Abstract
A mechanism for preventing a partially inserted magazine from accidently ejecting from the firearm. The improved firearms include any type of projectile weapon that employs a magazine to provide ammunition and include rifles and pistols. An improved magazine catch that includes both the primary latch and a safety latch. A method for engaging a magazine to a firearm for providing the firearm with ammunition without unintentionally dropping the magazine due to incomplete insertion.
Claims
1. A magazine catch for securing an ammunition magazine, the magazine catch including: a primary latch, a spring coupled to the magazine catch for urging the primary latch into a keeper on a magazine well, a magazine release button mechanically coupled to the primary latch, and a secondary latch wherein the secondary latch protrudes from the primary latch and when the secondary latch is coupled to the magazine keeper, the magazine is secure within the magazine well but not engaged to the firearm for supplying ammunition to the firearm; and wherein the primary latch engages the magazine keeper, when the magazine is fully inserted into the magazine well.
2. The magazine catch of claim 1, wherein when the magazine is fully inserted into the magazine well the spring biases the catch and the magazine release button counteracts the spring and reverses the bias of the catch.
3. The magazine catch of claim 1, wherein the magazine release button, when depressed, overcomes the spring and retracts the primary latch from the keeper on the magazine well thereby disengaging the magazine catch from the magazine and releasing and removing the magazine from the magazine well.
4. The magazine catch of claim 1, wherein the spring urges said secondary latch into the magazine well and is mechanically coupled to the magazine release button for retracting the secondary latch from the magazine well.
5. The magazine catch of claim 1, wherein when the magazine is less than fully inserted into the magazine well the spring urges the secondary latch into the keeper wherein the secondary latch couples and retains the less than fully inserted magazine within the magazine well.
6. A retention mechanism for retaining an ammunition magazine in a firearm, the retention mechanism including: a receiver for a firearm wherein the receiver includes a magazine well, and a magazine catch incorporated into the receiver wherein the magazine catch further includes a spring, a release button, a primary latch and a secondary latch wherein the secondary latch protrudes from the primary latch and when the secondary latch is coupled to the magazine well the magazine is secure within the magazine well but not engaged to the firearm for supplying ammunition to the firearm; and wherein the primary latch engages the magazine keeper when the magazine is fully inserted into the magazine well.
7. The retention mechanism of claim 6, wherein the magazine well defines a cavity into which the magazine may be inserted and ejected from and further includes a keeper.
8. The retention mechanism of claim 6, wherein the primary latch protrudes into the cavity of the magazine well.
9. The retention mechanism of claim 6, wherein the spring urges the primary latch into the keeper on the magazine well.
10. The retention mechanism of claim 6, wherein the secondary latch protrudes into the cavity of the magazine well and engages the magazine keeper when the magazine is partially inserted into the magazine well.
11. The retention mechanism of claim 6, wherein the spring urges the secondary latch into the keeper on the magazine well.
12. The retention mechanism of claim 6, wherein the magazine catch is mechanically coupled to the magazine release button wherein depressing the release button overcomes the spring and retracts the primary latch and the secondary latch from the magazine keeper.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
(1) FIGS. 1 A-D illustrate a series of plan views showing a process for loading and releasing a magazine into and from a firearm of a type having a magazine well and having both a primary latch and a safety latch for retaining the magazine within the magazine well.
(2) FIG. 1 A illustrates the firearm prior to the insertion of the magazine.
(3) FIG. 1 B illustrates the firearm of FIG. 1 A, rotated 180 degrees about a vertical axis, showing the magazine partially inserted by a user into the magazine well, without engaging either the primary latch or the safety latch therein.
(4) FIG. 1 C illustrates the firearm of FIG. 1 B showing the magazine being further inserted by the user into the magazine well, transitioning the engagement of the magazine within the magazine well from the safety latch to the primary latch. When engaged by the safety latch within the magazine well, the magazine is secure within the well, but the ammunition within the magazine is not employable by the firearm. When engaged by the primary latch within the magazine well, the magazine is secure within the well and the ammunition therein is employable by the firearm.
(5) FIG. 1 D illustrates the firearm of FIG. 1 C showing the user releasing the magazine from the magazine well by activating a release button on the firearm for disengaging both the primary and safety latches from engagement with the magazine.
(6) FIG. 2 A illustrates a perspective view showing the receiver, a fragment of the magazine, and an exploded view of the magazine catch, spring, and magazine release button of the firearm of FIG. 1 B.
(7) FIG. 2 B illustrates an enlarge perspective view of the magazine catch of FIG. 2 A showing the primary latch and safety latch in greater detail.
(8) FIGS. 3 A-D illustrate a series of fragmentary perspective views showing the process of engaging the primary latch and safety latch with the magazine as the magazine is inserted into the magazine well.
(9) FIG. 3 A illustrates a fragmentary perspective view of the magazine of FIG. 2 A enlarged and rotated clockwise ninety degrees about a vertical axis. In FIG. 3 A, the magazine has not yet been inserted into the magazine well.
(10) FIG. 3 B illustrates a fragmentary perspective view of the magazine of FIG. 3 A after the magazine has been partially inserted into the magazine well. FIG. 3 B further illustrates that, when the magazine is initially inserted into the magazine well, the safety latch of the magazine catch contacts the magazine, but does not engage with the magazine keeper. In this configuration, the magazine is not secured within the magazine well.
(11) FIG. 3 C illustrates a fragmentary perspective view of the magazine of FIG. 3 B after the magazine has been further inserted into the magazine well. In FIG. 3 C the safety latch of the magazine catch has engaged the magazine keeper, but the primary latch has not engaged the magazine keeper. In this configuration, the magazine is secured within the magazine well, but ammunition within the magazine is not employable by the firearm.
(12) FIG. 3 D illustrates a fragmentary perspective view of the magazine of FIG. 3 C after the magazine has been fully inserted into the magazine well. In FIG. 3 D the primary latch of the magazine catch has engaged the magazine keeper. In this configuration, the magazine is secured within the magazine well and ammunition within the magazine is employable by the firearm.
(13) FIGS. 4 A-E illustrate a series of fragmentary sectional views showing the process of engaging and disengaging the primary latch and the safety latch to and from the magazine keeper as the magazine is inserted into the magazine well and released therefrom.
(14) FIG. 4 A illustrates a fragmentary sectional view of the magazine and magazine well of FIG. 1 B enlarged and rotated clockwise ninety degrees about a vertical axis. FIG. 4 A shows that, when the magazine is initially inserted into the magazine well, the safety latch of the magazine catch does not contact the magazine and does not engage with the magazine keeper. In this configuration, the magazine is not secured within the magazine well and ammunition within the magazine is not employable by the firearm.
(15) FIG. 4 B illustrates a fragmentary sectional view of the magazine of FIG. 4 A after the magazine has been further inserted into the magazine well. FIG. 4 B shows that, when the magazine is further inserted into the magazine well, the safety latch of the magazine catch contacts the magazine but does not engage with the magazine keeper. In this configuration, the magazine is not secured within the magazine well and ammunition within the magazine is not employable by the firearm.
(16) FIG. 4 C illustrates a fragmentary sectional view of the magazine of FIG. 4 B after the magazine has been yet further inserted into the magazine well. In FIG. 4 C the safety latch of the magazine catch has engaged the magazine keeper, but the primary latch has not engaged the magazine keeper. In this configuration, the magazine is secured within the magazine well, but ammunition within the magazine is not employable by the firearm.
(17) FIG. 4 D illustrates a fragmentary sectional view of the magazine of FIG. 4 C after the magazine has been fully inserted into the magazine well. In FIG. 4 D the primary latch of the magazine catch has engaged the magazine keeper. In this configuration, the magazine is secured within the magazine well and ammunition within the magazine is employable by the firearm.
(18) FIG. 4 E illustrates a fragmentary sectional view of the magazine of FIG. 4 D after the magazine has been released from the magazine well. In FIG. 4 E, the user has disengaged the primary latch of the magazine catch from the magazine keeper by depressing the magazine release button. In this configuration, the magazine is ejected from the magazine well by the action of gravity.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(19) A generic process for loading a magazine (4) into the magazine well (10) of a firearm (2) and releasing it therefrom is illustrated in FIGS. 1 A-D. Initially, the firearm (2) has no magazine (4), as illustrated in FIG. 1 A. Then, the user begins to insert the magazine (4) into the cavity (12) defined by a magazine well (10), as illustrated in FIG. 1 B. The user then fully inserts the magazine (4) into the magazine well (10) by giving the magazine (4) a forceful push to engage the magazine (4) to the firearm (2) for the purpose of supplying ammunition to the firearm (2). As illustrated in FIG. 1 C, the user is sometimes uncertain at this stage whether or not the magazine (4) is secure within the magazine well (10) and the ammunition therein is employable by the firearm (2). If the magazine (4) is not secure within the magazine well (10) at this stage, there is a risk that the magazine (4) can spontaneously fall from the magazine well (10). It is the purpose of the present invention to reduce that risk. Once the magazine (4) is engaged to the firearm (2), it may then be ejected by the user from the magazine well (10) by pressing the magazine release button (20), as illustrated in FIG. 1 D.
(20) The use of the safety latch (22) for securing the magazine (4) within the magazine well (10) during the magazine (4) insertion and release processes is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 3 A-D and FIGS. 4 A-E. When the magazine (4) is initially inserted into the magazine well (10), the safety latch (22) of the magazine catch (14) contacts the magazine (4), but does not engage with the magazine keeper (6), as illustrated in FIGS. 3 B and 4 B. In this configuration, the magazine (4) is not secured within the magazine well (10) and ammunition within the magazine (4) is not employable by the firearm (2). After the magazine (4) has been further inserted into the magazine well (10), the safety latch (22) of the magazine catch (14) engages the magazine keeper (6), as illustrated in FIGS. 3 C and 4 C. In this configuration, the primary latch (16) does not engage the magazine keeper (6). In this configuration, the magazine (4) is secured within the magazine well (10), but ammunition within the magazine (4) is not employable by the firearm (2). After the magazine (4) has been fully inserted into the magazine well (10), the primary latch (16) of the magazine catch (14) engages the magazine keeper (6), as illustrated in FIGS. 3 D and 4 D. In this configuration, the magazine (4) is secured within the magazine well (10) and ammunition within the magazine (4) is employable by the firearm (2).
(21) Depressing the magazine release button (20) causes both the primary latch (16) and safety latch (22) to decouple from the magazine keeper (6) and disengage the magazine (4) from the magazine well (10), as illustrated in FIG. 4 E. In this configuration, the magazine (4) is ejected from the magazine well (10) by the action of gravity.
(22) An exploded view of the magazine catch (14) to which the primary latch (16) and safety latch (22) are attached is illustrated in FIG. 2 A. The magazine catch (14) is incorporated into the receiver (8) and includes a catch spring (18) for biasing the catch (14) and a magazine release button (20) for counteracting the spring (18) and reversing the bias of the catch (14). An enlarge view of the primary latch (16) and safety latch (22) are illustrated in FIG. 2 B. The safety latch (22) is located below the primary latch (16) on the catch (14) and protrudes further from the catch (14) than does the primary latch (16). The location and extra height of the safety latch (22) allows the safety latch (22) to couple with the magazine keeper (6) when the magazine (4) is not fully inserted into the magazine well (10) for securing the magazine (4) therein.
