Paintball gun and method

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.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a paint ball gun and method. More particularly, this invention relates to a paint ball gun having particularly advantageous apparatus and method for discharging the gun in rapid succession.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Paint ball guns were originally developed for marking uses such as forestry and cattle ranching, in which frangible projectiles (or paint balls, as they are more commonly called) were fired against trees to be harvested or onto cattle to be taken to market, for example. For this reason, the paint ball guns themselves are frequently referred to as “markers.” But, more recently paint ball guns are much more widely used in various recreational environments, such as simulated war games wherein it is the intent to shoot at an opposing player with the paint ball gun, thus hitting and marking this opposing player with a particular color of paint splattered from a frangible paint ball.

Paint ball guns using compressed air or gas for power are well known. Until recently, most paint ball guns were pneumatically powered, mechanically operated guns. The entry of electro-pneumatically operated paint ball guns provided more consistent and better performing guns for the recreational market. An electro-pneumatic paint ball gun provides improved performance with fewer component malfunctions than the earlier mechanical-pneumatic paint ball guns.

However, a common problem with the conventional electro-pneumatic paint ball guns is that they use a mechanical sear device to release a hammer. The hammer is spring loaded to a position at which it impacts a valve stem, opening a flow path for high pressure gas to communicate to a paint hall, propelling the paint ball through and from a barrel of the gun. The adjustment of the engagement and release of the mechanical hammer and sear remains an uncertain element of conventional paint ball gun operation, requiring frequent adjustments in order to operate at high cyclic rates.

A more recent paint ball gun is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,532,949 (hereinafter, the “949” patent). In the '949 patent, a hammer of a paint ball gun is moved in each of two opposite directions by respective ends of a rod member, to which respective pneumatic pressures are applied sequentially by a solenoid valve. In this '949 patent, the hammer must be moved in each direction of its stroke by a respective pneumatic pressure, and these respective pneumatic pressures must be sequentially controlled by a solenoid valve.

Further, a deficiency of conventional paint ball guns becomes apparent when attempts are made to achieve a high cyclic rate of fire. That is, competition rules prohibit the operation of paint ball guns in a full-automatic mode in which the gun cycles many times and fires many paint balls with a single pull or movement of the trigger. In full-automatic mode, a paint ball gun would continue firing paint balls as long as the trigger is pulled and held, and as long as its ammunition supply lasts. But, competition uses of such full-automatic paint ball guns is prohibited, and only semi-automatic guns are allowed in which a single paint ball is fired for each pull of the gun trigger.

Nevertheless, paint ball players desire to achieve a high rate of fire with semi-automatic paint ball guns. This is desired in order to provide the highest chance of obtaining hits on dodging and running competitors in paint ball competition. This rapid semi-automatic paint ball gun fire is ordinarily attempted by “vibrating” or shaking the trigger fingers against a two-fingered trigger structure of the conventional paint ball gun.

An improved apparatus and method for allowing rapid firing of a semi-automatic paint ball gun is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the deficiencies of the related art, it is an object for this invention to mitigate or eliminate at least one of these deficiencies.

Specifically, it is an object for this invention to provide a semi-automatic paintball gun with a very high cyclic rate of fire.

Still another object for this invention is to provide such a paint ball gun in which a microprocessor controller may be accessed by the user of the paint ball gun in order to select determined discreet events separated in time and which will result when they occur in a firing operation of the paintball gun.

The present invention according to a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment provides a paint ball gun having a body carrying a barrel, the body includes a grip frame, and a double-acting trigger apparatus. This double-acting trigger apparatus comprises a pair of finger-engagement surfaces moving in opposition to one another and defining a neutral non-firing position. Also, the trigger apparatus providing a pair of firing positions displaced from the neutral position and each of which can be accessed by finger pressure on a respective one of the pair of finger-engagement surfaces. A device closing an electrical circuit in response to movement of the trigger apparatus to either one of said pair of firing positions is included, and a controller is associated with the trigger apparatus for effecting a firing action of the gun to discharge a paint ball from the barrel in response to closing of the electrical circuit.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the pertinent arts upon reading the following detailed description of a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, which illustrates the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Considering firstFIGS. 1–3, andFIG. 1A, and2A in conjunction with one another, a paint ball gun10with a unique rocking trigger structure is illustrated. This paint ball gun10includes a main body12, with a grip frame14carrying a center-pivot or rocking trigger16shielded within a trigger guard18. The trigger16is engageable by at least a pair of fingers of the operator of the gun10, and will be seen to be double-acting, as will be further explained. Considering the rocking trigger16it is seen that this trigger defines a boss16apivotally connected by a pin20to the grip frame14. In this embodiment, the trigger16is yieldably centered in the position seen in the subject drawing Figures by the cooperation of two coil compression springs22aand22beach received into a corresponding recess in the grip frame14and acting against oppositely extending trigger wings16band16cof the trigger16. These trigger wings16band16cprovide for a user of the paint ball gun10to effect firing operations of the gun by pivoting or rocking the trigger16in either direction from the illustrated neutral (or non-firing) position seen inFIG. 1. These two alternative firing positions are respectively illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 3.

