Paintball gun having a pneumatic assembly

Abstract

A pneumatic paintball gun preferably includes a bolt slidable between an open and a closed position. The bolt preferably operates as a firing valve by permitting compressed gas to flow through the bolt and out of the paintball gun when the bolt is closed, but preventing the transfer of compressed gas through the forward end of the bolt when open. This can be accomplished, for instance, by arranging a sealing member in communication with a surface of the bolt. A port is also arranged through a lateral sidewall of the bolt at a predetermined location. The bolt preferably slides in relation to the sealing member such that when the bolt is in an open position, the sealing member prevents compressed gas from flowing into the bolt, but when the bolt is in a closed position, compressed gas is permitted to flow into the bolt.

1 . A paintball gun, comprising: 
 a body;    a compressed gas storage area;    a bolt slidably disposed in said body, the bolt comprising a bolt port arranged through a sidewall of the bolt in communication with the compressed gas storage area;    a sealing member arranged in communication with the sidewall of the bolt, wherein the sealing member prevents compressed gas from entering a forward end of the bolt through the bolt port when the bolt is in an open position; and    wherein said bolt port is configured to slide past the sealing member and convey compressed gas into the bolt when the bolt moves from the open position to a closed position.    
     
     
         2 . A paintball gun according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a pneumatic piston arranged in communication with the bolt, wherein movement of the piston controls movement of the bolt; and    a pneumatic cylinder housing said pneumatic piston, said pneumatic cylinder configured to receive compressed gas from a control valve to control movement of the pneumatic piston.    
     
     
         3 . A paintball gun according to  claim 2 , wherein the control valve is an electronic solenoid valve.  
     
     
         4 . A paintball gun according to  claim 1 , wherein the body is configured to receive a separately formed compressed gas storage chamber that provides the compressed gas storage area.  
     
     
         5 . A paintball gun according to  claim 4 , further comprising an aperture formed through an external wall of the body to permit viewing of the compressed gas storage chamber when arranged in the body of the paintball gun.  
     
     
         6 . A pneumatic assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealing member is arranged in communication with an external surface of the bolt.  
     
     
         7 . A paintball gun according to  claim 1 , wherein the bolt is slidably mounted on a valve stem.  
     
     
         8 . A paintball gun according to  claim 7 , wherein the sealing member is arranged on the valve stem in communication with an internal surface of the bolt.  
     
     
         9 . A paintball gun according to  claim 8 , wherein the sealing member is arranged on a forward end of the valve stem.  
     
     
         10 . A paintball gun according to  claim 9 , wherein the bolt comprises a plurality of bolt ports disposed through the sidewall of the bolt.  
     
     
         11 . A paintball gun, comprising: 
 a body;    a compressed gas storage area arranged within the body;    a bolt slidably arranged within the body and comprising a bolt port arranged within the compressed gas storage area, wherein a forward passageway of said bolt is configured to selectively receive compressed gas from the compressed gas storage area through the bolt port; and    a sealing member arranged in a fixed position with respect to the body of the paintball gun, the sealing member further arranged in communication with a surface of the bolt, and wherein the sealing member prevents compressed gas from the compressed gas storage area from entering the forward passageway of the bolt when the bolt is in an open position and allows the forward passageway of the bolt to receive compressed gas from the compressed gas storage area through the bolt port when the bolt is in a closed position.    
     
     
         12 . A paintball gun according to  claim 11 , wherein the sealing member is arranged in communication with an external surface of the bolt.  
     
     
         13 . A paintball gun according to  claim 11 , wherein the bolt is slidably mounted on a valve stem.  
     
     
         14 . A paintball gun according to  claim 13 , wherein the sealing member is arranged in communication with an internal surface of the bolt.  
     
     
         15 . A paintball gun according to  claim 14 , wherein the sealing member is arranged on a forward end of the valve stem.  
     
     
         16 . A paintball gun, comprising: 
 a body having an internal chamber configured to house a pneumatic assembly;    said pneumatic assembly comprising a compressed gas storage chamber and a bolt slidably mounted in the pneumatic assembly;    said bolt comprising a plurality of bolt ports disposed through a sidewall of said bolt and arranged in an internal area of the compressed gas storage chamber, said bolt further comprising an internal passageway arranged in a forward end of the bolt; and    a sealing member arranged in communication with a surface of the bolt to prevent compressed gas from the compressed gas storage chamber from entering the internal passageway in the forward end of the bolt when the bolt is in a first position and wherein compressed gas from the compressed gas storage chamber is permitted to enter the internal passageway in the forward end of the bolt through the bolt ports when the bolt is in a second position.    
     
     
         17 . A paintball gun according to  claim 16 , wherein the sealing member is arranged in communication with an external surface of the bolt.  
     
     
         18 . A paintball gun according to  claim 16 , further comprising a valve stem, wherein the bolt is slidably mounted on the valve stem, and wherein the sealing member is arranged in communication with an internal surface of the bolt.  
     
     
         19 . A paintball gun according to  claim 18 , wherein the sealing member is arranged on a forward end of the valve stem.  
     
     
         20 . A paintball gun according to  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of bolt ports are configured to slide across the sealing member to release compressed gas from the compressed gas storage chamber from the paintball gun.