Firearm Accessory Mounting Interface, Mirage Shield and Ergonomic Method for configuring rifle components and accessories

Abstract

An improved firearm accessory mounting interface 200 with a durable integral mirage shield 200 that adds minimal or no weight to a weapon system, is unlikely to snag and is comfortable to hold includes a tubular handguard's cylindrical sidewall which is preferably defined with four radially spaced quadrants each having, preferably, first and second spaced arrays of parallel, elongated grooves 232, 234 separated by an external surface with at least two spaced apart transverse notches 250 which are configured to define a firearm accessory mount rail segment 260 and ergonomically comfortable grasping surface that directs hot air away from the handguard's interior and provides a plurality of mounts compatible with accessory clamps configured to engage and hold a Picatinny rail.

Claims

1. A firearm accessory mounting interface, comprising: a tubular handguard 200 having an outer sidewall surface 220 which is preferably defined with an external convex curvature having, preferably, first and second spaced arrays of longitudinal parallel, elongated grooves, slots or ducts 232, 234 defined there through to provide fluid communication with an interior lumen; said sidewall surface between said grooves 232, 234 having a first or top quadrant surface 222 which is substantially impermeable; said first quadrant surface including a plurality of spaced transverse notches 250 which are defined transversely across, but not through said sidewall surface 220 to define ergonomically comfortable grasping surfaces that are also compatible with accessories with clamps (e.g., 204) configured to engage and hold a Picatinny rail.

2. The accessory mounting interface of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical sidewall's convex curvature is defined between the first and second elongated grooves, slots or ducts 232, 234 in an inter-groove width.

3. The accessory mounting interface of claim 2, wherein said elongated perforating slots or ducts 232, 234 are preferably configured to aim flowing barrel-heated air from the interior of the handguard lumen laterally and away from a top quadrant 222, thereby reducing the potential for optical distortion in the target image seen by the shooter and providing an integral and durable, fuss-free mirage shield structure which mitigates such optical distortion for the precision shooter as the barrel heats up.

4. The accessory mounting interface of claim 2, wherein said elongated grooves slots or ducts 232, 234 are spaced apart with a spacing of approximately 21.2 mm and said plurality of spaced transverse notches 250 are approximately 21.2 mm long to define a firearm accessory mount rail segment 260 so that accessories 204 may be attached thereto in a manner compatible with accessories configured to engage and hold a Picatinny rail.

5. The accessory mounting interface of claim 2, wherein said elongated perforating slots or ducts 232, 234 define opposing side surfaces for a plurality said plurality of spaced transverse notches which are each approximately 21.2 mm or 0.835 inches long to define a firearm accessory mount rail segment 260, so that accessories may be removably clamped and attached thereto.

6. An Ergonomic Method for configuring rifle components and accessories, comprising: (a) providing a tubular handguard 200 having a cylindrical sidewall which is preferably defined with an external surface having, preferably, first and second spaced arrays of parallel, elongated grooves; said sidewall surface between said grooves having and a plurality of spaced transverse notches which are configured to define ergonomically comfortable grasping surfaces that are also compatible with accessory clamps configured to engage and hold a Picatinny rail; (b) providing, on said handguard's sidewall a convex curvature is defined between the first and second elongated non-perforating grooves in an inter-groove width; and (c) providing a firearm accessory such as a bipod with a releasable mount 204 configured to engage and hold a Picatinny rail with one, two or three transverse pins dimensioned to engage one, two or three Picatinny rail transverse grooves;

7. The Ergonomic Method for configuring rifle components and accessories of claim 6, further comprising: (d) providing, on said cylindrical sidewall a convex curvature defined between first and second elongated perforating slots or ducts 232, 234 to provide a convex inter-slot width; and (e) configuring said elongated perforating slots or ducts 232, 234 to aim flowing barrel-heated air from the interior of the handguard lumen laterally and away from the top quadrant 222, thereby reducing the potential for optical distortion in the target image seen by the shooter and providing an integral and durable, fuss-free mirage shield structure which mitigates such optical distortion for the precision shooter as the barrel heats up.

