Patent Abstract:
The invention pertains to a magazine holder ( 3 ) for detachably holding a cartridge magazine ( 2 ) in a grip part ( 1 ) of a handgun, wherein said magazine holder features an actuating element ( 12 ) that can be operated from both sides of the grip part ( 1 ) and a spring element ( 11 ) for resetting the actuating element ( 12 ) into a center position. A simple and inexpensive manufacture and assembly of the magazine holder can be achieved if the spring element ( 11 ) contains one or more locking elements ( 16 ) for engaging into locking grooves ( 27 ) of the cartridge magazine ( 2 ) in an interlocking fashion.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to European Patent Application No. 09179686 filed Dec. 17, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention pertains to a magazine holder for detachably holding a cartridge magazine in a grip part of a handgun. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Previously known magazine holders for detachably holding a cartridge magazine in a grip part of a handgun usually feature an actuating element that can be operated from one or both sides and a locking mechanism that is acted upon by a spring element and makes it possible to fix the cartridge magazine within a magazine shaft or to release the cartridge magazine such that it can be exchanged. In known magazine holders, the spring elements merely serve for resetting the locking mechanism after the actuation. Separate holding elements are required for holding the cartridge magazine within the magazine shaft, wherein these holding elements usually require a complicated manufacture and assembly. 
         [0004]    DE 29 05 770 C2 discloses a magazine holder for a pistol with a lever that can be pivoted about a transverse axis within the grip part. One lever arm is acted upon by a spring and features an extension in order to engage into a corresponding recess of the magazine. An actuating element that engages on the other lever arm makes it possible to pivot the lever against the force of the spring such that the extension on the lever arm is disengaged from the recess of the magazine in order to remove the magazine. The actuating element that can be operated from both sides of the pistol may consist of an adjusting bolt with conical adjusting surfaces that can be displaced transverse to the firing direction in the grip part against a spring force or of a web that is arranged in a recess transverse to the firing direction and can be pivoted forward with the aid of grip elements in order to unlock the magazine. Due to this design, the magazine holder can be actuated with the thumb of the firing hand by left-handed and right-handed persons. However, the magazine holder comprises a relatively large number of individual components that have complex shapes and cannot be easily manufactured. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The invention is based on the objective of developing a magazine holder of the initially cited type that can be operated from both sides of the handgun, as well as easily and inexpensively manufactured and assembled. 
         [0006]    This objective is attained with a magazine holder with the characteristics of claim  1 . Practical embodiments and advantageous additional refinements of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. 
         [0007]    The inventive magazine holder features an actuating element that can be operated from both sides of the grip part and a spring element that not only serves for resetting the actuating element into a center position, but also features one or more locking elements for engaging into locking grooves of the cartridge magazine in an interlocking fashion. The spring element that acts as a return spring simultaneously fulfills the locking function for detachably holding the cartridge magazine in the grip part such that the number of required components is reduced and the manufacturing and assembly expenditures can be lowered. 
         [0008]    In one particularly advantageous embodiment, the locking elements are realized in the form of locking edges on two bent retaining limbs of the spring element. Due to this measure, the cartridge magazine can be held in its functional position relative to the breech in a non-tilted and optimally aligned fashion. 
         [0009]    The actuating element is advantageously arranged in a through-opening of the grip part in a transversely displaceable fashion and is detachably connected to operating elements that protrude from both sides of the grip part. The actuating element features openings through which the locking elements of the spring element can extend, wherein inner and outer edges are provided on said openings in order to move the retaining limbs into an unlocked position. 
         [0010]    The magazine holder can be manufactured of two punched and bent components and a plastic part that can be used for both sides. This allows a simple and inexpensive manufacture. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Other features and advantages of the invention are disclosed in the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments with the drawings. In these drawings: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective representation of a section of a grip part with a cartridge magazine and an inventive magazine holder; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a sectional representation of the magazine holder in a locked position; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a sectional representation of the magazine holder in an unlocked position; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 4   a ,  4   b  show two different views of the locking element of the magazine holder; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 5   a ,  5   b  show two different views of a magazine holder slide of the magazine holder, and 
           [0017]      FIGS. 6   a ,  6   b  show two different views of a pushbutton of the magazine holder. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]      FIG. 1  shows a section of a grip part  1  of a pistol with a cartridge magazine  2  and a magazine holder  3  for detachably holding the cartridge magazine  2  in the grip part  1 . The grip part  1 , of which only a section is illustrated in the figure, defines a magazine shaft  4  that is accessible from the underside of the grip part  1  and into which the cartridge magazine  2  can be inserted.  FIG. 1  also shows that lateral recesses  6  are arranged in the sidewalls of the magazine housing  5  of the cartridge magazine  2  in order to guide the cartridge magazine. 
