U.S. patent application number 09/754934 was filed with the patent office on 2001-11-22 for electrically operated paintball gun having hammer and bolt mechanism.
Invention is credited to Perrone, Aldo.
Application Number | 20010042543 09/754934 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22703347 |
Filed Date | 2001-11-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010042543 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Perrone, Aldo |
November 22, 2001 |
Electrically operated paintball gun having hammer and bolt
mechanism
Abstract
An electrically operated paintball gun operable to fire
paintballs including a barrel, a trigger, and a breech connected to
a rear end of the barrel, as well as a bolt movable in the breech
between a rearward position and a forward shooting position. A
hammer is connected to the bolt and movable therewith and is
slidable in a sealable chamber between a rearward position and a
front shooting position. A spring biases the combination of the
bolt and hammer towards the rearward position of each. A pneumatic
circuit is provided to drive the hammer towards the front position
and includes a control valve in the form of a solenoid valve to
receive gas under pressure and direct it into the chamber at the
rear of the hammer when the gun is shot. An electronic circuit
controls the pneumatic circuit and is operated by an electrical
switch operated by the trigger. A gas valve is opened by engagement
by the hammer, when the latter is driven forwardly to the shooting
position, to permit the passage of relatively high pressure
propellant gas into the barrel to propel a paintball.
Inventors: |
Perrone, Aldo; (Brampton,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LAW OFFICE OF BARRY R LIPSITZ
755 MAIN STREET
MONROE
CT
06468
US
|
Family ID: |
22703347 |
Appl. No.: |
09/754934 |
Filed: |
January 5, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60190921 |
Mar 21, 2000 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
124/77 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41B 11/52 20130101;
F41B 11/57 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
124/77 |
International
Class: |
F41B 011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 20, 2000 |
CA |
2,326,463 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A paintball gun operable to shoot paintballs, said gun
comprising: a barrel; a gun body section including a breech section
connected to a rear end of said barrel and a handle section; a
trigger movably mounted on said gun body section; a bolt movable in
said breech section between a retracted position where a paintball
can enter said breech section through an inlet provided in said
breech section and a front shooting position where said inlet is
closed; a hammer connected to said bolt and movable therewith, said
hammer being slidable in a sealable chamber in said gun body
section between a rearward position and its front shooting
position, said bolt and said hammer together forming a paintball
shooting mechanism; a spring mounted in said gun and engaging said
paintball shooting mechanism, said spring biasing the hammer
towards said rearward position; a pneumatic circuit for driving
said shooting mechanism forwardly towards said front shooting
position and including a control valve arranged to receive gas
under pressure and direct this gas to a rear side of said hammer
when said gun is shot; an electronic circuit for controlling said
pneumatic circuit, said electronic circuit including an electrical
switch operated by movement of said trigger; and a gas valve
mounted in said gun and adapted to be opened by engagement by said
hammer in said front shooting position to permit passage of
pressurized gas from a pressurized gas source to the barrel to
propel a paintball along and out of said barrel.
2. A paintball gun according to claim 1 wherein said spring is a
coil spring mounted in said breech section and engaging said
bolt.
3. A paintball gun according to claim 1 including a battery
connected to said electronic circuit and capable of powering said
electronic circuit, which includes a manual ON/OFF switch.
4. A paintball gun according to claim 3 wherein said electronic
current includes a microcomputer and means for regulating a
predetermined voltage from said battery that is provided to said
microcomputer.
5. A paintball gun according to claim 1 wherein said spring is a
coil spring mounted in said gun body section and engages said
hammer directly.
6. A paintball gun according to claim 1 wherein said electronic
circuit includes a timer capable of controlling the length of time
said control valve directs gas under pressure into said sealable
chamber when said gun is shot.
7. A paintball gun according to claim 4 wherein said microcomputer
includes an electronic timer to control the length of time said
control valve directs gas under pressure into said sealable chamber
when said gun is shot.
8. A paintball gun according to claim 1 wherein said electronic
circuit includes a microcomputer, a voltage regulator to control
the voltage of current provided to said microcomputer, a brown out
circuit connected to said microcomputer, an electronic switch
capable of switching said electronic circuit off under preselected
conditions, and a manual ON/OFF switch.
9. A paintball gun according to claim 8 wherein said microcomputer
has built-in R/C oscillation, internal power-up reset, and LED
direct driving capability and is connected to a LED diode, and
wherein a visual indication of a current operational state of the
electronic circuit can be provided by said microcomputer by
lighting of said LED diode.
10. A paintball gun according to claim 6 wherein said control valve
is a solenoid valve having an outlet connected by a pressurized gas
passageway to a gas outlet in said gun body section located at said
rear side of said hammer.
11. A paintball gun according to claim 1 wherein said hammer is
rigidly connected to said bolt by a metal pin that extends through
an elongate slot formed in said breech section below the bolt.
12. A paintball gun according to claim 1 wherein said gas valve is
mounted in said gun body section in front of said hammer and has an
inlet adapted for connection to said pressurized gas source, said
gas valve being adapted to receive relatively high pressure gas
having a pressure of at least 600 psi, said gas valve having an
outlet opening into a bolt chamber of said breech section.
