Patent Grant
10190844
The present invention relates to a sight adjustment device, which adjusts a course of a bullet to be shot when shooting the bullet loaded in a cartridge portion of each of barrels, in a simulation gun having a plurality of the barrels.
Simulation guns include airsoft guns. The airsoft guns are generally classified into electric guns, gas guns, and air cocking guns. The electric guns are electrically operated airsoft guns in which a piston for compressing air is electrically operated. The gas guns are airsoft guns which vigorously jet out gas compressed in a tank and fly an airsoft pellet. The gas guns are operated by using dedicated gas. In the air cocking guns, a piston for compressing air is manually operated. Some airsoft guns include a hop adjustment device which can adjust a trajectory, that is, a course of an airsoft pellet.
A bullet called an airsoft pellet is used in the airsoft guns. However, the airsoft pellet is classified by weight, such as 0.12 g, 0.2 g, and 0.25 g. When airsoft pellets being different from each other in weight are used in an airsoft gun, it is ideal for the strength of a backspin (degree of an applied backspin) to match the weights of the airsoft pellets. In addition, when airsoft pellets being different from each other in weight are used in one airsoft gun, it is desirable for the strength of a backspin degree of an applied backspin to match the weights of the airsoft pellets. When a backspin is applied to an airsoft pellet and the airsoft pellet is shot, force tending to rise is generated in the airsoft pellet. When force of the airsoft pellet tending to fall due to the force of gravity, and force thereof tending to rise due to a backspin are balanced, it is possible to fly the airsoft pellet straight farther with a smaller air quantity than when being shot without any aid. Hereinabove, an overview of an adjustment device called a trajectory system has been described.
JP-A-6-3091 is an invention which relates to the sight adjustment device and claimed by the applicant of this application. The invention of JP-A-6-3091 has a configuration in which an opening is formed in an upper portion of a gun cavity for shooting a spherical bullet, a frictional member being able to protrude into the gun cavity is disposed therein, and a pressing member pressing the frictional member from the outside in a direction toward the inside of the gun cavity is provided together with a friction adjustment mechanism. In addition, JP-A-2005-121358 discloses an invention which relates to a course calibration device which calibrates a course of a bullet coming out from a gun barrel of a replica of a weapon. The course calibration device includes a first pin that forms a first boss for holding a bullet inside the gun barrel, and a second pin that forms a second boss for holding the bullet inside the gun barrel. The first and second pins are positioned so as to be bilaterally symmetric about a vertical axis passing through the center of the gun barrel. As seen in the configuration, all the trajectory systems in the related art aim to perform a sight adjustment in a simulation gun having a single barrel, and other types of trajectory systems are not known.
In contrast, when developing a simulation gun having a plurality of barrels, there is a problem regarding a way of performing a sight adjustment of the plurality of barrels. Even in the simulation gun having a plurality of barrels, the configuration having a simple trajectory system is known from those in the related art. However, it is not possible to adjust the strength of a trajectory. It is possible to consider that the invention relating to the sight adjustment device is applied to the simulation gun having a plurality of barrels. However, the invention of PTL 1 employs an adjusting method in which a holding cylinder fitted to a barrel is moved back and forth. In order to perform a sight adjustment, there is a need to develop a mechanism for moving a plurality of the holding cylinders. In the invention of PTL 2, two pins, that is, the first and second pins are required for a sight adjustment, leading to a problem in that both the mechanism and the adjustment method become excessively complicated when being applied to the plurality of barrels.
[PTL 1] JP-A-6-3091
[PTL 2] JP-A-2005-121358
The present invention has been made in consideration of the foregoing points, and an object thereof is to provide a sight adjustment device, which can easily and reliably execute an adjustment of a trajectory of a bullet loaded in a cartridge portion, in a simulation gun having a plurality of barrels. In addition, another object of the present invention is to be able to obtain an optimal trajectory under conditions of different bullet types, temperatures, and the like, in the simulation gun having a plurality of barrels.
