Laser cartridge for dryfire training
View Patent ↗This is a cartridge shaped laser dry fire training device that can be inserted into the chamber of a firearm and used for demonstrating where the simulated shots strike during each trigger press of a dry fire practice session when coupled with the DryFireMag training device as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,182,189 B2. The laser dry fire training device preferably is composed of a red diode laser, a set of batteries, and electronic PC board, a lens to allow the infrared light emitted by the diode mounted on a specially designed dry fire training magazine to excite the electronics of the electronic PC board, and two threaded cylinders to house said components.
1 . A laser cartridge ( 10 ) for dryfire training with a firearm ( 11 ) that has an EMR source ( 66 ) that is actuated responsive to a trigger of the firearm ( 11 ) being pulled by a user/shooter, and wherein actuation of the EMOR source ( 66 ) passes EMR into a chamber ( 13 ) defined in the firearm ( 11 ), the laser cartridge ( 10 ) comprising:
a housing ( 16 ) that is configured as an ammunition cartridge and that is removably carried within the chamber ( 13 ) of the firearm ( 11 ), the housing ( 16 ) comprising:
a first member ( 25 ) defining a medial channel ( 30 ); and
a second member ( 40 ) that is releasably axially received in the medial channel ( 30 ) defined by the first member ( 25 ); and
a PC board ( 39 ) carried within an electronics chamber ( 47 ) defined in the second member ( 40 ), the PC board ( 39 ) operatively communicating with a power supply ( 60 ) and with a laser ( 54 ); and
the power supply ( 60 ) is releasably carried within a battery chamber ( 45 ) defined in the second member ( 40 ) and the power supply ( 60 ) supplies power to both the PC board ( 39 ) and to the laser ( 54 ); and
the laser ( 54 ) is carried within a laser chamber ( 46 ) defined in the second member ( 40 ) and when the laser 54 is actuated responsive to receipt of a signal from the PC board ( 39 ), the laser ( 54 ) emits a laser beam/pulse ( 58 ) that is projected along a longitudinal axis ( 19 ) of the housing ( 16 ) and along a bore ( 12 A) of a barrel ( 12 ) of the firearm ( 11 ); and
an optical lens ( 65 ) carried at a first end portion ( 41 ) of the second member ( 40 ) of the housing ( 16 ) and operatively communicating with the PC board ( 39 ) to collect and focus EMR ( 59 ) emitted by the EMR source ( 66 ) onto the PC board ( 39 ) to cause the PC board ( 39 ) to generate the signal that is communicated to the laser ( 54 ) to actuate the laser ( 54 ) to emit the laser beam/pulse ( 58 ).
2 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the first member ( 25 ) of the housing ( 16 ) has a first end portion ( 26 ), a second end portion ( 27 ), a longitudinal axis ( 28 ), an exterior surface ( 29 ), an O-ring groove ( 34 ), defined in the exterior surface ( 29 ) proximate the second end portion ( 27 ) that carries an O-ring ( 63 ) therein, an exterior diameter ( 33 ), an interior diameter ( 35 ), and threads ( 32 ) defined in an interior surface ( 31 ) of the medial channel ( 30 ).
3 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the second member ( 40 ) of the housing ( 16 ) has a first end portion ( 41 ), a second end portion ( 42 ), a longitudinal axis ( 43 ), an exterior surface ( 44 ), threads ( 48 ) defined in the exterior surface ( 44 ) proximate the second end portion ( 42 ), and an extraction ring ( 49 ) proximate the first end portion ( 41 ).
4 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising:
a protective sheath ( 62 ) extending about the power supply ( 60 ) to insulate the power supply ( 60 ) from the housing ( 16 ).
5 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ) has a laser emitting end portion ( 55 ) that is positioned proximate the second end portion ( 42 ) of the second member ( 40 ) of the housing ( 16 ) when the laser ( 54 ) is carried within the laser chamber ( 46 ); and
an electronics end portion ( 56 ) proximate the first end portion ( 41 ) of the second member ( 40 ) of the housing ( 16 ); and wherein
the power supply ( 60 ) is adjacent the electronics end portion ( 56 ) of the laser ( 54 ).
6 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ), when actuated, emits a red color laser beam/pulse ( 58 ).
7 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ), when actuated emits a green color laser beam/pulse ( 58 ).
8 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ), when actuated, emits a continuous laser beam ( 58 ).
9 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ), when actuated, emits a pulsed laser ( 58 ).
10 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ), when actuated, emits a laser beam/pulse ( 58 ) that visually appears on a target as a dot.
11 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ), when actuated, emits a laser beam/pulse ( 58 ) that visually appears on a target in a predetermined shape.
12 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ), when actuated, emits a laser beam/pulse ( 58 ) that visually appears on a target as a cross or as an “X”.
13 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ), when actuated, emits a laser beam/pulse ( 58 ) having a wavelength between 600 nanometers and 700 nanometers.
14 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ), when actuated, emits a laser beam/pulse ( 58 ) having a wavelength between 645 nanometers and 655 nanometers.
15 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ), when actuated, emits a laser beam/pulse ( 58 ) having a wavelength of 650 nanometers.
16 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ), is actuated when the PC board ( 39 ) receives EMR having a wavelength of between 900 nanometers and 980 nanometers.
17 . The laser cartridge ( 10 ) as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the laser ( 54 ), is actuated when the PC board 39 receives EMR having a wavelength of 940 nanometers.
18 . A laser cartridge ( 10 ) for dryfire training with a firearm ( 11 ) that has an EMR source ( 66 ) that is actuated responsive to a trigger of the firearm ( 11 ) being pulled by a user/shooter, and wherein actuation of the EMR source ( 66 ) passes EMR into a chamber ( 13 ) defined in the firearm ( 11 ), the laser cartridge ( 10 ) comprising:
a housing ( 16 ) that is configured in the shape of an ammunition cartridge, and that is releasably carried within the chamber ( 13 ) defined in the firearm ( 11 ), the housing ( 16 ) comprising;
a first cylindrical member ( 25 ) that has a first end portion ( 26 ), a second end portion ( 27 ), a longitudinal axis ( 28 ), an exterior surface ( 29 ), an O-ring groove ( 34 ) defined in the exterior surface ( 29 ) proximate the second end portion ( 27 ), a medial channel ( 30 ), an exterior diameter ( 33 ), an interior diameter ( 35 ), and threads ( 32 ) defined in an interior surface ( 31 ) of the medial channel ( 30 );
a second member ( 40 ) that is releasably axially received in the medial channel ( 30 ) defined by the first cylindrical member ( 25 ), the second member ( 40 ) having, a first end portion ( 41 ), a second end portion ( 42 ), a longitudinal axis ( 43 ), an exterior surface ( 44 ), a battery chamber ( 45 ), a laser chamber ( 46 ), an electronics chamber ( 47 ), threads ( 48 ) defined in the exterior surface ( 44 ) proximate the second end portion ( 42 ), and an extraction ring ( 49 ) proximate the first end portion ( 41 ); and
a power supply ( 60 ) releasably carried within the battery chamber ( 45 ) defined in the second member ( 401 , the power supply ( 60 ) having a circumferentially extending protective sheath ( 62 ) extending thereabout to insulate the power supply ( 60 ) from the housing ( 16 ) and wherein the power supply ( 60 ) operative communicates with a PC board ( 39 ) and with a diode laser ( 54 ) with circuitry ( 57 );
the diode laser ( 54 ) is carried within the laser chamber ( 46 ) defined in the second member ( 40 ), the diode laser ( 54 ) having a laser emitting end portion ( 55 ) and an electronics end portion ( 56 ), and the diode laser ( 54 ) when actuated, emits a laser beam/pulse ( 58 ) that is projected along a longitudinal axis ( 19 ) of the housing ( 16 ) and along a bore ( 12 A) of the firearm ( 11 ) and outwardly from a muzzle ( 12 B) of the firearm ( 11 ); and
the PC board ( 39 ) is carried within the electronics chamber ( 47 ) defined in the second member ( 40 ), the PC board ( 39 ) operatively communicating with the diode laser ( 54 ) and with the power supply ( 60 ) generate, when actuated, a signal that is communicated to the diode laser ( 54 ) and which responsively causes the diode laser ( 54 ) to emit a laser beam/pulse that is projected along the longitudinal axis ( 19 ) of the housing ( 16 ) and along the bore ( 12 A) of the firearm ( 11 ) and outwardly from the firearm muzzle ( 12 B); and
an optical lens ( 65 ) carried at the first end portion ( 41 ) of the second member ( 40 ) of the housing ( 16 ), the optical lens ( 65 ) operatively communicating with the electronic PC board ( 39 ) to collect and focus EMR ( 59 ) emitted from the EMR source ( 66 ) onto the PC board ( 39 ) to cause the PC board ( 39 ) to generate the signal that is communicated to the diode laser ( 54 ) to actuate the diode laser ( 54 ).