UNIVERSAL REMOTE TRIGGER ACTUATOR

Abstract

A remote trigger actuator, including a driver, a shaft coupled to the driver, the shaft including a central axis, a proximal end, and a distal end opposite the proximal end, and a cam coupled to the shaft proximate the distal end, the cam including a first end and a second end opposite the first end. Wherein rotation of the shaft about the axis causes the second end of the cam to engage a trigger of the firearm thereby discharging the firearm. The trigger actuator is configured to be mounted to the firearm.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

Firearms have been used prominently worldwide for centuries for various applications such as military, personal protection, hunting, and recreation. Most firearms typically require the engagement of a trigger or similar device in order to discharge or eject a projectile. Conventionally, these trigger devices are manually depressed by the user or operator of the weapon when the barrel is substantially aligned with the intended target. However, such manual depression of the trigger often introduces asymmetric forces on the trigger and the weapon. Such asymmetric forces are undesirable since they often result in a shifting of the point of impact for the projectile. In many applications, such as long range shooting applications (e.g., bench shooting), any unintentional shifting of a projectile's point of impact is undesirable due to the fact that precise control of the projectile's flight path is often essential for such applications.

SUMMARY

These and other needs in the art are addressed in one embodiment by a remote trigger actuator. In an embodiment, the remote trigger actuator comprises a driver and a shaft coupled to the driver, the shaft including a central axis, a proximal end, and a distal end opposite the proximal end. In addition, the trigger actuator comprises a cam coupled to the shaft proximate the distal end, the cam including a first end and a second end opposite the first end. Rotation of the shaft about the axis causes the second end of the cam to engage a trigger of the firearm thereby discharging the firearm. The trigger actuator is configured to be mounted to the firearm.

These and other needs in the art are addressed in another embodiment by a remote trigger actuator for a firearm. In an embodiment, the trigger actuator comprises a housing mountable to the firearm. In addition, the trigger actuator comprises a driver slidingly disposed within the housing. Further, the trigger actuator comprises a shaft coupled to the driver, the shaft including a central axis, a proximal end disposed within the housing, and a distal end extending from the housing. Still further, the trigger actuator comprises a cam coupled to the shaft proximate the distal end, the cam including a first end and a second end opposite the first end. Rotation of the shaft about the axis causes the second end of the cam to engage a trigger of the firearm thereby discharging the firearm.

These and other needs in the art are addressed in another embodiment by a method of discharging a firearm. In an embodiment, the method comprises mounting a remote trigger actuator to a trigger guard of the firearm. The remote trigger actuator further comprising a driver, a shaft coupled to the driver, the shaft including a central axis, a proximal end, and a distal end opposite the proximal end, and a cam coupled to the shaft proximate the distal end, the cam including a first end and a second end opposite the first end. In addition, the method comprises engaging a trigger of the firearm with the second end of the cam. Further, the method comprises rotating the shaft about the axis to discharge the firearm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a rifle with a remote trigger actuator in accordance with the principles disclosed herein;

FIG. 2 shows another perspective view of the rifle and the remote trigger actuator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of the remote trigger actuator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows another enlarged perspective view of the remote trigger actuator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a partially schematic top cross-sectional view of the remote trigger actuator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the remote trigger actuator of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 shows An enlarged perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a remote trigger actuator coupled to a rifle in accordance with the principles disclosed herein;

FIG. 8 shows another enlarged perspective view of the remote trigger actuator of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the rifle and remote trigger actuator of FIG. 1 coupled to a remote firing mechanism;

FIG. 10 shows an enlarged side view of the remote trigger actuator of FIG. 1 coupled to the rifle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 shows an enlarged side view of the remote trigger actuator of FIG. 1 coupled to the rifle of FIG. 1 and with the actuator depressing the trigger of the rifle; and

FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the remote trigger actuator of FIG. 1 with an additional bracing member coupled thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following discussion is directed to various exemplary embodiments. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the examples disclosed herein have broad application, and that the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not function. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features and components herein may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in interest of clarity and conciseness.

