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.

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.