RECOIL PAD ASSEMBLY FOR FIREARM

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/723,957 filed Nov. 22, 2024; the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to firearms, and more particularly to a shock-absorbing recoil pad assembly for firearms such as long guns which are shouldered during use.

Long guns such as rifles, carbines, and shotguns as some examples are typically “shouldered” by the shooter for aiming and firing. The rear end portion of the elongated stock held by the user which supports the barrel, receiver, and firing mechanism is sometimes referred to as the “buttstock.” The buttstock is held and seated against the shooter's shoulder when the firearm is in use and transfers the recoil force generated by discharging the firearm to the shooter. Depending on the caliber of ammunition used in the long gun, the rearward acting recoil forces imparted to the user's shoulder can be considerable especially for higher caliber ammunition. The recoil force experienced the user upon discharging the firearm is referred to as “felt recoil.”

Recoil pads of various types and constructions have been attached to the rear end of the stock or buttstock of long guns in an effort to try to better absorb some of the recoil energy and forces generated by firing the firearm.

Improved shock-absorbing recoil pads are still desired to better absorb the recoil energy and reduce the felt recoil experienced by the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A recoil pad assembly is provided which improves absorption of the recoil energy and forces generated by firing a firearm such as a long gun to reduce the “felt” recoil experienced by user of the shouldered firearm. The recoil pad assembly in one embodiment includes resiliently deformable energy/impact absorbing features such as a deformable inner gel core housed inside a resiliently deformable outer shell. The outer shell has a higher hardness than the softer gel core which is more deformable and compressible than the shell via selection of the type of materials selected and used. The outer shell and inner gel core are configured to cooperate and act in concert to enhance the energy absorption of the gel core and felt recoil.

As noted above, the outer shell has a substantially greater hardness than the inner gel core for durability, external wear resistance, and protection of the softer inner gel core. The outer shell may be formed of a suitable resiliently deformable elastomeric material with an elastic memory or combinations of such materials such as for example without limitation natural rubber, synthetic rubber (e.g., butyl rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate, etc.), or other suitable elastomeric materials with an elastic memory able to undergo deformation and return to their original shape.

By contrast, softer inner gel core with the ability to deform to a substantially greater degree than the outer shell may be formed of a suitable viscoelastic material. Such materials exhibit both viscous (liquid-like) and elastic (solid-like) properties when it is deformed under force such as recoil forces generated by firing the firearm. These properties also allow the inner gel core to absorb a greater degree of the recoil forces which positively contributes to lessening felt recoil by the user. In one embodiment, the gel core may be a soft viscoelastic material having a hardness appropriately measured in the Shore 000 scale.

In one embodiment, as further described herein, the outer shell comprises a plurality of specially located structural features and openings defined by those features which allow the shell and concomitantly inner gel core to deform and spread to especially transversely/laterally to a greater degree than solid outer shells against the shooter's shoulder when undergoing the application of recoil forces generated by firing the firearm. This increases the rear contact surface area of both the outer shell and the gel core against the user's shoulder to distribute the recoil forces over a greater extent or surface area of the shoulder, thereby reducing overall felt recoil. In one embodiment, the rear end wall of the outer shell comprises one or more rear expansion openings or apertures which communicate with the inner gel core inside to achieve the increased spread of the outer shell and inner gel core in the lateral dimension. The gel core is exposed through the apertures and in preferably embodiments has portions which extend into the apertures.

Accordingly, the rear wall of the inner gel core in preferred but non-limiting embodiments includes one or more raised engagement protrusions which are seated in the one or more rear expansion apertures after the recoil pad is assembled and before firing the firearm. When the firearm is shouldered by the user for use, the gel core material on the rear side of the raised engagement protrusion(s) directly abuttingly contact the user's shoulder. After firing when the stock moves rearward under the recoil forces generated, the inner gel core material already in contact with the user undergoes compression with the outer shell and resiliently expands and spreads particularly in the lateral dimension to a greater degree thereby increasing the rear facing contact area of the inner gel core directly against the user's shoulder to spread the recoil forces over a greater area, thereby advantageously resulting in less felt recoil.

