US20040087377A1

US20040087377A1 - Laser gun for recreation

Info

Publication number: US20040087377A1
Application number: US10/286,694
Authority: US
Inventors: Chi-Chang Liu
Original assignee: Poe Lang Enterprise Co Ltd
Current assignee: Poe Lang Enterprise Co Ltd
Priority date: 2002-11-01
Filing date: 2002-11-01
Publication date: 2004-05-06

Abstract

A laser gun for recreation has a body, a laser device, an air start system and a firing device. The body has a barrel with a bottom and a handle is formed at the bottom. The laser device is mounted in the body and has a laser generator that produces and emits a laser beam through a muzzle of the barrel when a laser switch is closed. The air start system provides the compressed air to switch the laser switch on when a trigger of the firing device is squeezed. The compressed air escaping through exhaust holes generates a gunshot like sound and a movement to the laser gun when the laser gun is fired to simulate a real gun.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a laser gun, and more particularly to a laser gun for recreation, uses compressed air to start a laser device to produce a laser beam to shoot. The compressed air also causes a recoil and a gunshot like sound to simulate a real gun when the laser gun is fired.

2. Description of Related Art

Video and paintball war-games are very popular around the world. In paintball war-games, a paintball gun is used. The paintball game is a recreational, team sport and is played with paintball guns that shoot gelatin capsules called paintballs or markers. Players are grouped into opposing teams. The game is won when one team successfully “kills” all the members of the opposite team with the paintballs.

The paintball marks the clothes of a player that the paintball strikes so distinguishing the winning team is easy. Although the paintball is made out of biodegradable and water-soluble paint, fully removing the paint from the clothes is not easy. To overcome this problem, each player wears special clothes on which are mounted many sensors. Rather than a paintball gun, each player uses a laser gun. When a laser beam strikes a sensor on a player s clothes, a signal is emitted, the player is “killed”, and the laser gun held by this player is disabled.

Similarly, shooting video games are also popular especially for teenagers, and the player uses a laser gun to shoot a target moving on the monitor. Laser guns are widely used in these kinds of shooting games.

The conventional laser gun overcomes the problem about the paint dirtying the clothes, but the conventional laser gun only emits the laser beam. It does not make gunshot sounds or simulate realistic recoil when fired.

