WO2013076599A1

WO2013076599A1 - Gun

Info

Publication number: WO2013076599A1
Application number: PCT/IB2012/055872
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sergio MIAN
Original assignee: Smtech S.R.L. Unipersonale
Priority date: 2011-11-21
Filing date: 2012-10-25
Publication date: 2013-05-30
Also published as: ITVI20110300A1; EP2783182B1; EP2783182A1

Abstract

A weapon, of the type firing bullets, comprising a shaped body (2) with a barrel (3) having a first opening (5) at one end (6) for the output of said bullets with the fire, to said shaped body (2) being connected: - at least one movement (8) to fire said bullets through said first opening (5); the weapon comprising: - at least one projector (10) of a directional electromagnetic beam connected to a lateral side of said shaped body (2) so that said first opening (5) remain unbarred; - at least one electronic control circuit (11) operatively connected to said movement (8) and to said projector (10); - selection means (12) connected to said electronic circuit (11) for controlling: - the exclusively activation of said movement (8); - the exclusively activation of said projector (10); - the combinated activation of said movement (8) and of said projector (10).

Description

GUN

D E S C R I P T I O N Definitions

In this document, the term weapon means any weapon used in role- playing games, tactical activities and sports simulation games or military tactics. More specifically, the term weapon comprise weapons for softair, paintball, lasertag, and that are constituted by guns and bombs, real firearms as those normally supplied for example, to the police or the armed forces.

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the gaming simulation of tactical military events and particularly refers to the weapons. More in detail, present invention relates to a multifunctional weapon and its control system.

Background art

In the context of sports and team games in the recent years a particular development have had those games or sports that simulate military or police events. In this context are comprised activities such as lasertag games, softair games and paintball games.

The lasertag is a team-based military simulation. The activity simulates, using special equipment, fighting with faithful replicas of firearms. The lasertag can be made both indoors and outdoors. According to the environment where it takes place and the type of gaming system, they can change engagement tactics and objectives to conquer.

The equipments and weapons used are based on the use of projectors of directional electromagnetic beams (typically laser or infrared) and detectors of said beams. In particular, when a beam strikes a player who wears special detectors, this is eliminated. Typically the weapons also include electronic control circuits and a system of communications between them and an operation center that verifies when a player is hit, the firing mode, the type of weapon, the type of damage created, the game mode and other things. The softair is also a team based military tactic simulations for fun- recreation activity. The softair is distinguished by the use of air weapons. They are like a real weapon and they shoot shot for variable distances. Such a shoot, or firing, takes place by compressed gas, of an electric motor or a loaded spring. The shots, instead, may be composed by plastic materials, by inert or biocompatible materials, by biodegradable materials or metals.

In paintball, however, they are shoot shots filled by paint or shots made by jelly filled with brightly paint. In this case, the weapons are called markers. Due to the impact velocity, the shots break with the contact with the target releasing the contents on the sweatsuit of the enemy.

What is observed, therefore, is that the weapons to perform the different types of games are different and not compatible. In particular, while the weapons for softair and paintball have similar construction and shot activation (having similar shots, even if of different conformation), totally different is the case of the weapons for lasertag whose functionality is purely electronic components and whose consequent is very different from others.

In this sense, one of the greater drawbacks those who practice said sports and recreative activities is the fact that they must to equip they self with different types of weapons increasing the costs. This is a problem for an individual, but it is also a problem for the organizations to which the people go to play said games and that must to have the weapons for the people that do not have them.

In addition to the costs, another drawbacks is that the people or the organizations must to adopt various types of weapons to allow to play to different games. As an example, if the sports and recreational activities in progress provides the possibility to use softair guns and lasertag guns, the player is forced to choose or to acquire such different weapons.

In the case of the armed forces or security forces, the weapons they have supplied are difficultly adaptable to performing tactic simulations.

Disclosure of the invention

The main object of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks by providing weapons suitable for the various types of games and simulations named above. Within the aforesaid general purpose, a particular object is to make available a weapon capable to shoot projectiles and also electromagnetic beams.

