Paintball guns

• US 6,941,693 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Npf Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Npf Ltd.
• Inventors: Rice, John Ronald, Marks, Nicholas John
• Primary Examiner(s): Kenn, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chambers, Troy
• Application Number:
  US10/463,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20040055588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 42/710.1, 42/710.2, 124/71, 891/290.2, 891/35, 463 36- 42
• US Class Current: 42/71.01
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/06 Electric or electromechanical safeties F41A17/04, F41A17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/01 Counting means indicating the number of shots fired
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/64 for automatic or burst-firing mode
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/66 Electronic shot-velocity control F41A19/65 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/67 Burst limiters
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/00 Compressed-gas guns, e.g. air guns; Steam guns
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/57 Electronic or electric systems for feeding or loading F41B11/53 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/62 with pressure supplied by a gas cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/71 Electric or electronic control systems, e.g. for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/723 for controlling gas pressure for firing the projectile only

Abstract

A paintball gun is disclosed which includes a data link for transferring data to and/or from a remote terminal. The link may be a contact or contactless one. A removable data carrier may be used.

Claims

1. A paintball gun grip frame comprising:

a plurality of control buttons;

a processing unit coupled to the control buttons for controlling operation of the gun, the processing unit generating gun operation data including monitoring information gathered during operation of the gun; and

a data communication link coupled to the processing unit, the data communication link electronically transmitting the gun operation data to a remote terminal.

2. The grip frame of claim 1, wherein the data communication link is configured for wired communication.

3. The grip frame of claim 1, wherein the data communication link is configured for wireless communication.

4. The grip frame of claim 1, wherein the monitoring information includes at least one of temperature, dwell time, rate of fire, maximum rate of fire, firing mode, pressure, battery condition, total shots, and identification number.

5. The grip frame of claim 1, wherein the gun operation data is transmitted in real-time.

6. The grip frame of claim 1, wherein the gun operation data is transmitted to the remote terminal for display of the gun operation data.

7. The grip frame of claim 1, wherein the gun operation data is transmitted to the remote terminal for storing the gun operation data.

8. The grip frame of claim 1, wherein the gun operation data is transmitted in real-time.