Collapsible Pistol Grip Dynamics and Safety Interlock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional handguns are difficult to operate with one hand, especially for users with small hands or low grip strength, and lack efficient safety features and compact designs.
Innovation Solution
A pistol design that allows single-handed operation, featuring a swift transition to a ready-to-fire position, integrated magazine, breech lock system, recoil reduction mechanism, and compact configuration with safety interlocks, including a side-loading magazine and indexing system for precise cartridge movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional handguns are designed for standard operation, then they provide basic firing functionality, but they are difficult to operate with one hand, especially for users with small hands or low grip strength
Solution Approach 1:
The pistol is divided into separate functional modules: a collapsible grip section, a trigger assembly, a magazine, and a barrel assembly. This segmentation allows the grip to be collapsed to a compact size for concealment while expanding to a functional size for operation, reducing the force required to hold and manipulate the pistol during firing.
Solution Approach 2:
The grip is designed to be dynamically collapsible and expandable. During operation, the grip expands to provide adequate surface area for finger placement and control. When not in use, it collapses to a compact size, reducing the leverage and grip strength needed to manipulate the pistol.
2Ease of operation
If the pistol is designed to be compact for concealment, then it is safe and readily concealable, but it may be difficult to operate with one hand
Solution Approach 1:
The pistol employs a dynamic grip mechanism that transitions between a compact collapsed state for concealment and an expanded operational state for firing. The grip can be quickly collapsed to reduce overall pistol volume for hidden carry, then expanded when needed to provide adequate surface area for one-handed operation and control.
Solution Approach 2:
The magazine is integrated within the grip structure, nesting the ammunition supply system inside the handle assembly. This nesting arrangement reduces overall pistol volume when collapsed while maintaining full functionality when expanded, allowing compact concealment without sacrificing operational capability.
3Reliability
If the pistol is released from the ready-to-fire position for reconfiguration, then it becomes compact for concealment, but the firing mechanisms become accessible and potentially unsafe
Solution Approach 1:
A safety interlock mechanism acts as an intermediary between the grip collapse action and the firing mechanisms. When the grip is collapsed, the interlock automatically engages to disable the trigger and hammer, preventing accidental discharge. The interlock only disengages when the grip is fully expanded to the ready-to-fire position, ensuring safe operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety interlock system applies preliminary anti-action by automatically disabling the firing mechanisms before the pistol can be safely operated. The interlock prevents trigger movement and hammer release until the grip is properly positioned, counteracting any potential accidental discharge attempts and ensuring that firing functions are only available when the pistol is in the correct operational configuration.
4Reliability
If the breech is opened during recoil, then cartridges can be accessed, but the internal cleanliness of the pistol is compromised and recoil reaction is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The breech lock system performs preliminary action by maintaining the breech in a closed position during the initial recoil phase. This preliminary locking prevents gases and debris from entering the pistol interior during the most critical portion of recoil, preserving internal cleanliness. The breech is only opened after the barrel has fully recoiled and the charging handle is pulled back, at which point the interior is already protected from contamination.
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible pistol features enhanced safety, ease of use, and improved performance as compared to prior designs. The pistol is easily reconfigured from an open, ready-to-fire position to a closed or collapsed position that makes the pistol quite compact, safe, and readily concealable. The overall design of the pistol is such that the manipulation of the pistol into and out of the open, ready-to-fire position can be accomplished with a user having relatively small hands and/or relatively low grip strength.