Expandable and retractable gun sling

Abstract

A gun sling may include a retractor having a rotatably mounted spool and a shaft. A first strap may have a portion thereof wrapped about the spool in a retracted position and may have a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun. A second strap may have a portion thereof connected to the shaft and may have a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun. The spool may be configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the spool. Other embodiments are also described.

Description

EXPANDABLE AND RETRACTABLE GUN SLINGCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.63 / 709.783 filed October 21, 2024. The full disclosure of the aforementioned patent application is hereby fully incorporated by reference.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] None.COPYRIGHT NOTICE

[0003] This application contains material that is subject to copyright protection. Such material may be reproduced exactly as it appears in Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records. The copyright owner otherwise reserves all rights to such material.FIELD

[0004] The disclosed apparatus generally relates to the field of gun slings.BACKGROUND

[0005] This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention that is recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

[0006] In the fields of hunting and shooting long guns (e.g., rifles and shotguns) and similar guns, users often desire to have a sling attached to the gun so that the gun may be carried on the user’s shoulder when not engaged in active use. A sling may thus allow the user to have his or her hands free to do other tasks aside from handling the gun. However, in many instances, existing slings are not only inconvenient but also unsafe due to unwanted slack that can cause very dangerous and undesired situations during hunting, training, or other shooting activities. For example, the sling may catch on something like a tree branch or bush and thereby cause the barrel of the gun to point towards another person. Additionally, an existing sling withtoo much slack hanging from a gun may knock into things and cause unwanted noise while hunting. It would be a significant advancement in the art to provide a gun sling that eliminates or reduces these and other problems, and to provide a sling that users are excited to use. SUMMARY

[0007] In some embodiments, a gun sling may include a strap; a first connector configured for attaching a first portion of the strap to a first portion of a gun; a second connector configured for attaching a second portion of the strap to a second portion of the gun; and a retractor configured for extension and retraction of a portion of the strap or another flexible tensile load element to which the strap is connected; wherein the retractor is biased toward a retracted position. The retractor may include a spool, a portion of the strap or the other flexible tensile load element may be wrapped about the spool, and the spool may be biased toward the retracted position via a torsion spring. A strength of the bias may be adjustable or fixed.

[0008] In some embodiments, a gun sling may include: a retractor having a rotatably mounted spool and a shaft; a first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the spool in a retracted position and having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun; and a second strap having a portion thereof connected to the shaft and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; wherein the spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the spool.

[0009] In some embodiments, a gun sling may include: a retractor including a first support, a second support, a spool, and a spring; the first support having a first body, a shaft depending from the first body, and a first boss depending from the first body, the shaft having a recess therein; the second support having a second body, a protrusion depending from the second body, a bearing surface, and a second boss depending from the second body, the second boss having a slot therein; the first support being fastened to the second support with the protrusion disposed in the recess of the shaft; the spool having an interior space in which the spring is disposed, an inner boss having a slot therein, and a bearing recess in which the first boss is disposed, the spool being rotatably mounted on the first boss of the first support and the bearing surface of the second support; the spring having a first tang disposed in the slot of the second boss and a second tang disposed in the slot of the inner boss; a first strap having a first end fastened to the spool and a second end having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun, the first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the spool in a retracted position; and a second strap having a first end fastened to the shaft and a second endhaving a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; wherein the spring permits extension and retraction of the first strap with rotation of the spool.

[0010] In some embodiments, a gun sling may include: a retractor having a first spool and a second spool, each of the spools being rotatably mounted and biased toward a respective retracted position; a first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the first spool in the respective retracted position and having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun; and a second strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the second spool in the respective retracted position and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; wherein the first spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the first spool; wherein the second spool is configured for extension and retraction of the second strap upon rotation of the second spool.

[0011] In some embodiments, a gun sling may include: a first retractor having a first spool and a first shaft, the first spool being rotatably mounted and biased toward a first retracted position; a second retractor having a second spool and a second shaft, the second spool being rotatably mounted and biased toward a second retracted position; a first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the first spool in the first retracted position and having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun; a second strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the second spool in the second retracted position and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; and a third strap connected to the first shaft and the second shaft; wherein the first spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the first spool; wherein the second spool is configured for extension and retraction of the second strap upon rotation of the second spool.

[0012] In some embodiments, a gun sling may consist essentially of: a retractor having a rotatably mounted, spring-biased spool and a shaft; a first strap having a portion thereof w rapped about the spool in a retracted position and having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun; and a second strap having a portion thereof connected to the shaft and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; wherein the spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the spool.

[0013] In some embodiments, a gun sling may consist essentially of: a retractor having a first spool and a second spool, each of the spools being rotatably mounted and biased toward a respective retracted position; a first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the first spool in the respective retracted position and having a first connector configured forattachment to a first portion of a gun; and a second strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the second spool in the respective retracted position and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; wherein the first spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the first spool; wherein the second spool is configured for extension and retraction of the second strap upon rotation of the second spool.

[0014] In some embodiments, a gun sling may consist essentially of: a first retractor having a first spool and a first shaft, the first spool being rotatably mounted and biased toward a first retracted position; a second retractor having a second spool and a second shaft, the second spool being rotatably mounted and biased toward a second retracted position; a first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the first spool in the first retracted position and having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun; a second strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the second spool in the second retracted position and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; and a third strap connected to the first shaft and the second shaft; wherein the first spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the first spool; wherein the second spool is configured for extension and retraction of the second strap upon rotation of the second spool.

[0015] In some embodiments, a gun sling may consist essentially of: a strap; a first connector configured for attaching a first portion of the strap to a first portion of a gun; a second connector configured for attaching a second portion of the strap to a second portion of the gun; and a retractor configured for extension and retraction of a portion of the strap or another flexible tensile load element to which the strap is connected; wherein the retractor is biased toward a retracted position.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Fig. l is a top plan view of a gun sling.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the gun sling of Fig. 1 attached to a gun.

[0018] Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a retractor.

[0019] Fig. 4 is a schematic side elevational view of the retractor of Fig. 3.

[0020] Fig. 5 is a top plan view of an ammunition holder portion of a gun sling.

[0021] Fig. 6 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a gun sling.

[0022] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a retractor.

[0023] Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the retractor of Fig. 7.

[0024] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the retractor of Fig. 7 taken along section lines 9-9.

[0025] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of a sling including the retractor of Fig. 7 wherein a portion of the sling is wrapped about a spool of the retractor in a retracted position.

[0026] Fig. 11 A is a top plan view of a connector for a sling.

[0027] Fig. 1 IB is a top plan view of another connector for a sling.

[0028] Fig. 11C is a top plan view of yet another connector for a sling.

[0029] Fig. 12 is another perspective view of the gun sling of Fig. 10.

[0030] Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a gun with a sling shown slung on a shoulder of a user.

[0031] Fig. 14 is a side elevational view of the gun sling of Fig. 12 attached to a gun in a first orientation.

[0032] Fig. 15 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of a sling attached to an AR style gun.

[0033] Fig. 16 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a retractor with a strap wound about a spool of the retractor.

[0034] Fig. 17 is a side elevational view of the gun sling of Fig. 12 attached to a gun in a second orientation.

[0035] Fig. 18 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of a retractor having tw o spools with a portion of a strap wrapped about each of the spools.

[0036] Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a portion of yet another embodiment of a sling having tw o single-spool retractors with a portion of a strap wrapped about each of the spools.

[0037] Fig. 20 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a sling attached to an AR style gun shown slung on a user.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] As used herein, the following terms should be understood to have the indicated meanings:

[0039] When an item is introduced by “a” or '‘an,” it should be understood tomean one or more of that item.

[0040] "‘Comprises” means includes but is not limited to.

[0041] ‘‘Comprising” means including but not limited to.

[0042] “Having” means including but not limited to.

[0043] As described herein, a “retractor” refers to a mechanism configured to permit extension and retraction of a strap, cord, cable, or other flexible tensile load element. Although embodiments herein are described as having one or more straps for the sake of simplicity, a strap should be understood to mean any type of flexible tensile load element or a combination thereof.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 1, a gun sling 10 may include a flexible strap 12 having a connector 14, 16 at or near each end thereof configured for attaching gun sling 10 to a gun 30 as shown in Fig. 2. Flexible strap 12 may be of any suitable size and material, such as 1.0 inch wide, 0.06 inch thick polyester webbing, product code WSR-POL-PUT-001-BLK, available from Strap works (Eugene, OR), for example. In some embodiments, connectors 14, 16 may be configured for attachment to gun 30 without any cooperating connectors on the gun. For example, each of the connectors 14, 16 may include a slip-knot loop configured for nooselike engagement about the stock 32 and the barrel 34 of the gun 30 (or other suitable component, such as a receiver in which the barrel 34 is disposed, or a combination thereof). In some embodiments, connectors 14, 16 may be configured for attachment to gun 30 using cooperating connectors on the stock 32 and the barrel 34 (or other suitable component) of the gun 30. In some embodiments, gun sling 10 may include one or more pads 18 configured to enhance the comfort of a user when carrying a gun 30 by supporting the gun sling 10 on a shoulder of the user, for example.

[0045] Gun sling 10 may also include a retractor 20 configured for extension and retraction of a portion of strap 12, or another flexible tensile load element to which strap 12 is connected, such that the overall length of gun sling 10 may be adjusted according to the needs of a user. In some embodiments, a portion of strap 12 (or other flexible tensile load element) may be wrapped about a spool 22 of retractor 20 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. Spool 22 may be spring-loaded (e.g.. via a torsion spring 24) or otherwise biased toward a retracted position in order to minimize or eliminate excess slack in strap 12 when gun sling 10 is in a resting condition (e.g., when slung on a user’s shoulder or when not in use) yet allow a sufficient length of strap 12 to be readily extended from spool 22 if and as needed, such as when the user is putting gun sling 10 on the user’s shoulder. In some embodiments, as the gun sling 10 is placed in position on the user’s shoulder, retractor 20 may automatically retract asufficient length of strap 12 onto the spool 22 to eliminate or minimize excess slack and come to rest at an equilibrium point with respect to a portion of the weight (tension) home by that section of the strap 12, wherein some portion of the strap 12 remains wrapped about the spool 22. In some embodiments, the strength of the retraction bias and the length of the strap 12 may be designed such that when the gun sling 10 is slung on the user’s shoulder, the weight of the gun 30 is sufficient to extend the strap 12 to its full length such that substantially none of the strap 12 remains on the spool 22. and when the gun sling 10 is removed from the user’s shoulder and placed at rest, the retractor 20 will automatically retract a maximum amount of the strap 12 onto the spool 22, thereby eliminating or minimizing excess slack in the sling 10.

[0046] Such a retraction-biased configuration may accommodate users of varying size and guns 30 of varying weight. In some embodiments, retractor 20 may operate similar to a seat belt retractor (e.g., an OER 986068 seat belt retractor available from Classic Industries at https: / / www.classicindustries.com / product / 986068.html) or a retractable lanyard (e.g., a model S-16088 retractable lanyard available from uline.com). Of course, any suitable type of retractor may be used, and retractor 20 may be designed to provide any suitable strength of retraction bias. In some embodiments, the strength of the retraction bias may be adjustable, such as by a knob, lever, ratchet, or other suitable actuator 26. In some embodiments, the strength of the retraction bias may be fixed.

[0047] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6. some embodiments of a gun sling 40 may include a pad 48 having one or more ammunition holders 42 configured for holding one or more ammunition rounds 50, such as rifle shells or shotgun shells, for example. Gun sling 40 may be similar to gun sling 10 described above.

[0048] Referring to Figs. 7-10, in some embodiments, a gun sling may include a retractor 120 having a first support 122, a second support 124, a spool 126, and a spring 128 having a tang 148 at each end. Spring 128 may be disposed in an interior space of spool 126. First support 122 may include a body 1 8, a shaft 160 extending from a first end of body 158, and a boss 168 extending from a second end of body 158. Shaft 160 may include shoulders 164 and 166 to serve as guides between which a strap 12b may be wrapped about shaft 160. Strap 12b may be fastened together with stitching 180 and / or one or more rivets, staples, clamps, or other suitable fasteners or a combination thereof to hold strap 12b snugly in place on shaft 160. In some embodiments, in lieu of or in addition to stitching 180 or other fasteners, a suitable glue, such as Loctite ™ Super GlueTMliquid professional glue (SKU / IDH 1597701) available from Henkel Corp. (Westlake, OH), for example, may be applied to shaft 160 and / or strap 12b to hold strap 12b snugly in place on shaft 160. Boss 168 may be sized to be receivedin a bearing recess of spool 126 as described further below.

[0049] Second support 124 may include a body 130 and a protrusion 134 extending from body 130. As illustrated, protrusion 134 may have a truncated cone shape that is configured for insertion into a correspondingly shaped recess 170 within shaft 160 of first support 122. Protrusion 134 and recess 170 may be concentrically aligned along axis Al. Such a conical shape of protrusion 134 and the corresponding recess 170 may provide enhanced strength and reduced stress at the juncture of body 130 and protrusion 134 when retractor 120 is placed under tensile load. Of course, protrusion 134 and recess 170 may be of any suitable shape, such as cylindrical, oval, polygonal, irregular, or any combination thereof. Protrusion 134 and recess 170 may be sized such that a terminal end 136 of protrusion 134 does not bottom out in recess 170 when first support 122 and second support 124 are mated together. In the installed configuration, a shoulder 162 of first support 122 may be in abutting engagement with an annular base surface 132 of second support 124. First support 122 and second support 124 may be fastened together by applying a suitable glue to protrusion 134 and / or recess 170 as they are joined together. For example, Loctite ™ Super Glue ™ liquid professional glue (SKU / 1DH 1597701) available from Henkel Corp. (Westlake, OH) may be used. Alternatively or additionally, first support 122 and second support 124 may be fastened together by other means, such as sonic welding, heat welding, and / or one or more mechanical fasteners such as rivets or screws.

[0050] Second support 124 may also include a boss 142 extending from body 130. Boss 142 may have a slot 144 configured for slidingly receiving a first tang 148 of a first end of spring 128. Boss 142 and spring 128 may be sized such that spring 128 may slide over boss 142 as the first tang 148 is received in slot 144 until the first end of spring 128 abuts surface 145 of second support 124. An entry edge 146 of slot 144 may be curved to accommodate a corresponding curvature 150 of the first tang 148. Spool 126 may be sized such that spool 126 may slide over spring 128 until a first end of spool 126 almost abuts annular surface 138 of second support 124 such that a small gap 176 exists between annular surface 138 and spool 126 to permit rotation of spool 126. Second support 124 may include a bearing surface 140 sized to be received in a first end of spool 126. A second end of spool 126 may include a bearing recess bounded by an inner wall 156 and a bearing wall 154. The bearing recess may be sized to receive boss 168. Spool 126 may include an inner boss 172 having a slot 174 configured to receive a second tang 148 of spring 128. An entry edge of slot 174 may¬ be curved to accommodate a corresponding curvature 150 of the second tang 148 of spring 128 as descnbed above for entry edge 146 of slot 144. Boss 142, spring 128, spool 126, and boss168 may be concentrically aligned along axis A2. In the assembled configuration, edge 152 of spool 126 may almost abut an annular base surface 155 of first support 122 such that a small gap 176 exists between annular base surface 155 and spool 126 to permit rotation of spool 126. Once assembled, protrusion 134 is fixedly attached to shaft 160, the first and second tangs 148 of spring 128 are respectively captured in slots 144 and 174, and spool 126 is rotatably mounted between first support 122 and second support 124 such that spool 126 is biased toward a neutral position due to the torsional action of spring 128 as spool 126 is rotated. Retractor 120 includes a space 178 sized to accommodate one or more wraps 182 of a sling strap 12a about spool 126 as shown for sling 110 in Fig. 10. For example, strap 12a may be wrapped about spool 126 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction such that extension of strap 12a in conjunction with rotation of spool 126 causes spring 128 to become more tightly coiled or less tightly coiled. Strap 12a may be fastened to spool 126 similar to the manner in which strap 12b is fastened to shaft 160 as described above, e.g., using stitching 180 and / or one or more rivets, staples, clamps, or other suitable fasteners or a combination thereof to hold strap 12a snugly in place on spool 126. In some embodiments, in lieu of or in addition to stitching 180 or other fasteners, a suitable glue (e.g., Loctite ™ Super Glue ™ liquid professional glue as noted above) may be applied to spool 126 and / or strap 12a to hold strap 12a firmly in place on spool 126.

[0051] As illustrated in Figs. 7-10 and 12-14, for example, retractor 120 is shown in a simplified, open embodiment that does not include a housing, in contrast to retractor 20 illustrated in Figs. 3-4. Such a simplified, open embodiment may be particularly beneficial in some environments, such as duck hunting, wherein retractor 120 may be likely to come in contact with mud, dirty water, saltw ater, sand, gravel, sludge, or other debris that may tend to clog up and / or lodge inside a housing and may tend to cause the retractor to malfunction. In a simplified, open embodiment, the retractor 120 may be readily rinsed with fresh water to wash away any such mud, dirty water, saltw ater, sand, gravel, sludge, or other debris that may have collected on retractor 120 during a hunt, thereby preserving the integrity and functionality of the retractor 120. Thus, in some embodiments, a gun sling may consist essentially of: a retractor having a rotatably mounted, spring-biased spool and a shaft; a first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the spool in a retracted position and having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun; and a second strap having a portion thereof connected to the shaft and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; wherein the spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the spool. In other embodiments, retractor 120 and / or other retractors described herein may be housed inside a housing, similar to what is show n for retractor 20.

[0052] Referring to Figs. 10, 11A, and 12-14, in some embodiments, a sling 110 may include straps 12a and 12b attached to a retractor 120 as described above. Sling 110 may include a shoulder pad 48 attached to strap 12a. For example, strap 12a may be embedded in or otherwise attached to pad 48. A suitable connector, such as a swivel connector 184 shown in Fig. 11 A, for example, such as a Talon ™ quick release swivel connector available from Palmetto State Armory (Columbia, SC), may be attached to the strap at each end of the sling for easy attachment to a gun as known in the art. For example, connector 184 may have a body 196 on which a swivel bar 190 is pivotally mounted with a pin 188. A mounting pin 192 is attached to arm 194 which extends from body 196, and mounting pin 192 is configured to be received in a recess or hole in swivel bar 190 in the closed configuration. Swivel bar 190 is biased toward the closed configuration. A push button 186 may be depressed to release swivel bar 190 from mounting pin 192 and allow- swivel bar 190 to be pivoted about pin 188 so that mounting pin 192 may be inserted through an eyelet mount of a gun, and then swivel bar 190 may be rotated back into alignment with mounting pin 192 and the push button 186 may be released to allow mounting pin 192 to be reinserted into the recess or hole in swivel bar 190 such that connector 184 is securely fastened to a gun 30 as shown in Fig. 14, for example. Alternatively, locking swivel connectors 202 as shown in Fig. 11B may be used, such as Bulldog ™ locking swivel connectors available from Bulldog Cases (Danville, VA), for example. Swivel connectors 202 are similar to connectors 184 except that they have a screw -in knob 204 as part of or in lieu of push button 186. Screw-in knob 204 may be used to tighten swivel bar 190 in place in the closed position or unscrewed to allow- swivel bar 190 to pivot about pin 188. Connectors 184 (or 202) may be attached to strap 12a and 12b, each of which may be respectively routed through an opening 200 and wrapped about shaft 198 of connector 184 (or 202), with stitching 180 and / or one or more rivets, staples, clamps, or other suitable fasteners or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, strap 12a and / or strap 12b may include one or more strap adjustment components (e.g., cinch components for adjusting a length of a strap), which may also serve as stiffeners for selected stiffened portions of a strap. Alternatively or additionally, a portion of a strap (e.g.. strap 12b) may include two or more layers of strap sewn or otherwise fastened together as a stiffened portion of the strap for increased stiffness and stability.

[0053] In Fig. 12 and Fig. 14, sling 110 is shown in a retracted position wherein several wraps of strap 12a remain on spool 126. As shown in Fig. 13, sling 110 may be extended by pulling on strap 12a to allow a user to sling the gun 30 on the user’s shoulder. Due to the retracting bias torque provided by spring 128 of retractor 120, sling 110 automaticallyremains substantially taut and compact near or adjacent gun 30 without unnecessary' slack, yet it also allows whatever length of strap is needed to be unwrapped from spool 126 to accommodate slinging the gun 30 on the user’s shoulder. Also, when the user unslings the gun 30 from the user’s shoulder, retractor 120 automatically causes sling 110 to return to the retracted position with little to no slack. Thus, in either the in-use, slung-on-the-shoulder position or the retracted position, sling 110 is able to remain substantially taut and compact near or adjacent gun 30 without unnecessary slack, thereby eliminating the annoyance and safety hazards associated with unwanted slack of a gun sling.

[0054] Referring again to Fig. 14, sling 110 is shown in a configuration in which retractor 120 is positioned forward of the hand grip protrusion 35 of the gun 30 and oriented such that strap 12a extends from a top side of the spool 126. In an alternative embodiment as shown in Fig. 17, sling 110 may be connected to gun 30 such that retractor 120 is positioned rearward of the hand grip protrusion 35 of the gun 30 and oriented such that strap 12a extends from a bottom side of the spool 126. In the embodiment show n in Fig. 17, retractor 120 may be partially or fully nestled in a space 37 behind the hand grip protrusion 35 for a more compact configuration.

[0055] Referring again to Figs. 7-9, although protrusion 134, bearing surface 140, and boss 142 are shown on second support 124, and shaft 160 and boss 168 are shown on first support 122. for mounting of spool 126 and connection of first and second supports 122, 124 in the orientation shown, it should be understood that those structures or similar structures may be arranged in alternative configurations (e.g., with protrusion 134 and shaft 160 switched, and / or with boss 142 and boss 168 switched and spool 126 and spring 128 flipped in an opposite orientation, for example) to achieve the same or similar functionality.

[0056] As shown in Figs. 15 and 18, an AR embodiment of a sling 210 may include a retractor 220 that is similar to retractor 120 described above except that retractor 220 has two spools 126 and the associated springs 128 and mounting structures, rather than one spool 126 and a stationary' shaft 160 as shown for retractor 120. For example, retractor 220 may have a first support including a body 258 and a second support including a body 230. The first and second supports may be joined together by any suitable means, such as by a bar 216 connecting body 230 and body 258, for example. For each spool 126, one of body 230 and body 258 may include a bearing surface 140, boss 142, and slot 144 configured for engagement with spool 126 and spring 128 as described above, and the other of body 230 and body 258 may include a boss 168 for engagement with spool 126 as described above. The bearing surface 140, boss 142, and slot 144 for both spools 126 may be on body 230, and the boss 168 for bothspools 126 may be on body 258, or vice versa. Alternatively, each of body 230 and body 258 may include a bearing surface 140. boss 142, and slot 144 for one spool 126 and a boss 168 for the other spool 126. Each spool 126 may have one or more wraps 182 of strap 12 installed thereon (e.g., straps 12a and 12b as shown) for extension and retraction as described above. Sling 210 may be configured such that both segments of strap 12a and 12b extend from their respective spool 126 on the same side (e.g., top or bottom) of retractor 220 as illustrated in Fig. 18, or strap 12a may extend from one side (e.g., top or bottom) of retractor 220 and strap 12b may extend from another side (e g., top or bottom) of retractor 220. In some embodiments, sling 210 may be beneficial to achieve a greater length of overall extension for the sling (i.e., combined extension of straps 12a and 12b) while maintaining a relatively compact size for retractor 220, wherein a maximum diameter of the wraps 182 on each spool 126 may be less than a maximum diameter of the wraps 182 that would be required on a single spool 126 to achieve the same length of extension.

[0057] As illustrated in Fig. 15, sling 210 may be installed on a lateral side (e.g., left or right side) of gun 30 rather than an underside of gun 30 as shown in Figs. 2, 13, 14, and 17. Indeed, any sling described herein may be installed in any suitable orientation with respect to a gun 30, and the respective mounts of gun 30 to which the connectors (e.g., connectors 14, 16, 184, 202, 206) of a sling are attached may be on an underside, a top side, a lateral side, or any combination thereof. For example, in Fig. 20, sling 510 is shown with one connector attached to a left side of gun 30 and another connector attached to a top side of gun 30. In some embodiments of sling 210, the spools 126 may have springs that are substantially the same or different from each other. For example, in some embodiments, it may be desirable for each spool to wrap and unwrap strap from the spool at substantially the same rate and in a substantially simultaneous manner, in which case the springs may be of substantially the same strength. In other embodiments, it may be desirable for one spool to allow extension of its strap to some extent (e.g., to become fully or partially extended) before the other spool allows extension of its strap, and vice versa for retraction. In that case, the springs may be of different strengths, with one spool having a spring of a first strength and the other spool having a spring of a second strength that is greater than or less than the first strength. In some embodiments, sling 210 may have connectors 206 (see Fig. 11C), such as M-LOK ™ quick disconnect connectors available from Magpul Industries Corp. (Austin, TX), for example. Connectors 206 may have a shaft 214 with spring-loaded balls 212 activated by a push button 208 and configured for insertion into a corresponding receptacle on gun 30. Of course, any suitable connectors may be used for compatibility with whatever connectors are present on gun 30, andretractor 220 may be used for a sling as described herein on any type of gun 30. not only for AR t pe guns.

