INSULATED FIREARM COVER

Abstract

An insulated cover for at least partially covering a firearm comprising. The insulated cover includes an insulated main body that forms a barrel cavity that is configured to fully encircle a portion of a firearm barrel when the firearm barrel is positioned in the barrel cavity. The insulated cover includes a closed rear end, a closed bottom side, an open front end, and an openable top side. The openable top side is configured to be repeatably openable and closeable along 25-100% of a longitudinal length of the barrel cavity. The main body including at least one layer of a thermal insulative material.

Claims

1. An insulated cover for at least partially covering a firearm comprising: an insulated main body, said insulated main body forming a barrel cavity, said barrel cavity configured to fully encircle a portion of a firearm barrel when positioned in said barrel cavity, said insulated cover including a closed rear end, a closed bottom side, an open front end, and an openable top side, said openable top side configured to be repeatably openable and closeable along 25-100% of a longitudinal length of said barrel cavity, said main body including at least one layer of a thermal insulative material.

2. The insulated cover as defined in claim 1, wherein said openable top side includes a connection arrangement enabling said openable top side to be repeatably openable and closeable, said connection arrangement including a hook and loop fastener, zipper, slider zippers, press-to-close zipper, tongue and groove closure, mechanical snap, button, magnetic closure, magnetic snap, and/or mushroom top connector.

3. The insulated cover as defined in claim 1, wherein said thermal insulative material has an R value of 1 to 100.

4. The insulated cover as defined in claim 2, wherein said thermal insulative material has an R value of 1 to 100.

5. The insulated cover as defined in claim 1, wherein an inner surface of said insulated main body is quilted to form a quilted surface pattern.

6. The insulated cover as defined in claim 4, wherein an inner surface of said insulated main body is quilted to form a quilted surface pattern.

7. The insulated cover as defined in claim 5, wherein an inner surface and/or outer surface of said insulated main body is modified to exhibit an added property, said added property selected from anti-static, easier-cleaning, flame-resistant, water-repellency, oil-repellency, soil-resistance, stain-resistance, antimicrobial-resistance, germicidal activity, odor control, and/or antistatic properties.

8. The insulated cover as defined in claim 6, wherein said inner surface and/or outer surface of said insulated main body is modified to exhibit an added property, said added property selected from anti-static, easier-cleaning, flame-resistant, water-repellency, oil-repellency, soil-resistance, stain-resistance, antimicrobial-resistance, germicidal activity, odor control, and/or antistatic properties.

9. The insulated cover as defined in claim 1, wherein said insulated main body includes a hanging means, said hanging means selected from a loop, hook, magnetic loop, and/or magnet.

10. The insulated cover as defined in claim 8, wherein said insulated main body includes a hanging means, said hanging means selected from a loop, hook, magnetic loop, and/or magnet.

11. The insulated cover as defined in claim 1, wherein an openable portion of said openable top side extends 50.01-100% a longitudinal length of said openable top side.

12. The insulated cover as defined in claim 1, wherein said thermal insulative material includes one or more material selected form the group consisting of fiberglass, wool, fabric thermal batting, polyester-metallic fabric, polyester and cotton fabric, synthetic microfiber fabric, synthetic fabric needle punched fleece material.

13. The insulated cover as defined in claim 1, wherein said thermal insulative material has a thickness of 0.05-2 inches.

14. The insulated cover as defined in claim 1, wherein said insulated cover has a length of 5-36 inches, a width of 3-12 inches, and an average thickness of 0.1-3 inches.

15. The insulated cover as defined in claim 1, wherein an inner surface of said barrel cavity that is configured to contact the barrel when the barrel is inserted in said barre cavity is formed of a material that will not burn or scorch at a temperature of less than 400° C. and/or has a melting point greater than 400° C.

16. The insulated cover as defined in claim 1, wherein said barrel cavity is configured to cover 50-100% of the barrel of the firearm, and wherein a trigger of the firearm cannot be inserted in said barrel cavity after the barrel of the firearm is inserted into said barrel cavity.