One advantage of the foregoing recoil pad assembly design is the tougher and harder deformable outer shell (rubber shell) offers external protection in the field for the softer inner gel core with better energy absorbing properties and helps control the shape of the recoil pad assembly by guiding the deformation and spread of the core during the firing event. The gel core and outer shell are molded as separate pieces and assembled in one embodiment with no injection over molding required as in some known designs, making this a more cost effective alternative. In some embodiments, the inner gel core may simply be located inside the outer shell. However, in other embodiments the gel core may be adhesively bonded to the inside of the outer shell within an internal cavity which receives and houses the core.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the example (“exemplary”) embodiments will be described with reference to the following drawings where like elements are labeled similarly, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the rear portion of a chassis or stock of a firearm such as a long gun with a shock-absorbing recoil pad assembly including a resiliently deformable outer shell and inner gel core according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the recoil pad assembly dismounted from the firearm stock;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a rear exploded perspective view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a front exploded perspective view thereof;

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of an alternative second embodiment of the outer shell of the recoil pad assembly which comprises a plurality of rear expansion apertures;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view taken from FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of the viscoelastic inner gel core of the recoil pad assembly in top plan view before undergoing deformation from application of recoil forces generated from firing the firearm;

FIG. 10 is a schematic representation thereof after firing the firearm and the application of recoil forces showing the lateral deformation and widening of the inner gel core which absorbs some of the recoil forces to reduce the recoil felt by the user when the firearm is shouldered; and

FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of a second embodiment of the inner gel core associated and usable with the second embodiment of the outer shell shown in FIG. 7.

All drawings are schematic and not necessarily to scale. Parts given a reference numerical designation in one figure may be considered to be the same parts where they appear in other figures without a numerical designation for brevity unless specifically labeled with a different part number and described herein. Any reference which may be made to a figure number herein comprised of multiple figures sharing the same figure number but with different alphabetic suffixes shall be construed as a reference to all those figures unless expressly noted otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The features and benefits of the invention are illustrated and described herein by reference to example (“exemplary”) embodiments. This description of example embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. Accordingly, the disclosure expressly should not be limited to such embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features.

In the description of embodiments disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,”, “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

As used throughout, any ranges disclosed herein are used as shorthand for describing each and every value that is within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as the terminus of the range. In addition, any references which may be cited herein are all hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. In the event of a conflict in a definition or meaning of a term in the present disclosure and that of a cited reference, the present disclosure controls.

FIGS. 1-6 depict a recoil pad assembly 100 for a firearm and aspects thereof according to one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the firearm may be a long gun such as a rifle, carbine, or shotgun. For convenience of description and not limitation, references made to the front, rear, top, bottom, lateral sides, and similar locational terms of the components of the recoil pad assembly are used in relation to same locational terms applicable for the firearm to which the recoil pad assembly is attached.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, recoil pad assembly 100 is configured for coupling to the rear buttstock 22 of the firearm chassis or stock 20. Only the rear portion of the firearm stock is shown. Buttstock 22 may have any suitable configuration depending on the type of long gun stock used. The buttstock generally includes a front end 24 and opposite rear end 23. Front end 24 in one embodiment is configured for coupling to the forward portion of the stock (e.g., mid-stock) which supports the firearm receiver that holds the firing mechanism and trigger assembly. The present embodiment shows a pair of threaded fasteners; however, any means for coupling the buttstock to the forward portion of the stock known in the art may be used. In other embodiments, the buttstock may be formed as an integral unitary part of a single monolithic chassis or stock body. Regardless of the style of chassis or stock, the buttstock is vertically elongated in a typical manner. The illustrated embodiment includes a vertically adjustable cheek rest 21 which can be adjusted in height to the shooter or user's preferences. In other embodiments, the cheek rest may be fixed and non-adjustable. The configuration of the stock and buttstock is not limiting of the invention so long as the recoil pad assembly may be coupled to the buttstock.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1-10 as applicable, for convenience of reference and not limitation in describing features of the present invention, the recoil pad assembly 100 defines a longitudinal axis LA and a vertical axis VA each of which intersect at the geometric center of the pad assembly and are oriented perpendicular to each other (see, e.g., FIG. 3). Axis LA is coaxial with the horizontal centerline of the pad assembly and axis VA is coaxial with the vertical centerline of the assembly.

Recoil pad assembly 100 generally includes a locking cover plate 110, backer plate 120, resiliently deformable inner gel core 130, and resiliently deformable outer shell 140. Each recoil pad component of the recoil pad assembly, features of each thereof, and method of coupling the components together to form the completed assembly are further described in turn below.

Locking cover plate 110 has a vertically elongated body including a vertical front wall 111, rearward extending peripheral walls 112, and a plurality of fastener holes 114 formed completely through the front wall. Front wall 111 may be flat in one embodiment as show; however, other profiles and contours of the front wall may be used in other embodiments.

