Rail contacts for accessories mounted on the powered rail of a weapon

US8443539B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Prototype Productions Incorporated Ventures Two, LLC · US

Inventors

• Eric F. Cabahug · Fairfax, US
• James S. Dodd · Big Stone Gap, US
• Ben Feldman · Reston, US
• Don McLaughlin · Ashburn, US
• John Schroeder · Trenton, US
• Hector Tapia · Ashburn, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 30, 2011
• Grant date: May 21, 2013
• Expiry date: Mar 30, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F41G11/003
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A firearm may have a plurality of power-consuming accessories that can be attached to the weapon. In order to reduce the weight of these power-consuming accessories, as well as the proliferation of their batteries, the Weapon Accessory Power Distribution System provides a common power source to power the power-consuming accessories attached to the weapon. One or more powered rails are provided to encircle the barrel of the weapon, to provide a point of mechanical and electrical interconnection for the power-consuming accessories to provide quick connect mounting and dismounting of the power-consuming accessory, absent the use of connectors with their tethering cables, which are susceptible to entanglement. The Weapon Accessory Rail Contacts provide the mechanism to electrically interconnect the power-consuming accessory with the powered rail.