EP3835706A1 - Adapter for mounting an accessory to a firearm - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an adapter (30) for mounting an accessory (40) on a firearm, a correspondingly designed accessory (40), and a casing or handguard assembly (20) of a firearm annular or tubular shape on and at least two sections (32, 34) arranged adjacently along the barrel axis (140), a rear section (32) on the weapon side being at least partially geometrically complementary to the front end of the casing (20), and a front section ( 34) has on its outside a circular cylindrical coupling surface (342) for coupling the accessory (40), with at least one bayonet extension (341) projecting radially outward on the coupling surface (342).

Description

The invention relates to an adapter for mounting an accessory on a firearm, for example an assault rifle, which has a casing of the barrel (handguard) and in particular the mounting of this accessory on the firearm, according to the preamble of claim 1 To name a cover of a silencer, a muzzle brake, or a flash suppressor, etc., as well as various lighting means, sighting devices and the like can be understood as accessories. The invention further relates to a casing for the barrel of a firearm in accordance with the preamble of claim 11 and an accessory part in accordance with the preamble of claim 14.

Contemporary assault rifles can have a high rate of fire of several 100 rounds / minute when deployed. The dissipation of heat is a central issue here, which was solved in the prior art by means of numerous different casings on the barrel. In the prior art, for example, the front stocks of AR-15 rifles are often designed as perforated, mostly two-part, "handguards". These are arranged at a distance from the barrel, protect against direct contact with the warm barrel and at the same time allow air to come in to cool it. Devices for blocking the heat transfer to the outside or various covers, often lying directly on the silencer, are also known for silencers.

When accessories are mounted on the barrel, there are two problems: firstly, every attachment of an accessory at the end of the barrel increases the problem of heat dissipation from the barrel, since the gas can no longer escape unhindered into the environment while the barrel is running, which leads to rapid and strong heating of the accessory leads. In particular in the case of silencers, the principle of which is to reduce the speed of the exiting combustion gases below the speed of sound, it is difficult to dissipate the energy converted into heat; this also applies to the other nozzle attachments to a slightly reduced extent. In the following, a silencer is mostly used, but this only serves as an example to be able to explain the connection of an accessory part as easily as possible.

For example, in order to cover a silencer from the outside, on the one hand to protect the user, on the other hand so that an opponent does not recognize the so-called "thermal signature" after one or at the latest several shots and can initiate countermeasures, the silencer is preferably thermally shielded from the environment. Such covers are often attached directly to the muffler in the prior art and are known as "suppressor covers". Such a cover, which is attached directly to a silencer, a muzzle brake, or the like, increases the mass and weight that acts on the coupling point with the barrel, as a result of which the precision of the weapon suffers as well as its mechanical stress.

It is the object of the invention to improve the connection (assembly) of accessories, such as shields for mufflers (silencers), muzzle brakes and flashhiders (is also used in German, and is otherwise known as "flash hider"), or also create lights, and other accessories on the weapon. As already stated, these components in the prior art are usually attached directly to the front of the barrel, to its mouth (muzzle). It is a further object of the invention to enable improved support and / or retention of a heat shield surrounding the barrel.

According to the invention, the improved assembly of an accessory part can be achieved by the features specified in the characterizing part of claim 1. Furthermore, a casing according to the invention is defined by the characterizing features of claim 11 and an accessory part according to the invention is defined by the characterizing features of claim 14.

A central feature is an adapter for connecting (any) accessory to the handguard, the casing of the barrel. This adapter is geometrically adapted to the casing in relation to the weapon and geometrically adapted and can be coupled with the accessories. The coupling connection between the adapter and the accessory is preferably designed as a bayonet connection and can be a have additional securing means, such as one or more snap fasteners. The geometry in relation to the weapon is given by the already existing casing and does not require any detailed explanation.

In the context of this invention, the term sheath is used in a simplified manner, including a handguard and various other components, such as a barrel and / or handguard clamp. Often the term fore-end is also used in a simplified manner, which is also intended to be a synonym for sheathing.