Another object is that the transition from one type of shot to another can take place without having to physically modify the weapons.

A further object is that the aforementioned types of shot can be activated simultaneously.

These objects, as well as others that will appear clearer hereinafter, are fulfilled by a weapon according to one or more of the following claims which are integrant part of the present patent.

In particular, the weapon may be of the type using bullets and that may include a shaped body in which may be present a barrel where to place the bullets before the shot.

The barrel may have a first opening at one end for the output of bullets with the shot.

To the shaped body may also be coupled at least one magazine of shots, at least one movement acting on the bullets to shot them through the first opening, and at least one trigger to activate the movement.

According to one aspect of the invention, the weapon may include at least one projector of an electromagnetic directioned beam that can be coupled laterally to the shaped body in such a way to not bar the first opening of the barrel.

The weapon may also comprise at least one electronic control circuit which can be operatively connected at least to the trigger, the movement and to the projector for controlling at least the activation of the movement and of the projector.

In other words, a normal weapon or a toy weapon of the type for softair or paintball may also be used for the lasertag adding the necessary components. Said components advantageously not prevent the use of the weapon for the expected use without modifying it.

In this sense, according to one aspect of the invention the electronic circuit may advantageously be coupled with selection means for alternately controlling the exclusive activation of the movement, the exclusive activation of the projector or the combined activation of the movement and of the projector.

Brief description of the drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of a preferred, non exclusive embodiment of a weapon according to the invention presented by way of illustrating and non-limiting examples in connection with the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 represents a weapon according to the invention in a schematic view.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

With reference to the cited figure a weapon 1 of the type firing shots is described. On the figure is represented a gun, but it is evident that this must not be considered in a limiting sense. This patent, in fact, also refers to other types of weapons such as, for example, rifles and machine guns.

As previously mentioned, such a weapon 1 can be of the type used for softair and for paintball. In this sense, as is known, it comprises a shaped body 2 in which is present a firing barrel 3 where take place bullets that, after the firing, go out the barrel by an opening 5 presents at one end 6 of the barrel 3.

To the shaped body 2 are coupled elements that are functional to the firing of the bullets. In particular, there is a magazine 7, containing bullets, and a movement 8 acting on bullets to physically perform the firing, that is to push them to go out the barrel 3 by the opening 5.

The bullets may be of various types. In particular, they may be of the type used for firearms or for toy weapons. In this last case they can be made by plastic or metal, and/or the type breakable and filled with paint or gelatin.

The movement 8 can be made with many different technologies without driving away from the object of the present invention. For example, it may be constituted by a piston 8a driven by an electric motor 8b, by a pressurized gas or by a pre-loaded spring.

Advantageously, the weapon 1 also includes a trigger 9 for the activation of the movement 8 so as to control the fire.

Therefore, as it has been said the weapon 1 has all the characteristics to be effectively used by the armed forces, the police or, in the case of toy weapons, softair and in paintball. However, the number of triggers, of barrels, of magazine for bullets, as well as all the characteristics set out are not limitative elements for different embodiments of the invention according to which, for example, they can be present multiple magazines or multiple barrels each equipped with a respective magazine and a respective movement and, in case, own triggers.

However, according to one aspect of the invention, the weapon 1 also comprises a projector 10 of an electromagnetic directional beam constituted, for example, by a laser beam or by an infrared beam. In any case, the projector 10 is advantageously laterally coupled to the shaped body 2 of the weapon 1.

In other words, the weapon 1 of the invention also includes a projector 10 to be used for the lasertag. This projector, however, is coupled laterally to the weapon 1 so as to not bar the barrel 3 with particular reference to the opening 5. In this way, advantageously, the weapon 1 can be used indifferently for the softair, the paintball or the lasertag without need to make change to it. In addition, a normal firearm can be advantageously used for the lasertag.

With respect to that, the weapon 1 of the invention also includes an electronic control circuit 11. It is operatively connected to the trigger 9, to the movement 8 and to the projector 10 to detect the activation of the trigger 9 and consequently activate the projector 10 or the movement 8.