13. In a gas-powered gun for filing balls, the gun having a barrel,
a gun body section including a breech behind the barrel for
receiving one ball at a time through a ball feed port, a trigger
movably mounted in said gun body section, a bolt slidable within
the breech to advance a ball to a shooting position and close off
the feed port, and a regulator for supplying pressurized gas at a
relatively low gas pressure, said regulator being adapted for
connection to a source of relatively high pressure gas, the
improvement comprising: a hammer rigidly connected to said bolt and
movable therewith, said hammer being slidable in a sealable chamber
formed in said gun body section between a rearward position and a
front shooting position, said bolt and hammer together forming a
ball shooting mechanism; means for biasing said shooting mechanism
so as to move said hammer towards the rearward position; a solenoid
valve having an inlet connected to said regulator and arranged to
deliver said relatively low pressure gas to a rear side of said
hammer for moving said ball shooting mechanism forwardly to the
shooting position when said solenoid valve is in an open position;
an electronic circuit for controlling said solenoid valve, said
circuit including an electrical switch operated by said trigger;
and valve means for permitting said relatively high pressure gas to
flow into said barrel in order to propel a ball along and out of
said barrel, said valve means being moved to an open position by
engagement of said hammer in said front shooting position.
14. A gun according to claim 13 wherein said biasing means is a
coil spring mounted in said breech and engaging said bolt at one
end of the spring.
15. A gun according to claim 13 including a battery connected to
said electronic circuit in order to power same, wherein said
electronic circuit includes a manual ON/OFF switch and an
electronic switch which is capable of shutting down said electronic
circuit automatically in order to save battery power.
16. A gun according to claim 15 wherein said electronic circuit
includes a microcomputer and a voltage regulator for controlling
voltage level of current provided to said microcomputer.
17. A gun according to claim 16 wherein said electronic circuit
includes a manually operated switch for programming said
microcomputer to cause said gun to shoot a selected number of balls
with each pull of said trigger, one ball being fired by said gun
each time said solenoid valve is moved to said open position by
said microcomputer.
18. A paintball gun operable to fire paintballs, said gun
comprising: a barrel; a gun body section attached to said barrel
and including a breech section coaxial with said barrel and a
movable trigger, a bolt mounted in said breech section and movable
between a retracted position for paintball loading and a forward
position for shooting a paintball; a hammer rigidly connected to
said bolt and movable therewith, said hammer being slidable in a
sealable chamber in said gun body section between a retracted
position and a forward position; spring means for moving the
combination of said bolt and said hammer to said retracted position
after a paintball is shot; a first pneumatic circuit for delivering
propellant gas at a relatively high pressure from a gas supply to
said barrel for propelling said paintball therefrom, said first
pneumatic circuit including a relatively high pressure gas valve; a
second pneumatic circuit connected to receive pressurized gas from
said gas supply and including a solenoid valve for delivering
relatively low pressure gas to a rear end of said hammer for a
short time interval in order to drive the combination of the hammer
and the bolt from said retracted positions to their respective
forward positions and thereby causing said hammer to strike said
gas valve to open it and release said propellant gas to the barrel;
and an electronic circuit adapted to operate said solenoid valve,
said electronic circuit being operable by said trigger.
19. A paintball gun according to claim 18 wherein said spring means
is a coil spring mounted in said breech section and engaging said
bolt at one end of the coil spring.
20. A paintball gun according to claim 18 wherein said second
pneumatic circuit includes a single regulator for supplying said
relatively low pressure gas to an inlet of said solenoid valve.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to guns capable of firing paintballs
by using pressurized gas and in particular to such guns that are
electronically operated.
[0002] Guns capable of firing paintballs by use of pressurized gas
have been known for a number of years and they are commonly used
for recreational sports such as survival or "war" games. The
paintballs fired by these guns generally comprise a gelatin shell
with a colored liquid or viscous substance in the interior. These
paintballs are designed to burst upon impact with a target and
thereby create a very visible mark on the target.
[0003] Up until recently the firing mechanisms in paintball guns
have generally been mechanical in nature and have not been
electrically operated. An example of such a gun is that disclosed
in and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,939 issued Sep. 27, 1994
to Brass Eagle Inc. This gun has a hammer mechanism slidably
mounted in the breech. A spring is used to drive the hammer
forwards when the gun is fired. A sear device having a front and a
rear end is mounted on a sear pin in the breech. A sear spring
biases the sear device so that the front end thereof pivots
downwardly after the hammer is released. A sear detent is slidably
mounted in a front end of the sear device and a small spring biases
this detent to move to a forward position in order to be engageable
by the trigger.
[0004] Recently, electronically operated paintball guns have come
into use and have become popular. One such paintball gun is
described in recent U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,707 issued Mar. 16, 1999 to
Smart Parts, Inc. The grip of the gun has an electrical switch
capable of activating a launching sequence. An electrical control
unit is housed within the body of the gun and a grip and can direct
pressurized gas flow between the pneumatic components of the gun in
order to load, cock and fire the gun. The electrical control unit
includes an electrical power source which activates an electrical
timing circuit when the electrical switch is closed, and two
electrically operated pneumatic flow distribution devices. Upon
closure of the switch, the control unit causes a projectile to be
loaded into the launching mechanism by actuation of the first
pneumatic flow distribution device. A paintball is fired when the
timing circuit actuates the second flow distribution device to
release gas from a storage chamber into the launching
mechanism.
[0005] Another electronically activated gun is that described in
U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,504 issued to NPF Limited on Dec. 21, 1999.
