positioned between cone shaped recesses  346 ,  348  to allow nose  309 ,  324  to make a smooth transition between recesses  346 ,  348 . When positioned in either of recesses  346 ,  348  nose  309 ,  324  would be positioned in the center of the recess. Tapered portions  307 ,  322  can have the same angle as the taper for recesses  346 ,  348 . Interior wall  344  engages cylindrical portions  305 ,  320  to prevent rotation away from recesses  346 ,  348 . The sizes and shapes of the various components can be varied depending on the particular application. 
     The present technology is described above with reference to exemplary embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made and other embodiments can be used without departing from the broader scope of the present technology. For example, the present technology may be implemented for right handed users and left handed users. Therefore, these and other variations upon the exemplary embodiments are intended to be covered by the present technology.