Paintball marker with integrated bolt engine

Abstract

A paintball marker having a more efficient and reliable bolt engine assembly comprising a hollow bolt resident in the chamber of the gun body and sidable therein, a stationary valve piston inserted within the bolt for sealing said chamber, and a low pressure regulator (LPR) integral to the valve piston for providing a source of low-pressure compressed gas (approx. 90-250 psi) for moving the bolt within the chamber, e.g., between a loading position and a ready-to-fire position. The bolt is the only moving component within the chamber, and its design allows both the high-pressure (300-400 psi) propellant charge and the low pressure (90-250 psi) charge used to reciprocate the bolt to enter perpendicularly through a port or opening in the side of the bolt.

1 . A paintball marker, comprising:
 a marker body having pistol-handle grip and pivoting trigger attached to the handle grip, said marker body defining an internal cylindrical chamber and an air passage running through said handle grip into said chamber;   a coupling attached to said marker body for attachment of a paintball hopper, said coupling being in communication with said chamber for loading paintballs therein;   a tubular muzzle attached to said marker body in communication with said chamber;   a barrel attached to said muzzle in communication with said chamber;   an adapter at a distal end of said handle grip for attachment of a compressed gas cylinder to the air passage running through said handle;   a first regulator between said compressed gas cylinder and air passage for regulating gas pressure introduced from said compressed gas cylinder into said air passage to within a first pressure range;   a pneumatic bolt assembly resident in said chamber for loading paintballs through said coupling and for shooting paintballs through said muzzle and barrel, said pneumatic bolt assembly further comprising,   a valve piston inserted within the chamber of said paintball marker and fixedly attached to said housing, said valve piston having a central passage, a plurality of annular O-ring seals, and a plurality of ports entering said central passage between said O-ring seals,   a tubular bolt inserted onto said piston for reciprocation thereon within said chamber, and   a second regulator inserted inside said valve piston and fixedly attached therein for regulating gas pressure introduced from said air passage into the central passage of said valve piston to within a second pressure range, the second pressure range being lower than the first pressure range for reciprocation of said bolt;   whereby said tubular bolt reciprocates on said valve piston from a ready-to-fire position in which a paintball may be gravity fed from a hopper through said coupling into said chamber, to a firing position in which a high pressure charge of gas within said first pressure range is released into the chamber thereby accelerating said paintball down and out from the muzzle and barrel.   
     
     
         2 . The paintball marker according to  claim 1 , wherein the air passage in said marker body branches into a first inlet to said chamber for actuation of said bolt, and a second inlet to said chamber for firing said paintball. 
     
     
         3 . The paintball marker according to  claim 2 , further comprising a solenoid valve interrupting the second inlet to said chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The paintball marker according to  claim 3 , wherein said solenoid valve is controlled by said trigger. 
     
     
         5 . The paintball marker according to  claim 3 , wherein said solenoid valve is electronically-controlled by said trigger. 
     
     
         6 . The paintball marker according to  claim 4 , wherein the trigger turns the solenoid on to selectively admit a high-pressure charge within said first pressure range into said chamber for firing said paintball. 
     
     
         7 . The paintball marker according to  claim 6 , wherein pressure remains applied through the first inlet to said chamber for actuation of said bolt throughout a firing cycle. 
     
     
         8 . The paintball marker according to  claim 7 , wherein the pressure that remains applied through the first inlet is regulated by the second regulator to a low pressure charge within said second pressure range. 
     
     
         9 . The paintball marker according to  claim 8 , wherein when the solenoid is on the high-pressure charge overcompensates the low pressure charge to cause said bolt to remain stationery. 
     
     
         10 . The paintball marker according to  claim 9 , wherein when the solenoid is off and the high-pressure charge is expelled the low pressure charge actuates said bolt to reciprocate to a loading position. 
     
     
         11 . In a paintball marker having a marker body with a pistol-handle grip and pivoting trigger attached to the handle grip, said marker body defining a chamber and having an air passage running through said handle grip into said chamber, a feed port for feeding paintballs into said chamber from an attached paintball hopper, a barrel attached in communication with said chamber, an adapter at a distal end of said handle grip for attachment of a compressed gas cylinder to the air passage running through said handle, and a first regulator between said compressed gas cylinder and air passage for regulating gas pressure introduced from said compressed gas cylinder into said air passage to within a first pressure range, a pneumatic bolt assembly resident in said chamber for loading paintballs through said feed port and for shooting said paintballs through said barrel, said pneumatic bolt assembly comprising:
 a valve piston inserted within the chamber of said paintball marker and fixedly attached to said housing, said valve piston having a central passage, a plurality of annular O-ring seals, and a plurality of ports entering said central passage between said O-ring seals;   a tubular bolt inserted onto said piston for reciprocation thereon within said chamber; and   a second regulator inserted inside said valve piston and fixedly attached therein for regulating gas pressure introduced from said air passage into the central passage of said valve piston to within a second pressure range, the second pressure range being lower than the first pressure range for actuation reciprocation of said bolt;   whereby said tubular bolt reciprocates on said valve piston from a ready-to-fire position in which a paintball may be gravity fed from a hopper through said coupling into said chamber, to a firing position in which a high pressure charge of gas within said first pressure range is released into the chamber thereby accelerating said paintball down and out from the muzzle and barrel.   
     
     
         12 . The pneumatic bolt assembly for a paintball marker according to  claim 11 , wherein the air passage in said marker body branches into a first inlet to said chamber for actuation of said bolt, and a second inlet to said chamber for firing said paintball. 
     
     
         13 . The pneumatic bolt assembly for a paintball marker according to  claim 12 , further comprising a solenoid valve interrupting the second inlet to said chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The pneumatic bolt assembly for a paintball marker according to  claim 13 , wherein said solenoid valve is controlled by said trigger. 
     
     
         15 . The pneumatic bolt assembly for a paintball marker according to  claim 13 , wherein said solenoid valve is electronically-controlled by said trigger. 
     
     
         16 . The pneumatic bolt assembly for a paintball marker according to  claim 14 , wherein the trigger turns the solenoid on to selectively admit a high-pressure charge within said first pressure range into said chamber for firing said paintball. 
     
     
         17 . The pneumatic bolt assembly for a paintball marker according to  claim 16 , wherein pressure remains applied through the first inlet to said chamber for actuation of said bolt throughout a firing cycle. 
     
     
         18 . The pneumatic bolt assembly for a paintball marker according to  claim 17 , wherein the pressure that remains applied through the first inlet is regulated by the second regulator to a low pressure charge within said second pressure range. 
     
     
         19 . The pneumatic bolt assembly for a paintball marker according to clam  18 , wherein when the solenoid is on the high-pressure charge overcompensates the low pressure charge to cause said bolt to remain stationery. 
     
     
         20 . The pneumatic bolt assembly for a paintball marker according to  claim 19 , wherein when the solenoid is off and the high-pressure charge is expelled the low pressure charge actuates said bolt to reciprocate to a loading position.