Patent Publication Number: US-9841251-B2

Title: Gun device with bolt catch

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
     This non-provisional application claims priority from Taiwan Patent Application No. 104221050, filed on Dec. 29, 2015, the entire content thereof is incorporated by reference herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to gun devices with bolt catch and, more particularly, to a gun device with blowback action whereby not only are 0.22 inch caliber bullets and a barrel applicable to a receiver of an AR-15 automatic rifle but the magazine is also capable of bolt catch function. 
     Description of the Prior Art 
     An automatic rifle is capable of self-loading, burst fire, and fully automatic firing. It uses its recoil or a portion of the gas propelling a projectile to remove old spent cartridge cases, load a new cartridge and fire again. Hence, once its trigger is pulled, the automatic rifle will start a burst fire, and the burst fire will not stop unless and until it runs out of bullets. 
     Automatic rifle manufacturers always care about the optimization and quality of automatic rifles. The dimensions of all the parts and components of conventional automatic rifles must be precisely calculated and corrected for the sake of practicability, durability and precision. The types of bullets for use by automatic rifles depend on the model numbers of the automatic rifles. As a result, there is limited universality of parts and components of conventional automatic rifles. 
     Firearms in use among civilians nowadays in Europe and North America are mostly AR-15 automatic rifles, 0.22 inch caliber automatic rifles, handguns, etc. AR-15 automatic rifles use bullets which are 5.56 mm in caliber and 45 mm in length, whereas 0.22 inch caliber automatic rifles use bullets which are 0.22 inch in caliber. The great difference in applicable bullets between an AR-15 automatic rifle and a 0.22 inch caliber automatic rifle renders it impossible for an AR-15 automatic rifle and a 0.22 inch caliber automatic rifle to use the same bullet. As a result, AR-15 automatic rifles differ from 0.22 inch caliber automatic rifles in a cartridge, a bolt, a barrel and even a magazine. Therefore, rifle users must choose bullets in accordance with the equipment in use. 
     The bullets for use with AR-15 automatic rifles surpass the bullets for use with 0.22 inch caliber automatic rifles in caliber, length, quantity of gunpowder contained, and firing range. Hence, AR-15 automatic rifles are suitable for use in medium- and long-distance field combats. By contrast, although the bullets for use with 0.22 inch caliber automatic rifles are disadvantageously dwarfed by their counterparts in caliber, length, quantity of gunpowder contained, and firing range, 0.22 inch caliber automatic rifles have their advantages, namely low recoil, low noise, and low manufacturing costs. Therefore, from a user&#39;s perspective, long use of AR-15 automatic rifles incurs much expense on bullets. Accordingly, it is important to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the aforesaid drawbacks of conventional automatic rifles, the inventor of the present invention is motivated to improve the conventional automatic rifles and thereby devises a magazine structure which can use bullets of different specifications and is applicable to AR15 automatic rifles, thereby allowing AR15 automatic rifles to use 0.22 inch caliber bullets with bolt catch function. 
     In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention provides a gun device with bolt catch, having a receiver comprising a bolt chamber and a magazine well, with an angle defined by and between a direction of extension of the bolt chamber and a direction of extension of the magazine well, comprising a magazine, a bolt, and a bolt catch. The magazine comprises a follower and a bolt lock trigger. The magazine is disposed in the magazine well. The bolt is disposed in the bolt chamber. The bolt catch comprises an engaging body. The bolt catch is disposed through a lateral surface thereof on the receiver, allowing the bolt catch to be located at an initial position and an engaging position. When the follower is located at a first position, not only is the follower positioned beside the bolt lock trigger such that the bolt lock trigger extends from the magazine by a height to thereby move the bolt catch, but the engaging body is also positioned beside the bolt to thereby position the bolt catch at the engaging position and fix the bolt in place at an open position. 
     In this embodiment of the present invention, the magazine further comprises a hollow, a rail, and a fixing chamber. The hollow extends from the magazine. The rail is disposed in the magazine and has an end extended to the hollow, wherein the follower lies on the rail while undergoing a linear displacement motion. The fixing chamber is disposed in the magazine and adapted to contain the bolt lock trigger. 
