The present invention relates to a gas-powered gun comprising a pressure chamber for holding compressed gas, a valve arranged to release compressed gas from the pressure chamber to thereby discharge a projectile provided in a barrel, and a plenum chamber in fluid connection with the pressure chamber.
Gas powered guns of the above-mentioned kind are well known in the art, and the compressed gas may be e.g. air (air guns). The “plenum” can be seen as an extension of the pressure chamber, so that more pressurized air is available to discharge a bullet when the trigger is pulled. The size of the plenum is critical for the performance of the gun, and various add-on devices are available to provide an increased plenum size. However, such add-on plenum devices tend to be impractical.
Document GB 2427671 discloses an air gun having a pressure tank arranged around the barrel. As will be understood by the skilled person, a tank is not a plenum. Indeed, the air gun in GB 2427671 does not have any plenum.
In view of that stated above, the object of the present invention is to provide a gas-powered gun with an improved plenum size. Specifically, it is desirable to have a larger plenum without any add-on device.
This and other objects are achieved by a gas-powered gun of the kind mentioned above, wherein the plenum chamber is formed around at least a rear portion of the barrel. In some embodiments, the plenum chamber is formed coaxial with the barrel.
Such an arrangement of the plenum allows an increased plenum size without requiring any additional components or increasing the size of the gun. The plenum may be formed by a sleeve arranged coaxially around the barrel, and provided with sealings in either end (front and rear). The rear sealing can then be provided with a passage for connecting the plenum with the pressure chamber.
It is noted that sleeves arranged coaxially around the barrel of a gun are known per se. Conventionally, such sleeves are provided to protect a user from the barrel, which may become very hot during use. Such conventional sleeves are however not sealed, and are also not designed to withstand high pressure.
Currently preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described herein with reference to the following figures.
The invention may however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and fully convey the scope of the invention to the skilled person. 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.
Via a channel 8 and a pressure regulator 9 the bottle 7 is in fluid connection with a pressure chamber 10. The pressure regulator 9 ensures a controlled pressure in the pressure chamber 10 (regulated pressure).
The gun 1 further comprises a feeder pin 11 slidably arranged in a housing 12 behind the barrel 3. The feeder pin 11 is arranged to be slid back, into a rearwards position, thereby allowing a bullet (projectile) 13 to be inserted in a space in front of the feeder pin 11. The feeder pin 11 is then slid forward, to a forwards position, thereby pushing the bullet 13 into a firing position in the barrel 3, as shown in
The trigger 6 is mechanically connected to a spring-loaded hammer 14, which operates an open-close valve 15, which connects the pressure chamber 10 to a space 16 immediately behind the bullet in the firing position. The valve 15 includes a valve-seat 17a forming an opening of the pressure chamber 10, and a valve-head 17b arranged inside the pressure chamber and being pressed against the valve-seat 16 to seal the chamber 10. The valve-head 17a has a hammer cooperating portion 18 extending rearwards through the opening, so that it can be engaged by the hammer 14.
When the gun is in a loaded position (
According to the present invention, the pressure chamber 10 is in fluid connection with a larger chamber 30, referred to as a plenum chamber, or simply plenum. The plenum thus forms an extension of the pressure chamber, and the pressure in the plenum is also regulated by the regulator 9. The plenum 30 is formed around a rear portion of the barrel 3, here coaxially surrounding the barrel 3.
In the illustrated example, the plenum 30 is formed by a sleeve 31 surrounding the barrel 3, and being sealed in each end by a front sealing 32 and a rear sealing 33. The rear sealing 33 is formed with a passage 34 providing a fluid connection between the coaxial plenum 30 and the pressure chamber 10.
The sleeve 30 and sealings 32, 33 are designed to withstand the regulated pressure. The walls of the sleeve 30 may therefore have a greater thickness than conventional barrel sleeves. As an example, the walls may have a thickness of around 3 mm.
It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. Several modifications and variations are thus conceivable within the scope of the invention which thus is exclusively defined by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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22207183 | Nov 2022 | EP | regional |
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0140657 | May 1985 | EP |
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Entry |
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Extended European Search Report dated May 9, 2023 issued by the European Patent Office in corresponding European Patent Application No. 22207183.9 (7 Pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20240263912 A1 | Aug 2024 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 18388979 | Nov 2023 | US |
Child | 18640348 | US |