17. A method for covering a barrel of a firearm after the firearm has been used and a temperature of the barrel is above 100° C. comprising: providing an insulated cover for at least partially covering the firearm, said insulated cover including an insulated main body, said insulated main body forming a barrel cavity, said barrel cavity configured to fully encircle a portion of a firearm barrel when positioned in said barrel cavity, said insulated cover including a closed rear end, a closed bottom side, an open front end, and an openable top side, said openable top side configured to be repeatably openable and closeable along 25-100% of a longitudinal length of said barrel cavity, said main body including at least one layer of a thermal insulative material; at least partially opening said openable top side of said insulated cover such that 10-100% of said openable top side is open; positioning at least a portion of the barrel in said barrel cavity while said openable top side is at least partially open; and, at least partially closing said openable top side after at least a portion of the barrel is positioned in said barrel cavity such that 50-100% of said openable top side is closed.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein said barrel cavity is configured to cover 50-100% of the barrel of the firearm, and wherein a trigger of the firearm cannot be inserted in said barrel cavity after the barrel of the firearm is inserted into said barrel cavity.

19. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein an inner surface of said barrel cavity that is configured to contact the barrel when the barrel is inserted in said barre cavity is formed of a material that will not burn or scorch at a temperature of less than 400° C. and/or has a melting point greater than 400° C.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Reference may now be made to the drawings, which illustrate various embodiments that the disclosure may take in physical form and in certain parts and arrangements of parts wherein:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the Firearm Barrel Cover;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the Firearm Barrel Cover of FIG. 1;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of the Firearm Barrel Cover of FIG. 1;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a right elevation view of the Firearm Barrel Cover of FIG. 1;

[0032] FIG. 5 is a left elevation view of the Firearm Barrel Cover of FIG. 1;

[0033] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the Firearm Barrel Cover of FIG. 1;

[0034] FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the Firearm Barrel Cover of FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the Firearm Barrel Cover of FIG. 1 in the open position; and,

[0036] FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the Firearm Barrel Cover of FIG. 1 with an optional barrel of a firearm inserted therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A NON-LIMITING EMBODIMENT

[0037] A more complete understanding of the articles/devices, processes, and components disclosed herein can be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings. These figures are merely schematic representations based on convenience and the ease of demonstrating the present disclosure, and are, therefore, not intended to indicate relative size and dimensions of the devices or components thereof and/or to define or limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0038] Although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure of the embodiments selected for illustration in the drawings and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the disclosure. In the drawings and the following description below, it is to be understood that like numeric designations refer to components of like function.

[0039] The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0040] As used in the specification and in the claims, the term “comprising” may include the embodiments “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of.” The terms “comprise(s),” “include(s),” “having,” “has,” “can,” “contain(s),” and variants thereof, as used herein, are intended to be open-ended transitional phrases, terms, or words that require the presence of the named ingredients/steps and permit the presence of other ingredients/steps. However, such description should be construed as also describing compositions or processes as “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” the enumerated ingredients/steps, which allows the presence of only the named ingredients/steps, along with any unavoidable impurities that might result therefrom, and excludes other ingredients/steps.

[0041] Numerical values in the specification and claims of this application should be understood to include numerical values which are the same when reduced to the same number of significant figures and numerical values which differ from the stated value by less than the experimental error of conventional measurement technique of the type described in the present application to determine the value.

[0042] All ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the recited endpoint and independently combinable (for example, the range of “from 2 grams to 10 grams” is inclusive of the endpoints, 2 grams and 10 grams, and all the intermediate values).

[0043] The terms “about” and “approximately” can be used to include any numerical value that can vary without changing the basic function of that value. When used with a range, “about” and “approximately” also disclose the range defined by the absolute values of the two endpoints, e.g. “about 2 to about 4” also discloses the range “from 2 to 4.” Generally, the terms “about” and “approximately” may refer to plus or minus 10% of the indicated number.

