Firearm magazine and system for monitoring rounds

Abstract

A round monitoring magazine 10 for a firearm comprises a base plate 18 and a follower plate 26 biased in a direction away from the base plate 18. The magazine 10 further comprises monitoring means 32

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a firearm magazine and system for monitoring number of rounds remaining within the magazine and / or the number of rounds fired from the magazine. BACKGROUND

[0002] In dismounted combat, soldiers use hand weapons that fire ammunition, also known as rounds, from a magazine that may or may not be mechanically close coupled to the weapon being used. The soldier may carry one or multiple number of magazines. However, during combat, when assault rifles are being used, neither a soldier nor the military command and support have no accurate means of knowing how many rounds are within a magazine at any moment in time and / or how many rounds have been fired from a magazine, and, therefore, there is no accurate information on ammunition usage.

[0003] Accurately counting ammunition usage is important. For example, during combat, if ammunition expenditure and availability is visible for every soldier then logistics planning for ammunition supply and re stocking can be informed, and if ammunition expenditure and availability is visible for every soldier then magazine redistribution can be undertaken for those likely to need it most - i.e the soldiers with the lowest stock of ammunition can be prioritised.

[0004] Magazines having a viewing window for a user to visually check the number of rounds inside the magazine are known. However, these known magazines are disadvantages in that they require a user to be able to visibly see through the window. Therefore, the magazine can only be checked in daylight or using a light source. Moreover, the user must stop their train of thought, concentration and focus, and take their eyes away from their mission such as, for example, an enemy, to check the magazine, and then report the number of rounds remaining in the magazine for logistics planning.

[0005] Accordingly, it is desirable in industry for there to be an improved firearm magazine and system for monitoring rounds. SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a round monitoring magazine for a firearm, the magazine comprising a base plate and a follower plate and biasing means operable to bias the follower plate in a direction away from the base plate, wherein the magazine further comprises monitoring means operable to monitor the position of the follower plate within the magazine.

[0007] The monitoring means is advantageously operable to monitor the position of the follower plate relative to the base plate.

[0008] The monitoring means is advantageously operable to monitor changes in distance between the base plate and the follower plate.

[0009] The monitoring means advantageously comprises a rotatable spool and a line disposed on the spool, and wherein the line advantageously extends from the rotatable spool to the follower plate, to which the line is fixed. Wherein the monitoring means advantageously monitors the position of the follower plate within the magazine by monitoring rotation of the spool caused by the following plate pulling the line off the spool.

[0010] The spool advantageously comprises biasing means operable to bias the spool to wind the line onto the spool.

[0011] The biasing force of the spool biasing means advantageously opposes the biasing force of the follower plate biasing means and the biasing force of the spool biasing means is advantageously less than the biasing force of the follower plate biasing means.

[0012] The monitoring means advantageously comprises a rotation monitoring sensor operable to monitor rotation of the spool caused by displacement of the follower plate within the magazine and provide an output signal indicative of the monitored rotation.

[0013] The monitoring means advantageously comprises communication means operable to communicate the output signal to an external device, network or system.

[0014] The output signal advantageously comprises at least one of a pulse count representing increments of rotation of the spool and a voltage.

[0015] The round monitoring magazine advantageously comprises a monitoring housing for housing the monitoring means, and wherein the base plate advantageously comprises the monitoring housing.

[0016] The base plate is advantageously detachably attachable to the magazine.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided firearm magazine follower plate monitoring means, operable to monitor the position of a follower plate within a firearm magazine having a follower plate and a base plate, wherein the monitoring means comprises a rotatable spool and a line disposed on the spool, a free end of the line being fixable to a said follower plate, wherein the monitoring means monitors the position of said follower plate within a said magazine by monitoring rotation of the spool caused by displacement of said following plate pulling the line off the spool.

[0018] The firearm magazine follower plate monitoring means is advantageously operable to monitor the position of a said follower plate relative a said magazine base plate.

[0019] The firearm magazine follower plate monitoring means is advantageously operable to monitor predetermined changes in distance between the said base plate and the said follower plate.

[0020] The spool advantageously comprises biasing means operable to bias the spool to wind the line onto the spool.

[0021] The firearm magazine follower plate monitoring means is advantageously operable to provide an output signal indicative of the monitored rotation of the spool.

[0022] The firearm magazine follower plate monitoring means is advantageously comprises communication means operable to communicate the output signal to an external device, network or system.

[0023] The output signal advantageously comprises at least one of a pulse count representing increments of rotation of the spool and a voltage.

[0024] The monitoring means are advantageously housed in a monitoring housing and wherein the monitoring housing advantageously forms at least part of a monitoring firearm magazine base plate.

[0025] The monitoring firearm magazine base plate is advantageously detachably attachable to the magazine.

[0026] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for monitoring rounds in a magazine, the system comprising a round monitoring magazine as claimed in the first aspect of the present invention, and a computer comprising information receiving means operable to receive the output signal from the monitoring means and calculate at least one of the number of rounds remaining in the magazine or the number of rounds fired from the magazine, based on the received output signal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Figure 1 is a drawing showing a round monitoring magazine according to first aspect of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the round monitoring magazine of Figure 1;

[0030] Figure 3 shows a detail of a follower plate of the round monitoring magazine of Figures 1 and 2;

[0031] Figure 4 shows a detail of the connection of the follower line to the magazine biasing spring from the point of view of looking down into the magazine from the follower plate, of the round monitoring magazine of Figure 1;

[0032] Figures 5A and 5B show the round monitoring means disposed within the round monitoring magazine of Figure 1;

[0033] Figure 6 is a schematic drawing of a system for monitoring rounds in a magazine according to a second aspect of the present invention, and showing communication from the round monitoring magazine, of Figure 1, to a first device;

[0034] Figure 7 is a schematic drawing of a system for monitoring rounds in a magazine according to the second aspect of the present invention, and showing communication from the round monitoring magazine, of Figure 1, to a second device;

[0035] Figure 8 is a schematic drawing of a system for monitoring rounds in a magazine according to the second aspect of the present invention, and showing communication between a plurality of round monitoring magazines, of Figure 1, and a third device; and

[0036] Figure 9 is a schematic drawing of a system for monitoring rounds in a magazine according to the second aspect of the present invention, and showing communication between a plurality of round monitoring magazines, of Figure 1, and a vehicle. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0037] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a round monitoring magazine 10, for a firearm, according to a first aspect of the present invention, comprises a magazine loading end 12 and an opposite closed end 14.

[0038] An elongated cylindrical body 16 extends from the magazine loading end 12 to a base plate 18. The cylindrical body 16 provides a live-round stacking chamber 20, in which live-rounds 22 are loaded into the magazine 10 through the magazine loading end 12. The base plate 18 is disposed at the closed end 14 and forms the base of the live-round stacking chamber 20.

[0039] The magazine loading end 12 has a standard mechanical rifle attachment clip 24 for cooperating with a standard clip on a rifle to detachably attach the round monitoring magazine 10 to a rifle.

[0040] The magazine 10 further comprises a follower plate 26 dimensioned and shaped to travel along the stacking chamber 20. Follower plate biasing means, preferably a compression spring 28, is fixed to the base plate 22 and underside 30, of the follower plate 26, to extend between the base plate 22 and the follower plate 26, and bias the follower plate towards the magazine loading end 12.

[0041] The magazine 10 further comprises follower plate monitoring means 32, operable to monitor the position of the follower plate within the stacking chamber 20, of the magazine 10.

[0042] The follower plate monitoring means 32 preferably comprises a rotatable spool (not shown) and a line 34. The line 34 maybe a wire and maybe formed from at least one of plastics, metal and alloy. One end of the line 34 is wound onto the spool. The line 34 extends through a line aperture 36, disposed through the base plate 22, and into the stacking chamber 20, where the opposite end is attached in a position to correspond with the underside 30, of the follower plate 26. The opposite end of the line can, for example, be fixed to the follower plate underside 30 or fixed to a part of the compression spring 28 which is attached to the follower plate underside 30.

[0043] Referring also to Figures 3 and 4, the opposite end of the line 34 terminates in a fixing boss 36 which has a horizontal pin connecting aperture 38. A fixing fork 40 with horizontal holes 42 is mounted to the follower plate underside 30. The boss 36 fits inside the fixing fork 40 and a horizontal connecting pin attaches the boss 36 and the fixing fork 40 to each other. A split pin is preferably inserted through a split-pin aperture to secure the connecting pin in place. The line 34 is permanently attached to the follower plate 26 and may be detached from the follower plate 26 by mechanical disassembly only.

[0044] The spool (not shown) has spool biasing means (not shown), such as, for example, a recoil spring, operable to bias the spool to rotate in a direction to cause the line to be drawn towards the spool such that the line is held tight and straight against the biasing forces, and rewound onto the spool upon overcoming the compression spring 28 biasing force. The biasing force of the spool recoil spring (not shown) opposes the biasing force of the compression spring 28, biasing the follower plate 26. However, the biasing force of the spool recoil spring (not shown) is less than the biasing force of the compression spring 28, such that displacement of the follower plate 26 in a direction towards the magazine loading end 12, pulls the line 34 off the spool (not shown) such that the length of the line 34 extending off the spool and the angular rotation of the spool is increased as the follower plate 26 travels towards the magazine loading end 12. However, if an opposite force, greater than the biasing force of the compression spring 28, is applied to the follower plate 26, such that the follower plate 26 is displaced towards the base plate 22, the biasing force of the spool recoil spring activates on the line 34 to rewind the line back onto the spool.

[0045] The monitoring means further comprises a rotation monitoring sensor (not shown), operable to monitor the rotational displacement of the spool, a processor (not shown) for determining the rotational displacement of the spool and providing an output signal indicative of the rotational displacement of the spool, a power source, such a battery, and communication means, such as a transmitter to communicate the output signal to an external device, network or system. The power source may be rechargeable and / or may be replaceable in the field. The communication means may be, for example, any one or more of Bluetooth, Wifi and Radio.

[0046] Referring particularly to Figures 2, 5A and 5B, the spool, rotation monitoring sensor and processor are packaged in a monitoring enclosure 42. The monitoring enclosure 42 is housed in a monitoring housing 44. The module monitoring housing 44 may be integrally formed with the elongated cylindrical body 16, wherein the base plate 18 provides one internal side 46 of the module monitoring housing 44. Alternatively, the module monitoring housing 44 may be attachable to the base plate 18, of the cylindrical body 16, such that a standard magazine can be converted to a round monitoring magazine 10, according to the present invention, by attachment of the monitoring housing 44 and / or monitoring module 38. The attachable monitoring housing 44 may be detachably attachable so that it can be attached and detached from the elongated cylindrical body 16.

[0047] The monitoring enclosure 38 may be formed from at least one of a plastics, metal or and alloy material and is preferably capable of being immersed in water.

[0048] Live rounds are loaded into the magazine 10 through the magazine loading end 12. A manual force is applied on the live-round as it is being loaded. The applied force is transferred through the live round against the follower plate 26. Sufficient force to overcome the opposing biasing force of the compression spring 28 allows the live round to be inserted past a retaining catch 48. The retaining catch 48 retains the live-rounds within the live-round stacking chamber 20. The live-round loading process is repeated for each live-round to be loaded into the magazine 10. With each live-round loaded, the follower plate 26 is incrementally displaced towards the base plate 18, by a predetermined live-round distance equal to the diameter of a live-round. As the follower plate 26 is incrementally displaced towards the base plate 18, the biasing force of the compression spring 28 is overcome and the biasing force of the spool recoil spring activates to recoil the line 34 onto the spool.

[0049] With the live-round stacking chamber 20 loaded with live-rounds, the follower plate 26 is biased by compression spring 28 against the first loaded and lowest live-round in the stacking chamber 20. The last live round to be loaded is biased against and retained in the stacking chamber 20 by the retaining catch 48. In this loaded state, the off-spool extended line 34 is at its shortest with the remainder of the line 34 on the spool. The line 34 is held taught and straight by the biasing force of the spool recoil spring acting on the spool.

[0050] With the round monitoring magazine 10 attached to a rifle, the loaded live rounds are ready to be presented into a firing chamber, of a rifle, one at a time. As each live round is presented into the firing chamber the compression spring 28 acts on the follower plate 26 to displace the remaining loaded live rounds up the stacking chamber 20. The follower plate 26 is displaced by the predetermined live-round distance created by the loading of the live round into the firing chamber. Displacement of the follower plate 26 pulls the line 34 which rotates the spool a predetermined angle of rotation corresponding to the predetermined live-round distance.

[0051] The monitoring sensor senses rotation of the spool by the predetermined angle of rotation and the processor provides an output signal indicative that a live round has been removed from the stacking chamber 20 of the magazine 10. The processor transmits the output signal to an external device, network or system. The processor may additionally transmit output signals indicative of, for example, one or more of number of re-loads, number of discharges of live rounds, usage, lifetime, power status, and faults, such as follower plate jammed.

[0052] Alternatively, the processor additionally calculates the number of live rounds loaded in the magazine following each removal of a live round and transmits a revised current number of live rounds loaded in the magazine. The revised current number of live rounds is transmitted as an output signal to an external device, network or system.

[0053] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a firearm magazine follower plate monitoring means comprises the monitoring enclosure 42, as described above, as a separate independent module for converting an existing firearm magazine into a round monitoring magazine 10, according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0054] Referring to Figures 6 to 9, according to a third aspect of the present invention, a system 100 for monitoring rounds in a firearm magazine comprises one or more round monitoring magazines 110, as described above with reference to the first aspect of the present invention, and one or more of a receiving device, communication network or vehicle. The system 100 may provide communication means for the or each round monitoring magazine 110 to integrate with ATAK, MILTAK or other mission software.

[0055] Referring to Figure 6, the system 100 comprises a round monitoring magazine 110 and a shot detection device 112. The round monitoring magazine 110 is paired with the shot detection device 112 over a communication link 114, such as, for example, one or more of Bluetooth, Wifi and Radio, and transmits the one or more output signals, as required and appropriate, to the shot detection device112.

[0056] Referring to Figure 7, the system 100 comprises the round monitoring magazine 110 and may alternatively or additionally comprise one or more soldier mounted GSA (Generic Soldier Architecture) compliant devices 116. The GSA compliant device 116 may include the use of the DDS network stack. The round monitoring magazine 110 is paired with the, or each, GSA compliant device 116 for two-way communication, and the round monitoring magazine 110 transmits the one or more output signals, as required and appropriate, to the, or each GSA compliant device 116.

[0057] Referring to Figure 8, the system 100 may comprise a plurality of round monitoring magazines 110a and 110b, and a soldier mounted GSA (Generic Soldier Architecture) compliant device 116. The GSA compliant device 116 may include the use of the DDS network stack. The round monitoring magazines 110a and 110b are paired over a communication links 118a and 118b, with the GSA compliant device 116 as master pairings for two-way communication. The round monitoring magazines 110a and 110b are paired to each other over a communication link 120, as device-to-device automatic pairings. The round monitoring magazines 110a and 110b transmit the one or more output signals, as required and appropriate, to the GSA compliant device 116.

[0058] Referring to Figure 9, the system 100 may comprise a plurality of round monitoring magazines 110a and 110b, a soldier mounted GSA (Generic Soldier Architecture) compliant device 116, and a vehicle 122. The plurality of round monitoring magazines 110a and 110b communicate with the vehicle 116 in a GVA (General Vehicle Architecture) compliant communication over communication links 124a and 124b, respectively. The GVA may include the use of the DDS network stack.

[0059] The plurality of round monitoring magazines 110a and 110b are paired, over communication link 120, as peer-to-peer two-way communication with each other and paired, over communication links, 118a and 118b, as client two-way communications with the soldier mounted GSA compliant device 114, and over communication links 124a and 5 124b, as client two-way communications with the GVA compliant vehicle 116. The round monitoring magazines 110a and 110b transmit the one or more output signals, as required and appropriate, to the GSA compliant device 114 and the GVA compliant vehicle 116.

Claims

1. A round monitoring magazine for a firearm, the magazine comprising a base plate and a follower plate and biasing means operable to bias the follower plate in a direction away from the base plate; the magazine further comprising monitoring means operable to monitor the position of the follower plate within the magazine and a monitoring housing for housing the monitoring means; wherein the base plate comprises the monitoring housing and wherein the base plate is detachably attachable to the magazine.

2. A round monitoring magazine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring means is operable to monitor the position of the follower plate relative to the base plate.

3. A round monitoring magazine as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the monitoring means is operable to monitor changes in distance between the base plate and the follower plate.

4. A round monitoring magazine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the monitoring means comprises a rotatable spool and a line disposed on the spool, and wherein the line extends from the rotatable spool to the follower plate, to which the line is fixable, and wherein the monitoring means monitors the position of the follower plate within the magazine by monitoring rotation of the spool caused by the following plate pulling the line off the spool.

5. A round monitoring magazine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the spool comprises biasing means operable to bias the spool to wind the line onto the spool.

6. A round monitoring magazine as claimed in claim 5, wherein a biasing force of the spool biasing means opposes a biasing force of the follower plate biasing means and08 10 24the biasing force of the spool biasing means is less than the biasing force of the follower plate biasing means.

7. A round monitoring magazine as claimed in claims 4 to 6, wherein the monitoring means comprises a rotation monitoring sensor operable to monitor rotation of the spool caused by displacement of the follower plate within the magazine and provide an output signal indicative of the monitored rotation.

8. A round monitoring magazine as claimed in claim 7, wherein the monitoring means comprises communication means operable to communicate the output signal to an external device, network or system.

9. A round monitoring magazine as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the output signal comprises at least one of a pulse count representing increments of rotation of the spool and a voltage.

10. An attachable base plate for use with the round monitoring magazine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, the base plate comprising a monitoring housing for housing follower plate monitoring means.

11. An attachable base plate as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the monitoring means comprises a rotatable spool and a line disposed on the spool, a free end of the line being fixable to a said follower plate, wherein the monitoring means monitors the position of said follower plate within a said magazine by monitoring rotation of the spool caused by displacement of said following plate pulling the line off the spool.

12. An attachable base plate as claimed in Claim 10 or 11, wherein the follower plate monitoring means is operable to monitor the position of a said follower plate relative to the attachable base plate.08 10 2413. An attachable base plate as claimed in Claims 10 to 12, wherein the follower plate monitoring means is operable to monitor predetermined changes in distance between the attachable base plate and the said follower plate.

14. An attachable base plate as claimed in Claims 11 to 13, wherein the spool comprises biasing means operable to bias the spool to wind the line onto the spool.

15. An attachable base plate as claimed in Claims 11 to 14, wherein the follower plate monitoring means is operable to provide an output signal indicative of the monitored rotation of the spool.

16. An attachable base plate as claimed in Claim 15, comprising communication means operable to communicate the output signal to an external device, network or system.

17. An attachable base plate as claimed in Claim 15 or 16, wherein the output signal comprises at least one of a pulse count representing increments of rotation of the spool and a voltage.

18. An attachable base plate as claimed in Claims 10 to 17, wherein the monitoring housing forms at least part of the attachable base plate.

19. A system for monitoring rounds in a magazine, the system comprising a round monitoring magazine as claimed in claims 1 to 9, and a computer comprising information receiving means operable to receive the output signal from the monitoring means and calculate at least one of the number of rounds remaining in the magazine or the number of rounds fired from the magazine, number of re-loads, usage, lifetime, power status, and faults based on the received output signal.20

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