Firearms – Safety mechanism – Firearm lock
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-07
2003-01-28
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3641)
Firearms
Safety mechanism
Firearm lock
C342S045000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06510642
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device for securing a firearm and a device for securing and/or storing objects, as described in the preambles of claims
1
and
48
.
Various safety devices for securing firearms against unauthorised removal and/or firing are already known. Normally, firearms are stored in locked cupboards, e.g. rifle cabinets, or in various museums or exhibitions monitored by anti-theft devices or provided with locking devices. It is already known, to activate release mechanisms for the triggering mechanism of firearms, for example via the effect of a magnetic field by rings or the like worn on the hand or on the trigger finger. The disadvantage of these devices is that locking elements, such as keys or the like, always have to be stored separately and the existing safety devices tend to be readily visually identifiable or easily circumvented by a criminal.
Furthermore, various storage devices for objects, such as, for example, steel cabinets, strongboxes, safe-deposit boxes in banks, hand magazines and the like, are already known in different safety designs with respect to antitheft and fire safety. It is also known to provide electrical and/or electronic safety systems and burglar protection systems, in particular for strongboxes or safe-deposit boxes. The disadvantage here, is that for locking and opening such strongboxes and safes or safe-deposit boxes locks with complicated keys or number codes have to be used, which are relatively easy to reconstruct or to copy, and it is fairly easy for a malicious third party, when said valuables containers or safes or safe-deposit boxes are opened, to discover how they are opened.
BRIER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of the present invention is to create a safety device for firearms which creates the possibility of contactless identification and in certain circumstances can also be used as a child safety device. Furthermore, a storage device with a safety device is developed, which creates the possibility of contactless identification and in certain circumstances can be used as a child's safety device.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,812 A, a system for safeguarding a firearm from unauthorized firing is known. Said weapon system comprises a transmission unit assigned to an authorized user of the firearm in the form of a finger ring and a receiver unit assigned to the firearm for the identification signals emitted by the transmission unit of the user. Furthermore, said system comprises a programming device, with which the transmission and receiving units can be programmed or coordinated with one another. A shot fire from the firearm is in this case only possible after a completed successful positive identification of an authorised user. Said identification is made by the receiving unit in the firearm in that the latter evaluates the signals emitted by the transmission comprising an identification number. In addition, the transmission unit of the user is assigned a switching device by means of which the transmission unit depending on the respective switching states is supplied with electrical energy from an energy source in the transmission unit. The switching device is designed in such a way that the transmission unit is only supplied with electrical energy from the energy source in the form of a battery, when the transmission unit is worn by a user, and in addition a metallic object or the firearm is seized by said user for which a metal detector is used. In addition the receiving unit in the weapon is assigned an energy source which depending on a safety switch on the shot gun supplies the electric components of the receiving unit with electrical energy. It is disadvantageous here that the mechanical switch devices assigned to the receiving unit and the transmission unit for the controlled energy supply to the transmission unit and the receiving unit naturally possess a certain lack of switch safety. The correct switching function of the two switch devices cannot be ensured for example because of oxidation of the switch contacts on the finger ring or the switch contacts connected in series of the metal detector. In addition by means of the manually operated switching device for the receiving unit in the weapon incorrect operations cannot be excluded. A serious consequence of this is that the firearm is not ready for use in an unforeseen emergency situation, whereby the acceptance of such a device is unlikely.
From DE 44 46 020 A1 a device for the controlled release of a shot is known, in which between an authorised user and a weapon a transmitter-receiver system is set up. In particular, a transmitter is assigned to the authorised user and a receiver attached to the weapon to be safeguarded. The function of the weapon is here only released if a predeterminable maximum distance between the weapon and the authorised user is not exceeded and the weapon is arranged in a suitable position relative to the authorised user. For determining the distance between the weapon and the authorised user said system comprises a device, by means of which the distance and the spatial position of the weapon relative to the authorised user is continually measured. The transmitter and receiver after the activation of the system are continually in contact and continually check the actual distance. The activation or free switching of the transmitter-receiver system can here also be performed by a far remote service point or authority or even by the authorised user himself by using a PIN, a credit card, a chip or plug. A disadvantage here is that the device for the continual monitoring of the distance between the transmitter and receiver or for monitoring the position of the weapon can fail or detect false measurements, and these can then lead to an incorrect control of the weapon. As a result of this the authorised user is refused the use of the firearm in many cases used for personal protection and such a system is unlikely to be popular.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,114 A a safety device against unauthorised firearm use is known, which comprises a transmission unit arranged in an arm band of an authorised user and a receiving unit interacting with said transmission unit in the firearm to be protected. The transmission unit is here designed to emit coded radio signals and by means of a switch to be operated manually by the user can be supplied with electrical energy by a rechargeable battery in the transmission unit, so that a corresponding radio signal can be emitted by the transmitter. With every switching off of the power supply by the switching means activated as necessary, the transmission unit and the assigned reception unit has to be recoded or readjusted. This coding is performed by a coding device designed as a separate component by which also the batteries of the transmission unit and the reception unit can be recharged. It is a disadvantage here that with an early or unforeseen discharge of the battery in the transmission unit the shot release is no longer possible and a reprogramming or readjustment of the assigned transmission and/or receiving unit has to be performed by the coding device, in order to reobtain a live or ready-to-fire weapon. A further disadvantage of this battery-buffered transmission unit is that the operating readiness of the system is dependent on the charged state of the battery.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,232 A an additional safety device is known for preventing unauthorised firing. Here preferably the hand surface of the fingers of the authorised user is assigned an identification means a kind of permanent magnetic code or a barcode. Said identification in the region of the hand surface of the user or even on a glove can be scanned by a suitable reading unit in the region of the handle of the weapon. On the coinciding of the read identification with a given identification the firing is permitted, in that an electromagnet in the weapon is charged with electrical energy from a battery. The disadvantage in this case is that the permanent magnetic means providing the identification or g
Buckley Denise J
Carone Michael J.
Collard & Roe P.C.
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