Fastener holes 114 may be vertically spaced apart in the front wall 111 of locking cover plate 110 as shown. Each fastener hole is configured to receive the threaded shank of fastening members 105 therethrough. In one embodiment, three fastening members are provided including a threaded fastener 102 such as a bolt or screw, and the rear threaded shank 103 of the two serrated pad mounting posts 101 which couple the recoil pad assembly to the buttstock of the firearm, as further described herein. The fastener 102 and serrated mounting posts 101 detachably couple the rearward backer plate 120 to the forward locking cover plate 110. Accordingly, the mounting posts 101 double in functionality as both fasteners to lock the backer plate 120 to locking cover plate 110 and mounting the recoil pad assembly to the firearm stock. Other types of fastening members, numbers, configurations, and methods commonly used in the art may be used to couple the backer plate to the locking cover plate.

Peripheral walls 112 of locking cover plate 110 extend continuously around the perimeter of the cover plate and define a rearwardly open recess that receives the backer plate 120 at least partially therein such that the backer plate is nested at least partially inside the cover plate (see, e.g., FIG. 2). This prevents relative vertical movement between the cover plate and backer plate. In one embodiment, an annular stepped shoulder 115 defined by the walls 112 of locking cover plate are complementary configured to match a corresponding annular stepped shoulder 124 of the backer plate 120 and annular stepped shoulder 144 of the outer shell 140 to securely lock the outer shell to the locking cover plate 110 as further described herein in greater detail. Shoulders 115, 124, and 144 extend perimetrically and completely around the locking cover plate, backer plate, and outer shell respectively as shown.

Both the locking cover plate 110 and backer plate 120 each preferably have a rigid structure and may be formed of any hard suitably rigid non-metallic or metallic material. In one embodiment, the cover plate and backer plate may be formed of a suitable hard plastic for weight reduction. It is well within the ambit of those skilled in the art to select an appropriate rigid material for the plates 110, 120.

Backer plate 120 like all main components of the recoil pad assembly 100 (outer shell 140, inner gel core 130, and locking cover plate 110) also has a vertically elongated body. The backer plate body includes an outward protruding rear flanged portion 122, front portion 126 defining annular inset peripheral retention rim 125 extending forward from the rear portion. Front portion 126 defines a vertical front wall 123 including a plurality of threaded fastener holes 114 formed in the front wall 123. The peripheral retention rim 125 is spaced inwards from the peripheral edges of the rear portion 122 as shown for insertion into the rear recess 113 of the front locking cover plate 110. Front wall 123 may be flat in one embodiment and may include a plurality of raised and intersecting truss members 127 on the rear side of the wall extending rearwardly therefrom to add structural rigidity to the backer plate while reducing weight. The vertical height of the backer plate 120 is less than the vertical height of the locking cover plate 110 and outer shell 140 to allow the backer plate to be inserted inside the locking cover plate and outer shell to secure the outer shell to the locking cover plate as further described herein (see, e.g., FIG. 2).

The inset peripheral retention rim 125 of backer plate 120 extends continuously around the perimeter of the plate. Retention rim 125 has an undulating profile defining annular stepped shoulder 124 previously described herein which mates with the annular stepped shoulders 115 and 144 of locking cover plate 110 and outer shell respectively to form a nested relationship for locking the outer shell to the locking cover plate.

The front wall 123 of backer plate 120 includes a plurality of threaded coupling holes 121. In one embodiment, three coupling holes are provided to threadably receive the threaded shanks of the fastener 102 and the two serrated pad mounting posts 101 previously described herein. Coupling holes 121 are each located and spaced vertically apart to be concentrically aligned and mated to one of the fastener holes 114 in the locking cover plate 110. When the backer plate 120 is inserted into the rearwardly open recess 113 of the locking cover plate, rotating and tightening the fastener 102 and mounting posts 101 draws the backer plate forward into the recess to lock the backer plate to the locking cover plate. It bears noting that the foregoing fastening members do not extend into the inner gel core 130 which has no holes.

Although the present embodiment utilizes a single conventional threaded fastener 102 and the mounting posts 101 which double as fasteners, the present invention is not limited to this design. Accordingly, in some embodiments the two mounting posts may be secured to or disposed on the locking cover plate by other means and two or more conventional fasteners may be used to secure the backer plate 120 to the locking cover plate 110 using the threaded coupling holes. Accordingly, variations for coupling the backer plate to the locking cover plate are contemplated and possible; the present embodiment representing an efficient way of achieving the coupling and securing the recoil pad assembly to the firearm stock with minimal number of fastening members.

