High pressure air system for airsoft gun

Abstract

A high pressure air cylinder to use in an airsoft gun or similar devices and systems. In some embodiments, the present general inventive concept encompasses a cylinder in which an imbalanced poppet valve directs and controls the axial motion of a piston. Some embodiments include a two-way solenoid valve. Some embodiments include a precisely sit two-way solenoid valve. The solenoid valve controls the flow of air to drive a piston forward; air then pushes the piston back into place.

Claims

1. A high pressure cylinder for use in a gun, comprising: a cylinder frame body; a piston having a nozzle and a piston base portion, said piston defining a central air channel through the piston base portion and nozzle, said piston configured to move within said cylinder frame body along an axis, said piston base portion including a first piston head surface and a second piston head surface, said piston being configured to move between a forward position and a back position; a solenoid valve configured to direct a fluid to said piston base portion such that fluid pressure on said first piston head surface moves said piston from the back position to the forward position; an auxiliary fluid line configured to direct fluid against said second piston head surface such that fluid pressure on said second piston head surface moves said piston from the forward position to the back position; and a baffle member interposed between said piston base portion and said cylinder frame body.

2. The high pressure cylinder for use in a gun of claim 1 wherein said baffle member includes air slits configured to pass air from a secondary air line to said second piston head surface when said piston is in the forward position.

3. The high pressure cylinder for use in a gun of claim 1 wherein said first piston head surface and said second piston head surface are opposing surfaces of one piston member.

4. A high pressure cylinder for use in a gun, comprising: a cylinder frame body; a piston having a nozzle and a piston base portion, said piston moving within said cylinder frame body along an axis, said piston base portion including a first piston head surface and a second piston head surface, said piston configured to move between a forward position and a back position, and said piston defining an air channel entering said piston base portion and exiting through said nozzle; a solenoid valve configured to direct a fluid to said piston base portion such that fluid pressure on said first piston head surface moves said piston from the back position to the forward position to open said air channel; and an auxiliary fluid line configured to direct fluid against said second piston head surface such that fluid pressure on said second piston head surface moves said piston from the forward position to the back position to close said air channel; and a baffle member interposed between said piston base portion and said cylinder frame body.

5. The high pressure cylinder of claim 4, wherein said air channel has a first opening in said first piston head surface, and a second opening in said nozzle.

6. The high pressure cylinder of claim 5, further comprising a central head member configured between said solenoid valve and said piston, wherein said first opening in said first piston head surface is configured to receive said central head member to close said air channel when said piston is proximate said back position.

7. The high pressure cylinder of claim 6, wherein said central head member is configured to close said air channel until said piston has moved a predetermined distance forward from said back position.

8. The high pressure cylinder of claim 7, wherein said piston is configured such that upon moving said predetermined distance forward from said back position, said first opening is not blocked by said central head member such that gas from said solenoid valve moves through said air channel.

9. The high pressure cylinder of claim 4, wherein fluid from the said solenoid valve is dispelled through said air channel when said piston moves proximate said forward position.

10. The high pressure cylinder of claim 4, wherein said baffle member includes air slits permitting passage of air from a secondary air line to said second piston head surface when said piston is in the forward position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above-mentioned and additional features of the invention will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention read together with the drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a section view of a cylinder-nozzle assembly according to one example embodiment of the present general inventive concept, showing the piston and nozzle in the back position;

(3) FIG. 2 is a second section view of the example embodiment cylinder-nozzle assembly shown in FIG. 1, showing piston and nozzle in the forward position;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cylinder-nozzle assembly according to one example embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

(5) FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the example embodiment shown in FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 is a top-down view of the example embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, showing the section-line along which is taken the views of FIGS. 6 and 7;

(7) FIG. 6 is a section view of the example embodiment cylinder-nozzle assembly shown in FIGS. 3-5, showing piston and nozzle in the back position;

(8) FIG. 7 is a second section view of the example embodiment cylinder-nozzle assembly shown in FIGS. 3-6, showing piston and nozzle in the forward position; and

(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another cylinder-nozzle assembly according to another example embodiment of the present general inventive concept, showing a cylinder-nozzle assembly with an off-set nozzle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) Disclosed herein are various example embodiments of a springless high pressure air cylinder to use in an airsoft gun or similar devices and systems. In some embodiments, the present general inventive concept encompasses a cylinder in which an imbalanced poppet valve directs and controls the axial motion of a piston. Some embodiments include a two-way solenoid valve. The solenoid valve controls the flow of air to drive a piston forward; air then pushes the piston back into place.

(11) Turning to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a cross-section view of one example embodiment of a cylinder-nozzle assembly according to the present general inventive concept. In FIG. 1, the cylinder-nozzle assembly 100 includes a cylinder frame body 110, a piston 210, and a solenoid 310. A substantial portion of the piston 210 fits within the cylinder frame body 110 and moves within the cylinder frame body 110. The piston 210 includes a nozzle 215 (which defines the central air channel 230) and a piston head portion 220.

(12) FIG. 1 shows the cylinder-nozzle assembly 100 with the piston 210 in a back or rest position. In the back position, the piston head portion 220 and part of the nozzle 215 fit within an interior volume 150 defined by the surrounding cylinder frame body 110, and the piston head portion 220 of the piston 210 fits closely (but generally not in an air-tight fit) against and partially wraps around a central head member 325. To move the piston 210, high pressure air enters the assembly through an air input channel 115, which feeds to a HPA compartment 120. From the HPA compartment 120, air passes through a solenoid input channel 125 into the solenoid 310. Within the solenoid 310 is a valve, which is capable of switching between a closed state and an open state. When a trigger mechanism of the airsoft gun activates the solenoid 310, the valve within the solenoid 310 switches into its open state, allowing the passage of air from the input channel through the solenoid 310 and into an antepiston compartment 320 defined by the cylinder frame body 110 and proximate to the piston head portion 220 of the piston 210.

