Patent Application
20110056472
The present invention relates to pressure bottles, and more particularly, to a pressure bottle used in conjunction with a paintball gun (alternatively referred to as a “paintball marker”).
Generally, pressure vessels (ex: bottles, tanks, containers, cylinders) are manufactured to regulatory standards which require certain design criteria and qualification approvals, as well as on-going production inspection by independent inspection agencies. For this application, “pressure bottle” and “pressure vessel” are used interchangeably. Such agency oversight helps to assure that the applicable pressure vessels meet these safety and performance standards. However, there are currently no comparable regulatory standards for controlling the type of apparatus that may be subsequently attached or assembled to the pressure vessel, to fill the vessel and/or to control the flow and safe venting of its pressurized contents. Pin valves commonly used for this purpose can be fairly easily removed or tampered with. Also, such valves can be replaced by substitute valves which may not contain a burst disk or other features designed for the safe and reliable use of the pressure vessel. Also, replacement valves may be improperly installed or otherwise defective.
Such pressure vessels are commonly used with paintball markers, to supply controlled bursts of pressurized gas to propel the paintballs out of the marker barrel. The pressure bottles, which are refillable, vary in gas capacity depending on the number of shots the paintball player will take before having to again refill. Typical CO2 bottle sizes range from 9 ozs to 24 ozs and are rated at 1800 psi, although they typically operate at about 850 psi. These CO2 bottles represent the majority of paintball bottles currently in use.
In this context, it is typical for a standard pin valve to reside within a valve body, the valve body having a first end that threadably connects to the pressure bottle and a second end that threadably connects to the paintball marker. But this typical design presents safety problems, as described in an article published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and entitled “CPSC issues New Safety Warning for Paintball Guns,” which is expressly incorporated by reference herein, in its entirety.
More specifically, the use of two separate threadable connections at opposite ends of the same valve body creates an unacceptable risk of an accidental disconnection. Due to the pressure of the gas in the bottle, any sudden, accidental disconnection could result in a deadly projectile. With this type of structure, the repeated connection and disconnection of the marker to the valve body, via the threaded connection, can produce the unintended application of torque to the other threaded connection between the valve body and the pressure bottle. Moreover, this can occur on a repeated basis.
More specifically, the use of a pin valve housed within a valve body that directly threads into both the pressure bottle and the appliance (paintball gun or other gas powered device) can result in inadvertent removal of the pin valve from the pressurized bottle. This can occur in cases where the resistance to removal of the valve from the threaded appliance is greater than the resistance required to remove the pin valve from the pressure vessel. And this may occur for a number of different reasons, including the inadvertent cross threading of the valve to the appliance, or even the use of non-conforming threads in the appliance receiver, or incorrect installation of the pin valve to the pressure vessel, or the use of a non-conforming pin valve thread. Invariably, all of these situations eventually occur during periodic refilling of the pressure vessel.
In addition to this safety problem, this type of valve body is also relatively bulky and expensive, due to the need to provide two axially spaced threaded connections, to connect to two different structures. For paintball markers, this unnecessarily adds to the weight and bulk of the overall device.
It is an object of the present invention to improve the safety of pressure bottles used in conjunction with paintball markers, and to facilitate refilling of such pressure bottles in a manner which does not create a corresponding increase in safety risk.
It is another object of the present invention to simplify the connections between a pressure bottle and a paintball marker.
It is another object of the present invention to eliminate the susceptibility to sudden and inadvertent valve body removal from a pressure bottle, which may otherwise result from undesired torquing or loosening of the connection therebetween, when a user tries to disconnect the pressure bottle from the paintball marker.
It is still another object of the present invention to reduce the overall costs of the components that connect to a paintball marker.
It is still another object of the present invention to achieve these other objectives while still employing a structure which readily accommodates i.e., easily connects to and disconnects from, a standard paintball marker.
The present invention achieves these objectives via an improved pressure bottle that connects to the paintball marker via a first connection, preferably a set of threads, that is separate and independent from a second internal connection between the pressure bottle and the valve assembly. With separate connections, the pressure bottle can be connected to the paintball marker via the first connection, and disconnected therefrom via the first connection, without affecting the connection that holds the valve assembly to the pressure bottle. The pressure bottle includes a built in, or in some respects integral valve assembly, which resides within the neck of the pressure bottle. This isolates the valve assembly from the first connection, thereby allowing the safe control of the flow of stored pressurized gas (ex: CO2) to and from the pressurized vessel.
In one embodiment, the first connection occurs via a direct threaded connection between the paintball marker and the outer surface of the neck of the bottle. In another embodiment, the first connection occurs between the paintball marker and the outer surface of one end of a bonnet, the bonnet also having an opposite end that connects inside the neck of the bottle. Each of these two preferred embodiments uses a threaded connection to connect to the paintball marker. Both embodiments eliminate the possibility of the valve assembly inadvertently or suddenly disconnecting from the pressurized bottle during removal of the bottle from the marker.
This invention greatly simplifies the valve operation and eliminates several costly valve parts. In one embodiment the valve stem assembly can be a commercially available high pressure valve stem which is threaded into the bottle neck and then retained by a threaded valve retainer.
The invention allows the bottle to be initially filled and re-filled with pressurized CO2, to vent in cases of over pressurization, and to dispense pressurized CO2 in the same manner as currently employed for the bottle/pin valve combination for conventional connection devices. But with this invention the risk associated with valve removal is eliminated, and this is done with significant cost savings in manufacture. Likewise, placement of the valve assembly within the neck of the bottle eliminates possible leaks and failures of separate external valve components. This integral structure also provides a more pleasing and compact styling to the consumer, due to reduced bulk and weight.
Because this present invention recesses the valve assembly within the neck of the pressure bottle, it prevents any rotational force from being exerted on the valve assembly, i.e. rotational force that might otherwise cause it to unscrew from the pressure vessel neck during removal of the pressure vessel from the appliance. Instead, a direct connection is made between the threaded receiver of the appliance (the paintball marker) and, in one case, the threaded neck of the pressure bottle, and in another case, the threaded neck of the bonnet. In both cases, this first connection is independent from, and thereby does not affect the structure that connects the valve assembly to the bottle.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, an adaptor is threadably inserted within the pressure bottle neck, which in turn threadably receives a valve assembly, and then receives an inserted retainer, which prevents removal of the valve. That is, the valve cannot be removed without significant and visual damage being done to the valve assembly.
According to another preferred embodiment, the valve assembly directly connects to the internal passage of the neck of the bottle, and a bonnet also connects to the neck of the bottle, with one internal end located adjacent to but not connected to the valve assembly and an outer end to which the paintball marker threadably connects.
Also, a burst disk is preferably located in a side port formed in the neck of the bottle. Previously, such a burst structure would be located in the external valve body. In effect, this invention modifies the structure of the bottle neck and eliminates the need for an external valve body.
These and other features of the invention will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description and the drawings.
This application claims priority to previously filed U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/894,705, entitled “Pressure Bottle With Integral Valve,” filed on Mar. 14, 2007, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein, in its entirety.
For a number of practical reasons, the present invention is most advantageously used with carbon dioxide (CO2), in vessels 14 with a rated service pressure of about 1800 psi. Carbon dioxide is the most commonly used gas for paintball activities because it is readily available, has low cost, and can be stored in lower cost bottles with a rated service pressure of 1800 psi. Also, its outward flow and its safe use can be more readily controlled. Generally, a typical operating pressure for carbon dioxide at 70° Fahrenheit is about 850 psi, with elevated pressures occurring only at elevated temperatures, or due to overfilling of the pressure bottle 14.
As an alternative to carbon dioxide, the pressure bottle 14 could be filled with high pressure air or nitrogen, gases which do not exhibit excessive temperature/pressure sensitivity. In that case, the pressure bottle 14 should have a rated service pressure in the rang of about 3,000 to 5,000 psi, to maximize the amount of stored compressed gas. Nonetheless, such high pressure vessels are more expensive, and require the use of a regulator, to reduce the high pressure down to a usable delivery pressure.
As shown in
From conduit 19 and tube 20, the pressurized gas flows into the body 21 of the gun 12, where it causes a paintball pellet to be forcibly expelled from the barrel 14. Thus, when trigger 15 is squeezed, there is an open fluid line from the bottle 14 to the gun 12. To create this open fluid line, the trigger 15 operatively connects to an internal mechanical actuator (not shown) which cooperates with a valve mechanism (not shown) associated with the bottle 14. The present invention does not specifically relate to the trigger 15 or the internal mechanical actuator of the paintball marker 12. Rather, the present invention relates to the bottle 14, and is designed to work with existing, conventional devices such as marker 12 that are already on the market. Stated more specifically, the present invention resides particularly in the structure that connects to a conventional paintball marker 12 via the sleeve 18, and which does so in a manner that significantly increases the safety of paintball activities.