FIGS. 2-6 show a first embodiment of an outer shell 140 of the recoil pad assembly 100. Outer shell 140 has a vertically elongated body including rear wall 141 defining a rear end 141A, opposite front end 142 defining a front opening 142A, and opposing lateral side walls 147 extending between the front and rear ends. The outer shell defines an internal cavity 149 configured to hold and at least partially enclose and protect the softer inner gel core 130. The internal cavity is complementary configured to the shape and dimensions of the inner gel core so that a relatively tight fit is formed all around when the gel core is inserted through front opening 142A rearwards into the cavity. The outer shell therefore may be considered to conform to the shape and dimensions of the inner gel core.

The outer shell has a resiliently deformable elastomeric monolithic body with an elastic memory comprised of rubber (e.g., natural or synthetic) in one non-limiting embodiment which may be formed by injection molding, 3D printing, or any suitable method used in the art. The various features of the outer shell described further herein are formed as parts of the monolithic body. The rubber material used for outer shell body outer may have a Shore A hardness in the range of about and including 35 to 85 in one embodiment which is measured by use of a durometer as is well known in the art. Other resiliently deformable elastomeric materials and ranges of hardness may be used in other embodiments. Regardless of the elastomeric material used, the outer shell preferably has a greater hardness than the inner gel core 130 which is intended to be substantially more resiliently deformable to better absorb recoil forces and reduce recoil felt by the user when firing the long gun. The higher hardness of outer shell protects the inner gel core nested inside and provides durability and ruggedness against wear when the firearm is in use. The deformability of the outer shell and structures described herein ensure sufficient flexibility to deform and widen laterally under recoil in unison with the inner gel core 130 to distribute the recoil forces over a greater surface area of the user's shoulder to achieve less felt recoil over a wide range of calibers of ammunition.

The top and bottom walls 150 and 152 of the outer shell 140 may be generally solid structures (albeit still resiliently deformable to a degree) in one embodiment since neither contributes significantly to the ability of the outer shell to deform and expand/widen in the lateral direction against the user's shoulder when the firearm is fired.

However, accordingly to aspects of the present invention, the lateral side walls 147 and most notably the rear wall 141 of the outer shell 140 include one or more expansion apertures which communicate with the internal cavity 149 and inner gel core 130 therein to increase the ability of the outer shell and concomitantly the gel core to widen/expand laterally when deformed under recoil against the user's shoulder to advantageously distribute the recoil forces over a greater area of the user's shoulder. The expansion apertures particularly in the rear wall 141 of the outer shell 140 contribute most to the ability of the shell and inner gel core to expand and widen laterally transverse to the vertical axis VA of the recoil pad assembly since the rear wall defines the surface which directly abuts the user's shoulder when the firearm is shouldered for aiming and firing. The laterally broadened contact surface area defined by the outer shell rear wall 141 after deformation following firing the firearm also contributes the greatest to felt recoil.

In one embodiment, each lateral side wall 147 comprises one or preferably a plurality of side expansion apertures 145 defined by structural ligaments 146 formed as a unitary structural part of the monolithic outer shell body. The ligaments guide and partially restrict expansion of the outer shell 140 in a controlled manner so that the shell does not completely lose shape when somewhat flattened and widened laterally under recoil.

Ligaments 146 may be oriented obliquely to the vertical axis VA of the recoil pad assembly 100 as shown; however, in other embodiments the ligaments may be horizontally oriented perpendicular to the vertical axis, or may be a combination of oblique and horizontal ligaments. The ligaments 146 in the non-limiting illustrated embodiment form a zig-zag truss pattern. The apertures 145 preferably may occupy a majority of the height of thelateral side walls 147 and surface area thereof so that there are more open areas than solid areas on each side to enhance flexibility and deformability of the outer shell 140. Considered another way in one embodiment, side expansion apertures 145 define a total open area on each side 147 of the outer shell which is greater than solid areas formed by the material of the outer shell on each side. The side expansion apertures 145 may be vertically arranged in a linear stacked pattern or staggered pattern (shown) such that a vertical line drawn through at least one point on one aperture intersects all other apertures on the sides. Other arrangement of apertures 145 and ligaments 146 may be used in other embodiments.

The side expansion apertures 145 may have any suitable shape. In one embodiment, the apertures have a polygonal shape (triangular shaped openings shown as one non-limiting example). In other embodiments, the apertures 145 may have a non-polygonal shape (e.g., oval, circular, etc.) or a combination of polygonal and non-polygonal shapes.

Regardless of shape and arrangement, side expansion apertures 145 define a total open area on each side wall 147 of the outer shell in one embodiment which is greater than solid areas of the side walls formed by the outer shell material. Side expansion apertures extend for a majority of the height of the outer shell 140 in one embodiment, and in some embodiments 70 precent or more of the height.

