Safety devices for firearms

Abstract

Safety devices for firearms have been disclosed. A disclosed safety device comprises a lock plate having a non-round bore penetrated by a striker. Is also includes a locking element rotatably mounted on the striker to immobilize the striker sufficiently to prevent firing of a cartridge. The locking element has at least one radial projection. A combined outer contour of the at least one radial projection and the striker is complementary to the non-round bore of the lock plate such that the locking element can only pass into the non-round bore when the locking element is positioned in a predetermined angular position. The safety device also includes at least one pushbutton accessible on the outside of the firearm and operatively coupled to the locking element to rotate the locking element around the striker to unlock the safety lock.

1 . A safety lock for a firearm having a slide and a striker which is movable relative to the slide to fire a cartridge, the safety lock comprising: 
 a lock plate having a non-round bore penetrated by the striker;    a locking element rotatably mounted on the striker to immobilize the striker sufficiently to prevent firing of a cartridge, the locking element having at least one radial projection, a combined outer contour of the at least one radial projection and the striker being complementary to the non-round bore of the lock plate such that the locking element can only pass into the non-round bore when the locking element is positioned in a predetermined angular position; and    at least one pushbutton accessible on the outside of the firearm and operatively coupled to the locking element to rotate the locking element around the striker to unlock the safety lock.    
   
   
       2 . A safety lock as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the safety lock is located in the slide of a semi-automatic or automatic handgun.  
   
   
       3 . A safety lock as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a ratchet wheel with latch teeth coupled to the lock element to secure the lock element in an angular position.  
   
   
       4 . A safety lock as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the lock element comprises a plurality of lock elements and each of the lock elements is coupled to a respective ratchet wheel to secure the corresponding lock element in an angular position.  
   
   
       5 . A safety lock as defined in  claim 3 , wherein each of the ratchet wheels is coupled to a respective reset device.  
   
   
       6 . A safety lock as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the reset devices of the ratchet wheels are coupled to a common actuator.  
   
   
       7 . A safety lock as defined in  claim 5 , wherein end stops are respectively assigned to each ratchet wheel to limit rotation of the ratchet wheels, and wherein reset springs are respectively coupled to the reset devices.  
   
   
       8 . A safety lock as defined in  claim 7 , wherein each reset spring comprises a wrapped wire spring.  
   
   
       9 . A safety lock as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the lock plate comprises a star wheel having catch grooves or projections on its perimeter to removably secure the star wheel in an angular position.  
   
   
       10 . A firearm comprising: 
 a slide;    a safety lock located within the slide, the safety lock having a locked state wherein the safety lock precludes firing of the firearm and an unlocked state wherein the safety lock does not preclude firing of the firearm, the safety lock entering the unlocked state upon entry of a combination; and    a plurality of pushbuttons accessible from external to the slide to enter the combination, wherein no symbols representative of the combination are visible external to the firearm.    
   
   
       11 . For use in retrofitting a firearm, a slide comprising: 
 a striker located within the slide;    a safety lock located within the slide, the safety lock having a locked state wherein the safety lock precludes firing movement of the striker and an unlocked state wherein the safety lock does not preclude firing movement of the striker, the safety lock entering the unlocked state upon entry of a combination; and    a plurality of pushbuttons accessible from external to the slide to enter the combination, wherein no symbols representative of the combination are visible external to the slide.    
   
   
       12 . A firearm comprising: 
 a slide;    a safety lock located within the slide, the safety lock having a locked state wherein the safety lock precludes firing movement of the striker and an unlocked state wherein the safety lock does not preclude firing movement of the striker, the safety lock including a plurality of counters which place the safety lock in the unlocked state when predetermined values are respectively counted by the counters; and    a plurality of pushbuttons accessible from external to the slide to toggle respective ones of the counters to unlock the safety lock.    
   
   
       13 . A firearm as defined in  claim 12  wherein the counters are mechanical counters.  
   
   
       14 . A firearm as defined in  claim 12  further comprising a reset button to reset the counters to a zero state.  
   
   
       15 . A firearm as defined in  claim 12  wherein the plurality of counters are independent such that toggling one of the counters does not change the count of any other one of the counters.  
   
   
       16 . A firearm as defined in  claim 12  wherein at least two of the plurality of counters are coupled such that toggling one of the at least two counters changes the count of the other of the at least two counters.  
   
   
       17 . For use in a firearm having a slide and a striker, a safety lock comprising: 
 a star wheel rotatably mounted within the slide, the star wheel defining a keyhole, the angular position of the keyhole being selected by the angular position of the star wheel;    a locking element rotatably mounted on the striker, the locking element having a projection dimensioned to pass through the keyhole when the projection and keyhole have a same angular position;    a ratchet wheel coupled to the locking element for rotation therewith;    a release lever cooperating with the ratchet wheel to releasably secure the locking element against rotation;    a pushbutton accessible exterior to the slide to rotate the ratchet wheel and the locking element a predetermined distance each time the pushbutton is depressed; and    a reset spring biasing the ratchet wheel and the locking element toward a zero position, wherein the angular position of the star wheel defines a number of times the pushbutton must be depressed to place the locking element in the same angular position as the star wheel.    
   
   
       18 . A firearm as defined in  claim 17  wherein no external indicator of the number of times the pushbutton must be depressed to place the locking element in the same angular position as the star wheel is provided.  
   
   
       19 . A firearm as defined in  claim 17  further comprising a reset actuator to release the release lever to permit the reset spring to return the ratchet wheel and the locking element to the zero position.  
   
   
       20 . A firearm as defined in  claim 17  wherein the angular position of the star wheel is changeable by: 
 placing the locking element in the same angular position as the star wheel;    pushing the striker and the locking element forward to engage the projection in the star wheel; and    actuating the pushbutton a desired number of times to rotate the star wheel to the desired angular position.    
   
   
       21 . A firearm as defined in  claim 17  further comprising moving the star wheel to a zero position.