In the light of the invention, it is obvious to a person skilled in the art to integrate the proposed adapter solution, with the coupling connection, into a specially designed casing or a correspondingly adapted handguard, if necessary. For example, the bayonet connection in one embodiment could also be formed directly on the casing of the barrel, whereby the mechanical stability is further improved, according to the characterizing features of claim 13. Finally, the design of an accessory part according to the characterizing features of claim 14 is part of the invention .

In order to make the application of the invention in practice easier for the person skilled in the art, the English expressions - if known - are mentioned in "quotation marks" and are also explained in the list of reference characters, the terms being regarded as equivalent.

• die Fig. 1a eine erfindungsgemäß ausgestattete Waffe in Seitenansicht,
• die Fig. 1b ein Zubehörteil an einer Ummantelung in perspektivischer Ansicht,
• die Fig. 2 die Teile der Fig. 1a in Explosionsdarstellung,
• die Fig. 3 ein Detail in vergrößertem Maßstab,
• die Fig. 4 einen Adapter in perspektivischer Explosionsdarstellung,
• die Figs. 5a,b Schnitte durch die Laufachse im Montagebereich in unterschiedlichem Maßstab und
• die Figs. 6a,b Schnitte normal zur Laufachse entlang der Linie VI-VI in unterschiedlicher Verriegelungsposition.

The invention is explained in more detail in the drawing. It shows or shows

• the Fig. 1a a weapon equipped according to the invention in side view,
• the Figure 1b an accessory on a casing in a perspective view,
• the Fig. 2 the parts of the Fig. 1a in exploded view,
• the Fig. 3 a detail on an enlarged scale,
• the Fig. 4 an adapter in a perspective exploded view,
• the Figs. 5a, b Sections through the barrel axis in the assembly area in different scales and
• the Figs. 6a, b Sections normal to the barrel axis along the line VI-VI in different locking positions.

The Fig. 1a shows an overview of a weapon equipped according to the invention in a side view, with a casing ("handguard assembly") 20, a housing ("receiver") 12, a shaft ("stock") 13, a handle ("grip") 10 and a handle according to the invention Accessory part ("accessory") 40 fastened to the casing 20, usually only called "accessory" in the following.

The selected example of the illustration of the accessory 40 is based on a shielding of a silencer and is deliberately shown in a very simplified manner. The transfer of the inventive coupling of an accessory 40, such as lamps, visors, or other accessories, can be carried out mutatis mutandis by the person skilled in the art in the light of the disclosure. For this reason, the accessory 40 is shown as a simple cylinder without any further design features; the necessary details are only given in the area of assembly. This is due to the fact that, apart from these features relevant to the fastening, the design of the accessory 40 is not essential for the invention.

In Figure 1b a schematic oblique view of an adapted accessory 40 on the casing 20 is shown. In this view, the coupling of the accessory part by means of a sliding and rotating connection in the manner of a "bayonet lock" can be seen, which is formed by bayonet extensions 341 and correspondingly shaped bayonet grooves 441 of the accessory part 40.

Furthermore, in Figure 1b A preferred embodiment is indicated, in which a spring-preloaded push button 310 engages in corresponding holes 425 in the radial direction outward to secure against unintentional rotation of the accessory 40.

In addition, in Figure 1b a particularly preferred embodiment in conjunction with Figs. 3rd , 4th and 6th be recognized, according to which the adapter 30 on the front section 34 at least one, preferably in the circumferential direction to the at least an adapter opening 344 adjoining a bayonet extension 341. This creates additional ventilation openings in the coupling area, among other things.

The accessory 40 has several L-shaped bayonet recesses 430 which extend from the edge of the accessory 40 facing the weapon. The bayonet recesses 430 can in principle also have an arcuate design. This embodiment is not shown, whereby the person skilled in the art can easily understand that a bracing in the direction of the adapter 30 can be carried out by means of an arcuate design due to the twisting movement of the accessory part 40.

In the preferred embodiment, the at least one bayonet groove 430 has an L-shape with a first leg, which extends from the edge of the weapon-side end parallel to the barrel axis 140, and a second leg, which is then formed to run in the circumferential direction.

