Accessory Mounting Mechanism for Small Arms

Abstract

A bipod attachment mechanism for small arms that is releasably attached to an elongated rail adaptor is disclosed. The attachment mechanism removably mounts an accessory to a small arms weapon. The bipod attachment mechanism includes a rail attachment mechanism and a grip element having an upper end and a lower end, and including a hollow interior cavity. A pin-receiving section includes an aperture for receiving an accessory mounting pin, and a spring-biased catch mechanism for securing the accessory mounting pin.

1 . An accessory mounting mechanism for small arms comprising:
 a grip element including a pin-receiving section and an attaching element, the attaching element securing the grip element to a small arm; and   a mounting pin secured to a small arms accessory, the mounting pin being received in the pin-receiving section of the grip element, the mounting pin releasably locking the accessory onto the grip element.   
     
     
         2 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the pin-receiving section includes an aperture to receive the mounting pin and a pin-engaging element. 
     
     
         3 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 2 , wherein the mounting pin includes a tapered tip forming a head, a base of the head having a first diameter, the mounting pin further including a neck having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, such that the pin-engaging element is received in the neck in a locked position that secures the mounting pin in the pin-receiving section. 
     
     
         4 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 3 , wherein the pin-engaging element is spring-biased toward the locked position. 
     
     
         5 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 3 , further comprising a pushbutton that when depressed overcomes the spring-bias of the pin-engaging element to disengage the pin-engaging element from the mounting pin so that the mounting pin can be removed from the pin receiving section, thereby releasing the accessory from the small arm. 
     
     
         6 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the small arms accessory is a bipod comprising a head section, a pivot section, and two extendable legs, the legs being mounted to allow pivotal movement of the pivot section relative to the head section, the pivot section moving from a use position to a carry position. 
     
     
         7 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 6 , wherein the mounting pin is fixed to the head section. 
     
     
         8 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the grip element further comprises a handgrip with an interior cavity, the interior cavity including a lower end with a threaded opening, the grip element further including a threaded cap secured in the threaded opening to enclose the cavity. 
     
     
         9 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 8 , further comprising an elongate sling member having a first end secured within the cavity of the handgrip and a second end secured to the threaded cap. 
     
     
         10 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 9 , wherein the threaded cap is mountable on a butt stock of the small arm, the sling member thereby extending from the handgrip to the butt stock. 
     
     
         11 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein an upper end of the grip element includes an attaching element that secures the grip element to an accessory attachment rail on the small arm. 
     
     
         12 . A mounting mechanism adapted to secure an accessory to a weapon, the mounting mechanism comprising:
 a grip element;   a rail attachment mechanism to secure the grip element to a rail of the weapon;   a pin-receiving section having an aperture to receive a mounting pin of the accessory; and   a spring-biased pin-engaging element to selectively engage the mounting pin of the accessory.   
     
     
         13 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 12 , wherein the mounting pin includes a tapered tip forming a head, a base of the head having a first diameter, the mounting pin further including a neck having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, such that the pin-engaging element is received in the neck in a locked position that secures the mounting pin in the pin-receiving section. 
     
     
         14 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 13 , wherein the pin-engaging element is spring-biased toward the locked position. 
     
     
         15 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 13 , further comprising a pushbutton that when depressed overcomes the spring-bias of the pin-engaging element to disengage the pin-engaging element from the mounting pin so that the mounting pin can be removed from the pin receiving section, thereby releasing the accessory from the small arm. 
     
     
         16 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 12 , wherein the small arms accessory is a bipod comprising a head section, a pivot section, and two extendable legs, the legs being mounted to allow pivotal movement of the pivot section relative to the head section, the pivot section moving from a use position to a carry position. 
     
     
         17 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 16 , wherein the mounting pin is fixed to the head section. 
     
     
         18 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 12 , wherein the grip element further comprises an interior cavity, the interior cavity including a lower end with a threaded opening, the grip element further including a threaded cap secured in the threaded opening to enclose the cavity. 
     
     
         19 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 18 , further comprising an elongate sling member having a first end secured within the cavity of the handgrip and a second end secured to the threaded cap. 
     
     
         20 . The mounting mechanism of  claim 19 , wherein the threaded cap is mountable on a butt stock of the small arm, the sling member thereby extending from the handgrip to the butt stock.