Patent Application
20250189264
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to air-powered guns and more particularly pertains to a new air-powered gun for using a pneumatic cylinder of carbon dioxide as a propellant.
The prior art relates to air-powered guns. Typically, air-powered guns use small canisters of compressed gas to provide propulsive energy to fire the projectiles. For example, a typical air-powered gun may use a 12-gram carbon dioxide cylinder. The small size of these cylinders significantly limits the propulsive force of the projectiles, the distance over which the projectiles can be shot, the number of projectiles that can be fired, and the size of the projectiles that can be fired. In turn, these limitations limit the efficiency of an air-powered gun for hunting and self-defense purposes. The small size of cylinders also increases the cost of air-powered guns because a user needs to regularly replace the small cylinders. Thus, there is a need in the art for an air-powered gun that can use a cylinder with a larger volume of compressed gas as the propellant.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing having a front end, a rear end, a top side, and a bottom side. The top side and the bottom side are coupled to and extend between the front end and the rear end to define a chamber extending through the housing. A barrel is coupled to the front end. The barrel has a muzzle end distal to the front end of the housing. The muzzle end defines an opening extending into the barrel. The chamber is in fluid communication with the barrel. A clip is removably couplable to the housing. The clip is in fluid communication with the chamber. The clip houses a plurality of projectiles. A canister is removably mounted to the housing. The canister is fluidly couplable to the chamber. The canister houses a propellant. The canister has a capacity between 30.0 grams and 60.0 grams. The canister comprises a neck and a body. A collar is mounted to the housing. The collar is configured to receive the neck of the canister. A cradle is coupled to the housing. The cradle has a shape that is complementary to a shape of the body of the canister wherein the cradle is configured to receive the canister. The cradle is aligned with the collar wherein the cradle is configured to facilitate coupling the canister to the collar whereby the neck of the canister is couplable with the collar when the body of the canister is positioned within the cradle. A trigger mechanism is mounted to the housing. The trigger mechanism expels a quantity of the propellant into the barrel. The quantity of propellant is sufficient to propel a one of the plurality of projectiles forwardly through the chamber into the barrel and outwardly through the muzzle end.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A barrel 24 is coupled to the front end 14. The barrel 24 may extend outwardly from the front end 14. The barrel 24 includes a muzzle end 26 that is distal to the front end 14 of the housing 12. The muzzle end 26 defines an opening 28 extending into the barrel 24. The chamber 22 is in fluid communication with the opening 28 of the barrel 24.
A stock 30 may be coupled to the housing 12. The stock 30 is generally configured to abut a user for steadying the housing 12 and the barrel 24. A recoil pad 32 may be coupled to the stock 30 distal to the housing 12. The recoil pad 32 is generally configured to absorb recoil and increase friction between the stock 30 and a shoulder of the user when the barrel 24 is aimed at a target.
A scope 34 may be mounted to the housing 12. The scope 34 is configured to align the front end 14 with the rear end 16 wherein the scope 34 is configured to align the muzzle end 26 with the target when the barrel 24 is aimed at the target. Embodiments of the scope 34 may include a front sight 36 that extends upwardly from the front end 14. For example, the front sight 36 may be positioned on the top side 18 proximate to the barrel 24. Embodiments of the scope 34 may also include a rear sight 38 that extends upwardly from the rear end 16. For example, the rear sight 38 may be positioned on the top side 18 proximate to the stock 30. The rear sight 38 is generally spaced from the front sight 36. A rail 40 may extend along the top side 18 of the housing 12 between the front sight 36 and the rear sight 38, or between the front end 14 and the rear end 16. The rail 40 is generally configured to receive a scope mount.
A clip 42 may be removably couplable to the housing 12. The clip 42 is generally in fluid communication with the chamber 22. For example, the clip 42 may extend downwardly from the bottom side 20 of the housing 12. The clip 42 houses a plurality of projectiles 44. For example, the clip 42 may house between 20 and 30 projectiles. Each of the plurality of projectiles 44 may be between 20 and 40 caliber, for example the plurality of projectiles 44 may be 30 caliber. The plurality of projectiles 44 may each have a weight between 65.0 grain and 135.0 grain.
