U.S. patent application number 14/276666 was filed with the patent office on 2016-02-04 for paintball gun having internal pressure regulator.
This patent application is currently assigned to SUNWORLD INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is SUNWORLD INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Yi-Tsong Chen.
Application Number | 20160033229 14/276666 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43061620 |
Filed Date | 2016-02-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160033229 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; Yi-Tsong |
February 4, 2016 |
PAINTBALL GUN HAVING INTERNAL PRESSURE REGULATOR
Abstract
A paintball gun having an internal pressure regulator is
provided. The paintball gun includes a body, a launching tunnel, a
rear lead shaft, the pressure regulator, and a back cover. A hollow
barrel of the body allows the launching tunnel and the rear lead
shaft to be accommodated successively therein. The pressure
regulator is received in the rear lead shaft. The back cover is
screwed to the body. Thereby, pressurized air coming from a gas
cylinder is directly introduced to the pressure regulator so as for
the paintball gun to dispense with any external air duct. Thus, the
paintball gun poses no risk of duct burst and requires less
assembling operation and fewer fixtures, thus reducing
manufacturing costs.
Inventors: |
Chen; Yi-Tsong; (Tainan
City, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SUNWORLD INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. |
Tainan Hsien |
|
TW |
|
|
Assignee: |
SUNWORLD INDUSTRIAL CO.,
LTD.
Tainan Hsien
TW
|
Family ID: |
43061620 |
Appl. No.: |
14/276666 |
Filed: |
May 13, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13933026 |
Jul 1, 2013 |
8720427 |
|
|
14276666 |
|
|
|
|
13478542 |
May 23, 2012 |
RE44328 |
|
|
13933026 |
|
|
|
|
12437420 |
May 7, 2009 |
7861704 |
|
|
13478542 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
124/73 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 137/7793 20150401;
F41B 11/721 20130101; F41B 11/72 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F41B 11/72 20060101
F41B011/72 |
Claims
1. A paintball gun comprising: a body, including: a hollow barrel
having a first chamber; a first channel; a second channel; and a
third channel; wherein the second channel and the third channel
communicate with the first chamber, and a retaining flange is
provided so as for the retaining flange to be adjacent to the third
channel; a launching tunnel shaped as a hollow tube and having: one
end defined as an intake end and an opposite end defined as an
outlet end; and a retainer circumferentially provided inside the
launching tunnel and provided with a buffer ring and a first
airtight ring; wherein the launching tunnel is such received in the
hollow barrel that the retainer is positioned between the second
channel and the third channel of the first chamber; a rear lead
shaft disposed in the first chamber of the hollow barrel, including
a first end and an opposing second end, and having: a piston block
disposed at the first end and provided with a second airtight ring
for being fittingly coupled with the intake end of the launching
tunnel; and a stepped tunnel provided at the second end of the rear
lead shaft and having a fourth channel and a fifth channel,
allowing the fourth channel to correspond in position to and
communicate with the second channel of the first chamber in the
body and the fifth channel to correspond in position to and
communicate with the first channel of the first chamber in the
body; a pressure regulator disposed; and a back cover screwed to
the body and centrally formed with a through hole.
2. A paintball gun, comprising: a body comprising: a hollow barrel
comprising: a first chamber; a launching tunnel having an intake
end and an outlet end, wherein the launching tunnel is in
communication with the hollow barrel and in selective communication
with the first chamber; a rear shaft, including a first end and an
opposing second end, wherein the first end of the rear shaft is
distal from the outlet end of the launching tunnel; a pressure
regulator, and a grip comprising: a first connector for connecting
to a source of pressurized gas; and an internal channel in
communication with the first connector and the body to allow
pressurized gas to flow from the source of pressurized gas to
body.