[0058] Referring to Fig. 16, an alternative embodiment of a sling 310 is show n having a retractor 320 that is similar to retractor 120 described above except that retractor 320 includes one or more flat wrapped springs 328 rather than a coil spring 128 described above. In this embodiment, a strap 12 is attached to and wrapped about a spool 126 that is rotatably mounted to bodies 330 and 358 of retractor 320 via an axle 326. Bodies 330 and 358 are joined by attachment of shaft 160 and protrusion 134 as described above. A portion of body 358 is show n cut away for clarity. Another segment of strap 12 may be attached to shaft 160, and each strap 12 may have a connector for attachment to a gun, as described above for sling 110. One portion (e.g., an outer end) of each spring 328 is attached to the spool 126, and another portion (e.g., an inner end) of each spring 328 is attached to body 330 or body 358. Springs 328 may bias spool 126 toward a retracted position such that sling 310 may be extended and retracted much like sling 110 described above.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 19, another embodiment of a sling 410 is shown having two retractors 120 in series that are connected (e.g., by stitching 180) by a strap 12c that is attached to shaft 160 of each respective retractor 120 as described above. Each of straps 12d and 12e are respectively attached to and wrapped about a spool 126 of each retractor 120, and each of straps 12d and 12e may have a connector (e.g., connector 14, 16, 184, 202, 206) at an end thereof for attachment to a gun 30, as described above. Sling 410 may extend and retract similar to sling 210 described above. As with sling 210 described above, the springs 128 of the respective retractors 120 of sling 410 may be the same or different from each other. For example, in some embodiments, it may be desirable for each spool to wrap and unwrap strap from the spool at substantially the same rate and in a substantially simultaneous manner, in which case the springs may be of substantially the same strength. In other embodiments, it may be desirable for one spool to allow extension of its strap to some extent (e.g., to become fully or partially extended) before the other spool allows extension of its strap, and vice versa for retraction. In that case, the springs may be of different strengths, with one spool having a spring of a first strength and the other spool having a spring of a second strength that is greater than or less than the first strength.

[0060] Also similar to sling 210, sling 410 may be configured such that both segments of strap 12d and 12e extend from their respective spool 126 on the same side (e.g., top or bottom) of the respective retractor 120 as illustrated in Fig. 19, or strap 12d may extend from one side (e.g., top or bottom) of its retractor 120 and strap 12e may extend from anotherside (e g., top or bottom) of its retractor 120. In some embodiments, sling 410 may be beneficial to achieve a greater length of overall extension for the sling (i.e., combined extension of straps 12d and 12e) while maintaining a relatively compact size for retractors 120, wherein a maximum diameter of the wraps 182 on each spool 126 may be less than a maximum diameter of the wraps 182 that would be required on a single spool 126 to achieve the same length of extension.

[0061] The springs of retractors as described herein may be sized and configured for any desirable retraction force and length of extension / retraction of the strap. For example, in some embodiments, spring 128 may have the following specifications: material = 17-7 stainless steel; wire size / gage = 0.0385 inch, diameter wire; number of turns = 19.5; length = 0.79 inch.; inner diameter = 0.57 inch.; outer diameter = 0.65 inch.; spring constant = 4.5 revolutions produces about 3 lbs. of force. Such springs have been found to be suitable for most rifles and shotguns, which generally weigh between 10 and 20 pounds, and may readily accommodate a length of extension and retraction of about 14 inches to about 18 inches for a nylon or polyester strap having a width of about 1.0 inch and a thickness of about 0.06 inch wrapped on a spool having an outer diameter of about 0.85 inch with about 3 to about 4.5 wraps. In some embodiments, a gun sling as described herein may become fully extended when slung on a user’s shoulder due to the weight of the gun. In some embodiments, a gun sling as described herein may become partially extended when slung on a user’s shoulder due to the weight of the gun. In some embodiments, a gun sling as described herein may have a fully retracted length of about 22.0 inches and a fully extended length of about 37.5 inches. In some embodiments, a gun sling as described herein may have a fully retracted length of about 20.0 inches to about 30.0 inches and a fully extended length of about 35.0 inches to about 50.0 inches. Of course, any suitable spring specifications may be used, depending on various factors such as the weight of the gun, the width and thickness of the strap, the length and inner and outer diameter of the spool, and the desired amount of extension and retraction of the strap. Similar considerations may inform the specifications of flat w rapped springs 328.

[0062] Referring again to Figs. 7-10, in some embodiments having a spring 128 with specifications as described above, boss 142 and boss 172 may have a diameter of about 0.45 inches and may be about 0.26 inches tall, for example. Such sizing, which affords a clearance of about 0.06 inches between bosses 142, 172 and spring 128 (e.g., (0.57 - 0.45) / 2 = 0.06), may help keep the central axis of spring 128 substantially aligned along axis A2 and help prevent buckling of spring 128 as the spring 128 is loaded in torsion as strap 12a is extended and retracted upon rotation of spool 126. If the diameter of bosses 142, 172 is toolarge in relation to the inner diameter of spring 128, at some point it may prevent the end portions of spring 128 from getting sufficiently smaller in diameter as spring 128 is torqued due to rotation of spool 126, which may cause a central portion of the spring 128 to experience higher stress leading to premature failure of spring 128. Conversely, if the diameter of bosses 142, 172 is too small in relation to the inner diameter of spring 128, at some point it may not provide sufficient axial support for spring 128 as the number of revolutions of spool 126 increases leading to buckling of spring 128. Additionally, as the outer diameter of spring 128 gets smaller and the length of spring 128 gets longer as spring 128 is torqued due to rotation of spool 126, the various components of retractor 120 (e.g., spool 126, spring 128, bosses 142, 172, and slots 144, 174) and other retractors described herein may be sized such that they provide sufficient space at each end of spring 128 (e.g., between spring 128 and each of surface 145 and an interior surface of inner wall 156) to allow the tangs 148 of spring 128 to slide along the slots 144, 174 during rotation of spool 126 to minimize the outward force exerted on bodies 130, 158 and thereby minimize the bending stress in bodies 130, 158 to prevent fatigue failure of those components. Also, when strap 12a is fully extended (see. e g., Fig. 13). retractor 120 and other retractors described herein may transfer substantially all forces above a specified spring load (e.g., 3 lbs. produced at about 4.5 revolutions of spool 126) through the other components of the retractor and substantially no additional force into the spring 128. Such a configuration may allow a sling having a retractor as described herein to handle substantial tension loads (e.g.. 50 lbs., 75 lbs., 100 lbs., and even higher loads) while preserving a useful life of the spring 128. Of course, the embodiments described herein are exemplary and not limiting, and all of the components of the slings and retractors described herein may be sized and made of suitable materials to achieve any desired load conditions and performance.

[0063] Referring again to Fig. 20, an embodiment of a sling 510 is shown attached to an AR rifle 30 and slung about a user. In this embodiment, sling 510 has a retractor 120 attached to straps 12a and 12b as described above for sling 110, but sling 510 has connectors 206 for ready attachment to an AR style gun 30, and sling 510 is attached to gun 30 such that retractor 120 is positioned closer to the barrel of gun 30 than the butt stock of gun 30. This configuration is in contrast to those shown in Figs. 2, 13, 14. 15. and 17 wherein the retractor is positioned closer to the butt stock of gun 30 than the barrel of gun 30. In some instances, this configuration of sling 510 and gun 30 shown in Fig. 20 may be beneficial, particularly for use with AR style guns, in that the retractor 120 may be positioned conveniently between the user’s side and forearm such that it remains out of the way and does not interfere with the user’s operation of the gun both in an unshouldered position as shown and in ashouldered position when shooting. More generally, any of the retractors described herein may be installed on a sling at any desired position with respect to either end of the sling so that the retractors are disposed in a convenient position during storage and during use. Also, although exemplary embodiments described herein are in the form of a two-point gun sling, retractors and connectors as described herein may be used in other embodiments of one-point gun slings, three-point gun slings, and other embodiments as well. Expandable and retractable gun slings as described herein may be used in any suitable environment, including but not limited to hunting, target shooting, military, and police.

[0064] Although the foregoing specific details describe certain embodiments of this invention, persons of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes may be made in the details of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims and other claims that may be drawn to this invention and considering the doctrine of equivalents. Among other things, any feature described for one embodiment may be used in any other embodiment, and any feature described herein may be used independently or in combination with other features. Also, unless the context indicates otherwise, it should be understood that when a component is described herein as being mounted or connected to another component, such mounting or connection may be direct with no intermediate components or indirect with one or more intermediate components. Therefore, it should be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described herein.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A gun sling comprising:a retractor including a first support, a second support, a spool, and a spring,the first support having a first body, a shaft depending from the first body, and a first boss depending from the first body, the shaft having a recess therein;the second support having a second body, a protrusion depending from the second body, a bearing surface, and a second boss depending from the second body, the second boss having a slot therein;the first support being fastened to the second support with the protrusion disposed in the recess of the shaft;the spool having an interior space in which the spring is disposed, an inner boss having a slot therein, and a bearing recess in which the first boss is disposed, the spool being rotatably mounted on the first boss of the first support and the bearing surface of the second support;the spring having a first tang disposed in the slot of the second boss and a second tang disposed in the slot of the inner boss;a first strap having a first end fastened to the spool and a second end having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun, the first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the spool in a retracted position; and a second strap having a first end fastened to the shaft and a second end having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; wherein the spring permits extension and retraction of the first strap with rotation of the spool.

2. The gun sling of claim 1 wherein the spring biases the retractor toward the retracted position.

3. The gun sling of claim 1 wherein the spring has a spring constant such that about 4.5 revolutions of the spool produces about 3 lbs. of force.

4. The gun sling of claim 1 wherein a length of said extension and retraction is about 14 inches to about 18 inches.

5. The gun sling of claim 1 wherein the first strap comprises a pad.

6. The gun sling of claim 1 wherein the first and second connectors are swivel connectors.

7. The gun sling of claim 1 wherein the gun sling has a fully retracted length of about 22.0 inches and a fully extended length of about 37.5 inches.

