Multi-pellet launcher with adjustable payload

Abstract

A multi-pellet launcher includes a hollow elongated tube having a closed end and an open end. A spring and a plurality of “n” pellets are placed inside the tube, and a binary latch interacts between the pellets and the tube. Specifically, the binary latch is established to compress the spring against the closed end of the tube, and to hold the pellets in the tube in response to the static force “F s ” that is generated by the compressed spring. In various configurations, the binary latch is always configured according to the value of “n”, and is established such that, prior to launch, “F s ” is substantially constant for all configurations of the binary latch. The binary latch is acceleration-activated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multi-pellet launcher which comprises:
 a hollow elongated tube formed with a lumen and having a closed proximal end and an open distal end;   a spring having a first end and a second end, wherein the spring is positioned inside the lumen with its first end at a set distance from the proximal end of the tube;   a plurality of “n” pellets placed inside the lumen with the spring located between the pellets and the proximal end of the tube; and   a binary latch established to interact between the pellets and the tube in a configuration selected from a plurality of configurations, wherein the selected configuration is dependent on the value of “n” and is established to compress the spring and to hold the pellets in the lumen in response to a static force “F s ” generated by the compressed spring, wherein F s  is substantially constant for all configurations of the binary latch.   
     
     
         2 . A launcher as recited in  claim 1  wherein the binary latch is activated by a proximally directed acceleration force “F a ” imposed by the pellets pushing against the spring when the launcher is launched in a distal direction, and wherein an activation of the binary latch releases the pellets for expulsion from the tube by the compressed spring. 
     
     
         3 . A launcher as recited in  claim 1  wherein the spring has a relaxed length “x” and a spring constant “k”, and the static force “F s ” is generated when the spring is compressed through a distance “Δx” (F s =k(Δx). 
     
     
         4 . A launcher as recited in  claim 1  wherein the tube is formed with a plurality of vents aligned along the length of the tube and the binary latch comprises:
 a retainer plug positioned distal to the pellets inside the lumen of the tube, wherein the retainer plug is formed with a distal ring dimensioned to move within the lumen and a proximal ring dimensioned to move within the lumen, and a mid-section formed with a proximally decreasing taper between the distal ring and the proximal ring; and 
 at least one latch sphere positioned in a selected vent to establish the selected configuration, wherein the latch sphere is trapped between a distal edge of the vent and the proximal ring of the retainer plug by the influence of the static force “F s ” to hold the retainer plug and pellets in the lumen of the tube until an acceleration force “F a ” is imposed on the retainer plug to release the latch sphere for ejection from the vent to activate the binary latch. 
 
     
     
         5 . A launcher as recited in  claim 4  wherein the spring has a relaxed length “x” and a spring constant “k”, and the static force “F s ” is generated when the spring is compressed through a distance “Δx” (F s =k(Δx). 
     
     
         6 . A launcher as recited in  claim 5  wherein the vents are aligned with an axial distance “d” between centers of adjacent vents, wherein pellets removed from the plurality of pellets vacate a distance “md” in the lumen (where “m” is an integer), and wherein the binary latch is established at an “m” number of vents from the most distal vent. 
     
     
         7 . A launcher as recited in  claim 1  wherein the launch tube is formed with a pair of axially opposed, substantially parallel slots extending in a proximal direction from the distal end of the tube, with a plurality of detents formed along each slot, wherein the detents are formed as axially opposed pairs, and wherein the launcher further comprises:
 a retainer plug; and 
 a pair of axially opposed pins extending radially outward from the retainer plug to be received in a respective slot of the launch tube for engagement with a respective detent to hold the retainer plug in the selected configuration. 
 
     
     
         8 . A launcher as recited in  claim 7  wherein the spring has a relaxed length “x” and a spring constant “k”, and the static force “F s ” is generated when the spring is compressed through a distance “Δx” (F s =k(Δx). 
     
     
         9 . A launcher as recited in  claim 8  wherein the detents are aligned with an axial distance “d” between adjacent detents, wherein pellets removed for the plurality of pellets vacate a distance “md” in the lumen (where “m” is an integer), and wherein the binary latch is established at an “m” number of detents from the most distal detent. 
     
     
         10 . A launcher as recited in  claim 1  wherein the tube is formed with a vent and the binary latch comprises:
 a retainer plug positioned distal to the pellets inside the lumen of the tube, wherein the retainer plug is formed with a distal ring dimensioned to move within the lumen and a proximal ring dimensioned to move within the lumen, and a mid-section formed with a proximally decreasing taper between the distal ring and the proximal ring; 
 a latch sphere positioned in the vent, wherein the latch sphere is trapped between a distal edge of the vent and the proximal ring of the retainer plug by the influence of the static force “F s ” to hold the retainer plug and pellets in the lumen of the tube until an acceleration force “F a ” is imposed on the retainer plug to release the latch sphere for ejection from the vent to activate the binary latch; and 
 an insert positioned in the lumen of the tube between the retainer plug and the proximal end of the tube, wherein the insert is dimensioned to replace space vacated by pellets removed from the plurality of pellets in the lumen. 
 
