EP1405025B1

EP1405025B1 - Pneumatic speargun with conic barrel

Info

Publication number: EP1405025B1
Application number: EP02708933A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Matjaz Kogoj
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-03-29
Filing date: 2002-03-29
Publication date: 2008-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 2022-03-29
Also published as: DE60224801D1; SI20890A; ATE384927T1; WO2002079711A1; EP1405025A1

Abstract

Pneumatic speargun with conic barrel (1), piston (3) and spear (11) units advantages of both existing types of spearguns, that is pneumatic and elastic one. Additionally it enables to spear fish on longer distances, stretching device (25) enables stretching speargun with slim spear, string connection to the spear ellipse gliding ring (14) enables fast spear-change under the water, a system for string storing, holding and releasing (18-22) enables only the necessary length of the connection string to be uncoiled, meanwhile the rest of the string remains coiled on the system.

Description

Subject of the invention is a pneumatic speargun with conic barrel, adapted piston with adapted special designed spear, an ellipse gliding ring, stretching device and a system for string storing-holding and releasing. Invention enables to spear a fish on longer distances as usual, it enables fast changing of spear in the water and after firing the spear only the necessary length of the string is released, meanwhile the rest of the string remains coiled on the system.
In the document FR-A-1 276 824 a pneumatic speargun is disclosed for receiving a spear to be fired. In a portion of the barrel between the trigger and the barrel exit the barrel comprises an inner cylinder of a flexible material and an outer cylinder of a rigid material and a gap between the inner and outer cylinders so that a pressurized fluid can be filled in the gap to exert a radial inward force onto the inner cylinder. When a spear is loaded into the barrel it will be fixed and retained within the barrel by filling the pressurized fluid into the space between the inner and outer cylinder so that the inner cylinder is circumferentially pressed together in order to clamp the spear. At the side of the trigger pressurized air is conducted to the barrel and the spear which is retained within the barrel. For firing the spear the pressure of the liquid medium supplied in the space between the inner and outer cylinder is suddenly reduced so that the spear is suddenly released from the inner cylinder and is driven by the pressurized air in the direction of the exit of the barrel.
Technical problem solved by this invention is such performance of the speargun, which units advantages of both existing types of spearguns, that is pneumatic and elastic one, with addition, that this speargun surpasses performances of them, because it enables to spear a fish on longer distances, enables fast changing of spear in the water and, after firing the spear, releases only the necessary length of the string, meanwhile the rest of the string remains coiled on the system on the speargun.
Weakness of existent most usually used types of spearguns, that is elastic and pneumatic spearguns are at the most:

elastic speargun is less moveable (length) in the water, consecutive inconvenient for short distance spearing and less convenient by stretching, loading the speargun, which are benefits of pneumatic speargun
pneumatic speargun is not so precise and does not enable to fish on longer distances, which are benefits of elastic speargun.

By the invention, pneumatic speargun with conic barrel solves the problem of precise spearfishing on long and also short distances, easier stretching and moving of the speargun in the water, additionally it enables fast spear-change under the water and while firing the spear only the necessary part of the connection string is uncoiled, meanwhile the rest of the string remains stored on the system for string storing-holding and releasing. The invention will be described on executed example and figures, which show

Fig.1: a pneumatic speargun, a spear, an ellipse gliding ring, system for string holding and releasing depend on invention in side view and partial longitudinal section
Fig.2: a piston and a piston support
Fig.3: stretching device for slim spear
Fig.4: blockade, blockade support and groove