In order to attain the above-described objects, according to the present invention, there is provided means for a sight adjustment device, which adjusts a course of a bullet to be shot when shooting the bullet loaded in a cartridge portion of each of barrels, in a simulation gun having a plurality of the barrels. The sight adjustment device includes a plurality of pressurization members that add pressure to the bullet loaded in each cartridge portion such that rotation is applied to each bullet; a link member that is provided on a side of a gun main body such that one end portion is disposed on a side of the pressurization members and the other end portion is disposed on a side of an operation unit, and transmits an operation of the operation unit to the pressurization members; and the operation unit that is provided on the side of the gun main body in order to adjust a trajectory amount.
The present invention relates to the sight adjustment device targeted at a simulation gun having a plurality of barrels. As described above, a trajectory system basically aims to balance between force of an airsoft pellet tending to fall due to the force of gravity, and force thereof tending to rise due to a backspin, to fly the airsoft pellet straight farther than when being shot without any aid, and to consequently improve hit precision, that is, to ameliorate a flying distance, straightness, and a hit rate. However, in a case of bullets shot from the plurality of barrels, for example, dispersion of the bullets can be adjusted by adjusting the trajectory. Thus, the present invention is not limited to so-called backspin, and changing the trajectory is also included in the object.
The sight adjustment device of the present invention includes the plurality of pressurization members that applies rotation to a plurality of bullets, the link member that transmits an operation of the operation unit to the pressurization members, and the operation unit that adjusts the backspin amount. Among thereof, in order to apply rotation to each bullet by adding pressure to the ballet loaded in each cartridge portion, one pressurization member for one barrel, that is, the plurality of pressurization members in total are generally prepared.
In the present invention, if is preferable that the pressurization members are each disposed at least in upper portions of the plurality of barrels in order to apply upward rotation to the bullet and are configured to have pressurization projections which come into contact with the bullet at an upper portion of the cartridge portion. Since the pressurization members are disposed in the upper portions of the barrels, it is necessary to have the configuration in order to achieve a function as the so-called backspin.
The link member is provided on the side of the gun main body such that the one end portion is disposed on the side of the pressurization members and the other end portion is disposed on the side of the operation unit, and transmits an operation of the operation unit to the pressurization members. Therefore, when a plurality of the link members are prepared, it is possible to dispose each of the one end portions in sites of the plurality of pressurization members and to bind and dispose each of the other end portions in one place in the gun main body.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the operation unit includes fine adjustment means for allowing an operation amount to be subjected to a fine adjustment and is configured to include a multi-spiral engagement portion which is provided in a rotary-type operation piece so as to serve as the fine adjustment means, and an engagement counterpart portion which is provided in the other end portion of the link member and is able to engage with the engagement portion. When the multi-spiral engagement portion and the engagement counterpart portion in the other end portion of the link member engage with each other, the operation amount (input) in a circumferential direction in which the operation piece rotates is converted into an adjustment amount (output) in a radial direction. Therefore, it is possible to suitably adjust slight pressurization force.
The operation unit is provided on the side of the gun main body in order to adjust the backspin amount. A plurality of the link members and a plurality of the operation units may be provided so as to respectively correspond to the plurality of pressurization members and each of the link members and the operation units may be configured to be able to be independently operated and adjusted. That is, the configuration is provided for the plurality of pressurization members to be independently operated by the plurality of operation units. In other words, when only one link member and one operation unit are provided with respect to the plurality of configuration in which all the pressurization members can be operated and adjusted by one operation unit.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the link member is configured to include a push member which is provided so as to be movable in a vertical direction and of which a lower portion comes into contact with the pressurization members, and a rotatable lever of which one end portion is joined to an upper portion of the push member, of which the other end portion communicates with the operation unit, and which is pivotally supported between both the end portions.
Since the present invention is configured and operates as described above, when the plurality of pressurization members and the plurality of operation units are joined to each other by using the link member in the simulation gun having a plurality of barrels, the operation units are bound in one place, thereby exhibiting the effect that an adjustment of the trajectory of a bullet loaded in the cartridge portion can be easily and reliably executed. In addition, according to the present invention, the trajectory of a bullet shot from each barrel can also be adjusted in the simulation gun having a plurality of barrels, thereby exhibiting the effect that a sight adjustment can be performed in accordance with conditions of different bullet types, temperatures, and the like.
Hereinafter, with reference to the illustrated embodiment, the present invention will be described in more detail.
