Recoil reducer

Abstract

The invention relates to a recoil-reducer that reduces the recoil felt by users of rifles and shotguns. In some embodiments, the recoil-reducer is comprised of a resilient plate that increases the area over which the recoil force is distributed, thereby reducing the force per unit area, and a compressible element that cushions the user from the force of recoil. Further recoil reduction is achieved through the inclusion of a third recoil reducing component: an inertia member that provides substantial inertia that must be overcome by the recoil force before such force can be transmitted to the user.

1 . A recoil-reducer for reducing the recoil felt by the user of a longarm, wherein the longarm includes a butt stock, wherein the butt stock includes a shoulder mount end having a given surface area, the recoil-reducer comprising: 
 a resilient plate having a predetermined shape that is defined by a circumscribing periphery, the plate having opposed sides, each side having a surface area that is substantially greater than the given surface area of the shoulder mount end of the butt stock; and    a compressible member having a predetermined shape that is defined by a circumscribing periphery, the compressible member having opposed sides, wherein the predetermined shape of the compressible member generally conforms to the predetermined shape of the resilient plate.    
   
   
       2 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 1 , wherein the surface area of the resilient plate ranges in size of approximately 15 times to 125 times greater than the surface area of the butt stock.  
   
   
       3 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient plate is made of polycarbonate thermoplastic.  
   
   
       4 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 1 , wherein the compressible member is made of Polyurethane foam.  
   
   
       5 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 1 , further including an inertia member having a predetermined shape that generally conforms to the shape of the resilient plate and having a density in the range of approximately 1.0 to 19.6 grams per cubic centimeter.  
   
   
       6 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 5 , wherein the inertia member interposes the resilient plate and the compressible member.  
   
   
       7 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 5 , wherein the compressible member interposes the resilient plate and the inertia member.  
   
   
       8 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 5 , wherein the resilient plate interposes the compressible member and the inertia member.  
   
   
       9 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 1 , further including means for aligning the resilient plate with the compressible member.  
   
   
       10 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 9 , wherein the resilient plate is coupled to the compressible member.  
   
   
       11 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 9 , wherein the aligning means includes a pouch for receiving the resilient plate and the compressible member.  
   
   
       12 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient plate has a thickness in the range of approximately 0.03 inch to one inch.  
   
   
       13 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 1 , wherein the recoil-reducer has a thickness in the range of approximately 0.125 inch to three inches.  
   
   
       14 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient plate has a D790 flexural modulus in the approximate range of 15,000 psi to 700,000 psi.  
   
   
       15 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient plate has a thickness and defines at least one groove extending through the thickness.  
   
   
       16 . A recoil-reducer for reducing the recoil felt by the user of a longarm, wherein the longarm includes a butt stock wherein the butt stock includes a shoulder mount end having a given surface area, the recoil-reducer comprising: 
 a pair of resilient plates, each resilient plate having a predetermined shape that is defined by a circumscribing periphery, each plate having opposed sides, each side having a surface area that is approximately 1.5 to 12.5 times greater than the given surface area of the shoulder mount end of the butt stock;    a compressible member interposing the pair of resilient plates, the compressible member having a predetermined shape that is defined by a circumscribing periphery, the compressible member having opposed sides, wherein the predetermined shape of the compressible member generally conforms to the predetermined shape of the resilient plates, wherein the compressible member is affixed to the resilient plates.    
   
   
       17 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 16 , further including: 
 an inertia member having a predetermined shape that generally conforms to the shape of the resilient plates and having a density in the range of approximately 1.0 to 19.6 grams per cubic centimeter, wherein the resilient plates, the compressible member, and the inertia member form a unit, wherein in operable position, the unit interposes the butt stock and a front side of a person using the recoil-reducer; and    a counter weight coupled to the unit, wherein in operable position, the counter weight is disposed on a back side of the person using the recoil-reducer, and wherein the mass of the counter weight is such that the counter weight is an effective counter weight to the recoil-reducer.    
   
   
       18 . A recoil-reducer for reducing the recoil felt by the user of a longarm, wherein the longarm includes a butt stock, wherein the butt stock includes a shoulder mount end having a given surface area, the recoil-reducer comprising: 
 a recoil-redistributor means for distributing a recoil imparted by a long-arm over an area of a shooter of the long-arm;    a compressible means for absorbing at least a portion of the distributed recoil; and    coupling means for coupling the compressible means and the recoil-redistributors means    
   
   
       19 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 18 , wherein the recoil-redistributor comprises a resilient plate.  
   
   
       20 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 19 , wherein the resilient plate has a D790 flexural modulus in the range of 15,000 to 700,000 psi.  
   
   
       21 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 19 , wherein the resilient plate is made from a thermoplastic.  
   
   
       22 . The recoil-reducer of  claim 18 , wherein the recoil-redistributor means comprises a metal plate.