Solid-state full auto sear
A firing mechanism includes a hammer, an electrical solid-state full auto sear positioned to engage the hammer in a first electrical state and to disengage from the hammer in a second electrical state, and a controller connected to the electrical solid-state full auto sear for causing the electrical solid-state full auto sear to change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state. The controller may include circuitry for causing the electrical solid-state full auto sear to change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state at a predetermined rate, a predetermined number of times, or for a predetermined period of time. The hammer may include a retractable hammer bent for engagement with the electrical solid-state full auto sear, and the electrical solid-state full auto sear may include a piezoelectric device.
1. A firing mechanism comprising:
a hammer;
an electrical, one-piece, solid-state piezoelectric full auto sear positioned to directly engage the hammer in a first electrical state and to disengage from the hammer in a second electrical state; and
a controller connected to the electrical, one piece, solid-state piezoelectric full auto sear for causing the electrical solid-state full auto sear to change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state.
2. The firing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes circuitry for causing the electrical sear to change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state at a predetermined rate.
3. The firing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes circuitry for causing the electrical sear to change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state a predetermined number of times.
4. The firing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes circuitry for causing the electrical sear to change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state for a predetermined period of time.
5. The firing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes circuitry for counting the number of rounds fired.
6. The firing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second electrical states are one of a charged state and an uncharged state.
7. The firing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the hammer includes a retractable hammer bent for engagement with the electrical sear.
8. The firing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric device assumes a flat shape in the first electrical state and a bowed shape in the second electrical state.
9. The firing mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the electrical sear comprises:
a piezoelectric device;
a mechanical full auto sear attached to the piezoelectric device; and
a front extension attached to the mechanical full auto sear.
10. The firing mechanism of claim 9 , wherein in the first state the piezoelectric device moves the electrical sear in a first direction to cause the front extension to engage the hammer.
11. The firing mechanism of claim 9 , wherein in the second state the piezoelectric device moves the electrical solid-state full auto sear to cause the front extension to disengage from the hammer.
12. The firing mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising a trigger sensor, wherein the controller causes the electrical solid-state full auto sear to change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state in response to activation of the trigger sensor.
13. A firing mechanism comprising:
a hammer;
an electrical solid-state full auto sear positioned to engage the hammer in a first electrical state and to disengage from the hammer in a second electrical state; and
a controller connected to the electrical solid-state full auto sear for causing the electrical solid-state full auto sear to change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state,
wherein the electrical solid-state full auto sear is a one-piece member piezoelectric device,
and wherein the piezoelectric device assumes a bowed shape in the first electrical state and a flat shape in the second electrical state.
14. A method of firing a weapon comprising:
directly engaging a hammer with an electrical, one piece, solid-state piezoelectric full auto sear in a first electrical state;
disengaging the electrical, one piece, solid-state full auto sear from the hammer in a second electrical state; and
controlling a change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state to control the firing of the weapon.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising causing the electrical solid-state full auto sear to change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state at a predetermined rate.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising causing the electrical solid-state full auto sear to change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state a predetermined number of times.
17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising causing the electrical sear to change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state for a predetermined period of time.
18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising counting the number of rounds fired.
19. A firing mechanism comprising:
a hammer;
an electrical, one piece, solid-state piezoelectric full auto sear that changes shape between a first and second electrical state to directly engage the hammer in the first electrical state and to disengage from the hammer in the second electrical state; and
a controller connected to the electrical one piece, solid-state piezoelectric full auto sear for causing the electrical sear to change from the first electrical state to the second electrical state.