In alternative embodiments, a single side expansion aperture formed as a continuous vertically elongated expansion slot similar to aperture slot 148 in rear wall 141 of outer shell 140 further described herein (see, e.g., FIG. 3) may instead be provided in each lateral side wall 147 in lieu of a plurality of expansion apertures in each side wall. Such a slot if used preferably extends for greater than a majority of a height of the outer shell, and 70 percent or more of the height of the rear end of the outer shell in some embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 2-8, rear wall 141 of resiliently deformable outer shell 140 comprises one or more rear expansion apertures 148/148A configured and operable to increase flexibility of the outer shell (and in particular the rear wall) in opposing lateral directions (perpendicular to vertical axis VA of the pad assembly) to facilitate expansion/widening of the outer shell against a user's shoulder under the application of recoil forces generated by firing the firearm. The one or more rear expansion apertures 148/148A in the rear wall 141 define a total open area on the rear wall of the outer shell which is greater than solid areas formed by the outer shell material on the rear wall. This creates a predominantly open rear wall structure to maximize deformation of the outer shell while maintaining a degree of structural support for the substantially softer inner gel core viscoelastic material.

FIGS. 3-6 show a first embodiment of the outer shell 140 having a single rear expansion aperture 148 in the form of a single continuous vertically elongated expansion slot extending for greater than a majority of a height of the outer shell. To maximize the ability of the rear wall 141 and outer shell 140 to expand in the transverse/lateral direction when deformed by recoil forces acting against the user's shoulder, the expansion slot may extends in some embodiments for 70 percent or more of the height of the rear end of the outer shell as shown. The expansion slot in one embodiment may have an asymmetrical shape. In one embodiment, the upper half of the expansion slot may have a greater width than the lower half of the expansion slot since the upper half of the outer shell (including rear wall 141) is laterally wider than the lower half in general as shown in the non-limiting illustrated embodiment (see, e.g., FIGS. 3 and 4). A substantially uniform margin M may be provided as shown between the top, bottom, and side edges of the outer shell on the rear wall 141 and the slot all the way around the slot to maximize the amount of open surface area provided in the rear wall to enhance flexibility of the outer shell (see, e.g., FIG. 3). Accordingly, regardless of the lateral dimensions of the upper and lower halves of the outer shell rear wall (which may be different than the illustrated embodiment in other designs), the shape of the expansion slot may be considered to generally follow the rear profile or face of the outer shell.

FIGS. 7-8 show a second embodiment of the outer shell 140 having a plurality of rear expansion apertures 148A. Rear wall 141 of the outer shell comprises a plurality of transverse structural ligaments 156 which defines the plurality of vertically arranged rear expansion apertures extending for a majority of the height of the outer shell, and preferably 70 percent or more of a height of the rear end of the outer shell to maximize lateral deformation and expansion of the shell under recoil. Structural ligaments 156 are formed as a unitary structural part of the monolithic outer shell body. The ligaments guide and partially restrict expansion of the outer shell 140 in a controlled manner in the transverse/lateral direction so that the shell does not completely lose shape when somewhat flattened and widened laterally under recoil.

Ligaments 156 may be horizontal oriented perpendicular to vertical axis VA of the recoil pad assembly 100 in one embodiment as shown; however, in other embodiments the ligaments may be obliquely to the vertical axis VA similar to ligaments 146 on the side walls 147 of the outer shell (see, e.g., FIGS. 3-4), or may be a combination of oblique and horizontal ligaments. The rear expansion apertures 148A preferably may occupy a majority of the height of the rear wall 141 of outer shell 140 and surface area thereof so that there are more open areas than solid areas on each side to enhance flexibility and deformability of the outer shell 140. Considered another way in one embodiment, rear expansion apertures 148A define a total open area on the shell rear wall 141 which is greater than solid areas formed by the material of the outer shell on the rear wall. The rear expansion apertures 148A may be vertically arranged in a linear stacked pattern (shown) or staggered pattern (similar to apertures 148 in side walls 147) such that a vertical line drawn through at least one point on one aperture intersects all other apertures on the rear wall. Other arrangement of apertures 148A and ligaments 156 may be used in other embodiments.

