EP0777847B1 - Device for adapting a shooting aid onto an individual fire-arm - Google Patents

Abstract

PCT No. PCT/FR96/00757 Sec. 371 Date Apr. 2, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Apr. 2, 1997 PCT Filed May 21, 1996 PCT Pub. No. WO96/37749 PCT Pub. Date Nov. 28, 1996Device for adapting shooting aids onto an individual fire-arm (1) at the vicinity of the front portion of the barrel, characterized in that it is comprised of a fixed element (8) integral with the fire-arm, and a removable element (13) which can be made integral with the fixed element (8) and the barrel (2) of the fire-arm. The shooting aid can be a laser designator or a grenade launcher.

Description

The technical field of the present invention is that systems for attaching accessories to a firearm individual, such as grenade launcher, laser designator, torch, or any other launch aid device.

It is well known to fix on a gun individual various accessories. For each type accessory, the most specific adaptation is foreseen often fixed, which consists in modifying the weapon, in machining it some parts and sometimes to delete parts of origin. In addition, the disassembly and reassembly of the accessory requires the use of a tool specific that does not accompany the shooter during maneuvers. In this case, the weapon is devolved to a use specific and it is easy to see that it is impossible to make the accessory interchangeable.

US-A-4,580,362 describes a complex adapter to attach a laser designator to a weapon composed of a very large number of parts precisely adjusted between they. This adapter has the disadvantages mentioned below.

The great drawback of the above modifications lies in the fact that they are executed irreversibly, which makes the weapon specific and entails constraints of special management and maintenance.

Another drawback lies in the specificity of each adaptation accessory, in other words there are as many adaptations as accessories.

Another disadvantage is that use a qualified gunsmith to perform adapting or returning the weapon to its original destination at provided that the degradation is not irreversible.

The patent US5198600 is taken from the preamble of the main claim. It offers a device allowing attaching accessories to the front of a weapon. A removable element cooperates with a ring secured to the weapon and attaches to the barrel of the weapon by its front part which is fitted with an attachment clip. However, this device does not not allow simple assembly without specific tools.

Patent W093 / 15371 describes a fixing device for riflescope which includes a base screwed on tear. The patents DE4133932 and DE-U-9006133 describe fastening systems for spectacles. These systems include a bar which cooperates with plates or carried fitted on the weapon. All these devices impose complex machining on the weapon.

Patent EP303585 describes a support for accessories to quick fixing which includes a clamp comprising an arm of clamping actuated by a locking lever.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a means adaptation of accessories on a weapon resulting only in minimal weapon modifications for a family weapons, in order to avoid the disadvantages previously analyzes.

The invention therefore relates to an adaptation device of shooting accessories on an individual firearm at neighborhood of the front part of the barrel, and including a fixed element integral with the weapon, and a removable element secured to the fixed element and the barrel of the weapon, the fixed element being placed opposite the free end of the barrel, and the removable element consisting of a plate longitudinal comprising at one end a piece of connection to the fixed element and at the other end a piece for attachment to the barrel, device characterized in that the fixed element and the connection part are provided with a means bayonet type quick coupling.

The attachment means will include a light made in the fixed element and a finger extending the piece of connection.

The hanging operation will then be carried out by a quarter-turn rotation of the removable element.

Alternatively, the finger is telescopic and includes a hollow base inside which is arranged a axis extended by a head, a spring being disposed between the base and the axis, the elastic mounting thus produced to make up for the vertical assembly play between the light and axis.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the attachment piece consists of a hook with a handle and a opening, the opening being adapted to the diameter of the barrel, the hook being held in place with the support ring of the weapon engaged in the handle.

As a variant, the attachment piece consists of a hook with handle and opening suitable for diameter of the weapon support ring, the hook being provided an additional hook rotatably mounted in the handle and intended to cap the barrel via the ring.

The adaptation device according to the invention applies including the attachment of a laser designator or a lance grenade.

A very first advantage of the invention lies in simplified use of the adaptation device without specific tool.

Another advantage of the invention lies in the reproducibility of the mounting of the accessory compared to the weapon, with acceptable fidelity.

Yet another advantage is the absence of degraded weapon performance.

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe de la partie avant d'une arme montrant le dispositif d'adaptation,
• la figure 2 est un vue en perspective de la partie tube enveloppe de l'arme,
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective de l'élément fixe du dispositif d'adaptation,
• la figure 4 est une vue de dessus de l'élément amovible du dispositif d'adaptation,
• la figure 5 est une vue de dessus partielle de l'élément fixe,
• les figures 6A et 6B sont des coupes du crochet,
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe d'un système de rattrapage de jeu du moyen d'accrochage, et
• les figures 8 et 9 représentent deux exemples de fixation d'accessoires sur une arme.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood on reading the additional description of embodiments of the invention which will follow in relation to the drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the front part of a weapon showing the adaptation device,
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shell part of the weapon,
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fixed element of the adaptation device,
• FIG. 4 is a top view of the removable element of the adaptation device,
• FIG. 5 is a partial top view of the fixed element,
• FIGS. 6A and 6B are sections of the hook,
• FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a play take-up system of the attachment means, and
• Figures 8 and 9 show two examples of attaching accessories to a weapon.

