Paintball gun and method

Abstract

A paintball gun provides a double-acting trigger apparatus including a pair of finger engagement surfaces against which a user of the gun may employ a pair of trigger fingers. The user of the paintball gun may effect a firing operation of the gun by using either one of the two fingers to pull the trigger. Consequently, rapid firing operations of the gun are effected by dithering the two trigger fingers in rapid alternating motions to apply pressure on and off the two trigger engagement surfaces. Further, the paintball gun includes a programmable, microprocessor-based controller allowing the gun to be fired in response to a chosen discreet event in time. This chosen discreet event may include the opening and/or closing of a pair of switch contacts, for example; or the making or breaking of an electrical circuit effected between conductive components of the paintball gun. Movements of the double-acting trigger apparatus will result in plural discreet events separated in time, so that plural rapid-sequence firing operations of the paintball gun may be accomplished. Accordingly, a very high cyclic rate of fire is possible with a semi-automatic paint ball gun according to this invention.

1 . A paint ball gun having a body carrying a barrel, said body including a grip frame, and a double-acting trigger apparatus, said double-acting trigger apparatus comprising a pair of finger-engagement surfaces moving in opposition to one another and defining a neutral non-firing position, and said trigger apparatus providing a pair of firing positions displaced from said neutral position and each of which can be accessed by finger pressure on a respective one of said pair of finger-engagement surfaces, a device closing an electrical circuit in response to movement of said trigger apparatus to either one of said pair of firing positions, and a controller associated with said trigger apparatus for effecting a firing action of said gun to discharge a paint ball from said barrel in response to closing of said electrical circuit; wherein said trigger apparatus includes a pair of oppositely extending integral trigger wings each providing a respective one of said pair of finger engagement surfaces, and said device closing an electrical circuit in response to movement of said trigger apparatus to either one of said pair of firing positions including a stem electrically isolated from said grip frame and electrically connecting with said controller, and said trigger apparatus including a boss defining a pair of spaced apart blades embracing but not touching said stem in said neutral position of said trigger apparatus so that each of said pair of blades defines a respective gap with said stem, and in each of said pair of firing positions a respective one of said blades contacting and making electrical contact with said stem to complete a circuit including said trigger apparatus, said stem, and said controller.  
   
   
       2 . A paint ball gun having a body carrying a barrel, said body including a grip frame, and a double-acting trigger apparatus, said double-acting trigger apparatus comprising a pair of finger-engagement surfaces moving independently of one another and each defining both a neutral non-firing position and a firing position displaced from said neutral position which can be accessed by finger pressure on said finger-engagement surface, a pair of switch devices each closing an electrical circuit in response to movement of said trigger apparatus to either one of said firing positions, and a controller associated with said trigger apparatus for effecting a firing action of said gun to discharge a paint ball from said barrel in response to closing of said electrical circuit.  
   
   
       3 . The paint ball gun of  claim 2  wherein said trigger apparatus includes a pair of oppositely extending independent trigger wings each providing a respective one of said pair of finger-engagement surfaces.  
   
   
       4 . The paint ball gun of  claim 3 , wherein said pair of trigger wings is each independently pivotally attached to said grip frame.  
   
   
       5 . The paint ball gun of  claim 4 , wherein one of said pair of trigger wings is pivotally attached to an upper extent of said grip frame at a trigger guard thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The paint ball gun of  claim 4 , wherein one of said pair of trigger wings is pivotally attached to a lower extent of said grip frame at a trigger guard thereof.  
   
   
       7 . The paint ball gun of  claim 6  wherein said trigger apparatus includes a pair of elongate independent trigger wings each extending from an upper extent of said grip frame at a trigger guard thereof.  
   
   
       8 . The paint ball gun of  claim 7 , wherein said pair of trigger wings is pivotally attached to an upper extent of said grip frame at a trigger guard thereof by a single pivot pin.  
   
   
       9 . The paint ball gun of  claim 8 , wherein one of said pair of trigger wings is substantially longer than the other of said pair of trigger wings in order to provide a lower one of said pair of finger engagement surfaces, and said one trigger wing includes a recessed portion disposed behind the other of said pair of trigger wings, so that a finger applying pressure to said other trigger wing cannot also inadvertently apply pressure to said one trigger wing.  
   
   
       10 . A method of operating a paint ball gun, said paint ball gun including a body carrying a barrel, a grip frame, and a double-acting trigger apparatus, said method comprising steps of: 
 providing said double-acting trigger apparatus with a pair of finger-engagement surfaces moving in opposition to one another;    providing said double acting trigger apparatus with a neutral non-firing position;    providing for said double-acting trigger apparatus to move to each one of a pair of firing positions each displaced from said neutral position;    allowing a user of said paint ball gun to access each of said pair of firing positions by finger pressure on a respective one of said pair of finger-engagement surfaces; and    utilizing a singular switching device to close an electrical circuit in response to movement of said trigger apparatus to either one of said pair of firing positions to effect a firing action of said paint ball gun;    whereby said firing action of said paint ball gun discharges a paint ball from said barrel    further including the steps of: providing said singular switch with a stem which is electrically isolated from said grip frame, and providing said trigger apparatus with a pair of spaced apart blades cooperatively embracing but in said neutral position of said trigger apparatus not touching said stem so that each blade defines a fine-dimension gap with said stem, providing for a respective one of said pair of blade members to engage and make electrical contact with said stem in response to said trigger apparatus moving to one of said pair of firing positions to close an electrical circuit, and effecting a firing action of said paint ball gun in response to closing of said electrical circuit.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  further including the steps of: providing said double-acting trigger apparatus with a pair of independently moving trigger wings each providing a respective one of said pair of finger engagement surfaces; providing for both of said trigger wings to define a respective neutral non-firing position and a firing position displaced from said neutral position which can be accessed by finger pressure on said finger-engagement surface, utilizing a pair of switch devices each closing an electrical circuit in response to movement of said trigger apparatus to either one of said firing positions, and providing a controller associated with said trigger apparatus for effecting a firing action of said gun to discharge a paint ball from said barrel in response to closing of said electrical circuit.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  further including the steps of: providing said double-acting trigger apparatus with a pair of oppositely extending independent trigger wings each providing a respective one of said pair of finger-engagement surfaces.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  further including the steps of: providing said double-acting trigger apparatus with a pair of oppositely extending independent trigger wings one of which is pivotally attached to an upper extent of said grip frame at a trigger guard thereof.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  further including the steps of: providing said double-acting trigger apparatus with a pair of elongate independent trigger wings each extending from an upper extent of said grip frame at a trigger guard thereof, and further configuring one of said pair of trigger wings to be substantially longer than the other of said pair of trigger wings in order to provide a lower one of said pair of finger engagement surfaces, and configuring said one trigger wing to include a recessed portion disposed behind the other of said pair of trigger wings, so that a finger applying pressure to said other trigger wing cannot also inadvertently apply pressure to said one trigger wing.