To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved laser gun to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the invention is to provide a laser gun for recreation, which can makes gunshot like sounds and simulates realistic recoil when being shot.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a laser gun for recreation, which can be a training gun in war-games.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side plan view in partial section of a laser gun in accordance with the present invention; and [0012]
FIG. 2 is an operational side plan view in partial section of the laser gun in FIG. 1 when the trigger is squeezed.[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, a laser gun for recreation in accordance with the present invention includes a body ([0014] 10), a laser device (not numbered), an air start system (not numbered) and a firing device (not numbered). The body (10) has a handle (11) and a barrel (12) with a bottom (not numbered), a rear end (not numbered) and front end (not numbered). A seating hole (121) is defined in the rear end of the barrel (12), and a muzzle (122) is defined in the front end of the barrel (12). The handle (11) is formed at the bottom of the barrel (12) near to the rear end.
The laser device includes a laser generator ([0015] 20) and a laser switch (21) and is mounted in the barrel (12) so a laser beam produced by the laser generator (20) can be emitted through the muzzle (122). The laser generator (20) is electrically connected to the laser switch (21) that sends a signal to the laser generator (20) when the laser switch (21) is closed. The laser switch (21) has a stationary contact (211) and a movable contact (212) corresponding to the stationary contact (211). The movable contact (212) abuts the stationary contact (211) when the movable contact (212) is pushed toward the stationary contact (211).
The air start system includes a compressed air cartridge ([0016] 30), a check valve (31), a chamber (32), an electromagnetic valve (33), a passage (34) and several exhaust holes (35). The air start system provides compressed air to push the movable contact (212) to abut the stationary contact (211) of the laser switch (21) that causes a signal to pass to the laser generator (20). For this purpose, the compressed air cartridge (30) that holds compressed air has a nozzle (301) that is mounted in the barrel (12). The compressed air cartridge (30) is mounted through and held in the seating hole (121) of the barrel (12) with the nozzle (301) inside the barrel (12).
The chamber ([0017] 32) and the passage (34) are defined in the barrel (12) and are arranged in a straight line. The chamber (32) has a rear opening communicating with the seating hole (121) and a front opening communicating with the passage (34). The check valve (31) is mounted in the barrel (12) between the nozzle (301) and the chamber (32) to only let the compressed air in the compressed air cartridge (30) flow into the chamber (32). The electromagnetic valve (33) has a valve port (331) defined in the electromagnetic valve (33) and is mounted in the barrel (12) between the chamber (32) and the passage (34) to pass the compressed air out of the chamber (32). The compressed air in the chamber (32) can pass through the electromagnetic valve (33) only when the valve port (331) is open.
The exhaust holes ([0018] 35) are radially defined in the barrel (12) and correspond to the laser switch (21). Each exhaust hole (35) communicates between the passage (34) and the ambient environment outside the laser gun. The laser switch (21) that is mounted in the barrel (12) corresponds to the passage (34) so the compressed air can pass through the passage (34) and push the movable contact (212) against the stationary contact (211).
The firing device includes a trigger ([0019] 41), a trigger switch (42) and an electric control device (43). The trigger (41) corresponds to the handle (11) and is pivotally mounted in the body (10). The trigger switch (42) is mounted in the body (10) and has a button (421) that activates the trigger switch (42) when the button (421) is pressed. The button (421) abuts the trigger (41) so the button (421) is pressed when the trigger (41) is squeezed. The trigger switch (42) is electrically connected between the electric control device (43) and the electromagnetic valve (33). The control device (43) is mounted in the body (10) and is electrically connected to the electromagnetic valve (33).
With reference to FIG. 2, the check valve ([0020] 31) allows the compressed air to flow into the chamber (32) when the cartridge (30) is mounted in the seating hole (121). The chamber (32) stores the compressed air until the trigger (41) is squeezed and presses the button (421) to activate the trigger switch (42). The control device (43) send a command to the electromagnetic valve (33) to open the valve port (331) suddenly. The compressed air in the chamber (32) passes through the valve port (331) and the passage (34) and impacts the movable contact (212) that is forced against the stationary contact (211). Then, the compressed air flows out through the exhaust holes (35) and generates a sound like a gunshot. The impact force of the compressed air causes the laser gun to move, too. When the movable contact (212) abuts the stationary contact (211), the laser generator (20) produces and “shoots” the laser beam.
The movement of the gun and the sound generated by the escaping compressed air are like a real gun without any damage or pollution. The laser gun in accordance with the present invention not only can be used for recreation but is suitable for practice shooting. [0021]
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. [0022]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A laser gun is adapted for recreation, and the laser gun comprises:

a body having

a barrel with a bottom, a rear end, a front end, a seating hole defined in the rear end of the barrel and a muzzle defined in the front end of the barrel; and

a handle formed at the bottom of the barrel closed to the rear end;

an air start system comprising

a compressed air cartridge with compressed air mounted through and in the seating hole, the compressed air cartridge having a nozzle adapted to allow the compressed air to flow out of the cartridge;

a chamber with a front opening and a rear opening defined in the barrel, and the nozzle mounted in the rear opening of the chamber;

a passage communicating with the front opening of the chamber defined in the barrel;

an electromagnetic valve mounted in the barrel between the chamber and the passage to control the flow of compressed air; and

at least one exhaust hole communicating between the passage and outside the laser gun defined in the barrel;

a laser device comprising

a laser switch corresponding to the passage mounted in the barrel, and the laser switch having a movable contact and a stationary contact corresponding to the movable contact; and

a laser generator adapted to produce a laser beam mounted in the barrel, and the laser generator electrically connected to the movable contact and the stationary contact; and

a firing device comprising

a trigger corresponding to the handle and pivotally mounted in the body;

a trigger switch with a button mounted in the body and the button abutting the trigger, and the trigger switch electrically connected to the electromagnetic valve; and

a control device mounted in the body and electrically connected to the electromagnetic valve and the trigger switch respectively, the control device adapted to close the trigger switch;

whereby, the laser beam produced by the laser generator is emitted out of the barrel from the muzzle of the barrel.

2. The laser gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein a check valve is mounted in the barrel between the nozzle and the chamber to control the compressed air in the compressed air cartridge to flow into the chamber.

3. The laser gun as claimed in claim 2, wherein the barrel has two opposing exhaust holes radially defined in the barrel and corresponding to the laser switch.