This gun employs first and second gas pressure regulators with the
first capable of providing high gas pressure in a first chamber of
the gun. The second regulator is connected between this first
chamber and a second chamber and maintains a lower working pressure
in the second chamber. A control valve receives gas under pressure
from the second chamber and directs it selectively to a ram
slidably mounted in a cylinder. The ram is moved by gas pressure
between a retracted position and a forward position where it opens
a valve to allow high pressure gas to flow from the first chamber
to the barrel to fire a paintball. The gun's trigger operates a
microswitch which is part of an electronic control circuit for the
gun.
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
relatively simple, low cost, electronically operated paintball gun
that employs a pneumatic circuit for driving the hammer and the
bolt towards a front shooting position and a spring to bias the
hammer and bolt combination to a rearward position after the gun is
shot.
[0007] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a
novel paintball gun that employs an electronic circuit for
controlling a pneumatic circuit of the gun and that can be
manufactured easily and at reasonable cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a
paintball gun operable to shoot paintballs includes a barrel, a gun
body section including a breech connected to a rear end of the
barrel and a handle section, and a trigger movably mounted on said
gun body section. A bolt is movable in the breech between a
rearward position where a paintball can enter the breech section
through an inlet and a front shooting position where the inlet is
closed. A hammer is connected to the bolt and movable therewith and
the hammer is slidable in a sealable chamber in the gun body
section between a rearward position and its front shooting
position. A spring is mounted in the gun body section and engages
the hammer and bolt combination and thereby biases both the bolt
and the hammer towards their respective rearward positions. A
pneumatic circuit is used to drive the hammer and the bolt towards
the front shooting position and includes a control valve arranged
to receive gas under pressure and direct the gas (when the gun is
shot) to a rear side of the hammer. An electronic circuit controls
the pneumatic circuit and includes an electrical switch operated by
movement of the trigger. The gun further includes a gas valve
mounted therein and adapted to be opened by engagement by the
hammer in the front firing position to permit passage of
pressurized gas from a pressurized gas source to the barrel to
propel a paintball along and out of the barrel.
[0009] The preferred gun includes a battery connected to the
electronic circuit which includes an on/off switch. The preferred
electronic circuit includes a mircocomputer with a timer capable of
controlling the length of time when the control valve directs gas
under pressure to the rear of the hammer.
[0010] According to another aspect of the invention, there is
provided in a gas powered gun for firing balls, a barrel, a gun
body section including a breech behind the barrel for receiving one
ball at a time through a ball feed port, a trigger movably mounted
in the gun body section, and a bolt slidable within the breech to
advance a ball to a shooting position and close off the feed port.
This gun also has a regulator for supplying pressurized gas at a
relatively low gas pressure, this regulator being adapted for
connection to a source of relatively high-pressure gas. The
improvements in this gun include a hammer rigidly connected to the
bolt and movable therewith, this hammer being slidable in a
sealable chamber formed in the gun body section between a rearward
position and a front shooting position. Thus the bolt and hammer
together form a ball shooting mechanism. There are means for
biasing the shooting mechanism so as to move the hammer towards the
rearward position. A solenoid valve having an inlet connected to
the regulator is arranged to deliver relatively low pressure gas to
a rear side of the hammer for moving the ball shooting mechanism
forwardly to the shooting position when the solenoid valve is in
the open position. The improvements further include an electronic
circuit for controlling the solenoid valve, this circuit including
an electrical switch operated by the trigger, and a valve mechanism
for permitting the relatively high pressure gas to flow into the
barrel in order to propel a ball along and out of the barrel, this
valve mechanism being moved to an open position by engagement of
the hammer in the front shooting position.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the biasing mechanism is a coil
spring mounted in the breech and engaging the bolt at one end of
the spring. The preferred electronic circuit is powered by a
battery connected thereto and this circuit her includes a manual
ON/OFF switch, and an electronic switch which is capable of
shutting down the electronic circuit automatically in order to save
battery power.
[0012] According to still another aspect of the invention, a
paintball gun operable to fire paintballs comprises a barrel, and a
gun body section attached to the barrel and including a breech
section co-axial with the barrel and a movable trigger. The gun
further includes a bolt mounted in the breech section and movable
between a retracted position for paintball loading and a forward
position for shooting a paintball and a hammer rigidly connected to
the bolt and movable therewith. The hammer is in a sealable chamber
in the gun body section between a retracted position and a forward
position. The gun includes spring means for moving the combination
of the bolt and the hammer to the retracted position after a
paintball is shot and a first pneumatic circuit for delivering
propellant gas at a relatively high pressure from a supply to the
barrel for propelling the paintball therefrom. This first pneumatic
circuit includes a relatively high pressure gas valve. There is
also a second pneumatic circuit connected to receive pressurized
gas from the gas supply, this circuit including a solenoid valve
for delivering relatively low pressure gas to a rear end of the
hammer for a short time interval in order to drive the combination
of the hammer and the bolt from their retracted positions to their
respective forward positions and thereby cause the hammer to strike
the gas valve to open it and release the propellant gas into the
barrel. An electronic circuit is also provided to operate the
solenoid valve and this circuit is operable by the trigger.
[0013] Preferably the spring mechanism of this gun is a coil spring
mounted in the breech section and engaging the bolt at one end of
the coil spring.
