Charging handle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11725892-B2
Application number	US-202117482599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2021
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

An example charging handle comprises a body having a handle portion, a bolt engaging portion and a shaft portion extending forwardly from the handle portion to the bolt engaging portion. The handle portion of the body may have a starboard arm extending away from the shaft portion in a starboard direction and a port arm extending away from the shaft portion in a portward direction. The charging handle may comprise a grip member disposed about the handle portion of the body so that the grip member encapsulates the handle portion and the handle portion is disposed inside the grip member. The grip member may comprise a thermoplastic material overmolded on the handle portion of the body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a charging handle for use with a gas operated rifle, the rifle comprising an upper receiver and a bolt slidingly disposed therein, the upper receiver comprising an upper receiver wall comprising inner surfaces defining a channel and outer surfaces defining a depression, the method comprising:
providing a body comprising a handle portion, a bolt engaging portion, and a shaft portion, the shaft portion extending in a forward direction from the handle portion to the bolt engaging portion, the shaft portion being dimensioned to extend into the channel defined by the inner surfaces of the upper receiver, the bolt engaging portion comprising a projection configured and dimensioned to engage the bolt of the rifle for pulling the bolt in the rearward direction as the charging handle is pulled rearward from a fully inserted position to a more rearward position; the handle portion comprising at least one arm extending away from the shaft portion;
providing a latch member comprising a leaf spring, a rearward portion of the latch member being fixed to the body of the charging handle, the leaf spring extending in the forward direction and comprising a foot portion dimensioned and configured to be received in the depression defined by the upper receiver wall when the charging handle is in the fully inserted position and the leaf spring configured to deflect allowing the foot portion to exit the depression when the charging handle is pulled rearward from the fully inserted position to a more rearward position;
placing at least the handle portion of the body within a cavity defined by a mold;
injecting molten thermoplastic material into the cavity defined by the mold;
allowing the thermoplastic material to cool, forming a grip portion encasing at least part of the handle portion of the body;
removing the grip portion and the handle portion from the cavity defined by the mold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the leaf spring further comprises a first ramp portion disposed forward of the rearward portion of the latch member, the foot portion being disposed forward of the first ramp portion, and a second ramp portion disposed forward of the foot portion, the first ramp portion extending in a direction toward the shaft portion and the second ramp portion extending a direction away from the shaft portion.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the foot portion is offset from the shaft portion by an offset distance.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the offset distance is less than a thickness of the upper receiver wall.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the leaf spring is configured to deflect in a cantilevered fashion out of the depression in the upper receiver wall from the fully inserted position.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the leaf spring comprises a first bend disposed between the rearward portion and the first ramp portion, the first bend being configured such that the first ramp portion extends away from the rearward portion in a starboard, forward direction.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the leaf spring comprises a second bend disposed between the first ramp portion and the foot portion, the second bend being configured such that the foot portion extends away from the first ramp portion in a forward direction.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the leaf spring comprises a third bend disposed between the foot portion and the second ramp portion, the third bend being configured such that the second ramp portion extends away from the foot portion in a portward, forward direction.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rearward portion of the latch member defines a through hole and the charging handle includes a screw extending through the through hole, the screw fixing the rearward portion of the latch member to the body of the charging handle.

10. A method of manufacturing a charging handle for use with a gas operated rifle, the rifle comprising an upper receiver and a bolt slidingly disposed therein, the upper receiver comprising an upper receiver wall comprising inner surfaces defining a channel and outer surfaces defining a depression, the method comprising:
providing a body comprising:
a handle portion, comprising:
at least one arm extending away from the shaft portion,
at least a first hole,

a bolt engaging portion, and
a shaft portion, the shaft portion extending in a forward direction from the handle portion to the bolt engaging portion, the shaft portion being dimensioned to extend into the channel defined by the inner surfaces of the upper receiver,
a latch member dimensioned and configured to be received in the depression defined by the upper receiver wall when the charging handle is in a fully inserted position;
the bolt engaging portion comprising a projection configured and dimensioned to engage the bolt of the rifle for pulling the bolt in the rearward direction as the charging handle is pulled rearward from the fully inserted position to a more rearward position,

placing at least the handle portion of the body within a cavity defined by a mold;
injecting molten thermoplastic material into the cavity defined by the mold;
allowing the thermoplastic material to cool, forming a grip portion encasing at least part of the handle portion of the body, the grip portion comprising a first bridging portion extending through the first hole defined by the handle portion to mechanically interlock the grip portion and the handle portion to one another;
removing the grip portion and the handle portion from the cavity defined by the mold.

11. The method of claim 10 , the grip portion further comprising a plurality of grooves and a plurality of ribs, each groove comprising a groove base surface extending between a pair of ribs, each rib extending forwardly beyond one or more adjacent groove base surfaces.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the latch member comprises a leaf spring.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein a rearward portion of the latch member is fixed to the body, the leaf spring extending in the forward direction and comprising a foot portion dimensioned and configured to be received in the depression defined by the upper receiver wall when the charging handle is in the fully inserted position and the leaf spring configured to deflect allowing the foot portion to exit the depression when the charging handle is pulled rearward from the fully inserted position to a more rearward position.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the leaf spring further comprises a first ramp portion disposed forward of the rearward portion of the latch member, the foot portion being disposed forward of the first ramp portion, and a second ramp portion disposed forward of the foot portion, the first ramp portion extending in a direction toward the shaft portion and the second ramp portion extending a direction away from the shaft portion.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the leaf spring comprises a first bend disposed between the rearward portion and the first ramp portion, the first bend being configured such that the first ramp portion extends away from the rearward portion in a starboard, forward direction.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the leaf spring comprises a second bend disposed between the first ramp portion and the foot portion, the second bend being configured such that the foot portion extends away from the first ramp portion in a forward direction.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the handle portion further comprises a second hole, the first hole and the second hole being offset from one another by an o

Assignees

• Vista Outdoor Operations Llc

Inventors

• Smith Paul N
• Wright Aden P
• Peterson Bryan P
• Laack Christopher D
• Meinert Robert J

Classifications

• F41A3/72 Primary

  Operating handles or levers; Mounting thereof in breech-blocks or bolts {(F41C7/02, F41C7/06 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F41A35/06

  Adaptation of guns to both right and left hand use · CPC title