GRIP INSERT FOR GLOCK HANDGUN

Abstract

A Glock firearm handgrip is modified to accept a removable ergonomic insert that changes the palm relief of the firearm. A portion of the rounded rear wall of the grip is cut away along a plane parallel to the back plate of the magazine to create a well for the introduction of the insert. The rear surface of the back plate and the converging interior surfaces of the rear wall are used as butting surfaces to hold in place the insert. A prong with a distal latch in the insert is provided for engagement with a transverse pin passed through the sidewalls of the grip. The insert is also preferably equipped with two wings adapted to engage the beveled lower edge of the magazine's back plate. Several inserts with different profiles are provided to a user to select the most comfortable and/or appropriate for him or her.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/877,790, filed Sep. 8, 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates in general to small firearms and accessories; in particular, it relates to an insert for adjusting the size of the grip of a Glock handgun and a method for adapting such a grip to easily receive, accommodate and secure the insert in place.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Firearms are mass produced with a one-size-fits-all approach and custom fitting with an expert gunsmith is typically very expensive. Thus, most shooters avoid the cost of custom work by trying different firearm models until they find one that fits.

Some shotguns are available with shims and a selection of butt plates to provide a certain level of easy customization; similarly, many carbines are offered with sliding and configurable stocks. Other firearms have mounting rails, such as the Picatinny rail system, that can be fitted with interchangeable forward handgrips. The ability to move the handgrip to a preferred spot on a mounting rail provides a certain level of ergonomic customization.

Interchangeable handgun grips are also available. They are typically bolted on side panels of the grip or wrapped around and bolted to it. These solutions provide a level of ergonomic customization that many shooters welcome, but bolt-on grips have lost much relevance with the advent of polymer handgun frames because these frames have molded inner panels that cannot be tapped and threaded like their aluminum and steel predecessors could.

Firearm frames are normally produced as a single piece. Originally, they were cast or milled from a single piece of metal. More recently, they have been molded from plastic that sometimes is reinforced with metallic pieces placed in the mold before the plastic is injected. This technique produces single-piece frames that are made of plastic and reinforced or otherwise improved by the inclusion of metal. For example, a substantially plastic firearm frame can have metallic runners for the slide.

To the end of adapting the grip of a pistol to the ergonomic requirements of a particular user, U.S. Pat. No. 7,506,469, herein incorporated by reference, teaches a firearm frame with a configurable grip. The frame is produced with retaining standoff structures on the back side of the magazine well to which a removable grip is attached by means of a locking pin. Different grips may be used to suit the needs of the user.

With particular relevance to the present invention, U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,889, U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,744 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,546, herein incorporated by reference, teach key features of a Glock style firearm. FIG. 1 in each patent illustrates the type of Glock firearm, such as Model Nos. G17, G19, G21, G22, G23, G26 and G27, that this invention is specifically directed to in order to provide alternative grips to suit the user. The standard grip of such Glock handgun is modified to enable it to receive and lock in place alternative embodiments of a custom insert according to the user's preference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on the discovery that the interior structural configuration of Glock handguns provides an opportunity for modification of the grip with modular inserts that afford alternative ergonomic experiences to a user, thereby allowing him/her a choice for optimal performance. The typical Glock handgun is characterized by a magazine defined by a flat back plate with a beveled lower edge, and further by a rounded rear wall that defines a cavity behind the backplate. Therefore, if a portion of the rounded rear wall is cut away along a plane parallel to the back plate of the magazine, a socket-like opening is created that allows the introduction of a removable insert with the desired ergonomic configuration of the grip.

According to one aspect of the invention, the rear surface of the back plate and the converging interior surfaces of the rear sidewall remaining after a portion is cut away are used as butting surfaces to hold in place the removable grip insert introduced into the cavity in socket-like fashion. Accordingly, the insert is sized with mating surfaces appropriate for sliding it into the cavity where it is held in place by the sectioned converging sidewalls, preferably with additional locking mechanisms.

According to another aspect of the invention, the insert is provided with a prong with a distal latch sized to fit within the top portion of the cavity between the back plate of the magazine and the remaining section of the rear wall. In addition, the grip is fitted with a retaining device, such as a pin, positioned to engage the latch and lock the insert in place. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the insert is equipped with two wings adapted to engage the beveled lower edge of the magazine's back plate, thereby providing an additional structural connection between the insert and the modified grip of the handgun.

