Stealth firearm safety and trigger lock system

Abstract

A secondary trigger safety is provided in a trigger mechanism which employs first rotating member which is rotatable between a safety on position preventing firing and a safety off position enabling trigger firing. The secondary trigger safety is coaxially positioned within a formed axial passage in the first rotating member. To position the trigger in the safety off position to allow firing, both the first rotating member and the second rotating member must be turned to respective positions aligning a passage in the first rotating member with a recess in the second rotating member.

Claims

1. A trigger safety comprising: a first rotating member configured for operative engagement with a firearm trigger mechanism; an axial passage extending into said first rotating member from an opening in an endwall thereof at a first end of said first rotating member; said first rotating member having an exterior surface running circumferentially therearound; a passage formed into said exterior surface; said first rotating member rotatable between a first position and a second position; said passage configured to align with a pathway followed by a trigger component of said trigger mechanism, with said first rotating member positioned in said first position; said exterior surface of said first rotating member blocking said pathway with said first rotating member in said second position; a second rotating member extending between a face end and a second end thereof; said second rotating member in a rotational engagement coaxially within said axial passage with said face end thereof positioned at said first end of said first rotating member; said second rotating member rotatable between a first position and a second position thereof; and said second rotating member having a recess therein, said recess configured to align with said passage of said first rotating member only with said first rotating member positioned in said first position thereon, and with said second rotating member moved to said first position thereof, whereby said firearm trigger mechanism will only actuate fully to fire said firearm with both said first rotating member and said second rotating member moved to their respective first positions.

2. The trigger safety of claim 1, additionally comprising: said face end of said second rotating member being positioned within said opening of said axial passage; a slot formed into said face end; and said second rotating member only moveable between said first position thereof and said second position thereof, by engagement of a tool with said slot and a subsequent rotation of said tool.

3. The trigger safety of claim 1, additionally comprising: said face end of said second rotating member being positioned within said opening of said axial passage; a slot formed into said face end; and said slot being configured for engagement only with an engagement end of a key having a shape complimentary to a shape of said slot, wherein said second rotating member only moveable between said first position thereof and said second position thereof, by positioning said engagement end of a key into said slot, and rotation of said key.

4. The trigger safety of claim 2, additionally comprising: said face end of said second rotating member being recessed into said opening a distance below said endwall of said first rotating member.

5. The trigger safety of claim 3, additionally comprising: said face end of said second rotating member being recessed into said opening a distance below said endwall of said first rotating member.

6. The trigger safety of claim 2, additionally comprising: a cover positioned within said opening adjacent said face end of said second rotating member, said cover having an access opening therein; and said access opening defining a path therethrough for passage of said tool for said engagement of said tool within said slot.

7. The trigger safety of claim 3, additionally comprising: a cover positioned within said opening adjacent said face end of said second rotating member, said cover having an access opening therein; and said access opening defining a path for passage of said engagement end of said key therethrough for said engagement of said tool with said slot.

8. The trigger safety of claim 4, additionally comprising: a cover positioned within said opening adjacent said face end of said second rotating member, said cover having an access opening therein; and said access opening defining a path therethrough for passage of said tool for said engagement of said tool within said slot.

9. The trigger safety of claim 5, additionally comprising: a cover positioned within said opening adjacent said face end of said second rotating member, said cover having an access opening therein; and said access opening defining a path for passage of said engagement end of said key therethrough for said engagement of said tool with said slot.

10. A method for forming the device of claim 1 on an existing firearm having a trigger mechanism, comprising the steps of: forming said opening and said axial passage axially into said first rotating member; forming said second rotating member extending between said face end and said second end thereof and with said recess configured to align with said passage of said first rotating member; and positioning said second rotating member to a rotating engagement within said axial passage.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

(1) The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive examples of embodiments and/or features of the disclosed trigger safety switch and method of formation and/or employment thereof. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative of the invention herein, rather than limiting in any fashion.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 depicts an exploded view of the components of the trigger safety and locking device herein.

(4) FIG. 2 shows a side perspective view of the device showing the rotatable components being coaxial to each other, but with the device herein, being separately actuated from the primary trigger safety mechanism.

(5) FIG. 3 is a prior art depiction showing a conventional trigger safety employing a rotating member, which is rotated to a safety-off position wherein a passage formed in the rotating member allows the trigger to be actuated to fire the weapon.

