FEEDER FOR A CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE FOR A PORTABLE FIREARM, FEEDER UNIT FOR A CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE FOR A PORTABLE FIREARM, CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE FOR A PORTABLE FIREARM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A PORTABLE FIREARM

Abstract

A feeder for a cartridge magazine for a portable firearm includes: a first cartridge supporting surface at an upper region; a second cartridge supporting surface, the first cartridge supporting surface and the second cartridge supporting surface being arranged in a third spatial direction spaced at a distance from one another in such a way that a cartridge for the portable firearm is movable along the feeder in a direction of a front region; a front guide part including a front support surface; and a rear guide part including a rear support surface, a rigid part, and a movable part, the rear support surface including a first support surface and a second support surface, the first support surface being on the rigid part, the second support surface being on the movable part.

Claims

1. A feeder for a cartridge magazine for a portable firearm, the feeder extending along a first spatial direction, a second spatial direction, and a third spatial direction, thereby forming an upper region, a lower region, a rear region, and a front region, the feeder comprising: a first cartridge supporting surface at the upper region; a second cartridge supporting surface, the first cartridge supporting surface and the second cartridge supporting surface being arranged in the third spatial direction spaced at a distance from one another in such a way that a cartridge for the portable firearm is movable along the feeder in a direction of the front region; a front guide part including a front support surface; and a rear guide part including a rear support surface, a rigid part, and a movable part, the rear support surface including a first support surface and a second support surface, the first support surface being on the rigid part, the second support surface being on the movable part.

2. The feeder according to claim 1, wherein the movable part representing the second support surface is configured for being moved from a first position at least along the first spatial direction into a second position.

3. The feeder according to claim 2, wherein the movable part representing the second support surface is configured for being moved from the second position at least along the first spatial direction into a third position.

4. The feeder according to claim 3, wherein the movable part representing the second support surface is configured for being moved from the first position into the second position, against a first reset force.

5. The feeder according to claim 4, wherein the movable part representing the second support surface is configured for being moved from the second position into a third position, against a second reset force.

6. The feeder according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first reset force and the second reset force is/are in a range of between approximately 2.5 N and approximately 30 N, between 4 N and 19 N, or between 4.5 N and 12.5 N.

7. The feeder according to claim 6, wherein the second reset force is greater than first reset force.

8. The feeder according to claim 3, wherein the movable part representing the second support surface comprises a first control surface configured for being that which a movement from the first position into the second position is initiated.

9. The feeder according to claim 3, wherein the movable part representing the second support surface comprises a second control surface configured for being that which a movement from the second position into the third position is initiated.

10. The feeder according to claim 3, wherein, in the first position, the movable part representing the second support surface is free of a reset force acting upon it.

11. The feeder according to claim 3, wherein the first support surface and the second support surface are arranged in the first position in at least the first spatial direction and in the second position in the second spatial direction at a distance from one another.

12. The feeder according to claim 1, wherein the movable part representing the second support surface is configured for being moved from a first position at least along the second spatial direction into a second position.

13. The feeder according to claim 12, wherein the movable part representing the second support surface is configured for being moved from the second position at least along the second spatial direction into a third position.

14. The feeder according to claim 1, wherein the movable part representing the second support surface is configured for being moved from a first position at least along the third spatial direction into a second position.

15. The feeder according to claim 14, wherein the movable part representing the second support surface is configured for being moved from the second position at least along the third spatial direction into a third position.

16. The feeder according to claim 1, wherein the feeder includes at least one travel limiter configured for limiting a movability of the movable part of the rear guide part in at least one of the first spatial direction, the second spatial direction, and the third spatial direction.

17. The feeder according to claim 1, wherein the feeder is formed as a single-part component.

18. The feeder according to claim 1, wherein the feeder includes at least 95%, at least 98%, or at least 99.5% of plastic, which is polyoxymethylene, wherein, when operating the portable firearm, the feeder is configured for being used.

19. A feeder unit, comprising: an outer feeder; an inner feeder; and a compression spring, the compression spring being arranged between the outer feeder and the inner feeder, the outer feeder having a space into which the inner feeder is movable against a spring force of the compression spring, the inner feeder formed as a feeder for a cartridge magazine for a portable firearm, the feeder extending along a first spatial direction, a second spatial direction, and a third spatial direction, thereby forming an upper region, a lower region, a rear region, and a front region, the feeder including: a first cartridge supporting surface at the upper region; a second cartridge supporting surface, the first cartridge supporting surface and the second cartridge supporting surface being arranged in the third spatial direction spaced at a distance from one another in such a way that a cartridge for the portable firearm is movable along the feeder in a direction of the front region; a front guide part including a front support surface; and a rear guide part including a rear support surface, a rigid part, and a movable part, the rear support surface including a first support surface and a second support surface, the first support surface being on the rigid part, the second support surface being on the movable part.

