US 11724003

Here is a summary of U.S. Patent 11,724,003:

Title: Firearm trigger mechanism

Assignee: ABC IP, LLC

Inventor: Mladen Thomas Strbac

Filing Date: October 21, 2022

Issue Date: August 15, 2023

Abstract:

A trigger mechanism that can be used in AR-pattern firearms has a hammer, a trigger member, a disconnector, a locking member, and a “three position” safety selector having safe, standard semi-automatic, and forced reset semi-automatic positions. In the standard semi-automatic position, rearward movement of the bolt carrier causes rearward pivoting of the hammer such that the disconnector hook catches the hammer hook, at which time a user must manually release the trigger member to free the hammer from the disconnector to permit the hammer and trigger member to pivot to said set positions so that the user can pull said trigger member to fire the firearm. In the forced reset semi-automatic position, rearward movement of the bolt carrier causes rearward pivoting of said hammer causing said trigger member to be forced to the set position, the safety selector preventing said disconnector hook from catching said hammer hook, and thereafter when the bolt carrier reaches the substantially in-battery position the user can pull the trigger member to fire the firearm without manually releasing the trigger member. The locking member is pivotable between a first position at which the locking member mechanically blocks the trigger member from moving to the released position and a second position at which the locking member does not mechanically block the trigger member allowing the trigger member to be moved to the released position, the locking member spring biased toward the first position and moved against the spring bias to the second position by contact from the bolt carrier during forward movement of the bolt carrier as the bolt carrier reaches a substantially in-battery position.

Plain-Language Summary of Independent Claims:

This patent describes a firearm trigger mechanism with three distinct modes of operation, controlled by a three-position safety selector. The key components are a hammer, a trigger, a disconnector, a locking member, and the safety selector, all designed to work within a firearm's receiver.

• Claim 1: This claim outlines the core invention, which is a firearm trigger mechanism with three operational modes: "safe," "standard semi-automatic," and "forced reset semi-automatic." In the "forced reset" mode, the rearward movement of the bolt carrier after a shot is fired actively pushes the trigger back to its ready-to-fire position. A locking member, influenced by the bolt carrier's position, ensures the trigger cannot be pulled again until the bolt is fully in battery. This allows for a faster rate of semi-automatic fire because the shooter doesn't have to manually release the trigger to reset it for the next shot. The "standard semi-automatic" mode operates conventionally, requiring the shooter to release the trigger to reset the sear.

• Claim 4: This claim describes the trigger mechanism as a self-contained "drop-in" module. This means the hammer, trigger, disconnector, and locking member are all housed within a single unit. This module can be easily installed into the fire control pocket of a firearm's receiver using standard pins.

• Claim 9: This claim describes a complete firearm that includes the trigger mechanism from Claim 1. It details the interaction between the receiver, the reciprocating bolt carrier, and the components of the trigger mechanism (hammer, trigger, disconnector, locking member, and safety selector).

• Claim 14: This claim is similar to Claim 1 but describes the locking member in more general terms as being "movably mounted" rather than specifically "pivotable." This broader language covers a wider range of possible designs for the locking mechanism.

A search of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets for "11724003" did not yield any specific results for this patent number as of the current date. However, it's important to note that court records can sometimes have a delay in appearing in online databases.