Semiautomatic or fully automatic firearm

Abstract

A semiautomatic or fully automatic firearm that includes a barrel, the rear barrel end whereof is in the form of a cartridge chamber into which a cartridge can be inserted, a breech body which is arranged such that it can move in the longitudinal direction between an open position, which releases the cartridge chamber for the reloading of a cartridge, and a closed position which closes the cartridge chamber, wherein the breech body closes the cartridge chamber at the rear in the closed position and is used as a support for the cartridge case of the cartridge, wherein the firearm has a mass simulation body which is in force-fitting engagement with the breech body, in particular a mass simulation body which is rigidly connected to the breech body, the mass simulation body being formed at least in part from a magnetizable or a magnetic material.

Claims

1. A semiautomatic or fully automatic firearm comprising a barrel, the rear barrel end whereof is in the form of a cartridge chamber into which a cartridge can be inserted; a breech body which is arranged such that it can move in the longitudinal direction between an open position, which releases the cartridge chamber for the reloading of the cartridge, and a closed position which closes the cartridge chamber, wherein the breech body closes the cartridge chamber at the rear in the closed position and is used as a support for the cartridge case of the cartridge, the firearm has a mass simulation body which is in force-fitting engagement with the breech body, the mass simulation body being formed at least in part from a magnetically susceptible material, and the firearm furthermore has at least one electromagnet to generate a magnetic field, a firing pin and a control that activates the at least one electromagnet depending on the position of the firing pin, wherein the mass simulation body is arranged in an effective region in order to move when the magnetic filed of the at least one electromagnet is generated.

2. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firearm comprises multiple electromagnets and the electromagnets are arranged linearly as a BLDC (brushless linear direct current) linear stator, and wherein the multiple electromagnets include the at least one electromagnet.

3. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firearm comprises multiple electromagnets and the mass simulation body is formed at least in part from a permanent-magnetic material, wherein the mass simulation body and the multiple electromagnets are arranged as a BLDC (brushless linear direct current) linear motor, and wherein the multiple electromagnets include the at least one electromagnet.

4. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mass simulation body is plate-shaped.

5. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firearm has an elastic element for moving the breech body from the open position into the closed position.

6. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein a sliding element is arranged between the mass simulation body and the at least one electromagnet to reduce friction during movement of the mass simulation.

7. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firearm comprises at least one position sensor for detecting the position of the mass simulation body.

8. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firearm has a control that adjusts a maximum power supply to the at least one electromagnet for a given period of time when the breech body is in the closed position.

9. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firearm has a control that adjusts a maximum power supply to the at least one electromagnet for a given period of time when the breech body is in the open position.

10. The firearm as claimed in claim 5, wherein the firearm has a control that adjusts a fraction of the maximum power supply to the at least one electromagnet for a given period of time.

11. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firearm has a control that adjusts a power supply to the at least one electromagnet for the demagnetization of the at least one electromagnet and the mass simulation body.

12. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firearm comprises multiple electromagnets, the at least one electromagnet being one of the multiple electromagnets, and wherein the firearm has a control that supplies power to each one of the multiple electromagnets individually and independently of the other electromagnets in terms of timing in such a manner that the mass simulation body is moved in the closing direction by the resulting magnetic fields.

13. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firearm has multiple electromagnets and the electromagnets are activated by alternating current.

14. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mass simulation body is rigidly connected to the breech body.

15. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mass simulation body is formed at least in part from a ferromagnetic material, a ferrimagnetic material, or a permanent-magnetic material.

16. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firearm has a closing spring for moving the breech body from the open position into the closed position.

17. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firearm has a control which adjusts a fraction of the maximum power supply to the at least one electromagnet for a period of time of a movement of the breech body from its open position into its closed position.

18. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the firearm comprises multiple electromagnets, the at least one electromagnet being one of the multiple electromagnet, and wherein the firearm has a control that supplies power to each one of the multiple electromagnets individually and independently of the other electromagnets in terms of timing in such a manner that the mass simulation body is moved into the closed position by the resulting magnetic fields.

19. The firearm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mass simulation body is rod-shaped with at least one flat side which faces the at least one electromagnet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described below with reference to the attached drawings with the help of multiple embodiments as examples. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a firearm according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a detail of a first embodiment of a firearm according to the invention, wherein a breech body is shown in the closed position,

(4) FIG. 3 shows the schematic diagram of the detail in FIG. 2, wherein the breech body is shown in the open position,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a sectional depiction which shows a mass simulation body and an electromagnet arrangement of the first embodiment,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a detail of a second embodiment of a firearm according to the invention, wherein the breech body is in turn shown in the closed position,

(7) FIG. 6 shows the schematic diagram of the detail of the firearm in FIG. 5, wherein the breech body is shown in the open position,

(8) FIG. 7 shows a sectional depiction which shows a mass simulation body and an electromagnet arrangement of the second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(9) While a perspective view of a firearm 10 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1, a partial view of a first embodiment of a firearm 10 according to the invention is depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. The firearm 10 has a barrel 12 and a breech body 14. The rear portion of the barrel 12 is designed as a cartridge chamber 16. The breech body 14 is arranged such that it can move in the longitudinal direction of the barrel 12 in a breech guide 18 between the closed position shown in FIG. 2 and the open position shown in FIG. 3. The cartridge chamber 16 is provided to hold a cartridge 20 which comprises a cartridge case 22, a propellant 24 arranged in the cartridge case 22, and a projectile 26.

(10) In the closed position shown in FIG. 2, the breech body 14 forms an opposing bearing or counter support or support for absorbing the recoil or kickback produced in the cartridge chamber 16 when the propellant 24 of the cartridge 20 is ignited. When the propellant 24 of the cartridge 20 is ignited, the projectile 26 is driven through the barrel 12 in the longitudinal direction thereof, while the cartridge case 22 is held in the cartridge chamber 16 by the breech body 14 (due to the mass inertia thereof) against the explosion pressure of the propellant 24.

(11) After the shot has been fired, the breech body 14 is moved back against the force of an elastic element in the form of a closing spring 28 into the open position shown in FIG. 3 by the recoil which is produced. The closing spring 28 in this case is primarily used to move the breech body 14 subsequently back from the open position into the closed position, but it also supports the remaining of the breech body 14 in the closed position while the shot is being fired. During the movement of the breech body 14 into the open position, or when said open position has been reached, the cartridge case 22 is ejected from the weapon, so that a new cartridge 20 can then be automatically inserted into the cartridge chamber 16.

(12) In order to ignite the propellant 24 of the cartridge 20, and therefore to fire a shot, a firing pin 30 strikes a primer cap arranged in the center of the rear face of the cartridge 20, wherein alternatively to this, rimfire ignition, or another kind of ignition, of the propellant 24 is conceivable, for which purpose the firing pin 30 does not strike the cartridge 20 in the center of the rear side, but offset from the center, or also a type of ignition in which no firing pin 30 is required, for example an electrically-based ignition, etc.

(13) The firearm 10 has a mass simulation body 32 in force-fitting engagement with the breech body 14, in the embodiments described here a mass simulation body 32 rigidly connected to the breech body 14. The mass simulation body 32 in the embodiments described here is arranged outside the breech guide 18, for which purpose said breech guide has a recess 34 in which a connection element 36 which rigidly connects the mass simulation body 32 to the breech body 14 is movably arranged or mounted. In order to avoid pressure losses of the recoil, the connection element 36 is connected to a seal which covers the recess 34, so that no, or only minimal, pressure losses occur.

(14) In alternative embodiments, a flexible connection between the breech body 14 and mass simulation body 32 is also conceivable, for example. The mass simulation body 32 has a rod-shaped or plate-shaped design and has two flat sides (underside, upper side, in alternative embodiments at least one flat side).

(15) Furthermore, the firearm 10 has multiple electromagnets which are configured in a line-shaped or linear arrangement. The electromagnets 38 are arranged linearly in the manner of a BLDC linear stator, i.e. the arrangement of the electromagnets 38 exhibits a comb-shaped rail or comb rail 40 which has a base rail 42 and cylindrical teeth 44 extending perpendicularly therefrom (cf. in particular FIG. 4 in this respect, which shows a sectional depiction of the mass simulation body 32 and the electromagnets 38). The teeth 44 are each surrounded or wrapped by a coil 46 (magnet winding or magnetic coil), so that each tooth 44 forms an electromagnet 38 with the coil 46 assigned to it. In an alternative embodiment, only one electromagnet 38 would also be conceivable.

(16) The comb rail 40 is formed in its entirety from an iron alloy, i.e. the base rail 42 and the teeth 44 are formed from an iron alloy. In alternative embodiments, the base rail 42 and the teeth 44 are formed from an alternative material which is suitable as the core for an electromagnet. In further alternative embodiments, only the teeth 44 may be made from an iron alloy, a ferrous material or an alternative material which is suitable as the core for an electromagnet, while the base rail 42 is formed from any kind of material.

(17) The mass simulation body 32 and the electromagnets 38 are arranged relative to one another in such a manner that in a state in which at least one electromagnet 38 produces a magnetic field, the mass simulation body 32 is attracted by the magnetic field of the electromagnet(s) 38 supplied with power. In other words, the mass simulation body 32 is arranged in the effective range of the electromagnet(s) 38, in particular in the immediate vicinity of the electromagnet(s) 38. In the embodiments described here, the mass simulation body 32 is provided on its underside, i.e. its side facing the electromagnets 38, with a slide element 47, with which it rests on the teeth 44 of the comb rail 40. Alternatively to this, it is also conceivable for a sliding element to be arranged on the comb rail 40. This serves to reduce friction during the movement of the mass simulation body 32.

(18) The mass simulation body 32 in the first embodiment (cf. for example FIG. 4 in this respect) is produced in its entirety (alternatively to this, at least in parts) from a material that can be magnetized by a magnetic field, in the present case from an iron alloy. Other materials also provide possible alternatives to this which can experience attraction by a magnetic field, for example (other) ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic materials.

(19) It is possible to counteract the action of the closing spring 28, i.e. the force caused by the closing spring 28, through energization of the electromagnets 38, so that the closing movement of the breech body 14 is thereby slowed down (for example for ventilation purposes of the barrel of the firearm 10). For this purpose, energization with roughly 10% of the maximum magnetic current or the maximum current intensity is conceivable, but also with currents such as 5% to 40%, in particular 5% to 25%, furthermore particularly 5% to 15%, of the maximum current intensity, for example.

(20) In a second embodiment which is shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the mass simulation body 32 is composed of a plurality of magnets (permanent magnets 48 in the embodiment described, although electromagnets would also be conceivable). Through a corresponding change in the energization or power supply of the individual electromagnets 38, apart from an attracting effect for attraction of the mass simulation body 32 to the electromagnets 38, a repellent effect can be achieved on the permanent magnets 48, i.e. the mass simulation body 32, in each case, so that the mass simulation body 32 can be moved by magnetic fields of the individual electromagnets 38 which are synchronized accordingly. This may, in particular, bring about the movement of the breech body 14 from its open position into its closed position, and thereby replace the action of the closing spring 28 which is present in the first embodiment.

(21) The closing spring 28 is not therefore present in the second embodiment described here, but it is also conceivable in alternative embodiments that said closing spring is present in addition.

(22) It is also possible in these alternative embodiments (second embodiment with additional closing spring 28), to counteract the action of the closing spring 28, i.e. the force caused by the closing spring 28, through an energization of the electromagnets, so that the closing movement of the breech body 14 is thereby slowed down (for example for ventilation purposes of the barrel of the firearm 10). The current intensities for energizing the electromagnets 38 are the same as those mentioned above in the description of the first embodiment.

(23) The mass simulation body 32 and the electromagnets 38 form a BLDC linear motor in the second embodiment, in other words, they are arranged in the manner of a BLDC linear motor, in order to achieve the movement of the mass simulation body 32 described in greater detail above through the magnetic fields of the electromagnets 38. The movement can take place both in a direction from the open position of the breech body 14 into its closed position, and also in a direction from the closed position of the breech body 14 into its open position. Moreover, the second embodiment corresponds to the first embodiment described above.

(24) The firearm 10 has position sensors 50, in order to detect the position of the mass simulation body 32. In the first embodiment, these are configured as optical sensors, although other kinds of sensors, such as induction sensors or Hall sensors, for example, which are used in the second embodiment, can also be used. The position sensors are arranged on the mass simulation body 32 in the first embodiment, while in the second embodiment they are arranged on the comb rail 40.

(25) In the embodiments described, the firearm has an open-loop control 52 (as an alternative to this, a closed-loop control), which is designed or has a corresponding set of instructions to adjust a maximum power supply to at least one, in particular all, of the multiple electromagnets 38 for a given period of time when the breech body 40 is in the closed position, in order to achieve an increased mass or effective mass (“simulated mass”) of the mass simulation body 32, and therefore of the breech body 14, when a shot is fired.

(26) The open-loop control 52 is further designed, or has a corresponding set of instructions, to adjust a maximum power supply to at least one, in particular all, of the multiple electromagnets 38 for a given period of time when the breech body 14 is in the open position, so that the breech body 14 is thereby held in its open position and the cartridge chamber 16 and the barrel 12 of the firearm 10 experience improved cooling. It is conceivable in this case to blow a coolant, in particular air, into the cartridge chamber 16 and/or the barrel 12 of the firearm 10 when the breech body 14 is in the open position.

(27) Furthermore, the open-loop control 52 is designed, or has a corresponding set of instructions, to activate or supply power to one or multiple electromagnets 38, depending on the position of the firing pin 30. For this purpose, the firearm 10 has a position sensor for the firing pin 30 which conveys the position thereof to the open-loop control. In this way, the open-loop/closed-loop control of the electromagnets 38 can, in particular, take place precisely in the time range of the firing of the shot.

(28) In embodiments in which the firearm has a closing spring 28, the open-loop control 52 is, in addition, designed, or has a corresponding set of instructions, to adjust a fraction, preferably a predetermined fraction, of the maximum power supply to the one, or at least one, in particular all, of the multiple electromagnets 38 for a given period of time during a time period of a movement of the breech body 14 from its open position into its closed position, so that the spring force of the closing spring 28 can thereby be counteracted. It is conceivable for the predetermined fraction of the maximum power supply to increase with the increasing temperature of the barrel 12 and/or of the breech body 14 of the firearm 10, so that an increasing cooling of the respective components can be achieved through a slowing of the movement of the breech body 14 from its open position into its closed position. For this purpose, it is conceivable for temperature sensors to be arranged on the respective components of the firearm 10, or in the vicinity thereof.

(29) In the first embodiment and all alternative embodiments thereto, in which the mass simulation body 32 is not produced from a permanent-magnetic material, the open-loop control 52 is also designed, or has a corresponding set of instructions, to adjust a power supply to at least one, in particular all, of the multiple electromagnets 38 for the demagnetization of the arrangement, in particular the arrangement of electromagnets 38 and the mass simulation body 32.

(30) In particular, in the second embodiment of the firearm the electromagnets 38 are designed for a supply with rotating current, as a result of which continued movement of the breech body 14, in particular, especially a movement of the same from the open position into the closed position, can be effectively brought about by means of the action of the magnetic fields produced by the electromagnets 38.

(31) Although the invention is described with the help of embodiments with fixed combinations of features, it nevertheless also comprises the conceivable further advantageous combinations, as they are indicated in particular, but not exhaustively, by the dependent claims. All features disclosed in the application documents are claimed as essential to the invention, insofar as they are novel in respect of the prior art, either individually or in combination.