Variable pneumatic sear for paintball gun

Abstract

An improved paintball gun uses a low-pressure pneumatic sear to hold the firing valve closed against the high pressure gas occupying the other side of the valve. In this manner, only one operation is required between depressing the trigger and the firing of the paintball gun because a double-acting cylinder is not required as an interface between the trigger depression and actuation of the valve. The paintball gun is also substantially faster than existing electro-pneumatic paintball guns because it uses a blow forward bolt, in which higher-pressure gas is held directly behind the bolt and has only one direction to travel during the firing of the paintball gun.

1 . A pneumatic paintball gun, comprising: 
 a pneumatic piston slidably mounted in a cylinder, the cylinder configured to receive compressed gas and to supply the compressed gas to the pneumatic piston to control movement of the pneumatic piston;    a bolt coupled to the pneumatic piston, said bolt comprising a port configured to communicate compressed gas from a chamber to a forward end of the bolt for launching a paintball;    a sealing member arranged in communication with the bolt, wherein the sealing member is configured to prevent compressed gas from the compressed gas storage area from entering the bolt port when the bolt is in a first position and to permit compressed gas to be released into the bolt port when the bolt is in a second position;    a supply port for supplying compressed gas to the compressed gas storage area;    a solenoid valve configured to supply compressed gas to a forward surface area of the bolt piston to hold the bolt in an open position;    wherein the solenoid valve is configured to vent compressed gas from the forward surface area of the bolt piston to allow the bolt to move to a closed position and to allow the release of compressed gas from the compressed gas storage chamber through the bolt port to fire the paintball gun.    
     
     
         2 . A paintball gun according to  claim 1 , wherein the solenoid valve is a three-way solenoid valve.  
     
     
         3 . A paintball gun according to  claim 2 , wherein the three-way solenoid valve is normally-opened to direct compressed gas from a compressed gas source to the forward surface area of the bolt piston when the solenoid is deactuated.  
     
     
         4 . A paintball gun according to  claim 3 , wherein the three-way solenoid valve is configured to vent compressed gas away from the forward surface area of the bolt piston when the solenoid is actuated in response to a firing signal.  
     
     
         5 . A paintball gun according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second sealing member arranged in proximity with the supply port and configured to permit compressed gas to enter the compressed gas storage area when the bolt is in a first position and to prevent compressed gas from entering the compressed gas storage area from the supply port when the bolt is in a second position.  
     
     
         6 . A paintball gun according to  claim 1 , further comprising a vent port arranged through the bolt to vent compressed gas from a rearward end of the bolt through the forward end of the bolt, to prevent back pressure on the bolt.  
     
     
         7 . A paintball gun according to  claim 1 , wherein a sealing member is configured to prevent compressed gas from entering a compressed gas storage chamber when the bolt is in a closed position.  
     
     
         8 . A paintball gun according to  claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic piston comprises a second surface area arranged in communication with the compressed gas storage area.  
     
     
         9 . A paintball gun according to  claim 8 , wherein compressed gas from the compressed gas storage area acts on the second piston surface area to cause the bolt to move to a closed position when compressed gas is vented away from the forward surface area of the bolt piston.  
     
     
         10 . A paintball gun according to  claim 1 , further comprising a paintball detection system, said paintball detection system comprising a circuit board arranged in a groove formed in a breech portion of the pneumatic housing.  
     
     
         11 . A paintball gun according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second pneumatic piston configured to shut off or restrict the supply of compressed gas to compressed gas storage chamber during firing operation.  
     
     
         12 . A paintball gun according to  claim 1 , further comprising a clamp for pinching supply tube to shut off or restrict supply of compressed gas to compressed gas storage chamber during firing operation.  
     
     
         13 . A piston rod assembly for a paintball gun, comprising: a plurality of vent channels disposed longitudinally along a piston rod to communicate compressed gas from a compressed gas storage chamber to a compressed gas releasing chamber during a firing operation of a paintball gun.  
     
     
         14 . A piston rod assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of vent channels are arranged along an external surface of the piston rod.  
     
     
         15 . A pneumatic paintball gun, comprising: a pneumatic housing having a breech section arranged to receive a paintball into the paintball gun; a groove formed in the breech section for receiving a circuit board; a cutout region formed through the breech section for receiving a sensor communicating with the circuit board; and wherein the sensor is configured to detect the presence or the absence of a paintball in the breech section.  
     
     
         16 . A pneumatic paintball gun according to  claim 15 , wherein the sensor comprises a break-beam sensor arrangement having a transmitter arranged on one side of the breech section and a receiver arranged on an opposite side of the breech area.  
     
     
         17 . A pneumatic paintball gun according to  claim 15 , wherein the sensor is mounted on the circuit board.  
     
     
         18 . A pneumatic paintball gun according to  claim 15 , wherein the circuit board comprises a connector port arranged in proximity with a lower surface of the breech section to communicate with a circuit board for controlling operation of the paintball gun.  
     
     
         19 . A pneumatic paintball gun according to  claim 18 , wherein the circuit board for controlling operation of the paintball gun is configured to permit a firing operation when the sensor detects a paintball in the breech section and to disable a firing operation when the sensor detects the absence of a paintball in the breech section.  
     
     
         20 . A compressed gas driven gun comprising; 
 a cylinder comprising a piston and a valve pin slidable coaxially therein;    compressed gas A that biases the piston in a first direction;    compressed gas B that biases the piston in a second direction, and overcomes a force exerted by the compressed gas A biasing the piston in the first direction so that the piston moves in the second direction; and    a valve that releases one of the compressed gas A or compressed gas B to atmosphere to initiate a firing sequence and fire a projectile from the gun.