Air Gun and Firing Stop Control Method

Abstract

The present invention relates to electronic control of an air gun in the form of a model gun, and that after any kind of shooting operation performs control so that a rotating wheel (sector gear) returns to a position where it does not mesh with a rack, and in so doing, improves the reliability of the mechanical mechanism of the gun, prevent degradation of the spring effect of the spring, and furthermore makes it possible to open the inside of the gun and to perform maintenance easily. The air gun comprises: a rack ( 18 ) that is located so that it is integrated with a piston ( 12 ); a sector gear ( 25 ) having a toothed section ( 33 ) on part of its circumference that meshes with the rack ( 18 ), and a non-toothed section ( 34 ) that does not mesh with the rack ( 18 ); a motor that drives the sector gear ( 25 ) by way of a deceleration-gear mechanism; a rotation-reference position ( 40 ) that is located on the sector gear ( 25 ); and a sensor ( 39 ), ( 44 ) that detects the rotation-reference position ( 40 ); where when the sensor ( 39 ), ( 40 ) detects the rotation-reference position ( 40 ) (FIG. 6 ( c )), power to the motor is turned OFF; the sector gear ( 25 ) stops at a position where the non-toothed section ( 34 ) of the sector gear ( 25 ) faces the rack ( 18 ) (FIG. 6 ( d )); and the piston ( 12 ) always returns to the starting position of the shooting operation.

1 . An air gun that uses compressed air generated by a piston to shoot bullets, comprising: a means for detecting an operation reference position of a drive system that drives said piston, and stopping the operation of said drive system at a specified position when said operation reference position is detected.  
   
   
       2 . An air gun that uses compressed air generated by a piston to shoot bullets, comprising: a means for detecting an operation reference position of a drive system that drives said piston, and stopping the operation of said drive system when said operation reference position is detected, so that it always returns to the starting position of the shooting operation.  
   
   
       3 . An air gun having a cylinder and a piston that is housed inside the cylinder, and that uses air that is compressed by the cylinder and piston to shoot bullets, and comprising: a rack that is located so that it is integrated with said piston; a sector gear having a toothed section on part of its circumference that meshes with said rack, and a non-toothed section that does not mesh with said rack; a motor that drives said sector gear by way of a deceleration-gear mechanism; a rotation-reference position that is located on said sector gear; and a sensor that detects said rotation-reference position; where when said sensor detects said rotation-reference position, power to said motor is turned OFF; said sector gear stops at a position where said non-toothed section of said sector gear faces said rack; and said piston always returns to the starting position of the shooting operation.  
   
   
       4 . The air gun of  claim 3  wherein detection of said rotation-reference position is performed by a photo detector detecting a hole for the rotation-reference position formed on part of said drive system.  
   
   
       5 . The air gun of  claim 4  wherein the detection signal from said photo detector is input to a microcomputer, and when said rotation-reference position is detected, said microcomputer generates and outputs an OFF signal for said motor that turns OFF the power to said motor.  
   
   
       6 . The air gun of the  claims 3  to  5  wherein the drive power supply of said motor comprises: a battery, motor, and MOS-FET that turns the power from the battery ON/OFF.  
   
   
       7 . An air gun comprising: a piston that is housed inside a cylinder; a spring that applies a force to said piston in the direction of a cylinder head that is located on one end of said cylinder; a rack that is fastened to the bottom of said piston so that it is integrated with said rack; a sector gear having a toothed section formed around its circumference that meshes with said rack, and a non-toothed section that does not mesh with the rack, and when said toothed section is meshed with the teeth of said rack, moves said rack against the force of said spring in a direction opposite that of said cylinder head; a motor that drives and rotates said sector gear; a rotation-reference-position-detection hole for detecting a rotation-reference position of said sector gear; a sensor that detects said rotation-reference-position-detection hole; and a means for cutting off the power to said motor when said sensor detects said rotation-reference-position-detection hole; wherein by having said rotation-reference-position-detection hole rotate to a specified position from the detected position so that the non-toothed section of said sector gear stops at a position that faces said rack, said spring force moves said piston in the direction of the cylinder head, and air that is compressed between a piston head located on said piston and said cylinder head is discharged from a center hole in said cylinder head in the direction of the barrel, and shoots a bullet through said barrel.  
   
   
       8 . The air gun of  claim 1  to  claim 2  wherein when said operation reference position is detected and said air gun is in the shooting stopped state, it is possible to open the gun body of said air gun around a hinge, so that it is possible to see at least part of said piston and said sector gear.  
   
   
       9 . The air gun of the  claims 3  to  7  wherein when said operation reference position is detected and said air gun is in the shooting stopped state, it is possible to open the gun body of said air gun around a hinge, so that it is possible to see at least part of said piston and said sector gear.  
   
   
       10 . A control method for an air gun that uses compressed air generated by a piston to shoot bullets that: detects an operation reference position of a drive system that drives said piston, and stops the operation of said drive system at a specified position when said operation reference position is detected.  
   
   
       11 . A control method for an air gun that uses compressed air generated by a piston to shoot bullets, that: detects an operation reference position of a drive system that drives said piston, and stops the operation of said drive system when said operation reference position is detected, so that it always returns to the starting position of the shooting operation.  
   
   
       12 . A control method for an air gun having a cylinder and a piston that is housed inside the cylinder, and that uses air that is compressed by the cylinder and piston to shoot bullets, and comprising: a rack that is located so that it is integrated with said piston; a sector gear having a toothed section on part of its circumference that meshes with said rack, and a non-toothed section that does not mesh with said rack; a motor that drives said sector gear by way of a deceleration-gear mechanism; a rotation-reference position that is located on said sector gear; and a sensor that detects said rotation-reference position; and that when said sensor detects said rotation-reference position, turns OFF power to said motor; stops said sector gear at a position where said non-toothed section of said sector gear faces said rack; and always returns said piston to the starting position of the shooting operation.  
   
   
       13 . The control method for an air gun of  claim 12  that performs detection of said rotation-reference position by a photo detector detecting a hole for the rotation-reference position formed on part of said drive system.  
   
   
       14 . The control method for an air gun of  claim 13  that inputs the detection signal from said photo detector to a microcomputer, and when said rotation-reference position is detected, said microcomputer generates and outputs an OFF signal for said motor that turns OFF the power to said motor.  
   
   
       15 . A control method of an air gun comprising: a piston that is housed inside a cylinder; a spring that applies a force to said piston in the direction of a cylinder head that is located on one end of said cylinder; a rack that is fastened to the bottom of said piston so that it is integrated with said rack; a sector gear having a toothed section formed around it circumference that meshes with said rack, and a non-toothed section that does not mesh with the rack, and when said toothed section is meshed with the teeth of said rack, moves said rack against the force of said spring in a direction opposite that of said cylinder head; a motor that drives and rotates said sector gear; a rotation-reference-position-detection hole for detecting a rotation-reference position of said sector gear; a sensor that detects said rotation-reference-position-detection hole; and a means for cutting off the power to said motor when said sensor detects said rotation-reference-position-detection hole; and performs control so that by having said rotation-reference-position-detection hole rotate to a specified position from the detected position so that the non-toothed section of said sector gear stops at a position that faces said rack, said spring force moves said piston in the direction of the cylinder head, and air that is compressed between a piston head located on said piston and said cylinder head is discharged from a center hole in said cylinder head in the direction of the barrel, and shoots a bullet through said barrel.