Keyed Mounting Arrangement for Gun Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gun-mountable lights lack a secure and repeatable mounting system that accommodates different gun rail sizes and shapes, leading to play and variability in the direction of the mounted object, and often require user hand placement near the muzzle, posing safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A keyed mounting arrangement featuring a clamping mechanism and interchangeable keying members that securely attach to various gun rails, ensuring a snug and repeatable fit without requiring hand placement near the muzzle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a slide-on mounting arrangement with spring-loaded cross bar is used, then the light can be easily attached and removed, but the mounted light has substantial play and lacks secure positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting arrangement is divided into separate functional components: a mounting body that interfaces with the rail, and a separate clamping mechanism. This segmentation allows the clamping mechanism to provide secure positioning while the mounting body maintains ease of attachment, resolving the contradiction between operational ease and secure positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
A clamping mechanism acts as an intermediary between the mounting body and the rail. This intermediary component provides the necessary clamping force to eliminate play and ensure secure positioning, while allowing the mounting body to remain easily attachable and removable.
2Productivity
If conventional slide-on mounts are used, then the light can be quickly mounted, but the mounting lacks repeatability and introduces directional variation
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting body is pre-configured with specific geometric features and keying elements that align with corresponding features on the rail. This preliminary configuration ensures that when the mounting is performed, the light automatically achieves the correct position with high repeatability, maintaining quick mounting speed while eliminating directional variation.
3Reliability
If keying arrangements are customized for different gun manufacturers, then each gun rail can be properly mounted, but the user must have different lights for different manufacturers
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting body is designed with universal compatibility features that allow it to interface with various gun rail configurations. The keying mechanism and clamping arrangement are configured to accommodate different rail shapes and sizes from multiple manufacturers, enabling a single light to be properly mounted on diverse firearm platforms without requiring manufacturer-specific models.
4Ease of operation
If hand placement is required near the muzzle for mounting, then the light can be attached, but user safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping function is extracted and positioned away from the muzzle area, allowing the mounting operation to be performed from a safe distance. The mounting body and clamping mechanism are configured so that the user's hand remains clear of the muzzle during attachment and removal operations, eliminating the safety hazard while maintaining full mounting capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A keyed mounting arrangement for a light or other object mountable on a mounting rail having a keying feature may comprise a body containing operating elements; a clamping arrangement including clamp members on the body for clamping and releasing the mounting rail; and a keying member removably disposed in a recess located on the body in a predetermined location and having a keying feature that engages the keying feature of the mounting rail when the body is clamped to the mounting rail. Where the object is mountable on mounting rails having keying features of different sizes and shapes, the keying member may be selected from a set of keying members for having a keying feature of a size and shape that corresponds to the size and shape of the keying feature of the mounting rail.