Self-releasing magazine and follower assembly thereof for firearms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514220-B2
Application number	US-201816203260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2018
Priority date	Oct 26, 2017
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

Examples of a self-releasing magazine and a magazine follower assembly thereof for firearms are described. The magazine follower assembly includes a casing and a self-releasing actuator received in the casing. When in use, the magazine follower assembly generally moves along a first axis with respect to the casing between a first position in the magazine when the magazine is fully loaded and a second position in the magazine when the magazine contains no ammunition cartridge. When the magazine follower assembly is at the second position in the magazine, the self-releasing actuator is configured to actuate a magazine release mechanism of the firearm to disengage the magazine from the firearm so that the magazine is detachable from the firearm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magazine follower assembly implementable in a magazine of a firearm, comprising:
a casing; and
a self-releasing actuator received in the casing,
wherein, when in use, the magazine follower assembly generally moves along a first axis with respect to the magazine between a first position in the magazine when the magazine is fully loaded and a second position in the magazine when the magazine contains no ammunition cartridge, and
wherein, when the magazine follower assembly is at the second position in the magazine, the self-releasing actuator is configured to actuate a magazine release mechanism of the firearm to disengage the magazine from the firearm so that the magazine is detachable from the firearm,
wherein the self-releasing actuator comprises:
a follower received in the casing; and
a roller pin protruding from an opening of the casing, the roller pin configured to roll when in contact with a magazine body of the magazine in which the magazine follower assembly is contained.

2. The magazine follower assembly of claim 1 , wherein the self-releasing actuator comprises:
a stopper movable between a first position and a second position thereof relative to the casing along the first axis;
a main lever movable between a first position and a second position thereof relative to the casing along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; and
an auto-release button movable between a first position and a second position thereof relative to the casing along a third axis perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis,
wherein the casing comprises a through hole, and
wherein, when at the second position thereof, the auto-release button protrudes through the through hole of the casing.

3. The magazine follower assembly of claim 2 , wherein:
when at least one ammunition cartridge is loaded in the magazine, the stopper is at the first position thereof, the main lever is at the first position thereof, and the auto-release button is at the first position thereof, and
when no ammunition cartridge is contained in the magazine, the stopper is at the second position thereof, the main lever is at the second position thereof, and the auto-release button is at the second position thereof.

4. The magazine follower assembly of claim 2 , wherein the self-releasing actuator further comprises a main lever spring.

5. The magazine follower assembly of claim 4 , wherein:
when at least one ammunition cartridge is loaded in the magazine, the at least one ammunition cartridge exerts a force on the stopper along the first axis, causing the stopper to exert a force on the main lever along the second axis to move the main lever to the second position thereof to compress the main lever spring, and
when no ammunition cartridge is contained in the magazine, the main lever spring exerts a force on the main lever to move from the first position to the second position thereof, causing the stopper to move from the first position to the second position thereof and causing the auto-release button to move from the first position to the second position thereof.

6. The magazine follower assembly of claim 5 , wherein the self-releasing actuator further comprises a follower which is stationary relative to the casing, wherein the follower is configured with a cavity in which the main lever is movably received, and wherein the main lever spring is disposed between the main lever and the follower.

7. The magazine follower assembly of claim 2 , wherein:
the stopper is configured with a sloped surface facing the main lever;
the auto-release button is configured with a sloped surface casing the main lever;
the main lever is configured with a first sloped surface facing the stopper and in contact with the sloped surface of the stopper;
the main lever is also configured with a second sloped surface facing the auto-release button and in contact with the sloped surface of the auto-release button; and
when the main lever moves from the first position to the second position thereof, the first sloped surface of the main lever pushes the stopper from the first position to the second position thereof, and the second sloped surface of the main lever pushes the auto-release button from the first position to the second position thereof.

8. The magazine follower assembly of claim 2 , wherein the self-releasing actuator further comprises a pin having a first end and a second end opposite the first end with the first end mounted on the casing, wherein the stopper is configured with a groove in which the second end of the pin is received, and wherein the groove is configured to limit a linear movement of the stopper to directions along the first axis with respect to the casing.

9. A magazine follower assembly implementable in a magazine of a firearm, comprising:
a casing; and
a self-releasing actuator received in the casing,
wherein, when in use, the magazine follower assembly generally moves along a first axis with respect to the magazine between a first position in the magazine when the magazine is fully loaded and a second position in the magazine when the magazine contains no ammunition cartridge, and
wherein, when the magazine follower assembly is at the second position in the magazine, the self-releasing actuator is configured to actuate a magazine release mechanism of the firearm to disengage the magazine from the firearm so that the magazine is detachable from the firearm,
wherein the self-releasing actuator comprises:
a follower received in the casing; and
a leaf spring integrally formed on the casing or protruding through a through hole of the casing,

wherein the leaf spring exerts an outward force such that, when the magazine follower assembly is at the second position in the magazine, the leaf spring is configured to actuate a magazine release mechanism of the firearm.

10. A magazine attachable to a firearm, comprising:
a magazine follower assembly;
a magazine spring;
a base plate; and
a magazine body in which the magazine follower assembly and the magazine spring are contained, the magazine body configured with a first distal end and a second distal end opposite the first distal end with the base plate sealing off the first distal end of the magazine body and the magazine spring disposed between the magazine follower assembly and the base plate so that one or more ammunition cartridges can be inserted into the magazine body through the second distal end,
wherein the magazine follower assembly generally moves along a first axis with respect to the magazine between a first position in the magazine body when the magazine is fully loaded with a plurality of ammunition cartridges and a second position in the magazine body when the magazine contains no ammunition cartridge, and
wherein, when the magazine follower assembly is at the second position in the magazine body, the magazine follower assembly is configured to actuate a magazine release mechanism of the firearm to disengage the magazine from the firearm so that the magazine is detachable from the firearm,
wherein the self-releasing actuator comprises a first structure or a second structure,
wherein the first structure comprises:
a follower received in the casing; and
a roller pin protruding from an opening of the casing, the roller pin configured to roll when in contact with a magazine body of the magazine in which the magazine follower assembly is contained,

wherein the second structure comprises
a follower received in the casing; and
a leaf spring integrally formed on the casing or protruding through a through hole of the casing,

wherein the leaf spring exerts an outward force such that, when the magazine follower assembly is at th

Assignees

• Strike Ind Inc

Inventors

• Jen Yihuei

Classifications

• F41A9/66 Primary

  Arrangements thereon for charging, i.e. reloading (apparatus or tools for reloading of magazines F41A9/83) · CPC title

• F41A17/38

  {Magazine mountings, e.g. for} locking the magazine in the gun · CPC title

• F41A9/67

  having means for depressing the cartridge follower, or for locking it in a depressed position · CPC title