EP2598823A1

EP2598823A1 - Device for connecting a firearm to a support

Info

Publication number: EP2598823A1
Application number: EP11728394.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Massimo Luca Bonifacio; Carlo Alberto Graziani
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-06-11
Filing date: 2011-05-11
Publication date: 2013-06-05
Also published as: WO2011154858A1; ITBO20100062U1

Abstract

A connecting device of an arm, in particular a firearm (1), especially a pistol or the like, to a support for the arm, in particular a holster for housing the arm, preferably associable to a body of a user of the firearm, comprises means (CF) for activating safety means (CP) when the arm (1) is associated to the support means (3), and for deactivating the said safety means (CP) when the arm (1) is deassociated, in particular distanced, from the support means (3).

Description

DEVICE FOR CONNECTING A FIREARM TO A SUPPORT

Description

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a connective device for a firearm to a support for the arm, in particular to a holster for housing said arm. Prior Art

In the prior art, the need is generally felt to guarantee greater safety in relation to the use of firearms, both during routine operations for the personnel using said arms, and for the state of non-use, when the arm is not to be used, but still has to be in a safety condition for the users themselves or for any possible third parties.

Specifically, there is a need to transport and store the arm in total safety and security, so that any possible undesired triggering of the arm is prevented, whether during transport of the arm directly carried by the operator or in a case of transport of the arm in containers, even on board means of transport, and also including where the arm is left in a store, at the workplace or at home.

There is also a need to increase the level of safety against risk to security operators on duty, by increasing the efficiency and rapidity of use of the arm, while in particular guaranteeing the possibility of an especially rapid use at a moment when it is necessary to draw the arm and use it in self-defence against an imminent menace.

Summary of the invention

The present invention discloses a novel and alternative solution to those of known type and in particular it aims to obviate one or more of the drawbacks or problems referred-to above, and/or to satisfy one or more of the needs mentioned herein above.

A connecting device is therefore provided for an arm, in particular a firearm, especially a pistol or the like, to a support, in particular a holster for housing said arm, wherein said firearm exhibits safety means, activatable and deactivatable, for preventing a shot being fired, in particular a bullet, by said arm. The support for the arm is preferably associable to the body of the firearm user, and the device is characterised in that it comprises, on the support means, activating means of the said safety means of the arm when the arm is associated to the support means.

In this way a secure activation and maintaining of said activation of the safety means is obtained and involuntary firing of the arm in stored or rest condition is prevented.

Also provided is a connecting device of an arm, in particular a firearm, especially a pistol or the like, to a support for the arm, in particular a holster for housing said arm, wherein said firearm exhibits safety means, activatable and deactivatable, for preventing a firing, in particular a shooting of a corresponding bullet by said arm; the support of said arm being preferably associable to the body of the firearm user; the device being characterised in that it comprises deactivating means of the said safety means when the arm is deassociated, in particular distanced, from the support.

In this way, by simple extraction of the arm a ready deactivation of the safety means is obtained. The user is immediately ready to use the arm in his own defence should he find himself in a situation of immediate danger.

Also provided is a connecting device of a firearm, in particular a pistol, to a support for the arm, in particular a holster for housing said arm, characterised in that it comprises hooking means situated on the arm and suitable for hooking retaining means, located on the support, such as to obtain fastening of the arm to the support, when said hooking means engage the said retaining means; the device further comprising command means that are operatively connected to the hooking means such as to command release of the retaining means by the said hooking means when said command means are operated by the user of the arm on removing the arm from the support.

In practice, in this way the arm is retained securely in the respective support and can be extracted rapidly by the user of the arm, who, on extracting the arm, can act on the unblocking command of the hooking means and, with a single movement, can grip the arm such as to extract it and unhook the fastening mechanism of the support arm. The present invention also concerns an advantageous arm, in particular a firearm, especially a pistol or the like, comprising, or supporting, corresponding components or means of the present connecting device.

The present invention further concerns an advantageous support for an arm, in particular a holster for housing said arm, comprising, or supporting, corresponding components or means of the present connecting device.