(6) FIG. 4 depicts a prior art trigger safety as in FIG. 3, where the member is rotated to a safety-on position, wherein it blocks movement of a trigger mechanism component, which actuates the trigger mechanism to fire a bullet and prevents firing of the weapon.

(7) FIG. 5 shows the trigger safety device herein, such as in FIGS. 6-10, operatively coaxially engaged with a conventionally rotated member of a trigger safety wherein the conventional trigger safety is rotated to the safety-off position, as in FIG. 1, and the stealth trigger safety or trigger lock herein is still positioned to prevent trigger actuation.

(8) FIG. 6 shows a mode of the device herein, in an exploded view, showing the key-actuated stealth trigger safety removed from a rotational engagement coaxially positioned within an axial passage of the rotating member of the primary safety switch.

(9) FIG. 7 depicts the device herein assembled with the key actuated trigger safety herein, rotationally engaged within an axial passage within the rotating member of the primary trigger safety, where the key actuated trigger safety is positioned to prevent trigger actuation.

(10) FIG. 8 shows the trigger safety device herein in an exploded view, in another mode similar to that of FIGS. 6-7 wherein the key-actuated member of the stealth safety switch is rotationally engageable within the axial passage and held in such position by a fastener.

(11) FIG. 9 shows the device in the mode of FIG. 8, assembled and showing the stealth or secondary safety switch rotated to the safety-off position wherein the trigger will fire the weapon.

(12) FIG. 10 shows a mode of the device herein which includes a flexible cover positioned to hide the underlying coaxially engaged key actuated safety switch and showing an example of the customized key employed herewith.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(13) In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right and other such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only and such are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation.

(14) Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-10, wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1, an exploded view of the components of the a preferred mode of the trigger safety and locking device 10 herein.

(15) As shown, the device 10 in all modes employs a first rotating member 12 which may be provided by the OEM factory installed trigger safety which is constructed with such a first rotating member 12, or which may be provide by the device 10 herein in a retrofit mode, to replace the factory installed safety having a solid core rotating member. In all modes, the device 10 herein is mounted on a firearm having a safety switch, which is actuated by a rotating member such as the first rotating member 12. This first rotating member 12 which is rotatable by a lever 14 or the like, between a first position such as in FIG. 3, where the trigger safety is off and the firearm will fire, to a second position, such as in FIG. 4, wherein the trigger safety is rotated to an on position, and thereby prevents actuation of the trigger mechanism to fire the weapon.

(16) As shown in FIGS. 1-2, the device 10 employs the first rotating member 12 which is operatively engaged with a firearm trigger mechanism. By operatively engaged is meant that the first rotating member 12 is rotationally engaged with the firearm, and it allows the trigger mechanism of the firearm to function to fire the firearm when it is rotated to a first position, and it blocks a component of the trigger mechanism from a required movement along a pathway 17 thereof, to fire the weapon upon pulling a trigger, when the first rotating member 12 is turned to a second position, thereby preventing firing of the firearm.

(17) The first rotating member 12 is, thus, rotatable at least between the first position allowing firing and a second position preventing it. Such rotation may be accomplished by a finger engageable actuator, herein referred to as a lever 14. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, when the first rotating member 12, is placed in the first position or safety-off position, to deactivate the safety switch, a passage 16 formed into and across a section of the exterior surface 20 of the first rotating member 12, aligns with a pathway 17 followed during a firearm firing by a safety-restrainable trigger component 18, such as a trigger arm, allowing it to pass through the passage 16. Thus, in this first position, the safety-restrainable trigger component 18, can operatively move along the pathway 17 running through passage 16, and to actuate a firing pin or the like, to fire the ammunition in the firearm.

(18) Rotation of the first rotating member 12 to the second, or safety-on position, prevents movement of the trigger component 18 along this pathway 17 which is followed during weapon firing to complete the actuation of the trigger mechanism to fire the weapon. Such a rotation of the first rotatable member 12 will position an exterior surface 20 thereof, directly in the pathway 17 followed by the trigger component 18, and prevent movement thereof past the exterior surface 20, thereby deactivating the trigger mechanism 22 to complete a firing sequence to fire the firearm. Such is shown, for example, in the prior art of FIG. 4, which shows this rotatable safety in the safety-on or second position, wherein the trigger component 18 such as the trigger arm, is prevented from following the pathway required to fire the firearm, by positioning the first rotatable member to the position where the exterior surface 20 thereof, blocks it.