Conveniently, the electronic control circuit 11 also comprises selection means 12 for controlling the type of shot activated. These selection means 12, typically but not necessarily constituted by a selector, instruct the electronic circuit 11 in activating, as a result of the pressure of the trigger 9, the movement 8 or the projector 10.

According to another aspect of the invention, the same selector 12 has a position to which corresponds, as a result of the pressure of the trigger 9, the simultaneous or in combination activation of both the movement 8 as the projector 10. In this case, it is also possible to allow that the electronic control circuit 11 being programmed to pre-set different combined firing sequences. For example, it is possible to allow blust away in which a bullet and a preset number of electromagnetic beams are combined. It is therefore obvious the technical progress of the weapon 1 of the invention which is usable simultaneously for different types of military drill and games such as softair, paintball and lasertag. The cost that has to face the user, or the organization, is therefore tight if compared to what happens in the known art. The transition from one mode to another is easy being through the selection means 12 avoiding to physically modify in any way the weapon 1. Furthermore, the police or the military forces can use the normal supplied weapons to execute the tactic simulations with the lasertag technology. Even in this last case, if the bullets are of the simunition type, it is possible their use in combination with the laser beam.

The weapon 1 allows also to create new game and simulation modality by activating different shooting sequences of bullets and electromagnetic beams.

Even in this case, the number of electronic control circuits and of projectors must not be considered limitative for different embodiments where, for example, the projectors are different in number from one and are of a different type (for example, some projectors can be of the laser type and other of the infrared type).

According to a further aspect of the invention, the weapon 1 comprises an electric energy storage 15, typically constituted by a pack-batteries, with which powering the projector 10 and the electronic control circuit 11. In case the movement 8 includes an electric motor 8b, the same electric energy storage 15 may also be used to powering it. Even in this case the number of electric energy storages is not limitative. For example, there may be multiple distinct electric energy storages each dedicated to powering a specific piece of the weapon of the invention.

According to another aspect of the invention, at least one of the electric energy storages 15, and the electronic control circuit 11 are housed in a special container 16. The latter can be coupled to the weapon 1 or to the body of the user who uses the weapon 1. This allows, advantageously, to make the gun lighter and allow also to provide a larger electric storage body and then with an increased life. Between the control circuit 11 , the trigger 9, the movement 8 and the projector 10 there is a connection. Generally it is made by means of electronic circuit portions 20 for the wireless connection. In particular, a first circuit portion 21 is allocate on the electronic control circuit 11 and a second 22 is placed on the body 2 of the weapon 1. Said second circuit portion 22 is also wiring connected to the trigger 9, the movement 8 and the projector 10.

In case the container 16 is coupled to the user, this allows to decrease the hindrances for the user since there is no connection cables between the control circuit 11 and the elements coupled to the weapon 1.

Typically, these circuit portions 20, 21 and 22 are made by bluetooth elements, but this should not be considered limiting for different embodiments of the invention where, for example, the circuit portions are of WiFi type.

Even the fact that there is a single second circuit portion 22 for all the elements coupled to the body of the weapon 1 should not be considered limiting for different embodiments where, for example, each element (the trigger, the movement and the projector) is provided with its own independent circuit portion for the wireless connection to the electronic control circuit.

It is also evident that this connection can be advantageously made by wiring means specially when the control circuit is physically coupled to the body of the weapon.

According to another aspect of the invention, the weapon 1 is also provided with a plurality of sensors to detect electromagnetic beams coupled to the user and which are not represented in the figures. They are, in particular, coupled to different parts of the user's body and each have a unique identification code as well as a circuit for wireless connection to a central control unit and/or to the control circuit 11 of the weapon 1.

Said sensors allow, vantageously, not only to detect if the user has been shot, but also what portion of the body has been hit. This allows to calculate a plurality of statistics on the efficiency of each player as well as to establish the type of the virtual injury caused. As a consequence they are activatable various game modality between which it is possible to imagine that the shot users are not taken out only because they are shot, as in the known art, but conditioning said status on the base of which portion of the user body was shot. As has been said, it is evident that the objects of the invention are also achieved by a kit for the modification of a weapon 1 of the type firing bullets.

