Firearm Accessory Protector

Firearms frequently have a rail mount system for attaching firearm accessories to the firearm. These mount systems usually include an elongated rail fastened to the firearm such that a longitudinal axis of the rail extends parallel to a bore of the firearm. Corresponding firearm accessory mounts often include an elongated slot sized and shaped for receiving an outer portion of the rail. These mounts usually include a fastener (e.g., a screw) for fastening the mount in place on the rail. The mount and rail may also include indexing elements such as a pin selectively inserted through the slot and a corresponding lateral groove in the rail for repeatably locating the mount along the rail. These rail mount systems are used on firearms, particularly long guns and pistols, or similar weapons for holding firearm accessories, such as scopes or sights, including holographic sights, red dot sights, and reflex sights.

Rail mount systems are found on firearms used for hunting, law enforcement, military, personal defense, and recreational target shooting. Each of these uses requires the firearm to be transported to a location where it is used. Although protective cases are often used when the firearms are transported, once in use the firearms are carried to a shooting area and moved into position to align the firearm with a target. Regardless of the care taken when carrying and moving, contact occasionally occurs between the firearm or attached firearm accessories and other objects such as trees, doorframes, and posts. Contacting firearm accessories can damage the firearm accessory or mount. Some firearm accessories such as scopes can be expensive to repair or replace. Further, damaging firearm accessories and mounts can abruptly end an outing when the contact renders the firearm accessory unusable.

Although guards have been made for protecting firearm accessories and mounts, many of these prior guards offer inadequate protection because the guard leaves large portions of the firearm accessory exposed, the guard is easily dislocated during contact, or the guard is removed when using the firearm. Further, some of these prior guards are not specifically designed for use with rail mount systems. Moreover, some of these prior guards add substantial weight to the firearm that can fatigue a shooter. Thus, there remains a need for a lightweight firearm accessory protector adapted for use with common rail mount systems and offering protection during contact under common conditions.

In view of the numerous disadvantages and drawbacks present in current designs noted above, improvements to current designs are needed.

In one aspect, the present disclosure includes a protector assembly for mounting a firearm accessory on a firearm. The firearm has an elongated barrel extending longitudinally between a forward end having a muzzle and a rearward end opposite the forward end. The firearm comprises a rail mount including an elongated rail extending parallel to the barrel between a front end and a rear end. The protector assembly comprises a base having a rail opening sized and shaped for receiving at least an outer portion of the elongated rail. The base also has an accessory opening sized and shaped for receiving and attaching the firearm accessory to the base. The protector assembly also comprises a shield attached to the base. The shield is longer than the firearm accessory and is sized and shaped to at least partially envelope the firearm accessory without contacting the firearm accessory when the firearm accessory is attached to the base. The shield protects the firearm accessory from damage due to contact between the firearm accessory and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm.

In another aspect, the present disclosure includes a sight assembly for mounting on a firearm. The firearm has an elongated barrel extending longitudinally between a forward end having a muzzle and a rearward end opposite the forward end. The firearm comprises a rail mount including an elongated rail extending parallel to the barrel between a front end and a rear end. The sight assembly comprises a base having a rail opening sized and shaped for receiving at least an outer portion of the elongated rail. The base also has a sight opening. The sight assembly further comprises a sight sized and shaped for receipt within the sight opening of the base for attaching the sight to the base. The sight assembly also comprises a shield attached to the base. The shield is longer than the sight and is sized and shaped to at least partially envelope the sight without contacting the sight when the sight is attached to the base. The shield protects the sight from damage due to contact between the sight and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm.

Other aspects of the present disclosure will be apparent in view of the following description and claims.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

illustrates a first example of a protector assembly designated in its entirety by the reference number. Although it is envisioned that the protector assembly may have other configurations such as a tripod-mounted sight protector, a targeting sight protector, a crossbow sight protector, or a telescope/binocular sight protector, the illustrated protector assemblyis a firearm accessory protector adapted for mounting upon a firearm to protect a firearm accessory from damage or misalignment due to contact between the firearm accessory and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm. Accordingly, inventive concepts and features disclosed herein are not intended to be limited to firearm accessory protectors.

The illustrated protector assemblyis adapted to mount a firearm accessoryon a firearmhaving an elongated barrelextending longitudinally between a forward endhaving a muzzleand a rearward endopposite the forward end. The firearmhas a rail mount, generally indicated by(see also), including an elongated railextending parallel to the barrelbetween a front endand a rear end(see). The protector assemblyincludes a basehaving a rail opening(see) sized and shaped to receive a portion of the elongated rail. It is envisioned that the opening may have other configurations but is sized and shaped to receive at least an outer portion of the railin most instances. Although other configurations for the elongated railand rail openingmay be used, the illustrated elongated railhas a flattened hexagonal cross-sectional shape roughly corresponding to the flattened hexagonal rail opening. In particular, the elongated railis wider than a lowermost opening of the rail opening. Thus, when connecting the protector assemblyto the firearm, an end of the baseis aligned with an end of the elongated rail so the elongated rail may be inserted longitudinally into the rail opening of the base. Other mounting systems for mounting protector assemblieson firearmsare contemplated, such as dovetail rails, picatinny rails, Zeiss rails, cantilever mounts, standard (STD) mounts, and Weaver rails, among others. The protector assemblyas described herein is adaptable to any mounting system for mounting a firearm accessoryto a firearm.

Turning to, the rail openingin the baseincludes a slot. Although the components of the basemay have other configurations, the illustrated basefurther includes at least one threaded memberbridging the slot. The illustrated baseincludes four threaded members, but more or fewer threaded members could be used in other examples. The slotcreates a cantilevered portionof the base. The threaded memberpasses through a holein the cantilevered portionhaving a larger diameter than the threaded member. The threaded memberis threadably received in a threaded holein the base. Adjusting the threaded memberin the threaded holeis configured to selectively deflect the cantilevered portioninward toward the rail, thereby decreasing a width W of the slot() to clamp the baseto the rail. In other words, the width W of the slotis selectively adjustable by turning the threaded member, or members, and the rail openingsize and shape changes as the slot width is adjusted to selectively clamp the baseto the elongated rail.

As shown in, the basealso includes an indexing element, generally indicated by, selectively insertable into the baseto engage the railand repeatably locate the base relative to the rail. In the illustrated example, the indexing elementincludes a pin or machine screwselectively insertable through a holein the baseso the pin protrudes into the rail opening. The railis configured to include one or more transverse channels or notches to receive the pinto locate the baserepeatably at a longitudinal position the rail. Although other configurations may be used, the pinof the illustrated example has a threaded endto engage a threaded hole(see) in the baseopposite the holeto retain the indexing element in position.

As shown in, the basehas an accessory opening, generally indicated by, sized and shaped to receive and attach the firearm accessoryto the base. The baseextends longitudinally between a frontand a rear. In the illustrated example the accessory openingconsists of a rear accessory openinglocated adjacent to the rearof the base. The protector assemblyalso has a front accessory openingadjacent to the frontof the basesized and shaped to receive and attach the firearm accessoryto the base. The rear accessory openingand the front accessory openingcooperate to receive and attach the firearm accessoryto the base. In the illustrated example, the accessory openingis adapted to receive and attach a sight, such as a scope sight (e.g., a telescopic sight), laser sight, or a reflex sight to the base. The accessory openingalso includes a semicylindrical holder,sized and shaped to receive the sightand a retainer(see) selectively connectable, such as with a threaded screw, to the holder to retain the sight received in the holder. As used herein, the term semicylindrical can mean half of a circle (e.g., 180 degrees) or a smaller portion of a circle (i.e., less than 180 degrees).

As depicted in, the illustrated protector assemblyincludes a shield, generally indicated by, attached to the base. The shieldis longer than the firearm accessory, and in the illustrated example is sized and shaped to at least partially envelope the firearm accessory without contacting the firearm accessory when the firearm accessory is attached to the base. It is envisioned that this configuration helps protect the firearm accessoryfrom damage due to contact between the firearm accessory and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm. For example, when transporting the firearmfrom a home or storage to the field for use, the protector assemblyis configured to shield the firearm accessoryfrom damage. Moreover, when carrying a firearmin the field, such as for hunting, it is desirable to protect the firearm accessoryfrom damage by not allowing it to contact trees, rocks, or other objects that may damage the firearm accessory. In another aspect, the illustrated shieldextends farther forward than the firearm accessorywhen the firearm accessory is attached to the base. In yet another aspect, the illustrated shieldextends farther rearward than the firearm accessorywhen the firearm accessory is attached to the base. The illustrated shieldincludes a semicylindrical shellpartially surrounding the firearm accessorywhen the firearm accessory is attached to the baseto protect the firearm accessory from damage. The semicylindrical shellhas a plurality of aperturesto reduce material used in the shield, as well as reducing weight of the assembly. It should be understood that the aperturesshown inmay be positioned in different locations and may have different sizes and shapes. Further, different numbers and spacings of apertures are contemplated. In addition, the semicylindrical shellincludes tool orificesaligned along an axis of each threaded screw. These tool orificesallow a tool, such as a screwdriver, to be inserted into the orifice to engage with and adjust the threaded screw, thereby allowing the retainersto be secured, adjusted, or removed without needing to remove the shield.

In addition, the shieldincludes a sighting element, generally indicated by(), allowing the firearmto be roughly aligned with a target using the sighting element before using a sight. The sighting elementincludes a rearward sighting element′ positioned on the shield, and the shield also includes a forward sighting element″ positioned farther forward on the shield than the rearward sighting element. The rearward sighting element′ and the forward sighting element″ are used in combination to align with one another when aligning the firearmwith a target. Each sighting element′,″ includes an upper portionextending slightly above the profile of the shieldand a lower portionextending slightly below the profile of the shield (see). When viewed from the forward end or rearward end of the protector assembly, the upper portionand lower portionof each sighting element′,″ cooperate to create a complete sight in the shape of a ring (see). The illustrated sighting elements′,′ include an upper portionand a lower portionthat are each substantially semicylindrical, but other shapes could be used in other examples. For example, the lower portionmay be formed as a “V” while the upper portion may be formed as a lambda “A”. In this example, the V-shaped upper portionand A-shaped lower portionof each sighting element′,″ cooperate to create a complete sight in the shape of a diamond (not shown).

In these examples, aligning the rearward and forward sighting elements′,″ with one another roughly aligns the firearmwith the target, thereby allowing the operator to readily switch to the sight positioned in the accessory openingwithout having to search for the target with the sight. In this manner, the sighting elementfacilitates rough alignment with the target, thereby reducing the need to hunt for the intended target within a field of view of a highly magnified firearm accessory, such as a scope. The size of each sighting element′,″ may be different to facilitate alignment and cooperation between the sighting elements. For example, a rearward sighting element′ sized smaller than the forward sighting element″ will make the sighting elements appear to be nearer the same size to the user, facilitating alignment of the sighting elements with the target and proper alignment of the firearm.

The illustrated example also includes a rearward ball sightand a forward ball sightthreadably received in the shield(). The ball sights,are movable inward or outward with respect to the shieldby rotatably threading the ball sights into or out of the shield. In this manner, the position of the ball sights,are adjustable to align the protector assemblywith the firearm, providing rough alignment of the firearm with the target, thereby reducing the need to hunt for the intended target to bring it within a field of view of a highly magnified firearm accessory, such as a scope.

Moreover, the shieldincludes a rib() extending the length of the shield to provide additional rigidity. The ribof the illustrated protector assemblyis oriented longitudinally along the shield. Although the number of ribsincluded with the shieldmay be greater or lesser than two, the illustrated shield includes two ribs, one on each lateral side of the shield. The additional rigidity of the shieldprovides better protection for the firearm accessory, such as if the firearm is dropped. The addition of ribsalso allows the shieldto be manufactured from a thinner material, as the inclusion of the ribs provides additional structural rigidity at less cost and weight than using a thicker material throughout the shield.

Turning to, the illustrated protector assemblyincludes an extensionextending laterally from the base. As shown, the shieldattaches to an endof the extensionopposite the base. More specifically, the extensionis a first extension, and the protector assemblyalso includes a second extensionextending laterally from the baseopposite the first extension. The shieldis attached to an endof the second extensionopposite the baseand extends from the first extensionto the second extension. The illustrated protector assemblyhas a plurality of extensions extending from the base. In particular, the first extensionof the plurality of extensions extends laterally from the rearof the base. The second extensionof the plurality of extensions extends laterally from the rearof the baseopposite the first extension. A third extensionof the plurality of extensions extends laterally from the frontof the base. A fourth extensionof the plurality of extensions extends laterally from the frontof the baseopposite the third extension. The shieldis attached to an end of the first extension, an end of the second extensionopposite the first extension, an end of the third extension, and an end of the fourth extensionopposite the third extension. Although the plurality of extensions,,,and the shielddescribed above may be joined using other methods, the illustrated extensions and shield are joined by threaded fastenersreceived in holesin the shield and threaded holesin the extensions as depicted in.

The protector assembly may be formed from a number of materials, including metals, such as cast, milled, or sheet aluminum. The protector assembly components may optionally include a surface treatment to enhance durability and appearance. Examples of such surface treatments include paint, clear coats, powder coats, PVC dipping, and anodized finishes.

illustrates a first example of a sight assembly, generally indicated by, for mounting on a firearm. As with the protector assemblydiscussed above, the firearmhas an elongated barrelextending longitudinally between a forward end having a muzzle and a rearward end opposite the forward end. The firearm has a rail mount, generally indicated by, including an elongated railextending parallel to the barrelbetween a front end and a rear end.

The sight assemblyincludes a basehaving a rail openingsized and shaped to receive at least an outer portion of the elongated railand a sight opening. The sight assemblyalso includes a sightsized and shaped for receipt within the sight openingof the baseto attach the sight to the base. The sight assemblyincludes a shield, generally indicated by, attached to the base. The shieldis longer than the sightand is sized and shaped to at least partially envelope the sight without contacting the sight when the sight is attached to the baseto protect the sight from damage due to contact between the sight and other objects during use, transport, or storage of the firearm. When assembled with a sight, the shieldextends farther forward and farther rearward than the sight. The shieldalso includes a sighting elementallowing the firearmto be roughly aligned with a target by sighting along the element and aligning the element with the target.

illustrates a second example of a baseof a protector assembly. The baseincludes a rail openingsized and shaped to receive a portion of the elongated rail, much as described above with respect to the first example. The baseincludes a movable beamoriented along the length of the base. The movable beamincludes two unthreaded openings (not shown) that receive two boltsto secure the movable beam to the baseby threading the bolts into the base. The movable beamis configured to slide laterally toward or away from the basealong the bolts, thereby selectively decreasing or increasing the width of the rail openingby turning the bolts. In this manner, adjusting the boltsis configured to selectively move the beaminward toward the rail, thereby clamping the rail and holding the baseon the rail. In other words, the position of the movable beamis selectively adjustable by turning the bolts, and the size and shape of the rail openingchanges as the slot width is adjusted to selectively clamp the baseto the elongated rail.

illustrates a third example of a baseof a protector assembly. The baseincludes a rail openingsized and shaped to receive a portion of the elongated rail, much as described above with respect to the first example. The rail openingin the baseincludes a slot. Although the components of the base may have other configurations, the illustrated basealso includes at least one threaded member or screw fastenerbridging the slot. The illustrated baseincludes three screw fasteners, but other numbers of screw fasteners could be used in other examples. The slotcreates a cantilevered portionof the base. The screw fastenerpasses through a hole in the cantilevered portionhaving a larger diameter than the screw fastener. The screw fasteneris threadably received in a threaded hole in the base. Adjusting the screw fastenerin the threaded hole is configured to selectively deflect the cantilevered portioninward toward the rail, thereby decreasing a width of the slotto squeeze the rail and hold the baseon the rail. The basehas an accessory opening, generally indicated by, sized and shaped to receive and attach the firearm accessoryto the base. The baseextends longitudinally and has a frontand a rear. The accessory openingconsists of a rear accessory openinglocated adjacent to the rearof the base. The protector assembly also has a front accessory openingadjacent to the frontof the basesized and shaped to receive and attach the firearm accessoryto the base. The rear accessory openingand the front accessory openingcooperate to receive and attach the firearm accessoryto the base.

In addition, the baseincludes a third extensionand a fourth extension, providing additional mounting locations to mount additional objects on the base. The third extensionand fourth extensionextend laterally from the frontof the baseopposite each other. The fourth extensionincludes a threaded holeoriented along an axis aligned with the sighting elementof the shield. The threaded holeis configured to threadably receive an additional piece of equipment, such as a flashlight, having a threaded end. This threaded holeallows the threaded end of the equipment to be quickly and securely mounted to the basewhile also providing an appropriate alignment of the equipment for use with the protector assembly.

Similarly, the third extensionincludes an openingto receive an additional piece of equipment, such as a flashlight. The third extensionincludes a cradlesized and shaped to form the openingand a gapbetween the cradle and the cantilevered portion. The illustrated third extensionalso includes at least one screw fastenerbridging the gap. The screw fastenerpasses through a hole (not shown) in the cradlehaving a larger diameter than the screw fastener. The screw fasteneris threadably received in a threaded hole (not shown) in the cantilevered portion. Adjusting the screw fasteneris configured to selectively deflect the cradleinward toward the cantilevered portion, thereby decreasing the gapto clamp the equipment and securely hold the equipment within the opening. As with the previous example, the openingallows the end of the equipment to be quickly and securely mounted to the basewhile also providing an appropriate alignment of the equipment for use with the protector assembly. The illustrated openingis cylindrical, but other shapes are envisioned.

Although not illustrated in an additional figure, one skilled in the art would readily understand that aspects of the different examples included herein may be combined. For example, the movable beamof the second example ofis configured to be combined with the threaded hole, cradle, and openingof the third example of. To facilitate combination, the forward end of the movable beamwould be shortened adjacent the third extensionto create clearance for the cradleand opening.

The sight assembly may be formed from a number of materials, including metals, such as cast, milled, or sheet aluminum. The sight assembly components may optionally include a surface treatment to enhance durability and appearance. Examples of such surface treatments include paint, clear coats, powder coats, PVC dipping, and anodized finishes.

The protector assembly and sight assembly described above have several advantages. The assemblies envelop the firearm accessory, sight, or scope, thereby leaving little or no portion of the firearm accessory, sight, or scope vulnerable to damage. The assemblies are usable with almost any rail mounting system. The assemblies are protective but lightweight, thereby not adding substantial weight to the firearm that can fatigue a shooter. The assemblies also include a sighting element to quickly align the firearm to a target before refining the aim with the firearm accessory, sight, or scope. And lastly, the assemblies may remain in place while using the firearm, thereby eliminating the need to remove a protective device before using the firearm accessory, sight, or scope at risk, which reduces the time needed to aim and use the firearm and eliminates the need to have the firearm accessory, sight, or scope without protection for any length of time.

When introducing elements in this description and the claims, the articles “a”, “an”, “the”, and “said” are intended to indicate one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” are intended to be inclusive and indicate there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

As those skilled in the art could make various changes to the above constructions, products, and methods without departing from the intended scope of the description, all matter in the above description and the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The patentable scope of the disclosure is defined by the claims, and can include other constructions and methods that would occur to those skilled in the art. Such other constructions are intended to be within the scope of the claims if the structural elements of the constructions do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if the constructions include equivalent structural elements having insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

To the extent that the specification, including the claims and accompanying drawings, discloses any additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the claims below, the disclosures are not dedicated to the public and the right to file one or more applications to claim such additional disclosures is reserved.