Embodiments of the clip 42 may include a first magazine 46 that has an upper end 48 that is positionable within the chamber 22. A second magazine 50 may be coupled to the upper end 48. The second magazine 50 may have an inner recess 52 that is configured to receive the plurality of projectiles 44. The plurality of projectiles 44 may be stacked on top of each other along a longitudinal plane within the inner recess 52. A pellet spring 54 may be positioned within the inner recess 52 proximate to the upper end 48 of the first magazine 46. The pellet spring 54 may be compressed by a weight of the plurality of projectiles 44 and may expand as each of the plurality of projectiles 44 is propelled outwardly from the barrel 24. The pellet spring 54 generally urges the plurality of projectiles 44 upwardly toward the chamber 22.
A cocking lever 56 may be coupled to the housing 12. The cocking lever 56 is actuatable to release a one of the plurality of projectiles 126 from the inner recess 52 of the second magazine 50 into the chamber 22. The one of the plurality of projectiles 126 is aligned with the barrel 24 when the one of the plurality of projectiles 126 is released from the second magazine 50 into the chamber 22.
A grip 58 may extend downwardly from the bottom side 20 of the housing 12. The grip 58 is generally configured to facilitate the user in holding the housing 12. The grip 58 may be positioned proximate to the rear end 16.
A canister 60 is removably mounted to the housing 12. The canister 60 is fluidly couplable to the chamber 22. The canister 60 houses, or holds, a propellant. For example, the propellant may be carbon dioxide, which is generally compressed within the canister 60. Such embodiments of the canister 60 may be a pneumatic cylinder of the carbon dioxide. The canister 60 may have a capacity between 20.0 grams and 70.0 grams. The canister 60 generally comprises a neck 62 and a body 64.
A collar 66 is mounted to the housing 12. The collar 66 is configured to receive the neck 62 of the canister 60. Embodiments of the collar 66 comprise a docking collar 68 that is positioned on the bottom side 20 of the housing 12. A seal 70 is coupled to the docking collar 68. The seal 70 is positioned within the docking collar 68. The seal 70 seals the canister 60 with the housing 12 thereby inhibiting the propellant from being released from the canister 60 through the collar 66.
An ejecting collar 72 may be positioned within the seal 70. The ejecting collar 72 may have a retracted position 74 and an extended position 76. A free end 78 of the ejecting collar 72 may be positioned within the docking collar 68 when the ejecting collar 72 is in the retracted position 74. The retracted position 74 is configured to couple the canister 60 to the collar 66. The free end 78 of the ejecting collar 72 may be aligned with or offset from an outer end 80 of the docking collar 68, so that the free end is positioned outside of the docking collar 68, when the ejecting collar 72 is in the extended position 76. The extended position 76 is configured to release the canister 60 from the collar 66.
A canister fastener 82 may be coupled to the housing 12. The canister fastener 82 fluidly couples the canister 60 to the chamber 22. The canister fastener 82 may comprise a tube 84 extending through the housing 12. An inlet end 86 of the tube 84 is generally aligned with the collar 66 and an outlet end 88 of the tube 84 is generally fluidly coupled to the chamber 22.
The canister fastener 82 may further include a pin 90 having a piercing end 92 and a mounting end 94. The mounting end 94 is coupled to the tube 84. The pin 90 extends outwardly from the tube 84 through the collar 66 wherein the collar 66 is in fluid communication with the tube 84 and wherein the collar 66 fluidly couples the canister 60 to the tube 84 when the collar 66 receives the canister 60. The pin 90 pierces the canister 60 when the canister 60 is coupled to the housing 12 whereby the canister 60 is in fluid communication with the tube 84 when the piercing end 92 is inserted into the canister 60. In other words, the piercing end 92 is inserted into the canister 60 when the canister 60 is mounted to the housing 12.
The ejecting collar 72 may extend outwardly from the housing 12 past the seal 70 and the outer end 80 of the docking collar 68 thereby covering the piercing end 92 of the pin 90 when the ejecting collar 72 is in the extended position 76. The ejecting collar 72 may retract inwardly toward the housing 12 thereby exposing the piercing end 92 of the pin 90 when the ejecting collar 72 is in the retracted position 74.
A cradle 96 is coupled to the housing 12. The cradle 96 has a shape that is complementary to a shape of the body 64 of the canister 60. The cradle 96 is configured to receive the body 64 of the canister 60. The cradle 96 is aligned with the collar 66. The cradle 96 is configured to facilitate coupling the canister 60 to the collar 66. The neck 62 of the canister 60 is couplable with the collar 66 when the body 64 of the canister 60 is positioned within the cradle 96.
