Prior art

Prior Art Analysis for US Patent 12036336

US Patent 12036336, titled "Firearm trigger mechanism," describes a semi-automatic trigger mechanism for increasing the rate of fire, particularly adaptable for AR-pattern firearms. Key features include a hammer, a trigger member, a disconnector, a locking member, and a three-position safety selector (safe, standard semi-automatic, and forced reset semi-automatic). The patent was filed on July 3, 2023, and granted on July 16, 2024.

The following are some of the most relevant prior art documents cited in US12036336B2:

US 9,568,264 B2 to Graves

• Full Citation: US 9,568,264 B2 to Graves, "Devices for increasing the rate of semiautomatic fire"
• Publication/Filing Date: The patent was issued on February 2, 2017.
• Brief Description: This patent describes devices that forcefully reset the trigger with rigid mechanical contact between the trigger member and the bolt as the action cycles, aiming to increase the rate of semiautomatic fire. The '264 patent is specifically mentioned in the background of US12036336 as a device for increasing the rate of semiautomatic fire, but it notes that adapting it to an AR-pattern firearm would require a modified fire control mechanism and a modified bolt carrier.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): While US12036336 aims to improve upon Graves by not requiring a modified bolt carrier in AR-pattern firearms, the core concept of a forced reset trigger for increasing the rate of fire, initiated by bolt carrier movement, is present in Graves. Claims 1, 3, 7, and 12 of US12036336, which broadly describe a hammer pivoted rearward by a bolt carrier and a trigger member forced to a set position, could potentially be considered anticipated or rendered obvious by US 9,568,264, depending on the specifics of the "forcing" mechanism and the interaction with the bolt carrier. The differentiating factor in 12036336 is the specific interaction where the hammer's rearward pivoting causes the trigger member to be forced to the set position, combined with a locking member and a three-position safety selector.

US 9,816,772 B2 to Graves

• Full Citation: US 9,816,772 B2 to Graves, "Devices for increasing the rate of semiautomatic fire"
• Publication/Filing Date: The patent was issued on November 14, 2017.
• Brief Description: Similar to US 9,568,264, this patent also describes mechanisms for increasing the rate of semiautomatic fire through a forced reset. It is also referenced in the background of US12036336 as prior art that forcefully resets the trigger via mechanical contact with the bolt.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to the '264 patent, US 9,816,772 could potentially anticipate claims 1, 3, 7, and 12 of US12036336 related to the general principle of a bolt carrier causing a forced reset of the trigger for rapid fire. The novelty of US12036336 would rest on the specific details of how the trigger is forced to the set position by the hammer during its rearward pivoting, the role of the locking member, and the three-position safety selector.

US 9,939,221 B2 to Graves

• Full Citation: US 9,939,221 B2 to Graves, "Devices for increasing the rate of semiautomatic fire"
• Publication/Filing Date: The patent was issued on April 3, 2018.
• Brief Description: This is another patent by Graves concerning devices for increasing the rate of semiautomatic fire using a forcefully reset trigger. It is also explicitly mentioned in US12036336 as prior art.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): As with the other Graves patents, US 9,939,221 could potentially anticipate the broad concept of a forced reset trigger mechanism for increasing the rate of fire as described in claims 1, 3, 7, and 12. The specific improvements in US12036336, such as the direct interaction between the hammer and trigger member for forcing the reset, the locking member, and the three-position safety, would be the points of distinction.

US 10,514,223 and US 11,346,627

• Full Citation: US 10,514,223 and US 11,346,627 (inventor not specified in the provided text, but mentioned as "other devices for increasing the rate of semiautomatic fire")
• Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in the provided text, but cited in the background of US12036336.
• Brief Description: These patents describe devices where "the hammer forces the trigger to the set position, and a locking bar prevents early hammer release." This description is highly relevant as it directly addresses two key features of US12036336: the hammer forcing the trigger to the set position, and a locking member (referred to as a "locking bar" in the prior art description) preventing early hammer release.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): These patents appear to be very strong prior art. Claims 1, 3, 7, and 12 of US12036336 describe a hammer that forces the trigger member to the set position and a locking member that blocks the trigger member from moving to the released position until the bolt carrier is in-battery. The description of US 10,514,223 and US 11,346,627 almost directly matches these elements. Therefore, these patents could potentially anticipate many aspects of claims 1, 3, 7, and 12, particularly the mechanism of the hammer forcing the trigger reset and the function of the locking member to prevent premature firing. The specific implementation of the three-position safety selector in US12036336 might be a distinguishing feature.

US 7,398,723 to Blakley

• Full Citation: US 7,398,723 to Brian A. Blakley
• Publication/Filing Date: The patent was issued on July 15, 2008.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a device for increasing the rate of semiautomatic fire that employs a pivoting cam contacted by the rearwardly traveling bolt carrier. The cam then presses downward on a trigger-extension, forcing the rear of the trigger down and moving the trigger finger engagement surface forward.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent anticipates the concept of using the bolt carrier's rearward movement to mechanically force a trigger reset to enable faster firing. Claims 1, 3, 7, and 12, which involve the rearward movement of the bolt carrier causing the trigger member to be forced to the set position, could be implicated. However, US12036336 specifies that the hammer contacts the trigger member to force it to the set position, and also includes a distinct locking member and a three-position safety selector, which differentiates it from Blakley's cam-based system.

US Provisional Patent Application No. 63/374,941 to Blakley

• Full Citation: U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/374,941, invented by Brian A. Blakley
• Publication/Filing Date: Filed September 8, 2022.
• Brief Description: This provisional application also describes a pivoting cam arrangement for increasing the rate of semiautomatic fire, and importantly, incorporates a three-position safety selector to provide safe, standard semi-automatic, and forced reset semi-automatic modes.
• Potential Anticipated Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102): This provisional application is highly relevant as it introduces the concept of a three-position safety selector for forced reset semi-automatic modes, which is a key feature of US12036336. Claims 1, 3, 7, and 12 of US12036336 all detail the three-position safety selector and its function in the different modes. While Blakley's provisional still uses a pivoting cam for the reset, the inclusion of the three-position selector with similar functionalities in the forced reset mode could potentially anticipate or render obvious aspects of the safety selector and its interaction with the disconnector in US12036336. The specific mechanism of how the safety selector prevents the disconnector hook from catching the hammer hook (e.g., through a protuberance) as described in US12036336 would be a point of novelty to analyze against this prior art.