Thus, a plurality of inserts with the features described above and with different profiles are provided for a user to select the most comfortable and/or appropriate for him or her. The standard grip of the Glock handgun is modified by the simple operation of removing a portion of its rounded rear wall and by the addition of a pin inserted through the grip to engage the latch in the insert. The insert can be changed simply by removing the pin, sliding out the insert, introducing a new insert and locking it in place with the pin.

Additional features and advantages of the will become clear from its description in the specification that follows and from the novel features particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Therefore, the invention consists of the features hereinafter illustrated in the drawings, fully described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments and particularly pointed out in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior-art Glock handgun having a frame with the structural configuration suited for the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the way a portion of the grip of the Glock handgun of FIG. 1 is cut away to modify it so as to accommodate the grip insert of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective bottom view of a Glock handgun with a grip cut-away according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective side view of a grip insert according to the invention

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified handgrip coupled to an insert according to the invention for producing a different ergonomic profile than found in the standard handgun.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the insert of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is an elevational side view the insert of FIG. 4

FIG. 8 is a top view of the insert of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is another embodiment of the insert of the invention with a more rounded profile.

FIG. 10 is a third embodiment of the insert of the invention with a yet more rounded profile.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the figures, wherein like parts are referenced with the same numerals or symbols, FIG. 1 illustrates a Glock handgun 10 that has the structural characteristics required for the invention. The handgun includes a single-piece frame 12, a structure that includes a trigger guard 14 and a handgrip 16. Two interior front and back plates 18,20 in the handgrip (shown in hidden lines) define a magazine well 22. The front plate 18 is preferably formed into the front wall 24 of the grip 16. The space between the rear wall 26 of the handgrip and the flat back plate 20 defines a back cavity 28. A slide 30 riding on top of the frame 10 and a bullet magazine 32 removably inserted in the well 22 complete the exterior structure of the handgun 10.

The firearm frame 12 of FIG. 1 is molded as a single piece that includes a palm relief in the grip (not shown in the figure). The palm relief is the back of the firearm handgrip and is the area where the shooter's palm contacts the firearm. As such, all shooters, regardless of hand size, have to use the same size grip. This invention provides a method for modifying the type of frame described in FIG. 1 so that the handgrip can be changed to accommodate one of alternative inserts with different profiles and palm reliefs. In particular, the insert of the invention was developed for models such as Nos. G17, G19, G21, G22, G23, G26 and G27, but it is applicable to other Glock handguns with a similar frame structure, as described herein.

The rear wall 26 of the grip of these Glock handguns is characterized by a pronouncedly curved horizontal profile (i.e., as seen in top views of horizontal sections), in addition to its curved vertical profile. That is, the back portion of the grip 16 can be sectioned along a vertical plane to produce an open back cavity 28 bounded by backward-converging sidewalls. This feature and others are exploited, according to the invention, to modify the firearm handgrip so as to accept and firmly hold in place a removable insert that changes the palm relief of the handgun, thereby changing the handgrip profile that a shooter feels against the palm of the hand when holding the firearm. Because the insert is releasable from the handgrip, other inserts can be attached to the grip and tried until the best ergonomic insert is found for a given person.

By judiciously cutting away a back portion of the handgrip 16 along a plane 34 parallel to the flat back plate 20, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the remaining portions of the rounded geometry of the rear wall 26 are converging sidewalls forming an open socket, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the modified handgrip of the invention taken from the bottom to show the front plate 18 and the back plate 20 that define the magazine well 22 in the grip of the handgun. As can be seen from the illustration, part of the back of the stock handgrip has been milled away planarly to expose the cavity 28 and produce various surfaces that can be used advantageously for mating with corresponding surfaces of an insert when the two components are joined. The inner surfaces of the sectioned sidewalls 36,38 and the flat rear surface of the back plate 20 provide three butting surfaces in the modified grip 40 to which an insert 44, such as shown in enlarged view in FIG. 4, can be mated in socket-like fashion. This feature is exploited to fit the insert so that the two structures can be joined with a seamless geometry along the entire perimeter of the joint. The insert is sized with mating surfaces appropriate for sliding it into the socket and be held in place, preferably with additional locking mechanisms. Based on this approach, a machining service and a family of inserts can be offered to modify the Glock firearm and provide interchangeable ergonomic inserts for customizing the grip to fit different users.