8. A rifle forend assembly configured for attachment to a rifle's receiver, comprising: a forend with an external wall surface providing an enhanced accessory mount interface 200 having a plurality of ergonomic rail mounts 260 with snag-free outer contours defined in the external wall surface; wherein each ergonomically contoured snag-free rail-mount sections 260 is formed of at least first and second transversely aligned, parallel rounded notches 250, each shaped as a trough or radiussed groove having a substantially linear groove bottom 250GB which is bounded by angled wall segments, and the angle between the horizontal groove bottom surface 250GB and the angled wall segments at opposing ends is 45 degrees; wherein the ergonomic mount 260 thus defines an integral sunken rail segment having spaced notches 250 terminating in angled wall segments which terminate laterally at opposing ends to define a rail segment width of 0.835 inches, and wherein the lateral ends of each rail segment notch 250 are configured as outside corner surfaces or laterally opposed wedge-shaped surfaces 250W1, 250W2 which each define an outside corner like rebated wall segment which intersects the outwardly facing angled wall segment at, preferably, 90 degrees.

9. The rifle forend assembly of claim 8, wherein said opposing outside corner defining clamping surfaces 250W1, 250W2 of ergonomic mount 260 are within or inside of the outer circumferential surface 220 of the forend's outer surface (e.g., tube 216).

10. The rifle forend assembly of claim 9, wherein said forend's outer surface (e.g., tube 216) has an outside diameter of approximately 2 inches and is knurled or textured, to provide a comfortable but secure gripping surface.

11. The rifle forend assembly of claim 9, wherein said mounting interface notches 250 are defined in said sidewall outer surface which is tubular, and wherein said notches are defined between and bounded by first and second spaced elongated grooves (232, 234) in the inter-groove width, and the transverse notches 250 extend substantially from the first elongated groove 232 to the second elongated groove 234 and so extend substantially all the way across the inter-groove width.

12. The rifle forend assembly of claim 11, wherein the linear transverse distance between the spaced apart elongated ducting cooling grooves (or the inter-groove width, along the transverse notches 250) is preferably selected to be 21.2 mm or 0.835 inches (e.g., the same as the width of the top of a traditional Picatinny Rail segment), so accessories which are compatible with the Picatinny rail platform (MIL-STD-1913 or STANAG 2324) will easily engage and hold onto the forend assembly's sidewall's surface, where the transverse notch 250 and the sidewall's elongate groove edges define the first and second elongated non-perforating grooves, all of which cooperate to provide an enhanced, snag-free mounting interface.

13. The rifle forend assembly of claim 9, wherein said mounting interface is configured as a forend assembly adapted for use with a precision rifle (e.g., 202) or a service rifle (e.g., 100, 101) which is adapted for attachment to releasable picatinny-style mounts at multiple attachment locations along four quadrants while also allowing indexing of the forend assembly at multiple angular locations relative to the rifle.

14. The rifle forend assembly of claim 9, wherein each of transverse mounting notches 250 has a cross sectional shape which is rounded or radiussed, and said mount provides a snag free surface which is configured to receive an accessory (e.g., bipod assembly 204) configured with a clamp to and engage a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny Rail mount, clamping inwardly against and compressing while engaging the opposing notch edge surfaces 250W1, 250W2.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0027] FIG. 1A illustrates an M4 or CAR-15 pattern carbine or rifle with a standard substantially cylindrical forearm or handguard, as seen in the prior art.

[0028] FIGS. 1B-1D illustrate an M16 pattern rifle (e.g. M110) with a standard quad-rail style forearm or handguard, as seen in the prior art.

[0029] FIGS. 1E and 1F illustrate the cross sectional profile and the side view, in elevation for the MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny Rail mount incorporated in the quad rail forearm of FIGS. 1C and 1D, in accordance with the prior art.

[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of the enhanced accessory mount interface installed on a precision rifle and method, in accordance with the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates the enhanced accessory mount interface of FIG. 2, partially assembled, in accordance with the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 4 illustrates another view of the enhanced accessory mount interface and method of FIGS. 2 and 3, in accordance with the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed view of the distal end of the enhanced accessory mount interface and method of FIGS. 2-4, in accordance with the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 6 illustrates the components of the forend tube assembly of the enhanced accessory mount interface of FIGS. 2-5, in accordance with the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 7 is a proximal end view illustrating the forend tube assembly of the enhanced accessory mount interface of FIG. 6, in accordance with the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 8 is a right side view, in elevation, illustrating the forend tube assembly of the enhanced accessory mount interface of FIGS. 6 and 7 and the method for aligning and indexing the forend tube extension and forend tube nut, in accordance with the method of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 9A is a cross sectional view in elevation of the forend tube extension of the enhanced accessory mount interface of FIGS. 6 and 7, taken along a transverse plane 9-9, illustrating the snag-free outer contours, in accordance with the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 9B is an enlarged cross section in elevation providing a more detailed profile view of one of the ergonomically contoured, snag-free rail-mount sections illustrated in FIG. 9A, in accordance with the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 9C is a side view, in elevation, illustrating the geometry of the ergonomic rail mount of FIGS. 6, 9A and 9b, as configured to receive an accessory configured with a clamp to engage a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny Rail mount, in accordance with the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 10 is a right side view, in elevation, illustrating the forend tube of the enhanced accessory mount interface of FIGS. 2-9C and the method for aligning and attaching a rail-mountable clamping accessory, in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0041] Turning now to FIGS. 2-9C, a structurally rigid but ergonomically friendly and unobtrusive mounting interface or forend assembly 200 and method for allowing users to attach the forend assembly to a rifle's receiver and then attach rail-mountable accessories (e.g., bipod 204) to a rifle (e.g., 202 as shown or, with modifications, 100 or 101) is illustrated.

