Electric Motor Driven Piston Air Gun with Rack and Pinion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pneumatic guns, air rifles, and paintball guns face issues such as inconvenience and safety hazards due to the use of high-pressure gas cylinders, complex mechanisms, double recoil, high maintenance requirements, and inefficiencies in energy storage and release, limiting their portability and rate of fire.
Innovation Solution
An electric motor-driven piston system using a rack and pinion mechanism with a mechanical compression valve, where the piston compresses air and a separate return spring resets the piston, eliminating the need for high-pressure cylinders and simplifying the design by using a rechargeable battery pack and reducing mechanism weight and wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If high-pressure gas cylinders are used to propel projectiles, then projectile launch capability is achieved, but safety hazards and inconvenience increase due to storing large amounts of compressed energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the high-pressure gas cylinder from the system entirely. Instead of storing compressed gas in a cylinder, the invention uses an electric motor to compress air on-demand directly into the barrel, extracting the harmful storage component while maintaining the projectile launch function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical spring-piston compressed gas system with an electric motor-driven air compression system. The electric motor compresses air directly into the barrel using a simpler piston mechanism, eliminating the need for high-pressure storage cylinders and their associated safety hazards.
2Power
If spring-piston mechanisms are used to compress air, then projectile propulsion is achieved, but mechanism complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex spring-piston mechanism with a direct electric motor-driven piston system. The motor connects directly to the piston through a simple transmission, eliminating springs, multiple valves, and complex linkage mechanisms while maintaining air compression capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston system is designed to automatically return to its starting position using the stored energy from the compressed air itself and a simple return spring, eliminating the need for complex reset mechanisms. The system serves itself by using the compression process to prepare for the next cycle.
3Power
If spring cocking mechanisms are used, then air compression is achieved, but rate of fire is limited due to manual cocking requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual spring cocking with an electric motor that automatically compresses air for each shot. The motor activates only when needed, allowing for controlled single-shot or rapid-fire operation without manual intervention, thereby increasing the rate of fire while maintaining air compression capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The electric motor operates in periodic cycles, activating only when a shot is fired. This on-demand operation allows the system to maintain high rate of fire capability by eliminating the continuous manual cocking requirement, while still achieving sufficient air compression for each projectile.
4Speed
If high-pressure air storage is used, then projectile velocity is achieved, but device portability decreases due to tank weight and size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the heavy high-pressure air storage tank from the system. Instead of carrying stored compressed air, the invention uses a lightweight electric motor and battery pack to compress air on-demand, dramatically reducing device weight and improving portability while maintaining projectile velocity through efficient direct compression into the barrel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the heavy mechanical high-pressure storage system with an electric air compression system. The electric motor and battery pack weigh significantly less than high-pressure tanks, improving portability while achieving the same projectile velocity through efficient on-demand compression directly into the barrel chamber.
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 provides a safer, more portable, and efficient air gun with controlled energy release, enabling faster firing rates and reduced maintenance, while eliminating double recoil and gear tip wear, and improving overall efficiency by using electric power and a mechanical compression valve.
Implementation Method 1
An electric motor which derives its power from a rechargeable battery pack is coupled to the rack thru a reduction mechanism and rack pinion
Implementation Method 2
a piston is driven by a rack and pinion mechanism to compress air within a cylinder against a mechanical compression valve
Implementation Method 3
The piston and rack assembly then disconnects from the rack pinion and is reset to its initial position via a return spring
Implementation Method 4
At predetermined release position, the mechanical valve opens releasing high-pressure air thru the air passageways behind the projectile forcefully launching the projectile out the barrel
Implementation Method 5
An electric motor which derives its power from a rechargeable battery pack
Data Source
AI summary
A portable motor driven air gun powered by a power source includes a motor that is coupled to a linear motion converter which drives a piston. The piston compresses air in a chamber against a forward air compression valve producing high-pressure air. When sufficient energy is stored within the air stream by the piston, the compression valve opens which releases the compressed air to push a projectile through a barrel. The engagement and disengagement of the linear motion converter and the connected piston to the motor can be controlled using sensors. The linear motion converter further is coupled to a bolt thru a lost motion device to facilitate positioning of the projectile for firing. The direction speed and operative modes of the gun may be controlled with an electric circuit. The power source is preferably rechargeable, allowing the air gun to be operated independent from either a wall outlet or a compressed air supply.