Retractable buttstock for firearms

Abstract

In one aspect, a retractable buttstock may include a buttpad that allows the user to rest the weapon on their shoulders; a pair of extension rods; a buffer tube that allows the buttstock to attach to the firearm; and a buffer tube housing to receive the buffer tube. In an exemplary embodiment, the extension rods are hollow and a resilient unit is received in each extension rod. The extension rods have a pair of first positioning grooves and a pair of second positioning grooves to engage with stoppers of the buffer tube housing. The buttstock can be fully-extended and collapsed depending on whether the stoppers engage with the first or second positioning grooves. It is noted that the user can operate the retractable buttstock with one hand.

Claims

1. A retractable buttstock for a firearm that is configured to transition from a collapsed position and a fully-extended position and vice versa comprising: a buttpad that allows a user to rest the firearm on a user's shoulder; a pair of extension rods; each extension rod having a lateral elongated receiving space extending through a sidewall thereof and receiving a resilient unit therein that faces the other resilient unit in the other extension rod; and a buffer tube housing having a release button, wherein the buttpad has a first pair of receiving holes, and each first pair receiving hole is configured to receive one end of each extension rod; the buffer tube housing also has a second pair of receiving holes, and each second pair receiving hole is configured to movably receive the other end of each extension rod; wherein the extension rods have a pair of first positioning grooves closer to the first receiving holes and a pair of second positioning grooves closer to the second receiving holes; each of the first positioning grooves is located at a substantially similar position on each extension rod while each of the second positioning grooves is located at a substantially similar position on each extension rod; wherein the release button has a pair of stoppers corresponding to the first and second positioning grooves; the buttstock reaches the collapsed position when the stoppers of the release button engage with the first positioning grooves while the buttstock reaches the fully-extended position when the stoppers engage with the second positioning grooves.

2. The retractable buttstock for a firearm of claim 1, further comprising a buffer tube that allows the buttstock to attach to the firearm.

3. The retractable buttstock for a firearm of claim 1, wherein the release button is pressed to disengage the stoppers with the second positioning grooves and an external force has to be applied to the buttpad to compress the resilient unit in each of the extension rods to collapse the buttstock until the stoppers engage with the first positioning grooves.

4. The retractable buttstock for a firearm of claim 2, wherein the release button is pressed to disengage the stoppers with the second positioning grooves and an external force has to be applied to the buttpad to compress the resilient unit in each of the extension rods to collapse the buttstock until the stoppers engage with the first positioning grooves.

5. The retractable buttstock for a firearm of claim 1, wherein the release button is pressed to disengage the stoppers with the first positioning grooves and the buttpad is automatically pushed away from the buffer tube housing by a resilient force exerted by the resilient unit in each of the extension rods until the stoppers engage with the second positioning grooves.

6. The retractable buttstock for a firearm of claim 2, wherein the release button is pressed to disengage the stoppers with the first positioning grooves and the buttpad is automatically pushed away from the buffer tube housing by a resilient force exerted by the resilient unit in each of the extension rods until the stoppers engage with the second positioning grooves.

7. The retractable buttstock for a firearm of claim 4, wherein the release button is pressed to disengage the stoppers with the first positioning grooves and the buttpad is automatically pushed away from the buffer tube housing by a resilient force exerted by the resilient unit in each of the extension rods until the stoppers engage with the second positioning grooves.

8. The retractable buttstock for a firearm of claim 4, wherein the extension rods include a pair of third positioning grooves to engage with the stoppers to secure the buffer tube housing between the first and second positioning grooves.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the retractable buttstock in a decompressed state in the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the retractable buttstock in the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic bottom view of the retractable buttstock in the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the retractable buttstock in a semi-compressed state.

(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the retractable buttstock in a compressed state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently exemplary device provided in accordance with aspects of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be prepared or utilized. It is to be understood, rather, that the same or equivalent functions and components may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

(7) Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices and materials similar or equivalent to those described can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the exemplary methods, devices and materials are now described.