In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . . ” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection, or through an indirect connection via other devices, components, and connections. In addition, as used herein, the terms “axial” and “axially” generally mean along or parallel to a central axis (e.g., central axis of a body or a port), while the terms “radial” and “radially” generally mean perpendicular to the central axis. For instance, an axial distance refers to a distance measured along or parallel to the central axis, and a radial distance means a distance measured perpendicular to the central axis.

As used herein, the word “approximately” means “plus or minus 10%.” As used herein, the phrase “firing operation” or “firing operations” refers to the act of discharging a firearm.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, wherein a rifle 10 with a trigger actuator 100 coupled thereto is shown. Rifle 10 generally comprises a barrel 18 and a trigger assembly 8 which further comprises a trigger 12, and a trigger guard 14 substantially surrounding the trigger 12 and defining a trigger well 16. As will be described in more detail below, trigger 12 may be depressed within well 16 in order to discharge the rifle 10 and eject a projectile (not shown) out of barrel 18. Trigger actuator 100 comprises a housing 112, a drive assembly 120 disposed within the housing 112 (note: drive assembly 120 is not specifically shown in FIGS. 1-4), a clamping assembly 140, and a trigger actuation assembly 180. Each of these components will now be described in more detail below.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-6, housing 112 generally comprises a base 114, and an upper housing member 116 coupled to the base 114. Upper housing member 116 includes a generally closed first end 116a, a generally open second end 116b opposite the first end 116a, a first lateral side 116c, a second lateral side 116d opposite the first lateral side 116c, and a recess or cavity 118 extending from the open end 116b between the sides 116c, d. An aperture or slot 117 is disposed at first end 116a. Slot 117 includes a first end 117a and a second end 117b opposite the first end 117a and provides an open path from the outside environment into the cavity 118, between the ends 117a, b. As will be described in more detail below, slot 117 also allows the shaft 124 of the motor 122 to extend from housing 112 such that a cam 186 may engage the trigger 12 of rifle 10 during operation. An electric coupling or plug 121 is disposed along the second lateral side 116d of housing member 116 and, as will be described in more detail below, is configured to provide an electrical coupling point for the motor 122 during operation. As is best shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, a pair of laterally adjacent substantially parallel vertical plates 111, 113 extend from the upper housing member 116, wherein each plate 111, 113 includes a mounting hole 111a, 113a, respectively (note: mounting holes 111a, 113a are not directly shown in FIGS. 4 and 6). While not specifically shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, it should be appreciated that the mounting holes 111a, 113a, are substantially aligned with one another.

Referring still to FIGS. 4-6, base 114 includes a first or top side 114a, a second or bottom side 114b opposite the top side 114a, and a slot 115 extending from the top side 114a to the bottom side 114b. Slot 115 includes a first end 115a and a second end 115b opposite the first end 115a and provides an open path from the outside environment into the cavity 118, between the ends 115a, b. Base 114 is coupled to upper housing member 116 at the open end 116b via a plurality of coupling members 119. Coupling members 119 may be any suitable device for coupling or joining two members together. For example, members 19 may be screws, bolts, nuts, an adhesive, or a combination thereof, while still complying with the principles disclosed herein. In this embodiment, a total of four coupling members 119 are used to mount base 114 to upper housing member 116, however, in other embodiments the number of coupling members 119 may be greatly varied while still complying with the principles disclosed herein.

Referring briefly again to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, a first bracing member 170 may be coupled to housing member 116. In particular, member 170 may be secured to the first lateral side 116c of housing member 116 via a pair of securing members 172 through slots 171 disposed in member 170. Each slot 171 has a first end 171a and a second end 171b opposite the first end 171a. During operation, member 170 braces actuator directly against the rifle 10 in order to provide additional torsional support in order to resist movement of actuator 100 during firing operations. Additionally, in at least some embodiments, the position of member 170 may be adjusted relative to the housing 116 via sliding engagement of the members 172 and slots 171 between ends 171a, b.