Pneumatic speargun with conic barrel consists of speargun with conic barrel 1, adapted piston 3 with trigger support 6, an adapted spear 11 with blockade mechanism 15,16 and sidelong groove 12 before conic back 13, an ellipse gliding ring 14 with string connection 23, stretching device for slim spear 25 and a system for string storing, holding and releasing 18-22.
Pneumatic speargun with conic barrel 1 solves the problem how to achieve spear higher outlet velocity needed for greater range (longer distance spearfishing). This is achieved by changing the barrel 2 construction, that is from barrel constant cylindrical inside diameter to conic one, accelerating inside diameter in the direction exit of the speargun. Choosing suitable cone, rising of transversal section-cut is faster than falling of pressure. The result is rising push force, which means also better accelerating with the consequence of higher spear velocity. By existent pneumatic spearguns, push force falls because of the falling pressure by constant barrel inside diameter (while piston travels from the trigger place 5 to the exit the volume rises, consecutive pressure falls). For different diameter of spears an interchangeable exit guidance 24 can be executed.
A piston 3 solves the problem of simultaneous adaptation to the conic inside barrel diameter. It is executed in a way, that it has axis prolonged gasket 7 and instead of O-ring also another gasket 8 positioned in the opposite or in the same direction as gasket 7. Piston also has an additional distance ring 9 and conic bore 10 adapted to the conic back 13 of the spear -(Fig.2). While piston-travelling, gaskets 7 and 8 with distance ring 9 are adapting to the conic inside of the barrel pushing the spear to the exit. Conic piston bore 10 together with conic back 13 of the spear are forming firm connection between the piston and the spear, which are together with exit guidance 24 needed for an exact guiding by stretching and firing the spear.
A spear 11 solves the problem how to achieve as minimum water resistance as possible. Beside being as slim as possible (outside diameter of the spear as little as possible, bigger weight needed for greater spear range is reached by bigger spear-length) nothing on the spear extends out of the outside diameter of the spear, that are stuck system with sidelong groove 12 and ellipse guiding ring 14, blockade system 15,16. The spear has also conic back. By existent spears so blockade system as the connection between the string and the spear are extending out of the outside diameter of the spear, rising the transfer section of the spear and so the resistance.
The blockade system 15,16 at the spearhead 17 solves the problem how to prevent the fish to escape from the spear after being speared, without geometric extending out of the outside diameter of the spear in closed situation, reducing the water resistance of the spear (Fig.1 and 4). Special construction enables, that the blockade 15 and the blockade support(16) can turn around and along the axis on the narrowed part of the spear, enables the blockade 15 its opening/dosing function. The spearhead 17 together with the blockade system 15,16 are disassembleable (Fig.4). By existent spears the blockade extends out of the spear and is rotational connected with the spear by pin through transversal bore of the spear.
A gliding ring 14 together with sidelong groove 12 solves the problem of the connection between the string 23 and the spear without being extend out of the outside diameter of the spear after the spear has been fired. Gliding ring 14 is an ellipse flexible spring wire embrace, whose form is adapted to the geometric form of the groove 12. On both sides it ends with a snare, one side instead of snare it can be only thick-headed 14a, where the string is fastened. The string goes after through a snare 14b to a fixed coil 19 on the speargun(Fig.1). Gliding ring glides while firing the spear from the middle to the back of the spear until it jumps into the groove 12 and with inside part 14c of the snare 14b stucks behind the edge of the groove 12a. Side-pushing the snare 14b and lifting it at the same time unstucks firm connection. By pushing gliding ring to the middle of the spear the speargun could be stretched again, pushing gliding ring in the opposite direction over conic back 13 separation between the spear and gliding ring with connection string can take place. By existent spears, gliding ring is fixed and of bigger diameter than spear (pneumatic speargun) or the string is directly connected to the back of the spear (elastic speargun). In both cases the connection extends out of the outside diameter of the spear.
Stretching device for slim spear 25 solves the problem how to stretch pneumatic speargun with slim spear. It is executed in a way, that a bore 26 for a spearhead 17 is separated from the handle 27, connected together with flexible or firm bands or UN profile - (Fig.3). While stretching, the bore 26 embraces the spearhead 17, handle 27 with a bore 29 gives the spear additional support preventing larger curving, enabling in this way slim spear overcoming the same stretch-force as shorter spears.
Existent stretching devices for stretching pneumatic spearguns have the bore for embracing the spearhead placed in the handle, the spears could consecutive not be so slim, they are shorter and of bigger outside diameter.
A system for string holding, storing and releasing 18,19,20,22 solves the problem of releasing only the necessary part of the string (that is between the speargun and the place where the spear stops), while the rest of the string remains coiled on the system. The system enables also faster coiling and prevents entangling of the string on the system. It consists of the rotating 18 and firm 19 coil with slots 20 and spring pin 22. The connection string 23 is coiled between rotating 18 and firm 19 coil. The turns of the string go one after another in the slots, which are a little more narrow than diameter of the string. This prevents entangling of the string while firing the spear and holds the rest of the string coiled on the system if the spear stops before the end of the string. The last turn of the string is coiled, hooked on the spring pin 22 - (Fig1), Spring pin holds the string and stretching it, representing also the necessary force for ellipse ring 14 to jump and be hooked with inside part of the snare 14b behind the edge 12a of the groove 12. Firing with the gun, the trigger 4 turns the coil 18 through flexible connection 21 for an angle, which is necessary, that the opening of the slot 20 stands in the direction of the firm coil and let the necessary length of the string to roll off. After loosing the trigger the spring turns the rotating coil back in the basis position. By existent systems after firing the spear all the string is released causing possible entangling with the spearfisherman.
The pneumatic speargun with conic barrel 1 operates as ordinary pneumatic speargun. After it is pumped with (compressed) air, it is stretched by the spear 11 with help of the stretching device 25, which consequently allows the use of slimmer spear as ordinarily. Before inserting the conic back of the spear 13 through the exit guidance 24 of the speargun into the conic bore 10 of the piston 3, gliding ring 14 should be released out of the groove edge 12a in position to the middle of the spear. The connection string 23 should be coiled between firm 19 and rotating coil 18. The string is fixed on the firm coil, coiling first in the slot 20 of the rotating coil and after alternately between firm and rotating coil as usual. The last remaining turn should be coiled-hooked on the spring pin 22. Stretching the speargun should follow until the piston is hooked behind the cork 5, opposite placed trigger support 6 enables an exact piston&spear travel-begin. In this situation the speargun is prepared for spearfishing.

