Firearm associated electronic device with acceleration resistant latch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016195366-A1
Application number	US-201614988400-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 5, 2016
Priority date	Jan 5, 2015
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Firearm associated electronic devices are provided. In one aspect a firearm associated device has a housing having a holding area and an opening through which a removable component may be positioned in the holding area, a door movable relative to the housing and having a door latch that moves along a path as the door moves and a housing latch movable between a first latch position where the housing latch is not in the path to a second latch position where the housing latch blocks movement of the door latch from a first range of positions where the door prevents the removable component from passing through the opening to a second range of positions where the door does not prevent the removable component from passing through the opening. A housing latch biasing member biases the housing latch into the second latch position. When the door latch is in the first range of positions and the housing latch is in the second latch position the door latch is movable along the path but is blocked by the housing latch from passing to the second range of positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A firearm associated electronic device comprising:
a housing having a holding area and an opening through which a removable component may be positioned in the holding area; a door movable relative to the housing and having a door latch that moves along a path as the door moves; a housing latch movable between a first latch position where the housing latch is not in the path to a second latch position where the housing latch blocks movement of the door latch from a first range of positions where the door prevents the removable component from passing through the opening to a second range of positions where the door does not prevent the removable component from passing through the opening; and a housing latch biasing member biasing the housing latch into the second latch position;
wherein when the door latch is in the first range of positions and the housing latch is in the second latch position the door latch is movable along the path but is blocked by the housing latch from passing to the second range of positions.

2 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a door biasing member biasing the door latch toward the housing latch.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the removable component has at least one electrical connection and the door biasing member further biases the removable component into contact with the electrical contact.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the removable component has a mass and the door biasing member is a resilient member positioned between the door biasing member and the door so that the resilient member receives at least a portion of any inertial forces associated with removable object as the removable component responds to accelerations experienced by the electronic device.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the door is pivotally joined to the housing at a hinge end and the door latch is positioned at a door latch end apart from the hinge end.

6 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the pivotal connection between the door and the housing is proximate to the holding area to reduce the distance between a fulcrum provided by the pivotal connection and the center of mass of the object to reduce the extent of leveraged force applied by the object against the door and latch during a discharge of the firearm.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the door latch has a protrusion that extends parallel to the path and the housing latch has a housing latch channel sized and shaped to receive the door latch protrusion when the housing latch blocks movement of the door latch.

8 . The device of claim 7 , wherein the door has a latch position contact surface against which the housing bias member biases a contact surface of the housing latch when the door latch is in the first range of positions and wherein the channel is positioned relative to contact surface and the protrusion is positioned relative the latch position contact surface to align the protrusion with the channel when the contact surface is positioned against the latch position contact surface.

9 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the housing latch channel has a height that allows relative movement of the door latch protrusion to occur while door latch protrusion remains positioned at least in part within the channel.

10 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the housing latch channel has a height and the door latch protrusion is sized to fit inside the housing latch channel when the housing latch blocks movement of the door latch, and wherein the door latch bias member and the housing bias member bias the door latch and the housing latch so that the door latch protrusion fits back into the housing latch channel even when the door latch moves in response to accelerations in a manner that separates the door latch protrusion from the housing latch channel.

11 . The device of claim 2 , wherein movement of the door latch relative to the housing latch is resisted by action of the door biasing member.

12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the door has a latch position contact surface against which the housing bias member biases the housing latch when the door latch is in the first range of positions.

13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the door has a latch position contact surface against which the housing bias member biases the housing latch when the door latch is in the second range of positions.

14 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the door latch has a contact surface shaped to engage a contact surface of the housing latch so that when the door is urged from the first range of positions toward the second range of positions, the contact surface of the door latch engages with the contact surface of the housing latch to urge the housing latch out of the path.

15 . A firearm associated electronic device comprising:
a housing having a holding area and an opening through which a removable component may be positioned in the holding area; a door pivotally connected at a hinge end to the housing relative to the housing and having a door latch end with a door latch that moves along a path as the door moves; a door biasing member that urges the door latch away from the holding area; a housing latch movable between a first housing latch position where the housing latch is not in the path to a second housing latch position where the housing latch blocks movement of the door latch from a first range of positions wherein the door prevents the removable component from passing through the opening to a second range of positions where the door does not prevent the removable component from passing through the opening; and a housing latch biasing member biasing the housing latch into the second latch position;
wherein the door latch has a protrusion extending along the path that fits within a channel in the housing latch so that the housing latch cannot be moved to the first latch position when blocking movement of the door latch from the first range of positions to the second range of positions.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the door latch has a protrusion that extends parallel to the path and the housing latch has a housing latch channel sized and shaped to receive the door latch protrusion when the housing latch blocks movement of the door latch.

17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the door has a latch position contact surface against which the housing bias member biases a contact surface of the housing latch when the door latch is in the first range of positions and wherein the channel is positioned relative to contact surface and the protrusion is positioned relative the latch position contact surface to align the protrusion with the channel when the contact surface is positioned against the latch position contact surface.

Assignees

• Lasermax Inc

Inventors

• Kowalczyk John A
• Mock Jeffrey W
• Hanson Jeffrey D

Classifications

• F41A11/00

  Assembly or disassembly features; Modular concepts; Articulated or collapsible guns (F41A3/64, F41A19/10 - F41A19/15, F41A21/48, F41A25/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• F41G11/00 Primary

  Details of sighting or aiming apparatus; Accessories {(tools for adjustment of sights F41G1/545)} · CPC title

• F41C27/00

  Accessories; Details or attachments not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F41G1/34

  combined with light source, e.g. spot light · CPC title

• F41A35/00

  Accessories or details not otherwise provided for · CPC title