Airgun with Predetermined Selectable Impact Energy

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/459,607 entitled “AIRGUN WITH PREDETERMINED IMPACT ENERGY AND PRECISION NONSHATTERING PROJECTILE” filed on Apr. 15, 2023. This application is a Continuation-in-Part of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/500,355 entitled “PRECISION NON-SHATTERING LESS-LETHAL PROJECTILE” filed on Nov. 2, 2023.

Not Applicable

The present invention relates generally to less-lethal projectile devices. More particularly, this invention relates to controlling impact energy of a projectile and less-lethal projectiles which avoid inadvertent injury to targeted people.

Protests and riots are common around the world. Often times, some protestors will begin vandalizing property or become particularly threatening to other protestors, authorities, or third parties. In the past tear gas canisters, smoke canisters, flash bangs, and other devices have been used to disperse a crowd in hopes of ending the destructive activities of such overzealous protestors. However, these devices are indiscriminant and often do not deter the particular protestor(s) of interest. Pepper sprays have been developed to better target these particular protestors, but a law enforcement official must be in close proximity to the targeted protestor to deliver the spray, and pepper spray often takes a moment to have the desired irritant effect. It is also common for the law enforcement official to accidentally pepper spray a number of individuals (often including the official himself) while targeting the problematic protestor. In recent years, less lethal projectiles such as bean bags and pepper balls fired from firearms have become more commonly used to deter such protestors. These devices have the advantage of increased distance between the law enforcement official and targeted protestor, but they often result in delivering injurious or even lethal levels of energy to the targeted individual. Lower energy projectiles are often of too little energy to have the intended effect, and due to unknown variances in these projectiles and their muzzle velocities, these devices become difficult to sight in and effectively put projectiles on target (i.e., hit the targeted protestor).

Aspects of the present invention provide an airgun configured to launch a variety of less lethal projectiles such that they are delivered on target with a predetermined amount of impact energy, regardless of range and projectile type. The airgun includes a range finder, an adjustable air mass system, a trigger system, and a controller. The range finder determines a distance to target, and the controller uses the distance to target to determine an energy level for the adjustable air mas system. The adjustable air mass system provides an air mass corresponding to the energy level to the projectile when prompted by the trigger system. The projectile is launched by the airgun with the provided air mass to deliver the projectile on target with a predetermined amount of energy.

In one aspect, an airgun includes a range finder, an adjustable air mass system, a trigger system, and a controller. The range finder is configured to determine a distance to a target. The adjustable air mass system configured to provide an adjustable amount of pressurized air as a function of an energy level. The trigger system is configured to release the adjustable amount of pressurized air form the adjustable airmass system in response to receiving input from the user such that a projectile is launched from the airgun in response to the input from the user. The controller includes a computer readable storage media storing a ballistics value. The controller is configured to receive the distance to the target from the range finder; determine the energy level as a function of the ballistics value in the computer readable storage media and the distance to the target such that when the projectile is launched by the airgun, the projectile reaches the target with a predetermined amount of impact energy; and provide the determined energy level to the adjustable air mass system.

Reference will now be made in detail to optional embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawing and in the description referring to the same or like parts.

While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention.

To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments described herein, a number of terms are defined below. The terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as “a,” “an,” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but rather include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not delimit the invention, except as set forth in the claims.

As described herein, an upright position is considered to be the position of apparatus components while in proper operation or in a natural resting position as described herein. The upright position of the airgun is when being held with the barrel generally level with the trigger and grip extending generally vertically. Vertical, horizontal, above, below, side, top, bottom and other orientation terms are described with respect to this upright position during operation unless otherwise specified. The term “when” is used to specify orientation for relative positions of components, not as a temporal limitation of the claims or apparatus described and claimed herein unless otherwise specified. The terms “above”, “below”, “over”, and “under” mean “having an elevation or vertical height greater or lesser than” and are not intended to imply that one object or component is directly over or under another object or component.

The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without operator input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

The terms “coupled” and “connected” mean at least either a direct electrical or mechanical connection between the connected items or an indirect connection through one or more passive or active intermediary devices.