FIG. 5 illustrates the modified handgrip 40 coupled to the insert 44 according to the invention to produce a particular ergonomic profile 46. Note that the handgrip 40 was initially the handgrip 16 of the Glock handgun frame, as described above. The forward part of the polymer frame with the trigger housing and other elements is not shown because it is not relevant to the invention. The magazine well 22 is visible from the top opening exposed by the removal of the slide 30 (see FIG. 1).

Referring back to FIG. 4, the insert 44 is illustrated by itself. The palm relief area has a texture 48 that can be customized as well as the profile 46 of the insert to accommodate people who may prefer different textures as well as different profiles. As seen more particularly in FIGS. 6 and 7, the front portion of the insert 44 includes a support structure 50 that on each side contains an outer-facing surface 52 intended to mate with a corresponding converging interior surface 54 (seen in FIG. 3) of the modified handgrip 40 in socket-like fashion. To that end, the width and thickness of the structure 50 are sized so that the surfaces 52 and the front surface 56 mate, respectively, with the surfaces 50 and the rear surface of the back plate 20 as the insert 44 is introduced into the open socket 28 of the modified handgrip 40. Similarly, the forward-facing surfaces 58 (FIGS. 6 and 7) on each side of the insert are sized to mate seamlessly with the corresponding backward-facing surfaces 60 produced by the planar sectioning of the handgrip 16 to obtain the modified handgrip 44.

The insert 44, because of the configuration of its support structure 50, can thus be inserted into the socket-like opening 28 of the modified handgrip 40 with a perfect fit to complete the structure of the handgun's grip, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The profile 46 of the back portion of the insert and the texture 48 define the ergonomic characteristics of the grip. Thus, alternative inserts with the same support structure and different ergonomic characteristics can be used to meet the needs of a user or the preference of different users.

It is noted that the bottom edge 62 (FIG. 3) of the front surface of the back plate 20 is slightly beveled in order to facilitate the insertion of the magazine 32 into the well 22. According to another aspect of the invention, this feature is exploited to further secure the fit of the insert 44 into the grip 40 by providing a small wing 64 on each side of the bottom of the insert (as seen in FIGS. 4 and 6-8) adapted to engage the beveled portion of the back plate 20. The coupling of these wings with the back plate further ensures that the insert 44 cannot be separated from the grip 40 by pulling them apart from the open bottom of the grip when the magazine is out of the handgun. Clearly, the wings 64 have to be sufficiently thin to avoid interference with the insertion and removal of the magazine 32 into the well 22 of the handgun.

The top outer portion 66 of the insert 44 is sized to mesh with the corresponding surface 68 in the cut-out opening (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the modified grip 40 defined by the milling process that produced it so as to fully enclose the cavity 28 with a seamless joint. The upper section 70 of the cavity that remains unexposed after milling away the lower portion of the back wall 26 of the grip 16 provides an additional feature that can be used advantageously according to the invention. A transverse hole 72 is drilled through the upper section 70 for receiving a retaining pin 74 from one side of the grip to the other (the pin is shown flush with the hole 72 in FIG. 2). In addition, the support structure 50 of the insert 44 is extended upward with a prong 76 sized to fit into the upper section 70 of the cavity 28. The top of the prong 76 is fitted with a latch 78 adapted for engagement with the pin 74 to lock in place the insert 44 after it is introduced into the modified grip 40 of the invention. Thus, a very secure connection is established between the removable insert and the modified handgun's grip. However, the insert can be removed from the grip easily and rapidly simply by extracting the pin 74 (such as by pushing it out with a conforming plunger) from the latch and by extracting the insert. A different insert may then be used by sliding it into the opening and locking it in place with the pin.

FIG. 8 illustrates a different insert 80 with a slightly more pronounced profile 82. The profile 82 is more curved than the profile 46 of the first insert 44, thereby producing a different ergonomic effect on the handgun grip. All other features are the same as described for insert 44. FIG. 9 illustrates a third insert 84 with a yet more pronounced profile 86 for a different ergonomic effect, which may be preferable for a larger hand.