As is seen inFIGS. 1 and 1A, the paint ball gun10includes a single micro switch24, having a stem or stud24aaxially movable or reciprocable relative to the body of this switch. Most preferably, the switch24is of single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) configuration so that movement of the stem24ain one direction effects opening of a first pair of switch contacts (AB inFIG. 1A) and the closing of a second pair of switch contacts (CD inFIG. 1A) within the micro switch24. It will be noted that the opening and closings of the switch contacts just mentioned are not truly simultaneous, but are separated in time from one another by a very brief interval. Similarly, when the stem24ais moved in the opposite direction, the second pair of contacts (CD) opens, followed a brief interval later by the first pair of contacts (AB) re-closing.

Attention toFIG. 1Awill show that the pairs of contacts of switch24aare indicated with the reference characters A, B, C, and D, and that these “pairs” of contacts are made up of an electrical contact between the switch contacts AB on the one hand, and of switch contacts CD on the other hand. So, it is to be appreciated that when one pair of contacts AB or CD is closed, that pair must first open (which is a first discreet event) followed a very short time later by the other pair of contacts (AB or CD) closing (which is a second discreet event following in time after the first event).

Preferably, with each switch contact closure (i.e., a contact closure input, or CCI), a microprocessor-based control system26of the gun10effects a firing operation of the gun10. AsFIGS. 2 and 3illustrate, rapid successive switch closures of the micro switch24may be effected by successive opposite rocking motions of the trigger16. That is,FIG. 2Ashows that the boss16adefines a recess28receiving a distal end portion of the switch stem24a, and providing a pair of oppositely extending sloping cam surfaces30,32extending in opposite directions along the sides of recess28. AsFIG. 2Aillustrates, a respective one of these two cam surfaces30,32is brought into engagement with the stem24ain response to pivoting of the trigger16in order to effect reciprocation of the switch stem24a.

It will be apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the pertinent arts that the other of the two cam surfaces30,32(i.e., other than the one shown engaged with switch stem24ainFIGS. 2 and 2A) may also effect reciprocation of the switch stem24a, will result in a CCI, and a firing of the gun10, in response to pivoting of the trigger16in the opposite direction, as is seen inFIG. 3. Accordingly, a user of the gun10may effect rapid successive firings of the gun by successive rocking motions of the trigger16in successively opposite directions from the neutral position seen inFIG. 1(i.e., to the positions seen inFIGS. 2 and 3). Each rocking motion from the neutral position to either one of the firing positions seen inFIGS. 2 and 3cause the gun10to fire one paintball.

Further to the above, it will be appreciated that the controller26of the paint ball gun10may be programmed to effect a firing of the gun both in response to a contact closure input (CCI) as explained above, and also in response to a contact opening input (COI). That is, the controller26can be programmed to effect a firing operation of the paint ball gun10in response to the voltage transient accompanying both a CCI, and also accompanying a COI, each of which are discreet events inherently separated in time because of the nature of the switch24, as explained above. And still alternatively, both sets or pairs (AB, and CD—recallingFIG. 1A) of switch contacts of the micro switch24may be connected to the controller26so that both sets of contacts AB and CD when closing provide a CCI input to the controller26(as well as both sets of contacts when opening also providing a COI input to the controller26). That is, the controller26may be programmed to not effect a firing operation of the paint ball gun10in response to either a maintained contact closure (CCI), or in response to a maintained contact open condition (COI), but to effect a firing of the gun10in response to either or both transient event.

Further to the above, in the way described below, the firing operations of the paint ball gun in response to rocking motions of the rocking trigger16may instead of causing the gun10to fire once for each rocking motion in a particular direction, may cause the gun10to fire either two, three, of four times in response to each rocking motion of the trigger16from its neutral position to one of the firing positions seen inFIGS. 2 and 3. That is, with a micro switch24such as the one seen inFIG. 1A, the two pair of switch contacts AB and CD each open and close in sequence, with one switch contact pair opening, followed a split second later by the other switch contact pair closing. Thus, the contact opening and closing sequence for the two pairs of switch contacts consists of four events in time sequence (AB open, CD close, CD open, AB close), and any one or more of these events may be arranged to cause the gun10to fire through appropriate programming of the processor26.

For example, if the gun10is to fire twice on a single rocking motion (i.e., movement from neutral position to either one of the two alternative positions seen inFIGS. 2 and 3), then the controller26may be arranged to fire once when the first set of contacts closes, and to fire the second time either when that first set of contacts opens, or when the other set of contacts closes.

On the other hand, if four paint ball shots are desired for each rocking motion of the trigger16from its neutral position to one or the other of the two firing positions, then a shot is fired for each of: the opening of one of the pair of switch contacts, followed by the closing of the other pair of switch contacts, and the opening of the other of the pair of contacts, followed by the closing of the one pair of switch contacts (i.e., first when AB opens, then later when CD closes, and still later when CD opens, and finally when AB closes). Those ordinarily skilled will appreciate that the time intervals between these events are very, very short, but are not of zero time in length.

As outlined above then, although the paintball gun10is not “full automatic” in operation because a discreet input movement by the gun operator is required for each shot fired, and the maintenance of a particular firing input will not result in the repeated firing of the gun (in contrast to the case of a full automatic gun, in which simply holding the trigger pulled once results in the gun firing continuously and repeatedly until its ammunition runs out). However, the cyclic rate of fire of the gun10which can be achieved with the paintball gun10in response to rapid trigger dithering or rocking movements by the gun operator is unmatched by any conventional paintball gun.

Turning now toFIGS. 4–6, andFIG. 4A, an alternative embodiment of the invention is depicted. In order to obtain reference numerals for use in describing this alternative embodiment of the invention, features which are the same as or analogous to those depicted and described by reference to the first embodiment of the invention are indicated onFIGS. 4–6and4A with the same reference numeral used above, and increased by one-hundred (100).

Considering nowFIGS. 4–6, andFIG. 4A, in conjunction with one another a paint ball gun110with an inventive rocking trigger apparatus is depicted. This paint ball gun110includes a main body112, with a grip frame114carrying a center-pivot or rocking trigger116shielded within a trigger guard118. Considering the rocking trigger116it is seen that this trigger defines a boss116apivotally connected both physically and electrically by a pin120to the grip frame114. In this embodiment, the trigger116is yieldably centered in the position seen inFIGS. 4 and 4Aby the cooperation of two coil compression springs122aand122beach received into a corresponding recess in the grip frame114and acting against oppositely extending trigger wings116band116cof the trigger116. Again, these trigger wings116band116cprovide for a user of the paint ball gun110to effect firing operations of the gun by pivoting or rocking the trigger116in either direction from the illustrated neutral (or non-firing) position seen inFIGS. 4 and 4A. These two alternative firing positions are respectively illustrated inFIGS. 5 and 6.

Viewing particularlyFIGS. 4 and 4A, it is seen that the trigger116includes as part of boss116aa pair of spaced apart rearwardly extending and spaced apart substantially parallel blades34,36. Received between this spaced apart pair of blades34,36is a shank portion38of a bolt-like contact member40carried by the grip frame114of the paint ball gun110. The shank portion38may be cylindrical as shown inFIGS. 4–6, andFIG. 4A, although the invention is not so limited. Importantly, the contact member40is carried by and is electrically insulated from the main body and grip frame112,114, of the paint ball gun by a pair of insulating bushing members42a,42beach received into a respective bore44a,44bdefined by the grip frame114. A threaded portion of the contact member40threadably engages into the busing42bin order to secure the bushings42a,42band contact member40in the frame114. The contact member40is electrically connected by a connector40a, wire46, and securing nut40bto the microprocessor-based controller126.

As is best illustrated inFIG. 4A, in the neutral or non-firing position of the trigger116, the blades34,36each define a fine-dimension (or small) gap “g” with the shank portion38of the contact member40. So, it will be appreciated that the contact member40is analogous to switch contact members “B” and “C” illustrated schematically inFIG. 1A. Similarly, the blades34and36may be considered analogous to the switch contact members “A” and “D” illustrated inFIG. 1A. Understandably then, as the trigger116is pivoted in either direction from its neutral or non-firing position, to either one of the firing positions seen inFIGS. 5 and 6, then one of the gaps “g” is closed, and one of the respective pair of blades34,36makes physical and electrical contact with the contact member40. As is seen inFIG. 4A, and as was mentioned above, an electrical conductor or wire46connects to the contact member40, making this contact member one side of a circuit, the other side of which includes the grip frame114and trigger116. Thus, the blades34,36are included on one side of an electrical circuit and the contact member40is included on the other side of this electrical circuit. Accordingly, the blades34,36, and contact member40define a switch mechanism. This switch mechanism serves the function of controlling the controller126, just as was the case with micro switch24of the first-described embodiment.

