초록 ▼

An electromagnetically variable firing system for a firearm is disclosed which may include a trigger assembly or mechanism comprising an electromagnetically-operated control device which allows the user to select and adjust the trigger pull force-displacement profile electronically. In one embodimen

An electromagnetically variable firing system for a firearm is disclosed which may include a trigger assembly or mechanism comprising an electromagnetically-operated control device which allows the user to select and adjust the trigger pull force-displacement profile electronically. In one embodiment, the control device may be an electromagnetic trigger mechanism comprising an electromagnetic snap actuator operated via a microcontroller. The microcontroller is configurable by a user to adjust the trigger force-displacement profile according to preset user preferences. The microcontroller energizes the actuator during a trigger pull according to a preprogrammed trigger force and/or displacement setpoint aided by a trigger sensor(s). The energized actuator creates a magnetic field which dynamically increases or decrease the trigger force required to fully actuate the trigger to discharge the firearm. In other embodiments, the control device may be an electromagnetic magnetorheological fluid actuator.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An electromagnetically variable trigger force firing system for a firearm, the firing system comprising: a frame;a striking member supported by the frame for movement between a rearward cocked position and forward firing position for discharging the firearm;an electromagnetic actuator trigger uni

1. An electromagnetically variable trigger force firing system for a firearm, the firing system comprising: a frame;a striking member supported by the frame for movement between a rearward cocked position and forward firing position for discharging the firearm;an electromagnetic actuator trigger unit affixed to the frame and comprising: a stationary yoke comprising an electromagnet coil;a rotating member movable about a pivot axis relative to the stationary yoke and operable for releasing the striking member from the cocked position to the firing position;a trigger operably engaged with the rotating member, the trigger manually movable by a user from a first position to a second position which rotates the rotating member for discharging the firearm; anda permanent magnet generating a static magnetic field in the stationary yoke and rotating member, the static magnetic field creating a primary resistance force opposing movement of the trigger when pulled by the user;an electric power source operably coupled to the coil;the electromagnet coil when energized generating a user-adjustable secondary magnetic field interacting with the static magnetic field, the secondary magnetic field operating to change the primary resistance force dynamically during a trigger pull event initiated by the user. 2. The firing system of claim 1, further comprising an electronic actuation control circuit operably coupled between to the power source and coil, the actuation control circuit configurable by the user to selectively energize the coil during the trigger pull event and de-energize the coil in an absence of the trigger pull event. 3. The firing system according to claim 2, wherein the actuation control circuit changes a characteristic of electric power supplied to the coil by the power source. 4. The firing system according to claim 3, wherein the actuation control circuit changes polarity of the electric power supplied to the coil, the second magnetic field being configurable by the user between being either: (i) additive to the static magnetic field at a first polarity which increases the primary resistance force required to pull the trigger; and (ii) subtractive from the static magnetic field at a second reverse polarity which decreases the primary resistance force required to pull the trigger member. 5. The firing system according to claim 3, wherein the actuation control circuit increases or decreases an electric voltage of the electric power to the electromagnetic actuator. 6. The firing system according to claim 2, further comprising a programmable microcontroller operably coupled to the actuation control circuit, the microcontroller configured to time energizing the electromagnetic actuator via the actuation control circuit in accordance with a user-selected trigger force or displacement setpoint preprogrammed into the microcontroller. 7. The firing system according to claim 6, further comprising a trigger sensor operably and communicably coupled to the microcontroller, the trigger sensor configured to sense a user applied trigger pull force on the trigger or displacement thereof, wherein the microcontroller is configured to energize the electromagnetic actuator to generate the secondary magnetic field based on the sensed applied trigger pull force or displacement of the trigger. 8. The firing system according to claim 7, wherein the trigger sensor is a force sensing resistor configured to measure the applied trigger pull force by the user and transmit the measured trigger pull force to the microcontroller which compares the measured trigger pull force to the trigger force setpoint. 9. The firing system according to claim 8, wherein the microcontroller transmits a pulse of electric energy to the coil of the electromagnetic actuator when the measured trigger pull force meets or exceeds the trigger force setpoint. 10. The firing system according to claim 7, wherein the trigger sensor is a displacement sensor configured to measure the displacement of the trigger by the user, and wherein the microcontroller transmits a pulse of electric energy to the coil of the electromagnetic actuator when the measured displacement meets or exceeds the trigger displacement setpoint. 11. The firing system according to claim 1, wherein the striking member is a spring-biased hammer pivotably moveable between the cocked and firing positions, the rotating member of the electromagnetic actuator configured to directly and releasably engage the hammer such that: (i) the rotating trigger member holds the striking member in the cocked position when the rotating trigger member is in the first actuation position, and (ii) the rotating trigger member disengages and releases the striking member which moves to the firing position when the rotating trigger member is moved to the second actuation position. 12. The firing system according to claim 1, wherein the striking member is a spring-biased striker linearly movable between the cocked and firing positions, and further comprising a sear releasably engaged with striker to hold the striking member in the cocked position, the sear releasably engaged in turn by the rotating member, wherein moving the trigger from the first actuation position to the second actuation position disengages the rotating member from the sear to release the striker from the cocked position for discharging the firearm. 13. The firing system according to claim 1, wherein the permanent magnet is the solitary permanent magnet in the electromagnetic actuator forming a non-bistable electromagnetic actuator of the trigger unit. 14. The firing system according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member and trigger are both pivotably mounted to the stationary member about the same pivot axis. 15. The firing system according to claim 14, wherein the permanent magnet is affixed to the stationary yoke and interposed between an upper portion of the rotating member above the pivot axis and the stationary yoke. 16. An electromagnetic firing system for a firearm, the firing system comprising: a frame;a striking member supported by the frame and movable between a rearward cocked position and forward firing position for discharging the firearm;an electromagnetically adjustable trigger mechanism operably coupled to the striking member for discharging the firearm, the trigger mechanism comprising an electromagnetic actuator including: a stationary yoke comprising an electromagnet coil operably coupled to an electric power source, the coil having an energized state and a de-energized state;a rotating member pivotably coupled to the stationary yoke for movement between an unactuated and actuated positions, the rotating member operably coupled to the striking member for moving the striking member from the cocked position to the firing position;a trigger movably coupled to the stationary yoke and interacting with the rotating member, the trigger manually movable by a user from a first actuation position to a second actuation position which rotates the rotating member for discharging the firearm; anda permanent magnet generating a static magnetic flux in the yoke and rotating member, the static magnetic flux creating a primary resistance force opposing movement of the trigger when pulled by the user;a programmable microcontroller operably coupled to the electromagnetic actuator of the trigger mechanism and pre-programmed with a trigger force setpoint, the microcontroller configured to: receive an actual trigger force applied to the trigger by a user and measured by a trigger sensor communicably coupled to the microcontroller;compare the actual trigger force to the preprogrammed trigger force setpoint; andselectively energize the electromagnetic actuator based on the comparison of the actual trigger force to the trigger force setpoint;wherein the electromagnet coil when energized generates a user-adjustable secondary magnetic flux interacting with the static magnetic field, the secondary magnetic field operating to increase or decrease the primary resistance force when the trigger is pulled by the user. 17. The firing system according to claim 16, wherein the permanent magnet is the solitary permanent magnet in the electromagnetic actuator forming a non-bistable electromagnetic actuator trigger mechanism. 18. The firing system according to claim 16, wherein the rotating member is releasably engaged with a pivotable sear operable to selectively hold the striking member in the cocked position, wherein moving the trigger from the first actuation position to the second actuation position disengages the rotating member from the sear to release the striking member from the cocked position for discharging the firearm. 19. The firing system according to claim 16, wherein the microcontroller is configured by the user to energize the electromagnetic actuator with an electric pulse of energy of either: (i) a first polarity which increases the primary resistance force when the actual trigger force meets or exceeds the preprogrammed trigger force setpoint; or (ii) a second polarity which decreases the primary resistance force when the measured actual trigger force meets or exceeds the preprogrammed trigger force setpoint. 20. The firing system according to claim 16, wherein the microcontroller is configured to complete the trigger pull for the user when the measured actual trigger force meets or exceeds the preprogrammed trigger force setpoint. 21. The firing system according to claim 20, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to also select a voltage of the electric pulse used to energize the electromagnetic actuator which establishes a magnitude by which the primary resistance force is increased or decreased. 22. The firing system according to claim 16, wherein the rotating member and trigger are pivotably mounted to the stationary member about a common pivot axis. 23. The firing system according to claim 16, wherein the trigger sensor is a thin film force sensing resistor disposed between mating surfaces of the rotating member and the trigger member which are movable together and apart via operation of the trigger, the force sensing resistor configured to measure a trigger pull force applied by the user on the trigger and transmit the measured trigger pull force to the microcontroller for comparison to the trigger force setpoint. 24. An electromagnetic firing system for a firearm, the firing system comprising: a frame;a striking member supported by the frame and movable between a rearward cocked position and forward firing position for discharging the firearm;a pivotable sear configured to selectively hold the striking member in the cocked position;an electromagnetic actuator trigger mechanism supported by the frame, the trigger mechanism configured to create a dual loop magnetic flux circuit and comprising: a stationary yoke comprising an electromagnet coil operably coupled to an electric power source, the coil having an energized state and a de-energized state;a rotating member pivotably coupled to the stationary yoke about a pivot axis, the rotating member movable between an unactuated position engaging with the sear and an actuated position disengaging the sear;a trigger operably engaged with the rotating member and manually movable by a user for applying an actual trigger force on the rotating member; anda permanent magnet generating a static magnetic flux holding the rotating member in the unactuated position, the permanent magnet generating a static magnetic flux creating a primary resistance force opposing movement of the trigger when pulled by the user;a programmable microcontroller operably coupled to the power source and communicably coupled to a trigger sensor configured to sense the applied trigger force, the microcontroller when detecting the applied trigger force being configured to transmit an electric pulse to the electromagnet coil of the trigger mechanism;the electromagnet coil when energized generating a secondary magnetic flux interacting with the static magnetic field, the secondary magnetic field being configurable by the user via the microcontroller to increase or decrease the primary resistance force when the trigger is pulled by the user. 25. The firing system according to claim 24, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to: compare the actual trigger force to a preprogrammed trigger force setpoint; andenergize the electromagnetic actuator when the actual trigger force meets or exceeds the trigger force setpoint. 26. The firing system according to claim 24, wherein the stationary yoke comprises an outer yoke portion including a front section and a rear section, and a vertically elongated central inner yoke portion disposed between the front and rear sections, the electromagnet coil disposed on the central inner yoke portion. 27. The firing system according to claim 26, wherein the rotating member is at least partially nested inside the central inner yoke portion of the stationary yoke. 28. The firing system according to claim 24, wherein the rotating member includes a cantilevered rear actuating extension engaged with a mating cantilevered rear operating extension of the trigger, the actual trigger force being transmitted to the rotating member via the mating rear actuating and operating extensions. 29. The firing system according to claim 28, wherein the trigger sensor is a thin film force sensing resistor interposed between the mating rear actuating and operating extensions. 30. The firing system according to claim 28, further comprising a trigger spring acting to bias the rear actuating extension of the rotating member downwards into engagement with the rear operating extension of the trigger, the trigger spring creating a mechanical trigger resistance opposing movement of the trigger and operable to allow the trigger mechanism to be used manually to discharge the firearm without energizing the electromagnet coil. 31. An electromagnetically variable trigger system comprising: a frame;an electromagnetic actuator trigger unit affixed to the frame and comprising: a stationary yoke comprising an electromagnet coil;a rotating member movable about a pivot axis relative to the stationary yoke;a trigger operably engaged with the rotating member, the trigger manually movable by a user from a first position to a second position which rotates the rotating member; anda permanent magnet generating a static magnetic field in the stationary yoke and rotating member, the static magnetic field creating a primary resistance force opposing movement of the trigger when pulled by the user;an electric power source operably coupled to the coil;the electromagnet coil when energized generating a user-adjustable secondary magnetic field interacting with the static magnetic field, the secondary magnetic field operating to change the primary resistance force dynamically during a trigger pull event initiated by the user. 32. The trigger system according to claim 31, further comprising an electronic actuation control circuit operably coupled between to the power source and coil, the actuation control circuit configurable by the user to selectively energize the coil upon detection of a trigger pull and de-energize the coil in an absence of the trigger pull. 33. The trigger system according to claim 32, further comprising a trigger sensor communicably coupled to the actuation control circuit and operable to detect movement of the trigger initiated by the user.