The present disclosure relates to a gas powered gun, comprising a pressure chamber and a gas regulator, which is arranged between said pressure chamber and a source of compressed gas. It also relates to a pressure tube for a gas powered gun, comprising a pressure chamber and a gas regulator, which is arranged between said pressure chamber and a source of compressed gas.
Air guns are designed to have a controlled amount of high pressure air in a pressure chamber which is forwarded into the gun barrel behind a pellet in order to projectile the same out of the barrel. The air or the gas is usually provided from a reservoir of compressed gas at high pressure. In order to present the air or the gas to the pellet at a constant pressure a regulator can be used.
A regulator is a mechanical device, i.e. a valve that controls the air pressure and the volume available to the fire valve of a pre-charged airgun. This means that the pressure is always the same and hence an airgun with a regulator shoots with very consistent velocity. A further advantage is that it may get a few more shots on a fill.
When manufacturing the airgun the regulator is preadjusted to the desired pressure before it is arranged inside the airgun and if the pressure has to be adjusted after manufacturing the regulator has to be removed entirely from the air gun before it is adjusted. This is time consuming and usually requires a test rig in order to get exact values. Thus, there is a need to adjust the regulator in an easier way.
The inventor has realized that by having a regulator which can be adjusted without removing the regulator time can be saved and the gun can be regulated in an easy way. The present disclosure relates to a gas powered gun comprising a pressure chamber and a gas regulator, which is arranged between said pressure chamber and a source of compressed gas. The gas regulator comprises:
Due to the sealing members the forces acting on the piston to urge it towards the pressure chamber are the high pressure gas from the source of compressed gas, i.e. the second force and the spring force of the biasing member acting on the small diameter portion of the piston. The force, i.e. the first force, acting on the piston towards the valve seat is the high pressure gas in the pressure chamber acting on the large diameter portion of said piston. When the pressure in the pressure chamber is sufficiently high, the first force will cause the piston to be urged towards the valve seat until the piston bears firmly against the valve seat to close the passageway in the piston. That is, the pressure inside the pressure chamber increases until the first force exceeds a sum of the second force and the spring force of the biasing member. Note that the pressure in the pressure chamber required to cause movement of the piston will be smaller than the pressure in the source of compressed gas, due to the difference in cross-sectional area between the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion of the piston.
By being able to adjust the position of the valve seat via a valve seat adjusting mechanism the regulator does not have to be removed to be able to adjust the pressure inside the regulator. When the valve seat adjusting mechanism moves the valve seat closer to or further away from the piston the biasing member has to be compressed a different distance. Thus a different force is necessary to move the piston towards the valve seat and compressing the biasing member until the piston abuts the valve seat. Thereby the pressure inside the pressure chamber can be set and adjusted if necessary.
The smaller the difference in cross-sectional areas between the large diameter portion of the piston and the small diameter portion of said piston is, the lighter the spring force afforded by the biasing member may be. By having the above described design it is possible to arrange the regulator in the gas powered gun in such a way that the valve seat can be adjusted without removing it from the regulator.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment the first and the second cylindrical portions forms a coaxial cylinder, which extends through the whole regulator body. The cylinder hence forms a through hole in said regulator body with the first cylindrical portion at one end and the second cylindrical portion at the other end.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said valve seat adjusting mechanism is arranged in said second cylindrical portion. Since the first cylindrical portion is in fluid connection with the pressure chamber the other end of the cylinder, where the second cylindrical portion is arranged, can be arranged such that it is accessible from the outside of the body of the gas powered gun. This can, for example, be done by letting a part of the regulator body, which includes the opening of the second cylindrical portion, extend out over the body of the gun or arranging the opening of the second cylindrical portion in one plane with the outer gun body. Hence, the opening of the second cylindrical portion in the regulator body may be open to the atmosphere. The valve seat adjusting mechanism may hence be reached through the opening of the second cylindrical portion. This way the valve seat adjusting mechanism can be accessible to a user without removing the gun.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment the gas in the source of compressed gas is usually air, however any suitable gas may be used. According to at least one exemplary embodiment said valve pressure adjusting mechanism comprises a threaded portion and said second cylindrical portion comprises a matching threaded portion and said valve pressure adjusting mechanism is adapted to be screwed into and out of said threaded area in said second cylindrical portion. Threaded connections are easy to manufacture and the parts are easy to assembly and it is an easy way to adjust the valve seat position.