Portable ballistic unloading device

Abstract

A portable ballistic unloading device for unloading a ballistic round from a weapon having a barrel, includes a hinge between a pair of clamshell sides. A releasable fastener partially seals the container closed leaving an opening into the cavity in the container. The opening is sized to snugly receive a barrel of the weapon inserted through the opening and into the cavity. Flexible ballistic material is mounted to the hinge and to the clamshell sides. A barrel guide mounted in the cavity cooperates with the opening into the cavity so that the barrel of the weapon, when inserted through the opening, is urged into, and maintained, substantially perpendicular to the hinge.

1 . A portable ballistic unloading device for unloading a ballistic round from a weapon having a barrel, the unloading device comprising: 
 a clamshell container having first and second clamshell sides defining an interior cavity of said container between said sides, said container including a hinge between a first pair of adjacent edges of said clamshell sides, said hinge for pivoting said clamshell sides between open and closed clamshell positions,    a releasable fastener partially sealing closed said container when in said closed clamshell position, said fastener not fully sealing together perimeter edges of said clamshell sides of said container so as to leave an opening into said cavity when said container is in said closed clamshell position, said opening sized to receive a barrel of a weapon snugly inserted through said opening and into said cavity,    flexible ballistic material mounted to said hinge and to said clamshell sides,    a barrel guide mounted in said cavity and cooperating with said opening when said container is in said closed clamshell position so that the barrel of the weapon when inserted through said opening is urged into, and maintained in, substantially perpendicular alignment relative to said hinge,    a means mounted to said container for urging the muzzle of the barrel against said hinge when the barrel is inserted through said opening and said container is in said closed clamshell position.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said container further comprises a flexible cover flap mounted to said first clamshell side adjacent said opening, said flap sized to cover at least said opening and over-lap an exterior surface of said second clamshell side when said flap is folded over said opening and said exterior surface of said second clamshell side.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said clamshell sides are flexible and said hinge is a continuous flexible hinge contiguous to said clamshell sides.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein said clamshell sides are substantially parallel to each other when said container is in said closed position and wherein said barrel guide includes a barrel receiving member cooperating with the barrel of the weapon so as to align the barrel with a barrel insertion axis which is substantially perpendicular to a hinge axis lying along said hinge when said barrel is inserted through said opening so as to position the muzzle of the barrel adjacent said hinge.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein at least said hinge is formed as a flexible sleeve and said ballistic material is mounted within at least said sleeve.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein said clamshell sides include corresponding flexible pouches and said ballistic material is mounted in at least said pouches.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 6  wherein said sleeve and said pouches define a continuous enclosure for said ballistic material, wherein said ballistic material includes a plurality of sheets of ballistic material supported as a continuous blanket lining said clamshell sides and said hinge so that sheets of said ballistic material are substantially parallel to said clamshell sides and said hinge, whereby said ballistic material flexes as said clamshell sides are pivoted between said open and closed clamshell positions.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 7  wherein said barrel receiving member includes a collar having a collar cavity therethrough, said collar cavity along said barrel insertion axis.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 8  wherein said collar and said collar cavity extend from adjacent to said opening to adjacent to said hinge.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 9  wherein said means mounted to said container for urging the muzzle of the barrel against said hinge includes a flexible harness mountable to the weapon for releasably supporting the barrel inserted through said opening and through said collar cavity so as to abut the muzzle against said hinge.  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 10  wherein said harness includes a flexible strap extending between a second pair of adjacent edges of said clamshell sides when in said closed clamshell position, said second pair of adjacent edges opposite from said first pair of adjacent edges of said clamshell sides.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 2  wherein said first clamshell side includes a pocket having an opening into said pocket, said opening into said pocket adjacent said cover flap where said cover flap is mounted to said first clamshell, said pocket for receiving a spent cartridge of the ballistic round when cleared from a chamber of the weapon when the weapon is mounted through said opening and the weapon discharged.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12  wherein said pocket is formed by an internal flap, and wherein said device further comprises a flexible strap extending between a second pair of adjacent edges of said clamshell sides when in said closed clamshell position, said second pair of adjacent edges opposite from said first pair of adjacent edges of said clamshell sides, and wherein one end of said flexible strap is mounted to an upper edge of said internal flap adjacent said cover flap, and wherein said strap is mounted taut over the weapon when the weapon is mounted through the opening whereby, upon discharge of the weapon, expanding gas exiting from the chamber of the weapon urges said pocket to open and opens said opening into said pocket so that the spent cartridge exiting the chamber rebounds from said cover flap and into said pocket.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 11  wherein said flexible strap further includes a means for selectively tightening said strap over the weapon so as to selectively securely mount the weapon with its barrel through the opening into said cavity.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 14  wherein said means for selectively tightening said strap includes a buckle.  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 9  wherein said collar is sized to extend substantially the full length of the barrel of the weapon.  
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 2  wherein said clamshell sides are each substantially rectangular in shape and are of substantially the same size.  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 17  wherein, when said cover flap is overlapping said second clamshell side, said device is adapted to outwardly appear to be a manually carried personal accessory chosen from the group comprising: 
 a tote, a handbag, a purse, a wallet, a case for carrying compact discs, a case for carrying a personal music player.    
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 3  wherein said fastener includes at least one zipper fastener extending around said perimeter edges of said clamshell sides.  
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 19  wherein said at least one zipper fastener includes a pair of zipper fasteners extending around opposite portions of said perimeter edges so as to define said opening between terminal adjacent ends of said pair of zipper fasteners.