20. The feeder unit according to claim 19, wherein, when operating the portable firearm, the feeder unit is configured for being used.

21. A cartridge magazine for a portable firearm, the cartridge magazine comprising: a housing, the housing extending along a first spatial direction, a second spatial direction, and a third spatial direction and including an interior space with at least one first region, the housing including a front wall, a rear wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a bottom side, and a top side, the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall together including a plurality of inside surfaces, the interior space being limited by the plurality of inside surfaces, respective ones of the plurality of inside surfaces of the front wall and the rear wall in the at least one first region being located at a distance A from one another, the bottom side being configured for being at least partially open; a plurality of magazine lips formed on the top side of the housing; a bottom cover, which is configured for at least substantially closing the bottom side; a main spring; at least one first feeder, which is arranged in the interior space of the cartridge magazine against a spring force of the main spring in a direction of the bottom side of the housing; and the feeder extending along the first spatial direction, the second spatial direction, and the third spatial direction, thereby forming an upper region, a lower region, a rear region, and a front region, the feeder comprising: a first cartridge supporting surface at the upper region; a second cartridge supporting surface, the first cartridge supporting surface and the second cartridge supporting surface being arranged in the third spatial direction at a distance from one another and configured respectively in such a way that a cartridge for the portable firearm is configured for being be moved from a storage position along the feeder in a direction of the front region to a removal position; a front guide part including at least one front support surface; and a rear guide part including at least one rear support surface, a rigid part, and a movable part, the at least one rear support surface including a first support surface and a second support surface, the first support surface being on the rigid part, the second support surface being on the movable part.

22. The cartridge magazine according to claim 21, wherein the movable part representing the second support surface is configured for being moved from a first position at least along the first spatial direction into a second position, the feeder being arranged movably in a direction of the bottom cover.

23. The cartridge magazine according to claim 21, wherein the movable part includes a first control surface, the respective one of the plurality of inside surfaces of the rear wall including an area extending at least substantially in the second spatial direction and the third spatial direction, the area being configured for interacting with the first control surface, wherein, as a result, the movable part is configured such that a superimposed movement of the movable part in the first spatial direction can be initiated when the feeder is moved in the third spatial direction.

24. The cartridge magazine according to claim 21, wherein the movable part includes a second control surface, the respective one of the plurality of inside surfaces of the rear wall including an area extending at least substantially in the first spatial direction and the third spatial direction, the area being configured for interacting with the second control surface, wherein, as a result, the movable part is configured such that a superimposed movement of the movable part in the second spatial direction can be initiated when the feeder is moved in the third spatial direction.

25. The cartridge magazine according to claim 21, wherein, when operating the portable firearm, the cartridge magazine is configured for being used.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0094] The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0095] FIG. 1a is a feeder in a side view (right side);

[0096] FIG. 1b is feeder in the top view;

[0097] FIG. 1c is feeder in a rear view;

[0098] FIG. 1d is feeder in a perspective view;

[0099] FIG. 2a is a detailed view with movable part in first position;

[0100] FIG. 2b is a detailed view with movable part in second position;

[0101] FIG. 2c is a detailed view with movable part in third position;

[0102] FIG. 3a is cartridge plug-in magazine with feeder unit and movable part of the feeder in third position in rear, partially cut view;

[0103] FIG. 3b is cartridge plug-in magazine with feeder unit and movable part of the feeder in second position in rear, partially cut view; and

[0104] FIG. 3c is cartridge magazine in a side view, while the movable part of the feeder is in its first position.

[0105] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0106] The drawing with FIGS. 1a to 3c shows an optional design example of a feeder 1 according to the present invention for a cartridge magazine 2 for a portable firearm not shown; and in individual figures also a feeder unit 13 with a feeder 1 and a cartridge magazine 2 with a feeder 1 and/or a feeder unit 13. Same components are identified the same in all drawings, but do not have to be visible in all drawings. Accordingly, identically identified components or assembly groups are not repeatedly described in all drawings.

[0107] FIG. 1a shows feeder 1 for a cartridge magazine 2 for a portable firearm in the right side view, wherein the feeder extends from a first spatial direction X, a second spatial direction Y and a third spatial direction Z and thereby forming an upper region I, a lower region II, a rear region III and a front region IV. The spatial directions are represented in the figure in a coordinate cross and apply to all figures, even if the correspondingly adapted coordinate cross should not be represented in all figures.