[0042] In accordance with the present invention, an improved mounting interface 200 for use in a rifle handguard or the like includes a substantially tubular structure having a contoured, textured exterior surface with a plurality of firearm accessory mount rail segments 260 that are configured to receive bipods and other accessories adapted to clamp to a standard Picatinny rail, but in a configuration which omits a typical Picatinny rail's projecting corners (or horns) so those rail segments are unlikely to snag anything. Instead, the enhanced accessory mount interface or forend assembly 200 provides a textured external cylindrical sidewall which is much more comfortable to hold than the quad-rail forend assembly 103 of the prior art (as shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D.

[0043] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2-9B, mounting interface or tubular handguard 200 has a proximal threaded collar segment 210 with a proximal opening carrying internal threads configured to engage a rifle's threaded receiver 212 and provide a protective extended tubular sidewall which extends distally from the receiver 212 to surround and protect the rifle's barrel 214, preferably without touching or bearing upon the rifle's barrel 214 in any way (e.g., so that barrel 214 is free floating). For purposes of nomenclature proximal will refer to the near side or end, nearer the receiver 212 and distal will refer to the far side or end, closer to the muzzle end of barrel 214.

[0044] Proximal threaded collar segment 210 preferably has a knurled external sidewall and internal threads which are configured to engage and hold the distal-end external threads of receiver 212 (as best seen in FIG. 3). Collar 210 has an open proximal lumen defined in the proximal end which defines an annular proximal end wall which is tightened against a corresponding annular abutment surface defined in receiver 212, when collar 210 is affixed thereupon. Collar 210 has a distal segment of slightly reduced diameter which fits snuggle within the open proximal end of and engages the elongated forend tube member. As will be described in greater detail with regard to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, below, forend tube assembly 200 preferably comprised three coaxially aligned tubular segments where collar segment 210 includes a forend tube nut (with the external knurled sidewall surface) which receives and supports a flanged forend tube extension having a proximal flange that bears on the receiver's distal transverse abutment surface.

[0045] The tubular handguard's cylindrical sidewall 220 is preferably defined with four radially spaced quadrants, namely a top quadrant 222, a bottom quadrant 224, a left side quadrant 226 and a right side quadrant 228. The left and right side quadrants 226, 228 each have, preferably, first and second spaced arrays of parallel, elongated perforating slots or ducts 232, 234 defined therethrough, so that the handguard's interior lumen is in fluid communication with the outside or ambient air. The elongated perforating slots or ducts 232, 234 are preferably configured to aim flowing barrel-heated air from the interior of the handguard lumen laterally and away from the top quadrant 222, thereby reducing the potential for optical distortion in the target image seen by the shooter and providing an integral and durable, fuss-free mirage shield structure which mitigates hot barrel induced optical distortion for the precision shooter and the corresponding target image stability issues seen by the shooter as the barrel heats up.

[0046] The cylindrical sidewall 220 is also preferably segmented into first, second and third longitudinally aligned segments of equal length, where the first and second segments are separated by a transverse circumferential trough or groove 242 which encircles the sidewall at a selected length from the handguard's proximal end. The elongated perforating slots or ducts 232, 234 do not extend though the circumferential troughs which separate (or are between) each longitudinal segment.

[0047] The cylindrical sidewall's top quadrant 222 and bottom quadrant 224 have first and second spaced arrays of parallel, elongated grooves 236, 238 defined therein. The cylindrical sidewall's transverse circumferential troughs which encircle the sidewall separate each segment so that the elongated grooves 236, 238 do not extend though the circumferential troughs defining each longitudinal segment.

