Airsoft Shotgun Firing Mechanism with Bypass Channel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Airsoft shotguns face challenges in evenly distributing energy among spherical projectiles, leading to inconsistent velocities and potential safety hazards due to elevated energy levels when firing multiple BBs, especially when less than a full load is used.
Innovation Solution
A firing mechanism with a bypass channel that directs airflow past each projectile in the firing zone, ensuring balanced airflow and energy distribution among multiple BBs fired sequentially, minimizing pressure loss and maintaining consistent velocities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If compressed gas is released to propel a group of BBs simultaneously, then multiple BBs can be fired at once, but significant pressure loss occurs as gas expands into voids between BBs
Solution Approach 1:
The firing mechanism divides the group of BBs into individual firing positions arranged in a circular pattern around the barrel. Each BB is fired separately through its own seal interface, eliminating the pressure loss that occurs when gas expands into voids between simultaneously fired BBs. This segmentation allows each BB to receive full compressed gas pressure while still achieving rapid sequential discharge.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism uses a rotating shuttle that sequentially positions each BB at the firing interface in a periodic manner. The shuttle rotates to bring the next BB into position after the previous one is fired, creating a rapid periodic firing sequence that mimics simultaneous discharge while maintaining efficient gas pressure utilization through sequential rather than parallel firing.
2Productivity
If conventional firing mechanism is used with multiple BBs, then BBs can be propelled, but energy is unevenly distributed causing inconsistent velocities
Solution Approach 1:
Each BB is fired through a dedicated seal interface at the barrel entryway, ensuring that each projectile receives identical compressed gas pressure and energy. This segmentation eliminates the venturi effect and other flow distribution issues that cause uneven energy distribution in conventional multi-BB systems, resulting in consistent velocities for all fired BBs.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism provides each BB with its own localized firing interface and seal arrangement, ensuring that each projectile experiences identical local conditions for gas pressure application. This local quality control ensures that every BB receives the same energy impulse regardless of its position in the group, achieving uniform velocity distribution.
3Use of energy by moving object
If airtight seal is formed between single BB and entryway, then sufficient energy is imparted to BB, but this configuration is not suitable for simultaneous multi-BB firing
Solution Approach 1:
The single airtight seal concept is segmented into multiple identical seal interfaces arranged circularly around the barrel. Each interface can form an airtight seal with its corresponding BB independently, allowing each projectile to receive sufficient energy while maintaining the multi-BB firing capability. The rotating shuttle sequentially brings each BB to its dedicated seal interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The firing mechanism uses identical seal interfaces and energy transfer components for each BB position, making the system universally applicable to multiple BBs. Each position in the circular arrangement can function independently with the same sealing and energy transfer mechanism, providing adaptability for firing any number of BBs from the group.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for simultaneous firing of multiple BBs with similar energy, ensuring they hit the target at the same time, while preventing elevated energy levels even with partial loads, enhancing safety and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a compressed air source in communication with the air chamber for supplying compressed air to the air chamber when the trigger is actuated
Implementation Method 2
A bypass channel is provided also connecting the air chamber to the firing zone, the bypass channel allowing air from the air chamber to bypass one or more of the BB's in the tube as the BB's are fired from the tube
Implementation Method 3
Airsoft guns typically use an air pump or pre-filled bottled gas dispensed by a firing mechanism designed to release a quick burst of compressed air to propel the spherical projectile through a barrel
Data Source
AI summary
An Airsoft shotgun firing mechanism has been developed that fires the spherical projectiles of each shot sequentially in rapid succession. The shotgun firing mechanism directs the airflow sequentially against each spherical projectile in the shot, thus pushing each spherical projectile out of the barrel of the Airsoft shotgun. The flow rates of the air are balanced for all the spherical projectiles so all of the spherical projectiles are accelerating when the last spherical projectile is fired. By balancing the airflows, the spherical projectiles have essentially the same energy. The relative acceleration of the spherical projectiles out of the shotgun barrel is determined or selected by balancing the size and configuration of a bypass channel versus the number or stack of spherical projectiles to be fired.