[0014] Further features and advantages of the paintball gun of this
invention will become apparent for the following detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
which illustrate preferred embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a first embodiment of a
paintball gun constructed in accordance with the invention with
portions of the gun shown in cross section for purposes of
illustration, the gun being shown in the shooting position;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 1, again with
portions shown in cross section, this view showing the first
embodiment in a loading position with both the bolt and the hammer
retracted;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 1 but on a larger
scale, the gun being shown in the shooting position with portions
of the gun cut away for purposes of illustration;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a side elevation, substantial portions of which
are in cross-section, illustrating a second embodiment of a
paintball gun;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a top view of an upper body section of the gun of
FIG. 5;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-section of the upper gun body
section taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5;
[0021] FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the upper body section of FIGS. 5
and 6;
[0022] FIG. 8 is a front end view of the upper body section of the
gun;
[0023] FIG. 9 is a top view of a lower section of the gun body;
[0024] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-section of the lower
section, this view being taken along the line X-X of FIG. 9;
[0025] FIG. 11 is a front view of the lower body section of FIG.
10; and
[0026] FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram for a preferred electronic
circuit to operate the gun of the invention; and
[0027] FIG. 13 is a top end view of an upward extension of a
regulator used in the second embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] A first embodiment of a paintball gun 10 constructed in
accordance with the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and on a
larger scale in FIG. 3. It will be understood that this gun employs
a standard CO.sub.2 cylinder (not shown) which is attached by means
of a standard connector housing 12 which can be connected to a
bottom end of a gun grip 14. The housing 12 can be internally
threaded at one end 16 where the CO.sub.2 cylinder can be attached
by the threads. Attached to the front end of a housing 12 is a
short length of flexible metal CO.sub.2 hose 18 capable of carrying
relatively high pressure gas, typically in the range of 750 psi. A
standard brass fitting (not illustrated) can be used at each end of
the hose 18 to connect same to the housing 12 and to a downward
extension 20 of a gun firing CO.sub.2 valve.
[0029] The gun 10 is adapted to fire paint pellets or paintballs
24, one of which is shown in FIG. 1 in a paintball feed tube 26,
only a portion of which is shown. These paintballs are of well
known construction and of standard size and they will readily break
upon impact with a target. The gun 10 includes a barrel 28 which
can vary in length and, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a portion
of the barrel has been cut away at 30. Rigidly connected to the
rear end of the barrel is a breech 32. The illustrated gun has a
sight protector 34 of standard construction on top of the breech.
Slidably mounted inside of the breech is a bolt 36 which can be
generally cylindrical. The bolt is movable between a retracted
position shown in FIG. 2 where a paintball 24 can enter the breech
32 through an inlet 40 formed in the top of the breech and a front
firing or shooting position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 where the inlet
is closed.
[0030] An elongate metal hammer 42 is connected to the bolt 36 by
means of a metal pin 44 extending between them. The pin 44 which
can be made of steel is preferably force fitted into a hole 46
formed in the bottom of the bolt. The bottom portion of the pin
extends through elongate slot 48 and into a cylindrical hole 50
formed in a forward end of the hammer 42. It will be understood
that the hammer moves in an elongate chamber formed in a gun frame
52 of which the grip 14 can be integral component. This gun frame
or gun body section can either be made of a suitable metal or a
strong, rigid plastics material such as fiberglass filled
nylon.
[0031] Pivotably mounted in this gun frame is a pivotable trigger
54 which can be protected by trigger guard 56. Rearward movement of
the trigger operates a standard microswitch 58, the casing of which
is rigidly mounted in the gun frame. In a known manner, the trigger
can operate a small button on the front of the microswitch, the
pressing of this button causing the electronic circuit to which the
microswitch is connected to commence a launching sequence in order
to fire one or more paintballs using compressed gas. The trigger 54
can be spring biased towards its forward position in several
possible ways. Firstly it can be spring biased by a spring biased
button on the microswitch itself or it can be biased by a separate
torsion or compression spring that acts on the trigger and is
mounted in the gun frame or gun body section 52. In the case of a
torsion spring, it can be mounted on the pivot pin for the trigger.
Such springs for biasing a trigger are well known in the paintball
gun art and accordingly it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate or
describe in detail such a spring.
[0032] A threaded metal CO.sub.2 hose connector 65 is detachably
connected to the rear end of the gun frame and closes off the rear
end of a sealable chamber 66 of the gun body section in which the
hammer slides. A relatively long, metal CO.sub.2 hose 68 shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 is connected to the connector 65 at one end and
delivers pressurized gas having a relatively low gas pressure
through the connector and its passageway 70 into the chamber 66
from a solenoid valve 72. It will be understood that this
pressurized gas having a relatively low gas pressure is employed in
the gun in order to move the hammer (and the attached bolt) rapidly
forwardly in order to open the two way gas valve 76 by striking a
valve pin and thereby release relatively high pressure gas into the
barrel through the interior of the bolt. The bolt has a high
pressure gas passageway 78 in a forward section thereof and the
front of this passageway opens into the barrel when the bolt has
been advanced to its forward position. It will be understood that
the gas valve 76 is of standard construction for a paintball gun
and accordingly a detailed description herein is deemed
unnecessary. It will be understood that relatively high pressure
gas, i.e. 750 psi is provided to the inlet of this valve through
its downward extension 20 and the hose 18.
