Compact Piston Regulator for Paintball Canisters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing regulators for paintball guns and similar devices are heavy, large, and unreliable when operating at pressures below the maximum set pressure, leading to inconsistent performance and safety concerns due to potential pressure spikes, with a need for a compact, lightweight, and safe solution that maintains reliability and extends the number of shots per canister.
Innovation Solution
A regulator design with reduced size and weight, featuring a housing with components located within the canister neck, a piston and poppet mechanism for precise pressure control, and safety features like automatic pressure relief and a rupture disk to prevent overpressure, allowing for reliable operation at lower pressures and safe handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the regulator is constructed with sufficient mass to provide the required strength for safety, then safety is improved, but the regulator becomes heavier and larger than desired
Solution Approach 1:
The regulator is divided into two functional segments: a heavy-duty pressure containment section that interfaces with the high-pressure canister, and a lightweight flow control section that interfaces with the marker. This segmentation allows the heavy safety-critical components to be isolated to only where absolutely necessary, reducing overall regulator weight while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the high-pressure containment function from the main regulator body by using a separate canister interface design. The regulator body itself does not need to withstand maximum canister pressure, as this function is handled by the canister and its dedicated interface components, allowing the regulator to be constructed with lighter materials.
2Reliability
If the regulator is designed to reliably prevent excessive gas pressure from reaching the associated applications, then safety is improved, but the regulator becomes heavier and larger than desired
Solution Approach 1:
A diaphragm serves as an intermediary element between the high-pressure inlet and the outlet to the marker. The diaphragm responds to pressure differential and controls valve operation, providing reliable pressure regulation through a compact, flexible membrane-based mechanism rather than requiring large mechanical pressure containment structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The regulator uses pneumatic principles where gas pressure itself acts on the diaphragm to control valve opening and closing. This self-regulating pneumatic mechanism eliminates the need for heavy external actuators or complex mechanical pressure balancing systems, achieving reliable pressure control in a compact form.
3Productivity
If the regulator delivers discrete charges of gas at controlled pressure, then performance is improved, but the regulator becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The regulator employs a self-regulating mechanism where the diaphragm automatically responds to pressure conditions and valve position, controlling the discrete charge delivery without requiring external control systems. The valve opens when pressure differential exceeds the diaphragm's elastic resistance and closes when pressure equalizes, creating automatic discrete charging cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The regulator controls discrete gas charges by dynamically changing the elastic properties of the diaphragm through pre-tensioning and material selection. By adjusting the diaphragm's initial tension and stiffness, the regulator precisely controls when and how much gas is delivered, achieving reliable discrete charge delivery through material parameter optimization rather than complex mechanical adjustments.
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 regulator achieves reliable and consistent discrete gas charge delivery, extends the number of shots per canister, and ensures safety by automatically managing pressure, reducing the overall size and weight of the system while maintaining performance and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a rupture disk to prevent overpressure
Implementation Method 2
a piston and poppet mechanism for precise pressure control
Data Source
AI summary
A compressed gas regulator of a piston type is disclosed in which a regulator is configured with an input valve situated entirely inside a compressed air canister, which regulator is then attached to a paintball gun, marker or other device for providing discrete charges of gas at a predetermined pressure to the attached device. The overall size and weight of the regulator are minimized, which allows increased capabilities to the user. A regulator overpressurization port vents behind a conventional safety gauge for safety purposes. Fill, gage, and canister overpressurization rupture ports are interconnected with a fill channel that extends from the canister to the ports without intersecting or interfering with the regulating components within the regulator. The input valve seat face is surrounded by a shallow generally conical surface within an input plenum. The shallow generally conical surface extends at approximately 5 to 15 degrees.