3. The paintball gun of claim 2, wherein the pressure regulator is
disposed in the rear shaft, and the body further comprising: a
first opening in communication with a second chamber in the
pressure regulator and the source of pressurized gas; a second
opening in selective communication with the first chamber and the
second chamber; a third opening in selective communication with the
source of pressurized gas, wherein the first chamber is in
communication with the launching tunnel during percussion, and
wherein the third opening being in communication with the source of
pressurized gas will cause the first chamber to not be in
communication with the launching tunnel.
4. The paintball gun of claim 3 wherein the source of pressurized
gas is a gas cylinder.
5. The paintball gun of claim 4 wherein the rear shaft comprises a
stepped tunnel having a stepped surface and wherein the pressure
regulator is disposed in the stepped tunnel.
6. The paintball gun of claim 5 wherein the pressure regulator
abuts against the stepped surface of the stepped tunnel.
7. The paintball gun of claim 2 wherein the pressure regulator
comprises a member configured to allow a user to adjust the
capacity of the regulator.
8. The paintball gun of claim 7 wherein the member configured to
allow a user to adjust the capacity of the regulator comprises a
screw member.
9. The paintball gun of claim 7 wherein the body further comprises
a back cover, wherein the back cover comprises a through hole for a
user to adjust the capacity of the internal pressure regulator.
10. The paintball gun of claim 9 wherein the back cover is
selectively removable.
11. A paintball gun, comprising: a body comprising: a rear shaft,
including a first end and an opposing second end, a launching
tunnel having an intake end and an outlet end, wherein the
launching tunnel is in selective communication with the pressure
regulator, wherein the first end of the rear shaft is distal from
the outlet end of the launching tunnel, a first opening in
communication with the pressure regulator and a source of
pressurized gas, a second opening in selective communication with
the launching tunnel and the pressure regulator, and a third
opening in selective communication with the source of pressurized
gas, wherein the pressure regulator is in communication with the
launching tunnel during percussion, and wherein the third opening
being in communication with the source of pressurized gas will
cause pressure regulator to not be in communication with the
launching tunnel; and a grip comprising: a first connector for
connecting to the source of pressurized gas, and an internal
channel in communication with the first connector and the body to
allow pressurized gas to flow from the source of pressurized gas to
the pressure regulator; and a pressure regulator.
12. The paintball gun of claim 11 wherein the source of pressurized
gas is a gas cylinder.
13. The paintball gun of claim 12 wherein the rear shaft comprises
a stepped tunnel having a stepped surface and wherein the pressure
regulator is disposed in the stepped tunnel.
14. The paintball gun of claim 13 wherein the pressure regulator
abuts against the stepped surface of the stepped tunnel.
15. The paintball gun of claim 12 wherein the pressure regulator
comprises a member configured to allow a user to adjust the
capacity of the regulator.
16. The paintball gun of claim 15 wherein the member configured to
allow a user to adjust the capacity of the regulator comprises a
screw member.
17. The paintball gun of claim 15 wherein the body further
comprises a back cover, wherein the back cover comprises a through
hole for a user to adjust the capacity of the internal pressure
regulator.
18. The paintball gun of claim 17 wherein the back cover is
selectively removable.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/933,026, filed Jul. 1, 2013 and now
pending, which is a continuation of U.S. Reissue patent application
Ser. No. 13/478,542, filed May 23, 2012 and now granted as RE44328,
which is a reissue of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/437,420,
filed May 7, 2009 and now U.S. Pat. No. 7,861,704, all of which are
incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The present invention relates to paintball guns and, more
particularly, to a paintball gun incorporating therein a pressure
regulator. Since the paintball gun of the present invention
dispenses with the use of any external air duct, it poses no risk
of duct burst and is extremely safe in operation.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Paintball survival games have long been a form of popular
leisure activity in western society, and are now becoming more and
more prevalent in Taiwan. In the games, paintball guns and
paintballs are used as weapons for shooting hypothetical enemies.