Brief description of the drawings

This and other innovative aspects of the present device are, however, set out in the claims appended hereto, the technical characteristics of which can be observed, together with the corresponding advantages obtained, in the following detailed description, which illustrates preferred and advantageous embodiments, given purely by way of non-limiting example, of preferred embodiments of the invention; said description being made with reference to the accompanying figures of the drawings, in which:

figure 1 illustrates a lateral schematic view showing a pistol out of the holster, with the holster illustrated in a broken line;

figure lb illustrates a lateral schematic view, similar to the view of figure 1, showing a piston which has just fired a shot;

- figure 2 illustrates a lateral schematic view of a pistol in a holster;

figure 2b illustrates a lateral schematic view similar to the view of figure 2, and relating to a second embodiment of a pistol having a lever-operated safety grip;

figure 3 illustrates a step of separating the pistol from the holster;

- figure 3b illustrates a lateral schematic view similar to the view of figure 3, and relating to the second embodiment of the pistol having a lever-operated safety grip;

figure 4 illustrates a lateral schematic view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;

- figure 5 illustrates a lateral schematic view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention;

figure 6 illustrates a lateral schematic view of a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention;

figure 7 illustrates a lateral schematic view of a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention. Description of the preferred embodiments of the invention

In the appended figures, a preferred realisation is illustrated of a connecting device of a firearm, in particular a pistol, to a support for the arm, in particular a holster for housing said arm.

The arm, whether in the version illustrated in figures 2 and 3 or the one of figures 2b and 3b, exhibits safety means, activatable and deactivatable, for preventing a firing, in particular a firing of a corresponding bullet by said arm, for disconnecting or connecting the trigger Tm from or with the hammer, or the percussion organ 2.

The present device is provided on support means 3 of said arm, preferably in the form of a holster (more fully described herein below) which are, preferably, associable to a body of a user of the firearm, using suitable means, not illustrated in the accompanying figures.

In particular, the safety means, which are normally provided in firearms at present in use, comprise a lever mechanism, which disconnects (and reconnects at the moment of use of the arm) the trigger Tm from the hammer 2, and which exhibits a respective command organ CP, schematically illustrated in the accompanying figures.

The present device advantageously comprises means CF for activating the said safety means CP, when the arm 1 is associated to the support means 3 and in the rest condition.

The device further advantageously comprises deactivating means CF of the said safety means CP, respectively when the arm 1 is deassociated, in particular distanced, from the support means 3, and such that said arm is placed into a condition in which it can immediately be fired.

In practice, the present device advantageously comprises activating and deactivating means CF of the said safety means CP.

As illustrated, and advantageously, the activating and/or deactivating means CF of are supported on the said support means 3 of the arm.

The activating and/or deactivating means CF advantageously comprise an engaging element of a command element CP of the safety means.

In particular, the support means 3 of the arm comprise a hollow body, or holster 3a for housing the arm 1, exhibiting an internal surface 3b for engaging and retaining the body of the said pistol by friction force. The activating and/or deactivating means CF extend internally of the hollow body 3 a for housing the arm, extending from the internal surface of said holster and advantageously define retaining means of the arm in the holster, and, advantageously, define retaining means of the arm in the holster, in particular defining a bilateral engagement of the command element CP.

In particular, said activating and/or deactivating means CF define releasable retaining means on the act of, or during, extraction of the arm from the holster.

The activation and/or deactivation means further and advantageously comprise an engaging end CF, releasably grippable, of the safety means supported on a flexible element 4, thanks to which said engaging end enables extraction of the arm and is active such as to efficiently operate on the activating element CP of the safety means.

The engaging end CF advantageously comprises a first and a second engaging tooth 4a, 4b, which are destined to engage bilaterally with the element CP.

In greater detail, the figures illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, for a common pistol.

As illustrated in said figure 1 , the pistol 1 is constituted by a main fixed structure denoted by reference A, a slide, denoted by reference number C, a trigger Tm, a trigger bar Tb, a lower spring and an upper spring, a lever mechanism L, and an element destined to move the lever in the act of correctly gripping the arm, denoted by reference SG in figure 1.

Said element represented with reference SG can, in another preferred embodiment, be placed on the back of the grip, and also can be embodied by two distinct elements located one frontally and the second posteriorly. One of the two elements can be realised in such a way as to be mechanically connected to the other such that the first gives a mechanical consent to the second and the second acts as described for the above element SG.

A movement of said element represented by reference SG commands the unhooking system of the arm from the holster.

In turn, the lever mechanism L, in the enabled position, allows the trigger bar TB to move in the way imposed by the pressure exerted on the trigger, while preventing the trigger bar from engaging the firing command of the arm.

Said lever mechanism L, in another position, brings the trigger bar Tb into a more raised position, enabling it to move according to the movement imposed by the pressure exerted on the trigger, and enabling the trigger bar to engage the firing command of the arm.

Said element represented by reference SG commands, with its movement, the unhooking system of the arm from the holster.

