Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Adapter component
The invention relates to an adapter component for the
accommodation of add-on components for a weapon. Such an
adapter component serves as an intermediate carrier for the
attachment of add-on devices such as (night) aiming
devices, lighting systems, bipods, mortars, sights, or
similar on firearms and, in particular, on semi-automatic
or automatic firearms.
Direction specifications such as front, rear, above, below,
right, and left are indicated from the view of a marksman
that properly holds the weapon in the firing position. In
the following also elements which connect other weapon
components (e.g., barrel) with the actual weapon housing
are regarded as a weapon housing component. For example, a
barrel nut is thus also regarded as a weapon housing
component.
From EP 0 082 257 a slotted ring is known on which optical
add-on devices can be attached via a carrier. The ring
thereby surrounds the weapon tube and is for the fastening
directly clamped on the weapon tube. From WO 2004/085950 an
adapter is known that surrounds as a collar a sleeve that
surrounds the barrel. Said adapter is thereby form-closed
fixed by means of a locking element that engages in a ring
construction on the sleeve and is secured against twisting
by means of a construction that engages in a complementary
counter construction on the weapon. US 6,671,990 B1 shows a
tube shaped frame that is screwed with an adapter ring that
is fixed on the housing.
The direct attachment on the barrel brings the risk that
all deformations and thermal loads of the barrel are
directly transferred to the adapter element. This can
negatively influence the shot precision, in particular when
sight devices are attached to the adapter element.
The positive coupling to a sleeve that surrounds the barrel
creates a decoupling of the barrel and adapter and thereby
of the add-on devices, but it imposes high requirements.
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The adapter component is thereby equipped with multiple
coupling jaw segments on which always an inner surface
region is constructed that always, at least partly, touches
the outer surface region of the weapon housing component.
In this design it is, e.g., possible to provide the weapon
housing component with a cylindrical outer surface whereas
the inner surface region of the coupling jaw segments are
made more or less flat. In this case there is line contact
between the inner surface regions and the outer surface
region.
Claim 2 concerns a design in which the weapon housing
component is constructed as a sleeve that fixes the barrel
in the weapon housing. Such a sleeve or barrel nut serves
as a very good basis for the fixation of the adapter
element with respect to the barrel.
The adapter component is designed as a prism in the
direction of the axis of the gun in the further development
according to claim 3. The adapter component can be realized
because of this with such a length that it can also accept
add-on components that require a correspondingly long guide
parallel to the axis, e.g., sight devices, or it is
possible to build the adapter component as a hand guard
which to a large extent surrounds the barrel in the front
region of the weapon. An especially intimate coupling
between the adapter component and the weapon housing
component is possible according to claim 4 when the outer
surface and the inner surface of the coupling jaw segment
are always realized as cylinders and correspond to each
other. Cylindrical surfaces can be easily manufactured and
guarantee a large surface coupling of the elements.
Claims 5-9 concern the design of the adapter component, the
clamping element as well as their cooperation. According to
claim 5 thereby always elastic or articulated connection
structures are provided between adjacent coupling jaw
segments
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which permit the elastic deformation of the adapter
component for the coupling. With it the coupling jaw
segments can constructed to be relatively stable, so that
high surface pressures between the inner surfaces of the
coupling jaw segments and the outer surface of the sleeve
can be built up. At the same time, they are mobile with
respect to each other because of the connection structure
in such a way that the adapter component can adjust with
the desired tolerances to the circumference of the sleeve.
The design of the connection structure according to claim 6
has the advantage that the channels that are open to the
gun axis can be constructed in such a way that they can
accommodate other weapon elements assigned to the barrel,
e.g., a gas operated loading mechanism that extends between
the gas escape on the side of the muzzle and the breech.
The adapter component can thus also be slid from the front,
without the disassembling of elements in the muzzle region,
onto the barrel or the weapon housing component. The
clamping element acts according to claim 7 on the
connection structure. The local loads of the coupling jaw
segments are thereby reduced. The clamping element can be
designed especially simple according to claim 8 and 9,
whereby the design according to claim 9 as tightening
screw, that engages directly in a thread on the adapter
component, is in particular user friendly.
The designs according to claims 10-13 are provided for the
securing of the tightening screw against loosening and
removal. The design according to claim 11 permits thereby
the pulling out or the unscrewing of the tightening screw
while the resistance of a spring element, which prevents
unintentional or undesired loosening, is overcome, whereas
the further developments according to claim 12 and 13
prevent the undesired removal (claim 12), so that also in
use a loss of the important tightening screw can be
excluded, however, nevertheless a removal or disassembly,
for example for maintenance, is possible with a tool
according to claim 13.
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The clamping element can engage form locking in an annular
groove constructed on the weapon housing component for
additional securing of the adapter component in the axial
direction (claim 14). This additional positive joint
permits a precise axial arrangement of the adapter element
on the weapon and prevents axial slipping also in the case
of high axial loads. The adapter component is fixed in a
defined position with respect to the weapon according to
claim 15. These structures on the adapter component and on
a weapon component can be constructed in combination with
the frictional grip in such a way that a defined angular
position is defined in the assembly, however, the twisting
forces themselves are transferred via the frictional grip.