     In this embodiment of the present invention, the follower further comprises a top plate and a resilient component. The top plate has an end flanked by a positioning body and a tab, allowing the tab to lie on the rail. The resilient component connects with the positioning body. The top plate undergoes the linear displacement motion in a direction of extension of the resilient component and confined to the rail. When the follower is located at the first position, the top plate is positioned in the hollow and beside a peripheral surface of the hollow. 
     In this embodiment of the present invention, the follower is located at a second position, the hollow receives at least a projectile of first caliber, and the first caliber is 0.22 inch caliber. The peripheral dimension of the magazine is a second specification magazine dimension, and the second specification magazine dimension is 5.56 mm caliber. 
     In this embodiment of the present invention, the bolt lock trigger further comprises a baffle and a resilient body. The baffle is disposed in the fixing chamber, extended from an opening of the fixing chamber, and flanked by a pressing body and a guiding body. The resilient body connects with the pressing body. The baffle undergoes a second linear displacement motion in a direction of extension of the resilient body and confined to the opening. The bolt lock trigger extends from the magazine by the height such that the resilient body is compressed by the pressing body and thereby enters a pressed state. 
     In this embodiment of the present invention, the bolt is located at either a feed position or the open position and located at the feed position when the bolt catch is located at the initial position. 
     In this embodiment of the present invention, the bolt is adapted to position bullets and comprises an extractor for removing spent cartridge cases. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention are hereunder illustrated with specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is an exploded view of a gun device with bolt catch according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view of the gun device with bolt catch according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional view of a magazine, the follower is located at a first position according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of the magazine, the follower is located at a second position according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is a cutaway view of a bolt catch located at an initial position according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a cutaway view of the bolt catch located at an engaging position according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4A  is a cutaway view of a bolt located at a feed position according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4B  is a cutaway view of the bolt located at an open position according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B , there are shown an exploded view and a cross-sectional view of a gun device with bolt catch according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The present invention provides a gun device  1  with bolt catch. The receiver  10  is adapted for use with an AR-15 (Armalite Rifle-15, AR15) automatic rifle. The receiver  10  comprises a bolt chamber  11  and a magazine well  12 . An angle (not shown) is defined by and between the direction of extension of the bolt chamber  11  and the direction of extension of the magazine well  12 . The angle is substantially a right angle, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The gun device  1  with bolt catch further comprises a magazine  2 , a bolt  3 , and a bolt catch  4 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B , there are shown cross-sectional views of the magazine  2 , follower is located at a first position and a second position according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, respectively. The peripheral dimension of the magazine  2  is a second specification magazine dimension. The magazine  2  is disposed in the magazine well  12  to connect integrally with the gun device  1 . The second specification magazine dimension conforms with the shape of the cartridge cases of 5.56 mm caliber bullets applicable to AR-15 automatic rifles such that the bullets can be disposed in the magazine well  12 . 
     The magazine  2  comprises a follower  21 , a bolt lock trigger  22 , a hollow  23 , a rail  24 , and a fixing chamber  25 . The hollow  23  extends from the magazine  2  to receive the projectile  5  of the first caliber, where the projectile  5  is 0.22 inch caliber. The rail  24  is disposed in the magazine  2 . One end of the rail  24  extends to the hollow  23 . The follower  21  lies on the rail  24  while undergoing a linear displacement motion  95 . The fixing chamber  25  is disposed in the magazine  2 . The bolt lock trigger  22  is disposed in the fixing chamber  25 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the follower  21  further comprises a top plate  212  and a resilient component  213 . One end of the top plate  212  is flanked by a positioning body  210  and a tab  211 . The tab  211  lies on the rail  24 . The resilient component  213 , which is a spring disposed in the magazine  2 , has one end connected to the bottom of the magazine  2  and the other end connected to the positioning body  210 . The top plate  212  undergoes the linear displacement motion  95  in the direction of extension of the resilient component  213  and confined to the rail  24 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bolt lock trigger  22  further comprises a baffle  224  and a resilient body  222 . The baffle  224  is disposed in the fixing chamber  25  and extends from an opening  251  of the fixing chamber  25 . The baffle  224  is flanked by a pressing body  221  and a guiding body  223 . The resilient body  222  connects with the pressing body  221 . The baffle  224  undergoes a second linear displacement motion  98  in the direction of extension of the resilient body  222  and confined to the opening  251 . 