For facilitating percussion, a paintball gun is typically equipped
with a gas cylinder filled with pressurized air as its power source
to rapidly and continuously shoot out paintballs. Conventionally, a
regulator is provided between the gas cylinder and an air reservoir
in the paintball gun for regulating the flow of the pressurized air
running from the gas cylinder into the air reservoir so as to
control inlet-air pressure. Referring to FIG. 5, a traditional
paintball gun comprises a barrel A including the air reservoir A1
that has a threaded open end A2 for the regulator B to be attached
thereto. Besides, the gas cylinder C connected with the lower side
of the barrel A has an air duct D for introducing pressurized air
into the barrel. The regulator B provides a bent portion to retain
one end of the air duct D by means of clamping.
[0006] Some defects of the traditional paintball gun have been
recognized.
[0007] Firstly, the air duct connected between the regulator and
the gas cylinder has to be manufactured and assembled very
precisely in terms of dimensions or else duct burst tends to happen
at joints between the air duct and the regulator as well as the gas
cylinder, endangering users.
[0008] Furthermore, in order to prevent duct burst that can
seriously injure users, connection and fixation parts used at the
joints have to be very precise, thus incurring high manufacturing
costs.
[0009] At last, since the regulator is attached to the open end of
the air reservoir, both the regulator and the air duct are exposed
from the barrel, which is dangerous because a plethora of parts put
together tend to get loosened when inadvertently colliding with
each other.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] In view of the shortcomings of the traditional paintball
gun, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a
paintball gun having an internal pressure regulator so as to
dispense with any external air duct, and it poses no risk of duct
burst, thus being safe to users.
[0011] The paintball gun having an internal pressure regulator
primarily comprises: a body including a hollow barrel that has a
first chamber, a first channel, a second channel, and a third
channel, wherein the second channel and the third channel
communicate with the first chamber, and a retaining flange is
provided so as for the retaining flange to be adjacent to the third
channel; a launching tunnel shaped as a hollow tube and having: one
end defined as an intake end and an opposite end defined as an
outlet end, and a retainer circumferentially provided inside the
launching tunnel and provided with a buffer ring and a first
airtight ring, wherein the launching tunnel is such received in the
hollow barrel that the retainer is positioned between the second
channel and the third channel of the first chamber; a rear lead
shaft disposed in the first chamber of the hollow barrel, including
a first end and an opposing second end, and having a piston block
disposed at the first end and provided with a second airtight ring
for being fittingly coupled with the intake end of the launching
tunnel, and a stepped tunnel provided at the second end of the rear
lead shaft and having a fourth channel and a fifth channel, wherein
the fourth channel corresponds in position to and communicates with
the second channel of the first chamber in the body, and the fifth
channel corresponds in position to and communicates with the first
channel of the first chamber in the body; the pressure regulator
disposed in the stepped tunnel of the rear lead shaft to abut
against a stepped surface of the stepped tunnel; and a back cover
screwed to the body and centrally formed with a through hole.
[0012] The pressure regulator comprises: a propping member,
tube-shaped and tapered, abutting against the stepped surface of
the stepped tunnel of the rear lead shaft and having a first
stepped surface located between a third airtight ring and a fourth
airtight ring that are both mounted around the propping member; a
sleeve having a second stepped surface facing the first stepped
surface of the propping member, a second chamber formed centrally
in the sleeve, a first threaded hole, and a sixth channel in
communication with the second chamber and the fifth channel of the
rear lead shaft; a spring member disposed between the first stepped
surface of the propping member and the second stepped surface of
the sleeve; and a screw member screwed into the first threaded hole
of the sleeve and having a second threaded hole that receives a
seal pad for closely abutting against the propping member, and a
fifth airtight ring, partially embedded in the screw member.
[0013] Therein, the spring member is a disc spring.
