ACME Gun Active Recoil (GAR®) Patent

ACME Worldwide Enterprises, Inc. (“ACME”) announced that the US. Patent Office has issued ACME a patent for the Gun Active Recoil (GAR) technology that is core to the company’s line of ultra-realistic weapon training systems. In formal terms, the patent “covers the apparatus and method for a weapon simulator”. The patent recognizes the innovation behind ACME’s GAR system that uses a unique, all-electric system to provide full-force recoil that is so critical for realistic weapons training.

The patent for invention number 8,690,575 was issued April 8, 2014 for a weapon simulator having a gun active recoil unit for use in simulating weapon recoil during weapon training and is programmable to dynamically alter a frequency of recoils per second when the weapon is in use.

The patent covers the technology in ACME’s GAR weapon simulator and method of use for simulating weapon use including misfire, weapon sluggishness, runaway recoil and round cook off. It further covers the dynamic technology to provide replication of actual weapon mounts to vehicles such as helicopters, Bradley Fighting Vehicle and Abrams tanks.

“The patent confirms ACME’s role as an industry leader for weapon simulators.” said Randall Gurulé, President of ACME. “It details how we combine realistic recoil with reliable electrical components. The combination makes, effective, dependable trainers with plug-into-the-wall simplicity for customers.”

US 8690575 B1

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a weapon simulator that is at least partially controlled by a host computer and simulates near actual recoil forces of a weapon via a gun active recoil unit.

DESCRIPTION

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/110,753, entitled “Apparatus and Method for a Weapon Simulator”, filed on Nov. 3, 2008, and the specification thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)

Embodiments of the present invention relate to weapon simulator systems and more specifically to gun active recoil simulators.

2. Description of Related Art

Previous weapon simulator systems replicate recoil cue and fail to replicate near actual recoil forces. One aspect of one embodiment of the present invention over other stimulated recoil solutions provides an electronic solution and does not wear the internal gun mechanism. Previous recoil systems used pneumatics to provide simulated recoil. The pneumatic solution requires air hoses and a separate air compressor to provide power for the pneumatic mechanisms. Also, the pneumatic systems use a mechanism that is inserted into the gun and activates the internal gun mechanism when it provides recoil. This action adds wear and stress to mechanisms that the embodiments of the present invention avoid.

One embodiment of the present invention actuates the gun mount instead of the internal gun mechanism to provide simulated recoil. In this embodiment, a gun is attached to the mount as it moves with the actuated mount. Embodiments of the present invention do not require any device to be mounted internal to an actual gun and do not add any wear to the gun. Embodiments of the present invention also do not require any bolt action. The present invention also permits the operator to use either an actual gun or a simulated gun (replica look and feel without any internal mechanisms).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention comprises a weapon simulator. The weapon simulator preferably comprises a gun active recoil unit comprising a slide tray and at least one motor, a gun mounted to said gun active recoil unit, said gun comprising a trigger, and a host computer in communication with said gun active recoil unit. The gun is preferably mounted to the slide tray. The gun active recoil unit preferably comprises a plurality of mounting pintles and a plurality of adjustable stops. The adjustable stops preferably adjust elevation and azimuth. The gun active recoil unit of this embodiment preferably comprises an electronic chassis. The gun of this embodiment of the present invention can be either a replica weapon or an actual weapon. The gun can optionally comprise a safety. The host computer preferably comprises a plurality of malfunction capabilities for the weapon simulator. The trigger on the gun preferably comprises a hard stop to limit an amount of travel while the weapon simulator is activating. The weapon simulator of this embodiment preferably comprises a muzzle flash and/or simulated ammunition.

Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a method of simulating weapon recoil with a weapon simulator. This embodiment preferably comprises providing a gun mounted to a gun active recoil unit, squeezing a trigger on the gun to generate a signal, transmitting the signal from the gun to a host computer in communication with the gun active recoil unit, the gun active recoil unit responding to the signal from the host computer, and simulating recoil via a slide tray disposed on the gun active recoil unit. The method of this embodiment preferably further comprises the gun active recoil unit initiating electromechanical motions. The transmitting step preferably comprises processing the signal via an onboard computer. This method preferably further comprises the host computer initiating one or more malfunctions. These malfunctions can be selected from the group consisting of: a runaway recoil, weapon misfire, weapon sluggishness and round cook-off. The method of this embodiment can optionally comprise signaling a cease fire and/or activating a safety wherein the trigger will not depress and/or adjusting the weapon simulator using azimuth and elevation. The host computer can optionally override the safety to simulate cook-off rounds. The maximum rate of fire is preferably between approximately 750-1000 rounds per minutes. In this embodiment, an instructor can optionally initiate gun active recoil unit and/or gun activity through the host computer.

Objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

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