Suppressor with reduced gas back flow and integral flash hider

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11255623-B2
Application number	US-202016861684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2020
Priority date	Apr 30, 2019
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

A suppressor for a firearm includes a baffle stack having an outer surface, the baffle stack comprising a plurality of baffles that define an inner chamber coaxially aligned with a central axis of the baffle stack and a projectile pathway through the baffle stack along the central axis. An outer housing is around the baffle stack and has an inner surface separated from and confronting the outer surface of the baffle stack. An outer chamber is defined between the inner surface of the outer housing and the outer surface of the baffle stack. Flow-directing structures are in the outer chamber. An end cap is connected to a distal end of the outer housing and defines a central opening aligned with the central axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A suppressor comprising:
a baffle stack having an outer surface, the baffle stack comprising a plurality of baffles that define an inner chamber coaxially aligned with a central axis of the baffle stack and a projectile pathway through the baffle stack along the central axis;
an outer housing around the baffle stack, the outer housing having an inner surface separated from and confronting the outer surface of the baffle stack, the inner surface of the outer housing and the outer surface of the baffle stack defining an outer chamber therebetween;
flow-directing structures in the outer chamber, the flow-directing structures including pairs of individual vanes arranged in a V shape that converges moving distally along the central axis; and
an end cap connected to a distal end of the outer housing, the end cap defining a central opening aligned with the central axis.

2. The suppressor of claim 1 , wherein the end cap further defines a plurality of radially outer openings, the radially outer openings configured to vent combustion gases from the outer chamber.

3. The suppressor of claim 1 , wherein the baffle stack defines a plurality of baffle ports in the outer surface so that the inner chamber is in fluid communication with the outer chamber via the plurality of baffle ports, the plurality of baffle ports including an inlet port within the V shape of at least some of the pairs of individual vanes arranged in the V shape.

4. The suppressor of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of vanes includes pairs of individual vanes arranged in a diverging V shape, the diverging V shape oriented such that a vertex of the V shape generally points in a proximal direction along the central axis, and wherein the plurality of baffle ports includes a port within the diverging V shape, the port configured to direct a flow of combustion gas between the inner chamber and the outer chamber.

5. The suppressor of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the baffles of the plurality of baffles define a central opening along the projectile pathway, the central opening having a circular shape as viewed along the central axis, and having an elliptical or elongated shape as viewed along an axis transverse to the central axis, the elliptical shape having a greater area than the circular shape.

6. The suppressor of claim 5 , wherein each baffle of the at least some of the plurality of baffles comprises:
a tubular baffle body defining a portion of the outer surface, the tubular baffle body extending along the central axis from a proximal body end to a distal body end;
an expanding baffle wall connected to the proximal body end and tapering rearwardly from the proximal body end to a central opening smaller than the tubular baffle body; and
a gutter connected to the expanding baffle wall at the central opening, the gutter extending proximally from the central opening.

7. The suppressor of claim 6 , wherein adjacent baffles of the at least some of the plurality of baffles have a relative rotation about the central axis such that the gutter of one baffle is rotated about the central axis from 60°-180° with respect to the gutter of an adjacent baffle.

8. The suppressor of claim 6 , wherein the tubular baffle body defines an inlet port configured to direct a flow of combustion gas from the outer chamber to the inner chamber, the inlet port positioned opposite the central axis of the gutter.

9. The suppressor of claim 8 , wherein expanding baffle wall defines a gas port between the central opening and the tubular baffle body, and wherein the inlet port is configured to direct the flow of combustion gas from the outer chamber to the inner chamber via the inlet port and then into the inner chamber via the gas port in the expanding baffle wall.

10. The suppressor of claim 1 wherein each baffle of at least some of the plurality of baffles comprises:
a tubular baffle body defining a portion of the outer surface, the tubular baffle body extending along the central axis from a proximal body end to a distal body end;
an expanding baffle wall connected to the proximal body end and tapering rearwardly from the proximal body end to a central opening smaller than the tubular baffle body, the central opening having a non-circular shape when viewed along the central axis.

11. The suppressor of claim 10 , wherein the central opening includes a recess in the expanding baffle wall at the central opening.

12. The suppressor of claim 11 , wherein the tubular baffle body of a baffle adjacent each of the at least some of the plurality of baffles defines a port adjacent the central opening, the port configured to direct combustion gases towards the central opening in a direction transverse to the central axis.

13. The suppressor of claim 1 , further comprising a blast diffusor located proximally of the baffle stack, the blast diffusor having a cylindrical diffusor body connected to the outer housing and defining at least a portion of a blast chamber.

14. The suppressor of claim 13 , wherein the blast diffusor includes a perforated diffusor wall that reduces in size as it extends distally from the diffusor body to a diffusor central opening in fluid communication with the blast chamber, the perforated diffusor wall defining one or more openings radially outside of the central opening and in fluid communication with the outer chamber.

15. The suppressor of claim 1 , further comprising a flash hider in a distal end portion of the suppressor, the flash hider including the end cap.

16. The suppressor of claim 15 , wherein the flash hider defines a first flash hider volume arranged to vent gases from the inner chamber and a second flash hider volume arranged to directly or indirectly vent gases from the outer chamber, wherein the first flash hider volume is isolated from the second flash hider volume along an axial length of the flash hider.

17. The suppressor of claim 16 , wherein the first flash hider volume is concentric with and located within a diameter of the second flash hider volume.

18. The suppressor of claim 16 , wherein the flash hider comprises:
a flash hider proximal end portion defining a central entrance opening;
an outer wall extending along the central axis from the flash hider proximal end portion to the end cap, the outer wall expanding in size moving from the proximal end portion to the end cap and connected to the end cap at the central opening of the end cap; and
flow partitions extending inward from the outer wall toward the central axis, the flow partitions distributed about the central axis in a circumferentially spaced-apart arrangement, each of the flow partitions generally having a shape of an annulus sector with sides and a radially inner surface;
wherein the flash hider defines (i) an inner volume that expands along the central axis between the flash hider proximal end portion and the end cap, the inner volume circumscribed by the radially inner surface of the flow partitions, and (ii) a plurality of outer volumes located radially outside of the inner volume and continuous with the inner volume, the plurality of outer volumes interspersed circumferentially with the flow partitions.

19. The suppressor of claim 18 , wherein the sides of each flow partition extend generally in parallel from the outer wall.

20. The suppressor of claim 18 , wherein the sides of each flow partition extend in a generally radial direction from the outer wall.

21. The suppressor of claim 18 , wherein each of the flow partitions defines a gas pa

Assignees

• Sig Sauer Inc

Inventors

• Kras Krzysztof J
• Miller Evan

Classifications

• F41A21/34

  Flash dampers · CPC title

• F41A21/30 Primary

  Silencers · CPC title