[0108] Feeder 1 has at its upper area I a first cartridge supporting surface 3 and a second cartridge supporting surface 4, which are arranged in third spatial direction Z at a distance from each other, and which are each formed in such a way that a cartridge P shown in FIGS. 3a to 3c for a portable firearm is movable along it in the direction of front region IV. In order to simplify the further description of the optional embodiment shown in the figures, the lower cartridge supporting surface, visible for the first time in FIG. 1b, is to be designated as the first cartridge supporting surface 3 and the cartridge supporting surface already recognizable in this figure is designated as the second cartridge supporting surface 4. Of course, the designation would also be interchangeable without affecting the function.

[0109] Feeder 1 further includes a front guide part 5 forming at least one front support surface 6 and a rear guide part 7 forming at least one rear support surface 8, and wherein the rear support surface 8 is formed by at least one first support surface 8a and one second support surface 8b, and wherein first support surface 8a is formed on a rigid part 7a and the second support surface 8b is formed on a movable part 7b of the rear guide part 7.

[0110] In FIGS. 1b, 1c and 1d it can be seen that movable part 7b of rear guide part 7, which forms second support surface 8b, extends on both sides of the center line M of the feeder running in the first spatial direction. In at least one of the figures it is also recognizable that the second support surface 8b extends to both sides of the center line M.

[0111] The feeder shown is made of a plastic and has a one-piece design. Polyoxymethylene (POM) can be chosen as the plastic.

[0112] Movable part 7b forming second support surface 8b is designed as a movable leg which is articulated on one side to feeder 1, or to a connecting region V of the feeder, or—from this region—forms an extension of feeder 1 and whose longitudinal direction extends in third spatial direction Z, the free leg part extending above connecting region V in third spatial direction Z. In this case, the leg forms a “quasi-rigid” third support surface 8c at its point of articulation, i.e. in connecting region V.

[0113] Furthermore, movable part 7b representing second support surface 8b forms a first control surface 28, via which a movement from first position 9 to second position 10 can be initiated and a second control surface 29, via which a movement from second position 10 to second position 11 can be initiated.

[0114] In FIG. 1b the cartridge supporting surface is also clearly recognizable, which connects the two cartridge supporting surfaces 3 and 4, which are separated from each other in the third spatial direction.

[0115] Movable part 7b of rear guide part 7 of feeder 1, which forms second support surface 8b, is shown in FIGS. 1a to 1d in a first position 9, in which it is free of a reset force acting on it.

[0116] Movable part 7b of rear guide part 7 of the feeder 1 forming the second support surface 8b is shown again in this position 9 in a detailed view in FIG. 2a. From this position 9, movable part 7b can be moved against a first reset force F1—which is in a range between about 2.5 Newtons (N) and about 30 Newtons—in a first spatial direction into a second position 10, which it has assumed in FIG. 2b. Second position 10 is located in its motion sequence between first position 9 and third position 11 and can therefore be called an “intermediate position”. In contrast to a second reset force F2, which is in a range between about 2.5 Newtons and about 30 Newtons and is greater than reset force F1, movable part 7b can be moved in the second spatial direction to a third position 11, in which it is located in the illustration according to FIG. 2c. Exceeding the desired movability in the second spatial direction is limited or even reduced to harmless small extent by a first travel limiter 12 and a second travel limiter 12′.

[0117] First support surface 8a and second support surface 8b are arranged in first position 9 at least in the first spatial direction X and in second position 10 in the second spatial direction Y at a distance from one another. In second position 10, however, the two support surfaces 8a and 8b are seen in the first spatial direction on the same level, i.e. are arranged in the first spatial direction without any technically relevant distance to each other.

[0118] In FIGS. 3a to 3c is a cartridge magazine 2 for a portable firearm, which is equipped with a feeder unit, wherein the feeder unit 13 with an outer feeder 14, an inner feeder and a compression spring 15, wherein the compression spring 15 is arranged between the outer feeder 14 and the inner feeder and the outer feeder 14 has a space 15, in which the inner feeder is movable against a spring force FD of the compression spring 15, and as an inner feeder has a feeder 1, as it is shown in FIGS. 1a to 2c.

[0119] In this regard, cartridge magazine 2 further includes a housing 16 for a cartridge magazine 2 for a portable firearm, extending along a first spatial direction X, a second spatial direction Y, and a third spatial direction Z, and forming in its interior an interior space IR having a first region B-I, a second region B-II, and an intermediate region B-III disposed therebetween. The first (upper, i.e. forming the magazine lips) region B-I has a two-row design and the second region B-II has a four-row design, with the transition from four-row stacking to two-row stacking then being provided in intermediate region B-III.