Referring briefly now to FIG. 7, in some embodiments, a second bracing member 174 may be coupled to the housing member 116 either in addition to or alternatively to the first bracing member 170. The second bracing member 174 extends through the trigger well 16 and contacts the inner surface of trigger guard 14. As is also described above for member 170, during operation, member 174 provides torsional support and resists movement of actuator 100 during firing operations. However, it should also be appreciated that in other embodiments, no member 174 may be included while still complying with the principles disclosed herein.

Referring briefly now to FIG. 12, in some embodiments, a third bracing member 350 may also be coupled to housing member 116 either in addition to or alternatively to the bracing members 170, 174. In this embodiment, member 350 is disposed on the second lateral side 116d of member 116 and generally includes a coupling section 350a, and an engagement section 350b. Coupling section 350a includes a pair of slots 352, while engagement section includes a substantially planar engagement surface 354. Each slot 352 includes a first end 352a and a second end 352b opposite the first end 352a. Bracing member 350 is installed on to actuator 100 by aligning slots 352 on coupling section 350a with corresponding holes or apertures (not shown) disposed in the second lateral side 116d of housing member 116. Thereafter, a pair of securing members 356 is inserted through slots 352 such that each is threadably engaged within one of the apertures in housing 116. During operation the position of member 350 may be adjusted relative to the housing 116 by sliding each of the securing members 356 along slots 352 between ends 352a, b. As is also described above for members 170, 174, during operation, member 350 provides torsional support and resists movement of actuator 100 during firing operations.

Referring now to FIG. 5, drive assembly 120 generally comprises a motor support member 128 disposed within cavity 118 of housing 112, a driver or motor 122 substantially disposed within the member 128, and a shaft 124 extending from motor 122 along a central axis 125. Motor support member 128 comprises a generally open first or upper end 128a, a generally closed second or lower end 128b opposite the upper end 128a, and a recess 128c extending from the upper end 128a toward the lower end 128b. As will be described in more detail below, the recess 128c is configured to receive and house motor 122 therein. Lower end 128b comprises a generally planar surface 129 and a cylindrical projection 130 extending from the surface 129. Projection 130 includes a threaded throughbore 132 which extends into the recess 128c. When member 128 is installed within cavity 118, the surface 129 engages with top side 114a of base 114. Therefore, once installed, the position of member 128 within the cavity 118 relative to the sides 116c, d may be adjusted by slidingly engaging the surface 129 with the top side 114a of base 114. The adjustment of member 128 within housing 112 as described above is limited by the engagement between the projection 130 and the slot 115. More particularly, member 128 may be moved or translated toward the second lateral side 116d until the projection 130 engages with the first end 115a of slot 115 and may be moved or translated toward the second lateral side 116c until the projection 130 engages with the second end 115b of slot 115. Once a desired position for the member 128 is achieved, a securing member 134, having a head 134a and a washer 136 disposed about the head 134a, is threaded into the throughbore 132 until the washer 136 is compressed between the head 134a of member 134 and the lower side 114b of base 114, thereby effectively fixing member 128's position within the cavity 118 of housing 112.

Motor 122 comprises a body 126, a shaft 124 extending from body 126, and a pair of lateral projections 127 disposed on opposite sides of body 126. As shown in FIG. 5, motor 122 is disposed within motor housing member 128 such that body 126 is received within recess 128c, and projections 127 each engage with the upper end 128a. Motor 122 is secured to member 128 via coupling members 139 which are threaded into the upper end 128a, through throughbores 138 disposed in the radial projections 127. During operation, motor 122 drives shaft 124 to rotate about axis 125. Thus, motor 122 may be any suitable motor for actuating or driving rotation of a shaft (e.g., shaft 124). For example, motor 122 may be electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, or some combination thereof while still complying with the principles disclosed herein. In this embodiment, motor 122 is a servo motor.