[0014] The paintball gun of the present invention thereby achieves
at least the following advantages:
[0015] 1. Since there is no external air duct connected to the
pressure regulator, the paintball gun requires less assembling
operation and fewer connection fixtures and parts, thus
facilitating reduction of manufacturing costs, as compared with the
prior art;
[0016] 2. Streamlining assembling operation and using less
connection fixtures and parts further reduce the risk of parts
coming off or getting loose; and
[0017] 3. Since the pressurized air is directly introduced into the
seventh channel inside the grip from the gas cylinder, the overall
intake stroke is short and the efficiency of pressure refill is
improved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further
objectives and advantages thereof will be best understood by
reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative
embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a sectional drawing of a paintball gun of the
present invention;
[0020] FIG. 2 shows the paintball gun supplied with pressurized air
before percussion of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates the paintball gun in percussion of the
present invention;
[0022] FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of a pressure regulator
of the paintball gun of the present invention; and
[0023] FIG. 5 (PRIOR ART) depicts a conventional paintball gun.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0024] Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 for a paintball gun having
an internal pressure regulator according to the present invention.
As can be seen in the drawings, the paintball gun comprises a body
1, a launching tunnel 2, a rear lead shaft 3, the pressure
regulator 4 and a back cover 5.
[0025] The body 1 has a hollow barrel 11 that includes a first
chamber 12. The body 1 is further formed with a first channel 13, a
second channel 14, and a third channel 15. Therein, the second
channel 14 and the third channel 15 communicate with the first
chamber 12. A retaining flange 151 is formed so as for the
retaining flange 151 to be adjacent to a front end of the third
channel 15.
[0026] The launching tunnel 2 is shaped as a hollow tube with one
end defined as an intake end 21 and an opposite end defined as an
outlet end 22. A retainer 23 is circumferentially formed inside the
launching tunnel 2. The retainer 23 is provided with a buffer ring
231 and a first airtight ring 232. The launching tunnel 2 is such
received in the hollow barrel 11 that the retainer 23 is positioned
between the second channel 14 and the third channel 15 of the first
chamber 12. In other words, the retainer 23 has a shift stroke
defined between the second channel 14 and the third channel 15 of
the first chamber 12.
[0027] The rear lead shaft 3 is disposed in the first chamber 12 of
the hollow barrel 11 and has a first end and an opposing second
end. A piston block 31 disposed at the first end is provided with a
second airtight ring 32 for being fittingly coupled with the intake
end 21 of the launching tunnel 2. A stepped tunnel 33 provided at
the second end of the rear lead shaft 3 communicates with a fourth
channel 331 and a fifth channel 332. The fourth channel 331
corresponds in position to and communicates with the second channel
14 of the first chamber 12 in the body 1. The fifth channel 332
corresponds in position to and communicates with the first channel
13 of the first chamber 12 in the body 1.
[0028] The pressure regulator 4 is disposed in the stepped tunnel
33 of the rear lead shaft 3.
[0029] The pressure regulator 4 comprises a propping member 41, a
sleeve 42, a spring member 43, and a screw member 44.
[0030] The propping member 41 is a taper tube abutting against a
stepped surface of the stepped tunnel 33 of the rear lead shaft 3.
The propping member 41 has a first stepped surface 411 located
between a third airtight ring 412 and a fourth airtight ring 413
that are both mounted around the propping member 41.
[0031] The sleeve 42 has a second stepped surface 421 facing the
first stepped surface 411 of the propping member 41 and is
centrally formed with a second chamber 422. The sleeve 42 is
further formed with a first threaded hole 423. Moreover, the sleeve
42 is provided with a sixth channel 424 in communication with the
second chamber 422 and the fifth channel 332 of the rear lead shaft
3.
[0032] The spring member 43 is a disc spring disposed between the
first stepped surface 411 of the propping member 41 and the second
stepped surface 421 of the sleeve 42.
[0033] The screw member 44 is screwed into the first threaded hole
423 of the sleeve 42 and formed therein with a second threaded hole
441. A seal pad 442 is received in the second threaded hole 441 for
closely abutting against the propping member 41. In addition, a
fifth airtight ring 443 is partially embedded in the screw member
44.
[0034] The back cover 5 is screwed to the body 1 and centrally
formed with a through hole 51.