(19) By safety restrainable trigger component 18, or trigger component 18, is meant herein, any lever, arm, member, cam, or other trigger component, for which a first rotating member 12 of the trigger safety employed, blocks the trigger component 18 from movement a distance along a pathway 17 of travel which is required to fully actuate the trigger mechanism, to fire the weapon. Thus, when prevented from traveling the distance along a defined pathway 17, required to fully actuate the components of the trigger mechanism, a surface of a first rotatable member 12, the trigger mechanism is prevented from full actuation, and the weapon will not fire.

(20) For example, but in no way limiting, such a trigger mechanism having an arm which must complete movement along a defined pathway 17 to fire the weapon, is conventionally employed on conventional firearms such as the AR-10 and AR-15 originally manufactured by ARMALITE and COLT, and the COLT M-4 and M-16, and similar automatic and semi-automatic rifles thereto by other manufacturers. As such, the device 10 herein is configured and meant for use with trigger mechanisms of the above referenced firearms. Further the device 10 herein is also employable with other firearms which require a trigger component to complete a movement for a distance along a pathway 17 for firing, where the device 10 herein may be positioned coaxially with a first rotating member used as the safety.

(21) The device 10 herein, for ease of use and encouraging faster widespread use to prevent firearm accidents, can be provided in a manner making it easy to install, through the removal of the factory-provided first rotating member 12, and inserting the device 10 of FIG. 1-2 or 6-10, as a complete replacement for the factory installed first rotating member 12.

(22) As shown, an axial passage 24 extends toward a second end of the first rotating member 12 from an opening 25 formed in an endwall 27 at a first end thereof. This axial passage 24 is formed along the center axis of the first rotating member 12 and is configured for a rotational positioning of a second rotating member 26 coaxial to the axial passage 24, and operatively positioned therein. A recess 28 running from side to side across a section of the second rotating member 26, is formed into the exterior surface 30 of this coaxially positioned second rotating member 26.

(23) With the device 10 assembled as in FIG. 2, 7, 9, or 10, herein, the second rotating member 26 is coaxially positioned in the first rotating member 12, and independently rotatable within the axial passage 24. When the second rotating member 26 is rotated within the axial passage 24, to align the recess 28 therein with the passage 16 of the first rotating member 12, the pathway 17 followed for the distance by the restrainable trigger component 18 to fire the weapon is no longer blocked, and the firearm will fire.

(24) However, as shown in FIG. 2, even if the first rotating member 12 is rotated to the first or safety off position aligning the passage 16 therein with the pathway 17 which must be followed by the safety restrainable trigger component 18, if the recess 28 formed across the second rotating member 26, is not aligned with the passage 16, the firearm will not fire. This is because a section of the exterior surface 30 running across the second rotating member 26, will be positioned within the passage 16 and will block the pathway 17. Thus, a user must position the safety switch using an actuator or lever 14 to the first or safety-off position, and the user must also rotate and position the second rotating member 26 to a respective first position to align the recess 28 running there across, with the passage 16. Without positioning both the first rotating member 12 and the second rotating member 26 to respective first positions, where both the passage 16 and the recess 28 are aligned, the firearm will still not fire.

(25) The second rotating member 26 is positioned coaxially with the first rotating member 12. Preferably, only a face portion 32 at the first end of the second rotating member 26, is viewable in a position where the face portion 32 is recessed into and rotating within the opening 25 where the face portion 32 substantially aligned with or more preferably sunken into the opening 25 a distance placing the face portion within the opening 25 and below the surface of the endwall 27. This even or preferably sunken position makes the face portion 32 appear as a screw or fastener holding the first rotating member 12 in place, rather than a secondary safety.

(26) It, thus, functions as a stealth safety switch or gun lock, as users unfamiliar with its presence will not discern it is present nor will they ascertain they must rotate it. If the slot 38 in the face portion 32 is formed to be tool engageable such as with a screwdriver or allen wrench, it will only be rotatable between the first and second position thereof, by engagement of the tool with the slot 38.

(27) More preferably, when provided with a slot 38 formed in the face portion 32, which may only be rotated by a tool such as a key 34 having a unique engagement end 36 which is shaped to cooperatively engage within the slot 38, the user will be unable to rotate the second rotating member 26 to align the recess 28 with the passage 16, to place the firearm in a firing mode, even if they discern its presence. Such configurations of the engagement end 36 to a custom shape is available for example, as the KEY REX headless screw system available from Bryce Security Fastener in Gilbert, Ariz.

(28) As noted, FIGS. 3-4 depict exemplars of prior art, where a firearm safety switch 11 is rotatable between a first of safety-on position of FIG. 4, where the passage 16 is not aligned with the pathway 17 followed by the trigger component 18 restrained from movement by the safety switch 11. When rotated to the safety-off position as in FIG. 3, the first rotating member 12 is turned to align the passage 16 formed into and across a section of the exterior surface 20 of the rotating member 12, with the pathway 17 which the trigger component 18 must follow for a distance through and past the first rotating member 12, to cause the firearm to fire. As noted above, such rotating firearm safety switches 11 are used in a number of firearms to prevent firing. As noted, the device 10 herein can be provided as a full replacement for the first rotating member 12, or in a method, an axial passage 24 may be machined into an existing first rotating member 12, and the second rotating member 26 can be rotationally engaged therein.

(29) In FIG. 5 is depicted, the device 10 herein, operatively positioned to form a stealth safety or trigger lock, for the firearm trigger mechanism 22 of a conventional firearm using a first rotating member 12 where it has been rotated such as with the lever 14, to position the passage 16, formed into the first rotating member 12, and align it with the travel pathway 17 for a trigger component 18. While conventionally such a positioning allows the trigger mechanism 18 to complete the travel of the trigger component 18 along the pathway 17 to fire the firearm, with the device 10 herein, the pathway 17 is still blocked by the exterior surface 30 of the second rotating member 26. This is because the second rotating member 26 has not been rotated by engaging the engagement end 36 of a key 34 with the slot 38 in the face portion 32 of the second rotating member 26, to place the recess 28 therein, in an alignment with the passage 16 of the first rotating member 12.

(30) Shown in FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the device 10, showing the key-actuated second rotating member 25, removed from a rotational engagement coaxially-positioned within the axial passage 24 of the first rotating member 12 of the primary safety switch. As shown, if the second rotating member 26 is located within the axial passage 24 in the same position as shown in the exploded view in FIG. 6, the recess 28 extending across the second rotating member 25, will align with the passage 16 and allow the firearm to fire.

(31) The reverse of FIG. 6 is shown in FIG. 7 which shows the device 10 assembled with the key-actuated second rotating member 26, rotationally engaged within an axial passage 24 within the first rotating member 12 of the primary trigger safety. As depicted, the recess 28 is not aligned with the passage 16 and will prevent the firearm from firing by blocking the pathway 17 noted above.

(32) In FIG. 8 is depicted the trigger safety device 10 herein in an exploded view, in another mode similar to that of FIGS. 6-7. In this mode, rather than threads on the exterior of the second rotating member 26 cooperatively engaging mating threads on the surface of the axial passage 24, a smooth bore axial passage 24 engages the exterior surface 30 of the second rotating member 26, and a restrainer 40 such as a clip engages a slot 42 in the axial passage 24 to hold the second rotating member 26 engaged therein.

(33) In FIG. 9 is shown the device 10 in the mode of FIG. 8 or FIG. 6 for example, fully assembled. As shown, the stealth or secondary safety switch provided by the second rotating member 26, is rotated to a secondary safety-off position with the recess 28 aligning with the passage 16 in the first rotating member. This completes positioning the firearm to the safety-off position, where actuation of the trigger will fire the weapon.

(34) In FIG. 10 is shown another preferred mode of the device 10 which includes a flexible cover 44 which engages with the face portion 32 of the second rotating member 26, and hides the underlying key-engageable slot 38 formed into the face portion 32. An access opening 46 is provided for a user having the key 34, to engage the engagement end 36 thereof into the complimentary shaped slot 38 in the face portion 32, to rotate the second rotating member 26 between the aligned and non-aligned positions of the recess 28 therein with the passage 16 of the first rotating member 12. This access opening 46 may be smaller than the diameter of the engagement end 36 of the key 34, if the cover 44 is formed of elastic or polymeric material.

(35) It should be noted that any of the different depicted and described configurations and components of the trigger safety and locking system herein, can be employed with any other configuration or component shown and described as part of the device herein. Additionally, while the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof and/or steps in the method of production or use, a latitude of modifications, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure, and it will be appreciated that in some instance some features, or configurations, of the invention could be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. All such changes, alternations and modifications as would occur to those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of this invention as broadly defined in the appended claims.