WO2000025081A1

WO2000025081A1 - A device for preventing use of a weapon

Info

Publication number: WO2000025081A1
Application number: PCT/SE1999/001737
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gunnar Oskar Persson
Original assignee: Sqs Security Qube System Ab
Priority date: 1998-10-09
Filing date: 1999-09-30
Publication date: 2000-05-04
Also published as: SE9803452L; AU1302900A; SE512056C2

Abstract

There is provided an arrangement for protecting against unauthorised use of a firearm that includes a barrel (7), a chamber (2), and a cartridge firing device (5). A protective cartridge (1) includes a weapon destruction substance (20) and a substance ignition means (17, 18, 19). The cartridge (1) also includes an arming device (14) which arms the cartridge (1) when actuated by the cartridge firing device (5). The cartridge (1) also includes a disarming lock (6) which disarms the cartridge (1) when unlocked, said lock (6) being accessible by means of a lock key (8, 81, 82) through the bore (71) of the barrel (7). The cartridge (1) also includes means (11, 12, 13, 15, 16) for triggering ignition of the destructive substance (20) if an unauthorised attempt is made to remove the cartridge (1) from the chamber (2), for instance a load sensor (15, 16) which senses the axially acting tension force of the cartridge in the chamber and triggers ignition of the destructive substance (20) when this force deviates from a specific magnitude.

Description

A DEVICE FOR PREVENTING USE OF A WEAPON

The present invention relates to preventing the use of a firearm that includes a chamber, a firing device that can coact with a cartridge in said chamber so as to fire said cartridge, and a barrel that connects with said chamber, of the kind defined in the preamble of Claim 1.

In order to prevent the use of a firearm, such as an automatic firearm, it is known to replace the breech block of the weapon with a plug that can be locked and affixed to the weapon with the aid of a built-in locking means; see WO 88/09475 in this respect. The chamber is therewith blocked and it is impossible to insert a breech block into a correct position relative to the chamber.

It is also known to position a blind plug in the chamber of the weapon and to place a lock at the barrel orifice and to interconnect the blind plug and the lock with a rod that extends through the barrel.

One problem with these known solutions is that a lock can be forced or broken open sooner or later, and that plug mechanisms can be removed in some way or another, for instance by working the plugs mechanically, when the lock cannot be readily opened.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a device by means of which the firearm is destroyed if an unauthorised person attempts to remove the device.

This object is achieved in accordance with the invention with a protective device of the kind defined in the accompanying Claim 1. Further embodiments of the inventive protective device are set forth in the dependent Claims .

The inventive concept is based on the use of a protective cartridge that includes a substance which when ignited can destroy the chamber or an adjacent breech block if an unauthorised attempt is made to remove the protective cartridge from the chamber. In one practical embodiment, the cartridge may include an actuator means in a position corresponding to the firing cap of a conventional cartridge, so that said actuator means can be actuated by releasing the mechanical firing pin of the weapon. This actuator means functions to arm the protective cartridge so that an unauthorised attempt to remove the cartridge from the chamber of the weapon will result in ignition of said substance and thus in destruction of vital parts of the weapon. Ignition of said substance can be triggered when an unauthorised attempt is made to remove the protective cartridge from the chamber. In this regard, the cartridge may include two axially spaced parts which are spring-biased in a direction away from each other, wherewith a firing device is activated when said parts are driven apart by said spring to an end position, provided that the protective cartridge is armed.

In order to enable an authorised person to remove an armed protective cartridge, the cartridge is provided with a locking means which when "unlocked" disarms said cartridge. The locking device can be unlocked with the aid of a "key" that is inserted through the barrel of the weapon and into the chamber for coaction with its disarming lock.

As will be understood, the lock and the key may be of any appropriate kind. For instance, they may comprise a conventional key lock arrangement, a mechanical code lock, an electronic code lock, a code lock in which information can be passed to the cartridge lock in the form of optical signals from a key in the form of an optical emitter, etc.

Thus, a firearm can be protected against unauthorised use in accordance with the invention, by inserting a protective cartridge into the chamber of the weapon, whereafter the cartridge is compressed so as to fill the chamber axially and is held compressed axially against the action of its biasing springs when the chamber is closed. When the chamber has been closed, the weapon is then fired and a firing pin actuates the cartridge arming device. If a person opens the chamber, the protective cartridge is allowed to expand axially and thereupon fired so as to damage the chamber and/or the breech block of the weapon. However, an authorised person is able to disarm the firearm by using a correct key to actuate the disarming lock on the protective cartridge via the barrel of the weapon, so as to nullify arming of the cartridge that has earlier been effected with the aid of the weapon' s firing pi .

As will be understood, the invention can also be applied in those cases when the firearm is intended for ammunition that is fired by electric ignition instead of with the aid of a firing pin.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is an axial section view of the chamber of a firearm which has been loaded with an inventive protective cartridge.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a circuit for the protective cartridge illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 illustrates a barrel 7 having a bore 71, and a chamber 2 delimited by a breech block 4. A protective cartridge 1 is received in the chamber 2 and held compressed axially between the breech block 4 (or a corresponding element) and the front wall parts of the chamber 2. Also shown is a firing pin 5 which belongs to the weapon and which can be driven forwards to fire a cartridge .

The protective cartridge 1 includes two axially spaced and moveable parts 11, 12, and one or more pressure springs 13 which bias the parts 11, 12 away from each other in an axial direction.

The cartridge 1 further includes an arming device 14 which functions to arm the cartridge 1 when it is struck by the firing pin in response to a typical weapon firing procedure. The cartridge 1 includes a thermite charge 20 which functions to destroy the chamber 2 and possibly also the breech block 4 upon ignition.

Provided in the front part of the cartridge 1 is a lock 6 with which the protective cartridge can be disarmed. Thus, arming of the protective cartridge achieved with the aid of the striking pin 5 can be nullified with the aid of the lock device 6. A key 8, 81, 82 can be inserted through the bore of the barrel 7 so as to unlock the lock 6, i.e. disarm the cartridge 1.

Also shown is a switch 15 which is actuated when the compressed cartridge 1 is allowed to expand from the compressed state shown in Fig. 1. Also shown is a load sensor 16 which is adapted to sense a reduction in the load acting axially on the protective cartridge above a threshold value subsequent to arming the cartridge by contact of the firing pin 5 with the arming device 14.

With reference to Fig. 2, it can be assumed that the protective cartridge 1 includes a power source 17 and a power circuit 18 that has an initiator 19 which is able to ignite the thermite charge 20 when the circuit 18 is closed.

The circuit 18 may also be considered to contain a bistable switch 30 which is moved to a closed state by the arming device 14 as said device is struck by the firing pin 5, and which is moved to an open state when unlocking the lock 6. The switch 15 and the load sensor 16 are shown as parallel switches in the circuit. Thus, when the switch 15 is closed as a result of the springs 13 separating the parts 11, 12 through a distance which is greater than the length of the chamber, the circuit 18 will be closed provided that the switch 30 is closed. Alternatively, the load sensor 16 may function to close the circuit 18 when the force sensed between the front cartridge portion and the front wall of the chamber deviates from a permitted range in the armed state of the cartridge.

Naturally, the protective cartridge 1 can be given an equivalent mechanical design when wishing to avoid the use of a power source 17.

The key 8 may be an electrically controlled code lock on which a code can be set, wherewith electric contacts 82 at the front end of a rod 81 associated with the lock 6 can be inserted through the bore 71 of the barrel 7 into contact with corresponding electrodes on the lock 6. This code can then release the lock 6 and therewith disarm the cartridge. The disarmed cartridge 1 can now be removed from the chamber 1, since axial expansion of the cartridge can no longer cause ignition of the thermite charge 20.

Fig. 1 shows the load sensor 16 positioned to sense the contact pressure between the front cartridge part and the front wall of the chamber, although other positions are conceivable. For instance, the load sensor may be placed at the rear end of the cartridge and there detected by the breech block 4 or its equivalence.

Claims

1. An arrangement for protecting a firearm against unauthorised use, said firearm including a barrel (7), a chamber (2), and a cartridge firing device (5), characterised by a protective cartridge (1) which can be inserted into the chamber (2) of the weapon; in that the cartridge (1) includes a weapon destruction means (20) and means (17, 18, 19) for igniting said destruction means (20); in that the cartridge (1) includes an arming device (14) which arms the cartridge (1) when said device is actuated by the cartridge firing device (5); in that the cartridge (1) includes a disarming lock (6) which functions to disarm the cartridge (1) when unlocked, said lock (6) being accessible by means of a lock key (8, 81, 82) via the bore (71) of the barrel (7); and in that the cartridge (1) includes means (11, 12, 13, 15, 16) for triggering ignition of the destruction means (20) if an unauthorised attempt is made to remove the armed cartridge (1) from the chamber (2) of the weapon.

2. An arrangement according to Claim 1, characterised in that said ignition triggering means comprises two axially moveable parts (11, 12) in the protective cartridge (1); in that the arrangement includes spring means (13) for biasing said moveable parts (11, 12) away from each other in an axial direction; in that a load sensor (15, 16) is adapted to be activated for ignition of said means (20) when the armed cartridge (1) is expanded to a length that exceeds a value corresponding to the length of the chamber (2) concerned.

3. An arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a load sensor (15, 16) is provided for sensing the axially acting biasing force between the cartridge (1) and the chamber; and that the load sensor (16) is adapted to trigger ignition of the destruction means (20) when the load sensed by the sensor (16) deviates from a predetermined load range after having armed the cartridge (1) .