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said threaded portion of said valve pressure adjusting mechanism comprises a tool engaging portion, which is accessible to a user without removing the regulator from said gas powered gun. The tool engaging portion may be so arranged that is accessible through a hole in the body of the gun. The tool engaging portion may have the shape of the following type: slot, bolt, pozidriv, square, Robertson, torx or secure torx, hex socket or allen key, security hex, Phillips, square double, triple double, polydrive, spline drive, double hex, Bristol or pentalobular or any other possible design. This way a standard tool, for example, a screw driver may be used.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said threaded portion of said valve pressure adjusting mechanism is connected to a knob, which is accessible to a user without removing the regulator from said gas powered gun. By having a knob no extra tool is necessary to adjust the pressure.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said valve seat moves to at least a first position when said valve pressure adjusting mechanism is moved in a direction into said second cylinder portion and said valve seat is adapted to move to at least a second position when said valve pressure adjusting mechanism is moved in an opposite direction. With the phrase “a direction into said second cylinder portion” it is meant that the valve pressure adjusting mechanism is moved closer to the piston. The valve seat adjusting mechanism is connected to the valve seat. The valve seat adjusting mechanism moves said valve seat between at least a first position and at least a second position such that said piston is adapted to move a first distance when said valve seat is arranged at said first position and to move a second larger distance when said valve seat is arranged at said second position. Hence a larger force has to act on said piston in order to move the piston to the second position of the valve seat than to the first position of the valve seat, this since the biasing member has to be pressed more together in order to close the passageway in said piston between said pressure chamber and said source of compressed gas.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said valve seat comprises a piston abutting portion and a valve seat adjusting mechanism connection part.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said piston abutting portion and said valve seat adjusting mechanism connection part are made in one piece.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said piston abutting portion and said valve seat adjusting mechanism connection part are two different parts connected to each other. If one part breaks, it may be easier to replace it.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said piston abutting portion is made of plastic. Plastic has the advantage of being adaptable. The area of the piston, which engages the piston abutting portion, and the piston abutting portion itself may not always match each other 100 percent, due to manufacturing tolerances. If the piston abutting portion is made of plastic, the plastic piston abutting portion will adapt to the piston and seal between the piston and the piston abutting portion. If the piston abutting portion has to be replaced it is advantageous that the piston abutting portion is a separate part from the valve seat adjusting mechanism connection part, then only the piston abutting portion has to be replaced.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said biasing member is arranged in said first cylindrical portion between said large diameter portion of said piston and an annular portion between said first and said second cylindrical portions.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said biasing member comprises of one or more spring discs. An advantage of using spring discs is that it is easy to adjust the force by adding or removing spring discs. Alternatively, other springs suitable for the application may be used instead of spring discs.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said body further comprises an atmospheric passage extending between an opening to the atmosphere and said first and said second cylindrical portions between said first and said second sealing members.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said source of compressed gas is a bottle or a tube comprising compressed gas.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment said gas powered gun further comprises a barrel adapted to receive a projectile, an open-close valve for exhausting compressed gas from said pressure chamber to discharge a projectile in the barrel.
The present disclosure also relates to a pressure tube for a gas powered gun, wherein the pressure tube comprises a pressure chamber and a gas regulator, which is arranged between said pressure chamber and a source of compressed gas. The gas regulator comprises:
The features related to the regulator described in relation with the air pressure gun relate also to the regulator in the pressure tube and will hence not be described again. However, said source of compressed gas is a chamber in said pressure tube, which is filled with gas. Further, the pressure chamber in the tube is connected to a chamber in the gas powered gun during use of the gun and hence they form together a pressure chamber.
Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to “a/an/the [element, device, component, means, step, etc.]” are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of said element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed disclosure, as well as from the drawings.
