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 compressed gas driven gun comprising; 
 a cylinder comprising a piston and a valve pin slidable coaxially therein;    compressed gas at a first pressure that biases the piston in a first direction;    compressed gas at a second pressure that biases the piston in a second direction, and overcomes a force exerted by the first pressure biasing the piston in the first direction so that the piston moves in the second direction; and    a valve that, in response to a signal, decreases the second pressure enough to allow the compressed gas at a first pressure to bias the piston in the first direction, which in turn releases the compressed gas at a first pressure to fire a projectile from the gun.    
     
     
         2 . The gun of  claim 1  wherein the projectile is a frangible paintball.  
     
     
         3 . The gun of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a source of compressed gas that supplies both compressed gas at the first pressure; and    a regulator that decreases the first pressure to the second pressure.    
     
     
         4 . The gun of  claim 3 , wherein the second pressure is adjustable.  
     
     
         5 . The gun of  claim 3 , wherein the regulator is adjustable by turning an externally accessible adjustment cap.  
     
     
         6 . The gun of  claim 1 , wherein the valve decreases the second pressure by venting the compressed gas at a second pressure.  
     
     
         7 . The gun of  claim 1 , wherein the compressed gas at a second pressure is vented through a manifold.  
     
     
         8 . The gun of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a trigger that when depressed, sends the signal to the valve.    
     
     
         9 . The gun of  claim 6 , wherein the signal is pulsed in such a manner that once the compressed gas at a high pressure is released, the valve ceases decreasing the second pressure.  
     
     
         10 . The marker of  claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a forward direction corresponding to a direction from which the paintball exits the marker, and a rearward direction is a direction substantially opposite that of the forward direction.  
     
     
         11 . The gun of  claim 10 , wherein the cylinder further comprises a valve housing tip fixed within a valve housing within the cylinder, that is sized to receive a rearward portion of the valve pin when the compressed gas at a second pressure biases the piston in the second direction, said rearward portion having a face upon which the compressed gas at a first pressure acts to bias the piston in the forward direction.  
     
     
         12 . The gun of  claim 11 , wherein the compressed gas at a second pressure acts on a first surface of the piston to bias the piston in the rearward direction.  
     
     
         13 . The gun of  claim 12 , wherein when the compressed gas at the second pressure acts to bias the piston in the forward direction, the piston's movement in the forward direction is limited by contact between the first surface and a shoulder within the cylinder.  
     
     
         14 . The gun of  claim 12 , wherein when the wherein when the compressed gas at the second pressure acts to bias the piston in the rearward direction, the piston's movement in the rearward direction is limited by contact between the second surface and a stop on the valve housing.  
     
     
         15 . The gun of  claim 12 , wherein when the compressed gas at the second pressure acts to bias the piston in the forward direction, the piston's movement in the forward direction is limited by contact between the first surface and a shoulder within the cylinder; 
 wherein when the wherein when the compressed gas at the second pressure acts to bias the piston in the rearward direction, the piston's movement in the rearward direction is limited by contact between the second surface and a stop on the valve housing;    and wherein a surface area of the first surface is greater than a surface area of the face.    
     
     
         16 . The gun of  claim 1 , further comprising a power switch that controls electricity driven functions within the gun including the signal, said switch located within a recess within the gun.  
     
     
         17 . The gun of  claim 16 , wherein the recess is located in a rear portion of the gun, behind a trigger.  
     
     
         18 . The gun of  claim 17 , wherein the recess is located below the cylinder.  
     
     
         19 . The gun of  claim 16 , wherein the recess is defines by at least two sidewalls located on either side of the switch.  
     
     
         20 . The gun of  claim 16 , further comprising a second switch located within the recess, for controlling other gun functions.  
     
     
         21 . The gun of  claim 16 , wherein the switch is illuminated.  
     
     
         22 . The gun of  claim 21 , wherein the switch is illuminated by an LED.  
     
     
         23 . A compressed gas driven gun comprising; 
 a bolt slidable within a cylinder in a first direction under a first pressure exerted by compressed gas, and slidable within the cylinder in a second direction under a second pressure exerted by the compressed gas, wherein the first pressure acts on a first surface area smaller than that of a second surface area acted on by the second pressure; and    wherein when the bolt moves in one of the two directions, a paintball is driven from the gun by the compressed gas.    
     
     
         24 . A compressed air driven gun comprising a power switch that controls electricity driven functions within the gun including the signal, said switch located within a recess within the gun.  
     
     
         25 . The gun of  claim 24 , wherein the recess is located in a rear portion of the gun, behind a trigger.  
     
     
         26 . The gun of  claim 25 , wherein the recess is located below the cylinder.  
     
     
         27 . The gun of  claim 24 , wherein the recess is defines by at least two sidewalls located on either side of the switch.  
     
     
         28 . The gun of  claim 24 , further comprising a second switch located within the recess, for controlling other gun functions.