Abstract:
A motorized firearm barrel cleaning system includes a main body containing an electric motor unit configured to generate sonic vibrations. An elongated rod is in communication with the motor unit for transferring the vibrations to a removable brush head having a shape and dimension for making contact with a firearm barrel.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/594,267 filed on 2 Feb. 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to firearm barrel cleaners, and more particularly to a motorized firearm barrel cleaning system. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
         [0004]    The accuracy of firearms such as a handguns and rifles, for example, are affected by the condition of the bore within the barrel. Each time a round is fired from a gun, combustion by-products such as lead and copper are deposited onto the inner wall of the gun barrel. As more rounds are fired, these and other fouling substances can build up over time to render the gun ineffective or unsafe. As such, it is important to properly remove any combustion by-products from the bore without scouring or defacing the inner wall. 
         [0005]    There are many known devices for cleaning gun barrels. The most common devices include an elongated rod having a handle at one end, and a brush at the other end that is sized to fit a particular size/caliber of the gun barrel. The device is operated by pushing and pulling the handle to move the brush through the barrel several times in rapid succession. 
         [0006]    Depending on the condition of the firearm, it may be necessary to brush the barrel tens or even hundreds of times to remove all of the fouling. Unfortunately, the typical user can only push and pull the brush through the barrel 4 times per minute before fatigue from the imparted manual labor sets in. As such, many users choose to supplement the brush cleaning with a conventional barrel solvent which can act to chemically assist in breaking down the fouling. 
         [0007]    Although the use of solvents can assist in speeding up the time it takes to clean the weapon, tests have indicated that the chemical reaction between the solvents, the metal and the variety of fouling agents can cause severe damage to the barrel over time. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, there remains a need for a system capable of quickly, easily and repeatedly cleaning gun barrels that does not suffer from the drawbacks of the devices described above. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention is directed to a motorized firearm barrel cleaning system. 
         [0010]    One embodiment of the present invention can include a main body containing an electric motor unit for generating sonic vibrations. An elongated rod is in communication with the motor unit for transferring the vibrations to a removable brush head having a shape and dimension for making contact with a firearm barrel. 
         [0011]    Another embodiment of the present invention can include a main body having a removable cap for allowing the rod to be removably inserted into the main body. 
         [0012]    This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is an exploded parts view of the motorized firearm barrel cleaning system that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the motorized firearm barrel cleaning system, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an exemplary motor unit, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the motorized firearm barrel cleaning system, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the inventive arrangements in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention. 
         [0019]    Identical reference numerals are used for like elements of the invention or elements of like function. For the sake of clarity, only those reference numerals are shown in the individual figures which are necessary for the description of the respective figure. For purposes of this description, the terms “upper,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0020]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate one embodiment of a motorized firearm barrel cleaning system  10  that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. As shown, the system can include a main body  11 , a motor unit  30 , an elongated rod  15  and a removable brush  20 . 
         [0021]    The main body can act as a handle for allowing a user to operate the system. To this end, the main body can preferably include a lower portion  11   a  and a cap portion  11   b  which are rotatably connected via a plurality of male threads  11   a   1  located atop the lower portion and a plurality of female threads  11   b   1  located along the bottom of the removable cap  11   b.  Threads  11   a   1  and  11   b   1  being configured to engage in a conventional manner to secure the two components together in a removable manner. 
         [0022]    As shown, the assembled main body  11  can preferably form an elongated generally tubular member which can be easily grasped by the hand of a user. When so assembled, the cap portion  11   b  can define a hollow interior section  11   c  for receiving the end of the elongated rod  15   b,  and positioning the same adjacent to the motor unit  30  Likewise, the lower body can include a cavity/opening  11   d  for receiving and positioning the motor unit  30  described below. In addition to the above, the cap portion  11   b  can also include an opening  11   b   2  that is centrally located along the uppermost portion of the cap. As shown, the opening can be used as a pathway for the rod  15 . 
         [0023]    A flexible seal  11   b   3  can be secured within and around the opening  11   b   2  so as to surround the portion of the rod  15  that extends through the opening (See  FIG. 2 ). The seal  11   b   3  can act to prevent debris such as the fouling substances described above, from entering the main body, can flex with the movement of the rod  15 , and to act as a vibration dampener by preventing the rod  15  from making direct contact with the frame of the main body (i.e., the opening  11   b   2 ) in order to prevent excess vibrations from reaching the outside portion of the main body that will be grasped by a user. In one preferred embodiment, the flexible seal  11   b   3  can be constructed from rubber and/or foam; of course any number of other materials having similar characteristics can also be utilized herein. 
         [0024]    In one preferred embodiment, both the lower body  11   a  and upper body  11   b  can be constructed from injection molded plastic, and each component can further include one or more connectors (not shown) for securely positioning the motor unit  30  and/or the rod  15 . Of course, those of skill in the art will recognize that the main body can take any number of different shapes, and can be constructed from any number of known materials and construction methodologies. 
         [0025]    Secured within the cavity  11   d  of the lower portion of the main body  11   a  is a motor unit  30  capable of generating high and/or sonic frequency vibrations. The motor unit  30  and/or other optional elements can be controlled via one or more conventional on/off switches  12 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of a motor unit suitable for generating the sonic frequency vibrations. As shown, the motor unit  30  can include a DC power supply  31  to energize an oscillator  32  and an amplifier  33 . The oscillator  32  can act to produce a sinusoidal signal at a variety of operating frequencies which can be imparted onto the rod  15  which acts, essentially as a transducer. The amplifier  33  amplifies the oscillator signal and introduces the signal to the primary winding  34   a  of an isolation transformer  34 . The amplifier  33  also serves to buffer the oscillator  32  from the transformer. The isolation transformer  34  has a turn ratio sufficient to step up the amplified sinusoidal signal to drive the rod from the secondary winding  34   b  of the transformer  34 . A plurality of grounds  35  can also be included as necessary for proper motor operation. 
         [0027]    As described herein, virtually any type of device capable of producing a vibration can be utilized as the motor unit. Although described above as including specific components, this is for illustrative purposes only, as any number of different types of systems capable of producing sonic and/or high frequency vibrations can act as a suitable motor unit. Several non-limiting examples are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,787,847; 3,563,233, and 3,466,689, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, although being described as including a DC power source, other embodiments incorporating AC power through the use of a transformer are also contemplated. 
         [0028]    The rod  15  can act to transmit the vibrations generated by the motor unit  30  to the removable brush  20 . In one embodiment, the rod can include an elongated shaft having a first end  15   a  terminating into a threaded female receiver  16  (i.e., brush connector), and a second end  15   b  having a generally rectangular or block-like shape for receiving the vibrations from the motor unit  30 . In one preferred embodiment, the rod  15  can be constructed from a sturdy resilient material such as aluminum, brass or steel, for example. However, other construction materials such as plastic and PVC, for example, are also contemplated. 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the second end of the rod  15   b  can be positioned within the cavity  11   c  created by the joining of the lower main body  11   a  and the cap portion of the main body  11   b.  The bottom end  15   b  can be positioned adjacent to, or against the motor unit  30  so as to directly receive the vibrations produced from the motor. As shown, when the rod is so positioned, the shaft portion of the rod  15  can extend through the opening  11   b   2  in a direction away from the base  11 . 
         [0030]    An optional rod sheath  17  can be included with the system  10 . In one preferred embodiment, the rod sheath  17  can include a soft elongated hollow sleeve having a length and width sufficient to encircle the rod shaft. When secured around the rod shaft, the sheath  17  can act to prevent any damage occurring to the barrel of the weapon being cleaned that may be caused from accidental contact with the rod. As such, the sheath  17  can preferably be constructed from a soft, resilient material such as rubber, plastic, or the like. Of course any number of other materials having similar characteristics can also be utilized herein. 
