Compact spring guide rod laser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9903687-B2
Application number	US-201615001787-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2016
Priority date	Jan 20, 2015
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

Laser systems are provided. In one aspect a laser system has a battery unit and a transistor having a source and a drain in series with the laser and the battery unit with the laser with the transistor having a source, and a gate that allows sufficient current to flow to the laser to allow the laser to emit light when a voltage at the gate is at a higher level and that does not allow sufficient current to flow to allow the laser to emit light when a voltage at the gate is at a lower level. A microcontroller is operable in an active mode and a reduced power mode having an activation input connected to a switch, a reduced power input connected in parallel with the capacitor and an output connected to the gate. When the switch changes from a first state to a second state, the microcontroller enters an active mode generating a plurality of micro-pulses at the gate such that an active current is supplied that cause the laser to emit a continuous plurality of micro-pulses that when viewed by a human observer provide an apparently continuous laser pulse and when the microcontroller enters a power down mode, no micro-pulses are provided at the gate and a leakage current through the laser provides energy to maintain the processor in the power down mode of activation until the switch is again closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser system comprising:
a battery unit;
a housing mountable within a firearm;
a transistor having a source and a drain in series with the laser and the battery unit with the laser with the transistor having the source, and a gate that allows sufficient current to flow to the laser to allow the laser to emit light when a voltage at the gate is at a higher level and that does not allow sufficient current to flow to allow the laser to emit light when a voltage at the gate is at a lower level;
a microcontroller operable in an active mode and a reduced power mode having an activation input connected to a switch, a reduced power input connected in parallel with the capacitor and an output connected to the gate;
wherein when the switch changes from a first state to a second state, the microcontroller enters an active mode generating a plurality of micro-pulses at the gate such that an active current is supplied that cause the laser to emit a continuous plurality of micro-pulses that when viewed by a human observer provide an apparently continuous laser pulse; and
wherein the microcontroller enters a power down mode, no micro-pulses are provided at the gate and a leakage current through the laser provides energy to maintain the processor in the power down mode of activation until the switch is again closed.

2. The laser of claim 1 , wherein the leakage current is supplied to a diode that is in series with a capacitor and a ground that cooperate to maintain a voltage and a supply of current sufficient at the micro-controller to maintain the micro-controller in the power down mode.

3. The laser of claim 1 , wherein battery unit is capable of storing sufficient energy for the micro-controller to operate for an extended period of time without draining the battery unit.

4. The laser of claim 1 , wherein the capacitor has sufficient capacity to supply power to operate the micro-controller in the active mode for at least one micro-pulse.

5. The laser of claim 1 , wherein the micro-controller can return from a powered down mode to an active mode in a more controlled manner than the microcontroller can return from an unpowered state.

6. The laser of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller has a non-volatile memory that stores programs that can be executed by the microcontroller.

7. The laser of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is adapted to determine a laser appearance pattern based upon the number of sensed opening and closings of a switch within a predetermined period of time.

8. The laser of claim 7 , wherein the microcontroller recalls the determined laser appearance pattern when transitioning from a powered down state to an active state.

9. The laser of claim 1 , wherein the housing has an end with an opening that is substantially filled with a member movable in the opening between two positions to control the position of the switch and with the microprocessor sensing the position of the movable member and determining an operating mode based upon the movement.

10. The laser of claim 9 , further comprising a firearm component that is modified to interact with the movable member and that can be moved from outside of an area of a firearm holding the spring guide rod so as to control the position of the movable member.

11. The laser of claim 10 , wherein the firearm component is a slide latch.

12. The laser of claim 1 , wherein the housing is operable as a firearm spring guide rod.

Assignees

• Crosman Corp

Inventors

• Mock Jeffrey W
• Kowalczyk Jr John A
• Vorndran Kenneth R
• Allen Michael W
• Macblane Robert J

Classifications

• F41G11/001

  Means for mounting tubular or beam shaped sighting or aiming devices on firearms · CPC title

• F41G1/35 Primary

  for illuminating the target {, e.g. flash lights} · CPC title