[0033] In this first embodiment, there is mounted beneath the
barrel 28 and in a forward portion of the gun a gas regulator 80 of
standard construction. This regulator receives the relatively high
pressure gas from the valve 76 and provides pressurized gas at a
substantially lower pressure to the solenoid valve 72 which is
controlled by the electronic circuit of the gun. The solenoid valve
can be a standard two way valve having an open position in which
the lower pressure gas flows through the hose 68 in order to drive
the hammer forwardly and a closed position that terminates the flow
of this gas through the hose. The length of time in which the valve
72 remains in the open position is precisely controlled by the
programmable logic circuit (PLC) or microcomputer of the gun. This
circuit can be constructed to fire the gun not only once but two or
three or more times with a single pull of the trigger, if desired.
The number of paintballs fired in a single burst can be set by the
user, for example, by a setting established with small buttons or
pins or a single button or pin mounted in the side of the gun (see
the circuit description below).
[0034] The electronic circuit board, which includes the PLC or
microcomputer can be mounted in the grip 14 and is indicated by the
dashed rectangle at 83 in FIG. 3. A detailed description of one
version of the electronic circuit board is provided below. It will
be understood that the length of time that the lower pressure gas
is delivered through the passageway 70 and into the chamber 66 is
dictated by the PLC or microcomputer which controls the operation
of the valve 72 through which this gas flows.
[0035] In the paintball gun of FIGS. 1 to 3, a spring 85 is mounted
in the gun and engages the hammer 42 so as to bias the hammer
towards its rearward position which is shown in FIG. 2. The
preferred spring is a coil spring that extends about the
circumferential periphery of the hammer. The rear end of the spring
engages a shoulder 86 formed near the rear of the hammer. The
forward end of the spring engages a rearwardly facing shoulder 88
formed in the wall of the cylindrical chamber containing the
hammer. Also provided near the rear end of the hammer is an O ring
seal 90 which fits into a circumferential groove in the hammer. In
order to seal the rear end of the chamber 66, an O ring seal 92 is
also provided about the circumference of the hose connector 65.
[0036] Once the hammer and the bolt have advanced to the front
firing position, the pressurized gas to the rear of the hammer must
be released from the chamber 66. This can be accomplished by a
suitable air outlet passageway formed in the gun body and which can
be located at 94. The outlet 94 is located in the wall of the
chamber just to the rear of the hammer when the hammer is advanced
to the front firing position. The pressure created by any remaining
air in the chamber is readily overcome by the force of the coil
spring 85 in order to return the hammer to the retracted position.
A battery, such as a 9 volt battery can be mounted at any one of
several possible different locations in the body of a gun, this
battery being connected to the electronic circuit board 83. A 9
volt battery mounted in the grip 14 is illustrated in dash lines at
96 in FIG. 3. A simple, electrical on-off switch (not shown) is
also mounted on the side of the gun at a convenient location in
order to turn the electrical control circuit on for use of the
gun.
[0037] Instead of using the external gas hoses 18 and 68, it will
be appreciated by those skilled in the paintball gun art that
internal gas passageways can readily be formed in the gun housing
and in the grip 14 to allow the passage of pressurized gas between
the required points. By providing internal gas passageways in the
gun to replace one or both of the hoses, one will avoid or lessen
the possibility of a hose interfering with the use of the gun.
[0038] Generally the paintball gun of FIGS. 1 to 3 will also be
provided with a safety mechanism to help prevent accidental firing
of the gun. This safety mechanism can be any of the well known
types of safeties including a safety switch to block movement of
the trigger 54.
[0039] One possible construction for the low pressure gas regulator
80 is that of the low pressure regulator illustrated and described
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,736 which issued Mar. 9, 1999. This low
pressure regulator has a hollow piston, a coil spring and a seal
all contained within a housing. The disclosure and drawings of this
U.S. patent in connection with the low pressure regulator are
incorporated herein by reference. This known regulator is capable
of providing constant lower pressure gas at its outlet port in the
range of 80 to 150 psi.
[0040] A second version of the paintball gun constructed in
accordance with the invention is illustrated in FIG. 4 of the
drawings. This second version indicated generally by reference 100
is similar in its construction to the paintball gun 10 illustrated
in FIGS. 1 to 3, except as described differently in the following
description. This paintball gun also has a gun grip or handle 14
and an elongate barrel 28 which can vary in length. Rigidly
connected to the rear end of the barrel is a gun body section
identified generally at 102 and this gun body section includes a
breech section 32. In a preferred version of this paintball gun,
the gun body section comprises two principal body parts, these
being an upper body section 104 illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 8 and a
lower body section 106 illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 11. The lower body
section includes the handle section or grip 14.
[0041] Mounted on the upper body section 104 is a paintball feed
tube 26 which opens into a circular hole 108 in the top of the body
section 104. Extending along the top of the body section 104 is a
longitudinal ridge 110 which forms a V-shaped sight. Extending
through the body section 104 is a straight, longitudinal upper
passage 112 and formed in the bottom thereof is a lower chamber
114. Slidably mounted in the upper passage 112 is a bolt 116 which
is movable in this passage between a retracted position as shown in
FIG. 4 where a paintball can enter the breech section through the
inlet or opening 108 and a front firing position where the inlet
108 is closed. It will be understood that this front shooting
position would be similar to that shown in FIG. 1. Rigidly
connected to the bolt is the elongate metal hammer 42 with the
metal pin 44 connecting the bolt to the hammer in the manner
explained above. The pin 44 extends through a longitudinal slot 48
formed between the passage 112 and the chamber 114. It will be
understood that the rear portion of the chamber 114 forms a
sealable chamber when the hammer is mounted in the chamber 114.
