Optical Trigger System for Firearm Discharge Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current firearms require a mechanical trigger pull, which can lead to shooting inaccuracies and unintentional discharges due to reflexive contractions or loss of balance, and existing optical trigger solutions lack consistency and reliability.
Innovation Solution
An optical trigger system that initiates firearm discharge by completing a light beam path with consistent finger movement, eliminating the need for mechanical trigger pull and reducing unintentional firing through controlled finger extension rather than contraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical trigger is used to initiate firearm discharge, then the firearm can be fired, but shooting accuracy deteriorates due to mechanical loading and grip changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical trigger system with an optical trigger system. A light source emits a beam through a trigger guard to a photosensor, which initiates discharge when the beam is unblocked by finger movement. This substitution eliminates mechanical loading and grip changes, thereby maintaining shooting accuracy while reliably initiating firearm discharge.
2Reliability
If a mechanical trigger is used, then the firearm can be discharged, but unintentional discharges increase due to reflexive contractions
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing the mechanical trigger with an optical trigger, the system eliminates the mechanical linkage that transmits reflexive contractions from the grip to the discharge mechanism. The optical beam detection requires deliberate finger movement to unblock the path, preventing unintentional discharge while maintaining reliable initiation capability.
3Ease of operation
If an optical trigger system is implemented, then mechanical trigger pull is eliminated, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes complex mechanical trigger linkages with a simpler optical detection system consisting of a light source, trigger guard opening, and photosensor. This replacement simplifies the overall mechanism by eliminating mechanical moving parts while improving ease of operation through intuitive finger movement detection.
4Measurement precision
If the trigger press force is reduced to improve accuracy, then shooting precision improves, but safety deteriorates due to reflexive squeezing
Solution Approach 1:
The optical trigger system replaces force-based mechanical activation with optical beam detection. This eliminates the trade-off between trigger press force and safety, as the system responds to deliberate finger movement unblocking the beam rather than applied force, thereby maintaining both high precision and enhanced safety.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Improves shooting accuracy by eliminating mechanical trigger-related aiming errors and reduces unintentional discharges, providing a safer and more precise firing mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
A light source is positioned within the trigger guard and aimed at a photosensor located outside the trigger guard.
Data Source
AI summary
A firearm has a trigger shield configured as a protective loop surrounding a first and a second switch of the firearm, each switch actuates the function of the firearm when activated by a finger to start the firing process, and the first switch is on a first side of the protective loop and the second switch is on a second side of the protective loop. The firearm has at least three receivers on the protective loop and at least three beam windows on the protective loop aligned with the three receivers. Further, the firearm has an emitter outside of the protective loop, the emitter propagates a beam of light to a beam splitter, and the beam splitter propagates three beams of light one beam to each of the three beam windows, the three beams of light are incident on one of the respective receivers. Also, when a finger activates one of the switches, the firearm activates, and when the finger breaks one of the beams of light, the firearm discharges.