U.S. patent application number 11/488440 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-08 for trigger assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to National Paintball Supply, Inc.. Invention is credited to Hans Christian Nygarrd, Rene Winberg.
Application Number | 20070051353 11/488440 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23164463 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070051353 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nygarrd; Hans Christian ; et
al. |
March 8, 2007 |
Trigger assembly
Abstract
A trigger assembly which enables trigger actuation to be
effected using a smaller amount of applied force than previously
known, which has a simple and inexpensive construction and an
assembly which without the need for expensive and time-consuming
maintenance continuously can be used in sport events. The assembly
includes a ram arranged for sliding to and fro in an associated
guidance between a retracted position and an advanced position
where the ram acted on by a compression spring is opening a gas
valve, and a pivotable sear arranged for in a first position to
hold the ram in retracted position by means of a first hook of the
sear engaging a second hook of the ram and in another position to
release said engagement. The trigger assembly further includes a
supporting device for in a first position to support the sear in
its first position and in a second position to allow the sear to
pivot from the first to the second position, and an arrangement
which by activating the trigger drives the supporting device from
its first to its second position. The invention can be applied to
rifles, air rifles, air hand guns, paint ball guns, toy guns and
the like and can be attached to or removed from a gun with great
ease and can be used by all persons, not least persons with weak
hands or fingers.
Inventors: |
Nygarrd; Hans Christian;
(Olstykke, DK) ; Winberg; Rene; (Frederiksberg C,
DK) |
Correspondence
Address: |
VOLPE AND KOENIG, P.C.
UNITED PLAZA, SUITE 1600
30 SOUTH 17TH STREET
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19103
US
|
Assignee: |
National Paintball Supply,
Inc.
Sewell
NJ
|
Family ID: |
23164463 |
Appl. No.: |
11/488440 |
Filed: |
July 17, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10743538 |
Dec 23, 2003 |
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11488440 |
Jul 17, 2006 |
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PCT/DK02/00430 |
Jun 26, 2002 |
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10743538 |
Dec 23, 2003 |
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60301695 |
Jun 28, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
124/73 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41A 19/58 20130101;
F41B 11/72 20130101; F41B 11/68 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
124/073 |
International
Class: |
F41B 11/00 20060101
F41B011/00 |
Claims
1. A firing assembly for an air gun, comprising: a valve for
controlling the flow of air from a compressed air supply to a
firing chamber; a ram moveable from a first position to a second
position in engagement with the valve, the ram biased by a first
spring to the second position; a pivotable sear moveable from a
first position engaging a portion of the ram and holding the ram in
its first position to a second position releasing the ram, the
pivotable sear biased to the first position by a second spring; a
pivoting arm having a fixed end and a free end, the pivoting arm
pivotable from a first position to a second position, the pivoting
arm biased to the first position by the second spring, the pivoting
arm including a roller located on its free end adjacent the sear; a
solenoid having a protrusion adjacent the pivoting arm moveable
from a first position to a second position, whereby the protrusion
pivots the pivoting arm about its fixed end against the spring bias
to its second position when the protrusion is in its second
position; and a trigger for actuating the solenoid.
2. The firing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting
arm pivots about an angle of between 5.degree. and 15.degree.
between the first and second positions.
3. The firing assembly of claim 1, further comprising further at
least one battery, a circuit connecting the battery with the
solenoid, and a switch for closing the circuit when being activated
by the trigger.
4. The firing assembly of claim 1, wherein the trigger travel is
less than 1 mm.
5. The firing assembly of claim 1, wherein the force necessary for
pulling the trigger is approximately 2-5 multiplied by the force of
gravity.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/743,538, filed Dec. 23, 2003, which is a
continuation of International application PCT/DK02/00430 filed Jun.