This is due in part to the presence of the O-ring seal 90 which
extends around a circumferential groove near the rear end of the
hammer. There is also a further O-ring 118 mounted in a
circumferential groove formed on a rear plug member 120. This plug
member is held in place by an upper screw 122 that extends through
a hole formed in the rear end of body section 104. Extending
through the plug member 120 is L-shaped passage 126 that opens into
the chamber 114 at the rear of the hammer. Also formed in this plug
member is a recess 130 which receives the head of a screw 132
threaded into the rear end of the bolt.
[0042] The bolt 116 is also fitted with two O-ring seals 131, 133
mounted in circumferential grooves in the bolt. These two seals act
at seal the section of the bolt where the propellant gas enters
when the gun is shot.
[0043] Referring now to the details of the upper body section shown
in FIGS. 5 to 8, this section is formed with a hole for the passage
of high pressure gas at 136. There is also a small screw hole 138
formed in the bottom of its rear end to receive a connecting screw
140 used to connect the lower body section 106 to the upper body
section.
[0044] Located a short distance forwardly of the hole 138 is a
larger hole 142 through which relatively low pressure gas passes
into the aforementioned passage 126. Also located in the bottom of
this member is a circular hole 144 which can be used in the
assembly of this gun (ie. permitting the insertion of the pin 44
through the front end of the hammer and into the bolt). Extending
downwardly from the body section 104 are two spaced apart tabs or
brackets 146. These are used to connect the body section 104 to the
front end of the lower body section 106 by means of a screw or bolt
(not shown).
[0045] Turning now to the lower body section illustrated in FIGS. 9
to 11, the lower body section forms a cavity 150 in which is
mounted a solenoid valve 152 shown in FIG. 4. Projecting into the
interior of this cavity are two connectors 153 that form screw
holes for mounting an electronic circuit board 154 shown in FIG. 4.
Two mounting screws 156 are used for this purpose. Formed in the
bottom of the body section 106 are front and rear screw holes 158,
159. By means of three screws (not shown) extending through these
holes, there is mounted at the bottom end of the cavity 150 a gas
pressure regulator 160. This regulator is formed with an upwardly
projecting extension 162 through which extend passageways for
pressurized gas. The regulator 160 can be similar to the low
pressure gas regulator 80 of the first version of the gun, except
that this regulator is adapted for mounting at the bottom end of
the handle. A preferred version of this regulator provides
relatively low pressure gas at its outlet having an adjustable
pressure ranging between 80 and 120 psi.
[0046] It will be understood that plastic or wooden handle grips
(not shown) can be attached to both sides of the illustrated lower
body section 106. These hand grips can be detachably connected to
the frame or body section by means of two screws on each side that
are threaded into screw holes 260, 261.
[0047] Returning to the body section 106, this section has a rear
end hole 164 for the passage of the aforementioned screw 140 and
there is a short rear wall 166. Located above the trigger guard 56
are two small holes 168 which are used to support a trigger pin
170. The two holes 168 are formed in short upper sidewalls 172, 174
which extend from the front end of the body section to the rear
wall 166. Formed in the front end of these sidewalls are two
aligned connecting holes 176. It will be understood that a screw
extends through these holes and through the aforementioned tabs 146
to connect the two body sections at this location. There is also a
connecting screw hole formed at 180.
[0048] The preferred paintball gun of FIG. 4 has a bolt and hammer
combination which can be termed a ball shooting mechanism and there
are means for biasing this shooting mechanism so as to move the
hammer 42 to its rearward position, that is the position shown in
FIG. 4. In this gun, the preferred biasing means is a spring 184
mounted in the breech section. For this purpose, it will be seen
from FIGS. 4 and 6 that the passageway 112 is formed with a larger
internal diameter at a rear portion thereof so as to accommodate
the spring. Thus, the front end of the spring bears against an
internal shoulder 186 while a rear end of the spring bears against
a shoulder formed near-the rear end of the bolt. The preferred
spring 184 is a coil spring that extends about the circumference of
a rear portion of the bolt.
[0049] Other features of the gun 100 of FIG. 4 include a pneumatic
circuit for driving the shooting mechanism (that is, the bolt and
hammer combined) forwardly towards a front shooting position. This
pneumatic circuit includes the aforementioned solenoid valve 152
which is arranged to receive gas under pressure from the regulator
160 and direct this gas to a rear side of the hammer 42 when the
gun is shot. In order to conduct the pressurized gas from the
outlet of the solenoid valve to the passageway 126 of the plug
member 120, there extends through the grip 14 a flexible hose 190.
The top end of this hose is connected to a hose connector 192
having a round extension 194 forming a passageway aligned with the
end of the passageway 126. The bottom end of the hose connects to
the upward extension 162 of the regulator which is formed with
internal gas passages 196. It will be understood that the inlet of
the solenoid valve is connected by means of a suitable one of these
passageways to the outlet of the regulator. Shown in FIG. 13 is the
top end of the upward extension 162. The inlet of the solenoid
valve is connected to the outlet of the regulator 160 at opening
270 while the outlet of the valve is connected to an opening at
271. The bottom end of hose 190 is connected to the outlet opening
at 272.