[0035] Besides, the first channel 13 allows pressurized air coming
from the gas cylinder 6 along a seventh channel 71 formed inside a
grip 7 to enter the body 1. Thus, the overall intake stroke is
short and the efficiency of pressure refill is improved. Meantime,
since there is no external air duct connected to the pressure
regulator 4, the paintball gun requires less assembling operation
and fewer fixtures and parts, thus facilitating reduction of
manufacturing costs, as compared with the prior art, thereby
reducing the risk of parts coming off or getting loose.
Additionally, a solenoid valve 8 is provided between the second
channel 14 and the third channel 15 of the body 1 for regulating
the pressure of air passing therethrough.
[0036] In an assembly process, referring to FIG. 1 again, the
launching tunnel 2 and the rear lead shaft 3 are successively
positioned in the first chamber 12 of the hollow barrel 11. At this
time, the second airtight ring 32 mounted around the piston block
31 of the rear lead shaft 3 is fittingly wedged into the intake end
21 of the launching tunnel 2. Then the pressure regulator 4 abuts
against the stepped surface on the stepped tunnel 33 of the rear
lead shaft 3. At last, the back cover 5 is screwed to the body 1,
thus finishing the assembly process.
[0037] Referring to FIG. 2, before percussion, the gas cylinder 6
communicates with the first channel 13 of the body 1 so as to allow
pressurized air to be introduced into the body 1 through the
seventh channel 71 inside the grip 7; meanwhile the pressurized air
runs forward along the fifth channel 332 of the rear lead shaft 3
and the sixth channel 424 of the sleeve 42 on the regulator 4 to
enter the second chamber 422. A negative pressure controlled by the
solenoid valve 8 also reaches the first chamber 12 of the body 1
through the fourth channel 331 of the rear lead shaft 3. At this
time, first chamber 12 acts as a room storing the pressurized air
while the pressurized air continuously runs into the first chamber
12 through the first channel 13 until the room is fully filled.
[0038] In percussion, referring to FIG. 3, the pressurized air from
the gas cylinder 6 enters the second chamber 422 of the sleeve 42
of the pressure regulator 4 and pushes the propping member 41
forward, so that the pressurized air arrives at the first chamber
12 of the body 1 through the fourth channel 331. Then the
pressurized air in the first chamber 12 thrusts toward the intake
end 21 of the launching tunnel 2, so as to make the retainer 23
slide toward the third channel 15 of the body 1. At this time, the
intake end 21 of the launching tunnel 2 shifts together with the
retainer 23 toward the second airtight ring 32 of the rear lead
shaft 3. Meantime, the retainer 23 at the opposite end of the
launching tunnel 2 moves forward along with the buffer ring 231 in
front of the retainer 23, which allows exhaust to occur by way of
the third channel 15. At last, the launching tunnel 2 disengages
from the second airtight ring 32 so that a gap is formed between
the rear lead shaft 3 and the intake end 21, allowing the
pressurized air in the first chamber 12 to proceed toward the
launching tunnel 2 through the intake end 21. Consequently, the
pressurized air spurts at the outlet end 22 and shoots a paintball
A out.
[0039] After percussion, infusion of pressurized air is started at
the third channel 15 and the pressurized air is continuously
supplied from the first channel 13, so that the retainer 23 moves
away from the third channel 15 toward the second channel 14. As a
result, the intake end 21 of the launching tunnel 2 returns to
contact the piston block 31 of the rear lead shaft 3 and finally
the second airtight ring 32 of the rear lead shaft 3 engages with
the intake end 21 of the launching tunnel 2 again, thus the
paintball gun getting prepared for the next percussion (as shown in
FIG. 2).
[0040] To adjust the capacity of the regulator 4, a tool accessing
the screw member 44 through the through hole 51 on the back cover 5
rotates the screw member 44 so that the sleeve 42 further
compresses or relatively releases the spring member 43 accordingly,
thereby changing the pressure of the incoming pressurized air.
* * * * *