It follows that when a user of the paint ball gun110rocks the trigger116from side to side on opposite sides of the neutral or non-firing position seen inFIG. 4, and alternatingly in succession to the firing positions seen inFIGS. 5 and 6, firing operations of the paint ball gun are effected by the controller126. Similarly to the first-described embodiment, the user of the paintball gun110may choose by appropriate programming of the processor126to have the gun10fire one, two, three, or four shots with each rocking motion of the trigger116through its two alternative firing positions.

Turning now toFIGS. 7–9yet another alternative embodiment of the invention is depicted. In order to obtain reference numerals for use in describing this third alternative embodiment of the invention, features which are the same as or analogous to those depicted and described by reference to the first or second embodiment of the invention are indicated onFIGS. 7–9with the same reference numeral used above, and increased by two-hundred (200).

Considering nowFIGS. 7–9in conjunction with one another, a paint ball gun210with an inventive double trigger arrangement is depicted. This paint ball gun210includes a main body212, with a grip frame214carrying a pair of oppositely-pivoted triggers216aand216b, both shielded within a trigger guard218. Considering the pair of oppositely-pivoted triggers216aand216bit is seen that these triggers each define one of a respective pair of boss portions216a′ and216b′ pivotally connected by a respective pin220aand220bto the grip frame214. As is seen inFIGS. 7–9, the triggers216aand216bare pivoted to the grip frame214at spaced apart locations, with one being pivoted at the top of the grip frame214, while the other is pivoted at the bottom of this grip frame214. As a result, the triggers216aand216bextend in opposite directions into the trigger area within the trigger guard218. One of the triggers is dependent within the trigger guard218, while the other trigger extends upwardly from a lower portion of the trigger guard218.

In this embodiment, each of the triggers216aand216bis yieldably biased to a neutral or non-firing position seen inFIG. 7by a respective one of two coil compression springs222aand222beach received into a corresponding recess in the grip frame214and acting against the respective trigger216aor216b. Each trigger216aand216bcooperates with a respective push rod member48,50to actuate a respective one of a pair of micro switches52,54. Again, these micro switches electrically connect with a microprocessor-based controller226, which effects a firing action of the gun210when either one of the switches52,54is activated by pivoting motion of one of the triggers216a,216bfrom the neutral position seen inFIG. 7, to either one of the two firing positions seen inFIGS. 8 and 9.

Turning now toFIGS. 10–12, andFIG. 10A, yet another (or fourth) alternative embodiment of the invention is depicted. In order to obtain reference numerals for use in describing this fourth alternative embodiment of the invention, features which are the same as or analogous to those depicted and described by reference to the first, second, or third embodiment of the invention are indicated onFIGS. 10–12, andFIG. 10Awith the same reference numeral first used above, and increased by three-hundred (300).

Considering nowFIGS. 10–12, andFIG. 10Ain conjunction with one another, a paint ball gun310with an inventive double trigger arrangement is depicted. This paint ball gun310includes a main body312, with a grip frame314carrying a pair of commonly-pivoted triggers316aand316b, both shielded within a trigger guard318. Considering the pair of commonly-pivoted triggers316aand316bit is seen that these triggers each define a respective a boss portion316a′ and316a′ pivotally connected by a single common pivot pin320to the grip frame314. As is seen inFIGS. 10–12, the triggers316aand316bare pivoted to the grip frame314at a single top location, so that each trigger316aand316bshares the same “or common” pivot axis. As a result, the triggers316aand316bboth depend into the trigger area within the trigger guard318, but the trigger316bincludes an upper portion316cwhich is somewhat concealed or recessed behind the trigger portion316a. This upper portion316cdefines an opening or slot (indicated by dashed lines and the arrowed numeral316dinFIG. 10A) through which a push rod148and trigger stop rod148aboth extend. Consequently, the fingers of a user of the paint ball gun310can contact and actuate the trigger316a, and can also contact and actuate the lower portion of trigger316b.

Again, in this embodiment also, each of the triggers316aand316bis yieldably biased to a neutral or non-firing position seen inFIG. 10by a respective one of two coil compression springs322aand322beach received into a corresponding recess in the grip frame314and acting against the respective trigger316aor316b. Each trigger316aand316bco-acts with a respective push rod member148,150to actuate a respective one of a pair of micro switches152,154. Again, these micro switches electrically connect with a microprocessor-based controller326, which effects a firing action of the gun310when either one of the switches152,154is activated by pivoting motion of one of the triggers316a,316bfrom the neutral position seen inFIG. 10, to the firing positions seen inFIGS. 11 and 12.

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims, giving full cognizance to equivalents, and to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements as is permitted under the law.