[0048] The tubular handguard's cylindrical sidewall thus includes, within the left and right side quadrants 226, 228, a pair of elongated perforating slots or ducts 232, 234 which are spaced apart at a selected inter-slot width and extend for the length of each longitudinally aligned sidewall segment, from an end or circumferential trough to the next trough or to the distal end of the sidewall. The lateral sidewall segments between the first and second elongated perforating slots remain segments of a cylindrical sidewall, preferably with textured sidewall surfaces, and so project radially or laterally away from the cylinder's central axis in a convex curvature defined between the first and second elongated perforating slots 232, 234 in a segment of the sidewall referred to as the inter-slot width.

[0049] On the top and bottom quadrants 222, 224 the cylindrical sidewall's pair of spaced apart parallel elongated non-perforating grooves 236, 238 are spaced apart at a selected inter-groove width and extend for the length of each longitudinally aligned sidewall segment, from an end or circumferential trough to the next trough or to the distal end of the sidewall. The sidewall segment between the spaced apart elongated grooves also defines a segment of a cylindrical sidewall, preferably with a textured sidewall surface, and so projects radially away from the cylinder's central axis in a convex curvature defined between the first and second elongated grooves 236, 238 in a segment of the side wall referred to as the inter-groove width.

[0050] The mounting interface of the present invention is defined with a plurality of (e.g., four) linear transverse notches 250 defined in that sidewall's convex curvature defined between the first and second elongated grooves 236, 238 in the inter-groove width, and the transverse notches 250 extend substantially from said first elongated groove 236 to said second elongated groove 238 and so extend substantially all the way across the inter-groove width. The linear transverse distance between the first and second elongated grooves (or the inter-groove width, along the transverse notches 250) is preferably selected to be 21.2 mm, or the same as the width of the top of a traditional Picatinny Rail segment, so accessories which are compatible with the Picatinny rail platform (MIL-STD-1913 or STANAG 2324) will easily engage and hold onto the sidewall's surface, the transverse notch surface and sidewall's elongate groove edges defining the first and second elongated non-perforating grooves 236, 238, all of which cooperate to provide a firearm accessory mount rail segment 260. In the illustrated embodiment, the top quadrant and bottom quadrant each provide three firearm accessory mount rail segments 260 for the enhanced, snag-free mounting interface 200 of the present invention.

[0051] In the first embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2-5, the tubular interface or handguard 200 defines three longitudinally aligned sidewall segments separated by two circumferential grooves 242, and persons of skill in the art will appreciate that alternative embodiments may have more or fewer segments and more or fewer accessory mount rail segments 260.

[0052] Turning now to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the forend tube assembly or mounting interface assembly 200 is shown disassembled into three coaxially aligned components, including the main forend tube member 216 defining cylindrical sidewall 220, and proximal threaded collar segment 210 which comprises forend tube nut 210A and forend tube extension 210B. As noted above, forend tube nut 210A preferably has a knurled external sidewall and internal threads which are configured to engage and hold the distal-end external threads of receiver 212 (as best seen in FIG. 3).

[0053] Forend tube nut 210A has a cylindrical sidewall having an open proximal lumen with proximal end which defines an annular proximal end wall which is tightened proximally, where it may be limited in proximal engagement by a corresponding annular abutment surface defined in receiver 212, when forend tube nut 210A 210 is affixed thereupon. Forend tube nut 210A also has in its internal lumen an inwardly projecting annular flange 210AF at its distal end, and inwardly projecting tube nut flange 210AF is dimensioned to engage a draw tight against the tube extension's proximal flange 210BF when tube nut 210A is threadably engaged upon and tightened proximally onto receiver 212.

[0054] Prior to assembly and installation, the rifle's barrel 214 (shown in FIG. 3, but not FIG. 8) is aligned with the distal end of receiver 212 and then the components of forend assembly 200 are aligned coaxially with the barrel 214. Forend tube extension 210B is aligned with and placed in abutment against a distal endwall surface 212EW of receiver 212 and preferably tube extension 210B is radially aligned by placing one or more tube extension flange indexing pins 210BFP into one or more receiver endwall slots 212EWS which then indexes the radial or angular orientation of forend tube extension 210B (and thus the entire forend assembly 200) on the rifle's receiver 212.

[0055] Collar assembly 210 includes forend tube nut 210A which engages and supports forend tube extension 210B which defines the distally projecting segment of slightly reduced diameter cylindrical sidewall which fits snuggly within the open proximal end of and engages the elongated forend tube member. Tube extension 210B is affixed to forend tube member 216 by installation of a plurality of (e.g., four) transverse dowel pins 210P which are received in radially arrayed transverse bores (210 TB, 216 TB) defined in the cylindrical sidewall of said tube extension 210B and in the sidewall of tubular member 216, where the tubular member's bores 216 TB are defined in sidewall 222 near its proximal end (best seen in FIG. 6).