A cartridge assembly 50 is provided in a rear portion of the barrels, and a detachable magazine 51 is mounted at a lower portion thereof. A cartridge portion 14 is set in the cartridge assembly 50, so that a bullet B is disposed inside the rear end of each of the three barrels 11, 12, 13. The cartridge portion 14 is provided with a sight adjustment device 15 for adjusting a trajectory (
The compressed air generating unit 10 is a part generating air with which the bullet B is blasted in order to shoot each bullet B from each of the barrels 11, 12, 13 in the multi-bullet shooting electric gun G. The barrels themselves are combined such that three thereof form a triangle shape when seen from the front. The compressed air generating unit 10 is disposed at the rear inside the electric gun G. The cylinder assembly 20, the piston assembly 30, and the electric mechanism 40 configuring the compressed air generating unit 10 are disposed in an approximately straight line in order thereof.
The cylinder assembly 20 is positioned in a rear portion of the three barrels 11, 12, 13, has an air-blast nozzle 24 at a tip end, and has the three cylinders 21, 22, 23 in which the pistons 31, 32, 33 respectively reciprocate. The illustrated cylinder assembly 20 is configured to have three pipe members 25, a front fixing member 26 fixing each of the pipe members 25 to a tip end portion, and a rear fixing member 27 fixing each of the pipe members 25 to a rear end portion (refer to
The air-blast nozzle 24 is provided in the front fixing member 26, and an insertion port 25a for the piston is open in the rear fixing member 27. A blast nozzle 24 is provided in front of a pipe attachment member 25b, and the pipe attachment member 25b is attached to the rear surface of the front fixing member 26 by a fastener 25c. The pipe attachment member 25b has a positional relationship with the pipe member 25 in which the pipe attachment member 25b is fitted, and is assembled in an air-tight manner by using seal means 26a (
As seen in the illustrated embodiment, an inter-nozzle 28 is connected to the cartridge portion 14 and the air-blast nozzle 24 and is provided to be movable in the forward-rearward direction by a nozzle base 28. The inter-nozzle 28 slides with respect to the blast nozzle 24 in an air-tight manner and is at a position where a bullet is blasted with compressed air generated in the compressed air generating unit 10. The inter-nozzle 28 is attached to an erected portion 29a of the nozzle base 29 and is incorporated in a main body of the simulation gun G so as to be able to advance and retract.
Therefore, the inter-nozzle 28 retracts by being engaged with a latch member 49 described below, in response to retract operations of the pistons 31, 32, 33 and is caused to advance by a spring of biasing means 29b acting on the nozzle base 29 (refer to
The air-blast nozzle 24 is provided at a position leaning to the center of the pipe members 25, 25, 25 of the three cylinders 21, 22, 23. This countermeasure is provided because the air-blast nozzle 24 cannot coincide with the center of a cylinder pipe having a diameter larger than the barrel, since the number of a plurality of the barrels 11, 12, 13 in the illustrated example is three. Thus, the position of the air-blast nozzle 24 is determined based on the relationship between the barrel and the position of the center of the cylinder pipe.
The piston assembly 30 has the three pistons 31, 32, 33 which respectively reciprocate inside the cylinders 21, 22, 23 and generate compressed air. In addition, the three pistons 31, 32, 33 are configured to be bound in one place by a joint portion 34 at the rear and to be integrally provided with one piston shaft 35 having a rack 36 along a reciprocating direction and the joint portion. (refer to
The three pistons 31, 32, 33 are flexibly joined to the joint portion 34 such that seal performance between the pistons 31, 32, 33 and cylinder inner wall surfaces is maintained due to the joined state. That is, when the pistons and the cylinders configuring a piston cylinder mechanism have high precision in the positional relationship or the fitting state therebetween, it becomes easy to obtain high compressibility. Moreover, the axial centers therebetween also have to coincide with each other with high precision. However, when a certain degree of flexibility is allowed, it is possible to obtain high compressibility without requiring excessive precision.
In order to apply the flexibility, the present invention employs a configuration in which the pistons 31, 32, 33 are provided at the tip end of slender rods 37 so as to be movably pivoted by the joint portion 34 sit the rear of the rods 37. In the configuration of the illustrated embodiment, the rods 37 are pivoted with respect to the reciprocating direction of the pistons by using a pivot 37a in the transverse direction such that the rods 37 become movable in the vertical direction. The air-tightness of the pistons 31, 32, 33 is maintained by using the illustrated O-rings as seal members 38.