The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, with reference to the appended drawings, where the same reference numerals will be used for similar elements, wherein:
All the figures are highly schematic, not necessarily to scale, and they show only parts which are necessary in order to elucidate the invention, other parts being omitted or merely suggested.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The gun 1 further comprises an open-close valve 8, which is arranged in the pressure chamber 11 for allowing passage of compressed gas from the bottle 2 to the space 10 immediately behind the bullet 12 in the barrel 4, and a sliding hammer 9, which actuates the open-close valve 8 at the moment of firing. When the gun is in a loaded position the hammer 9 is biased towards the valve 8 by a biasing spring 13, and is held in a loaded position, against the force of the biasing spring 13, by a catch 14 (see
In the illustrated example, the open-close valve 8 has a main body oriented essentially in the longitudinal direction of the gun 1, and comprises a valve head 8a adapted to cooperate with an opening of the pressure chamber 11 in front of the valve 8, the opening thus acting as a valve seat 8b. The pressure inside the pressure chamber 11 keeps the valve head 8a in place against the valve seat 8b, thus effectively sealing the pressure chamber 11. The valve head 8a is additionally biased against the valve seat 8b by a biasing spring 18. Another channel 19 connects a passage 16 behind the valve seat 8b with the space 10 behind a bullet 12 in the barrel 4. When the hammer 9 is released it is forced by the spring 13 into contact with a portion 96, to which said valve head 8a is a part of. This is shown in
The body 21 has an outer cylindrically stepped shaped form. The body 21 is provided with an externally threaded portion 22, which allows the regulator 20 to be screwed into the gas powered gun 1 until it reaches an annular flange 71 on the regulator body 21, since the gun 1 is provided with a corresponding bore with which the externally threaded portion 42 engages. Part of the regulator is arranged inside the body 3 of the gun, and part of the regulator is arranged outside the body 3. However, this is not necessary. The body 21 comprises a first cylindrical portion 24 with a first opening 23 and a second cylindrical portion 25, which is arranged coaxial with the first cylindrical portion, which together define an inner cylinder in which the piston 30 is mounted for sliding movement. The first cylindrical portion 24 extends from said first opening 23 in a predetermined distance into said body 21 and the second cylindrical portion 25 extends from the bottom of the first cylindrical portion into said body 21 and through to the other end of the regulator body 21, forming a second opening 73. The first cylindrical portion 24, which is in connection with the pressure chamber 11 in
A bore 90 in the body 21 is connected to a passage in the regulator body (not shown) which affords communication between the ambient atmosphere (or any other external reference pressure) and the cylinder portion, at a point between the 0-rings 41, 42.
The regulator 20 also comprises a valve seat 50, which is arranged in the second cylindrical portion 25. The valve seat 50 comprises an end surface 55 which will abut the piston 30 and its end surface 34. In
The piston 30 is mounted for sliding movement in the two cylinder portions 24, 25, and the passageway 33 in the piston connects the first opening 23 and the third opening 28 in the body 21. At the same time it connects the pressure chamber 11 with the intermediate chamber 51 in the regulator 20. The function of the spring discs 40 are to bias the piston 30 resiliently into the intermediate chamber 51 and towards the valve seat 50. The valve seat 50 is made of two parts connected to each other. The first part 52 is a piston abutting portion, which comprises the end surface 55. The piston abutting portion is made of plastic, which the piston 30 will abut. The second part 53 is a valve seat adjusting mechanism connection part. These two parts may be fixedly connected to each other, for example screwed together, or loosely connected to each other. The valve seat 50 is provided with an O-ring 54, which seals between the valve seat 50 and the second cylindrical portion 25. The O-ring 54 is arranged to the valve seat adjusting mechanism connection part 53. A valve pressure adjusting mechanism 60 is connected to the valve seat 50. The valve pressure adjusting mechanism 60 comprises a threaded portion 61 which is screwed into a threaded portion 29 in the second cylindrical portion 25 of the regulator 20. The threaded portion 61 is at the end facing the valve seat 50 provided with a valve seat contacting protrusion 62. On the other end the threaded portion has a tool engaging portion 63 of type: slot, bolt, pozidriv, square, Robertson, torx or secure torx, hex socket or allen key, security hex, Phillips, square double, triple double, polydrive, spline drive, double hex, Bristol or pentalobular or any other possible design, which allows, for example, a screw driver to connect to the tool engaging portion. The screwdriver is then inserted into the second opening 73 of the regulator 20.
The regulator 20 operates as follows. The forces acting on the piston to urge it upwards are the spring force of the spring discs 40 and the high pressure gas from the bottle 2 in
A predetermined amount of gas is now arranged in the pressure chamber 11 having a predetermined pressure inside the pressure chamber 11. When the trigger 15 is pulled the compressed gas is forwarded to the space 10 behind the bullet 12 which fires the bullet 12.
When the shot is fired the air pressure in the pressure chamber 11 drops and the biasing springs 40 lift the piston 30 off its seat allowing high pressure air to flow into the pressure chamber 11 once again and the cycle is repeated.
In order to change the force on the piston 30 created by the pressure inside the pressure chamber 11 the valve seat 50 is movable by using the valve seat adjusting mechanism 60. When the valve seat adjusting mechanism 60 is screwed into the second cylinder portion 25, the valve seat 50 is pushed and hence moved closer to the piston 30 and its piston end 34.
A piston 30′ having the same design as the piston shown in
Further, an insert 91 is arranged in the opening 93 in the gun 1 and seals the opening. A pressure gauge 92 is arranged in order to check the pressure in the pressure chamber 11. The pressure gauge 92 is used to check the pressure inside the pressure chamber 11, for example, when the regulator is being adjusted. The disclosure has mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the present disclosure, as defined by the appended patent claims.