     With reference to the aforesaid structures and design, the use and operation of the present invention is described below. The follower  21  is located at either a first position  93  or a second position  94 . When the follower  21  is located at the second position  94 , the hollow  23  receives at least a projectile  5  of the first caliber, and the first caliber is 0.22 inch caliber; meanwhile, the tab  211  and the guiding body  223  are separate from each other, and, under a resilient force exerted by the resilient body  222 , the pressing body  221  draws the baffle  224  substantially into the fixing chamber  25 . When the follower  21  is located at the first position  93 , the top plate  212  is positioned in the hollow  23 ; meanwhile, the tab  211  and the guiding body  223  are next to each other. The top plate  212  is disposed beside a peripheral surface of the follower  21  to press against the guiding body  223  under the resilient force exerted by the resilient component  213  such that the resilient body  222  enters a pressed state. Hence, the baffle  224  undergoes the second linear displacement motion  98  in a direction of extension of the resilient body  222  and confined to the opening  251 , thereby allowing the bolt lock trigger  22  to extend from the magazine  2  by a height. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3A ,  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 4A ,  FIG. 4B , there are shown cutaway views of the bolt catch  4  located at an initial position and an engaging position, respectively, and the bolt  3  located at a feed position and an open position, respectively, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bolt catch  4  comprises an engaging body  41 . The bolt catch  4  is disposed on a lateral surface of the receiver  10 , allowing the bolt catch  4  to be located at an initial position  91  and an engaging position  92 . When the bolt catch  4  is located at the initial position  91 , the bolt  3  is positioned in the bolt chamber  11  and undergoes a reciprocating linear displacement motion  99  in the direction of extension of the bolt chamber  11 . Due to the bolt  3 , the projectile  5  characterized by the first caliber and provided by the magazine  2  is loaded, fed to the barrel, and positioned in place. When fired, the projectile  5  is emitted from the barrel; then, an extractor  31  flings the cartridge case out of the receiver  10 . At this point in time, under the recoil which results from the explosion of the projectile  5 , the bolt  3  undergoes a linear displacement motion in the backward direction; then, when the explosion-induced recoil dies down, the bolt  3  undergoes a linear displacement motion in the forward direction under a restoring force, and in consequence the bolt  3  undergoes the reciprocating linear displacement motion  99  within the bolt chamber  11 . Therefore, the bolt  3  is located at a feed position  97  whenever the projectile  5  of the first caliber is present in the magazine  2 . 
     When the magazine  2  does not carry the projectile  5  of the first caliber, the bolt lock trigger  22  extends from the magazine  2  to abut against the bolt catch  4  such that the bolt catch  4  is located at the engaging position  92 , whereas the engaging body  41  and the bolt  3  are next to each other such that the bolt  3  is fixed in place at an open position  96 . Therefore, the bolt  3  is located at either the feed position  97  or the open position  96 . When the bolt  3  is located at the feed position  97 , the bolt catch  4  is located at the initial position  91 . When the bolt  3  is located at the open position  96 , the bolt catch  4  is located at the engaging position  92 . 
     Referring to all the above diagrams, the present invention discloses a gun device  1  with bolt catch. The gun device  1  with bolt catch is applicable to the receiver of AR-15 automatic rifles such that the AR-15 automatic rifles can use 0.22 inch caliber bullets. 
     The above description shows sufficiently that the present invention is novel, involves inventive steps, and has high industrial applicability in terms of its objectives and advantages, thereby meeting the requirements of patentability. However, the above description is focused on a preferred embodiment of the present invention only and therefore is not restrictive of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made to the preferred embodiment of the present invention according to the claims of the present invention should fall within the claims of the present invention.