In some embodiments, the cradle 96 further comprises a forward end 98 and a back end 100. The back end 100 is spaced from the forward end 98 so that the canister 60 is positionable between the forward end 98 and the back end 100. A panel 102 may extend between the forward end 98 and the back end 100. The panel 102 may have a pair of lateral sides 104. The panel 102 may be concavely arcuate between the pair of lateral sides 104 wherein the panel 102 has a shape that is complementary to the shape of the body 64 of the canister 60. Such embodiments are shown in
Such embodiments may further comprise a locking mechanism 106 coupling the canister 60 to the housing 12. The locking mechanism 106 may include a stop 108 that is movably mounted to the stock 30. The stop 106 may extend downwardly from the stock 30 and being aligned with the back end 100 of the cradle 96. The stop 108 may move forward to secure the canister 60 to the cradle 96 and may move backward to release the canister 60 from the cradle 96.
The locking mechanism 106 may further include a locking lever 110 that is coupled to the housing 12. The locking lever 110 is actuatable between a locking position 112 and an ejecting position 114. The locking lever 110 may move the stop 108 forward toward the housing 12 when the locking lever 110 is in the locking position 112. The locking lever 110 may move the stop 108 backward away from the housing 12 when the locking lever 110 is in the ejecting position 114. The locking lever 110 may be positioned proximate to the rear end 16 so that it is convenient for the user to reach when the user is holding the air rifle device 10 by the grip 58 or the stock 30.
In other embodiments, such as those shown in
A knob 118 may be coupled to the cover 116. The knob 118 generally includes a handle 120 and an arm 122. The arm 122 extends through the cover 116. Rotation of the handle 120 moves the arm 122 inwardly and outwardly along a transverse plane relative to the cover 116. The arm 122 contacts the canister 60 wherein the arm 122 secures the canister 60 within the cover 116 and facilitates coupling the canister 60 with the collar 66 when the arm 122 is moved inwardly. Like the embodiments shown in
A trigger mechanism 124 is mounted to the housing 12, for example being positioned adjacent to the grip 58. The trigger mechanism 124 expels a quantity of the propellant into the barrel 24. The quantity of the propellant is sufficient to propel the one of the plurality of projectiles 126 forwardly through the chamber 22 into the barrel 24 and outwardly through the muzzle end 26.
For example, the trigger mechanism 124 may comprise a trigger guard 128 that extends downwardly from the bottom side 20 and forwardly from the grip 58. The trigger guard 128 defines a trigger space 130 that is configured to receive a finger of the user. A trigger 132 is positioned within the trigger space 130. The trigger 132 is actuatable to release the quantity of the propellant into the chamber 22 thereby propelling the one of the plurality of projectiles 126 from the chamber 22 through the barrel 24 and outwardly through the muzzle end 26.
A hammer 134 may be coupled to the trigger 132. The hammer 134 is positioned within the chamber 22 and is aligned with the one of the plurality of projectiles 126 when the one of the plurality of projectiles 126 is positioned within the chamber 22.
A hammer spring 136 may be coupled to the hammer 134. The hammer spring 136 is generally positioned within the chamber 22 between the hammer 134 and the rear end 16. The hammer spring 136 may expand when the trigger 132 is actuated so that the hammer 134 moves outwardly from the hammer spring 136 to collide with the one of the plurality of projectiles 126 when the trigger 132 is actuated.
A valve 138 may be coupled to the hammer 134. The valve 138 is generally positioned in the chamber 22 and is fluidly coupled to the tube 84. The valve 138 is actuatable to release the quantity of propellent being expelled through the barrel 24 when the trigger 132 is actuated. The valve 138 is aligned with the barrel 24 and is generally positioned proximate to the front end 14 of the housing 12.
In use, the user can attach the canister 60 to the collar 66. The canister 60 holds the propellant that will propel the one of the plurality of projectiles 126 outwardly through the barrel 24 of the air rifle device 10. The user can generally shoot each of the plurality of projectiles 44 without needing to replace the canister 60 because the canister 60 generally has a large enough capacity to shoot each of the plurality of projectiles 44. To replace the canister 60, the user can disconnect the canister 60 from the collar 66, for example by moving the ejecting collar 72 to the extended position 76 and decoupling the canister 60 from the cradle 96.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