Claims

Pneumatic speargun, comprising
- a barrel (2), and

- trigger means (4, 5, 6) comprised of a trigger (4) and trigger elements (5, 6), said trigger elements (5, 6) being arranged within the barrel (2),
characterized in that
- the inside diameter of the barrel (2) continuously rises from the location of the trigger elements (5, 6) until the exit end of the barrel (2).
Pneumatic speargun according to claim 1,
characterized by
- a piston (3) which has a first gasket (7) and a second gasket 8 positioned in the opposite or in the same direction as the first gasket (7) and a distance ring (9).
Pneumatic speargun according to claim 1,
characterized by
- a spear (11) which has a conic back (13) with a sidelong groove (12) and a spearhead (17) with a blockade mechanism (15, 16), wherein nothing on the spear (11) extends out of the outside diameter of the spear (11).
Pneumatic speargun according to claim 1,
characterized by
- a blockade mechanism (15, 16) which consists of a blockade (15) and a blockade support (16).
Pneumatic speargun according to claim 1,
characterized by
- a stuck system (12, 14) for a disassembleable string connection to the spear (11) which consists of a sidelong groove (12) and an ellipse gliding ring (14).
Pneumatic speargun according to claim 1,
characterized by
- an ellipse gliding ring (14) which is an ellipse embrace, where one side ends with a snare (14b) while another side ends with a smaller snare or it is just thick-headed (14a).
Pneumatic speargun according to claim 1,
characterized by
- a stretching device for slim spear (25) which has a hole (26) for a spearhead (17) separated from the handle-embrace (27) and connected together with flexible or firm bands or U/V profile and that handle has a groove (30) and a bore (29).
Pneumatic speargun according to claim 1,
characterized by
- a system for string storing, holding and releasing on the speargun which has a rotating (18) and a firm (19) coil with slots (20) and a spring pin (22).