Referring now to FIG. 6, clamping assembly 140 comprises an axis 145, a first or upper engagement member 142, a second or lower engagement member 152 disposed axially below the upper engagement member 142, and a locking clamp 160 disposed axially below the lower engagement member 152. Upper engagement member 142 has a first end 142a which is coupled to member 116 of housing 112, and a second end 142b projecting substantially radially outwardly from the first end 142b with respect to the axis 145. A throughbore 141 extends through the upper engagement member 142 along the axis 145 at a point that is disposed between the ends 142a, b. Additionally, an upper contact surface 144 is substantially radially disposed along one side of the upper engagement member 142 proximate the second end 142b and generally facing the lower engagement member 152. Surface 144 may be any suitable material for contacting or engaging with a hard surface (such as metal) without damaging said material. For example, in some embodiments, surface 144 may comprise nylon.

Lower engagement member 152 includes a first end 152a, a second end 152b opposite the first end 152a, an attachment section 154 extending from the first end 152a, and an engagement section 156 extending from the attachment section 154 to the second end 152b. Attachment section 154 is substantially disposed between the plates 111, 113 extending from housing member 116 and includes a slot 155 (note: slot 155 is shown by a broken line in FIG. 6) that is substantially aligned with the throughbores 111a, 113a, previously described. Slot 155 further includes a first end 155a, and a second end 155b opposite the first end. A securing member 158 having a head 158a is slidably engaged in the throughbore 111a and the slot 155, and is threadably engaged in the throughbore 113a. Thus, securing member 158 and thereby housing 112 may actuate relative to lower engagement member 152 via the slot 155 between the ends 155a, b. More particularly, housing 112 may actuate relative to lower engagement member 152 along slot 155 until securing member 158 contacts or engages either the end 155a or the end 155b. A spacer or washer 159 is disposed between the head 158a and plate 111 such that when member 158 rotated and threadably engaged with throughbore 113a, washer 159 is compressed between head 158a and plate 111. As washer 159 is compressed between the head 158a and the plate 111, the attachment section 154 is also compressed between the plates 111, 113 thereby effectively fixing the relative position of the housing 112 and the lower engagement member 152. Engagement section 156 includes a slot 153 extending through the lower engagement member 152 along the axis 145 at a point between the ends 152a, b and substantially aligned with the throughbore 141. Additionally, engagement section 156 comprises a lower contact surface 157 that is disposed along one side of the lower engagement member 152, proximate the second end 152b and generally facing the upper engagement member 142. As is described above for upper contact surface 144, surface 157 may be any suitable material for contacting or engaging with a hard material (such as metal) without damaging said material. For example, in some embodiments, surface 157 comprises nylon.

Locking clamp 160 is disposed axially below both the upper engagement member 142 and the lower engagement member 152. Clamp 160 generally comprises a force transfer member 162 and a lever 164 disposed axially below the member 162. Force transfer member 162 includes a central throughbore 163 that is substantially aligned with the axis 145, the throughbore 141, and the slot 153. Lever 164 comprises a central housing 164a and an elongate handle 164b extending from housing 164a. Housing 164a is substantially cylindrical in shape and includes a rotational axis 165 that is substantially perpendicular to the axis 145, a radially inner cylindrical surface 168a, a central throughbore 167 concentric about the axis 165 and substantially defined by the surface 168a, and an radially outer substantially cylindrical surface 168b which engages with the axially lower end of the force transfer member 162. As is shown in FIG. 6, outer surface 168b is disposed at a radius R_168b measured from the axis 165. Also as shown in FIG. 6, the axis 165 and thus the throughbore 167 are positioned slightly off-center with respect to the outer surface 168b, and thus, the radius R_168b varies about the axis 165, reaching a relative maximum value R_168bmax at one point along the surface 168b and a relative minimum value R_168bmin at another point along the surface 168b angularly shifted approximately 180° from the maximum radius R_168bmax about the axis 165. In other words, the housing 164a is eccentric about the axis 165. A shaft 166 is disposed within the throughbore 167 of housing 164a along the axis 165 such that it may slidingly engage the surface 168a. As will be described in more detail below, as the housing 164a rotates about the axis 165, the surface 168a slidingly engages the shaft 166 and the surface 168b slidingly engages the axial lower end of the force transfer member 162. Shaft 166 further includes a throughbore or aperture 169 which is concentrically aligned with the axis 145 and thus extends substantially perpendicular to the axis 165.

A coupling rod 143 is disposed through and slidingly engages the throughbores 141, 163 of the upper engagement member 142 and the force transfer member 162, respectively, and slidingly engages with slot 153 of lower engagement member 152 (note: rod 143 is substantially shown in FIG. 6 with a broken line). Rod 143 includes a first or upper end 143a, a second or lower end 143b opposite the upper end 143a, and external threads (not shown) extending from the lower end 143b. These external threads engage with corresponding internal threads disposed within the aperture 169 of the shaft 166.

During operation, housing 164a is rotated about axis 165 via handle 164b such that the inner surface 168a slidingly engages the shaft 166 and the outer surface 168b slidingly engages the axially lower end of the force transfer member 162. Because housing 164a is eccentric about the axis 165, an axially vertical load or force is imparted to the member 162 as the radius R_168b associated with the point of contact between the member 162 and the surface 168b approaches the relative maximum value R_168bmax, such as is shown in arrangement depicted in FIG. 6. This axial load causes the member 162 to shift or translate axially upward along the rod 143 and axis 145 such that member 162 contacts and engages the lower engagement member 152. Because the rod 143 slidingly engages the slot 153 of member 152, the member 152 is also forced axially upward in response to the engagement with force transfer member 162 such that it rotates about the securing member 158. As member 152 rotated about the securing member 158, the lower contact surface 157 on the member 152 is urged axially upward or toward the upper contact surface 144 on the member 142.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, in some embodiments, lever 164 may be replaced with a locking nut 220. Nut includes a througbore 225 which is substantially aligned with the axis 145, previously described (note: throughbore 225 is shown in FIG. 10 with a broken line). Additionally throughbore 225 includes internal threads (not shown) which correspond and engage with the external threads extending from the lower end 143b of rod 143. Thus, as nut 220 is rotated about the axis 145 it engages with the lower engagement member 152 thereby imparting an axial load thereto, and urging contact surface 157 toward the contact surface 144 in the manner previously described.

Referring back now to FIGS. 3 and 5, trigger actuator assembly 180 generally comprises a shaft extension member 182 coupled to the shaft 124 and a cam 186 coupled the extension member 182. Shaft extension member 182 is rotationally fixed to the output shaft 124 of motor 122 and is generally aligned with the axis 125. As is best shown in FIG. 5, member 182 generally comprises a first end 182a proximate the motor 122, a second end 182b opposite the first end 182a, a first radially outer surface 182c extending from the first end 182a, a second radially outer surface 182d extending from the second end 182b, wherein the surfaces 182d, e are radially offset from each other with respect to the axis 125, and a radially oriented shoulder 182e extending radially from the surface 182c to the surface 182d. Additionally, member 182 further comprises an axial recess or receptacle 184 extending from the first end 182a and configured to receive the shaft 124.

Cam 186 is disposed on extension member 182 proximate the second end 182b, and includes a first or front end 186a, a second or rear end 186b opposite the front end 186a, and a throughbore 188 extending between the ends 186a, b. As is best shown in FIG. 3, cam 186 also includes a first or lower side 186c, a second or upper side 186d opposite the lower side 186c, a first lateral side 186e, a second lateral side 186f opposite the first lateral side 186e, a major axis 185 extending between the sides 186c, d, and a minor axis 187 extending between the sides 186e, f and substantially orthogonal to the major axis 185. Lower side 186c comprises a curved trigger engagement surface 183. As will be described below, surface 183 engages with the trigger 12 of rifle 10 during operation, thereby causing rifle 10 to discharge when cam 186 is rotated about the axis 125. Cam 186 is rotationally fixed to shaft extension member 182 such that throughbore 188 engages with the surface 182d and rear end 186b abuts the surface 182e. Cam 186 may be rotationally fixed to the member 182 by any suitable means while still complying with the principles disclosed herein. For example, in some embodiments, surface 182d may include an axially oriented key which engages with a corresponding slot formed within the throughbore 188 of cam 186. In still other embodiments, cam 186 may be coupled to surface 182d via an interference fit. Thus, when shaft 124 is driven to rotate about the axis 125 via the motor 122, the member 182 and cam 186 both also rotate about the axis 125. Further, throughbore 188 is positioned proximate upper side 186d and the first lateral side 186e, such that cam 186 is eccentric about the axis 125. Thus, in the orientation shown in FIG. 3, as cam 186 is driven to rotate about the axis 125 in a clockwise direction, the surface 183 is driven toward the left and into engagement with the trigger 12 of rifle 10.