In the configuration of the embodiment in which the piston cylinder mechanism is constituted by three sets, as described above, the three sets are combined in the piston assembly 30 so as to have a triangle shape when seen from the front, the piston shaft 35 is disposed in the joint portion 34 with a positional relationship of being shifted downward from a central portion of the three sets, and the rack 36 is positioned at the top of a part which is shifted downward. Therefore, the position of the rack 36 becomes close to the central portion of the three sets. Accordingly, it is possible to gain a disposition space 39 for the electric mechanism 40 of an output gear 41, and driving force of the output gear 41 is more efficiently transmitted from a position close to the center line.
The electric mechanism 40 is configured to cause the piston assembly 30 to retract, to cause an elastic member 42 to accumulate pressure, and to drive the output gear 41 meshing with the rack 36 in order to compress air by releasing the accumulated pressure. As a description with reference to
The piston shaft 35 has a hollow structure and is biased in the advancing direction by the elastic member 42 illustrated as a coil spring which is hollow inside. One end of the elastic member 42 constituted by the coil spring is in contact with the front end of the piston shaft which is hollow inside, and the other end is supported by the rear end of the cavity which is a movement portion 46 for the piston provided inside the electric mechanism 40. The reference number 47 indicates a guide portion constituted by an irregular structure. The guide portion 47 is provided, in a laterally longitudinal direction of the piston shaft 35 and engages with a projection 46a which is an engagement counterpart constituted by an irregular structure provided on the gun main body side, thereby functioning as a guide for moving straight forward (refer to
In addition to the description above, the multi-bullet shooting electric gun G of the embodiment includes mechanisms required for operating as an electric gun, such as a power source battery (not illustrated), a circuit connecting the power source battery and the electric motor 43, and a switch for turning on and off the power source. The reference number 18 indicates the switch, the reference number 19 indicates an outer barrel housing the three barrels, the reference number 48 indicates a selector for selecting a shooting mode, and the reference number 49 indicates the aforementioned latch member. The latch member 45 is pivoted at the rear end of the nozzle base 29 by a pivot 29a as vertically movable engagement means. The latch member 49 is configured to be retractable by being engaged with an engagement counterpart portion 49a provided in the piston shaft 35 and to be able to be disengaged by coming into contact with a disengagement portion 49b provided on the gun main body side. The reference number 49c is a spring, which is biasing the latch member 49 in a direction for engaging with the engagement counterpart portion 49a (refer to
In the sight adjustment device 15 in a simulation gun of the present invention, an assembly is provided in a part of the cartridge assembly 50 positioned in the rear portion of the barrels (refer to
The bullet supply unit 53 is penetrated in the forward-rearward direction by openings 57 in three places. The tip end portion of the inter-nozzle 28 can be inserted into each of the openings 57. That is, the openings 57 in the three places are set such that the disposition thereof completely coincides with the cartridge portions 14 respectively positioned inside the three barrels at the rear end, and the receiving portions 55 in the three places. Therefore, in the configuration, when the inter-nozzle 28 advances, the ballets B pushed up by the receiving portions 55 in the three places can be respectively sent to the cartridge portions 14 in the rear portions of the three barrels 11, 12, 13.