Said unhooking system of the arm from the holster is constituted by an element which is solidly constrained to the element denoted by reference SG and which is in turn denoted by reference CP and which transmits a movement destined to disengage the blocking system, denoted by reference CF of the arm, from the holster solidly constrained thereto.

The unhooking system of the arm CP acts on one or more elements of the holster, which in the conditions in which the arm is holstered with the safety grip on, blocks the holster to the arm by means of the position of the element denoted with reference CP which is engaged in hooking elements (male teeth or female holes) present on the arm.

Said unhooking system can have a combination or key blocking system on the arm or the holster, which prevents the extraction of the arm even by acting on the element SG.

Other elements on the holster will be suitable, in further preferred embodiments of the invention, for engaging further safety grips present on the arm. In one of the preferred embodiments the holster will have suitable mechanisms or levers predisposed for freeing up or engaging the safety grip of the arm during the action, respectively, of extraction from the holster or insertion into the holster.

In practice, an innovative solution is provided for the portability and ease of extraction of arms.

The present solution combines safety of transport in the holster and rapidity and safety of drawing the arm from the holster.

In practice, the device is provided, advantageously, at or mounted thereon, a support frame-holster, which engages a pistol in one or more points, blocking it in the above-said frame-holster, with a corresponding modification of the state of safety of the arm.

The present device defines an optimal solution for safety during transport, as the accidental unhooking of the arm is prevented.

Further, the extraction can be done particularly easily and rapidly from the holster, without having to act on any other element thereof for unhooking the arm.

Since the support frame interacts with the arm, and, beyond blocking the arm in the holster, activates the safety grips of the arm itself, the arm can be transported with the bullet loaded in the breech, with predisposition to shooting in a single action though remaining in absolute safety; only on extraction of the arm from the holster can the safety grips of the arm be deactivated.

There can also be comprised the use of a further safety organ, advantageous for reasons of its simplicity and marketable as a separate accessory for each type of pistol from among those at present available, which is constituted by a wheel which is provided in the body of the grip at the lateral flank of the pistol handle.

The wheel is such as to perform the function of the above-mentioned lever mechanism L, dispensing with the element SG illustrated herein above. In practice, a pin, or small cylinder, is comprised, which crosses the lateral grip of the handle and projects or opens into the grip, defining a wheel operable to rotate by an engaging notch provided in said projecting end of the small cylinder. Said operation to rotate can be performed by a simple coin or a special tool. This small cylinder exhibits a corresponding cam surface, internal of the grip, which operates the trigger bar TB, displacing it upwards (such as to enable a shot to be fired) or downwards (placing the arm in a condition of safety, with the trigger moving to no effect).

According to the accompanying figures from 4 to 6, further preferred embodiments of the connecting device of a firearm 10, in particular a pistol, to a support of the arm 11 , in particular to a holster for housing the arm, comprise hooking means 12 which are situated or supported on the arm 10 and are destined to hook the retaining means 14 which are in turn situated or supported on the support 11, such as to obtain fastening of the arm 10 to the support 11 when said hooking means 12 engage the said retaining means 14.

The present device further comprises command means 16, operatively connected, via a special transmission means provided on the arm and denoted by reference numeral 18 in the embodiments of figures 1 and 2, to the hooking means 12 for commanding release of the retaining means 14 by the hooking means 12, when said command means 16 are operated by the user of the arm on removal of the arm from the support 11.

In a particularly advantageous aspect, said command means 16 are located at the handle 10a of the arm 10. In this way, when the user grips the arm he can particularly easily activate the command 16 with especial ease and rapidity of operation.

Further, in a further and particularly advantageous aspect, the said command means 16 are constituted by an operation organ of a safety grip of the arm. In particular, said command means 16 are constituted by the operation organ of the safety grip, present on a majority of the arms at present on the market or in use.

In practice, by acting on the safety grip on extracting the arm, the user further simultaneously disengages the arm from the support, thus achieving an extraction with the arm in a condition that is practically ready to fire.

The said hooking means on the arm are advantageously in the form of a female organ 12 which is destined to insert on a male organ 14 defining the said engaging means of the support, or vice versa. In this way, a connecting device is obtained that is easy and secure in use, and which in no way obstructs normal use of the arm.

Further, the device can be realised in the ways that are illustrated herein below, wherein the hooking means 12 have further been called using the term "actuator", the retaining means 14 have also been known by the term "male on the holster" (see enclosed figures), the command means 16 are also known by the term "command" and the transmission means 18 are also known by the simple term "transmission".

