Fault tolerant electromagnetic safety system for firearms
A fault tolerant electromagnetic safety system for firearms comprises an electromagnetic actuator with movable rotating member operably interfaced with the firing mechanism. The actuator is controlled via a programmable microcontroller coupled to an electric power source onboard the firearm. A safety actuatable by a user operably interfaces with the actuator and is manually movable between actuated and standby positions. In a blocking position, the actuator engages and prevents the firing mechanism from moving to prevent discharging the firearm. The safety when in the standby position is configured to prevent the actuator from disengaging the firing mechanism. Upon the detecting movement of safety to the actuated position, the microcontroller moves the actuator to a non-blocking position allowing discharge of the firearm via a trigger pull. The safety when moving to the standby position may be configured to mechanically reset the actuator to the blocking position in event of an electronics failure.
1. A firearm with fault tolerant electromagnetic safety system, the firearm comprising:
a longitudinal axis;
a frame arranged along the longitudinal axis;
a firing mechanism linkage disposed in the frame and movable to discharge the firearm via a trigger pull;
an energizable electromagnetic actuator comprising a rotating member configured to operably interface with the firing mechanism linkage;
the electromagnetic actuator being operable to move the rotating member between a blocking position in which movement of the firing mechanism linkage is prevented, and a non-blocking position which allows movement of the firing mechanism linkage to discharge the firearm;
a safety actuatable by a user and configured in turn to operably interface with the rotating member of the actuator, the safety being manually movable between an actuated position and a standby position;
wherein the safety is configured to block movement of rotating member out of the blocking position when the safety is in the standby position.
2. The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein the safety is configured to engage and move the rotating member from the non-blocking position to the blocking position when the safety is moved from the actuated position to the standby position.
3. The firearm according to claim 2 , wherein the safety comprises a cam surface which slideably engages and moves the rotating member from the non-blocking position to the blocking position.
4. The firearm according to claim 3 , wherein the cam surface is non-linear or angled in shape.
5. The firearm according to claim 3 , wherein the safety further comprises an elongated camming protrusion movable therewith and positioned adjacent to the rotating member of the electromagnetic actuator, the camming protrusion defining the cam surface on a portion thereof and a retention surface positioned to engage the rotating member when the safety is in the standby position.
6. The firearm according to claim 5 , wherein the camming protrusion is moveable via movement of the safety to: (i) allow the rotating member to move between the blocking and non-blocking positions when the safety is in the actuated position, and (ii) prevent the rotating member from moving out of the blocking position via engagement with the retention surface when the safety is in the standby position.
7. The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein the rotating member is pivotably movable and comprises an elongated structure at least partially surrounded by an electromagnetic coil operably coupled to an electric power source, the rotating member being pivotably movable between the blocking and non-blocking positions via selectively energizing the electromagnetic coil.
8. The firearm according to claim 7 , wherein the electromagnetic actuator is a bistable actuator.
9. The firearm according to claim 7 , wherein the rotating member comprises an actuating end protrusion on one end and an opposite operating end protrusion on another end, the operating end protrusion being configured to selectively block movement of a component of the firing mechanism linkage when the rotating member is in the blocking position.
10. The firearm according to claim 9 , wherein the operating end protrusion is laterally movable between the blocking and non-blocking positions via selectively energizing the electromagnetic coil.
11. The firearm according to claim 9 , wherein the component of the firing mechanism linkage is a rotatable sear configured to selectively retain a striking member of the firearm in a cocked position, and release the striking member forward to discharge the firearm via a trigger pull.
12. The firearm according to claim 11 , wherein the firing mechanism linkage comprises an elongated trigger bar which movably couples the sear to the trigger.
13. The firearm according to claim 12 , wherein the sear comprises an upwardly extending upper operating protrusion engageable with the striking member, and a downwardly depending lower locking protrusion which is selectively engageable by the rotating member when in its blocking position.
14. The firearm according to claim 13 , wherein the locking protrusion comprises a laterally open pocket which insertably receives a portion of the operating end protrusion of the rotating member therein.
15. The firearm according to claim 5 , wherein the safety comprises a lever-shaped body which is pivotably disposed on the frame, the safety being pivotably movable between the actuated and standby positions.
16. The firearm according to claim 15 , wherein the safety is configured as a vertically elongated grip safety pivotably disposed on a downwardly depending grip portion of the frame, the grip safety being moveable forward to the actuated position when the grip portion is gripped by a user, and rearward to the standby position.
17. The firearm according to claim 16 , wherein the grip safety is automatically returned to the standby position via a return spring when the user releases grip on the grip portion of the frame, which in turn moves the rotating member from the non-blocking position to the blocking position when the rotating member is in the non-blocking position when the grip portion is released.
18. The firearm according to claim 9 , wherein the actuating end protrusion defines an openable and closeable first air gap between a yoke of the electromagnetic actuator and a first side of the actuating end protrusion, and an openable and closeable second air gap between the yoke and a second side of the actuating end protrusion.
19. The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein the firming mechanism linkage is disposed in a fire control insert detachably coupled to the frame of the firearm.
20. The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein a change in polarity of an electric current supplied to the electromagnetic actuator moves the rotating member between the blocking and non-blocking positions.
21. The firearm according to claim 8 , further comprising a programmable microcontroller operably coupled to the electromagnetic actuator and the power source via a control circuit, the microcontroller configured to change position of the rotating member between the first and second actuation positions via changing polarity of an electrical current pulse supplied to the electromagnetic coil.
22. The firearm according to claim 21 , further comprising a position sensor operably coupled to the microcontroller, the position sensor configured to detect when the safety is in the actuated position.
23. The firearm according to claim 22 , wherein upon the position sensor detecting the safety is in the actuated position, the microcontroller moves the electromagnetic actuator between the blocking position and the non-blocking position.
24. The firearm according to claim 23 , wherein the microcontroller moves the electromagnetic actuator from the blocking position to the non-blocking position to enable discharging the firearm.
25. The firearm according to claim 23 , wherein the position sensor is a contactless position sensor configured to selectively detect a presence of a magnet mounted on the safety, the magnet being movable proximate to the position sensor when the safety is moved from the standby position to the actuated position.
26. The firearm according to claim 1 , wherein the firearm is a pistol.