Firearm disabling device

Abstract

A method of preventing access to the firing mechanism of a handgun, or other similar firearm, is provided in which a keyed rotationally activated locking cylinder is employed to secure the invention to the trigger guard of the handgun. Additionally, the invention also employs a device which will hold the slide of the handgun in a rearward manner while the invention is in place. This allows for the access to the handgun's chamber, which enables a user to insert and remove a magazine from the weapon while the invention is in place, and which makes it impossible for the accidental discharge of a bullet from the handgun to be caused by the firing pin.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] While handguns and other firearms can serve the desirable function of defending a user against others, firearms can also be an undesirable source of harm when not properly handled or when custody of the gun is lost to an attacker. For the firearm to operate, it must both be loaded with rounds of ammunition and the trigger actuated.

[0002] In the past, the use of locking mechanisms to prevent access to the weapon's trigger and thereby avoiding the accidental or unwanted discharge of a firearm has been very common. The prior art contains examples of these mechanisms which are typified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,460, issued to Van Niekerk et. al. Van Niekerk et. al. shows a positioning feature that allows the weapon to be fired without the removal of the invention by the activation of a safety switch contained on the invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,723, issued to Ruiz shows another device which prevents access to the trigger of the firearm by enclosing both the trigger guard and a portion of the firearm's body and barrel. This design not only prevents access to the trigger, but also locks access to the weapon's firing chamber which prevents it from being loaded or unloaded while the invention is in place.

[0003] The limitations of these prior art examples are that the Van Niekerk et al. patent has the ability to accidentally discharge the firearm while the invention is in place on a handgun undermining the purpose of such devices. Additionally, the Ruiz patent purposefully makes it impossible to load or unload the firearm while the device is in place, even though the complete isolation of the trigger with the device in place makes this the safest time possible for the loading and unloading of a firearm.

[0004] Accordingly, a need exists for a device and method for preventing access to a firearm's trigger and otherwise disabling the firearm that cannot be altered or removed without the use of a key or other device for restricting access to authorized users. Additionally, such a device or method would allow access to the weapon's firing chamber with the invention in place, allowing a magazine to be installed or removed without the possibility of accidentally discharging the firearm by inadvertent contact with the trigger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] This invention provides a locking trigger disabling device which contains a lock housing portion of the present invention that is used to lock and disable the trigger and firing mechanism of a handgun or other similar firearm. The lock housing is made up of two vertically oriented parallel plates that are connected at their lowest points to form a U-shaped apparatus that is open at its top and rear ends. This configuration creates an upwardly open gap between the plates which corresponds in its inside dimension to the outside dimension of the trigger guard of a typical handgun. Additionally, the upper and rear surfaces of each of the parallel plates is formed in a manner so that the invention fits tightly against the body of the handgun when in place to lock the trigger. This shaping of the vertical plates ensures that the present invention will not move in relation to the trigger guard when installed on a handgun, which in turn prevents any accidental contact with the trigger of the handgun.

[0006] The locking function of the present invention is facilitated by the use of a locking cylinder that (when installed on a handgun) is inserted through an opening located in the left and vertical plate. Once the locking cylinder passes through the left vertical plate, it passes between the inner front surface of the trigger guard and the trigger itself and then enters the hole in the right vertical plate. The hole in the right vertical plate differs in that it is preferably capped by a locking pin carrier that forms a closed cylindrical chamber that extends outwardly from the outside surface of the right vertical plate. The primary importance of this feature is that it provides a point of attachment for a locking pin used with the locking cylinder of the present invention.

[0007] The locking cylinder component of the present invention is of a type that is commonly available in the marketplace today. Specifically, it is a locking cylinder having a stationary outer cylinder and a rotationally movable inner cylinder that controls the locking function of the cylinder and which can be manipulated by the insertion of a key in its exposed outer surface. The most rearward end of the inner cylinder is equipped with a coupling fixture which engages the lock pin located in the locking pin carrier and serves to draw the entire cylinder into the trigger lock body as the inner cylinder is rotated. Upon full rotation, the lock cylinder is drawn completely into the trigger lock body, whereby the key can be removed which makes it impossible to remove the lock cylinder without the reinsertion of the key into the lock cylinder.

[0008] The present invention also includes a slide retainer, which is the component of the present invention which is employed to hold the slide of the handgun in an open position when the device of this invention is in place. The slide retainer is a forward oriented extension of the trigger lock body that at the correct point diverges at a ninety degree angle upward. The upward face of the slide retainer contains an opening which corresponds in size and location to the handgun's barrel and lower slide frame. When installing the present invention, the slide of the handgun is held in a rearward manner and the opening(s) of the slide retainer is then slid over the exposed portion of the firearm (such as part of the barrel) until it contacts the weapon's slide. On many handguns a lower frame member extends horizontally below the barrel and can extend through the opening in the slide retainer and also hold the slide in a rearward position. Once this is complete, the trigger lock body is locked to the trigger guard as previously described, which in turn causes the slide retainer to hold the slide in a rearward orientation.

[0009] This slide retainer feature of the present invention holds the slide in a position which allows a user to access the chamber of the handgun, allowing the magazine of the firearm to be installed or removed in this, the safest of positions. Additionally, this positioning of the slide makes it impossible for the firearm to be discharged as it is the forward motion of the slide in normal operation which chambers ammunition into the breech of the weapon, followed by the firing pin striking the round when the trigger is actuated, and discharging a bullet from the barrel. Therefore, the present invention makes use of redundant mechanisms that ensure a firearm cannot be accidentally discharged while in storage or during transport.

[0010] For a better understanding of the present invention, reference should be made to the drawings and the description in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the present invention.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention to provide a device which serves to lock the trigger of a handgun, or other similar firearm, so that it cannot be moved and thereby risk activating the firing mechanism.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide such a trigger lock which, when in the locked position on the handgun, also serves to hold the slide of the handgun in a rearward position so that the chamber and any magazine receiving bore is open, allowing insertion and removal of magazines with the lock on.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to hold the slide of the handgun in a rearward position which allows a magazine to be removed or installed into the firearm while the locking mechanism is in place.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide such a trigger lock that will hold the slide of the handgun in a rearward position which ensures that it cannot move forward to chamber a round of ammunition into the firing chamber and release the firing pin to strike a round and fire the bullet from the handgun.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a trigger lock which can be quickly removed by an authorized user so that the handgun is readily available.

[0016] In addition to the above objects, various other objects of this invention will be apparent from a careful reading of this specification including the detailed description contained herein below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0017] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the present invention illustrating the manner in which it engages the trigger guard and barrel of a typical handgun when installed to prevent the unintended firing of the weapon. Portions of the trigger guard and trigger of the handgun which are covered by the invention are shown in broken lines.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention and a typical handgun as shown in FIG. 1 and detailing the manner in which the invention is installed on the firearm. A portion of a left vertical plate of the invention is cut away to reveal interior details of the invention.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention illustrating the orientation of its major components.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the present invention as shown in FIG. 3.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a left side elevation view of the present invention as shown in FIG. 3.

[0022] FIG. 6 is a bottom elevation view of the present invention as shown in FIG. 3.

[0023] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the locking cylinder component of the present invention illustrating the orientation of its major components.

[0024] FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the locking cylinder component of the present invention as shown in FIG. 7.

[0025] FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the locking cylinder component of the present invention as shown in FIG. 7.

[0026] FIG. 10 is a top view of the locking cylinder component of the present invention as shown in FIG. 7.

[0027] FIG. 11 is a perspective cross sectional view of the present invention, cut along line 11-11 shown in FIG. 5, and shows the position of the locking cylinder when the invention is in the locked position.

[0028] FIG. 12 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 11 except showing the orientation of the locking cylinder while it is being rotated to unlock it.

[0029] FIG. 13 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 11 except showing the orientation of the locking cylinder when fully unlocked and just prior to its removal from the body of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0030] Referring now to the drawings, and more specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2, the firearm disabling device 10 is primarily made up of three components. The first of these is the trigger lock body 38 portion of the present invention which is used to lock and disable the trigger 20 of a handgun 12 or other similar firearm. The trigger lock body 38 (most clearly illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3) is made up of two vertically oriented and parallel plates, the left vertical plate 40 and the right vertical plate 41, which are connected at their lowest points by means of the body floor 46 to form a U-shaped boundary that is open at its top and rear sides. This configuration creates an upwardly open body cavity 48 between the left and right vertical plates, 40 and 41, which corresponds in its inside dimension to the outside dimension of the trigger guard 22 of a typical handgun 12. While preferably vertical and parallel, the plates 40, 41 can function to enclose the trigger guard 22 and trigger 20 so long as they extend at least partially vertically.

[0031] Additionally, the upper and rear surfaces (in relation to the orientation of the handgun) of each of the parallel left and right vertical plates 40 and 41 are formed in a manner so that the trigger lock body 38 fits tightly against the handgun body 30 and handle 18 when in place to lock the trigger 20. This shaping of the trigger lock body 38 ensures that the present invention will not move in relation to the trigger guard 22 when installed and locked on a handgun 12, which in turn prevents any accidental contact with the trigger 20, thus, avoiding any accidental discharging of the weapon. On handguns having different sizes and configurations, the contours of the upper surfaces of the vertical plates 40, 41 are appropriately modified.

[0032] The locking function of the present invention is provided by a locking cylinder 24 that, when installed on a handgun 12, is inserted through an opening fabricated to provide a locating fixture for the locking cylinder 24. Preferably, the opening 12 is in the form of a substantially circular lock cylinder hole 62 located towards the front center surface of the left vertical plate 40. The locking cylinder 24 could be any form of hole or other opening and does not require a cylindrical contour. During the installation process of the invention to a handgun 12, once the locking cylinder 24 passes through the left vertical plate 40, it passes between the inner front surface of the trigger guard 22 and the trigger 20 itself and then preferably enters the additional locking pin carrier on the inside of the cap 44 located in the right vertical plate 41.

[0033] The lock cylinder hole 62 in the right vertical plate 41 differs from the one in the left vertical plate 40 in that it is closed off by the locking pin carrier and the protruding cylinder cap 44 that extend outwardly from the outside surface of the right vertical plate 41. The primary purposes of the cap 44 is to provide a point of attachment for a locking pin 58 which works with the locking cylinder 24 to provide the locking function of the present invention (which will be discussed in further detail below) and to close off the interior mechanics of the locking cylinder 24 to keep it free from collecting harmful debris or being thwarted by an unauthorized user.

[0034] The locking cylinder 24 (FIGS. 7-10) component of the present invention includes a stationary outer lock cylinder 32 and a rotationally movable inner lock cylinder 34 that controls the locking function of the locking cylinder 24 and that can be manipulated by the insertion of a key 36 (FIG. 11) in its exposed outer surface. The rotation of the inner lock cylinder 34 locks and unlocks the locking cylinder 24 within the lock cylinder holes 62 in the left and right vertical plates 40, 41, which serves to lock and unlock the present invention to the trigger guard 22 of a handgun 12. Further details of the locking cylinder 24 are described below.

[0035] The second component of the present invention is the slide retainer 28 (the configuration of which is best illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 6), which operates to hold the slide 14 of the handgun 12 in a rearward position when the present invention is in place over the trigger guard 22. The slide retainer 28 is essentially a forward extending portion of the body floor 46 and front wall 50, which is made up of primarily the retainer extension 52 and the slide stop 64. The retainer extension 52 is the portion of the slide retainer 28 which preferably runs substantially parallel to the lower surface of the handgun barrel 16 and the lower frame of the weapon directly beneath the barrel 16, and extends forward to the point that is necessary to hold the handgun slide 14, while the present invention is in place on a handgun 12. The slide stop 64 extends up from the distal tip of the extension 52. Thus, the retainer extension 52 serves to hold the slide stop 64 in a reward position so that the chamber of the handgun 12 is open, which allows the magazine to be installed and removed while the present invention is in place on the handgun 12.

[0036] From the most forward point of the retainer extension 52, the slide stop 64 diverges upward, preferably at a ninety degree angle, to a point at which it can engage and securely hold the slide 14 of the handgun 12. The mechanism by which the slide stop 64 remains adjacent to and holds the slide 14 in its retracted position is accomplished by the use of the barrel hole 42 or other frame receiving opening, which is preferably a circular hole in the face of the slide stop 64 that is slipped over the handgun's barrel 16 during the installation process of the present invention to a typical handgun 12. The barrel hole 42 preferably completely surrounds the barrel 42 but could function if merely being a barrel abutting portion which surrounds part of the barrel 16, and preferably a majority of the barrel 16.

[0037] Therefore, the installation of the invention by passing the locking cylinder 24 through the trigger lock body 38 and the inside of the trigger guard 22, also serves to hold the slide 14 in a reward position.

[0038] The trigger lock body 38 and slide retainer 28 are preferably formed rigidly together as a single unitary mass by casting, welding, bonding or permanently fastening the body 38 and retainer 28 together. Hence, a first distance between the slide stop of the slide retainer and the body 38 or other handgun attachment region is fixed. A second distance between the formed tip of the slide 14 (when retracted) and a portion of the handgun 12 to which the body 38 attaches can match this first distance so that the slide is prevented from advancing.

[0039] The third component of the present invention is the locking cylinder 24, the construction of which is further illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 10. As previously stated, the locking cylinder 24 is made up primarily of the outer and inner lock cylinders, 32 and 34. The outer lock cylinder 32 also has in its substantially cylindrical outer surface at least one positioning flat 54 (and preferably two) which corresponds in shape to a similar hole positioning flat 56 located in the lock cylinder opening 62 on the left and right vertical plates, 40 and 41. The purpose of the cylinder positioning flat 54 is to locate the locking cylinder 24 within the lock cylinder opening 62 in the position that is necessary for the locking cylinder 24 to properly function to lock and unlock the present invention to the trigger guard 22 of a handgun 12. The cylinder positioning flat 54 also serves to hold the outer lock cylinder 32 in a stationary position relative to the trigger lock body 38 and the inner lock cylinder 34. This ensures that the rotation of a key 36 within the key slot 26, which operates the inner lock cylinder 34, will not affect the position of the outer lock cylinder 32 in relation to the trigger lock body 38.

[0040] Additionally, the inner lock cylinder 34 extends further back, in relation to the locking cylinder 24 itself, beyond the most rearward end of the outer lock cylinder 32. This portion of the inner lock cylinder 34 is the component of the present invention which extends into the locking pin carrier inside of the cylinder cap 44 located on the right vertical plate 41. The rear portion of the inner lock cylinder 34 is also the component of the present invention which supports the locking pin slot 60, which serves to engage the locking pin 58 (the location within the cylinder cap 44 is best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 13).

[0041] The diagonal locking pin slot 60 is a slot helically cut into the surface of the inner lock cylinder 34 whose ending point is forward, in relation to the locking cylinder 24, and offset in a counter clockwise manner from its starting point on the most rearward portion of the inner lock cylinder 34. Preferably, two opposing slots 60 extend as a double helix along the surface of the inner lock cylinder 34. The locking pin 58 and the diagonal locking pin slot 60 are the components of the invention which control the location of the inner locking cylinder 34, and therefore the entirety of the locking cylinder 24, through the rotation of the inner lock cylinder 34, by the use of a key 36 within the trigger lock body 38 of the present invention. When two opposing slots 60 are provided, the locking pin extends across the recess in the cap 44, making the cap 44 more secure.

[0042] The manner in which the locking cylinder 24 serves to lock and unlock the present invention is further illustrated in FIGS. 11, 12, and 13. FIG. 11 illustrates the position of the locking cylinder 24 with the trigger lock body 38 of the present invention when the inner lock cylinder 34 is fully rotated to the locked position by the use of the key 36 (at this point it is important to note that for illustrative purposes the invention is depicted as being used with a Tubular Ace type key system, but will work equally as well with any of the other available styles of keyed locking mechanisms). When the key 36 and the inner lock cylinder 34 are rotated fully in the counter clockwise manner, the locking pin 58 is positioned at the most forward point of the diagonal locking pin slot 60 which serves to pull the lock cylinder fully within the trigger lock body 38. This is the fully locked position of the present invention. Preferably, the key 36 is captured within the locking cylinder 24 at all times, except when the key 36 rotates within the cylinder 24 to the fully locked position. In this way, the user is precluded from accidentally only partially locking the cylinder 24 in place.

[0043] In this position, it is impossible to remove the locking cylinder 24 from the invention without the use of a key 36, which provides a method of attachment for the present invention to the trigger guard of a handgun 12, in a manner that prevents unintended or unwanted removal of the device 10. Also, in this position the locking cylinder 24, along with the vertical plates 40, 41 secured thereto, completely surround the trigger 20, preventing it from being moved.

[0044] As a clockwise rotational force is applied to the inner lock cylinder 34 through the key 36, which is illustrated in FIG. 12, the position of the locking pin 58 relative to the length of the diagonal locking pin slot 60 is moved rearward, which in turn forces the locking cylinder 24 outward in relation to the trigger lock body 38. This clockwise rotation serves to expose the outward end of the locking cylinder 24 beyond the outer surface of the trigger lock body 38 and is the initial step in the removal of the locking cylinder 24 and therefore, the entirety of the present invention from the handgun 12.

[0045] Finally, the completion of the clockwise rotation of the inner lock cylinder 34 through the key 36 is illustrated in FIG. 13. In the position in which the inner lock cylinder 34 has been fully rotated in a clockwise manner, the locking pin 58 has fully cleared the diagonal locking pin slot 60 and the locking cylinder 24 has been forced further out in relation to the trigger lock body 38. At this point, the locking cylinder 24 can be freely pulled from the lock cylinder holes 62 of the trigger lock body 38 and the present invention can be removed from the trigger guard 22 of the handgun 12. The installation process of the invention to the handgun 12 is simply the reverse of the above process in which counter clockwise rotational force applied to the inner lock cylinder 34 through the key 36 serves to pull the locking cylinder 24 into the trigger lock body 38 as the locking pin 58 moves forward within the diagonal locking pin slot 60 in relation to the body of the locking cylinder 24.

[0046] This disclosure is provided to reveal a preferred embodiment of the invention and a best mode for practicing the invention. Having thus described the invention in this way, it should be apparent that various different modifications can be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. When structures are identified as a means to perform a function, the identification is intended to include all structures which can perform the function specified.

Claims

1. A firearm trigger disabling device for use on a handgun having a trigger, a barrel and a slide that moves along the barrel during the operation of the handgun, said trigger disabling device comprising:

a trigger lock body having a left and a right at least partially vertically extending plate for covering the respective sides of said trigger, at least one of said left and right plates having a lock hole passing therethrough;

a slide retainer extending from said trigger lock body, said slide retainer having an at least partially vertically extending slide stop portion;

said slide stop including a barrel abutting portion therein, said barrel abutting portion at least partially surrounding the barrel;

said slide stop extending from said barrel abutting portion sufficiently to hold the slide of the handgun in a rearward position while allowing the handgun barrel to pass adjacent said barrel abutting portion in said slide stop; and

a removable lock portion sized to pass through said lock hole.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein both said left plate and said right plate have a lock hole passing therethrough, one of said plates having a cap section covering said lock hole therein.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising a locking pin mounted within said cap section of one of said plates, said pin positioned at least partially within said cap section.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprising an inner lock cylinder within said removable lock portion for selectively locking or releasing from said locking pin.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one lock hole includes a radially non-symmetrical contour, said removable lock portion having a matching contour so as to prevent said removable lock portion from rotating when positioned within said at least one lock hole.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said left and right at least partially vertically extending plates are joined together by a floor having a width at least as wide as the trigger and a trigger guard in front of the trigger.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said slide retainer barrel abutting portion surrounds a majority of the barrel of the handgun when said barrel abutting portion is adjacent said barrel.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said barrel abutting portion is in the form of a barrel hole completely surrounding said barrel when said barrel abutting portion is adjacent the barrel.

9. A trigger and slide lock for a handgun having a trigger covered by a trigger guard, a barrel and a slide that moves along the barrel during the operation of the handgun, said trigger disabling device comprising in combination:

a slide retainer having a slide stop and a removable handgun attachment region; and

said slide stop abutting the slide when the slide is retracted and said removable handgun attachment region is attached to a portion of the handgun, such that advancement of the slide of the handgun is prevented by said slide stop.

10. The lock of claim 9 wherein said removable handgun attachment region is configured to attach to the handgun between the trigger guard and the trigger of the handgun.

11. The lock of claim 9 wherein said slide stop includes a barrel abutting portion, said barrel abutting portion at least partially surrounding the barrel.

12. The lock of claim 11 wherein said barrel abutting portion surrounds a majority of the barrel when said barrel abutting portion is located adjacent the barrel.

13. The lock of claim 12 wherein said barrel abutting portion is configured as a barrel hole completely surrounding the barrel when said barrel abutting portion is located adjacent the barrel.

14. The lock of claim 9 wherein said removable handgun attachment region includes a lock hole adjacent a space between the trigger guard and the trigger of the handgun, said removable handgun attachment region including a removable lock portion configured to pass into said lock hole when said removable handgun attachment region is located with said lock hole adjacent the space between the trigger guard and the trigger so that said removable lock portion passes between the trigger guard and the trigger.

15. The lock of claim 14 wherein said removable handgun attachment region completely surrounds a space between the trigger guard and the trigger such that said removable handgun attachment region blocks access to the trigger of the handgun.

16. The lock of claim 15 wherein said removable handgun attachment region includes a trigger lock body having a left and a right at least partially vertically extending plate spaced apart by a floor with a distance between said left and right at least partially vertically extending plates greater than a width of the trigger guard and trigger of the handgun.

17. A firearm trigger disabling device for use on a handgun having a trigger covered by a trigger guard, a barrel and a slide that moves along the barrel during the operation of the handgun, said trigger disabling device comprising in combination:

a unitary rigid mass including a slide stop and a removable handgun attachment region; and

said slide stop spaced from said handgun attachment region by a first distance similar to second distance between a forward tip of the handgun slide and the portion of the handgun to which the removable handgun attachment region attaches when the slide of the handgun is retracted, such that said slide stop keeps the slide from advancing when said removable handgun attachment region is attached to the portion of the handgun to which said removable handgun attachment region attaches.

18. The lock of claim 17 wherein said slide stop includes a barrel hole surrounding a majority of the barrel of the handgun when said slide stop is adjacent the forward tip of the handgun slide.

19. The lock of claim 18 wherein said removable handgun attachment region substantially encloses the trigger guard, the trigger and a space between the trigger guard and the trigger.

20. The lock of claim 18 wherein said removable handgun attachment region includes a hole passing therethrough adjacent a space between the trigger guard and the trigger, said removable handgun attachment region including a removable lock portion removably attachable to the removable handgun attachment region, said removable lock portion sized to pass into and out of said lock hole and said removable handgun attachment region with said removable lock portion passing into and out of the space between the trigger guard and the trigger of the handgun, said removable lock portion selectively securely attaching said removable handgun attachment region to said handgun.