The present device is also applicable to revolvers (as illustrated in figure

5).

With the present device, the disengaging commands of the arm from the support are advantageously provided on the arm, and preferably and advantageously on the handle.

Overall, the device enables uniting the arm to the support, enabling secure transport and eliminating the possibility of accidental unhooking, and enables disengaging of the arm from the support such as to enable extraction of the arm, by a command operable in particular on the handle of the arm.

Thanks to the present device, the union between the arm and support is thus resettable at the moment of the insertion of the arm into the above-mentioned housing, automatically by simply engaging the retaining means or possibly with a further operation of a specific command, or consent. It would also be possible to produce a further piloting of the safety grips by the unhooking command, with a further advantage in the interest of a ready operability or use of the arm extracted from the support.

The present device (with a suitable holster) can be marketed separately and mounted on the arm, or it can be already mounted on the arm, as realised by the producer company of the arm. An arm could also be comprised which is made already predisposed for mounting of the present device, to be done later by the arm's user.

The command 16, or control element of the unhooking by the operator, can be in the form of a mechanical command, or an electrical or electronic command, or a combination thereof, and is located on the handle of the arm, i.e. in an ergonomic position on the arm, commanding the hooking and/or the unhooking of the arm in its housing (holster or another support). As mentioned above, the re- hooking is preferably automatic and might, however, also be controlled by a consent, for example provided by the command 16, which in this case would also command the re-hooking of the arm in its housing.

The transmission 18 is an element which transmits the command to the hooking organ, or actuator, 12 and might be completely absent if the safety grip of the arm directly constitutes the actuator 12.

The transmission 18 can be realised by a tie rod, a pusher, a desmodromic device (strut and tie) or by an electrical connection.

In turn, the actuator (also known as the hooking organ) can be positioned in an breech zone (also called the grip end), on the grips, or in the firing zone, on the slide for accessories (known in the sector by the technical term accessory rail in the standard picatinny or waver or 11mm).

The actuator (also known as the hooking organ) can also be positioned on the frame, or on the trigger guard or slide or upper part of the frame of the arm (in the case of a revolver).

In practice, in a further preferred embodiment, the firing system (or firing chain) is kept in ready position (commonly known as "single-action firing"). For example, in semi-automatic models and in particular some models produced by the company Beretta, on inserting the safety grips the hammer (an element in the firing chain) is uncocked, while with the present device, during the act of extracting the pistol the gun can be cocked.

The present device can however be realised in a multiplicity of applicative forms.

The unhooking command 16 can be located on the safety grip, i.e. in a frontal position on the grip (in the drum position), or in a position that is rear of the grip, i.e. in part in the front position and in part in the rear position to the grip.

In turn, the block 12 of the arm to the holster can be located "directly" on the safety grip, or on the drum (in particular on the trigger guard and/or on the accessory rail, which is ever-more widespread and is realised in various size standards and various shapes by arms manufacturers and is generally positioned on the drum in proximity of the mouth, or on the grips, on the slide, or in different positions.

Further, the transmission organs 18 of the unblocking command can be mechanical, electro-mechanical, magnetic or combinations thereof and can be defined by a respective tie rod or strut (for example in the form of wires or with elements of various section for supporting traction and/or thrust), or can be in the form of a lever mechanism, a gearing, or a sliding organ, or a combination thereof.

The hooking/unhooking of the organ 12 from the organ 14 can occur by simple engagement/disengagement (for example by means of a catch ), by modification of the geometry, with a click mechanism, or another method.

The present device can also operate on safety grips or elements of the firing chain which are appropriately engaged/disengaged (for example by operating on the hammer, on the percussion organ, the trigger, and others) or by acting to block the elements required to carry out a firing action, or by modifying or interrupting the kinematic chain of the firing action.

The present device is also used in arms which are not worn, such as, for example, arms carried on board means or vehicles.

Further, the arm 10 extracted from the present holster 11 can be placed in another holster or transport element (such as a case, a bag or a housing of any type).

The present device can be provided with further safety elements and/or blocking elements of a conventional type - second level safety grips - substantially of known type and constituted for example by belts, laces, strips, straps, automatic buttons, combined systems, combination blocks and more besides.

The unblocking system (safety grip and its organs) can be advantageously realised so as to be: ON (if not gripped it will not fire), which is always active even after extraction (for example in the form of a system of springs which keeps the safety grip in the same configuration as the arm in the holster) or which prevents firing if not correctly held, by appropriately piloting the safety grips and/or the firing chain; or

ON/OFF (once taken out the arm blocks - OFF position - for example it remains adherent to the grip and is made ready to fire - ON position - when the arm is re-inserted in the holsters, or the unhooking alone is sufficient to pilot the safety grips and the firing chain only during extraction and insertion movements).