         [0019]      FIGS. 2 and 3 , in particular, show that the grip part  1  features a through-opening  8  on the front end of the magazine shaft  4  referred to the firing direction, wherein said through-opening transversely extends through the grip part  1  and accommodates the magazine holder  3 . A retaining web  9  that protrudes inward and is integrally formed on the grip part  1  is provided in the interior of the through-opening  8 , namely on the front inner side referred to the firing direction. The other inner side of the through-opening  8  is open toward the magazine shaft  4  such that the magazine housing  5  of the cartridge magazine  2  protrudes into the through-opening  8  with a front section  10 . 
         [0020]    The magazine holder  3  arranged in the through-opening  8  comprises a spring element  11  that is realized in the form of a magazine retaining spring and an actuating element  12  that can be displaced transverse to the grip part  1  by means of two operating elements  13  that protrude from both sides of the grip part. The two operating elements  13  are realized in the form of pushbuttons in this case and preferably consist of plastic while the spring element  11  and the actuating element  12  are realized in the form of punched and bent components of sheet steel or the like. 
         [0021]    The spring element  11  is illustrated separately in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  and consists of a punched and bent component in the form of a leaf spring. It features a central retaining part  14  that is bent in a U-shaped fashion and two retaining limbs  15  that are bent outward in an L-shaped fashion, wherein said retaining limbs respectively feature a locking element  16  in the form of a locking edge and an angled end  17 . The inside dimensions of the retaining part  14  are adapted to the retaining web  9  of the grip part  1  in such a way that the spring element  11  can be attached to the retaining web  9  and is held thereon under prestress. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  show the actuating element  12  that is also realized in the form of a punched and bent component and is manufactured of a rectangular sheet metal section. The actuating element  12  that can be displaced transverse to the grip part  1  contains a bent inner part  18  and two end webs  19 , in which rectangular openings  20  are provided for connecting the actuating element  12  to the operating element  13 . A rectangular opening  22  is respectively arranged in the bent inner part  18  to both sides of a closed center part  21 , wherein the locking elements  16  of the two retaining limbs  15  of the spring element  11 , which are realized in the form of locking edges, can extend through these rectangular openings. 
         [0023]    The inner side of the operating element  13  illustrated in  FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  contains a depression  23  with a slot  24  for accommodating the end web  19  of the actuating element  12 . In addition, a locking tab  25  for engaging into the opening  20  of the actuating element  12  in an interlocking fashion is arranged in the depression  23 . A ribbing  26  is provided on the outer side of the operating element  13  in the form of a pushbutton. The operating element  13  is preferably manufactured of plastic and can be used for the right and the left side of the grip part  1 . The locking tab  25  makes it possible to connect the two operating elements  13  to the actuating element  12  by means of a clip connection of sorts such that a simple installation and removal of the magazine holder on/from the grip part  1  is achieved. 
         [0024]    The function of the above-described magazine holder is described below with reference to the locked position illustrated in  FIG. 2  and the unlocked position illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0025]    In the locked position illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the locking elements  16  of the two retaining limbs  15  of the spring element  11 , which are realized in the form of locking edges, protrude into locking grooves  27  on the front side  10  of the magazine housing  5  through the openings  22  of the actuating element  12  such that the cartridge magazine  2  is held in its functional position in the magazine shaft  4 . The actuating element  12  realized in the form of a slide is held in the center position shown by means of the spring element  11  that is fixed in the grip part  1  with the aid of the central retaining part  14 . The two operating elements  13  are rigidly connected to the actuating element  12  by means of the retaining tabs  25  engaging into the openings  20 . The operating elements  13  are displaceably guided in the through-opening  8  of the grip part  1  and can be displaced transverse to the grip part  1  against the force of the spring element  11 . 
         [0026]    When the actuating element  12  is displaced by depressing the right or left operating element  13  against the prestress of the spring element  11 , the two retaining limbs  15  are pressed forward referred to the firing direction by the actuating element  12  such that the locking elements  16  in the form of locking edges are disengaged from the locking grooves  27  and the cartridge magazine  2  is released and can be removed. For example, when the operating element  13  that is illustrated on the bottom in  FIG. 3  and is arranged on the left side of the grip part is depressed, the upper retaining limb  15  is pressed forward by the inner edge  28  of the upper opening  22  in the actuating element  12  while the lower retaining limb  15  is pushed forward by the outer edge  29  of the lower opening  22  in the actuating element  12 . The retaining limbs  15  are also correspondingly displaced when the other operating element  13  is actuated. 
         [0027]    When the operating element  13  is released again, the prestressed spring element  11  returns the actuating element  12  into its center position. Consequently, a newly inserted cartridge magazine  2  can be once again automatically interlocked because the retaining limbs  15  of the spring element  11  are pressed down by the magazine housing  5  of the cartridge magazine  2  inserted into the magazine shaft  4  and automatically engage into the locking grooves  27  of the magazine housing  5  due to their spring tension.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5