In Fig. 2 FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the FIG Figure 1b components shown. In principle, these can also be designed in one piece on the handguard 20 to form the fore-end, the Fig. 2 provides an example of several components forming the casing 20.

In addition to the handguard 210 or sheathing 20 just mentioned, FIG Fig. 2 a heat shield (“heat shield”) 220 is shown, which is intended for inclusion within the handguard 210. On the side of this heat shield 220, heat shield guide extensions 230 can be seen, which are used for guidance or storage in the handguard 210. Upon closer inspection of this illustration, several guides 231 can be seen on the inside of the handguard 210. The heat shield 220 can be inserted along these guides 231 and is guided by means of the guide extensions 230 and held at a defined distance from the barrel 10 or from the handguard 210, as shown in a synopsis Figs. 3 and 5 becomes particularly clear and is explained in more detail below. These guides 231 can be designed as grooves or also as functionally identical protruding double strips for the guide extensions 230 to form a corresponding system and guide.

Furthermore, in Fig. 2 a plurality of screws 332 are shown, which are used to fasten the adapter 30 in the area of the rear section 32 on the handguard 210.

In a preferred embodiment, the handguard 210 has a "right-hand thread" when viewed from the outside, and the screws 332 are designed as a type of countersunk head screws with a tool holder, e.g. hexagon socket or Torx, in the shaft. In this way, the screws 332 can be screwed from the inside of the adapter 30 in the radial direction in the area of the rear section 32 to the outside on the handguard 210 by moving a screwdriver from the outside to the "left" and thus the adapter 30 in the area of its support surface 333 Pulls "outside" on the handguard 210. This “wrong screw” method offers the advantage that no screw heads are on the outside and the outer contour of the handguard 210 remains unaffected. In addition, this is a relatively loss-proof attachment of the screws.

How out Fig. 3 , which shows the adapter 30, mounted on the casing 20, obliquely from the front, the adapter 30 preferably has a generally annular or generally tubular construction, depending on the point of view. The front section 34 is designed to be essentially ring-shaped for attaching the accessories 40, while the rear section 32 is modeled in its shape on the inner contour of the handguard 210 to be contacted, as seen in conjunction with Fig. 4 becomes clear. When considering the Fig. 4 It quickly becomes clear that the formation of projections protruding from the front section 34 on the weapon side would be sufficient to ensure a good connection to the handguard 210.

The Fig. 4 shows that the rear section 32 has smaller dimensions in the radial direction 323 starting from the running axis 140 to the bearing surfaces 333 which, in the assembled state, lie flat against complementary inner surfaces of the handguard 210.

The radial dimensions 323, 343 can also be approximately the same, or in special cases even the rear radial distance 323 to the support surface 333 be less than the front radial distance 343 to the coupling surface 342 make optimal coordination of the dimensions with knowledge of the present invention.

In the examples shown, the preferred, stepped design of the adapter 30 is shown, the distance in the radial direction 343 from the coupling surface 342 being greater in the front section 34 than in the rear section 32. This works very well when viewed together with Fig. 3 clear and enables the outer contour of the entire weapon in the front area, that is to say the accessory part 40 and the handguard assembly 20 (= casing), to be essentially flush at least on the upper side. This has the great advantage that a sighting device, optical / thermal aiming devices and the like do not protrude beyond the sighting line of the upper edge of the weapon. Another advantage of the stepped design of the adapter 30 is that when the adapter 30 is mounted on the handguard 210, the in Fig. 4 clearly visible lateral dowel pin holes 316 are covered and thus undesired loosening during use can be avoided.

In general, the coupling surface 342 has the form of sections of lateral surfaces of at least one circular cylinder with the running axis 140 as the center of the circle and, when the accessory 40 is mounted, is in flat contact with at least one inner surface of the accessory 40 designed as a counter-coupling surface 442. Flat contact or flat contact are to be seen and understood technically and not mathematically.

The accessory 40 and the adapter 30 have in the area of the coupling or counter-coupling surfaces 342, 442 a bayonet lock known per se, such as in particular the Fig. 2 shows well. In this way, the accessory 40 can simply be plugged onto the adapter 30 and rotated without the muzzle attachment 111 ( Figure 5a ), in the illustrated embodiment a muffler, touches this. It is of course possible to provide supports if so desired. In a particularly preferred embodiment, several adapter openings 344 are formed on the front section 34 of the adapter 30, which are arranged in the running direction 140 and / or circumferential direction such that when the accessory 40 is coupled - i.e. when the bayonet lock is in the closed state - at least part of the bayonet groove 441 with the adapter openings 344 are arranged one above the other. This fact can be in Figure 1b , as well as in Fig. 6 can be recognized very well and serves to improve ventilation of the coupling area. As explained below, improved ventilation of the accessory is also possible.

The arrangement of at least two adapter openings 344, which are each formed at an angle of at least 15 ° to an imaginary upward in the vertical direction, is also particularly preferred. A plurality of adapter openings 344 can also be formed over the circumference, in particular on the underside for better air supply, but the upper area - when the firearm is held horizontally - should not be penetrated by an adapter opening 344. This arrangement of the adapter openings 344 is suitable for minimizing the so-called “mirage effect”, that is to say the turbulence of air that has become hot, which can be disadvantageous when looking through a sighting device.

The assembly is preferably fixed, as shown, by means of at least one, preferably two, spring-loaded push buttons 310. These are biased outward in the radial direction by means of at least one spring 311 and can snap into locking holes 425 in the accessory 40 when the bayonet lock is engaged and twisted the bayonet extensions 341 is locked in the bayonet grooves 441. The lock is released by manually pressing the pushbuttons 310 and the accessory 40 can be easily removed by twisting and pulling off the casing 20 or the adapter 30.

How out Fig. 4 As can be seen, two springs 311 located in spring bores can also be provided per push button 310, between which (in the assembled state) a slot 312 is arranged parallel to the barrel axis. This slot is elongated in the radial direction (with respect to the barrel axis), and a pin, preferably a dowel pin 315, protrudes into it, through which the radial Mobility of the push button 310 is limited on both sides. In this way, the radial deflection of the push button 310 can take place within limits and the accessory 40 can be dismantled / assembled without tools.

The attachment of the adapter 30 to the casing 20 takes place according to the specification by the existing casing, but in any case preferably in the engagement area of the support surface (s) 333 by means of screws 332. These penetrate the screw holes 331, as before with reference to the description of FIG Fig. 2 explained, and together with the support surfaces 333 produce a mechanically reliable connection of the two components. Guides 330 are provided for an optionally usable heat shield 220, this is explained further above.

In this way according to the invention, the problems of the prior art are solved because all forces and moments that act on the accessory 40, or occur through the accessory 40 (inertia forces), do not act on the barrel 10, but directly on the casing 20 ( "Handguard assembly").

Another, very positive effect of this assembly according to the invention is in synopsis of the Figs. 5 and 6th Clearly visible: The ring-shaped and step-shaped design of the adapter 30 makes it possible for air to flow in from the outside through the handguard 210 and, essentially penetrating the adapter 30 axially and / or radially, to be guided into or past the muzzle attachment 111.

In Figs. 5a, b an example of a muffler is shown as a muzzle attachment 111, which is mounted directly on the barrel muzzle 11. Therefore, a silencer cover (“suppressor cover”) is shown as an accessory 40, this has a cover (“cover”) 410 which has a stop 421 at its front end. As a result, when the bayonet catch 341, 441 engages, an optionally provided filling 420, which can be, for example, an insulating mat made of glass fiber or the like, is stretched against the adapter 30. In this case, an (air) gap 50 remains between the shell 410 or the filling 420, which allows a “draft” of air past the muffler. The measures presented allow more efficient cooling than in the prior art and delay the heating of the cover or shield of the muffler, thereby reducing the thermal signature.

In addition, due to the essentially tubular design of the adapter, as seen in summary Figs. 3 , 4th and 6th It becomes clear that the connecting space 52 between the adapter 30 and the barrel 10 remains free. Furthermore, from Figure 5b it can be seen that the heated air on the barrel 10 is guided in the space 51 to the heatshield 220. Due to the supply of air from “outside” through the handguard 210, a build-up of heat in the connecting space 52 can be avoided, which leads to an increase in the cooling effect on the barrel 10 and delays the heating of the handguard 210.
As explained above, the specified air supply can be supplemented by the function of the adapter openings 344 which may be present and are arranged in an optimized manner.

The Figs. 6a, b show a cross section normal to the barrel axis 140 through the adapter 30 once, Figure 6a , in the fixed position of the accessory 40 and once, Figure 6b , after putting on, but before twisting or locking the bayonet catch 341, 441.

Taking into account the preceding explanations, in particular the Fig. 2 , a particularly effective solution to the heat dissipation problem for the barrel 10 is "eliminated" in one embodiment of the invention by means of a corresponding shape of the adapter 30. In Fig. 3 the view from obliquely onto the adapter 30 attached to the casing 20 is shown. In the interior of the handguard 210, a heat shield 220 ("heatshield") is arranged, which in Fig. 2 is shown in the ready-to-insert state. As intended, this heat shield 220 has only a few intended contact points or lines in the form of guide extensions 230 which touch the casing 210 on its inside in guides 231 provided for this purpose. In this embodiment, the adapter 30 has the already mentioned separate heat shield guides 330 ( Fig. 3 , Fig. 4 ), which, if necessary, accommodate the front (st) guide extensions 230. Thus, when the adapter 30 is mounted on the casing (handguard) 210, the heat shield 220 is also aligned and positioned in all directions (running direction, axial direction) so that the barrel 1 is not touched, and that at Movement of the weapon, a rattling of the heat shield 220 in the casing 210 is reliably prevented.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated and described exemplary embodiment, but can be adapted and configured in various ways. In particular, it relates not only to an accessory 40 designed according to the invention, but also to the adapter 30 per se and also to a weapon provided with such an adapter.

Within the scope of the invention, in addition to the adapter 30 designed according to the invention, there are also accessories 40 that match an adapter 30 designed in this way.

Finally, in the case of "new" weapons, the weapon-side part of the adapter 30 can be part of the handguard 210, so that it integrally forms the part of the adapter 30 provided with a larger radius, including the bayonet lock, at its front end. Put simply, the adapter 30 can be dispensed with as a separate component, more precisely the rear section 32 is dispensed with, and the front section 34 of the adapter 30 is formed integrally on the handguard 210.

As explained above, both the mechanical stability of the connection of an accessory to the weapon, the precision of the weapon, as well as the heat dissipation at the barrel and / or a muzzle attachment can be improved in the manner according to the invention, and a reduction in the thermal signature can still be achieved.

In the description and the claims, the terms "front", "rear", "top", "bottom" and so on are used in their usual form and with reference to the object in its usual position of use. This means that in a weapon the muzzle of the barrel is "in front", that the bolt or slide is moved "backwards" by the explosion gases, etc ..

It should also be pointed out that in the description and the claims, statements such as "lower area" of an object, the lower half and in particular the lower quarter of the total height means, "lowest area" the lowest quarter and in particular an even smaller part; while "middle area" means the middle third of the total height (width - length). All of this information has its common meaning, applied to the intended position of the object in question.

In the description and the claims, "essentially" means a deviation of up to 10% of the specified value, if it is physically possible, both downwards and upwards, otherwise only in the meaningful direction, for degrees (angle and temperature) this means ± 10 °.

Unless otherwise stated, the term: “combination” or “combinations” stands for all types of combinations, starting from two of the constituents in question up to a large number or all of such constituents, the term: “containing” also stands for “consisting out".

The features and variants specified in the individual configurations and examples can be freely combined with those of the other examples and configurations, i.e. without the other features of the respective example, and in particular to characterize the invention in the claims without necessarily including the other features / details of the respective design or the respective example can be used List of reference symbols: 10 Barrel 30th adapter 11 Mouth (muzzle) 310 Push button 12th Housing (receiver) 311 Spring 13th Butt stock 312 Slot 14th Grip 313 Push surface 111 Muzzle attachment 314 Locking area 120 Cartridge chamber ( 315 Locking pin 130 Gas block 316 Locking pin hole 140 Barrel axis 32 Rear section 320 Recess for button (button recess) 20th Sheath, total (handguard assembly) 323 Rear radial distance 210 Handguard 330 Heat shield guide 220 Heat shield 331 Screw holes towards handguard 230 Heat shield guide extension 332 Screws 231 Guide 333 Contact surface towards handguard 240 Ventilation openings (vent holes) 34 Front section 341 Bayonet extension (bayonet lock) 342 Coupling surface 40 Accessory 343 Front radial distance 410 Cover 344 Adapter opening 420 Filling 421 Stop 50 Gap 425 Locking hole (button hole) 51 Spacing 441 Bayonet notch 52 Connection chamber 442 Counter coupling surface

Claims (17)

Adapter (30) for mounting an accessory (40) on a casing (20) of an, in particular automatic, firearm with a barrel axis (140), characterized in that - The adapter (30) has a substantially annular or tubular shape and - has at least two sections (32, 34) arranged adjacently along the barrel axis (140), - wherein a rear section (32) on the weapon side is at least partially geometrically complementary to the front end of the casing (20) and can be fastened to it, preferably by means of screws (332), - and a front section (34) has a circular cylindrical coupling surface (342) for coupling the accessory part (40) on its outside, and - At least one bayonet extension (341) is provided on the coupling surface (342), projecting radially outward. Adapter according to Claim 1, characterized in that at least one, preferably two, spring-preloaded push-button (s) (310), diametrically opposite each other with respect to the barrel axis (140), is provided on the coupling surface (342). Adapter (30) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rear section (32) is designed to be radially stepped from the front section (34). Adapter (30) according to Claim 3, characterized in that the rear section (32) has smaller radial dimensions than the front section (34). Adapter (30) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rear section (32) has at least two holes (331) for receiving the screw connection of screws (332) in the handguard (210). Adapter (30) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two heat shield guides (330) for receiving heat shield guide extensions (230) of a heat shield (220) are formed on the rear section (32). Adapter (30) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one recess for a push button (310) is provided on the coupling surface (342), which recess is penetrated by a dowel pin hole (316) parallel to the barrel axis (140). Adapter (30) according to Claim 7, characterized in that the at least one push button (310) has a slot (312) for inserting a pin (315). Adapter (30) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front section (34) has at least one adapter opening (344), preferably adjoining the at least one bayonet extension (341) in the circumferential direction. Adapter (30) according to Claim 9, characterized in that at least two adapter openings (344) are each formed at least 15 ° to an imaginary vertical direction upwards. Casing (20) of the barrel (10) for a firearm with a barrel axis (140), characterized in that the casing (20) has in the front end region for receiving and fixing an adapter (30) according to one of the preceding claims. Sheath (20) according to Claim 11, characterized in that the inside of the handguard (210) has guides (231) of substantially complementary shape to the heat shield guide extensions (230) of a heat shield (220). Sheath (20) according to one of Claims 11 or 12, characterized in that the rear section (32) is omitted and the front section (34) is formed integrally on the handguard (210). Accessory part (40), in particular shielding of a silencer, characterized in that a casing (410) is formed on its weapon-side end region for coupling to an adapter (30) according to one of Claims 1 to 10, or a casing (20) according to Claim 13 is. Accessory part (40) according to claim 14, characterized in that a circular cylindrical counter-coupling surface (442) is designed for coupling to the coupling surface (342) of the adapter (30), which has at least one, preferably L-shaped, bayonet groove (441). Accessory part (40) according to claim 15, characterized in that the at least one bayonet groove (441) has a first leg which extends from the edge of the weapon-side end parallel to the barrel axis (140), and a second leg which adjoins this in Is designed to run in the circumferential direction. Accessory part (40) according to one of Claims 14 to 16, characterized in that at least one, preferably two, locking hole (425) corresponding to the at least one push button (310) is formed.

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