(13) As air flows into the antepiston compartment 320, the air pushes on a primary piston head surface 222. Air pressure on the primary piston head surface 222 pushes the piston 210 forward within the cylinder frame body 110, until the piston 210 is in a forward position, illustrated in FIG. 2. Once the piston 210 is in the forward position, air from the solenoid 310 passed into the antepiston compartment 320 is free to travel through the open space 245 between the piston head portion 220 and the central head member 325; from there the air passes through the central air channel 230 defined by the nozzle 215.

(14) With the piston 215 in the forward position, the valve within the solenoid 310 closes, and high pressure air being fed into the HPA compartment 120, instead of flowing through the solenoid 310, flows through an auxiliary tube 130 and auxiliary line 135 into a forward air feed tube, which feeds the air into a forward air compartment 145 within the cylinder frame body 110. The air in the forward air compartment 145 exerts pressure on a secondary piston head surface 224, and that pressure drives the piston 210 to return to the back position shown in FIG. 1.

(15) In some embodiments of the present general inventive concept, the two piston surfaces are opposite sides of the same piston, with the center diameter of the two sides differingthereby leading to a difference in the surface area of the two piston surfaces.

(16) Some further example embodiments of the present general inventive concept include assemblies in which a spring positioned within the cylinder frame body assists in returning the piston to the back position. This spring, then, supplements the motive force of the air supplied by the auxiliary line. Some further example embodiments of the present general inventive concept include assemblies in which a spring positioned within the cylinder frame body assists in returning the piston to the forward position. This spring, then, supplements the motive force of the air supplied by the auxiliary line

(17) In some embodiments, the cylinder-nozzle assembly is designed to fit into an existing gear box. In some embodiments, the cylinder-nozzle assembly is designed to operate as a stand-alone unit to fit into an airsoft gun or other similar device or system.

(18) FIGS. 3-7 illustrate one example embodiment of a cylinder-nozzle assembly according to the present general inventive concept. As shown in the perspective view in FIG. 3, and in the exploded view of the same embodiment in FIG. 4, the assembly 400 includes a frame body 410, a piston 510 with nozzle 515 and piston base 520, and a solenoid 610. In the illustrated example embodiment, as shown in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 6, a substantial portion of the piston 510 fits within the cylinder frame body 410 and moves within the cylinder frame body 410. The piston 510 includes a nozzle 515 (which defines a central air channel 530) and a piston base 520. As shown in the exploded view of FIG. 4 and in the cross-sectional views in FIGS. 6 and 7, a baffle member 540 fits over the piston base 520; the piston base 520 moves within the volume enclosed by the baffle member 540, and the baffle member 540 includes an aperture permitting through-passage by the nozzle 515. In some embodiments, the baffle member 540 includes one or more air slits 542 proximate the aperture and the nozzle 515.

(19) The cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 shows the cylinder-nozzle assembly 400 with the piston 510 in a back or rest position. In the back position, the piston base 520 sits within the baffle member 540 and the cylinder frame body 410 positioned towards the solenoid 610. The piston base 520 fits closely (but generally not in an air-tight fit) against and partially wraps around a central head member 625 of the solenoid 610.

(20) To move the piston 510, high pressure air enters the assembly through an air input channel to a HPA compartment 415. From the HPA compartment 415, air passes through a solenoid input channel 425 into the solenoid 610. Within the solenoid 610 is a valve, which is capable of switching between a closed state and an open state. When a trigger mechanism of the airsoft gun activates the solenoid 610, the valve within the solenoid 610 switches into its open state, allowing the passage of air from the input channel through the solenoid 610 and into an antepiston compartment defined by the cylinder frame body 110 and proximate to both the central head member 625 and to the piston base 520. As air flows into the antepiston compartment, the air pushes on a primary piston head surface. Air pressure on the primary piston head surface pushes the piston base 520 forward within the cylinder frame body 410 and baffle member 540, until the piston 510 is in a forward position, illustrated in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 7. Once the piston 510 is in the forward position, air from the solenoid 610 passed into the antepiston compartment is free to travel through the open space between the piston base 520 and the central head member 325; from there the air passes through the central air channel 530 defined by the nozzle 515.

(21) With the piston 510 in the forward position, the valve within the solenoid 610 closes, and high pressure air being fed into the HPA compartment 415, instead of flowing through the solenoid 610, flows through a secondary air line 435, which feeds the air into a forward air compartment within the cylinder frame body 410. The air in the forward air compartment exerts pressure on a secondary piston head surface, and that pressure drives the piston 510 to return to the back position shown in FIG. 6. In some example embodiments, the air slits 542 in the baffle member 540 permit the passage of air from the secondary air line to the secondary piston head surface. In some embodiments, the primary piston head surface and the secondary piston head surface are opposing surfaces of one piston member. In some embodiments, the two piston surfaces are opposite sides of the same piston, with the center diameter of the two sides differingthereby leading to a difference in the surface area of the two piston surfaces.

(22) In the example embodiments illustrated thus far, the nozzle is substantially centered with respect to the cylinder frame body. However, other configurations are contemplated by the present general inventive concept. For example, FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a cylinder-nozzle assembly 405 with an off-set nozzle 516. Other variations and configurations will be apparent to those of skill in the art and are also within the scope of the present general inventive concept.

(23) While the present invention has been illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.