Paintball gun with paintball monitoring

Abstract

A paintball gun is made with a control circuit controlling the operation of the gun. The control circuit performs some novel functions including counting the number of paintballs that have been ejected and using this information, generating an output signal indicative of the number of paintballs left in a magazine.

1 . A paintball gun comprising:
 a magazine for paintballs;   a body with a barrel receiving paintballs from the magazine and selectively ejecting said paintballs, and a handle;   an electronic circuit disposed in the body and configured to control the paintball ejection in response to commands, said electronic circuit including a paintball monitor monitoring the number of paintballs left in the magazine, said electronic circuit generating an output indicative of said number.   
   
   
       2 . The paintball gun of  claim 1  wherein said monitor receives signals indicative of the ejection of each paintball. 
   
   
       3 . The paintball gun of  claim 1  wherein said magazine holds a predetermined number of paintballs and wherein said monitor compares said predetermined number to the number of ejected paintballs. 
   
   
       4 . The paintball gun of  claim 3  wherein said electronic circuit generates an indication when the difference between the predetermined number and the ejected number of paintballs falls below a threshold. 
   
   
       5 . A method of operating a paintball gun comprising:
 loading the paintball gun with a magazine holding paintballs;   selectively ejecting paintballs from the gun;   monitoring the number of paintballs left in the magazine; and   generating an output signal to the user indicative of said number.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said monitoring includes counting the number of ejected balls. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said generating includes generating a warning signal when the number of left paintballs is below a threshold. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said magazine holds a predetermined number of paintballs and wherein said monitoring includes obtaining the difference between said predetermined number and said ejected number. 
   
   
       9 . A paintball gun comprising:
 a body with a barrel for selectively ejecting paintballs using compressed gas; and   a control circuit including:
 a processor receiving commands and generating control signals causing the ejection of said paintballs through said barrel; and 
 a counter adapted to count the number of ejected paintballs and to generate an indication of the number of paintballs left that can be ejected. 
   
   
   
       10 . A paintball gun comprising:
 a body with a handle carrying a trigger;   a barrel attached to said body and selectively ejecting paintballs in response to the activation of said trigger; and   a control circuit including a control switch mounted on said handle a stiff printed circuit board disposed inside said body, wherein said control circuit includes several modes of operation selected by said control switch, at least some of said modes determining characteristics of the paintball ejections, and a flexible printed circuit board connecting said stiff printed circuit board to said control switch.