Pneumatically actuated clip for a paintball gun

Abstract

A pneumatically actuated clip for a paintball gun may include a driving member such as a soft sealing ball or a flexible drive piston that conforms in shape and size to a cross-sectional area of a passageway containing a supply of paintballs. The passageway preferably provides a paintball route (or pathway) inside the clip that supplies the paintballs to the paintball gun. In one embodiment, the driving member creates a pneumatic chamber (sealing as it moves) in the area behind the driving member. Pressurized gas supplied to the pneumatic chamber preferably drives the driving member and the supply of paintballs forward along the pathway. The pressurized gas that drives the driving member can, for instance, be controlled by means of an integrated regulator or can be a timed pulse of air supplied through a solenoid valve as controlled by a signal from a control board. The signal could be generated using a breech sensor to determine when a paintball has been loaded into the breech to determine when to actuate the supply solenoid. Alternatively, a pressure switch can control the supply of pressurized gas through a solenoid. Other features and embodiments are also disclosed.

1 . A pneumatically-operated clip for a paintball gun, comprising:
 a housing;   a passageway arranged in the housing, said passageway configured to house a quantity of paintballs;   an opening located at a first end of the passageway, said opening arranged in communication with a breech of a paintball gun during operation to supply the quantity of paintballs to the paintball gun; and   a pneumatic chamber arranged at a second end of the passageway, said pneumatic chamber configured to receive a quantity of compressed gas during operation to urge the quantity of paintballs toward the opening.   
     
     
         2 . A clip according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a driving member arranged between the second end of the passageway and the supply of paintballs,   wherein said pneumatic chamber is arranged between the driving member and the second end of the passageway, and   wherein the driving member supplies a force to the quantity of paintballs to urge the paintballs toward the first end of the passageway in response to a gas pressure in the pneumatic chamber.   
     
     
         3 . A clip according to  claim 2 , wherein the driving member comprises a driving ball or piston that occupies substantially all of a cross-sectional area of the passageway to substantially seal the pneumatic chamber from the remainder of the passageway. 
     
     
         4 . A clip according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pneumatic regulator arranged in communication with the pneumatic chamber to supply compressed gas to the pneumatic chamber at a substantially constant pressure.   
     
     
         5 . A clip according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pressure switch arranged to detect a pressure in the pneumatic chamber and configured to relay a signal to direct a solenoid valve to supply compressed gas to the pneumatic chamber when the pressure drops below a desired pressure.   
     
     
         6 . A clip according to  claim 1 , wherein the passageway is configured in a substantially U-like shape between the first and second ends. 
     
     
         7 . A clip according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a solenoid valve configured to selectively supply a quantity of compressed gas to the pneumatic chamber to drive the quantity of paintballs toward the first end.   
     
     
         8 . A clip according to  claim 7 , wherein the solenoid valve supplies compressed gas to the pneumatic chamber in response to a signal from a control board of the paintball gun. 
     
     
         9 . A clip according to  claim 8 , wherein the paintball gun control board generates the signal in response to a firing operation of the paintball gun. 
     
     
         10 . A clip according to  claim 8 , wherein the paintball gun comprises a breech sensor and wherein the control board generates the signal based on a signal from the breech sensor. 
     
     
         11 . A pneumatically-operated clip for a paintball gun, comprising:
 a housing configured to attach to a paintball gun;   a passageway arranged in the housing, said passageway configured to house a quantity of paintballs; and   a pneumatic chamber arranged in communication with the passageway, said pneumatic chamber configured to receive a quantity of compressed gas during operation to urge the quantity of paintballs forward along the passageway.   
     
     
         12 . A clip according to  claim 11 , wherein said pneumatic chamber is arranged in the passageway and receives the quantity of compressed gas through a pneumatic fitting located at a first end of the passageway. 
     
     
         13 . A clip according to  claim 12 , wherein said passageway comprises an opening at a second end of the passageway, said opening configured to supply the quantity of paintballs to a receiving chamber of the paintball gun during operation. 
     
     
         14 . A clip according to  claim 13 , further comprising a driving member arranged in the passageway between the pneumatic chamber and the quantity of paintballs, said driving member configured to push the quantity of paintballs along the passageway toward the opening. 
     
     
         15 . A clip according to  claim 14 , wherein said driving member substantially seals the passageway and wherein a pressure applied by the quantity of compressed gas drives the driving member forward along the passageway. 
     
     
         16 . A method of operating a clip for a paintball gun, comprising:
 supplying compressed gas to a passageway in a clip containing a supply of paintballs to drive the paintballs forward along the passageway.   
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein supplying compressed gas comprises selectively supplying a quantity of compressed gas to the passageway through a solenoid valve in response to a control signal. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 generating the control signal in response to a sensor signal from a paintball gun.   
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein supplying compressed gas comprises supplying the compressed gas to the passageway at a constant pressure. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein supplying compressed gas comprises selectively supplying the compressed gas to the passageway in response to a signal from a pressure switch in the passageway.