Referring again to FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, during operation, trigger actuator 100 is coupled to the trigger guard 14 of rifle 10 such that trigger engagement assembly 180 extends into trigger well 16. More particularly, trigger guard 14 is placed between the upper and lower engagement members 142,152, respectively, such that the upper and lower contact surfaces 144, 157, respectively engage with trigger guard 14. Once trigger guard 14 is engaged between the surfaces 142, 152, the housing 164a of lever 164 is rotated about the axis 165 via the handle 164b such that an axial load is transferred through the force transfer member 162 to the lower engagement member 152 in the manner described above, thus compressing the trigger guard 14 between the surfaces 144, 157. Thereafter, the position of cam 186 within the well 16 may be adjusted relative to trigger 12 to ensure proper engagement by loosening the securing member 134 and sliding the lower end 128b of motor support member 128 against the upper side 114a of base 114. Once the desired relative position between the trigger 12 and cam 186 has been achieved, the securing member 134 is rotated within the throughbore 130 until the washer 136 is compressed between the head 134a of the member 134 and the lower side 114b. Additionally, the distance that cam 186 extends into well 16 along axis 125 may also be adjusted by loosening the securing member 158 and sliding member 158 along slot 155. Once the desired position of the cam 186 within well 16 is achieved, the member 158 may be rotated to compress the attachment section 154 between the plates 111, 113, as previously described, thereby maintaining the relative position of cam 186 within well 16, along axis 125.

Referring now to FIG. 9, once actuator 100 has been secured to the rifle 10 and the cam 186 is properly positioned relative to the trigger 12 in the manner described above, a remote firing mechanism 200 may be coupled to the actuator 100 via a conductor 204. In some embodiments, conductor 204 may couple to the plug 121 disposed on housing member 116, previously described, in order to both energize motor 122 and provide a signal path from the firing mechanism 200 to the motor 122. As will be described in more detail below, mechanism 200 is used to actuate motor 122 such that cam 186 engages with trigger 12 to discharge rifle 10 and eject a projectile out of barrel 18 during operation.

Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, during operation, a user or operator of the rifle 10 aligns the barrel with an intended target (not shown). Next, a round or projectile is loaded in the breach or chamber of rifle 10 in a manner which is appropriate for the design of rifle 10. Thereafter, the operator actuates the motor 122, such as, for example, by depressing a firing button located on the remote firing mechanism 200. Upon receiving a signal from the remote firing mechanism 200 via the conductor 204 and plug 121, the motor 122 rotates the shaft 124 about the axis 125 approximately 90° in a clockwise direction as viewed in the orientation shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. As shaft 124 rotates about axis 125, shaft extension member 182 also rotates, thereby also causing cam 186 to rotate about the axis 125. As cam 186 rotates in the manner describe above, the engagement surface 183 contacts and engages with the trigger 12 within well 16. As previously described, because cam 186 is eccentric about the axis 125, a radial force is exerted on the trigger 12 by the cam 186 when cam 186 is rotated about the axis 125, thus depressing trigger 12 within well 16 and causing firearm 10 to discharge to eject a projectile out of barrel 18, towards the intended target. Once cam 186 has been rotated approximately 90° (and thus has achieved the position shown in FIG. 11), the motor 122 rotates shaft 124, member 182, and cam 186 in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in the orientation shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, in order to return cam 186 to the starting orientation shown in FIG. 10. It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, motor 122 can be directed to maintain the rotated position shown in FIG. 11 such that trigger 12 remains depressed for an extended period of time, in order to maintain fully automatic fire from the rifle 10.