26, 2002, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated
herein by reference thereto, which claims the benefit of U.S.
provisional application No. 60/301,695 filed Jun. 28, 2001.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a trigger assembly for a
gun such as, e.g., a pneumatic paint ball gun, which comprises a
ram arranged for sliding to and fro in an associated guidance
between a retracted position and an advanced position where the ram
acted on by a compression spring is opening a gas valve, and a
pivotable sear arranged for in a first position to hold the ram in
retracted position by means of a first hook of the sear engaging a
second hook of the ram and in another position to release said
engagement
BACKGROUND
[0003] In recent years air gun competition sports has become very
popular. The point of such sports is typically to shoot a series of
projectiles so as to concentrate them at the centre of a target.
Such sports conventionally use air guns that include a trigger
mechanism which utilizes the resistant force of a spring to drive a
firing pin or piston. However, when aiming a gun equipped with such
a system, a loss of alignment occurs between gun sight (the barrel)
and target because trigger is pulled with improper force due to the
construction of commonly used trigger apparatus, resulting in a
loss of accuracy.
[0004] A system trying to overcome the above mentioned problems are
known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,891. This invention basically
comprises a pivotally moving sear having multiple pivot pins, one
of which is sequentially connected to multiple linkages also having
multiple pivot pins. When the trigger assembly is in a state of
engagement, the sear is perpendicular to the linkages. By actuation
of the trigger, the horizontal alignment of the linkages relative
to one another is slightly broken, resulting in the upset of the
perpendicular alignment of the sear relative to the linkages
through the multiple pivots.
[0005] The known system however has the drawback that it comprises
a high number of mechanical parts that correspondingly require a
high level of maintenance. Furthermore, since the system is
completely mechanical there must still be used a high level of
force and the system has a relatively high reloading time. Thus,
improvements in these systems are necessary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Therefore, the present invention now provides a trigger
assembly of the type as mentioned in the opening paragraph, which
enables trigger actuation to be effected using a smaller amount of
applied force than previously known, which has a lower reloading
time than the conventional devices, and which has a simple and
inexpensive construction and an assembly which can continuously be
used in sport events without the need for expensive and
time-consuming maintenance.
[0007] The novel and unique features according to the invention
include that the trigger assembly further comprises a supporting
device for in a first position to support the sear in its first
position and in a second position to allow the sear to pivot from
the firs; to the second position, and means which by activating the
trigger is arranged for driving the supporting device from its
first to its second position. This structure greatly improves
trigger actuation using minimal force. Furthermore, the trigger
assembly according to the invention can be used by all people, not
the least by persons with weak hands or fingers.
[0008] The invention also relates to a gun that includes the
trigger assembly described herein. The gun may be in the form or an
air rifle, air handgun, paint ball gun, or other toy gun.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The invention will be explained in greater detail below,
describing only an exemplary embodiment with reference to the
drawing, in which
[0010] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the
trigger assembly according to the invention in an engaged,
pre-firing state, and
[0011] FIG. 2 shows the same after disengagement.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] In an advantageous embodiment, the trigger assembly
comprises a spring for biasing the supporting device from its
second to its first position, ensuring that only minimal fiction is
applied during the movement. Furthermore, when the supporting
device is formed as a pivoting arm will the movement from the first
position when the arm is supporting the sear in its first position
to the second position where the sear is allowed to pivot from the
first to the second position, only have to be very small, which
will lead to very low energy consumption.
[0013] To ensure that only a minimal energy consumption is to be
used when firing the trigger assembly can the sear for engaging the
free end of the pivoting arm have a supporting area formed along a
curve which in the second positions of the sear and the pivot arm
has at least the same distance from the pivot of the pivot arm as
in the first positions. Experiments have shown that an especially
preferred embodiment is obtained when the pivot arm is pivoting an
angle of between 5 and 15.degree. between the first and second
position, leading to very low energy consumption with improved
trigger actuation. When a roller 50 or a ball bearing is mounted on
the free end of the pivot arm is the friction between the sear and
the supporting device minimized which lead to low energy
consumption.