Terms such as “providing,” “processing,” “supplying,” “determining,” “calculating” or the like may refer at least to an action of a computer system, computer program, signal processor, logic or alternative analog or digital electronic device that may be transformative of signals represented as physical quantities, whether automatically or manually initiated.

Referring now to, in one embodiment, an airgunincludes a range finder, an adjustable air mass system, a controller, and a trigger system. In one embodiment, the airgunis configured to launch different types of projectiles(e.g., bean bags, pepper balls, etc.). The airgunincludes a user interface(e.g., a selector switch, an array of switches, or a user interface on a connected device) configured to enable the user to indicate the projectile type of the projectileto the airgun(i.e., to the controller). The airgunis configured to adjust an amount of air used to propel the projectilesuch that the projectileis delivered to the targetwith a predetermined amount of impact energy (i.e., a selected constant amount of impact energy) which is constant regardless of range to target, so long as the targetis within an effective range of the airgun. In one embodiment, the user interfaceincludes a selector switchfor receiving a predetermined impact energy level (e.g., 0, 30 joules, 40 joules, or unregulated) and a projectile switchfor receiving a projectile type.

The range finderis configured to determine a distance to a target. In one embodiment, the range finderis configured to continuously measure the distance to the target. In another embodiment, the range finderis configured to determine the distance to the targetonly when actuated. In one embodiment, the airgunfurther includes a range buttonconfigured to receive input form the user to actuate the range finderin response to (e.g., while) receiving the input from the user (i.e., while the range buttonis depressed by the user). In one embodiment, the range buttonis located on a foregripof the airgun. In another embodiment, the range buttonis located on a rear grip or pistol gripof the airgun. In another embodiment, the range buttonis in the butt stock such that the range buttonis activated by shouldering the airgun. In one embodiment, the range finderemits a visible laser when actuated. This may be used to deter a targetfrom action. The range findermay be an integral unit attached to the foregripor the range buttonmay be separate from the laser unit with the laser unit located in, for example, the rear sight.

The adjustable air mass systemis configured to release an adjustable amount of pressurized air as a function of an energy level. The adjustable air mass systemincludes at least one of an adjustable air pressure regulatoror an adjustable shot cylinder volume. In one embodiment, the adjustable air mass systemadjusts a regulated shot pressure via the adjustable air pressure regulatoras a function of the energy level determined by the controller. In one embodiment, the adjustable air mass systemincludes a precharged pneumatic cylinderfor storing pressurized air and providing the pressurized air to the adjustable air pressure regulator. The adjustable air mass systemmay also include an air pressure gauge to determine a charge level of the precharged pneumatic cylinder. The precharged pneumatic cylindermay be attached to the forend or foregripof the airgunor internal to a buttstockof the airgun. In one embodiment, the adjustable air mass systemincludes the precharged pneumatic cylinder, the adjustable regulator, a shot cylinder, and the air pressure gauge.

The trigger systemis configured to release the adjustable amount of pressurized air from the adjustable air mass systemin response to receiving input from the user (e.g., the user pulling trigger) such that a projectileis launched from the airgunin response to the input from the user. In one embodiment, the trigger systemis a two stage trigger having a first stage (i.e., takeup stage) and a break, and the trigger systemincludes the range buttonsuch that the range finderis actuated during the first stage of the two stage trigger.

The controllerincludes a computer readable storage media (e.g., on chip memory) storing a ballistics value. The controllerreceives the distance to the target from the range finderand determines the energy level as a function of the ballistics value in the computer readable storage media and the distance to the target. The controller provides the determined energy level to the adjustable air mass system. When the projectileis launched by the airgun, the projectile reaches the target with a predetermined amount of impact energy. In one embodiment, the ballistics value is a variable of a predetermined (i.e., pre-calculated or measured) lookup table including energy levels corresponding to the received distance to the targetand a type of the projectile. In another embodiment, the ballistics value stored in the controlleris a constant associated with the airgunand a type of the projectilesuch that the controllercalculates the energy level as a function of the ballistics value and the received distance to target using a predetermined algorithm (i.e., formula). The controlleris shown in the receiver, but the controllermay be integral with the rear sightor located elsewhere (e.g., in the pistol grip). It is contemplated within the scope of the claims that all determinations (e.g., distance to target) may be calculated in the controllerfrom a signal indicative of the distance to target provided by the range finder.

