Patent ID: 12209831

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIGS.1and2, a first preferred embodiment of an automatic circulation shooting mechanism3is briefly shown. Herein, the term “circulation” is mainly used to express the cycle or a repeated sequence of actions for the operation of the shooting mechanism3. The shooting mechanism3includes a gun body assembly31, a gun barrel assembly32, a bolt assembly33, a recoil spring assembly34, a triggering assembly35, and a cartridge feeding assembly36. These assemblies32˜36are respectively connected to the gun body assembly31. Regarding the gun body assembly31, the gun body assembly31includes an upper receiver311, a lower receiver312connected to the upper receiver311, a bolt carrier stopper313disposed in the upper receiver311, a barrel frame314connected to the upper receiver311, and a barrel fixing cap315opposite to the upper receiver311. The barrel fixing cap315is in opposing relationship to the upper receiver311for being engaged with an end of the barrel frame314. The upper receiver311is configured to accommodate or receive the bolt assembly33so that the bolt assembly33is allowed to execute a rail-mounted reciprocating motion. The lower receiver312is configured to accommodate or receive the triggering assembly35and the cartridge feeding assembly36for controlling a firing and shooting operation of the shooting mechanism3.

A stop portion314ais formed on an interior of the barrel frame314, and the gun barrel assembly32abuts against the stop portion314aso that the gun barrel assembly is positioned, which allows the gun barrel assembly32to execute a linear reciprocating movement inside the barrel frame314. A portion of the gun barrel assembly32is disposed outside of the barrel fixing cap315, which causes the gun barrel assembly32to be partially inserted into the barrel frame314. A rotation of the barrel fixing cap315can be driven by a tool, such as a spanner (not shown). When the barrel fixing cap315is engaged with the barrel frame314by rotating with the tool in one direction, the gun barrel assembly32can be positioned inside the barrel frame314. On the contrary, when the barrel fixing cap315is disengaged with the barrel frame314by rotating in the other direction, the gun barrel assembly32can be detached from the barrel frame314, and a new gun barrel assembly32can be inserted into the barrel frame314and positioned. Therefore, a quick replacement of the gun barrel assembly32is achieved, and the replacement depends on different shooting needs. The gun barrel assembly32includes a barrel321mounted in the barrel frame314, a barrel extension322disposed on the barrel321and in proximity to the upper receiver311, a first barrel spring fixing seat323disposed on the barrel321, a second barrel spring fixing seat324disposed on the barrel321and spaced apart from the first barrel spring fixing seat323, and a barrel spring325annularly disposed around the barrel321and between the first barrel spring fixing seat323and the second barrel spring fixing seat324. The barrel321is configured to fire and shoot ammunition, bear high chamber pressure, and allow a bullet, as a projectile of a cartridge, to fly forwards in a rotating manner. A sleeve engagement member322a, briefly shown, is formed at one end of the barrel extension322and adapted to lock with or unlock with the bolt assembly33. The first barrel spring fixing seat323can be fixed to the barrel321, while the second barrel spring fixing seat324can be movably pivoted to the barrel321. The second barrel spring fixing seat324is configured to abut against the stop portion314aof the barrel frame314while mounting the barrel321in the barrel frame314, and the first barrel spring fixing seat323is configured to abut against the barrel fixing cap315and covered by the barrel fixing cap315. In addition, one end of the barrel spring325is connected to the first barrel spring fixing seat323, and the other end of the barrel spring325is connected to the second barrel spring fixing seat324. In this regard, the barrel321is able to move backwards by recoil force in the barrel frame314and is allowed to rebound, attain a counter-recoil effect, and return to its original position automatically by the elasticity of the barrel spring325. Accordingly, the gun barrel assembly32can be modularized to meet demand.

The bolt assembly33is disposed in the upper receiver311and located on one side of the gun barrel assembly32. The bolt assembly33includes a bolt carrier331disposed in the upper receiver311, a breech bolt332mounted in the bolt carrier331and located in correspondence with the barrel extension322for carrying out a locking action and an unlocking action, a firing pin333disposed in the breech bolt332and located in correspondence with the barrel321, and a bolt spring334disposed between the bolt carrier331and the breech bolt332. In addition, the bolt carrier331includes a cam slot331aformed thereon and an engagement portion331bformed relative to the bolt carrier stopper313so that the engagement portion331bis adapted to butt against the bolt carrier stopper313. A forward movement of the bolt carrier331allows the engagement portion331bto butt against the bolt carrier stopper313located in the upper receiver311, thereby reducing the vibration, the shock back and rebound force, impinging on the breech bolt332which moves forwards for locking after the recoil occurs. As for example shown in figures, the location of the breech bolt332is related to the location of the barrel extension322, and the location of the firing pint333is related to the location of the barrel321. A cam pin332ais disposed on the breech bolt332and adapted to be inserted into the cam slot331aof the bolt carrier331. A bolt locking member332b, briefly shown, is formed at one end of the breech bolt332and located relative to the barrel extension332for serving to engage with or separate from the sleeve engagement member322aof the barrel extension322. An extractor332cand an ejector332d, briefly shown, can be disposed on different sides of the breech bolt332. Accordingly, a locking action and an unlocking action between the breech bolt332and the barrel extension322disposed on the barrel321in a rotating manner can be executed because of the cooperation between the cam pin332aand the cam slot331a, and when the bolt carrier331recoils, the extractor332con the breech bolt332serves to extract a cartridge case left in the barrel321, and thereafter the ejector332dserves to eject the extracted cartridge case.

The recoil spring assembly34is disposed on one side of the bolt assembly33. The recoil spring assembly34includes a recoil spring seat341propping against the bolt carrier331and a recoil spring342annularly disposed around the recoil spring seat341.

By the elasticity of the recoil spring342, the compression and the effect of absorbing and storing energy can be achieved, thereby buffering the recoil of the bolt carrier331and then pushing the bolt carrier331forwards.

The triggering assembly35is adapted to cooperate with the bolt assembly33. The triggering assembly35includes a trigger351disposed outside of the lower receiver312and a hammer352associated with the trigger351and configured to strike the firing pin333of the bolt assembly33. Specifically, the trigger351sticks out from the lower receiver312for being exposed to the outside and accordingly pulled by a shooter, and the hammer352linked to the trigger351is actuated by the trigger351to strike a rear end of the firing pin333located out of the breech bolt332, which causes a front end of the firing pin333inside the breech bolt332to be inserted towards the barrel321, and this insertion hits a primer at the bottom of a cartridge loaded in the barrel321for further firing and shooting.

The cartridge feeding assembly36includes a magazine361in relation to the bolt assembly33and a plurality of cartridges362mounted in the magazine361. As for example shown in figures, the location of the magazine361can be related to the location of the bolt assembly33, especially related to the breech bolt332. The cartridges362are sequentially pushed by the bolt locking member332bof the breech bolt332to complete a cartridge-pushing action and then fed into the barrel321for loading to complete a cartridge-feeding action. Therefore, the cartridges362are pushed from a top lip (not shown) of the magazine361and sent into a chamber of the barrel321in sequence, thereby subjecting each cartridge362to a firing and shooting operation actuated by the bolt assembly33.

The operation of this invention is described with the aid ofFIGS.1and2. To subject a loaded cartridge362, on the right side ofFIG.2and already inside the barrel321, to a firing and shooting operation, a shooter pulls the trigger351to release the hammer352, and the released hammer352hits forwards to strike a rear end of the firing pin333of the bolt assembly33. By this hitting action, a front end of the firing pin333sticks out from the breech bolt332to strike a primer at the bottom of the cartridge362, and the primer explodes by the striking force to ignite a propellant substance stored inside the cartridge362. The ignition of the propellant substance generates high pressure gas immediately, and a projectile of the cartridge362is pushed by the gas, thereby shooting the projectile forwards in a rotating motion and also pushing the breech bolt332backwards. Because there is a locking relationship between the barrel321and the breech bolt332, the barrel321is allowed to recoil with the breech bolt332within the barrel frame314by a linear freedom motion at the moment of the backward movement caused by the high pressure gas. Meanwhile, the barrel spring325is compressed to store energy which is ready to return the barrel321to its original position. The bolt carrier331still remains in an original place at the time of shooting because of its own mass inertia and support force of the recoil spring assembly34. In the meantime, the bolt spring334between the bolt carrier331and the breech bolt332is squeezed by the recoil of the linear freedom motion of the breech bolt332to bear and consume the recoil force of the barrel321and also store energy.

Then, after the barrel321moves backwards to the greatest extent, the barrel321returns to its original position because of the rebounding of the barrel spring325. Meanwhile, the bolt spring334also rebounds after it is fully compressed, thereby releasing the stored energy and allowing the energy to push the bolt carrier331and move the recoil spring assembly34backwards by compression. During this pushing and backward movement, the hammer352is pressed downwards to an original position kept on standby, and concurrently the cam pin332adisposed on the breech bolt332starts to rotate within the cam slot331aof the bolt carrier331while the backward movement of the bolt carrier331occurs. After the cam pin332arotates by a certain angle, the bolt locking member332bis disengaged with the sleeve engagement member322ato complete an unlocking action whereby the bolt carrier331and the breech bolt332move backwards together to make the breech bolt332leave the barrel321, and concurrently the extractor332cdisposed on the breech bolt332catches a cartridge case of the cartridge362, left in the barrel321after being subjected to the firing and shooting operation, and extracts the cartridge case from the barrel321, thereby fulfilling an extracting action.

After the cartridge case leaves the barrel extension322, the ejector332ddisposed on the breech bolt332ejects the cartridge case from the gun body assembly31to fulfill an ejecting action. In addition, after the recoil spring seat341, subjected to the pushing force of the bolt carrier331for moving the recoil spring342backwards by compressing, reaches a bottom of the lower receiver312, an effect of “recoiling in place” for the automatic circulation is achieved. Thereafter, the recoil spring342rebounds to release the energy so that the recoil spring seat341is pushed to keep moving the bolt assembly33forwards. During the forward movement, the bolt locking member332bof the breech bolt332pushes a new cartridge362from the magazine361and then feeds the new cartridge361into the barrel321, namely into a chamber, thereby fulfilling a cartridge-pushing action and a cartridge-feeding action for the automatic circulation. Then, when the engagement portion331bof the bolt carrier331meets the bolt carrier stopper313, the breech bolt332butts against a rear end of the barrel321in the state of the forward movement of the bolt carrier331and causes the bolt locking member332bto be engaged with the sleeve locking portion322a. By an incessant squeezing force of the bolt carrier331caused by the forward movement, the cam pin332adisposed on the breech bolt332is limited by the cam slot331a, and this limitation makes the breech bolt332rotate so that the breech bolt332can be locked with the barrel extension322at the time of squeezing to fulfill a locking action, and a new firing and shooting operation can be automatically executed. Therefore, the operation of the mechanism3is automatically cycled to thereby attain an automatic circulation shooting effect.

To replace the gun barrel assembly32after finishing all firing and shooting operations, a tool (not shown) can be used to hold the barrel fixing cap315and impart torque whereby the barrel fixing cap315rotates and then separates from the barrel frame314under the rotation. Accordingly, an old gun barrel assembly32can be detached from the barrel frame314, and then a new gun barrel assembly32can be inserted into the barrel frame314and positioned. After the replacement is done, the barrel fixing cap315can be engaged with the end of the barrel frame314with the tool again. Therefore, the gun barrel assembly32is quickly replaced, which allows a more flexible use and increases the benefit of the automatic circulation shooting operation.

The advantages of this invention are described as follows:

1. This invention includes a complex transmission mode involving the recoil of the barrel and the inertia drive system and takes advantage of the barrel frame314to transmit the recoil of the barrel and keep the gas of the ammunition inside the barrel321without spreading gas to other elements at the shooting stage, which facilitates an easy maintenance after the shooting stage and alleviates the burden on the maintenance.

2. This invention omits a conventional gas-operated device, a forward assist, and rebound balance blocks, so fewer transmission elements are needed to greatly reduce the whole weight of the mechanism and alleviate the burden in the long term of operation.

3. The engagement and disengagement between the barrel frame314and the barrel fixing cap315allows the quick replacement of different gun barrel assemblies with different barrel calibers and lengths. Therefore, the problem of failure to replace barrels of conventional automatic rifles can be solved, and the use of this invention can be more flexible.

4. The arrangement of this invention is adapted to a complex and closed shooting control mode, so this invention can be applied to the current trigger mechanism in the lower receiver of most automatic rifles. Therefore, the problem of failure to apply the shooting system to a complex aforementioned conventional triggering mechanism can be solved.

To sum up, this invention takes advantage of the barrel fixing cap to be detached from the barrel frame so that the gun barrel assembly can be quickly replaced. Furthermore, this invention takes advantage of the gun barrel assembly which includes the first barrel spring fixing seat, the second barrel spring fixing seat, and the barrel spring to allow the barrel and the breech bolt to recoil together by a linear freedom motion in the state of locking the barrel extension with the breech bolt while shooting and also subject the barrel spring, the bolt spring, and the recoil spring assembly to compression for absorbing and storing energy, thereby allowing the bolt carrier and the breech bolt to fulfill a rotary unlocking action and an ejecting action, compressing the recoil spring assembly to the greatest extent efficiently, and buffering the suffered recoil force. The barrel spring also releases energy to return the barrel to its original position. The rebounding of the recoil spring assembly also completes a cartridge-pushing action and a cartridge-feeding action for cartridges while returning the gun barrel assembly to its original position, and the engagement portion of the bolt carrier is formed to butt against the bolt carrier stopper of the gun body assembly, which allows the breech bolt to lock with the barrel extension again in a rotating manner to reduce rebound and vibration impinging on the breech bolt and also increasing the benefit of the automatic circulation shooting operation.

While the embodiments are shown and described above, it is understood that further variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this invention.