Firearm bipod

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10161706-B2
Application number	US-201715851681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2017
Priority date	Dec 23, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for a bipod having pivot and cant functionality built into a unified cant/pivot assembly, housing, and pivot block. Rotation of a locking knob under the housing can gradually increase or decrease friction of the cant and pivoting degrees of freedom. The legs can be stowed approximately 90° rotation from a deployed position, and locking and releasing of this rotation is made possible via depression of a button that also acts as a locking detent that directly interacts with and locks or releases the legs for rotation. In the stowed position, the button can be backdriven and thus the legs can be deployed without depressing the button. A pivot block can also be raised and rotated 180° to lock in a given pivot setting.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bipod leg deployment assembly comprising:
a housing;
a leg housing;
a leg assembly having a deployed position and a stowed position, these two positions having an arcuate separation of at least 45°;
a leg deployment pivot axis around which the leg assembly rotates when moved from the deployed position to the stowed position;
a bipod leg deployment button arranged near, but not coincident with the leg deployment pivot axis, and biased outward from the housing, the button comprising:
an elongated and cylindrical cross section split into at least two lengths, the lengths extending along a longitudinal axis of the bipod leg deployment button;
a first of the lengths being a conical frustum with sides angled from the longitudinal axis by an angle selected from the range including and extending between 0° and 30°, and at least a first diameter at a narrowest end of the conical frustum; and
a second of the lengths having a second diameter, smaller than the first diameter,
wherein the leg assembly includes at least two conical cutouts proximal the leg deployment pivot axis, and wherein the bipod leg deployment button is shaped to engage with one of these conical cutouts when the leg assembly is in the deployed position and is shaped to engage with the other of these conical cutouts when the leg assembly is in the stowed position.

2. The bipod leg deployment assembly of claim 1 , wherein the leg assembly has a curved edge maintaining a first distance from the leg deployment pivot axis, and wherein a circumference of the second length is a second distance from the leg deployment pivot axis, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance, such that the leg assembly is configured to rotate and the curved edge is configured to clear the second length when the bipod leg deployment button is depressed such that the leg assembly is aligned with the second length.

3. The bipod leg deployment assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a third length, being a conical frustum, and arranged between and forming an angled connection between the first and second lengths.

4. The bipod leg deployment assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a pivot/cant assembly pivotally coupled to a top of the housing, and comprising a firearm interface shaped to cant relative to the housing.

5. The bipod leg deployment assembly of claim 4 , wherein the pivot/cant assembly further comprises a pivot block arranged between the housing and the firearm interface and being pivotally and removably coupled to the housing.

6. The bipod leg deployment assembly of claim 1 , wherein,
when the leg assembly is in the deployed position, the bipod leg deployment button is shaped to:
in the locked state, prevent rotation of the leg assembly toward the stowed position, and
in the unlocked state, allow rotation of the leg assembly toward the stowed position;

when the leg assembly is in the stowed position, the bipod leg deployment button is shaped to,
in the locked state, prevent rotation of the leg assembly toward the deployed position when less than an unlocking threshold torque is applied to the leg assembly, and
in the locked state, allow rotation of the leg assembly toward the deployed position when the unlocking threshold torque, or more, is applied to the leg assembly.

7. A bipod leg deployment button comprising:
an elongated and cylindrical cross section split into at least two lengths, the lengths extending along a longitudinal axis of the bipod leg deployment button;
a first of the lengths being a conical frustum with sides angled from the longitudinal axis by an angle selected from the range including and extending between 0° and 30°, and at least a first diameter at a narrowest end of the conical frustum; and
a second of the lengths having a second diameter, smaller than the first diameter,
wherein a shape of the first length substantially matches a shape of at least one conical cutout in a leg assembly, such that when the first cutout of the leg assembly interfaces with the first of the lengths, the leg assembly is unable to rotate.

8. The bipod leg deployment button of claim 7 , wherein the leg assembly has a curved edge maintaining a first distance from a pivot axis of the leg assembly, and wherein a circumference of the second length is a second distance from the pivot axis, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance, such that the leg assembly can rotate and the curved edge can clear the second length when the bipod leg deployment button is depressed such that the leg assembly is aligned with the second length.

9. The bipod leg deployment button of claim 8 , further comprising a third length, being a conical frustum, and arranged between and forming an angled connection between the first and second lengths.

10. The bipod leg deployment assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a third length, being a conical frustum, and arranged between and forming an angled connection between the first and second lengths.

11. The bipod leg deployment button of claim 1 , wherein a shape of the first length substantially matches a shape of at least one conical cutout in the leg assembly, such that when the first cutout of the leg assembly interfaces with the first of the lengths, the leg assembly is unable to rotate.

12. The bipod leg deployment button of claim 2 , wherein a shape of the first length substantially matches a shape of one of the at least two conical cutouts in the leg assembly, such that when the one of the at least two conical cutouts in the leg assembly interfaces with the first of the lengths, the leg assembly is unable to rotate.

13. The bipod leg deployment assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a third length, being a conical frustum, and arranged between and forming an angled connection between the first and second lengths.

14. The bipod leg deployment assembly of claim 7 , wherein the leg assembly includes a second conical cutout proximal the leg deployment pivot axis, and wherein the bipod leg deployment button is shaped to engage with one of the first or second conical cutouts when the leg assembly is in a deployed position and is shaped to engage with the other of the first or second conical cutout when the leg assembly is in a stowed position.

Assignees

• Magpul Ind Corp

Inventors

• Roberts Timothy Eric
• Mayberry Michael T

Classifications

• F41A23/10 Primary

  adjustable · CPC title

• F41A23/18

  Rests for supporting smallarms in non-shooting position (racks for storage A47B81/00; racks in vehicles {B60R7/14}) · CPC title

• F16M11/12

  in more than one direction · CPC title