In one embodiment, the airgunfurther includes an adjustable sight, and the controlleris further configured to determine an elevation level as a function of the ballistics value in the computer readable storage media and the distance to the target. The controllermay also determine the energy level as a function of the projectile type. In one embodiment, the sight is a holographic or red dot sight. In another embodiment, the adjustable sightincludes a front sightand a rear sight. The adjustable sightadjusts an elevation of the sightas a function of the elevation level determined and provided by the controller. The sightthus compensates for varying energy levels, ranges, and projectile types launched by the airgunto the target. If the sightis a holographic sight or red dot, the sight adjusts the reticle automatically. If the sight is an “open” sight or standard sight, the sightincludes a front sightand a read sight. The rear sighthas a plurality of pairs of markers on opposing sides of an opening of the rear sight. The rear sightlights up or indicates a pair of markers corresponding to the elevation level provided by the controller. As shown in, the aimpoint of the range finderis different from that of the adjustable sightbecause the projectiledrops as the projectiletravels to the target. Generally, this drop and the resultant arc is what the controlleris calculating to deliver the projectileon targetwith the selected, predetermined impact energy.

In on embodiment, the airgunis configured similar to a modern sporting rifle or AR-15 style rifle. The airgunfurther includes a magazine, a battery, a barrel, and a receiver. The receivermay include an upper receiver and a lower receiver as is typical in AR-15 style arms, or the receivermay be unitary. The magazineis configured to provide the projectile. The magazineis configured to successively provide a plurality of the projectiles such that the airgunmay fire in a semi-automatic or fully automatic function. The batteryis configured to provide power to the controllerand the adjustable air mass system. In one embodiment, the batteryprovides power to the adjustable air mass systemvia the controller. In one embodiment, the user interface(e.g., selector switch) is configured to switch between a regulated (i.e., predetermined energy level) mode and an unregulated mode (e.g., maximum power). The precharged pneumatic cylinderis configured to provide pressurized air to the adjustable air mass system. The barrelis configured to receive the projectileand pressurized air from the adjustable air mass systemand direct the projectiletoward the target. The receiveris configured to support the magazine, the trigger system, and the barrel. The batteryis shown in the pistol grip, but the batterymay be located in, for example, the butt stockfor weight and balance.

It will be understood by those of skill in the art that providing data or input to the system or the user interface may be accomplished by clicking (via a mouse or touchpad) on a particular object or area of an object displayed by the user interface, or by touching the displayed object in the case of a touchscreen implementation, by pressing a particular button, by pressing a series of buttons, or by manipulating one or more switches.

It will be understood by those of skill in the art that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques (e.g., data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof). Likewise, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both, depending on the application and functionality. Moreover, the various logical blocks, modules, and circuits described herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor (e.g., microprocessor, conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, state machine or combination of computing devices), a digital signal processor (“DSP”), an application specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”), a field programmable gate array (“FPGA”) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Similarly, steps of a method or process described herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

A controller, processor, computing device, client computing device or computer, such as described herein, includes at least one or more processors or processing units and a system memory. The controller may also include at least some form of computer readable media. By way of example and not limitation, computer readable media may include computer storage media and communication media. Computer readable storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology that enables storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media may embody computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and include any information delivery media. Those skilled in the art should be familiar with the modulated data signal, which has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. Combinations of any of the above are also included within the scope of computer readable media. As used herein, server is not intended to refer to a single computer or computing device. In implementation, a server will generally include an edge server, a plurality of data servers, a storage database (e.g., a large scale RAID array), and various networking components. It is contemplated that these devices or functions may also be implemented in virtual machines and spread across multiple physical computing devices.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

It will be understood that the particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention may be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.

All of the compositions and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein may be made and/or executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of the embodiments included herein, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful AIRGUN WITH PREDETERMINED SELECTABLE IMPACT ENERGY it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.