More particularly, the present invention facilitates connection of the bottle 14 to the gun 12 for initial use of the apparatus 10, and subsequent disconnection of the bottle 14 from the gun 12 when it is necessary to refill the bottle 14 with pressurized gas. And the structure of the present invention enables disconnecting of the bottle 14 from the gun 12 to occur in a manner which negates any potentially dangerous condition caused by the pressurized contents of the bottle 14. The safety features of the present invention are described in more detail below, in the context of
The bottle 14 includes internal threads 33 formed along the inside of internal passage 30. A valve core body 34 resides within the internal passage 30, and preferably connects thereto via external threads 35 which cooperatively engage internal threads 33. Thus, via the threaded connection of external threads 35 and internal threads 33, the valve core body 34 removably connects to the bottle 14 within internal passage 30.
The valve core body 34 is one component of a valve assembly that also includes a valve stem 36. The valve stem 36 is urged to an uppermost and closed position via an internal spring 37, which is in turn held in place via a retaining nut 38, which is received within an innermost end of the valve core body 34, preferably via a threaded connection. To some extent, and depending on the volume of pressurized gas remaining in the bottle 14, the remaining gas holds the valve stem 36 closed. The valve stem 36 acts against a annular puck 39, which fits over the valve stem 36 and acts as a seal when the valve stem 36 is held closed by the spring 37, i.e. urged in the direction away from the internal volume 29. The puck 39 is made of rubber or plastic of suitable Durometer.
An outermost end, or top end, 42 of the valve core body 34 has a size and shape that is configured to enable threadably removable of the valve core body 34 from the internal passage 30, if necessary.
When the bottle 14 and bonnet 46 are connected to the paintball marker 12, upon squeezing the trigger 15 the actuation mechanism (not shown) of the gun 12 cooperates with an outer end of the valve stem 36 within the outer recess 51. This creates an open flow path from the internal volume 29 to the gun 12, through the center of the retaining nut 38 and the valve core body 34, around the valve stem 36 and the puck 39, and then along the angular volume residing between the outer end of the valve stem 36 and the channel 50 of the bonnet 46.
With this configuration, the valve assembly remains secured within the neck 16 of the bottle 14 during connection of the bottle 14 to the gun 12 and disconnection of the bottle 14 from the gun 12 via the external threads 48 of the bonnet 46. Even if the bonnet 46 were to unintentionally or inadvertently become unthreaded from the neck 16, via the first set of threads 47, that would not adversely effect the connection of the valve core body 34 within the internal passage 30. Stated another way, the bonnet 46 and the valve core body 34 independently connect to the neck 16 within the internal passage 30, such that removal of the bonnet 46, whether intentional or not, does not cause the valve assembly to become loosened or removed from the internal passage 30. Moreover, because the valve stem 36 is held by the spring 37 in a closed position, unless acted upon by an actuator (not shown) operatively connected to the trigger 15, even removal of the bonnet 46 from the bottle 14 cannot create a situation whereby pressurized gas from the bottle 14 becomes open to atmosphere. Thus, the present invention eliminates the previously described dangerous condition associated with prior paintball marker/pressure bottle assemblies, wherein sudden and inadvertent disconnection of the pressure bottle from the valve body has on several reported occasions caused the pressurized air in the bottle to become open to atmosphere, and thereby launched the bottle as a projectile.
In typical use, gun 12 will be removably connected to the bottle 14 via the external threads 48 of the bonnet 46, and the bonnet 46 and the valve core body 34 will remain threadably engaged with the internal passage 30 of the next 16. As stated above, they have no affect on the threaded connection of the valve core body 34 in the neck 16.
The bottle 14 also includes an opening in the lower end of the neck 16, which houses a burst disk assembly 58. The burst disk assembly 58 provides a path to safely discharge gas from the internal volume 29, if the bottle 14 becomes over pressurized beyond the rated pressure of the burst disk, which will be lower than the rated pressure of the bottle 14.
As with the first embodiment shown in
Although this specification describes two preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be readily understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are exemplary. And they are meant to represent current preferred embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that a number of various modifications could be made to the specific structures shown and described herein, without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, applicant intends to have the invention defined by the following claims, not the particular details of these preferred embodiments, and to have the following claims given the broadest reasonable interpretation in light of the disclosed embodiments and the rest of this specification.