[0050] The gun 100 is also provided with a paintball shooting gas
valve 76 similar to the corresponding gas valve in the first
version of the gun and also mounted forwardly of the chamber
containing the hammer 42. This gas valve has a downward extension
20 which can be seen in FIG. 4 and an external hose (not shown but
similar to the hose 18 of FIG. 1) extends from the bottom of the
extension 20 to a side outlet for high pressure gas located at 200.
This side outlet can be formed in the side of the connector housing
12' which is internally threaded at 16' to receive a CO.sub.2
cylinder. As in the first version of the gun, the gas valve 76 is
adapted to be open by engagement by the hammer 42 in the front
shooting position to permit passage of pressurized gas from a
pressurized gas source (ie. the aforementioned CO.sub.2 cylinder)
to the barrel to propel the paintball. The gas valve 76 is mounted
in the upper body section 104 and it has an inlet in the downward
extension 20 connectible to the pressurized gas source. Again, this
valve 76 receives relatively high pressure gas usually having a
pressure of at least 600 psi or more and this valve has an outlet
opening into the bolt chamber of the breech section. When the
hammer engages a gas releasing pin 202 at the rear end of the
valve, the valve 76 will be open for a brief period of time
sufficient to shoot the paintball at an appropriate speed. The
valve 76 can be considered part of a first pneumatic circuit in the
gun for delivering propellant gas at a relatively high pressure to
the barrel.
[0051] Also shown in FIG. 4 is the location of a standard DC
battery 204 which in this gun is located in the lower body section
above the trigger. In a preferred version of this gun, the battery
is a 9 volt battery that is connected by its terminals to the
circuit board 154 in a manner described in more detail below. The
battery is the power source for the electronic circuit which in a
preferred version will switch off automatically under predetermined
conditions (such as a period of non-use) in order to save the life
of the battery. It will also be understood that means (not shown)
are provided for gaining access to the battery compartment in the
handle, for example, a removable battery cover can be provided in
the lower body section 106 on one side of the battery chamber.
[0052] In one preferred embodiment of the gun, the solenoid valve
12 is a standard valve operable on six volts, such as model EV-3M
6VDC available from Clippard, a U.S. company.
[0053] Reference will now be made to FIG. 12 which illustrates a
preferred form of electronic circuit for controlling the pneumatic
circuit which includes the aforementioned solenoid valve 152. In
the illustrated circuit, the 9 volt battery 204 with its terminals
is indicated on the right side and the solenoid valve 152 is
indicated on the left side. The basic electronic circuit as
illustrated includes two integrated circuits identified as U1 and
U2 and four transistors. Preferably U1 is an eight bit
microcomputer such as MCU Model PIC12C508/SO available from
Microchip. This particular microcomputer has built-in internal R/C
oscillation, an internal power up reset, and LED direct drive
capability and is one time programmable. The voltage to the
microcomputer U1 is controlled and regulated by voltage regulator
U2 such as the regulator part No. UA78L05C/SO. This regulator is
able to provide a positive 5 volts V.sub.CC which powers the
capacitors C1 and C2 and the microcomputer.
[0054] The voltage level provided is monitored by a brown out
circuit indicated at 210. The purpose of this circuit is to reset
the microcomputer and prevent its operation when the voltage being
provided is below a certain level, for example, 4 volts. Once the
voltage level across V.sub.BE is less than 0.7 volts, the
transistor Q4 will be switched off from the V.sub.CC and the
resistance of R.sub.4 (which is one tenth of the internal pull up
value on the master clear (MCLR) pin) will pull down the voltage
level on the MCLR pin to a point that the microcomputer is put in a
reset state. This brown out circuit is desirable due to the rapid
On/Off of the power On/Off switch which may induce voltage
fluctuation that could incorrectly reset the microcomputer U1.
[0055] Another significant aspect of the illustrated circuit is an
electronic ON/OFF switch indicated at 212. The transistors Q1 and
Q2 provide this electronic ON/OFF switch. Any bias current across
Q1 BE junction will cause Q1 to conduct. The transistor Q2 acts as
a latch to supply power to the electronic circuit once the
microcomputer has been turned on and after the power ON/OFF switch
is released. A suitable transistor for Q1 is MMBT 3906 while a
suitable transistor for Q2 is MMBT 3904. The resistance R8 puts the
transistor Q1 in reverse bias in the OFF state. The resistance R7
which is located between transistors Q1 and Q2 limits the bias
current across Q1 and the collector current into Q2.
[0056] The circuit of FIG. 12 includes three mechanically operated
or manually operated electrical switches SW1, SW2 and SW3. The
switch SW1 is a manual power ON/OFF switch which can, for example,
be located on a side of the gun handle 14. This switch permits the
user of a gun to switch the circuit to the ON condition so that the
gun can be operated. The switch SW2 is used for setting the firing
sequence of the gun. In one preferred electronic circuit the firing
sequences that are available are one shot, two shot, three shot,
and five shots for each trigger pull or automatic fire. The user
can select which firing sequence he wants by simply pushing the
switch button or pin the number of times that he wants the gun to
fire for each trigger pull. In other words, if the switch SW2 is
pushed twice, the firing sequence will be two paintballs fired for
each trigger pull. The selected firing sequence will be indicated
by the flashing sequence of the light emitting diode (LED) D1. A
fire-select routine of the program of the microcomputer causes the
LED diode to flash in this manner and once the firing sequence is
selected, this routine will wait until the selection key is
released before it goes back to the main loop of the program. The
switch SW3 is the switch operated by the trigger 54. A suitable
switch for SW1 and SW2 is switch part TS-1143 while a suitable
switch for SW3 is switch part TS-1131V.