The rear expansion apertures 148A may have any suitable shape. In one embodiment, the apertures have a polygonal shape (shown as one non-limiting example). In other embodiments, the apertures 148A may have a non-polygonal shape (e.g., oval, circular, etc.) or a combination of polygonal and non-polygonal shapes. In some embodiment, the rear wall 141 of outer shell 140 could be perforated being comprised of a plurality of closely spaced circular apertures as another example. Regardless of aperture shape, the structural ligaments 156 are preferably relatively thin to minimize the spacing between apertures 148A and concomitantly maximize the packing of apertures on the rear wall and open areas formed to increase deformability of the outer shell in the lateral/transverse direction.

Inner gel core 130 received in internal cavity 148 of the outer shell 140 has a vertically elongated monolithic solid body formed of a resiliently deformable viscoelastic material in one embodiment. The gel core is therefore preferably a solid mass of viscoelastic material with no holes or apertures in a preferred but non-limiting embodiment. Gel core is complementary configured to the configuration of the shell internal cavity 148 so that the core conforms to and fills the cavity at least in the rear half thereof in proximity to and adjacent the side and rear expansion apertures 145, 148 previously described herein (see, e.g., FIG. 4). The gel core is exposed and visible through the apertures 145, 148. The gel core includes a vertical rear wall 131, opposite vertical front wall 132, and vertical sidewalls 133 extending axially (longitudinally) therebetween.

In one preferred embodiment, inner gel core 130 may be formed of polyurethane having a Shore 000 hardness which ranges from about and including 60-85.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the recoil pad assembly 100 (i.e. outer shell 140 and inner gel core 130) is configured so that at least a portion of the viscoelastic inner gel core 130 is rearwardly exposed to come into direct abutting contact with the user's shoulder when the firearm is in use and shouldered for aiming and firing. This enhances the reduction in felt recoil since the softer inner core 130 is actually pressed against and increases in direct contact area on the user's shoulder after firing. The inner gel core is therefore not completely separated and isolated from contact with the user's shoulder by the rear wall 141 of the outer shell 140 which includes the one or more rear expansion apertures 148/148A previously described herein.

To best achieve and maximize contact of the very soft inner gel core 130 with the user's shoulder in one embodiment while still being protected and supported by the outer shell 140, the rear wall 131 of the core includes one or more raised engagement protrusions 134 or 134A (described below) which is/are configured and operable to directly contact the user's shoulder when the firearm is in use. Each engagement protrusion is complementary configured to and received in its corresponding one of the one or more rear expansion apertures 148 or 148A provided in the rear wall 141 of the shell. Each engagement protrusion 134 or 134A thus coincides in position, shape and height to the number, position, shape and depth of the rear expansion apertures 148 formed through the rear wall 141 of the outer shell 140. When the inner gel core 130 is installed in the internal cavity 149 of the outer shell 140 and the recoil pad assembly is assembled, the one or more protrusions 134 will enter and are received in their respective corresponding rear expansion apertures 148 so that the rear facing surface of each protrusion is preferably substantially flush with rear wall 141 of the outer shell surrounding the apertures, or very slightly recessed to engage the user's shoulder when the buttstock of the firearm pressed against the user's shoulder for aiming and firing. The protrusions are therefore exposed in each aperture and positioned to directly contact and engage the shoulder of the user when the firearm is shouldered and ready for firing (see, e.g., FIG. 4). After firing, the protrusions 134 generally flatten and spread out against the user's shoulder to increase the surface area through which recoil forces are distributed over the shoulder thereby reducing felt recoil. This substantially differs from some known gel core designs in which the gel core is physically isolated by the outer cover of the recoil pad assembly from and does not contact the user's shoulder.

FIGS. 3-5 show the embodiment of the recoil pad assembly 100 having a single continuous rear expansion aperture 148 in rear wall 141 of the outer shell 140 which was previously described herein. Raised engagement protrusion 134 on rear wall 131 of inner gel core 130 projects and is inserted fully into rear expansion aperture 148 best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The exposed surface of the protrusion is therefore positioned to directly contact the user's shoulder when the firearm (i.e. long gun) is shouldered for use.

In embodiments where a vertical array comprising a plurality of rear expansion apertures 148A are provided in rear wall 141 of the outer shell 140 as previously described herein and shown in FIGS. 7-8, rear wall 131 of inner gel core will include a complementary configured matching plurality of raised engagement protrusions mutatis mutandis similar to rear expansion aperture 148 and engagement protrusion 134 described above. FIG. 11 shows inner gel core 130A which is the same as original gel core 130 but includes a rear wall 131 comprising a plurality of raised engagement protrusions 134A. The engagement protrusions 134A are arranged to match the shape and location of the rear expansion apertures 148A on rear wall of the outer shell 140 shown in FIGS. 7-8. When the gel core 130A is inserted and mounted inside outer shell 140, each engagement protrusions 134A will be inserted fully into and enter its corresponding rear expansion aperture 148A.