Further, in the preferred embodiments illustrated herein, a disengaging system of the arm from the support can be obtained in the reverse configuration.

In practice, with the device, for semi-automatic models, an ergonomic motion obtains both the removal from the holster with an unblocking of the arm from the holster, as already described, and the insertion of the bullet into the barrel. Thus, in the preferred embodiments illustrated in figures 1 , 2, 4, the arm can be inserted in the opposite direction to the extraction thereof, or in the same direction as the extraction. Typically, when on a belt, the arm is inserted in a downwards direction and extracted in an upwards direction. In the reverse position, insertion can be done from above in a downwards direction or from below in an upwards direction, with the extraction being done downwards, with the bullet being jacked into the barrel by means of the slide movement (as is often done using two hands by moving the slide on the drum towards the hand gripping the arm).

The invention as it is conceived is obviously susceptible to industrial application. A person skilled in the art might make numerous variations and/or modifications to the illustrated invention in the specific preferred embodiment without its forsaking the inventive concept as clearly expressed herein. In particular, the person skilled in the art might easily imagine further preferred embodiments of the invention which comprise one or more of the above-indicated characteristics. All the details may be replaced by others that are technically equivalent.

Claims

1. A device for connecting an arm, in particular a firearm (1), especially a pistol or the like, to a support for the arm, in particular a holster for housing said arm, wherein said firearm exhibits safety means (CP), activatable and deactivatable, for preventing a shot being fired, in particular a corresponding bullet, by said arm, and the support for the arm is preferably associable to the body of the firearm user; the device being characterised in that it comprises, on the support means (3), activating means (CF) of said safety means (CP) of the arm when the arm (1) is associated to the support means (3).

2. The device according to claim 1, or according to the preamble of claim 1, characterised in that it comprises deactivating means (CF) of the said safety means (CP) when the arm (1) is deassociated, in particular distanced, from the support means (3).

3. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said activating and/or deactivating means (CF) are supported on the said support means (3) of the arm.

4. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said activating and/or deactivating means (CF) comprise an engaging element of a command element (CP) of the safety means.

5. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said support means (3) of the arm comprise a hollow body (3a) for housing the arm (1), exhibiting an internal engaging surface (3b) of a body of the said pistol; said activating and/or deactivating means (CF) extending internally of the said hollow body (3a) for housing the arm.

6. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said activating and/or deactivating means (CF) define retaining means of the arm in the holster.

7. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said activating and/or deactivating means (CF) define retaining means that are releasable on extracting the arm from the holster.

8. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said activating and/or deactivating means (CF) comprise an engaging end of the safety means supported on an elongate element (4).

9. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said activating and/or deactivating means (CF) comprise a first and a second engaging tooth (4a, 4b) which are suitable for bilaterally engaging the safety element (CP).

10. The device according to any one of the preceding claims or according to the preamble of claim 1, characterised in that it comprises hooking means (12) situated on the arm (10) and suitable for hooking retaining means (14), located on the support (11), such as to obtain fastening of the arm (10) to the support (1 1), when said engaging means (12) engage the said retaining means (14); the device further comprising command means (16) that are operatively connected to the hooking means (12) such as to command release of the retaining means (14) by the hooking means (12) when said command means (16) are operated by the user of the arm on removing the arm from the support.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterised in that said command means (16) are at the handle (10a) of the arm (10).

12. The device according to any one of the preceding claims 10 and 1 1, characterised in that said command means (16) are constituted by an operation organ of a safety grip of the arm.

13. The device according to any one of the preceding claims 10 to 12, characterised in that said command means (16) are constituted by the operation organ of the safety grip.

14. The device according to any one of the preceding claims 10 to 13, characterised in that said hooking means on the arm are a female organ (12) which is destined to insert on a male organ (14) defining the said hooking means on the support, or vice versa.

15. An arm, in particular a firearm (1), especially a pistol or the like, characterised in that it comprises, or supports, corresponding components, or means, of a connecting device as set out in the corresponding preceding claims.

16. A support for an arm, in particular a holster or housing of said arm, characterised in that it comprises, or supports, corresponding components, or means, of a connecting device as set out in the corresponding preceding claims from 1 to 14.

17. A device, arm, support or holster, characterised in that it is as set out in any one of the corresponding preceding claims and/or according to what is described and illustrated with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings.