Recoil reducer

Abstract

The invention relates to a recoil-reducer that reduces the recoil felt by users of rifles and shotguns. In some embodiments, the recoil-reducer is comprised of a resilient plate that increases the area over which the recoil force is distributed, thereby reducing the force per unit area, and a compressible element that cushions the user from the force of recoil. Further recoil reduction is achieved through the inclusion of a third recoil reducing component: an inertia member that provides substantial inertia that must be overcome by the recoil force before such force can be transmitted to the user.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to copending U.S. provisional application entitled, “Recoil Shield,” having Ser. No. 60/583,546, filed Jun. 29, 2004, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates generally to recoil-reducing devices, and specifically to an improved recoil-reducer for users of shoulder mounted firearms.

BACKGROUND

A basic law of physics can be paraphrased as “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. In the case where force is applied to accelerate an object in one direction, an equal force occurs in the opposite direction. One manifestation of this phenomenon is the recoil felt by users of rifles and shotguns, hereinafter referred to as felt recoil. Recoil felt by rifle and shotgun users, or shooters, as it increases, progresses from uncomfortable to painful, and frequently leads to an undesirable and uncontrollable habit of “flinching”. Felt recoil becomes increasingly detrimental to shooters as the weight and velocity of the projectile increases, particularly when high-powered loads are used in relatively lightweight rifles and shotguns, hereinafter referred to as longarms.

For many years, shooters have used various means to reduce felt recoil. These have mostly involved attaching compressible pads to the ends of longarm butt stocks. Early recoil pads typically consisted of solid rubber that provided a cushion against the force of recoil. Disadvantages of solid rubber recoil pads include: 1) the limited amount of reduction of felt recoil, 2) the reduction of felt recoil declines over time due to gradual degradation of the rubber over time, and 3) secondary recoil caused by the pads expanding after being compressed by the initial recoil.

The development of vented rubber recoil pads represented a limited, but significant, improvement over the solid rubber pads, in terms of felt recoil. The open, thin-walled structure of these pads allowed for greater compressibility, and hence, greater cushioning against the force of recoil. However, the tendency toward loss of elasticity and secondary recoil remained.

Similarly, recoil reduction has also been achieved through various methods placing compressible pads between the butt stock and the shooter's shoulder. This technique provides the benefit of compound felt recoil reduction when used with pads fixed to the butt stock. However, it possesses the same limitations as devices attached to the butt stock.

With the development of new materials, other components, such as foams and gels have been utilized to cushion the shooter from the recoil force. Improvements due to improved cushioning have been incremental. Prior solutions have not filled the need for an improved recoil-reducing device for longarm users with a high level of need, such as those who use high-powered calibers or carry out highly repetitive shooting sports.

DRAWINGS

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a recoil-reducer.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of a pouch enclosing the recoil-reducer.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded perspective view of components of the recoil-reducer.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a recoil-reducer system members.

FIG. 5 shows a resilient plate having grooves formed therein.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a recoil-reducer system

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a front view of an embodiment of a recoil-reducer 100. In one embodiment, a user 102, hereinafter referred to as a shooter, disposes the recoil-reducer 100 over a portion 104 of the user's front side 106 proximal to one of the user's shoulders 108. In operable position, the recoil-reducer 100 interposes a longarm (not shown) having a butt stock (not shown) and the portion 104. The dashed line 110 represents the approximate surface area of the butt stock of the longarm projected onto the recoil-reducer 100. It is should be noticed that the surface area of the recoil-reducer 100 is larger than the butt stock surface area as represented by the dashed line 110.

In some embodiments, the recoil-reducer 100 can be removable attached on the butt stock (not shown) of the longarm (not shown). In operation, the shooter 102 brings the butt stock upward to brace against the portion 104 of the shooter's front side 106. Thus, in operable position, the recoil-reducer 100 is disposed over portion 104 by the shooter 102 placing the longarm (not shown) in shooting position.

In other embodiments, the recoil-reducer 100, which is designed to fit on the front of the shooter's shoulder 108, can be worn (via suspension system), or held in place by the shooter, between the butt stock of the longarm and the portion 104 of the shooter 102.

Referring to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the recoil-reducer 100 is carried in a pouch 112. In one embodiment, the pouch 112 is adapted to couple to clothing of the shooter 102. For example, the pouch 112 might include fasteners such as, but not limited to, Velcro™, snaps, etc, for coupling the pouch to clothing. In other embodiments, the pouch 112 is coupled to a strap, harness, or other article that the shooter 102 can wear, and when the shooter 102 wears the strap, harness, or other article, the pouch 112 is disposed over the portion 104 of the shooter 102. The pouch 112 contains, supports, and maintains the recoil-reducer 100. The pouch 112 may have open, or fastenable compartments, or permanently fastened compartments for holding the recoil-reducer 100. Adjustable straps, harness or other suspending devices serve to support the pouch 112 in the desired position on the shooter 102.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the recoil-reducer 100 in exploded view. The recoil-reducer 100 includes a resilient plate 114, an inertia member 116, and a compressible member 118. Typically, the resilient plate 114 is coupled to the inertia member 116 by an adhesive (not shown) such as glue, or by mechanical fasteners such as screws or rivets (not shown), and the compressible member 118 is adhered to the inertia member 116 such that the inertia member 116 is sandwiched between the resilient plate 114 and the compressible member 118. In another embodiment, the resilient plate 114 is sandwiched between the inertia member 116 and the compressible member 118. However, the present invention is intended to cover other permutations of the arrangement of the resilient plate 114, inertia member 116, and compressible member 118.

However, in some embodiments, one or more of the elements, which include, but are not limited to, the resilient plate 114, the inertia member 116, and the compressible member 118, of the recoil-reducer 100 might not be adhered to another element of the recoil-reducer. For example the resilient plate 114 might not be adhered to other elements of the recoil-reducer 100, and in that case, the pouch 112 serves as an aligner by holding the elements in functionally appropriate alignment.

Furthermore, it should be noted that in some embodiments, the inertia member 116 is optional and that the recoil-reducer 100 is comprised by the resilient plate 114 abutting the compressible member 118.

Referring to FIG. 4, a recoil-reducer system 1100 includes an inertial member 1016 coupled to a resilient plate 1014 by mechanical fasteners, including but not limited to, screws or rivets 1020. The resilient plate 1014 is coupled to a compressible member 1018 that is coupled to a second resilient plate 1015 that is coupled to a second compressible member 1019. In an alternative embodiment of the recoil-reducer system 1100, the inertial member 1016 is optional. An additional embodiment would include up to three resilient plates alternating with three compressible elements.

The resilient plate 114 is a plate of rigid or semi-rigid material capable of withstanding, with virtually no plastic deformation or compression, the impulse caused by the discharging of a longarm against the resilient plate 114. The resilient plate 114 mag be constructed of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, polycarbonate, polypropylene, and polyethtlene thermoplastics. As a non-limiting example, the resilient plate 114 is made from Lexan by General Electric Plastics such as Lexan 9030 or Lexan 9034, which both have a Flexural Modulus of 345,000 pounds per square inch (psi) as measured by the American National Standards Institute ASTM D790 test (D790). Additional suitable materials for the resilient plate 114 include, but are not limited to; hard rubber, hard neoprene, aluminum, and steel. Typically, the resilient plate is made from a material having a D790 flexural modulus of 15,000 psi to 700,000 psi.

The material specifications can be varied, while using the same basic principles to meet a broad array of applications. For instance, in the case of skeet shooting competition the firearms may recoil with as little as 5 ft/lb of recoil energy. However, the skeet shooter must move while shooting and is often required to fire a hundreds of shots in the course of a day's competition, thus, a thinner more flexible resilient plate 114 would be desirable to facilitate ease of movement while still retaining perceivable recoil dampening characteristics. Conversely, shooters who fire heavy recoiling firearms (sometimes in excess of 200 ft/lb of recoil energy per shot in the case of 4 bore rifles) will require increased rigidity in the resilient plate 114. The flexing and recoil distributing characteristics of the resilient plate 114 can be controlled by using specific materials listed above in thicknesses ranging approximately from 0.03 inch to 1.0 inch. The thickness can also be varied across the resilient plate 114 to achieve desired flexing and recoil dispersing characteristics for given applications. Another means of controlling the axis of flexing and recoil distributing characteristics of the resilient plate 114 is demonstrated in FIG. 5. The resilient plate 1114 includes grooves or cuts 1116 that allow flexing in predetermined portions are within the scope of this invention. These include, but are not limited to: grooves that reduce the thickness of the resilient plate 1114 to increase flexing in predetermined areas, straight cuts, curved cuts, and serpentine style cuts that allow flexing in two axes.

The inertia member 116 is selected from materials having a density in the range of approximately 1.0 to 19.6 grams per cubic centimeter. Non-limiting examples of materials that can be used in the inertia member 116 include lead, bismuth, tungsten, and mercury, or a combination of materials. The inertia member 116 is sized such that when a longarm is discharged against the recoil-reducer 100, the mass of the inertia member 116 resists a change in its momentum due to the impulse caused by the discharging of the longarm.

Compressible member 118 cushions the shooter 102 against the backward thrust of a recoiling object. The compressible member 118 can be made from a variety of materials that elastically deform under pressure, including, but not limited to, Poron (manufactured by Rogers Corporation), other Urethane foams, Vinyle Acetate foam, Nitrile Vinyl foams, Ethylene, and other closed or open celled foams, cellular neoprene, or soft rubber. The compressible element 118 mag be of uniform or varying thickness and may be constructed of one or multiple pieces with differing thicknesses, densities, and compression and rebound characteristics. In some embodiments, the compressible member 118 has a face that generally conforms to the contour of the front side of the shooter's shoulder 104. The thickness of the compressible member 118 can also be varied to suit specific applications. The total thickness of the compressible member 118 will range from 0.100″ to 1.50″.

As illustrated by FIG. 1, the surface area of a butt stock of a longarm is smaller than the surface area of the resilient plate 114. In some embodiments, the surface area of the compressible member 118 is approximately the same as the surface area of the resilient plate. Consequently, the resilient plate 114 in conjunction with the compressible member distribute the recoil force over a surface area greater than the impinging portion of the recoiling longarm. (See FIG. 1 where the dashed line 110 represents the surface area of the butt stock, which is the portion of the longarm that provides the impulse to the shooter 102, when the longarm is discharged.) The recoil-reducer 100 distributes the impulse from discharging the longarm over a surface area greater than the surface area of the butt stock of the longarm, and consequently, the shooter 102 feels a smaller force applied per unit area by using the recoil-reducer 100. The end of a butt stock is typically an elongated oval shape, with an area of 4 to 6 square inches for longarms normally used by youths and an area of 6 to 12 square inches for longarms normally used by adults. The recoil-reducer 100 typically ranges from an area of approximately 9 square inches to approximately 15 square inches for a child's model, and for a model used by a large adult, the surface area of the recoil-reducer 100 typically ranges from approximately 175 square inches to approximately 75 square inches. Typically, the minimum ratio between the surface area of an adult sized recoil-reducer 100 and the surface area of an adult sized butt stock of a longarm is approximately 15, and the minimum ratio between youth sized recoil-reducers and youth sized longarms is also approximately 15.

Because the recoil reducer 100 is interposed between the butt stock and the shooter, the firearm must be extended by the thickness of the recoil reducer 100 from the shooter. Thus, the thinner the total thickness of the recoil reducer 100 the more convenient it is to use. Typically, the thickness of the recoil reducer 100, including the pouch 112, would range from an approximate minimum of 0.125 inch to an approximate maximum of 3.00 inches. In this way, by using the same fundamental principles the device can be fashioned in a thin-flexible configuration to suit the needs of high volume-low recoil user up to a virtually rigid-maximum thickness configuration for users of heavy recoiling firearms.

Referring to FIG. 6, a recoil-reducer system 200 includes a front pouch 202 and a rear pouch 204, which are connected by a strap 206. In operable position, the front pouch 202 is disposed over a portion a shooter's front side and the rear pouch 204 is disposed over a portion of the shooter's back side. The front pouch 202 carries a recoil-reducer 100. The rear pouch 204 carries a counter weight 208. The counter weight 208 has a weight that is approximately the same as the weight of the recoil-reducer 100.

Various combinations and permutations of the above-mentioned components of the recoil-reducer 100 will be appropriate for different applications and are intended to be within the scope of this invention. These combinations include, but are not limited to, all configurations that combine the resilient plate 114 with one or both of the inertia member 116 and compressible element 118; all configurations that combine the desired energy dispersing properties of the resilient plate 114 and mass of the inertial element 116 into one element.

All configurations wherein one or more of the components of the recoil-reducer 100 are of uniform thickness are intended to be within the scope of this invention. All configurations wherein one or more of the components of the recoil-reducer 100 are of varying thickness are also intended to be within the scope of this invention

All configurations wherein one or more of the components of the recoil-reducer 100 are flat are intended to be within the scope of this invention. All configurations wherein one or more of the components of the recoil-reducer 100 are shaped to conform to the contours of the recoil-receiving area of the user's body are also intended to be within the scope of this invention. All configurations wherein one or more of the components of the recoil-reducer 100 are shaped to conform to the contours of the recoil imparting device (e.g., butt stock) are intended to be within the scope of this invention.

All configurations wherein the components of the recoil-reducer 100 are fixedly attached to each other are within the scope of this invention. All configurations wherein the components of the recoil-reducer 100 are not fixedly attached to each other are also within the scope of this invention.

All configurations wherein the compartment of the pouch 112 is permanently closed are within the scope of this invention. All configurations wherein the compartment of the pouch 112 is temporarily closed are within the scope of this invention. All configurations wherein the compartment of the pouch 112 is open are within the scope of this invention.

All configurations wherein the resilient plate 114 is of sufficient mass to perform the function of the inertia member 116, are within the scope of this invention.

All configurations wherein the inertia member 116 is a solid mass are within the scope of this invention. All configurations wherein the inertia member 116 is comprised of one or more pieces, from two to mane (including granular or spherical particles) contained in one or more compartments, or are fixedly or removeably attached to the resilient plate 114 are within the scope of this invention.

In another alternative embodiment the recoil-reducer is removably attached to or suspended from the butt of a gun.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present invention, particularly, any “preferred” or “exemplary” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of the invention without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. It should also be appreciated that any particular embodiment may include only some of the various aspects of the present invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present invention and protected by the following claims.

Claims

1. A recoil-reducer for reducing the recoil felt by the user of a longarm, wherein the longarm includes a butt stock, wherein the butt stock includes a shoulder mount end having a given surface area, the recoil-reducer comprising:

a resilient plate having a predetermined shape that is defined by a circumscribing periphery, the plate having opposed sides, each side having a surface area that is substantially greater than the given surface area of the shoulder mount end of the butt stock; and

a compressible member having a predetermined shape that is defined by a circumscribing periphery, the compressible member having opposed sides, wherein the predetermined shape of the compressible member generally conforms to the predetermined shape of the resilient plate.

2. The recoil-reducer of claim 1, wherein the surface area of the resilient plate ranges in size of approximately 15 times to 125 times greater than the surface area of the butt stock.

3. The recoil-reducer of claim 1, wherein the resilient plate is made of polycarbonate thermoplastic.

4. The recoil-reducer of claim 1, wherein the compressible member is made of Polyurethane foam.

5. The recoil-reducer of claim 1, further including an inertia member having a predetermined shape that generally conforms to the shape of the resilient plate and having a density in the range of approximately 1.0 to 19.6 grams per cubic centimeter.

6. The recoil-reducer of claim 5, wherein the inertia member interposes the resilient plate and the compressible member.

7. The recoil-reducer of claim 5, wherein the compressible member interposes the resilient plate and the inertia member.

8. The recoil-reducer of claim 5, wherein the resilient plate interposes the compressible member and the inertia member.

9. The recoil-reducer of claim 1, further including means for aligning the resilient plate with the compressible member.

10. The recoil-reducer of claim 9, wherein the resilient plate is coupled to the compressible member.

11. The recoil-reducer of claim 9, wherein the aligning means includes a pouch for receiving the resilient plate and the compressible member.

12. The recoil-reducer of claim 1, wherein the resilient plate has a thickness in the range of approximately 0.03 inch to one inch.

13. The recoil-reducer of claim 1, wherein the recoil-reducer has a thickness in the range of approximately 0.125 inch to three inches.

14. The recoil-reducer of claim 1, wherein the resilient plate has a D790 flexural modulus in the approximate range of 15,000 psi to 700,000 psi.

15. The recoil-reducer of claim 1, wherein the resilient plate has a thickness and defines at least one groove extending through the thickness.

16. A recoil-reducer for reducing the recoil felt by the user of a longarm, wherein the longarm includes a butt stock wherein the butt stock includes a shoulder mount end having a given surface area, the recoil-reducer comprising:

a pair of resilient plates, each resilient plate having a predetermined shape that is defined by a circumscribing periphery, each plate having opposed sides, each side having a surface area that is approximately 1.5 to 12.5 times greater than the given surface area of the shoulder mount end of the butt stock;

a compressible member interposing the pair of resilient plates, the compressible member having a predetermined shape that is defined by a circumscribing periphery, the compressible member having opposed sides, wherein the predetermined shape of the compressible member generally conforms to the predetermined shape of the resilient plates, wherein the compressible member is affixed to the resilient plates.

17. The recoil-reducer of claim 16, further including:

an inertia member having a predetermined shape that generally conforms to the shape of the resilient plates and having a density in the range of approximately 1.0 to 19.6 grams per cubic centimeter, wherein the resilient plates, the compressible member, and the inertia member form a unit, wherein in operable position, the unit interposes the butt stock and a front side of a person using the recoil-reducer; and

a counter weight coupled to the unit, wherein in operable position, the counter weight is disposed on a back side of the person using the recoil-reducer, and wherein the mass of the counter weight is such that the counter weight is an effective counter weight to the recoil-reducer.

18. A recoil-reducer for reducing the recoil felt by the user of a longarm, wherein the longarm includes a butt stock, wherein the butt stock includes a shoulder mount end having a given surface area, the recoil-reducer comprising:

a recoil-redistributor means for distributing a recoil imparted by a long-arm over an area of a shooter of the long-arm;

a compressible means for absorbing at least a portion of the distributed recoil; and

coupling means for coupling the compressible means and the recoil-redistributors means

19. The recoil-reducer of claim 18, wherein the recoil-redistributor comprises a resilient plate.

20. The recoil-reducer of claim 19, wherein the resilient plate has a D790 flexural modulus in the range of 15,000 to 700,000 psi.

21. The recoil-reducer of claim 19, wherein the resilient plate is made from a thermoplastic.

22. The recoil-reducer of claim 18, wherein the recoil-redistributor means comprises a metal plate.