In either of the foregoing embodiments of rear expansion apertures 148/148A and raised engagement protrusions 134/134A, it bears noting that the inner gel core (i.e. engagement protrusions) when received in and externally exposed rearwardly through the one or more rear expansion apertures in the rear wall of the outer shell directly contacts the user's shoulder when the rear end of the stock is pressed against the shoulder both before and after firing the firearm. After firing which thrusts the firearm stock and recoil pad assembly 100 rearward harder against the user's shoulder, the inner gel core will become compressed against the inside vertical surface on the rear wall 141 of the outer shell 140 to facilitate lateral spread and flattening of the both the rear walls of the outer shell and gel core.

A method or process for assembling the recoil pad assembly 100 will now be briefly described. The inner gel core 130 or 130A is first inserted through the front opening 142A into internal cavity 149 of outer shell 140. The gel core is pushed fully rearward and into the outer shell so that the one or more engagement protrusions 134 or 134A enter and are seated inside the one or more rear expansion apertures 148 or 148A depending on the embodiment of the outer shell and inner gel core selected for assembly. The backer plate 120 is then inserted inside the outer shell front opening 142A into the forward portion remaining of the internal cavity 149. Because the outer shell 140 is resiliently deformable, rear portion of the backer plate which is larger than the shell front opening 142A can be inserted by expanding shell front end 142 until the backer plate is fully seated against the inner gel core 130 (see, e.g., FIG. 2). This creates a snug fit between the backer plate and outer shell which holds the assembly together via elastic forces alone until the recoil pad assembly is fully assembled.

Next, the front end 142 of outer shell 140 with backer plate 120 and gel core 130 already positioned and installed therein is inserted fully into the rearwardly open recess 113 of the front locking cover plate 110 (see also FIGS. 5-6 for additional reference). The threaded shanks of the fastening members 105 (e.g., two serrated pad mounting posts 101 and threaded fastener 102 in the non-limiting illustrated embodiment) are inserted through holes 114 in locking cover plate 110 and threadably engaged with their corresponding threaded coupling holes 121 in the backer plate 120 and tightened. Tightening the fastener members draws the preassembled backer plate, inner gel core, and outer shell unit forward into tight engagement with the locking cover plate 110. The annular stepped shoulder 144 on front end 142 of the outer shell 140 becomes trapped and compressed between the corresponding and complementary configured annular stepped shoulder 124 of the backer plate 120 and annular stepped shoulder 115 defined by the walls 112 of locking cover plate 110 as shown in FIG. 2.

Now that the recoil pad assembly 100 is fully assembled, it is ready to be installed on the rear end of the firearm stock 20 (e.g., buttstock 22) via the two serrated pad mounting posts 101. As shown in FIG. 2, posts 101 are inserted through and slideably received in corresponding longitudinal mounting passages 25 in the buttstock. The recoil pad assembly is longitudinally (axially) adjustable forward and rearward relative to the stock to adjust the length of pull of the firearm to suit the user's preferences. A locking member 26 configured to selectively engage the serrated posts once the desired length of pull is achieved locks the recoil pad assembly in position relative to the stock.

Example Embodiments

The following are non-limiting example embodiments demonstrating various features and aps and combinations of features and aspect of the recoil pad assembly and its components.