     
     
         11 . A launcher as recited in  claim 1  wherein the tube is formed with a vent and the binary latch comprises:
 a retainer plug positioned distal to the pellets inside the lumen of the tube, wherein the retainer plug is formed with a distal ring dimensioned to move within the lumen and a proximal ring dimensioned to move within the lumen, and a mid-section formed with a proximally decreasing taper between the distal ring and the proximal ring, and further wherein the proximal ring is extended proximally through a distance to replace space vacated by pellets removed from the plurality of pellets in the lumen; and 
 a latch sphere positioned in the vent, wherein the latch sphere is trapped between a distal edge of the vent and the proximal ring of the retainer plug by the influence of the static force “F s ” to hold the retainer plug and pellets in the lumen of the tube until an acceleration force “F a ” is imposed on the retainer plug to release the latch sphere for ejection from the vent to activate the binary latch. 
 
     
     
         12 . A system for propelling a plurality of pellets from a launch tube which comprises:
 a retainer plug for holding a plurality of an “n” number of pellets inside the launch tube in response to a bias force “F s ” imposed on the pellets by a compressed spring;   a latch assembly established on the launch tube for restraining a forward movement of the retainer plug in response to the bias force imposed by the compressed spring, wherein the latch assembly is selected from a plurality of latch assemblies, and wherein the selected assembly is dependent on the value of “n”, and wherein the bias force “F s ” is substantially constant for all latch assemblies; and   a means for propelling the launch tube in a forward direction to create an acceleration force for moving the retainer plug and the pellets in a rearward direction to further compress the spring and release the latch assembly from the retainer plug for a subsequent forward propulsion of the retainer plug and the plurality of pellets from the launch tube in response to the bias force of the compressed spring.   
     
     
         13 . A system as recited in  claim 12  wherein the launch tube is formed with a plurality of vents aligned along the length of the tube, and wherein the retainer plug is formed with a distal ring dimensioned to move within the lumen and has a proximal ring dimensioned to move within the lumen with a mid-section formed with a proximally decreasing taper between the distal ring and the proximal ring, and the latch assembly includes a latch sphere positioned in a selected vent and trapped therein between a distal edge of the vent and the proximal ring of the retainer plug to establish the selected configuration. 
     
     
         14 . A system as recited in  claim 13  wherein the vents are aligned with a distance “d” between centers of adjacent vents, wherein pellets removed for the plurality of pellets vacate a distance “md” in the lumen (where “m” is an integer), and wherein the latch assembly is established at an “m” number of vents from the most distal vent. 
     
     
         15 . A system as recited in  claim 12  wherein the launch tube is formed with a pair of axially opposed, substantially parallel slots extending in a proximal direction from the distal end of the tube, with a plurality of detents formed along each slot, wherein the detents are formed as axially opposed pairs, and wherein the retainer plug is formed with a pair of axially opposed pins extending radially outward from the retainer plug to be received in a respective slot of the launch tube for engagement with a respective detent to hold the retainer plug in the selected assembly. 
     
     
         16 . A system as recited in  claim 15  wherein the detents are aligned with an axial distance “d” between adjacent detents, wherein pellets removed from the plurality of pellets vacate a distance “md” in the lumen (where “m” is an integer), and wherein the latch assembly is established at an “m” number of detents from the most distal detent. 
     
     
         17 . A system as recited in  claim 12  further comprising an insert positioned in the lumen of the tube proximal the retainer plug, and wherein the insert is dimensioned to replace space vacated by pellets removed from the plurality of pellets in the lumen. 
     
     
         18 . A system as recited in  claim 12  wherein the retainer plug is extended proximally through a distance to replace space vacated by pellets removed from the plurality of pellets in the lumen. 
     
     
         19 . A method for assembling a multi-pellet launcher which comprises the steps of:
 providing a hollow elongated launch tube formed with a lumen and having a closed proximal end and an open distal end;   positioning a spring inside the lumen of the launch tube against the closed proximal end thereof, wherein the spring has a relaxed length “x” and a spring constant “k”, and wherein the spring can be compressed through a distance “Δx” to create a predetermined static force “F s ”, where F s =kΔx;   loading the launch tube with a plurality of a selected “n” number of pellets, with the pellets being located in the lumen of the tube, distal to the spring;   engaging an acceleration-activated, binary latch assembly with the tube, wherein the latch assembly includes a retainer plug located distal to the pellets to contact and hold the pellets stationary in the tube, prior to an acceleration-release of the retainer plug from the tube; and   configuring the latch assembly to compress the spring to create the predetermined static force “F s ” for launching the pellets from the tube upon an acceleration-release of the retainer plug.   
     
     
         20 . A method as recited in  claim 19  wherein the configuring step further comprises the steps of:
 determining a distance “md” along the length of the launch tube, wherein the distance “md” is vacated by a non-use of pellets from the plurality of “n” pellets; and 
 adjusting the latch assembly configuration to compensate for the removal of pellets in the determining step by moving the contact of the retainer plug with the pellets in a proximal direction through the distance “md”.