[0120] In this case, inner space IR is limited by inner surfaces 17a, 18a, 19a, 20a of a front wall 17, a rear wall 18, a first side wall 19 and a second side wall 20, wherein inner surfaces 17a, 18a of front wall 17 and of rear wall 18 are at a distance A (A) from one another in this at least one region B-I.

[0121] In this case, housing 16 has a housing bottom side 21 and a housing top side 22, wherein magazine lips 23 are formed on housing top side 22 and wherein housing bottom side 21 is designed to be at least partially open.

[0122] Cartridge magazine 2 shown further includes a bottom cover 24 which is suitable for at least substantially closing the at least partially open bottom side 21 of the housing.

[0123] For interaction with first control surface 28 of movable part 7b of feeder 1, an area of inner surface 18a of the rear wall 18 extending at least substantially in the second spatial direction Y and third spatial direction Z is formed in interior IR of housing 16 of cartridge magazine 2, whereby upon movement of feeder 1 in third spatial direction Z a superimposed movement of movable part 7b in first spatial direction X can be initiated.

[0124] For interaction with second control surface 29 of movable part 7b of feeder 1, an area of inner surface 18a of rear wall 18 extending at least substantially in the first spatial direction X and the third spatial direction Z is formed, which projects into the interior IR of housing 16 as a web-shaped protrusion. Through this area formed on a side wall—in this case on the right-hand side wall of the protrusion—a superimposed movement of movable part 7b in second spatial direction Y can be initiated during movement of feeder 1 in third spatial direction Z.

[0125] As a result, movable part 7b of the feeder can be moved and mechanically controlled in a defined manner between its first position, via its second position, to its third position.

[0126] FIG. 3a illustrates cartridge plug-in magazine 2 with feeder unit 13 and movable part 7b of feeder 1 in its position 11 in a partially cut rear view. The cartridge magazine is thereby at least partially filled, wherein a plurality of cartridges P are stored in interior IR of the cartridge magazine, forming a cartridge stack, which is guided under the influence of feeder 1

[0127] FIG. 3b shows cartridge plug-in magazine 2 in a partially cut rear view, wherein movable part 7b of feeder 1 of feeder unit 13 is in its second position 10.

[0128] In FIG. 3c, movable part 7b of feeder 1 assumes its first position 9. Cartridge magazine 2 is shown in a side view. Area 33′ in this case is obviously on the non-visible back side of protrusion 32.

Component Identification Listing

[0129] I Top region

[0130] II bottom region

[0131] III rear region

[0132] IV front region

[0133] A distance

[0134] B-I first region of interior housing space

[0135] B-II second region of interior housing space

[0136] B-III intermediate region of interior housing space

[0137] F1 first reset force

[0138] F2 second reset force

[0139] FD spring force

[0140] FH spring force

[0141] IR interior space

[0142] M center line

[0143] P cartridge

[0144] V Connecting region (also hinged point)

[0145] X first spatial direction

[0146] Y second spatial direction

[0147] Z third spatial direction

[0148] 1 feeder

[0149] 2 cartridge magazine

[0150] 3 first cartridge supporting surface

[0151] 4 second cartridge supporting surface

[0152] 5 front guide part

[0153] 6 front support surface

[0154] 7 rear guide part

[0155] 7a rigid part

[0156] 7b movable part

[0157] 8 rear support surface

[0158] 8a first support surface

[0159] 8b second support surface

[0160] 8c third support surface

[0161] 9 first position

[0162] 10 second position

[0163] 11 third position

[0164] 12 travel limiter

[0165] 13 feeder unit

[0166] 14 outer feeder

[0167] 15 space

[0168] 16 housing

[0169] 17 front wall

[0170] 17a inside surface of front wall

[0171] 18 rear wall

[0172] 18a inside surface of rear wall

[0173] 19 first side wall

[0174] 19a inside surface of first side wall

[0175] 20 second side wall

[0176] 20a inside surface of second side wall

[0177] 21 housing bottom side

[0178] 22 housing top side

[0179] 23 magazine lips

[0180] 24 bottom cover

[0181] 25 main spring

[0182] 26 storage position

[0183] 27 removal position

[0184] 28 first control surface

[0185] 29 second control surface

[0186] 30 compression spring

[0187] 31 cartridge support surface

[0188] 32 protrusion

[0189] 33 area

[0190] 33′ area

[0191] While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.