As is apparent from the above, the device adaptation can be used on all types of weapons, either directly on the barrel or on elements enveloping the barrel. In the following description, we will describe the application of the invention to a weapon particular, without this being considered as a limitation. FIG. 1 therefore represents a weapon 1, the barrel 2 is protected in a known manner by an envelope tube 3 terminated by a nozzle 4, the role of which is in particular provide insulation and support a number of rooms. At its free end 5, the barrel 2 is provided with a removable ring 6, commonly called ring grenade holder. The tube envelope 3 and the part of the barrel located between the ring 6 and the end piece 4 are protected through the barrel 7.

The device according to the invention comprises an element fixed 8 possibly fixed permanently on the envelope tube 3 at the end piece 4. This element 8 is presents in the general form of an L-shaped part, the end of a branch 9 rests on zone 10 of the envelope tube 3 in the vicinity of the end piece 4 and the other of which branch 11 is fixed with a pin 12 to the part bottom of the end piece 4. The branch 11 is pierced with a light 13 intended for the attachment of a removable element 14.

The removable element 14 is in the form a longitudinal plate 15 intended on one side for attach to the weapon by means of attachment and the other side to receive the different accessories. Well of course, its shape can be adapted to the accessory in providing for example two notches 16 and 17 in which will engage the pins remains integral with the accessory. The attachment means are constituted at a end by a connecting piece 18 extended by a radial finger 19 capped by a head 20 and to the other end by a hooking claw 21 adapting to the canon 2.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the nozzle 4 extending the envelope tube 3 aligned on the axis xx 'of the barrel of the weapon. The tip 4 is in the form general of a parallelepiped provided at its base with a notch 22 delimiting two lateral cheeks 23 and 24. These two cheeks are perforated with a transverse opening 25 intended for receive the pin 12. Cutout D receives a pin Go (fig. 1) which attaches the assembly to the barrel 7 of the weapon.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of element 8 fixed at the level of the tube 3 secured to the end piece 4. To this end, the branch 9 has an upper face 26 whose profile is adapted to that of the envelope tube 3 of the barrel 2 of the weapon on which it is supported. The height of this branch 9 is calculated so that when it is supported on the barrel, the head 20 is in support on the upper flat surface 27 of a first part 28 of branch 11. This part 28 is extended by a second part 29 pierced with a channel 30, carrying a bead 31 intended to engage in the notch 22 and terminated on each side by a lug 32. Thus, when item 8 is attached to the weapon and after pressing the branch 9 against the zone 10, the bead 31 comes lean on the bottom of the notch 22 and the pin 12 can then be engaged through the openings 25 and the channel 30. The two pins 32 are applied against the front face end piece 4. Element 8 is therefore completely locked relative to the tip.

The removable element 14 shown in top view in Figure 4 shows two holes 40 and 41 for the attachment of the accessory, for example using screws. Well understood, any other flange fixing system or sleepers for example can be used.

In this figure 4, we see that the head 20 is present in the form of a parallelepipedic part of which the large base is aligned on the axis K of the plate 15.

Figure 5 shows the shape of the light 13 which is complementary to that of finger 19 and head 20. This light 13 has a shape overall parallelepiped whose large base is oriented along an axis YY 'perpendicular to the axis xx' of the barrel 2 and provided a flare at its central part for the reception of the finger 19. Thus, when the finger is inserted 19 in the lumen 13 along the axis YY ', the head 20 comes be flush with branch 11 to apply as it will explained below.

Figures 6A and 6B show sections longitudinal along an axis perpendicular to the K axis of plate 15 of two embodiments of the claw hooking 21 on the barrel 2 via the ring 6 (figure 1).

In FIG. 6A, the hooking claw is present in the form of a hook 43 having a opening 44 and a handle 45. Opening 44 is suitable for diameter of the barrel 2 and the handle 45 has a diameter slightly higher than that of ring 6 of the weapon.

In FIG. 6B, the attachment part is presented also in the form of a hook 46 having a opening 47 and a handle 48. In this embodiment, the dimensions of the handle and the opening are substantially larger than the diameter of the ring 6, but the hook 46 is fitted with an additional hook 49 movable in rotation relative to the hook by means of a lug 50. Thus, by operating the lug 50, the additional hook 49 completes the closure and the around the ring 6 blocking of the hook 46 thereon fixed to the barrel 2.

The fitting of the adaptation device is carried out the following way, it being understood that the accessory can be attached to plate 15 either before or after attachment on the gun. We first equip the weapon with the element fixed 8 from the design of the weapon or later. In the first case, element 8 can be part integral with the end piece 4. The removable element 14 is presented following a direction aligned on the axis YY 'which authorizes the introduction of the head 20 into the lumen 13. When it emerges from the light, we flip a quarter of a turn the plate 15 towards the weapon and the head 20 then takes support on branch 11 thus making the connection of the element fixed 8 and removable element 14. Simultaneously, engage hook 43 or 46 around barrel 2 or ring 6. The hook 43 is locked using the ring 6 movable in translation on the barrel of the weapon so as to be engaged in the handle 45. The hook blocking 46 which directly covers the ring 6 fixes the element 14 on the weapon. Then activate the hook lug 50 complementary 49 which then comes to partially close or totally opening 47.

The ring 6 is generally provided with a spring 51 (figure 1) and we arrange for the hook 43 or 46 comes to bear on it, whether said ring is fixed or mobile, so as to obtain a mechanical play catch-up between the hook and the ring and good immobilization of the locking.

Disassembly is carried out in reverse. The device according to the invention also makes it possible to produce a alignment of the accessory on the axis of the barrel so satisfactory, it is adaptable to various accessories and retains the original functions of the weapon as much as possible. A only modification is necessary to fix the element fixed, and assembly and disassembly are carried out without no tools.

Figure 7 illustrates a particular way of backlash between the fixed element 8 and the element removable 14. To this end, the connection piece 18 is fitted with a telescopic finger. This includes a base hollow 52 inside which an axis 53 is engaged externally extended by the head 20. A spring 54 is disposed between a shoulder 55 of the hollow base 52 and a shoulder 56 of axis 53. Thus, the elastic mounting obtained makes it possible to make up for the vertical assembly play between light 13 and axis 53. This configuration is more particularly usable for an accessory of the type laser designator. In case you want a centering more precise, we can add a cone at the axis 53 to remove side play from the connection.

In Figure 8, there is shown the mounting of a grenade launcher 61 using the adaptation device. As it is larger than a laser designator, the plate 15 is extended beyond the hooking piece 21 carrying the hook 49. The weapon 1 is in this example provided of a fixed ring 6.

In FIG. 9, the assembly of the adaptation device to equip a weapon 1 using a laser designator 60. Installation is strictly identical to that described in relation to FIG. 1 with engagement of the ring 6 in the hook 43.

Claims (8)

1. An aiming accessory adapter for an individual firearm (1) located near the front portion of the barrel, comprising a stationary component (8) affixed to the weapon, and a detachable component (13) which can be fastened to the stationary component (8) and the weapon barrel (2), the stationary component (8) being located away from the free end of the barrel (2), and the detachable component (14) being composed of a longitudinal plate (15) having at one end a connector (18) to the stationary component (8) and at the other end a hookup means (21) to the barrel (2), characterised in that the stationary component (8) and the connector (18) are fitted with a quick hookup means (13, 19) of the bayonet type.
2. An aiming accessory adapter as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the hookup means (13, 19) comprises an aperture (13) in the stationary component (8) and a finger (19) extending the connector (18).
3. An aiming accessory adapter as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the hookup is implemented by rotating the detachable component (14) by a quarter revolution.
4. An aiming accessory adapter as claimed in any of claims 2 through 3, characterised in that the finger (19) is telescopic and comprises a hollow base (52) in which a shaft (53) continued by a head (20) is connected, a spring (54) being mounted between the base (52) and the shaft (53), the elastic assembly so implemented allowing compensating the vertical assembly play between the aperture (13) and the shaft (53).
5. An aiming accessory adapter as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the hookup means (21) is composed of a hook (43) having a bow (45) and an opening (44), said opening matching the diameter of the barrel (2), the hook (43) being kept in place by a weapon support ring (6) entering the bow (45).
6. An aiming accessory adapter as claimed in any of claims 1 through 4, characterised in that the hookup means (21) is composed of a hook (46) having a bow (48) and an opening (47) matching the diameter of the weapon support ring (6), said hook being fitted with a complementary hook (49) rotatable in the bow and serving to cap the barrel (2) by means of the ring (6).
7. An aiming accessory adapter as claimed in any of claims 1 through 6, characterised in that the stationary component (8) is rigidly affixed to the weapon near the front end of the weapon enclosing tube (3).
8. Application of the adapter as claimed in any of the above claims to affixing a laser gunsight (60) or a grenade launcher (61).

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