Tennessee Patent of the Month – October 2021
Airsoft guns use multiple firing mechanisms from pneumatic pushers to spring pistons. Regardless of the firing mechanism, the guns use some form of air pressure to launch the projectile. The currently used firing mechanisms are known to waste the compressed fluid used to power the guns. Wolverine Airsoft, LLC, a group of airsoft enthusiasts, have put their designers to work to overcome this compressed fluid waste.
Their design uses an air reservoir system with switchable valves. The valve works in two ways. One way directs input air to the air reservoir. The other way directs stored air in the air reservoir to the firing pathway. This “air-saver” component is made of a biased piston to create an effective cut-off valve. The movement between positions works as follows. When the air input is charging the reservoir with air, the air pressure within the reservoir drives the piston away from the valve compressing a spring at the same time. This continues until the reservoir reaches its maximum (eg. 140 psi). The valve shifts and air begins to leave the reservoir, the pressure within the reservoir drops and the springs expands, driving the piston towards the valve. As the pressure drops below a threshold pressure (eg. 70 psi), the piston closes off the reservoir blocking the path and preventing further air from escaping. This saves a baseline air pressure so that the system only needs to fill up the difference during the next charge. This allows the airsoft gun to “economize” or save upwards of 50% of the pressurized air during each charge. Saving the compressed fluid allows the gun to be more efficient with each and every shot.
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