Mechanical guns and projectors – Fluid pressure – With control for discharge of fluid pressure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-16
2002-11-05
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Mechanical guns and projectors
Fluid pressure
With control for discharge of fluid pressure
C124S070000, C124S072000, C124S073000, C124S074000, C124S075000, C124S077000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06474325
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a gas regulator. In particular, it relates to a regulator for a gas or air cylinder for supplying compressed air to a paintball gun or other compressed air powered projectile firing device.
Pneumatically operated paintball guns require a source of compressed air or other gas to function. This is generally provided by a portable gas cylinder which is mounted to the gun in operation.
A regulator is required to obtain the desired output pressure from a gas cylinder. Up to now, such regulators have been fairly crude devices, generally adapted from other uses. In particular, the ability of users to control the output pressure and to be able to control and to view the various parameters concerned with the output of the gas cylinder, has been severely limited.
The present invention arose in an attempt to provide an improved gas regulator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention, a gas regulator for a compressed gas powered projectile firing device is adapted to generate a shots remaining signal. The gas regulator comprises a pressure transducer operably coupled to a microcontroller. The microcontroller receives a gas pressure drop signal from the pressure transducer and a set of shot fired signals corresponding to the gas pressure drop signal. The microcontroller then generates a shots remaining calibration constant using the set of shot fired signals and the gas pressure drop signal. The microcontroller then receives a gas pressure signal from the pressure transducer and generates a shots remaining signal from the shots remaining calibration constant and the gas pressure signal.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for generating a shots remaining signal for a compressed gas powered projectile firing device, the method comprises the steps of: receiving a gas regulator input pressure drop signal; receiving a set of shot fired signals corresponding to the gas regulator input pressure drop signal; receiving a first gas cylinder temperature signal corresponding to the gas regulator input pressure drop signal; generating a temperature compensated shots remaining calibration constant using the set of shot fired signals, the first gas cylinder temperature signal, land the gas regulator input pressure drop signal; receiving a gas regulator input pressure signal; receiving a second gas cylinder temperature signal corresponding to the gas regulator input pressure signal; and generating the shots remaining signal using the second gas cylinder temperature signal, the temperature compensated shots remaining calibration constant, and the gas regulator input pressure signal.
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“What an Angel” (article re Angel V6 Gear Special), PGI product catalog, Mar. 1997, pp. 74-75.
Marks Nicholas John
Rice John Ronald
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Holzen Stephen A.
Jordan Charles T.
NPF Limited
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