Referring again to FIGS. 3, 10, and 11, in some embodiments, the proper positioning of cam 186 within the trigger well 16 is achieved by first ensuring that the breach or chamber of rifle 10 is empty and then manually depressing and holding the trigger 12 of rifle 10. Thereafter, the cam 186 is rotated approximately 90° via the motor 122, such that it is substantially maintained in the position shown in FIG. 11, and the drive assembly 120 is moved or translated such that cam 186 is urged toward the depressed trigger 12 until surface 183 on cam 186 contacts and fully engages trigger 12, thus ensuring proper relative positioning between cam 186 and trigger 12. The position of the cam 186 is then fixed via the methods previously described (e.g., by tightening securing members 134, 158). Thereafter, the trigger 12 is released and the cam 186 is rotated counter clockwise approximately 90° such that it is substantially in the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 10. Thereafter, cam 186 may be actuated via the motor 122 to fully engage trigger 12 in order to ensure proper firing of the rifle 10 via the actuator 100.

Thus, by use of a remote trigger actuator (e.g., actuator 100) in accordance with the principles disclosed herein, a user or operator may discharge a rifle (e.g., rifle 10) without the need to physically handle said rifle or manually depress the trigger (e.g., trigger 12), and thereby can avoid introducing any undesirable asymmetric forces into the weapon system which may unintentionally shift the point of impart of the projectile. Further, through use of a remote trigger actuator (e.g., actuator 100) in accordance with the principles disclosed herein, a user or operator may easily adjust the actuator to fit with multiple types and/or designs of firearms (e.g., rifle 10), while using no or very few tools.

Further, while embodiments of the remote trigger actuator 100 have been described herein as being used with a rifle 10, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, the actuator 100 may be utilized with any type of firearm which employs the use of a trigger to discharge a projectile from said firearm. For example, actuator 100 may be used with a shot gun, a handgun, a machine gun, etc. while still complying with the principles disclosed herein. Additionally, while the remote trigger actuator 100 has been described and shown as being actuated via a remote firing mechanism 200 which is coupled to the actuator 100 via a conductor 204, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, the actuator 100 may be actuated or activated via a controller coupled to the actuator 100 through a wireless connection. Further, in some embodiments, either in addition to or in that alternative of the methods discussed above, the position of the cam 186 relative to the trigger 12 within well 16 may be adjusted by sliding the upper and lower engagement members 142, 152 along the trigger guard 14. Still further, while embodiments described and disclosed herein have included either a locking clamp 160 or a locking nut 220, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, any suitable releasable coupling mechanism may be used to mount trigger actuator 100 to the trigger guard 14 of a firearm 10 while still complying with the principles disclosed herein.

While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or teachings herein. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the systems, apparatus, and processes described herein are possible and are within the scope of the invention. For example, the relative dimensions of various parts, the materials from which the various parts are made, and other parameters can be varied. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but is only limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the steps in a method claim may be performed in any order. The recitation of identifiers such as (a), (b), (c) or (1), (2), (3) before steps in a method claim are not intended to and do not specify a particular order to the steps, but rather are used to simplify subsequent reference to such steps.

Claims

1. A remote trigger actuator, comprising:

a driver;

a shaft coupled to the driver, the shaft including a central axis, a proximal end, and a distal end opposite the proximal end; and

a cam coupled to the shaft proximate the distal end, the cam including a first end and a second end opposite the first end;

wherein rotation of the shaft about the axis causes the second end of the cam to engage a trigger of the firearm thereby discharging the firearm; and

wherein the trigger actuator is configured to be mounted to the firearm.