[0014] Also, when the means for pivoting the supporting device from
its first to its second position comprises a solenoid--or a
pneumatic cylinder--with an armature having a protrusion abutting
the supporting arm, at least one battery, a circuit connecting the
battery with the solenoid, and a switch for closing the circuit
when being activated by the trigger, can the solenoid or the
pneumatic cylinder, due to the minimal force which must be used for
pivoting the sear from the first to the second position, be of a
very small size. This means that the trigger assembly either can be
constructed so that the device has a minimal size, or the extra
space can be used to place a larger battery--or number of
batteries--in the device giving the trigger assembly a longer
lifetime.
[0015] The invention can be applied to rifles, air rifles, air hand
guns, paint ball guns, toy guns and the like and can be attached to
or removed from a gun with great ease. In the appended drawings, it
is assumed that the trigger assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2 is attached
beneath a typical spring-power air gun. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a
preferred embodiment of the trigger assembly 1 according to the
invention. The trigger assembly is constructed with a ram 2, a
compression spring 3, a pivotable sear 4 and a pivoting arm 5.
[0016] The ram 2 is arranged for sliding to and fro in an
associated guidance 6 between a retracted position a and an
advanced position a' where the ram acted on by the compression 5
spring 3 is opening a gas valve 7. The pivotable sear 4 is arranged
for in a first position b to hold the ram 2 in retracted position a
by means of a first hook 8 of the sear engaging a second hook 9 of
the ram 2 and in another position by to release said engagement.
The pivoting arm 5 supports in a first position c the sear 4 in its
first position b and allows in a second position c' the sear 4 to
pivot from the first b to the second position b'.
[0017] The construction further comprises a solenoid 10, with an
armature having a protrusion 11 abutting the pivoting arm 5, two
batteries 12, a circuit 13 connecting the batteries with the
solenoid 10, and a switch 14 for closing the circuit when being
activated by the trigger 15. In FIGS. 1 and 2 it is shown that when
the user is pressing the trigger 11, this will activate the switch
10 which again will close the circuit 9 and start the shooting
sequence.
[0018] A short current impulse is given to the solenoid 10 which
will bring the protrusion 11 to pivot the pivoting arm 5 from its
first position c to its second position c' where the sear 4 is
pivoting from its first position b to its second position b'. This
will result in that the ram, due to the spring pressure of the
spring 3, will move from its retracted position a to the advanced
position a' where the gas valve 7 is opened. The opened gas valve 7
will by means of compressed air force the bullet (not shown) to be
discharged.
[0019] In order for the trigger assembly to recover will the
circuit 13 send a current impulse to the solenoid valve which will
open the air to the associated guidance 6. This will make the
backblock 16 pull the ram 2 back due to the bar 17. When the ram 2
is retracted from position a' to a during this movement will it
pass the sear 4. The sear 4 will due to a retracting spring 2 5 18
ensure that the sear 4 is pivoted from its second position b' to
its first position b. Likewise is the pivoting arm 5 forced by the
spring 18 back into its first position c, locking the sear 4 and
thereby the ram 2, by engaging the first hook 8 of the sear to the
second hook 9 of the ram 2. The construction has now returned to
its starting position ready for firing a new bullet.
[0020] Since the trigger assembly according to the invention is
attached beneath a typical 30 spring-power air gun, for example,
with a bullet simultaneously be placed in position for firing, the
specific actions in this connection will however depend on the air
gun used, but these actions are well known for the person skilled
in the art.
EXAMPLE
[0021] In the following examples are a WGP Autococker gun used both
with the trigger assembly according to the invention and with an
conventional trigger assembly.
[0022] The Firing/Reloading Time
[0023] The firing/reloading time is approximately 0.08-0.1 sec.
using the trigger assembly according to the invention, in relation
to 0.15-0.2 sec when using the conventional trigger assembly.
[0024] Use of Applied Force on the Trigger for Firing the Gun
[0025] The use of applied force on the trigger when firing the gun
is approximately 2-5 g with a trigger travel less than 1 mm when
using the trigger assembly according to the invention, whereas the
applied force with the conventional system is 20-30 g with a 3-5 mm
trigger travel.
* * * * *