Patent ID: 12209837

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular toFIGS.1through7thereof, a new automatic magazine device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral10will be described.

As best illustrated inFIGS.1through7, the automatically ejecting magazine device10generally comprises an ammunition magazine12that is substantially hollow for receiving ammunition14for a firearm16. The ammunition magazine12has a bottom wall18and an outer wall20extending upwardly from the bottom wall18and the outer wall20has a top edge22defining an opening24into an interior of the ammunition magazine12. The top edge22has a first lateral side26, a second lateral side28, a back side30and a front side32and each of the first lateral side26and the second lateral side28has a lip34which curves toward each other. The lip34associated with each of the first lateral side26and the second lateral side28extends from the back side30toward the front side32. Additionally, the back side30is spaced downwardly from each of the first lateral side26and the second lateral side28to define a bullet opening36between the first lateral side26and the second lateral side28. The ammunition magazine12may comprise an ammunition magazine for a semi-automatic rifle of any convention design and size.

The outer wall20has a hole38extending into the interior of the ammunition magazine12. The hole38extends from the lip34associated with the first lateral side28toward the bottom wall18and the hole38is positioned closer to the back side30than the front side32. A follower40is movably disposed within the ammunition magazine12thereby facilitating the follower40to support ammunition14for the firearm16. The follower40has a top surface42and the top surface42has a depression44extending between a front end46and a back end48of the follower40. The depression44is concavely arcuate thereby facilitating the depression44to conform to curvature of the ammunition14for the firearm16.

A magnet50is provided and the magnet50is attached to the follower40. The magnet50is integrated into a lateral surface52of the follower40such that the magnet50is directed toward a first lateral side54of the outer wall20of the ammunition magazine12. Additionally, the magnet50is positioned closer to the back end48of the follower40than the front end46of the follower40. A biasing member56is positioned between the bottom wall18of the ammunition magazine12and a bottom surface58of the follower40such that the biasing member56biases the follower40to travel upwardly in the ammunition magazine12. As is most clearly shown inFIG.4, the bottom surface58of the follower has a recess55into which the biasing member56extends. Additionally, a knob57is positioned in the recess55around which the biasing member56extends for retaining the biasing member56in a preferred orientation on the follower40.

A door60is hingedly attached to the ammunition magazine12and the door60has a recess62integrated into the door60. The recess62can be engaged by a magazine release64of the firearm16when the ammunition magazine12is inserted into the firearm16for releasably retaining the ammunition magazine12in the firearm16. The door60is biased into an engaged position having the door60lying flush with the ammunition magazine12such that the recess62is accessible to the magazine release64thereby facilitating the ammunition magazine12to be retained in the firearm16. The magnet50urges the door60into a disengaged position having the door60angling inwardly into the ammunition magazine12. Thus, the recess62is not accessible to the magazine release64thereby facilitating the ammunition magazine12to drop out of the firearm16when the last round of ammunition14is fed into the firearm16.

The door60has a lower edge66, an upper edge68and an outwardly facing surface70extending between the upper edge68and the lower edge66. The door60is curved adjacent to the upper edge68such that the upper edge68is aligned with the lip34associated with the first lateral side26of the top edge22of the outer wall20of the ammunition magazine12when the door60is in the engaged position. The outwardly facing surface70is oriented flush with the first lateral side26of the outer wall20of the ammunition magazine12when the door60is in the engaged position. Conversely, the outwardly facing surface70is spaced inwardly from the first lateral side26of the outer wall20having the upper edge68being spaced inwardly from the lip34associated with the first lateral side26of the top edge22of the outer wall20when the door60is in the disengaged position. The magnet50on the follower40is aligned with the door60when the follower40is biased into a topmost position when the last round of ammunition14is fed into the firearm16.

A hinge72is included which has a first portion74that hingedly engages a second portion76. The first portion74is attached to the outwardly facing surface70of the door60and the second portion76is attached to the first lateral side26of the outer wall20of the ammunition magazine12. The hinge72is biased into an open position having the first portion74being oriented coplanar with the second portion76. The hinge72is urgeable into a closed position having the first portion74being oriented at an angle with the second portion76.

In use, the ammunition magazine12is loaded with ammunition14and the ammunition magazine12is inserted into the firearm16. The magazine release64in the firearm16engages the recess62in the door60to retain the ammunition magazine12in the firearm16. The magnet50in the follower40is aligned with the door60once the last round of ammunition14is fed into the firearm16. In this way the strength of the magnetic attraction of the magnet50overcomes the biasing strength of the hinge72to urge the door60into the disengaged position. Thus, the recess62is disengaged from the magazine release64and the ammunition magazine12falls from the firearm16. In this way the empty ammunition magazine12is automatically ejected from the firearm16to facilitate a loaded ammunition magazine12to be inserted into the firearm16. Furthermore, the magnet50facilitates the door60to be urged into the disengaging position without requiring mechanical communication between the follower40and the door60thereby reducing the likelihood of a mechanical failure that would prevent the ammunition magazine12from automatically ejecting from the firearm16.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, device and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.