In the illustrated example, the cartridge assembly 50 positioned at the rear end of the three barrels 11, 12, 13 has covers 58A, 58B constituted by two upper and lower members. In addition, the covers 58A, 58B and the bullet supply unit 53 are integrally assembled by a fastener 59 illustrated as a screw. As illustrated in
The cartridge portion housing 60 has the appearance in which three cylinders are bundled, and the rear end thereof forms openings 60a, 60b, 60c facing the bullet supply unit 53 via the receiving member 54. The reference number 60d indicates a straightening portion provided for the bullet B to be induced to the target cartridge portion 14. The three barrels 11, 12, 13 respectively occupy the ins ides of the cylinders. Therefore, a device for a sight adjustment is provided in this part (loading portion 14). The sight adjustment in the illustrated embodiment applies upward rotation to a bullet. Pressurization members 61, 62, 63 are each disposed in upper portions of the barrels 11, 12, 13 (
The pressurization members 61, 62, 63 are formed of elastic materials called gaskets sometimes, have cylindrical shapes, and are respectively and partially (in the illustrated example, in an upper portion) provided with pressurization projections 61a, 62a, 63a which come into contact with the bullets B (refer to
Similar to the three barrels 11, 12, 13, there are three pressurization members 61, 62, 63 in total, that is, one at the top center and two at the lower right and left. The operation units 67, 68, 69 are bound on one side (right side in the illustrated example) of the gun main body. For the communication thereof, there are provided the link members 64, 65, 66. The link members 64, 65, 66 are constituted by push members 71, 72, 73 which are provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction and of which lower portions come into contact with the pressurization members 61, 62, 63, and levers 74, 75, 76 of which one end portions are joined to upper portions of the push members 71, 72, 73 and of which the other end portions communicate with the operation units 67, 68, 69. The levers 74, 75, 76 are pivotally supported by shafts 74a, 75a, 76a as described below (refer to
The push members 71, 72, 73 are configured to be inserted into guide holes 71a, 72a, 73a in the vertical direction formed in the cartridge portion housing 60 so as to be movable in only the vertical direction. Meanwhile, the levers 74, 75, 76 have configurations of levers which are attached so as to be rotatable about the shafts 74a, 75a, 76a between the one end portions and the other end portions. In a case of taking the configuration as a lever, the moment arm on a side of the point of force is shorter than that on a side of the point of action. Therefore, in the configuration, the output amount of the moment arm is greater than the input amount thereof in the levers 74, 75, 76, so that the amount of fine adjustment performed by using dials 77, 78, 79 is amplified. The push members 71, 72, 73 have arc-shaped convex portions 71b, 72b, 73b at lower ends. The convex portions 71b, 72b, 73b are provided so as to serve as means for providing the bullet B with an escape route in order to prevent bullet-clogging.
In addition, the operation units 67, 68, 69 are configured to include fine adjustment means 70 for allowing an operation amount to be subjected to a fine adjustment. The fine adjustment means 70 in the embodiment is configured to include multi-spiral engagement portions 67a, 68a, 69a which are provided in rotary-type operation pieces, and engagement counterpart portions 64a, 65a, 66a which are provided in the other end portions of the link members 64, 65, 66 and are able to engage with the engagement portions (refer to
The sight adjustment device in a simulation gun of the present invention having such a configuration operates as follows.
Similarly,
In the electric gun G which is at simulation gun in which the sight adjustment device of the present invention is applied, when a trigger 17 is pulled, the switch 18 is turned on, and a drive circuit is closed due to the turning-on operation. Then, the electric mechanism 40 is actuated, and the pistons 31, 32, 33 start to retract. Subsequently, the latch member 49 and the engagement counterpart portion 49a engage with each other, and are disengaged from each other by the disengagement portion 49b. Then, a next bullet is loaded while the nozzle base 29 retracts and advances. When the pistons 31, 32, 33 reach the vicinity of a retraction limit, the sector gear 41 of the electric mechanism 40 rotates from the toothed portion 41a to the non-toothed portion 41b and is unmeshed from the rack 36. As a result, pressure accumulated in the elastic member 42 is released, and the pistons 31, 32, 33 instantaneously move to an advancing limit. Then, air inside the cylinder is compressed and is blasted as compressed air from the blast nozzle 24. Consequently, one shot each from three barrels 11, 12, 13, that is, three bullets B in total are shot.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2015/058936 | 3/24/2015 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2016/151765 | 9/29/2016 | WO | A |
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| 20100043766 | Iwasawa | Feb 2010 | A1 |
| 20120272941 | Hu | Nov 2012 | A1 |
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| 20140007857 | Schlosser | Jan 2014 | A1 |
| 20150059721 | Huang | Mar 2015 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 06-003091 | Jan 1994 | JP |
| 10220994 | Aug 1998 | JP |
| H10-220994 | Aug 1998 | JP |
| 2005-121358 | May 2005 | JP |
| 2014-202432 | Oct 2014 | JP |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180051958 A1 | Feb 2018 | US |