Thus, an approach has been described for providing alternative grips to the user of a Glock handgun having the structural features described above. The standard handgun can be modified simply by judiciously milling or cutting away a portion of its grip as taught herein so as to accommodate one of several alternative grip inserts provided to fit into the opening created by milling operation. The invention teaches structural features in the insert that take advantage of the inner structure of the grip in conventional Glock handguns.

While the invention has been shown and described in what is believed to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that departures can be made therefrom within the scope of the invention. For example, a different form of engaging mechanism, such as a snap, could be used instead of the pin/latch combination described here. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent processes and products.

Claims

1. A removable grip insert for a modified handgun grip having an open cavity obtained by a planar removal of a portion of a rear wall of an original grip, said original grip having backward-converging sidewalls and a magazine well with a flat back plate defining a cavity with said rear wall, said insert comprising:

a support structure with outer-facing surfaces adapted to mate with corresponding converging interior surfaces of said backward-converging sidewalls, said support structure having a thickness sized so that a front surface of the support structure mates with a flat rear surface of said back plate when the insert is introduced into the open cavity of the modified handgrip;

a forward-facing surface on each side of the insert sized to mate with a corresponding backward-facing surface produced in the modified handgrip by said planar removal of a portion of the rear wall; and

a prong with a latch extending from said support structure and adapted for insertion into the modified grip and for subsequent engagement by a retaining device in the modified grip; whereby the insert may be fitted into the open cavity of the modified grip and securely locked in place.

2. The insert of claim 1, wherein said retaining device is a pin inserted transversely through the modified grip.

3. The insert of claim 1, further including at least one retaining wing adapted to engage a beveled portion of said back plate.

4. The insert of claim 3, wherein said retaining device is a pin inserted transversely through the modified grip.

5. A method for providing alternative ergonomic grips for a user of a handgun grip having backward-converging sidewalls and a magazine well with a flat back plate defining a cavity with said rear wall, the method comprising the following steps:

producing a modified handgrip by the planar removal of a portion of said rear wall, thereby creating an open cavity for receiving a grip insert;

providing a plurality of grip inserts with a variety of grip profiles, each insert including a support structure having outer-facing surfaces adapted to mate with corresponding converging interior surfaces of said backward-converging sidewalls, said support structure having a thickness sized so that a front surface of the support structure mates with a flat rear surface of said back plate when the insert is introduced into the open cavity of the modified handgrip; said insert further having a forward-facing surface on each side of the insert sized to mate with a corresponding backward-facing surface produced in the modified handgrip by said planar removal of a portion of the rear wall; and having a prong with a latch extending from the support structure and adapted for insertion into the modified grip and for subsequent engagement by a retaining device in the modified grip;

fitting one of said plurality of grip inserts into the open cavity of the modified grip; and

securely locking the insert in place with said retaining device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said retaining device is a pin inserted transversely through the modified grip.

7. The method of claim 5, further including the step of including in the insert at least one retaining wing adapted to engage a beveled portion of said back plate.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said retaining device is a pin inserted transversely through the modified grip.

9. A handgun/removable-grip-insert kit combination comprising:

a handgun with a grip having a magazine well with a flat back plate and backward-converging sidewalls defining an open cavity with a back surface of the back plate; and

a plurality of grip inserts with a variety of grip profiles, each insert including: a support structure having outer-facing surfaces adapted to mate with corresponding converging interior surfaces of said backward-converging sidewalls, said support structure having a thickness sized so that a front surface of the support structure mates with a flat rear surface of said back plate when the insert is introduced into the open cavity of the grip; a forward-facing surface on each side of the insert sized to mate with a corresponding backward-facing surfaces in said backward-converging sidewalls; and a prong with a latch extending from the support structure and adapted for insertion into the open cavity of the grip and for subsequent engagement by a retaining device in the grip;

whereby the insert may be fitted into the open cavity of the grip and securely locked in place.

10. The kit of claim 9, wherein said retaining device is a pin inserted transversely through the modified grip.

11. The kit of claim 9, further including at least one retaining wing adapted to engage a beveled portion of said back plate.

12. The kit of claim 11, wherein said retaining device is a pin inserted transversely through the modified grip.