Auxiliary device for a weapon and attachment thereof

Abstract

A plurality of actuators allow a gun operator to control the on/off status of an illuminator attached to a weapon in the area forward of the trigger guard. The actuators are spaced to allow them to extend rearwardly on opposite sides of the trigger guard. “Up” turns the light emitter on and keeps it on or allows it to turn on as long as the actuator is actuated, regardless of which side of the trigger guard the actuator is actuated.

1 . An illumination device for use with a weapon having a frame with longitudinal extending rails extending from about a trigger guard to substantially the forward end of the frame and a transverse slot aligned substantially perpendicular to the rails, the illumination device comprising: 
 a housing;    a first structural member extending upward from a first side of the housing and extending along at least a portion of a length of the first side of the housing;    a second structural member extending upward from a second side of the housing, wherein the second side of the housing is located opposite to the first side of the housing, and wherein the second structural member extends along at least a portion of a length of the second side of the housing such that it is substantially parallel to the first structural member, and wherein both the first and second structural members are substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the housing; and    a spring-biased mechanism movable between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the spring-biased mechanism is engageable in the transverse slot disposed on the frame to resist movement of the illumination device along the longitudinal axis and in the second position the spring-biased mechanism is spaced from the transverse slot so as not to resist movement of the illumination device along the longitudinal axis.    
     
     
         2 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the illumination device comprises a source of illumination located with in the housing for projecting a beam of visible light forward of the housing.  
     
     
         3 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the illumination device comprises a laser located within the housing for projecting a beam of light forward of the housing.  
     
     
         4 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second structural members comprise mounting members that are complimentarily shaped with respect to the longitudinal extending rails of the weapon.  
     
     
         5 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the spring biased mechanism comprises a spring-loaded bar biased to move in a direction substantially normal to the longitudinal axis for engagement in the transverse slot in the frame of the weapon.  
     
     
         6 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the spring-biased mechanism includes first end portion and a second end portion, and wherein a user may use at least one of the end portions to cause compression of a spring to move the spring-biased mechanism out of engagement with the transverse slot in the frame of the weapon.  
     
     
         7 . The illumination device of  claim 6 , wherein the first end portion and the second end portion upon manipulation by the user, overcomes a bias provided by the spring-biased mechanism.  
     
     
         8 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second structural members comprise rigid, elongated projections that are sized to fit snugly with the longitudinal extending rails of the weapon such that the rigid, elongated projections are capable of sliding along the longitudinal extending rails, and wherein the spring-biased mechanism is biased to move in a direction normal to the longitudinal axis for engagement into the transverse slot.  
     
     
         9 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second structural members are spaced a fixed distance from each other.  
     
     
         10 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the spring biased mechanism comprises one of a compression spring and a leaf spring disposed such that at least a portion of a biasing force from the spring is in a direction substantially normal to the longitudinal axis, the spring being operable to bias the spring biased mechanism into engagement with the transverse slot in the frame of the weapon.  
     
     
         11 . An auxiliary device for use with a weapon, the auxiliary device comprising: 
 a housing;    a first structural member extending upward from a first side of the housing and extending along at least a portion of a length of the first side of the housing;    a second member rotatably coupled to a second side of the housing about a longitudinal axis, the second member extending along at least a portion of a length of the second side of the housing, the second member being substantially parallel to the first structural member; and    a longitudinally moveable locking mechanism for resisting rotation of the second member.    
     
     
         12 . The auxiliary device of  claim 11 , further comprising a first biasing member for urging the second member to rotate towards the first structural member.  
     
     
         13 . The auxiliary device of  claim 11 , further comprising a second biasing member for urging the locking mechanism into contact with the second member.  
     
     
         14 . The auxiliary device of  claim 11 , further comprising a lever for withdrawing the locking mechanism along a longitudinal axis of the housing.  
     
     
         15 . The auxiliary device of  claim 11 , further comprising a positioning member engageable in a transverse slot disposed on a weapon to prevent movement of the auxiliary device along the longitudinal axis of the weapon.  
     
     
         16 . An illuminator comprising: 
 a housing at least partially enclosing a battery;    a first movable actuator mechanically coupled to the housing; and    a second movable actuator coupled to the housing, the first actuator moveable in a first general direction independent of the second actuator to cause a light emitter coupleable to the battery to turn on and stay on and moveable in a second general direction independent of the second actuator to cause the light emitter to turn on as long as the actuator is actuated, and the second actuator moveable in the first general direction independent of the first actuator to cause the light emitter to turn on and stay on and moveable in the second general direction independent of the first actuator to cause the light emitter to turn on as long as the actuator is actuated.    
     
     
         17 . The illuminator of  claim 16 , wherein the second actuator is spaced from the first actuator by a distance sufficient to allow a trigger guard to extend therebetween.  
     
     
         18 . The illuminator of  claim 16 , wherein the first actuator is pivotable about an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing.  
     
     
         19 . The illuminator of  claim 16 , wherein the first actuator is rotatable clockwise to cause the light emitter to turn on and stay on and rotatable counterclockwise to cause the light emitter to turn on as long as the actuator is actuated, and the second actuator is rotatable counterclockwise to cause the light emitter to turn on and stay on and rotatable clockwise to cause the light emitter to turn on as long as the actuator is actuated.  
     
     
         20 . The illuminator of  claim 16 , wherein the first actuator may be actuated from a first side of a trigger guard when the illuminator is coupled to a weapon, without causing movement of the second actuator and the second actuator may be actuated from a second side of the trigger without causing movement of the first actuator.