However, the addressed structures can also be designed to
have such a strength that they absorb twisting forces.
Thus, the adapter component is axially fixed with respect
to the weapon and form positively in the circumferential
direction in the design according to claim 14.
Claim 16 concerns a design of the clamping element in which
it can be operated without an additional required tool.
According to claim 17 the adapter component carries on its
outside fixation structures for the fixation of add-on
components. The adapter component can be adjusted thereby
to standardized attachment systems (Picatinny rails, etc.).
The single-piece, in particular closed, embodiment of the
adapter component according to claim 19 has manufacturing
technical and application technical advantages. The adapter
component can, for example, be manufactured from almost any
formable extruded profile and the realization with closed
cross section makes it to a large extent insusceptible to
damage. The embodiment according to claim 19 guarantees an
accurate positioning of the adapter component with respect
to the weapon in the axial direction and permits high axial
loads without that the adapter component is displaced on
the weapon. Claim 20 concerns a weapon or weapon
arrangement that comprises an adapter component according
to the invention.
An embodiment example of the present invention is now
described with the aid of the figures. They show:
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Fig. 1 a perspective view of a weapon with an adapter component
according to the invention;
Fig. 2 a perspective view of a disassembled adapter component with
the attachment elements of a weapon without adapter
component;
Fig. 3 a partly longitudinal section through a weapon with adapter
component;
Fig. 4 a cross section A-A through the weapon with adapter
component from fig. 1 and 3 in the region of the clamping
element;
Fig. 5 a perspective representation of a tightening screw for a
clamping element according to the invention.
Fig. 1 shows an adapter component 1 that is arranged in the barrel
region of the weapon 2. Fig. 2 shows the adapter component 1 with a
component of the weapon 2 from fig. 1 where the barrel 4 and a housing
component 6, to which the adapter component 1 connects in the assembled
state (see fig. 1), are represented. The barrel 4 is attached to the
housing component 6 by means of the sleeve 7. A gas-operated loading
mechanism 27 runs parallel to the barrel.
The in fig. 3 represented partly longitudinal section through the
connection region of the adapter element 1 shows the precise design: Tn
the breech region of the weapon 2 a locking member 3 is arranged into
which the barrel 4 is inserted with its cartridge bearing end 5. The
barrel 4 and locking member 3 are secured in a housing component 6 as
the sleeve 7 is screwed together with the housing component 6 by means
of a thread section B. The sleeve 7 has in the inside a shoulder 9 that
fixes, engaging on a front surface of the locking member 3, the barrel
4 arranged in the locking member 3 the in the locking member 3 arranged
barrel 4 in the housing component 6. The sleeve 7 has radial openings
for the screwing
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together in which, for example, a suitable spanner wrench can engage.
The outside of the sleeve 7 has an in essence cylindrical outer surface
11 in which a semicircular annular groove 12 is placed.
Fig. 4 shows the cross section A-A in fig. 3 and makes the design of
the adapter component 1 clear. The adapter component 1 comprises four
coupling jaw segments 13 that are elastic-articulated connected to each
other by means of radially outward pointing connection structures 14 in
the represented embodiment example. The connection structures are
always formed by two side walls 15 and a front wall 16 which each
define an approximately U-shaped channel 17.
The front wall 16 can also be provided with a hinge or replaced by such
in other embodiments (not shown). It is also possible that a front wall
16 is realized with slots so that the whole adapter component 1 can be
folded around the barrel 4 and the sleeve 7 in the case of a hinge that
is arranged opposite to the slotted front wall (not shown).
The lower connection structure 14 is penetrated by a tightening screw
18 that on one side presses with its head 19 on the edge 20 of the
boring that penetrates the side wall 15 and has on its end a thread
section 21 that engages in a corresponding thread boring in the side
wall 15 that lies opposite to it. The shaft 22 that connects the head
19 and the thread section 21 in the represented embodiment example
engages in the annular groove 12 on the sleeve 7. The axis 23 of the
tightening screw 18 runs thereby transversely to the barrel or gun axis
24 of the weapon. The adapter component 1 is thereby positively fixed
axially in the direction of the barrel or gun axis 24 of the weapon.
Both side walls 15 are pulled together at the lower connection
structure 14 during the tightening of the tightening screw 18 and press
thereby the always on the coupling jaw segments 13 constructed
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inner surface region 25 on the outer surface region 11 of the
sleeve 7. The connection structures 14 and to a lesser extent also the
coupling jaw segments 13 can thereby deform elastically and secure that
the inner surface regions 25 nestle against the outer surface region
11.
The outer surface regions 11 of the sleeve 7 and the inner surface
regions 25 of the adapter component 1 are always constructed as
cylinders and corresponding to each other. In another (not represented)
embodiment these surface regions 11, 25 can also be constructed flat
and corresponding to each other. The sleeve 7 can, for example, have an
octagonal outer cross section. The inner surface regions 25 are then
designed flat and correspondingly complementary. Such an embodiment
guarantees a torque-proof fixation of the adapter component 1 with
respect to the gun axis 24. In an additional embodiment, e.g., the
inner surface regions 25 can be realized flat whereas the outer surface
11 of the sleeve 7 is realized cylindrical or curved. The coupling
takes place via a line contact in such an embodiment. The line contacts
run thereby in the direction of the axis of the gun 24.
There are also embodiments (not represented) in which the outer surface
regions 11 are not arranged on the sleeve 7 but on a correspondingly
constructed section of the housing component 6.
Besides the elastic-articulated coupling of the coupling jaw segments
13 the connection structures 14 fulfill two additional functions.
Firstly, they carry on their outside adapter rails 26 that are here
realized as so-called Picatinny rails. However, also other suitable
adapter structures can be arranged or constructed on it. Secondly, the
U-channels that are each defined by the side walls 15 and a front wall
16 create space for additional weapon components. The gas operated
loading mechanism 27 extends here in this channel in the upper
connection structure 14. The lateral U channels 17 are here designed in
such a way
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that they here fit over the fastening eyes 28 which are arranged, for
example, on a gas escape component 29 in the muzzle region of the
barrel. That is, the adapter component 1 can in case of a disassembled
or folded in front sight 29 (see fig. 2) be pushed from the front over
the barrel muzzle onto the weapon 2 or, conversely, be removed towards
the front. The tightening screw 18 is hereto pulled out of the lower
connection structure 14 so far that it no longer engages the annular
groove 12 and releases the lower U-channel 17.
A spring element 30 is provided in the edge region 20 of the adapter
component 1 on the lower connection structure 14 in order to secure the
tightening screw 18. This spring element 30 engages in the case of a
completely inserted tightening screw 18 in a locking groove 31 that is
constructed between the head 19 and the shaft 22. The transition of the
locking groove 31 to the shaft 2 is here constructed inclined, so that
during the screwing out of the tightening screw 18 this incline deforms
the spring element 30 in such a way that it can slide on the shaft 22
and thereby deforms correspondingly. The tightening screw 18 can be
pulled further out of the adapter component 1 as soon as the thread
section 21 is not in contact with the thread boring. In order to
prevent a complete pulling out of the tightening screw an additional
locking groove 32, into which the spring element 30 falls during the
pulling out, is constructed between the thread section 21 and the shaft
22. The transition from this locking groove 32 to the thread section 21
is implemented in such a way that the spring element 30 hits a shoulder
that prevents a further pulling out of the tightening screw 18. The
tightening screw 18 is thereby captive but detachably secured in the
adapter component 1. That is, the tightening screw 18 can be pulled out
so far that the lower U-channel 17 is released and that also outside
the barrel contour arranged components (e.g., a bayonet mount) can be
led through.
The in fig. 5 represented tightening screw has on its head 19 a
knurling or toothing 33 that facilitates the unscrewing of the
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screw by hand. In addition, it has, placed in the front surface area of
the head 19, an actuating profile 34 that corresponds to a
corresponding profile on a detachable weapon component, so that a
special tool does not.have to be carried along for the loosening as
well as the fixing of the tightening screw 18, but an in any case
available weapon component, e.g., a breech or a belt holder (not shown)
can be used. The actuating profile 34 corresponds in other embodiments
to a conventional tool profile (hexagon socket, TORX, or similar).
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 show a safety nose 35 on the adapter component 1 that
is constructed in a complementary constructed clearance 36 on the upper
side of the housing component 6 of the weapon 2. The safety nose 35 and
clearance 36 fix the adapter component 1 in the circumferential
direction and in addition secure it, if necessary, against twisting.
The represented adapter component 1 has in the regions of the coupling
jaw segments 13 that lie outside the sleeve 7 clearances 37 that
improve the cooling of the barrel 4.
The'adapter coinponent'1 is in the represented embodiment example only
fixed at its end on the side of the weapon and otherwise surrounds the
barrel without contact. That is, the adapter component 1 does not
influence the shooting properties of the weapon 2 in any way. The axial
alignment of the adapter component 1 with respect to the axis of the
gun 24 is guaranteed by the frictional connection in the region of the
sleeve 7 between its outer surface region 11 and the covered inner
surface regions 25. The adapter component 1 is manufactured from one
piece in the represented embodiment example. The basic material can
thereby be, for example, a suitable extruded profile. However, there
are also embodiments in which the adapter component 1 is realized as a
multiple piece component, e.g., when two halves are connected to each
other by means of a hinge that runs in the axis direction and there is
a joint on the end that is opposite to it. However, the represented
closed cross section has the advantage that the
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adapter component 1 in this way is very insensitive to damage and thus
can be realized to be very robust.
The adapter component can also be manufactured as a casted or forged
component as well as a synthetic material injection molded component or
also from a composite material.
Additional variants and embodiment alternatives follow for the expert
in the context of the dependant protection claims.