Such a kit comprises the projector 10 of an directional electromagnetic beam and coupling means to the projector 10 to the body 2 of the weapon 1. Such coupling means are also designed to allow the lateral coupling to said body 2 so the opening 5 of the barrel 3 remains unbarred.

The same kit also includes the electronic control circuit 11 and connecting means of the latter to the trigger 9, the movement 8 and the projector 10.

We avoid a complete descriprion of the kit being equivalent to that previously made for the weapon 1. What is interesting to underline is that, according to the invention, the weapon 1 can be planed multigame, allowing to practice both the lasertag that the softair or paintball, or it can be obtained by modifying, with the kit of the invention, a weapon designed for softair or paintball.

In the light of the foregoing, it is understood that the weapon of the invention overcomes the the prior art drawbacks being suitable for various types of game and tactic simulations as described above.

In particular, it enables to shoot, at the same time, bullets and electromagnetic beams. The choice of which type of shot is making simple and is performed without any physical changes to the weapon of the invention.

The costs are therefore reduced and the ease to use by the user is extremely improved.

The weapon of the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all falling within the inventive concept expressed in the appended claims. All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements, and the materials may be different according to requirements, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Even if the weapon of the invention has been described with particular reference to the attached figures, reference numbers used in the description and in the claims are used to improve the intelligence of the invention and do not constitute any limitation to the scope of protection claimed.

Claims

C L A I M S

1 . A weapon, of the type firing bullets, comprising a shaped body (2) where there is a barrel (3) where to place said bullets before firing and having a first opening (5) at one end (6) for the output of said bullets with the fire, to said shaped body (2) being connected:

at least one magazine (7) of said bullets;

at least one movement (8) acting on said bullets to fire them through said first opening (5);

at least one trigger (9) to activate said movement (8),

characterized in comprising:

at least one projector (10) of a directional electromagnetic beam connected to a lateral side of said shaped body (2) so that said first opening (5) remain unbarred;

at least one electronic control circuit (11 ) operatively connected to said movement (8) and to said projector (10) to check at least the activation of said movement (8) and said projector (10);

selection means (12) connected to said electronic circuit (11 ) for controlling:

the exclusively activation of said movement (8);

- the exclusively activation of said projector (10);

the combinated activation of said movement (8) and of said projector (10).

2. Weapon as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that said selection means (12) comprise at least one selector.

3. Weapon as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises at least one electric energy storage (15) at least for powering said projector (8) and said electronic control circuit (11 ).

4. Weapon as claimed in claim 3, characterized in comprising at least one container (16) for said accumulator (15) and for said electronic control circuit (11 ).

5. Weapon as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electronic control circuit (11 ) comprises at least one circuit portion (20) for the wireless connection at least to said projector (8), to said trigger (9) and to said movement (10).

6. Weapon as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in comprising one or more sensors for detecting said beam, couplable to the user's body and operatively connected to said electronic control circuit (11 ).

7. Kit for modify a weapon (1 ) of the type firing bullets, said weapon (1 ) comprising a shaped body (2) where there is a barrel (3) where to place said bullets before firing and having a first opening (5) at one end (6) for the output of said bullets with the fire, to said shaped body (2) being connected:

at least one magazine (7) of said bullets;

- at least one movement (8) acting on said bullets to fire them through said first opening (5);

at least one trigger (9) to activate said movement (8),

characterized in comprising:

at least one projector (10) of a directional electromagnetic beam; - hooking means for coupling said projector (10) laterally to said shaped body (2) so that said first opening (5) remain unbarred;

at least one electronic control circuit (11 );

connection means of said electronic control circuit (11 ) at least to said movement (8) and to said projector (10) to control at least the activation of said movement (8) and said projector (10);

the exclusively activation of said movement (8);

the exclusively activation of said projector (10);

- the combinated activation of said movement (8) and of said projector (10).

8. Kit as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said selection means (12) comprise at least one selector.