Firearm safety device and rack incorporating safety device
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Firearms, such as AR-15s, face challenges in preventing accidental discharge during storage or transportation, as existing safety mechanisms may not adequately inhibit unauthorized access or accidental triggering.
Innovation Solution
A safety device with a bolt that inserts through the trigger guard of a firearm, positioned behind the trigger to prevent depression, which can be integrated into a firearm rack, featuring an actuator for active or passive insertion, and additional mechanisms like ball bearings and locking systems to secure the firearm in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a trigger guard is used to protect the trigger, then accidental depression is prevented, but unauthorized access or bumping from below may still occur
Solution Approach 1:
The safety mechanism is divided into multiple independent components: a trigger guard for basic protection and a separate bolt that inserts through the trigger guard to physically block trigger depression. This segmentation allows each component to address specific security layers independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The bolt is designed to insert through the trigger guard, with the bolt passing through an opening in the trigger guard structure. The trigger guard and bolt are nested together, creating a layered security system where the bolt provides additional protection through the existing trigger guard framework.
2Reliability
If a safety device with bolt insertion is implemented, then trigger depression is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bolt is designed as a separate, removable component that can be independently inserted and removed from the trigger guard assembly. This extraction approach allows the safety mechanism to be added or removed without modifying the core firearm structure, simplifying the overall system integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The bolt acts as an intermediary element between the user and the trigger mechanism. By inserting through the trigger guard, the bolt mediates the interaction between external forces and the trigger, providing a simple mechanical barrier that prevents direct trigger depression without requiring complex control systems.
3Reliability
If the bolt is positioned parallel to the vertical axis of the trigger, then trigger depression is effectively blocked, but the device requires precise positioning alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger guard includes a specifically positioned opening that guides the bolt into the correct parallel alignment with the trigger's vertical axis. This localized structural feature ensures proper positioning without requiring high-precision manufacturing across the entire assembly, as the opening itself provides the alignment reference.
Solution Approach 2:
The opening in the trigger guard is pre-configured in the correct position and orientation during manufacturing. This preliminary action of creating the guiding opening ensures that when the bolt is inserted, it automatically achieves the required parallel alignment with the trigger's vertical axis, eliminating the need for post-assembly precision adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
A firearm safety device having a bolt for insertion through a trigger guard toward the lower receiver of the firearm. The bolt is inserted through the trigger guard so as to be positioned behind the trigger, in an axis generally perpendicular to the direction of pull of the trigger to prevent the trigger from be depressed and thus firing the weapon. The bolt extends from a base, which can be static in the form of a fixed bolt, or dynamic with the bolt configured for mechanized or electromechanical insertion through the trigger guard, such as by a lever operation, solenoid operation, or other operation. In one embodiment the safety device has a bolt affixed to a base, with the base configured to attach to the trigger guard. This embodiment provides a freely mobile transportable safety device. The safety device can be used with or integral with a firearm support mount, such as a gun rack. In this preferred with the bolt and/or base providing support beneath the firearm, while a front mount is provided to support the front of the lower receiver, or alternatively the stock or barrel of the firearm.