Handgun Light Mount

This invention relates to flashlight attachments for handguns.

For over 90 years, proposals have been made for mounting lights to firearms. As far back as 1901, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Pat. No. 689,576, which proposed mounting an incandescent lamp on a firearm. Since 1901, the Patent Office has issued quite a few patents for devices to mount flashlights to firearms. In certain instances, it is imperative to have a light source attached to a handgun.

As addressed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,758,933 and 5,167,446, officers are required to carry a flashlight and a sidearm. Most police shooting situations are in dim light or low light conditions, and the officer typically holds his flashlight with one hand and his sidearm with the other. Holding a light in one hand and a handgun in the other hand puts the officer at a distinct disadvantage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,933 provides a notch on the grip of the handgun for indexing the flashlight. This arrangement gets the flashlight pointed in the right direction, but the officer still has to hold the light in one hand and the handgun in the other. Another example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,446, in which a bracket is attached for the flashlight and is positioned on the handgrip and held in place by both hands as the weapon is grasped. This arrangement takes time to position, and the flashlight has to be removed before the weapon can be holstered. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,716, the flashlight is attached to the weapon by a bracket that is attached by adhesive tape to the grip of a handgun and can neither be holstered in a standard holster nor removed from the weapon quickly.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,754, a high-powered light is semi-permanently mounted below the barrel of a handgun. This arrangement works well except the weapon cannot be holstered in a standard holster, and the light mount cannot be removed from the weapon very quickly.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,447, the flashlight mounts onto the handgun barrel and removes very quickly, but the handgun cannot be holstered in a standard holster with the light mounted and will tend to come loose or fall off if the weapon is fired.

Another disadvantage of light mounts shown in the prior patents is that many of them require modification of the existing weapon as by drilling holes for use of screws or attachment of plates or otherwise tampering with the handgun.

The present invention is directed to a mounting system for removably attaching a light source to a handgun. The light mount comprises a first bracket partially encircling and having a surface conforming to the shape of the handgun grip and engageable therewith by friction. A second bracket is connected to the first bracket and carries a light such as a flashlight in alignment with the barrel of the handgun. The first bracket extends far enough around the grip to exert force on the grip from opposite sides. Except for a flat upper portion, the second bracket is located away from the grasping region of the handgun in a position such as not to interfere with grasping of the grip by the user.

An elastic band is preferably placed encircling the first bracket to urge it more securely against the grip and to keep it from shifting around upon firing of the weapon. A switch to turn the light on and off may be provided in the form of a pressure switch placed between the first bracket and the elastic band. The light may then be turned on by squeezing the band more firmly with fingers already in position encircling the grip.

Light mounts embodying the invention provide solutions to the drawbacks and problems associated with prior devices as discussed above. The mount and flashlight carried thereby may be attached quickly and surely without requiring screws or other modifications to the handgun. The handgun, with mount and light attached, conveniently fits a standard holster. Furthermore, the mount is light in weight and directs a beam of light to illuminate the object at which the weapon is pointed so that the user can line up his sights to fire at night.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the present invention attached to a semi-automatic handgun, showing the light mount positioned correctly on a handgrip, with the light pointed toward a target.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the light mount, with the elastic band and flashlight removed. Also shown is the flashlight with a pressure switch attached.

FIG. 5 is a left-side view of present invention attached to a revolver, showing the light mount positioned below the handgrip with the light pointed toward a target.

FIG. 6 shows a rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the light mount with the elastic band and flashlight removed. Also shown is the flashlight with a pressure switch attached.

The invention is described herein with reference to two embodiments, one adapted for use on a semi-automatic handgun and the other adapted for use on a revolver.

FIG. 1 shows a light mount apparatus 16 according to one of the preferred embodiments of this invention mounted on a firearm in the form of a Glock semi-automatic handgun. The handgun has conventional parts and components, including a barrel 10, a handgrip 26, a trigger 14, and a slide 12. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the flashlight mounting bracket 16 is shaped in the form of a C-shaped metal sheet configuration that wraps around over half of the circumference of the handgrip 26 and is connected to a second bracket 22 that is shaped to accept flashlight 20. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the second bracket 22 positions the flashlight below and to one side of the handgrip on the semi-automatic handgun. This location avoids interference with insertion and removal of a magazine from directly below the butt of the weapon. First and second brackets in both embodiments may comprise sheet metal such as aluminum or steel heat treated to obtain higher strength and resilience.

The flashlight is secured in the second bracket by means of bolts 36 and nuts 38. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the first bracket 16 is further secured to the handgrip 26 by means of elastic band 18 that is located around the circumference of the handgrip. The elastic band may be comprised of rubber or other elastomeric material. As shown, the first bracket extends only slightly past the front and rear portions of the grip, leaving one side substantially uncovered. By making the second bracket extend further around, the attachment could be secured by frictional action of the bracket alone. However, it is preferred to have this bracket extend only slightly past halfway around the circumference and to use this measure in combination with additional forced applied by the elastic band. If the first bracket extended farther around the circumference, it would require more hand pressure for installation, which would tend to mar the surface of the grip. Also, the elastic band required for brackets with the smaller area engaging the grip provides an added advantage, enabling a more convenient manner in which to operate the pressure switch, which is preferably located between the band and the bracket. Pressure switch 40 is provided and is electronically connected by leads 24 to the flashlight. The pressure switch 40 is located under the band 18 so that the light can be turned on by squeezing the grip of the handgun with the user's fingers in their normal position. Alternately, the switch 40 may be held in place by other means such as a hook and loop tape (Velcro.TM.).

FIG. 5 shows a mounting bracket 16 for a revolver that extends past one side and front and rear portions of the handgrip 50 and includes a second bracket 48 that positions the flashlight directly below the revolver handgrip. An inner surface of each of the brackets may be provided with a resilient coating 19 of material such as an elastomer (FIGS. 4 and 7) so as to obtain enhanced contact between a bracket 16 and respective grip of a handgun.

FIGS. 4 and 7 show a perspective view of the light mount removed from the respective handgrips 26 and 50. Also, the elastic band 18 of the mount is removed so the first bracket 16 and second bracket 22 or 48 can be viewed. The first bracket 16 and the second bracket 22 or 48 are fastened together by welding or like process. Also shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 is the flashlight 20, circuit leads 24, and a pressure switch 40. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, at close range a light beam 30 is on line with the bore center 54 of the weapon to which it is attached. At longer ranges, the light beam is used for illumination, and the sights 56 and 58 are used for aiming.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the second bracket 22, 48 has an upper rectangular portion flush with a lower portion of a side of a first bracket to which it is attached. A lower portion of the secured bracket in each case is shaped to form an annular clamp which receives the flashlight. This structure avoids placement of a significant obstacle in position to interfere with the user's grasp of this region of the grip.

While the invention is described above with respect to two specific embodiments, it is not to be understood as limited to these embodiments, but is limited only as indicated by the appended claims.