         [0031]    The removable brush  20  can act to physically scrape any fouling substances from the inside of a gun barrel utilizing the vibrations supplied by the motor unit. As shown, the brush head  20  can essentially include a short metallic wire  21  having a plurality of bristles  22  secured along the distal end. The bristles  22  can be constructed from metal and/or nylon in accordance with known construction techniques, and can further include any number of lengths suitable for engaging a specific size/caliber barrel. A plurality of threaded elements  23  (i.e., rod connector) can be located along the proximal end of the wire  21 . Threaded elements  23  being provided in order to allow the brush  20  to be rotatably connected to the rod  15  via the threaded female receiver  16  located thereon. 
         [0032]    Although described above as including male and female connectors for the brush and rod, respectively, this arrangement can be reversed without undue experimentation. Moreover, any number of conventional devices capable of removably joining the rod and brush together can also be utilized herein. Several non-limiting examples include magnetic elements and conventional compression fittings, for example. Such a feature can allow the system  10  to utilize a plurality of conventional barrel brushes already available in the marketplace. 
         [0033]    In operation, the motor unit  30  can be activated via the on/off switch  12 , in order to provide high frequency vibrations to the brush  20 . Upon activating the system, the brush can be inserted into the barrel of a firearm to perform a cleaning operation. When so positioned, the high frequency vibrations emanating from the brush  20  can act to impart an equivalent of 100 to 10,000 conventional brush strokes with each pass through the barrel. Such a feature can significantly reduce the time necessary to perform a thorough cleaning, while preventing the need to use a solvent. Moreover, the brush  20  and rod  15  can rotate, see arrow A, with the rifling of the gun barrel in order to ensure that the bristles of the brush do not damage the barrel. To this end, the end of the rod  15   b  can rotate within the cavity  11   c  while maintaining contact with the motor unit  30 . 
         [0034]    As described herein, one or more elements of the motorized firearm barrel cleaning system  10 , can be secured together utilizing any number of known attachment means such as, for example, screws, glue, compression fittings and welds, among others. Moreover, although the above embodiments have been described as including separate individual elements, the inventive concepts disclosed herein are not so limiting. To this end, one of skill in the art will recognize that one or more individual elements such as the lower main body  11   a,  the upper main body  11   b,  the rod  15  and/or the brush  20 , including some or all subcomponents, for example, may be formed together as one continuous element, or a plurality of individual elements either through manufacturing processes, such as welding, casting, or molding, or through the use of singular pieces of material milled or machined with the aforementioned components forming identifiable sections thereof. 
         [0035]    Accordingly,  FIG. 4  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the motorized firearm barrel cleaning system  10 , wherein the main body  11  is formed as a single non-separable component in which the bottom portion  15   b  of the rod is adhered to the motor unit. Such a feature can provide a lower cost alternative to the above described components. 
         [0036]    As further illustrated by  FIG. 4 , one or more optional lights  40  and heating element  41  can also be disposed within the device  10 . 
         [0037]    In one preferred embodiment, the light(s)  40  can be positioned along the uppermost portion of the main body  11  so as to direct the illumination down the rod and towards the brush head  20 . As described herein, the light(s)  40  can preferably be in the form of an incandescent bulb that is connected to the motor unit  30  for power, and the switch  12  to control operation. By using an incandescent bulb, the light  40  can also radiate heat onto the rod  15  to assist with the cleaning process. However, any number of other conventional illuminating devices such as an LED, for example, are also contemplated. 
         [0038]    The heating element  41  can include any number of small devices capable of creating heat and transferring the same onto the rod  15 . Several non-limiting examples include incandescent bulbs, coils and the like. The heating element will be positioned against the rod  15  and connected to the motor unit  30  for power and the switch  12  to control an on or off operation. As there are hundreds of known devices capable of generating heat, no further description will be provided herein. 
         [0039]    As to a further description of the manner and use of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
         [0040]    The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
         [0041]    The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.