(8) All publications mentioned are incorporated by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the designs and methodologies that are described in the publications that might be used in connection with the presently described invention. The publications listed or discussed above, below and throughout the text are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

(9) As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of a, an, and the includes reference to the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the terms comprise or comprising, include or including, have or having, contain or containing and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of in includes in and on unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

(10) It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the embodiments. As used herein, the term and/or includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

(11) It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being connected or coupled to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being directly connected or directly coupled to another element, there are no intervening elements present.

(12) In order to further understand the goal, characteristics and effect of the present invention, a number of embodiments along with the drawings are illustrated as following:

(13) In one aspect, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a retractable buttstock 100 may include a buttpad 110 that allows the user to rest the weapon on their shoulders, so the weapon is stabilized and is easier for the user to shoot; a pair of extension rods 120; a buffer tube 130 that is part of the firearm that allows the buttstock to attach to the firearm; and a buffer tube housing 140 to receive the buffer tube. In one embodiment, the buttpad 110 has a first pair of receiving holes 112, and each receiving hole 112 is configured to receive one end of each extension rod 120. The buffer tube housing 140 has a second pair of receiving holes 142, and each receiving hole 142 is configured to movably receive the other end of each extension rod 120. In other words, the buffer tube housing 140 can slide along the extension rods 120 from one end to the other end thereof. In one embodiment, the buttstock 100 can be used for an Armalite AR-10 or a DPMS LR308 pattern rifle. In another embodiment, the buttstock 100 can be used for an AR-15.

(14) In an exemplary embodiment, the extension rods 120 are hollow and a resilient unit 122 is received in each extension rod 120. The extension rods 120 may have one or more pairs of positioning grooves including a pair of first positioning grooves 124 closer to the first receiving holes 112 and a pair of second positioning grooves 126 closer to the second receiving holes 142. It is noted that each of the first and second positioning grooves (124, 126) is located at a substantially similar position on each extension rod 120. The extension rod 120 may also have a pair of third positioning grooves 128 located between the first and second positioning grooves 124 and 126 to secure the buffer tube housing 140. The buffer tube housing 140 has a release button 144 underneath the second receiving holes 142, and the release button 144 has a pair of stoppers 146 to engage with either the first positioning grooves 124 or second positioning grooves 126.

(15) The retractable buttstock 100 is at a fully extended configuration as shown in FIG. 1, in which each resilient unit 122 in each extension rod 120 is fully extended. In the fully-extended configuration, the stoppers 146 of the release button 144 engage with the second positioning grooves 126.

(16) When the user wants to collapse the buttstock 100, the user can simply press the release button 144 to disengage the stoppers 146 with the second positioning grooves 126, and move the buffer tube housing 140 towards the buttpad 110 as shown in FIG. 4. It is noted that since the resilient units 122 are in their fully extended positions at the time when the buttstock is being collapsed, an external force from the user has to be applied to the resilient units 122 to compress the resilient units 122 until the stoppers 146 of the release button 144 engage with the first positioning grooves 124 as shown in FIG. 5.

(17) To return to the fully-extended configuration from the collapsed configuration, the user can simply press the release button 144. More specifically, when the release button 144 is pressed, the stoppers 146 disengage with the first positioning grooves 124 and the buffer tube housing 140 can automatically move away from the buttpad 110 until the stoppers 146 engage with second positioning grooves 126. It is noted that since the resilient units 122 are at their compressed positions at the time when the buttstock is being extended, the resilient force of the resilient units 122 will push the buffer tube housing 140 without applying any external force. Relatively speaking, if the buffer tube housing 140 is fixed to a firearm, the buttpad 110 would automatically move away from the buffer tube housing 140 through the movement of the extension rods 120 when the configuration of the buttstock is changing from collapsed (FIG. 5) to fully-extended (FIG. 1).

(18) Having described the invention by the description and illustrations above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description, but includes any equivalents.