Trigger Assembly and Method of Optical Detection of a Trigger Assembly State

Abstract

A trigger assembly includes a plurality of components including a trigger shoe configured to disengage a firing mechanism in response to a force applied by a user. The trigger assembly further includes a first PCB having at least one optical sensor to receive light and a controller configured to determine a positional state of at least one of the trigger shoe and a selected one of the plurality of components in response to the light received by the at least one optical sensor.

1 . A trigger assembly comprising:
 a trigger shoe configured to disengage a firing mechanism in response to a force applied by a user;   a safety mechanism configured to prevent movement of the trigger shoe; and   a circuit including at least one optical sensor proximate to the safety mechanism and configured to determine a positional state of the safety mechanism in response to the light received by the at least one optical sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The trigger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the circuit further comprises a second optical sensor proximate to a portion of the trigger shoe and configured to determine a positional state of the trigger shoe in response to the light received by the second optical sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The trigger assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical sensor is configured to generate an electrical signal proportional to light received by the at least one optical sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The trigger assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a second circuit on a side of the plurality of components opposite that of the circuit, the second circuit including at least one light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit light toward the at least one optical sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The trigger assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the trigger shoe comprises:
 a first opening; and   a second opening;   wherein the at least one LED includes a first LED adjacent to the first opening and a second LED adjacent to the second opening on the side opposite that of the first optical sensor; and   the at least one optical sensor includes a first optical sensor configured to receive first light emitted from the first LED and includes a second optical sensor configured to receive second light emitted from the second LED.   
     
     
         6 . The trigger assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the circuit comprises a control circuit configured to determine the positional state of the trigger shoe in response to receiving at least one of the first light and the second light. 
     
     
         7 . The trigger assembly of  claim 1 , comprising an interface configurable to couple to an optical device and to communicate electrical signals proportional to at least one of the first light and the second light received by the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor to the optical device. 
     
     
         8 . A trigger assembly comprising:
 a trigger shoe;   a safety mechanism configured to prevent movement of a trigger shoe; and   a circuit including a first optical sensor proximate to the safety mechanism and configured to determine a positional state of the safety mechanism in response to the light received by the at least one optical sensor.   
     
     
         9 . The trigger assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the trigger shoe is configured to disengage a firing mechanism in response to a force applied by a user. 
     
     
         10 . The trigger assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising a second optical sensor proximate to a portion of the trigger shoe and configured to determine a positional state of the trigger shoe in response to the light received by the second optical sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The trigger assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one optical sensor is configured to generate an electrical signal proportional to light received by the at least one optical sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The trigger assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising a second circuit on a side of the plurality of components opposite that of the circuit, the second circuit including at least one light emitting diode (LED) configured to emit light toward the at least one optical sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The trigger assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the trigger shoe comprises:
 a first opening; and   a second opening;   wherein the at least one LED includes a first LED adjacent to the first opening and a second LED adjacent to the second opening on the side opposite that of the first optical sensor; and   the at least one optical sensor includes a first optical sensor configured to receive first light emitted from the first LED and includes a second optical sensor configured to receive second light emitted from the second LED.   
     
     
         14 . The trigger assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the circuit comprises a control circuit configured to determine the positional state of the trigger shoe in response to receiving at least one of the first light and the second light. 
     
     
         15 . The trigger assembly of  claim 8 , comprising an interface configurable to couple to an optical device and to communicate electrical signals proportional to at least one of the first light and the second light received by the first optical sensor and the second optical sensor to the optical device. 
     
     
         16 . A trigger assembly comprising:
 a safety mechanism;   a first circuit including a light emitting component proximate to a first side of the safety mechanism;   a second circuit proximate to a second side of the safety mechanism opposite to the first side, the second circuit including at least one optical sensor configured to generate a signal proportional to received light from the first circuit; and   a controller coupled to the at least one optical sensor and configured to determine a physical state of the safety mechanism in response to the signal.   
     
     
         17 . The trigger assembly of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first circuit and the second circuit includes the controller. 
     
     
         18 . The trigger assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising the controller configured to selectively engage a blocking lever of the safety mechanism when the physical state corresponds to one of a safety on state and a transitional state between the safety on state and a safety off state. 
     
     
         19 . The trigger assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a trigger shoe; and   wherein the first circuit includes at least one second light emitting component configured to direct light toward the trigger shoe; and   wherein the second circuit includes at least one second optical sensor configured to generate a second signal proportional to received light from the at least one second light emitting component.   
     
     
         20 . The trigger assembly of  claim 19 , further comprising a controller configured to determine a positional state of the trigger shoe in response the second signal.