[0057] It will be understood that the transistor Q3 is a current
booster that drives the solenoid valve at 152 with the diode D5
acting to protect the back EMF from the solenoid valve. The diode
D6 located in a line between the battery and the electronic ON/OFF
switch is a polarity protector to protect the circuit should the 9
volt battery 204 be installed in wrong polarity. The item 214
indicated in the upper right corner of the circuit near the diode
D6 represents an optional additional ON/OFF switch that can be
manually operated. If this optional switch is not provided, then
the terminals for this switch are shorted. Also, the various small
square boxes shown in FIG. 12 and indicated by references 216 to
223 are simply test point locations used by the manufacturer of the
electronic circuit.
[0058] Once the transistor Q2 is conducting, it grounds the signal
path on GPO, GP1 of the microcomputer U1 to inform the computer
that the electronic circuit will be switched OFF. The diodes D2 and
D3 are used to avoid cross-conduction between GPO and GP1 while the
diode D4 is used to block current flow in the reverse direction,
along conduction path 230 that extends between the switch SW1 and
the electronic switch 212. The resistor R13 located between Q4 and
the microcomputer is used to isolate the brown out circuit for
In-circuit programming, that is, programming the one time
programmable circuit board.
[0059] In one preferred, programmed electronic circuit for the gun
of this invention, the ON time for the solenoid valve is fixed at
15 mS and 17 mS for shots after the first, thus allowing more gas
flow for repeating shots. The maximum shots per second are limited
to eight shots per second in the preferred program in order to give
sufficient loading time for each paintball to drop into the gun
breech under natural gravitational force.
[0060] Set out below is a list of the resistors used in the
preferred circuit of FIG. 12 along with resistance values in a
particular preferred version of this circuit:
1 RESISTORS SIZE R1 68K R2 330K R3 33K R4 4K7 R5 150 R6 33K R7 4K7
R8 4K7 R9 33K R10 33K R11 470 R12 4K7 R13 470
[0061] With respect to the diodes used in a preferred version of
the circuit of FIG. 12, the diodes that can be used are as
follows:
2 DIODES IDENTIFIED D1 LED D2 LL4148 D3 LL4148 D4 LL4148 D5 DL4001
D6 DL4001
[0062] All of the diodes have a threshold value of 0.7V.
[0063] With respect to the capacitors used in this preferred
circuit, the capacitance values are as follows:
3 C1 100 nF C2 22 uF
[0064] The microcomputer U1 is programmed in the following manner.
After the power is reset, the microcomputer U1 initializes the I/O
direction register. The I/O ports are set which latches the
electronic ON/OFF switch 212 into the "ON" state. The RAM is
cleared and the following parameters are set:
[0065] 1) Set the ON time for the solenoid valve 152.
[0066] 2) Set the period to fire a single shot.
[0067] 3) Initialize the time interval to run the routines.
[0068] 4) Initialize the default number of fires per trigger pull
(default=single shot per trigger pull).
[0069] 5) Turn on the LED.
[0070] The program will wait until the power ON/OFF switch is
released by the user and then the program will loop around the main
loop routine to check if any key has been pressed, for example, the
selection switch or the trigger switch. If the trigger has been
pressed, it will go to a routine to turn on the solenoid and loop
around to complete the number of shots that have been selected.
Then it will wait until the trigger is released before it returns
to the main loop routine.
[0071] If the switch for the shot selection has been pressed, it
will go to a firing routine to change the number of shots fired per
trigger pull. In a preferred embodiment, the possibilities that can
be selected include one shot, two shot, three shot or five shots
per trigger pull, or automatic firing. Once selected, it will
change the flashing sequence of the LED to indicate the new setting
and wait until the selection key is released before it goes back to
the main loop routine. If the program detects that both the trigger
switch and the selection switch have been pressed simultaneously,
it will assume that this is a power OFF signal and turn the LED
OFF. The program then waits until the switch or switches are
released and turns off the latch on transistor Q1 and goes into a
dead loop until the power is cut.
[0072] Note that in any program loop in the main program, a timer
routine will be called upon. This is a timer service routine served
every 1 mS. It is the timer routine in the microcomputer which
enables the microcomputer to turn the solenoid value to the ON
position for the required time intervals, for example, 15 mS or 17
mS.
[0073] The gun 100 can be provided with any suitable form of known
safety mechanism to prevent the gun from accidentally being fired.
The illustrated gun 100 is provided with a known type of safety
mechanism, this mechanism including a safety spring 250 and a
safety pin 251. In a known manner the spring 250 biases upwardly a
small ball bearing located at the top thereof. This bearing can
engage one of two small, annular grooves extending about one end
section of the pin 250 in order to hold it in the desired position.
The horizontal pin 250 has a central groove or recess that, when
aligned with the horizontal extension of the trigger, will allow
the trigger to be pulled and the gun shot. Also shown in FIG. 4 is
a small spring at 252 to bias the trigger away from the firing
position.
[0074] It will be appreciated that various modifications and
changes can be made to the paintball guns as described herein
without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.
Accordingly, all such modifications and changes as fall within the
scope of the appended claims are intended to be part of this
invention.
* * * * *