Foldable firearm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11680771-B2
Application number	US-202217578661-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2022
Priority date	Dec 27, 2017
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a foldable firearm that collapses into a folded state under spring pressure. The foldable firearm may include a foldable grip assembly. The foldable grip assembly may include a foldable pistol grip, a foldable trigger assembly, a folding bar, and a foldable hand stop. The foldable grip assembly may fold into the top shell of the foldable firearm. The foldable firearm may also include an ambidextrous charging handle assembly that may include a bottom portion, a top portion, a guide bar, and two opposing charging handles. The charging handles may be pulled to unfold the foldable firearm, and/or butterflied such that pivoting one charging handle causes the other charging handle to pivot. The first-pivoted charging handle may then be pulled rearwards to unfold the firearm. The first-pivoted charging handle may then be pulled further rearwards to rack the slide of the foldable firearm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A firearm comprising:
a receiver configured to couple to a foldable trigger grip assembly;
a top shell having an ambidextrous charging handle assembly and a locking mechanism arranged thereon; and
a bottom shell having a hinged tail, wherein the hinged tail comprises an angled clearance configured to determine a stopping angle of the hinged tail, and wherein the hinged tail is configured to:
rotate about a pivot axis on the bottom shell,
detachably engage with the locking mechanism when the firearm is in a folded configuration, and
disengage from the locking mechanism via actuating the ambidextrous charging handle assembly.

2. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism is configured to disengage the hinged tail when the ambidextrous charging handle assembly is actuated toward a rear of the top shell by up to a distance, D 1 .

3. The firearm of claim 2 , further comprises a slide, wherein the slide is racked when the ambidextrous charging handle assembly is pulled by more than the distance, D 1 .

4. The firearm of claim 3 , wherein the foldable trigger grip assembly further comprises:
a grip hinge axis coupling the foldable trigger grip assembly to at least a portion of the receiver;
a grip having a grip release arranged thereon, and
wherein actuating the grip release disengages the foldable trigger grip assembly from the receiver,
wherein the foldable trigger grip assembly rotates about the grip hinge axis until positioned substantially parallel to and beneath at least a portion of the top shell.

5. The firearm of claim 4 , further comprises a hand stop coupled to at least a portion of the top shell via a hand stop-frame hinge axis and coupled to the foldable trigger grip assembly via a folding bar and a hand stop-folding bar hinge axis, and
and wherein actuating the grip release and rotating the foldable trigger grip assembly about the grip hinge axis causes the hand stop to rotate about the hand stop-frame hinge axis toward the grip via the folding bar until the hand stop is substantially parallel to the top shell.

6. The firearm of claim 1 , wherein the hinged tail is configured to provide lateral stability for use as a firearm armbrace.

7. The firearm of claim 6 , wherein the hinged tail further comprises at least one aperture configured to receive a bracing strap.

8. The firearm of claim 7 , wherein a first aperture is positioned on a bottom of the hinged tail and a second aperture is positioned on a top rear corner of the bottom shell, and wherein the bracing strap passes through the first aperture and the second aperture.

9. A method of folding a foldable firearm comprising:
actuating a grip release button on a grip of a foldable trigger grip assembly, and thereby:
causing a folding part of the grip to disengage from a rear part of the grip, and
causing at least a portion of the grip to separate from a top shell of the foldable firearm;

pivoting the grip around a grip hinge axis toward a front end of the foldable firearm until the grip is positioned substantially parallel to at least a portion of the top shell, and thereby:
causing a foldable trigger and foldable trigger guard to pivot toward the front end of the foldable firearm about a trigger hinge axis, and
causing a hand stop coupled to at least a portion of the top shell to rotate about a hand stop-frame hinge axis toward the grip until the hand stop is substantially parallel to the top shell; and

pivoting a bottom shell having an armbrace toward a front end of the foldable firearm until the folding cover surrounds and covers a barrel of the foldable firearm and engages a locking mechanism of the top shell, wherein the bottom shell substantially surrounds the foldable trigger grip assembly and the hand stop on at least three sides.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the foldable firearm further comprises:
a receiver configured to couple to the foldable trigger grip assembly; and
an ambidextrous charging handle assembly arranged in the top shell;
wherein the locking mechanism is configured to disengage the folding cover from the top shell when the ambidextrous charging handle assembly is actuated toward a rear of the top shell.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the foldable firearm further comprises a slide, wherein the slide is racked when the ambidextrous charging handle assembly is pulled by more than a distance, D 1 .

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the foldable trigger guard is coupled to the grip and the top shell and comprises:
a bottom trigger guard;
a forward trigger guard coupled to the bottom trigger guard by a trigger guard hinge axis, and
wherein the bottom trigger guard is positioned horizontally about a longitudinal axis of the foldable firearm and is coupled to the folding part of the grip at a trigger guard grip hinge axis,
wherein the trigger guard hinge axis allows both the bottom trigger guard and the forward trigger guard to pivot about the trigger guard hinge axis from an unfolded configuration to a substantially flat, folded configuration.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein, when the folding part of the grip is detached from the rear part of the grip and moved toward a folded configuration, the bottom trigger guard pivots about the trigger guard grip hinge axis and moves horizontally forwards and vertically upwards to a folded state.

14. A foldable firearm comprising:
a frame having a locking mechanism and being configured to couple to a barrel and a foldable trigger grip assembly;
an ambidextrous charging handle assembly configured to initiate deployment of the foldable firearm when pulled toward a rear of the foldable firearm; and
a folding cover positioned on the frame configured to:
rotate about a pivot axis on the frame,
detachably engage with the locking mechanism when the foldable firearm is in a folded configuration, and
disengage from the locking mechanism via actuating the ambidextrous charging handle assembly when the foldable firearm is deployed.

15. The foldable firearm of claim 14 , further comprises a slide, wherein the slide is racked when the ambidextrous charging handle assembly is pulled by more than a distance, D 1 .

16. The foldable firearm of claim 15 , wherein spring pressure from the slide returns the ambidextrous charging handle assembly to a forward position after the slide is racked.

17. The foldable firearm of claim 14 , wherein the foldable trigger grip assembly further comprises:
a grip hinge axis coupling the foldable trigger grip assembly to at least a portion of the frame;
a grip having a grip release arranged thereon, and
wherein actuating the grip release disengages the foldable trigger grip assembly from the frame,
wherein the foldable trigger grip assembly rotates about the grip hinge axis until positioned substantially parallel to the frame.

18. The foldable firearm of claim 17 , further comprises a hand stop coupled to at least a portion of the frame via a hand stop-frame hinge axis and coupled to the foldable trigger grip assembly via a folding bar and a hand stop-folding bar hinge axis,
wherein actuating the grip release and rotating the foldable trigger grip assembly about the grip hinge axis causes the hand stop to rotate about the hand stop-frame hinge axis toward the grip via the folding bar until the hand stop is substantially parallel to the frame.

19. The foldable firearm of claim 18 , further comprises a foldable trigger guard coupled to the grip and the frame, the foldable trigger guard comprising:
a bot

Assignees

• Magpul Ind Corp

Inventors

• Kielsmeier Nicholas
• Nakayama Brian L
• Fiester Jeremy M
• Mayberry Michael T

Classifications

• F41C23/12

  Auxiliary stocks for stabilising, or for transforming pistols, e.g. revolvers, into shoulder-fired guns · CPC title

• F41A3/66

  Breech housings or frames; Receivers · CPC title

• F41C33/08

  Handles for carrying smallarms · CPC title

• F41C9/02

  Concealed pistols, e.g. in pencils · CPC title

• F41C23/04 Primary

  Folding or telescopic stocks or stock parts (articulated or collapsible guns F41A11/04) · CPC title