Electromagnetic firing system for firearm with interruptable trigger control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11300378-B2
Application number	US-202117158139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2021
Priority date	Mar 8, 2017
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

An interruptible electronic trigger system for firearms includes a trigger unit comprising an electromagnetic actuator operably coupled to the firing mechanism and a programmable trigger microcontroller. The actuator is changeable between a non-powered unactuated position and powered actuated firing position. Upon detecting user initiated trigger activity, the trigger microcontroller transmits a shot initiated signal to an adaptive optics unit of a fire control targeting system mounted to the firearm when the trigger activity exceeds a preprogrammed trigger setpoint. A targeting microcontroller returns a shot authorization signal to the trigger microcontroller after performing ballistics computations based on sensor input and displaying a corrected reticle on the optics unit sight for user visual alignment with the target. Multiple trigger setpoints may be programmed to confirm continued intent to fire. The trigger microcontroller may deactivate the actuator and permit manual firing when preprogrammed maximum trigger force/displacement limits are exceeded.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interruptible electronic trigger system for a firearm, the system comprising:
an electromagnetic actuator trigger unit configured for mounting to the firearm, the trigger unit comprising:
a stationary yoke;
a rotating member movable about a pivot axis relative to the stationary yoke and operably coupled to a firing mechanism component operable to discharge the firearm;
a trigger operably coupled to the rotating member, the trigger manually movable by a user from a first position to a second position for discharging the firearm;
a permanent magnet generating a static magnetic field in the stationary yoke and rotating member, the static magnetic field creating a primary resistance force opposing movement of the trigger when pulled by the user;
a coil operably coupled to an electric power source and the yoke or rotating member, the coil when energized operable to rotate the rotating member and discharge the firearm;

a programmable trigger unit microcontroller operably coupled to the trigger unit, the trigger unit microcontroller configured to:
detect a trigger pull event;
send a shot initiation signal to a fire control targeting system operably coupled to the trigger unit microcontroller; and
receive a shot authorization signal returned from the fire control targeting system in response to receiving the shot initiation signal.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the trigger unit microcontroller is operable to energize the coil to discharge the firearm upon receipt of the shot authorization signal returned from the fire control targeting system.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the coil is not energized by the trigger unit microcontroller in the absence of the shot authorization signal from the fire control targeting system.

4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the coil when energized generates a secondary magnetic field interacting with the primary resistance force which automatically completes the trigger pull event for the user and discharges the firearm.

5. The system according to claim 2 wherein the trigger unit microcontroller sends an external reset signal to the fire control targeting system upon energizing the coil to discharge the firearm to reset the fire control targeting system for a successive trigger pull event.

6. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a trigger sensor operably coupled to the trigger unit microcontroller, the trigger sensor configured to sense the trigger pull event which is detectable by the trigger unit microcontroller.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the trigger sensor is configured to measure a user-applied actual trigger pull force or displacement.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the trigger unit microcontroller is further configured to:
detect the actual trigger pull force or displacement created by the user pulling the trigger via the trigger sensor;
compare the actual trigger pull force or displacement to a preprogrammed first trigger force or displacement setpoint; and
send the shot initiated signal to the fire control targeting system based on the actual trigger pull force or displacement exceeding the first trigger force or displacement setpoint.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the trigger sensor is a force sensing resistor configured to measure the actual trigger pull force and transmit the measured trigger pull force to the microcontroller for comparison to the trigger force setpoint.

10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the trigger sensor is a displacement sensor configured to measure the displacement of the trigger by the user and transmit the measured trigger displacement to the microcontroller for comparison to the trigger displacement setpoint.

11. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the trigger unit microcontroller only energizes the electromagnetic actuator trigger unit to discharge the firearm upon detection of both the shot authorization signal from the fire control targeting system and the actual trigger pull force or displacement exceeding the first trigger force or displacement setpoint.

12. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the trigger unit microcontroller is further configured to:
compare the actual trigger pull force or displacement to a preprogrammed higher second trigger force or displacement setpoint after the shot initiated signal is sent to the fire control targeting system; and
send a shot confirmation signal to the fire control targeting system based on the actual trigger pull force or displacement exceeding the second trigger force or displacement setpoint;
wherein the fire control targeting system sends the shot authorization signal to the trigger unit microcontroller in response to receiving the shot confirmation signal from the trigger unit microcontroller.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the trigger unit microcontroller initiates firing of the firearm in the absence of the shot authorization signal from the fire control targeting system when the actual trigger pull force or displacement exceeds a preprogrammed third trigger force or displacement higher than the second trigger pull force or displacement.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the trigger unit microcontroller is further configured to override the fire control targeting system and revert the electromagnetic actuator unit to a manual firing mode which allows the user to manually discharge the firearm in the absence of the shot authorization signal from the fire control targeting system;
the manual firing mode being entered when the trigger unit microcontroller detects that a user-applied actual trigger pull force or displacement measured by a trigger sensor exceeds a maximum trigger pull force or displacement limit preprogrammed into the trigger unit microcontroller.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the trigger unit further comprises a spring creating a mechanical biasing force which opposes movement of the trigger by the user.

16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the firing mechanism component is a sear rotatable to release a striking member to discharge the firearm.

17. The system according to claim 1 , wherein fire control targeting system comprises an electronic adaptive optics unit configured for mounting to the firearm.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the adaptive optics unit comprises a targeting microcontroller operably coupled to the trigger unit microcontroller, the targeting microcontroller operable to received the shot initiated signal and transmit the shot authorization signal to the trigger unit microcontroller.

19. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the adaptive optics unit is an optical sight including a reticle display system operable to display a corrected sighting reticle.

20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the reticle display system comprises a sighting lens usable by the user for visually sighting a target downfield therethrough, the corrected sighting reticle being displayable on the lens by the reticle display system.

21. The system according to claim 18 , wherein the fire control targeting system further comprises in operable coupling to the targeting microcontroller a range finding sub-module, a ballistics computation sub-module, and an environmental sensing sub-module.

22. The system according to claim 21 , wherein the targeting microcontroller is configured and operable to control and display the

Assignees

• Sturm Ruger & Co

Inventors

• Galie Louis M
• Gilliom Robert
• Klebes John
• French John M
• Hamilton Gary
• Slezok Rafal

Classifications

• F41A19/58

  Electric firing mechanisms (F41A17/10, F41A17/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• F41A19/10 Primary

  Triggers; Trigger mountings · CPC title

• F41A19/16

  Adjustable firing mechanisms; Trigger mechanisms with adjustable trigger pull (F41A19/17 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F41A19/17 Primary

  Hair-trigger mechanisms · CPC title

• F41A19/69

  Electric contacts or switches peculiar thereto (F41A19/65 takes precedence) · CPC title