[0056] So forend tube assembly 200 preferably comprises three coaxially aligned tubular segments where collar segment 210 includes a forend tube nut 210A (with the external knurled sidewall surface) which receives and supports flanged forend tube extension 210B having proximal flange 210BF that bears on the receiver's distal transverse abutment end wall surface 212EW.

[0057] Turning now to FIGS. 9A, 9B and 9C, FIG. 9A is a cross sectional view in elevation of forend tube extension 216 of the enhanced accessory mount interface 200 of FIGS. 6 and 7, taken along a transverse plane 9-9, illustrating the snag-free outer contours of the ergonomic rail mounts 260 defined in the external wall sections of tube extension 216. FIG. 9B is an enlarged cross section in elevation providing a more detailed profile view of one of the ergonomically contoured, snag-free rail-mount sections 260, and it is illustrated that each ergonomic mount section 260 is formed of at least first and second transversely aligned, parallel rounded notches 250, each shaped as troughs or radiussed grooves having a substantially linear groove bottom 250GB which is bounded by angled wall segments. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 9B, it is shown that the angle between the horizontal groove bottom surface 250GB and the angled wall segments at opposing ends is 45 degrees. The ergonomic mount 260 thus defines an integral sunken rail segment having notches 250 terminating in angled wall segments which terminate laterally at opposing ends to define a rail segment width of 0.835 inches. The lateral ends of each rail segment notch 250 are configured as outside corner surfaces or laterally opposed wedge-shaped surfaces 250W1, 250W2 comprising the angled wall segment which angles down from the notch bottom 250GB and terminates in a perpendicular, short surface which intersects therewith and provides an outside corner like rebated wall segment which intersects the outwardly facing angled wall segment at, preferably, 90 degrees (as seen in FIG. 9B). With this configuration, the opposing outside corner defining clamping surfaces 250W1, 250W2 of ergonomic mount 260 are within or inside of the outer circumferential surface 220 of forend tube 216, which preferably has an outside diameter of approximately 2 inches and is knurled or textured, to provide a comfortable but secure gripping surface.

[0058] As best seen in FIG. 6, mounting interface 200 is defined with a plurality of (e.g., two or four) linear transverse notches 250 defined in that sidewall's convex curvature defined between the spaced elongated grooves (232, 234) in the inter-groove width, and the transverse notches 250 extend substantially from the first elongated groove 232 to the second elongated groove 234 and so extend substantially all the way across the inter-groove width. The linear transverse distance between the spaced apart elongated ducting cooling grooves (or the inter-groove width, along the transverse notches 250) is preferably selected to be 21.2 mm or 0.835 inches (e.g., the same as the width of the top of a traditional Picatinny Rail segment), so accessories which are compatible with the Picatinny rail platform (MIL-STD-1913 or STANAG 2324) will easily engage and hold onto the forend assembly's sidewall's surface, where the transverse notch 250 and the sidewall's elongate groove edges define the first and second elongated non-perforating grooves, all of which cooperate to provide the enhanced, snag-free mounting interface of the present invention.

[0059] The mounting interface of the present invention is preferably configured as a forend assembly adapted for use with a precision rifle (e.g., 202) or a service rifle (e.g., 100, 101) which is adapted for attachment to releasable picatinny-style mounts at multiple attachment locations along four quadrants while also allowing indexing of the forend assembly at multiple angular locations relative to the rifle. In a preferred embodiment, the Handguard Nut Diameter is 2.110 and the overall Handguard Diameter is 1.980.

[0060] Another feature of the ergonomic mount 260 of the present invention is that each transverse mounting notch 250 has a cross sectional shape which is rounded or radiussed, as best seen in FIG. 9C. FIG. 9C is a side view, in cross section and elevation, illustrating the geometry of the transverse notches 250 of ergonomic rail mount 260 as also seen in FIGS. 6, 9A, 9B and 10, as configured to receive an accessory (e.g., bipod assembly 204) configured with a clamp to and engage a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny Rail mount, but here clamping inwardly against and compressing while engaging the opposing mount notch opposing edge surfaces 250W1, 250W2.

[0061] Having described and illustrated preferred embodiments of a new and improved firearm accessory mounting interface, mirage shield and ergonomic method for configuring rifle components and accessories, it is believed that other modifications, variations and changes will be suggested to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings set forth herein. It is therefore to be understood that all such variations, modifications and changes are believed to fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.