2. The remote trigger actuator of claim 1, wherein the driver is configured to rotate the shaft from a first position to a second position, wherein the first position is angularly shifted approximately 90° from the second position about the axis.

3. The remote trigger actuator of claim 2, further comprising a controller including a switch, wherein the shaft rotates from the first position to the second position when the switch is engaged.

4. The remote trigger actuator of claim 3, wherein the shaft rotates from the second position to the first position when the switch is dis-engaged.

5. The remote trigger actuator of claim 1, further comprising a housing surrounding the driver, wherein the housing is coupled to a trigger guard of the firearm.

6. The remote trigger actuator of claim 5, further comprising a locking clamp, wherein the level clamp is configured to secure the housing to the trigger guard.

7. The remote trigger actuator of claim 5, further comprising a bracing member coupled to the housing, wherein the bracing member engages the firearm.

8. The remote trigger actuator of claim 7, wherein the bracing member is mounted within the trigger guard.

9. The remote trigger actuator of claim 5, wherein the housing is coupled to the trigger guard of the firearm with a locking nut.

10. The remote trigger actuator of claim 1, wherein the cam further comprises a first lateral side, and a second lateral side opposite the first lateral side, and a trigger engagement surface disposed at the second end extending between the first and second lateral sides.

11. The remote trigger actuator of claim 10, wherein the trigger engagement surface is curved.

12. The remote trigger actuator of claim 1, wherein the cam is eccentric about the central axis.

13. The remote trigger actuator of claim 1, wherein the driver is a servo motor.

14. A remote trigger actuator for a firearm, comprising:

a housing mountable to the firearm;

a driver slidingly disposed within the housing;

a shaft coupled to the driver, the shaft including a central axis, a proximal end disposed within the housing, and a distal end extending from the housing; and

a cam coupled to the shaft proximate the distal end, the cam including a first end and a second end opposite the first end;

wherein rotation of the shaft about the axis causes the second end of the cam to engage a trigger of the firearm thereby discharging the firearm.

15. The remote trigger actuator of claim 14, wherein the driver may be moved relative to the housing in order to facilitate engagement between the cam and the trigger.

16. The remote trigger actuator of claim 14, wherein the housing is mountable the firearm by engaging a trigger guard of the firearm between an upper engagement member and a lower engagement member, wherein the upper engagement member and the lower engagement member are coupled to the housing.

17. The remote trigger actuator of claim 16, wherein the lower engagement member is coupled to the housing with a slotted connection, and wherein the housing and the upper engagement member may be moved relative to the lower engagement member.

18. The remote trigger actuator of claim 17, wherein engagement of the trigger guard between the upper and lower engagement members is facilitated by a locking clamp.

19. The remote trigger actuator of claim 17, wherein engagement of the trigger guard between the upper and lower engagement members is facilitated by a locking nut.

20. The remote trigger actuator of claim 14, further comprising a controller including a switch, wherein the shaft rotates about the axis when the switch is engaged.

21. A method of discharging a firearm, comprising:

mounting a remote trigger actuator to a trigger guard of the firearm, the remote trigger actuator further comprising: a driver; a shaft coupled to the driver, the shaft including a central axis, a proximal end, and a distal end opposite the proximal end; and a cam coupled to the shaft proximate the distal end, the cam including a first end and a second end opposite the first end;

engaging a trigger of the firearm with the second end of the cam; and

rotating the shaft about the axis to discharge the firearm.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein engaging a trigger of the firearm with the second end of the cam further comprises:

depressing a trigger of the firearm;

rotating the shaft from a first position to a second position;

sliding the trigger actuator along the trigger guard until the cam engages with the depressed trigger; and

rotating the shaft back to the first position, wherein the first position is angularly shifted approximately 90° from the second position.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein rotating the shaft about the axis to discharge the firearm comprises rotating the shaft from the first position to the second position.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein rotating the shaft about the axis to discharge the firearm further comprises actuating a switch on a controller which is electrically coupled to the driver.