Firearms – Safety mechanism – Hammer or firing pin
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-16
2002-09-03
Johnson, Stephen M. (Department: 3641)
Firearms
Safety mechanism
Hammer or firing pin
C042S070010, C042S070060, C042S070110, C042S066000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06442880
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to firearms with locking devices which automatically re-lock the firearm. More particularly, it concerns control of such devices. Such control typically comprises electronic circuitry, one example being a microprocessor.
Sandia National Laboratories Smart Gun Technology Project final report, February, 1996 listed multiple technologies for firearm locking and unlocking. The report was commissioned because of the perceived need to protect police officers against their own guns in take-away situations. Firearms with the highest ranked automatic re-locking technologies or mechanisms included those with radio frequency, magnetic ring control, and finger print recognition. Firearms which automatically re-lock after a grip is released, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,431 to Allan et al, were not evaluated. Firearms that automatically relock due to timing mechanism were not mentioned.
Locking devices built into firearms typically are intended to prevent accidental or unauthorized firing, as by a child or others. Firearm manufacturers and gun safety experts commonly recommend that guns be locked and separated from ammunition. In spite of these recommendations, it is believed that many guns are purchased for personal defense at the home, and kept loaded in a convenient place, potentially accessible by children and other unauthorized parties. Firearm safety devices, such as trigger locks may be added to firearms after purchase to prevent unauthorized use. A recent survey indicated nearly 7 million American households keep at least one unlocked, loaded gun in the home.
A loaded firearm maintained in the home with a trigger lock preventing unauthorized use that creates several problems. A quick response is questionable since a key typically must be located and inserted into the lock, possibly in the dark. The safety offered by a conventional trigger lock is questionable to the user, who wants quick response as well as prevention of unauthorized use.
A child who can locate a locked gun, likely can also locate a hidden key. If instead of a key a combination trigger lock is used, a flashlight and or eyeglasses may be needed, thus slowing a quick response and reducing the number of people willing to use this type of lock. Alternatively, a push button mechanical combination lock may be permanently added to gun. Potentially a gun thus equipped could be operated in the dark by feel, which is an advantage over conventional trigger locks. Such devices, however, have several drawbacks. For example, a gun with a sophisticated looking locking device that doesn't automatically re-lock itself is potentially more dangerous to a child or to an unauthorized person than a gun without locking capability. This is because a gun with a sophisticated looking locking device may be assumed to be locked when it isn't. Moreover, a simple mechanical lock's push button combination on a gun may be relatively easy to break, because mechanical locks have no lock-out capability for repeated incorrect tries, and there is no requirement that push buttons be pushed in order. Thus through experimentation a great number of simple combinations could be tried by a curious child.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,431 to Allan disclosed mechanism to overcome the automatic re-locking problem for handguns typically kept in the home for defense. Allan disclosed a pressure-sensitive safety-grip bar which automatically put the gun back in safety mode if dropped, put down, or taken away by force. There is need, as during law enforcement, hunting and target shooting, to overcome the impracticality of locking the firearm every time the gun in put down. For safety, there is a need for firearms to be locked automatically after use, so that the owner, family members and society may be secure in the knowledge that the firearm has not inadvertently been left unlocked.
Certain guns have manual safeties which are used by experienced gun owners to prevent accidental discharge; however, they are faulty if used to prevent accidents by children and unauthorized individuals, because anyone can switch the safety to “OFF”. Other popular guns have no manual safeties. There is need for guns which can be enabled in less than two seconds by an owner, and having safeties which automatically switch “ON” and which cannot be switched “OFF” by children, or unauthorized individuals. Further, devices having solenoids for blocking trigger mechanisms or for preventing hammer movement, typically are faulty and lack the unusual combinations or features, functions and results as are now afforded by the present invention, and which uniquely meets the needs of the user and society, as will appear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a major object of the invention to provide solutions to the user's and society's needs, as referred to. For example, it is a purpose of the invention to provide for an improved firearm for its owner, the owner's family, and society. The invention provides an improved gun meeting one or more of the following objectives:
1. To provide a firearm that automatically re-locks itself if dropped or taken away, so as to prevent the firearm being used against the owner;
2. To provide a firearm that can be quickly and reliably unlocked for a reasonable period of use, for example for ten hours for law enforcement or hunting, and which then automatically re-locks itself;
3. To provide a firearm with motor assisted, electronic circuitry controlled, automatic re-locking;
4. To provide a firearm with an improved ergonomic construction-pressure sensitive safety, having a minimum of two positions for user determination, by feel, whether the safety is extended in the safety-ON mode, or in the retracted safety-OFF mode, so that the user does not need to determine, visually, the firearm safety's status;
5. To provide a firearm trigger lock mechanism that prevents the trigger from being pulled from its forward position, as for firearms with push button combination locks, hand characteristic scanning or other personalized gun safety technologies;
6. To provide a firearm hammer block mechanism that prevents the hammer from firing the gun, when the firearm's safety is in its ON position, for firearms with push button combination locks, hand characteristic scanning, or other personalized gun safety technologies;
7. To provide a firearm transfer bar mechanism that prevents the hammer from firing the gun when the firearm's safety is in its ON position, for firearms with push button combination locks, hand characteristic scanning, or other personalized gun safety technologies;
8. To provide a firearm with a motor positioned safety, which is connected to one or more of the following:
i) a trigger lock
ii) a hammer block
iii) a transfer bar
iv) a gun cable lock.
9. To provide a firearm with an easy to use, push-button electronic circuitry controlled combination lock, for quick and reliable use;
10. To provide a firearm with internal electronic circuitry operated safety locking, including a pressure sensitive safety, which can be used both to operate a laser sight and unlock the firearm when a safety part is retracted;
11. To provide a semi-automatic handgun with a module containing one or more of the following: push buttons, a electronic circuitry batteries, a motor, a mechanism to prevent handgun from firing.
12. To provide a firearm with a combination lock, where repeated incorrect entries will temporarily lock the locking mechanism;
13. To provide a firearm where incorrect combination lock entries are counted and reported for presentation to the firearm owner;
14. To provide firearm trigger lock and hammer block or transfer bar mechanisms, and a electronic circuitry with hand characteristic scanning capability with a multi position hand pressure sensitive safety;
15. To provide a firearm including a locking mechanism which places a conventional external safety in safe mode after a predetermined period of time;
16. To provide a firearm with improved security against theft, unauthorized u
Haefliger William W.
Johnson Stephen M.
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