[0044] References to specific techniques include alternative and more general techniques, especially when discussing aspects of the invention, or how the invention might be made or used.

[0045] The invention is in no way limited to the specifics of any particular embodiments and examples disclosed herein. Many other variations are possible which remain within the content, scope and spirit of the invention, and these variations would become clear to those skilled in the art after perusal of this application.

[0046] Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples.

[0047] As illustrated in FIGS. 1-9, there is illustrated an insulated cover 10 for a firearm barrel of firearm F. The insulated cover 10 has an open front end 20, a closed rear end 30, a closed bottom side 40 and an openable and closable top side 50.

[0048] FIG. 8 illustrates the insulated cover when the top side is open and FIG. 9 illustrates the insulated cover 10 when the insulated cover is closed and a firearm barrel is partially or fully inserted in the insulated cover.

[0049] The rear end 30 can be permanently closed by an end closure arrangement 32 (e.g., sewn or stitched closed, closed by a melted seam, closed by staples, closed by rivets, closed by non-openable snaps, closed by un-openable zipper, closed by adhesive, etc.) or can be closed by a non-permanent closure arrangement (e.g., hook and loop fastener, snaps, releasable adhesive connection, openable tongue and groove connection, magnet connection, button connection, zipper connection, etc.). As illustrated in FIG. 1, the rear end is permanently closed by one or more rows of stitching. Generally, the rear end of the insulated cover is not designed for insertion of the gun barrel into the insulated cover. Generally, 75-100% (and all values and ranges therebetween) of the rear end is fully and permanently closed, and typically 90-100% of the rear end is fully and permanently closed.

[0050] When the body 12 of the insulated cover is formed by a single piece of material, the closed bottom side 40 of the insulated cover can be partially or fully formed by a fold FL in the single piece of material. The fold is generally a center fold that is located within±5% of the center or middle of the width of the fully unfolded insulated cover, and is typically located in the center or middle of the width of the fully unfolded insulated cover. When the body of the insulated cover is formed of multiple pieces of material, the closed bottom side of the insulated cover can be partially or fully formed by 1) a fold in one or more pieces of material, and/or 2) a permanent closure arrangement (e.g., sewn or stitched closed, closed by a melted seam, closed by staples, closed by rivets, closed by non-openable snaps, closed by un-openable zipper, closed by adhesive, etc.) or non-permanent closure arrangement (e.g., hook and loop fastener, snaps, releasable adhesive connection, openable tongue and groove connection, magnet connection, button connection, zipper connection, etc.). As illustrated in FIG. 1, the closed bottom side 40 is formed by a fold in the single piece of material. Generally, the closed bottom side of the insulated cover is not designed for insertion of the gun barrel into the insulated cover.

[0051] The openable and closable top side 50 is formed by a non-permanent closure arrangement 60 (e.g., hook and loop fastener, snaps, releasable adhesive connection, openable tongue and groove connection, mushroom top connection, magnet connection, button connection, zipper connection, etc.). In one non-limiting arrangement, the openable and closable top side is formed by a hook and loop fastener. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the connection arrangement can be optionally located on the inner top edge 56, 58 of the two portions 52, 54 that are connectable together. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the openable and closable top side is openable and closable along at least 80% of the longitudinal length of the openable and closable top side, and typically 85-99.5% of the longitudinal length of the openable and closable top side. The non-permanent closure arrangement can be connected to the two portions 52, 54 by a any number of arrangements (e.g., adhesive, stitching, melted connection, etc.). Generally, the permanent closure arrangement is permanently connected to the two portions 52, 54.

[0052] The open front end 20 of the insulated cover 10 is configured to receive and/or encircle a portion of the firearm when the openable and closable top side 50 is closed as illustrated in FIG. 9. As such, the portion of the firearm that is to be covered by the insulated cover 10 can be 1) inserted through the open front end when the openable and closable top side is partially or fully closed, or 2) be positioned in the interior of the insulated cover when the openable and closable top side is partially or fully open, and thereafter, the openable and closable top side is substantially closed (e.g. 80+%) or fully closed, thereby covering the portion of the firearm F in the insulated cover and causing the open front end of the insulated cover to substantially (e.g., 80+%) encircle or fully encircle a portion of the firearm (e.g. the barrel of the firearm). As illustrated in FIG. 9, the insulated cover is typically configured to only cover a portion of the firearm when the firearm is fully inserted into the insulated cover (e.g., only cover the barrel, etc.). As such, trigger T and components located rearwardly of the trigger of the firearm generally are not covered by the insulated cover when the firearm is fully inserted into the insulated cover.

[0053] Generally 0-50% (and all values and ranges therebetween) of the open front end 20 includes a non-permanent closure arrangement, and 0-20% of the open front end 20 includes a non-permanent closure arrangement.

[0054] As illustrated in the FIGS. 1-3 and 9, the length of the closed bottom side and the openable and closable top side are generally the same length, and the width of the open front end and the closed rear end are also the same width.

[0055] As illustrated in the FIGS. 1-9, a reinforcement material 70 can optionally be secured (e.g., stitching, adhesive, melted seam, etc.) to the peripheral edges of the body of the insulated cover to 1) provide strength to the insulated cover, 2) protect the peripheral edges of the body of the insulated cover from damage (e.g., tears, unweaving, denigrating, etc.), and/or 3) seal the peripheral edges of the body of the insulated cover from liquids and/or particles, etc. The reinforcement material is generally a different material from the material used to form the body of the insulated cover. The width of the reinforcement material 70 is generally no more than 25% of the width of the insulated cover, and is typically 1-20% of the width of the insulated cover. Generally, the reinforcement material 70 is placed over 50-100% (and all values and ranges therebetween) of the end edges of insulation material that is used to form the insulate cover.

[0056] The body of the insulated cover can be formed of one or more layers of material. In one non-limiting embodiment, the body includes an interior fabric layer, an outer fabric layer, and an insulation layer encapsulated between the interior and outer fabric layer. The interior and outer fabric layers can be the same or different material. The insulation layer is formed of a material that is different from the interior and/or outer fabric layer. The insulation layer can be a fabric layer or a non-woven filler material. The R value of the insulation layer is generally greater than the R value of the interior and/or outer fabric layer. The thickness of the insulation layer is generally greater than the thickness of the interior and/or outer fabric layer. The interior fabric layer can be formed to optionally have a quilted pattern Q or texture. The quilted pattern can be used to form air channels in the vicinity of the depressed portions thereof, which trap air and effectively increase the insulative value (R) of the insulated cover. The one or more layers used to form the body of the insulated cover can be connected together by stitching, thermal bonding, adhesive bounding, compressive bonding, etc.

[0057] The interior and/or outer fabric layer can optionally include an exterior coating for stain proofing, waterproofing, stain- and soil-resistance and/or repellency, inhibition of antimicrobial or biostatic activity, odor control, etc.

[0058] As illustrated in the FIGS. 1-3 and 6-9, the insulated cover can optionally include a hang tab loop 80 that enables the user to hang the insulated cover from a hook or other support, for convenience in storage and access when needed. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the tap loop is located at or near (e.g., within 0.1-1.5 inches) of the closed bottom side 40. The tab loop can be connected by any number of arrangements (e.g., stitching, adhesive, melted connection, hook and loop fastener, snap, etc.).

[0059] It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained, and since certain changes may be made in the constructions set forth without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The disclosure has been described with reference to preferred and alternate embodiments. Modifications and alterations will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the detailed discussion of the disclosure provided herein. This disclosure is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the present disclosure. It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the disclosure herein described and all statements of the scope of the disclosure, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between. The disclosure has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. These and other modifications of the preferred embodiments as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be obvious from the disclosure herein, whereby the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims.