GAS BLOCK

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/684,265, filed Aug. 16, 2024, which is hereby specifically incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Field of Use

This disclosure relates to gas blocks for firearms.

Related Art

Direct impingement gas blocks in firearms, such as AR-15s, are used to direct a portion of gases expelled through a barrel of a firearm after the firearm is fired through a port in the barrel, through the gas block, and into a receiver of the firearm to push a bolt carrier backwards, expel an empty cartridge, and cycle in the next cartridge for firing. Different gas blocks can have varying levels of complexity and reliability, and can be difficult to install and/or replace parts after repeated uses and resulting wear of components of the gas block. Gas flowing through gas blocks can cause parts of the gas blocks to expand and contract, potentially damaging the gas blocks or causing them to fall apart. Further, firearms are often adjustable and typical gas blocks only allow a single flow rate for gas flowing through the gas block, requiring replacement of whole gas blocks depending on changes made to the firearm.

SUMMARY

It is to be understood that this summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure. This summary is exemplary and not restrictive and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the disclosure nor delineate the scope thereof. The sole purpose of this summary is to explain and exemplify certain concepts of the disclosure as an introduction to the following complete and extensive detailed description.

In one aspect, disclosed is a gas block assembly comprising a front tube, a rear tube, and a rear gas block attaching the front tube and the rearward tube in fluid communication.

In another aspect, disclosed is a firearm assembly comprising a receiver defining an ejection port; a barrel attached to the receiver; and a gas block assembly comprising: a front tube; a rear tube; and a rear gas block attaching the front tube to the rear tube in fluid communication, the front tube in fluid communication with the barrel and the rear tube in fluid communication with the receiver.

Various implementations described in the present disclosure may comprise additional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which may not necessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all such systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within the present disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims. The features and advantages of such implementations may be realized and obtained by means of the systems, methods, features particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims or may be learned by the practice of such exemplary implementations as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several aspects of the disclosure and, together with the description, explain various principles of the disclosure. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Corresponding features and components throughout the figures may be designated by matching reference characters for the sake of consistency and clarity.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a receiver and barrel assembly of a firearm comprising a gas block assembly in accordance with various aspects of the current disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gas block assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the receiver and barrel assembly of FIG. 1 taken from line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the gas block assembly of FIG. 2 taken from line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a detail view of a forward gas block of the gas block assembly of FIG. 2 taken from detail 5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a detail sectional view of a rear gas block of the gas block assembly of FIG. 2 taken from detail 6 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the rear gas block of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the rear gas block of FIG. 6 taken from line 8-8 in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the rear gas block of FIG. 6 taken from line 9-9 in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a detail side view of the rear gas block of FIG. 6 taken from detail 10 of FIG. 6, with the rear gas block shown in transparency.

FIG. 11 is a side view of exemplary aspects of fasteners for use in the gas block assembly of FIG. 2, in accordance with various aspects of the current disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure can be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description, examples, drawings, and claims, and their previous and following description. However, before the present devices, systems, and/or methods are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific devices, systems, and/or methods disclosed unless otherwise specified, as such can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting.

The following description is provided as an enabling teaching of the present devices, systems, and/or methods in their best, currently known aspect. To this end, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize and appreciate that many changes can be made to the various aspects described herein while still obtaining the beneficial results of the present disclosure. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the present disclosure can be obtained by selecting some of the features of the present disclosure without utilizing other features. Accordingly, those who work in the art will recognize that many modifications and adaptations to the present disclosure are possible and can even be desirable in certain circumstances and are a part of the present disclosure. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrative of the principles of the present disclosure and not in limitation thereof.

As used throughout, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a quantity of one of a particular element can comprise two or more such elements unless the context indicates otherwise. In addition, any of the elements described herein can be a first such element, a second such element, and so forth (e.g., a first widget and a second widget, even if only a “widget” is referenced).

Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another aspect comprises from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about” or “substantially,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another aspect. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint and independently of the other endpoint.

For purposes of the current disclosure, a material property or dimension measuring about X or substantially X on a particular measurement scale measures within a range between X plus an industry-standard upper tolerance for the specified measurement and X minus an industry-standard lower tolerance for the specified measurement. Because tolerances can vary between different materials, processes, and between different models, the tolerance for a particular measurement of a particular component can fall within a range of tolerances.

As used herein, the terms “optional” or “optionally” mean that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description comprises instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.

The word “or” as used herein means any one member of a particular list and also comprises any combination of members of that list. The phrase “at least one of A and B” as used herein means “only A, only B, or both A and B”; while the phrase “one of A and B” means “A or B.”

As used herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the term “monolithic” in the description of a component means that the component is formed as a singular component that constitutes a single material without joints or seams. Unless otherwise specified herein, any structure disclosed in the drawings or in the written description can be monolithic whether or not such an explicit description of the structure is included herein. In one aspect, a gas block assembly and associated methods, systems, devices, and various apparatuses are disclosed herein. In one aspect, the gas block assembly can comprise a forward tube, a rear tube, and a rear gas block attaching the forward tube and the rear tube in fluid communication. One aspect of a portion of a firearm assembly 100 is disclosed and described in FIG. 1. The firearm assembly 100 can be a portion of an AR-15 in some aspects. In other aspects, the firearm assembly 100 can be any firearm, such as any rifle or handgun. The firearm assembly 100 can comprise an upper receiver 110, a barrel 120, a suppressor 130, and a gas block assembly 140.

FIG. 2 shows the gas block assembly 140. The gas block assembly 140 can comprise a front gas block 210, a rear gas block 220, a forward or front gas tube 230, and a rear gas tube 240. As shown in FIG. 3, the front gas block 210 and the rear gas block 220 can be mounted on the barrel 120, and the front gas block 210 and the front gas tube 230 can be held within a portion of the suppressor 130. The front gas block 210 can optionally define a low profile sufficient to fit within a suppressor 130 surrounding a portion of the barrel 120. The rear bas block 220 can also abut an end of the suppressor 130. In use, the receiver 110 can enclose a bolt carrier or bolt carrier group and can attach to a magazine housing a plurality of cartridges, as well as other firearm components, such as a trigger assembly. The gas block assembly 140 can thereby, upon firing the firearm, direct a portion of gas escaping the barrel 120 through a hole (not shown) in the barrel 120 proximate to the front gas block 210, into front gas tube 230, then rear gas block 220, then rear gas tube 240, and finally into the upper receiver 110 to engage the bolt carrier or bolt carrier group, expelling a spent cartridge through an ejection port 310 and replacing the spent cartridge with a fresh cartridge from the magazine. The barrel 120, gas block assembly 140, and upper receiver 110 are thereby in fluid communication with each other.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the gas block assembly 140. As shown, the front gas block 210 can define a mounting bore 411, which can be a through hole and can be threaded and can accept a mounting screw, such as a headless screw, configured to engage the threaded mounting bore 411 and the barrel 120, thereby holding the front gas block 210 in place against the barrel 120. The front gas block 210 can also define a barrel gas passage 412, which can align with a hole in an exterior wall of the barrel 120 to allow gas from the barrel 120 to pass through to the barrel gas passage 412. The barrel gas passage 412 can be defined as a blind hole extending from an inner surface of the front gas block 210 towards an outer surface of the front gas block 210. As shown, in some aspects, the mounting bore 411 and the barrel gas passage 412 can be aligned with each other, such that the barrel gas passage 412 can be formed by drilling through the mounting bore 411 to the inner surface of the front gas block 210. In some aspects, the mounting bore 411 can define a wider diameter than the barrel gas passage 412 to allow easier formation of the barrel gas passage 412.

The front gas block 210 can also define a front tube bore 413 sized to accept an end of the front gas tube 230. The front tube bore 413 can be a blind hole formed from one side of the front gas block 210 facing the rear gas block 220 and can intersect the barrel gas passage 412, as shown, so that gas can flow through the barrel gas passage 412 to the front tube bore 413 and into the front gas tube 230.

The rear gas block 220 can define a mounting bore 414, which can be a through hole and can be threaded and can accept a mounting screw, such as a headless screw, configured to engage the threaded mounting bore 414 and the barrel 120, thereby holding the rear gas block 220 in place against the barrel 120. The rear gas block 210 can also define an inner gas passage 415. The inner gas passage 415 can be defined as a blind hole extending from an inner surface of the rear gas block 220 towards an outer surface of the rear gas block 220. As shown, in some aspects, the mounting bore 414 and the inner gas passage 415 can be aligned with each other, such that the inner gas passage 415 can be formed by drilling through the mounting bore 414 to the inner surface of the rear gas block 220. In some aspects, the mounting bore 414 can define a wider diameter than the inner gas passage 415 to allow easier formation of the inner gas passage 415.

The rear gas block 210 can also define a front tube bore 416 sized to accept another end of the front gas tube 230 and a rear tube bore 417 sized to accept an end of the rear gas tube 240. The front tube bore 416 and the rear tube bore 417 can each be defined as blind holes extending from opposite sides of the rear gas block 220 to intersect the inner gas passage 415, such that the front tube bore 416, the rear tube bore 417, and the inner gas passage 415 are in fluid communication with each other.

The front gas block 210 and the rear gas block 220 each define a front barrel bore 410 and a rear barrel bore 420, respectively. Each of the front barrel bore 410 and the rear barrel bore 420 are sized to receive the barrel 120 and each define an axis therethrough of the front gas block 210 and the rear gas block 220, respectively. The axis of the front gas block 210 and the axis of the rear gas block 220 can be aligned with and coaxial with the axis of the barrel 120. The front tube bore 416 can be defined radially outward relative to the rear tube bore 417 relative to the axis of the rear gas block 210, and the front tube bore 416 and the rear tube bore 417 can each extend in an axial direction relative to the axis of the rear gas block 220. The inner gas passage 415 can extend in a radial direction relative to the axis of the rear gas block 220. The front tube bore 413 can extend in an axial direction relative to the axis of the front gas block 210, and the barrel gas passage 412 can extend in a radial direction relative to the axis of the front gas block 210.

As shown in FIG. 5, the end of the front gas tube 230 fits within the front tube bore 413. Diameters of an outer surface of the end of the front gas tube 230 and an inner surface of the front tube bore 413 are substantially similar, such that the front gas tube 230 fits tightly within the front tube bore 413 and gas is prevented from escaping therebetween. The front gas tube 230 can define a tube bore 530 therethrough, placing the barrel gas passage 412, the front tube bore 413, and the tube bore 530 in fluid communication. Further, as shown, a gap 510 can be defined between the end of the front gas tube and a distal end of the front tube bore 413 proximate to the barrel gas passage 412. The gap 510 thereby allows expansion and contraction of the front gas tube 230 within the front tube bore 413 during firing of the firearm and expelling of the heated gas through the gas block assembly 140, preventing damage to the front gas block 210 and the front gas tube 230. As shown, the front gas tube 230 can be free to slide, expand, or contract within the front tube bore 413, with no fasteners or other connection mechanisms fixing the front gas tube 230 to the front gas block 210.

As shown in FIG. 6, the other end of the front gas tube 230 fits within the front tube bore 416, and the end of the rear gas tube 240 fits within the rear tube bore 417. Diameters of an outer surface of the other end of the front gas tube 230 and an inner surface of the front tube bore 416 are substantially similar, such that the front gas tube 230 fits tightly within the front tube bore 416 and gas is prevented from escaping therebetween. Likewise, diameters of an outer surface of the end of the rear gas tube 240 and an inner surface of the rear tube bore 417 are substantially similar, such that the rear gas tube 240 fits tightly within the rear tube bore 417 and gas is prevented from escaping therebetween. The rear gas tube 240 can define a tube bore 640 therethrough, placing the rear gas tube 240 in fluid communication with the rear tube bore 417 and the upper receiver 110.

Further, as shown, the front gas tube 230 blocks gas from escaping through the inner gas passage 415 into the rear barrel bore 420, and any gas that manages to escape into the rear barrel bore 420 is further blocked by the barrel 120 itself, thereby forcing gas to flow from the front gas tube 230, into the inner gas passage 415, and then into the rear gas tube 240 towards the upper receiver 110. As shown in FIG. 6, a gas adjustment bore 620 is defined from an exterior surface to the inner gas passage 415, as described further below.

As shown in FIG. 7, the rear gas block 220 can define a front tube fastening bore 730 and a rear tube fastening bore 740. Each bore 730,740 can be threaded and can accept a respective gas tube retention screw 1130 (shown in FIG. 11), such as a headless screw, which can be tightened in each respective bore 730,740 to engage a respective gas tube 230,240 and fix each respective gas tube 230,240 in place within the rear gas block 220. The gas adjustment bore 620 can be threaded and can accept a gas adjustment screw 1120 (shown in FIG. 11), which can be turned to various positions within the gas adjustment bore 620 and the inner gas passage 415 (shown in FIG. 6), thereby providing adjustability to the firearm and its owner to adjust the amount of gas that can travel through the inner gas passage 415 and thus the gas block assembly 140. This adjustability allows for the gas flow to be adjusted as the firearm is modified, such as an AR-15 being changed to accommodate different calibers of bullets, different lengths and inner diameters of barrels 120, and/or different speeds of ejection of an empty cartridge, for example and without limitation. A detent bore 720 can extend from an exterior surface of the rear gas block 220 perpendicular and intersecting with the gas adjustment bore 620. The detent bore 720 can be threaded and can accept a detent screw 1125 (shown in FIG. 11), which can be turned through the detent bore 720 until the detent screw 1125 engages grooves defined on the gas adjustment screw 1120. The gas adjustment screw 1120 can define multiple ridges and grooves along its length, providing multiple fixed positions to the user to adjust the travel of the gas adjustment screw 1120 and thereby the gas flow through the gas block assembly 140.

FIG. 8 shows that the gas adjustment bore 620 can be defined as a blind hole intersecting and perpendicular to the inner gas passage 415. FIG. 8 also shows how the rear tube bore 417, front tube bore 416, and inner gas passage 415 are in fluid communication with each other. FIG. 9 shows that the detent bore 720 can be defined as a blind hole intersecting and perpendicular to the gas adjustment bore 620.

As shown in FIG. 10, the front gas tube 230 can define a front tube end hole 1030 in an outer wall at the other end of the front gas tube 230, which can face upward into the inner gas passage 415 and provide fluid communication from the tube bore 530 to the inner gas passage 415. Likewise, the end of the rear gas tube 240 can define a rear tube end hole 1040, which can face downward into the inner gas passage 415 and provide fluid communication from the tube bore 640 to the inner gas passage 415. Additionally, the rear gas tube 240 can also define a fastener hole 1050 through both sides of the end of the rear gas tube 240. The fastener hole 1050 can align with the rear tube fastening bore 740 such that the gas tube retention screw 1130 that is placed within the rear tube fastening bore 740 can engage the fastener hole 1050 to further fix the rear gas tube 240 in place. In some aspects, an opposite end of the rear gas tube can extend freely into the upper receiver 110. Engagement of the fastener hole 1050 with the gas tube retention screw 1130 extending through the rear tube fastening bore 740 can thereby provide additional fixation of the rear gas tube 240 to prevent it from being pushed out of the rear gas block 220 by gas pressure flowing through the gas block assembly 140.

FIG. 11 shows example aspects of the gas adjustment screw 1120, the gas tube retention screw 1130, and the detent screw 1125.

One should note that conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless expressly stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain aspects include, while other aspects do not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more particular aspects or that one or more particular aspects necessarily comprise logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular aspect.

It should be emphasized that the above-described aspects are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described aspect(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the present disclosure. Further, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover any combinations and sub-combinations of all elements, features, and aspects discussed above. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure, and all possible claims to individual aspects or combinations of elements or steps are intended to be supported by the present disclosure.