8. The gun sling of claim 1 wherein the gun sling has a fully retracted length of about 20.0 inches to about 30.0 inches.

9. The gun sling of claim 1 wherein the gun sling has a fully extended length of about 35.0 inches to about 50.0 inches.

10. A gun sling comprising:a retractor having a rotatably mounted spool and a shaft;a first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the spool in a retracted position and having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun; anda second strap having a portion thereof connected to the shaft and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; wherein the spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the spool.

11. The gun sling of claim 10 wherein the retractor is biased toward the retracted position.

12. The gun sling of claim 10 wherein the first and second connectors are swivel connectors.

13. The gun sling of claim 10 wherein at least one of the first strap and the second strap comprises a pad.

14. The gun sling of claim 10 wherein at least one of the first strap and the second strap comprises a stiffened portion.

15. The gun sling of claim 10 wherein the spool is biased with a torsion spring selected from a coil spring and a flat wrapped spring.

16. The gun sling of claim 15 wherein a strength of bias of the spring is adjustable.

17. A gun sling comprising :a retractor having a first spool and a second spool, each of the spools being rotatably mounted and biased toward a respective retracted position;a first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the first spool in the respective retracted position and having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun; anda second strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the second spool in the respective retracted position and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun;wherein the first spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the first spool;wherein the second spool is configured for extension and retraction of the second strap upon rotation of the second spool.

18. The gun sling of claim 17 wherein the first spool is biased by a first spring having a first strength and the second spool is biased by a second spring having a second strength.

19. The gun sling of claim 18 wherein the first strength and the second strength are substantially the same.

20. The gun sling of claim 18 wherein the first strength and the second strength are different.

21. The gun sling of claim 17 wherein one of the first and second spools allows extension or retraction of its respective strap to some extent before the other of the first and second spools allows extension or retraction of its respective strap.

22. A gun sling comprising:a first retractor having a first spool and a first shaft, the first spool being rotatably mounted and biased toward a first retracted position:a second retractor having a second spool and a second shaft, the second spool being rotatably mounted and biased toward a second retracted position; a first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the first spool in the first retracted position and having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun;a second strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the second spool in the second retracted position and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; anda third strap connected to the first shaft and the second shaft;wherein the first spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the first spool;wherein the second spool is configured for extension and retraction of the second strap upon rotation of the second spool.

23. The gun sling of claim 22 wherein the first spool is biased by a first spring having a first strength and the second spool is biased by a second spring having a second strength.

24. The gun sling of claim 23 wherein the first strength and the second strength are substantially the same.

25. The gun sling of claim 23 wherein the first strength and the second strength are different.

26. The gun sling of claim 22 wherein one of the first and second spools allows extension or retraction of its respective strap to some extent before the other of the first and second spools allows extension or retraction of its respective strap.

27. A gun sling comprising:a strap;a first connector configured for attaching a first portion of the strap to a first portion of a gun;a second connector configured for attaching a second portion of the strap to a second portion of the gun; anda retractor configured for extension and retraction of a portion of the strap or another flexible tensile load element to which the strap is connected;wherein the retractor is biased toward a retracted position.

28. The gun sling of claim 27 wherein:the retractor includes a spool;a portion of the strap or the other flexible tensile load element is wrapped about the spool; andthe spool is biased toward the retracted position via a torsion spring.

29. The gun sling of claim 28 wherein a strength of the bias is adjustable.

30. A gun sling consisting essentially of:a retractor having a rotatably mounted, spring-biased spool and a shaft;a first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the spool in a retracted position and having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun; anda second strap having a portion thereof connected to the shaft and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; wherein the spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the spool.

31. A gun sling consisting essentially of:a retractor having a first spool and a second spool, each of the spools being rotatably mounted and biased toward a respective retracted position;a first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the first spool in the respective retracted position and having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun; anda second strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the second spool in the respective retracted position and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun;wherein the first spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the first spool;wherein the second spool is configured for extension and retraction of the second strap upon rotation of the second spool.

32. A gun sling consisting essentially of:a first retractor having a first spool and a first shaft, the first spool being rotatably mounted and biased toward a first retracted position:a second retractor having a second spool and a second shaft, the second spool being rotatably mounted and biased toward a second retracted position; a first strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the first spool in the first retracted position and having a first connector configured for attachment to a first portion of a gun;a second strap having a portion thereof wrapped about the second spool in the second retracted position and having a second connector configured for attachment to a second portion of the gun; anda third strap connected to the first shaft and the second shaft;wherein the first spool is configured for extension and retraction of the first strap upon rotation of the first spool;wherein the second spool is configured for extension and retraction of the second strap upon rotation of the second spool.

33. A gun sling consisting essentially of:a strap;a first connector configured for attaching a first portion of the strap to a first portion of a gun;a second connector configured for attaching a second portion of the strap to a second portion of the gun; anda retractor configured for extension and retraction of a portion of the strap or another flexible tensile load element to which the strap is connected;wherein the retractor is biased toward a retracted position.

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