• • 1. A recoil pad assembly for a firearm comprising:
    a locking cover plate configured for attachment to a rear end of a firearm stock;
    a resiliently deformable outer shell coupled to the locking plate, the outer shell defining an internal cavity; and
    a resiliently deformable inner gel core disposed in the internal cavity of the outer shell, the inner gel core formed of a viscoelastic material having a lower hardness than the outer shell;
    wherein the outer shell defines a rear wall which comprises one or more rear expansion apertures configured and operable to increase flexibility of the outer shell in a lateral direction to facilitate widening the outer shell against a user's shoulder under recoil.
  • 2. The assembly according to embodiment 1, wherein the inner gel core has a solid structure.
  • 3. The assembly according to embodiment 2, wherein the inner gel core is formed of polyurethane.
  • 4. The assembly according to embodiment 3, wherein the inner gel core has a Shore 000 hardness ranging from about and including 60-85.
  • 5. The assembly according to embodiment 4, wherein the outer shell is formed of rubber having a Shore A hardness ranging from about and including 35 to 85.
  • 6. The assembly according to embodiment 1, wherein the one or more rear expansion apertures define a total open area on the rear wall of the outer shell which is greater than solid areas formed by the outer shell on the rear wall.
  • 7. The assembly according to embodiment 6, wherein the one or more rear expansion apertures comprise a single continuous vertically elongated expansion slot extending for greater than a majority of a height of the rear end of the outer shell.
  • 8. The assembly according to embodiment 7, wherein the expansion slot extends for 70 percent or more of the height of the outer shell.
  • 9. The assembly according to embodiment 8, wherein the expansion slot has an asymmetrical shape.
  • 10. The assembly according to embodiment 6, wherein the rear wall of the outer shell comprises a plurality of transverse structural ligaments which defines a plurality of vertically arranged rear expansion apertures extending for 70 percent or more of a height of the rear end of the outer shell.
  • 11. The assembly according to embodiment 10, wherein the plurality of vertically arranged rear expansion apertures each have a polygonal shape to maximize a total open area on the rear wall of the outer shell.
  • 12. The assembly according to any one of embodiments 10-11, wherein the structural ligaments are integrally formed as a unitary structural part of a monolithic body of the outer shell.
  • 13. The assembly according to embodiment 12, wherein the structural ligaments are horizontally oriented and parallel to each other.
  • 14. The assembly according to any one of embodiments 1-13, wherein the outer shell comprises a pair of opposite lateral side walls, each lateral side wall comprising one or more side expansion apertures configured and operable to increase flexibility of the outer shell in the lateral direction to facilitate widening the outer shell against a user's shoulder under recoil.
  • 15. The assembly according to any one of embodiments 1-14, wherein a front end of the outer shell defines a front opening extending for a majority of a height of the outer shell.
  • 16. The assembly according to embodiment 15, wherein the front end of the outer shell is coupled to the locking cover plate.
  • 17. The assembly according to embodiment 16, further comprising a backer plate sandwiched between the inner gel core and locking plate, the backer plate configured to couple and lock the outer shell to the locking cover plate.
  • 18. The assembly according to embodiment 17, wherein the front end of the outer shell comprises an inwardly recessed mounting flange extending around a perimeter of the front end, the mounting flange trapped between an inset annular retention rim of the backer plate and rearward extending peripheral walls of the locking cover plate defines a rearwardly open recess that receives the backer plate at least partially therein to secure the outer shell to the locking cover plate.
  • 19. The assembly according to embodiment 18, wherein the backer plate is detachably coupled to the locking cover plate via one or more threaded fastening members.
  • 20. The assembly according to embodiment 19, wherein the peripheral walls of the locking cover plate, the retention rim of the backer plate, and the mounting flange of the outer shell each define complementary configured annular stepped shoulders which collectively mesh together to form a mechanical interlock that locks the outer shell to the locking cover plate when the fastening members are tightened.
  • 21. The assembly according to embodiments 19 or 20, wherein the fastening members include a pair of serrated posts threadably coupled to the backer plate through the locking cover plate, the serrated posts configured and operable to couple the recoil pad assembly to the stock of the firearm.
  • 22. The assembly according to any one of embodiments 1-21, wherein the inner gel core is externally exposed through the one or more rear expansion apertures in the outer shell.
  • 23. The assembly according to embodiment 22, wherein the inner gel core includes one or more raised engagement protrusions, each engagement protrusion being received in a corresponding one of the one or more rear expansion apertures of the outer shell such that the inner gel core directly contacts the user's shoulder when the rear end of the recoil pad assembly is pressed against the shoulder before and after firing the firearm.
  • 24. The assembly according to embodiment 7, wherein a rear wall of the inner gel core includes a raised engagement protrusion which is complementary configured to the expansion slot in the outer shell, the raised engagement protrusion extending into the expansion slot and externally exposed to contact the user's shoulder when the firearm is shouldered.
  • 25. The assembly according to embodiment 10, wherein a rear wall of the inner gel core includes a plurality of raised engagement protrusions which are each complementary configured to a corresponding one of the vertically arranged rear expansion apertures, the raised engagement protrusions extending into the vertically arranged rear expansion apertures and externally exposed to contact the user's shoulder when the firearm is shouldered.

While the foregoing description and drawings represent exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it will be understood that various additions, modifications and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope and range of equivalents of the accompanying claims. In particular, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other forms, structures, arrangements, proportions, sizes, and with other elements, materials, and components, without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. In addition, numerous variations in the methods/processes. One skilled in the art will further appreciate that the embodiments may be used with many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, sizes, materials, and components and otherwise, used in the practice of the disclosure, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from the principles described herein. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the disclosure, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents.