Air-Gun Simulated Training Weapon
A non-lethal, air-gun training weapon that is used to realistically simulate the behavior of a live firearm. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon provides an air-gun to simulate the weight and feel of a live firearm. A magazine that attaches to the air-gun houses a gas container, which feeds compressed gas into the air-gun. The release of compressed gas actuates a laser assembly and a bolt both housed within the air-gun. The laser assembly allows users to track dry-fired shots, while movement of the bolt simulates the recoil of a live firearm. An electromechanical system housed within the magazine features a transceiver that is capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving information from an external computer system. The electromechanical assembly also includes a jamming mechanism that can be activated by a controller board in order to simulate an empty clip or jammed weapon. The jamming mechanism can be manually or remotely reset.
The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/695,084 filed on Aug. 30, 2012.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to an apparatus used for virtual firearms training. More specifically, the present invention is an air gun that is able to realistically simulate targeted gunfire using a laser, weapon recoil, trigger activity, ammunition count, and weapon jamming.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONLaw enforcement and military training often place trainees into situations that require quick visual and mental assessment of the situation as well as an appropriate response with a weapon. Trainees are often subjected to adverse situations to test their abilities to effectively react. While physically they closely resemble their true firearm counterparts, air guns are usually not suitable for providing a realistic simulation of live firearm use. It is difficult to simulate the intricate mechanics of firearm use such as unexpected weapon jams in firefights and realistic weapon recoil. Thus, there are many problems with realistically presenting these kinds of situations to a trainee using air guns. It is often necessary to utilize The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) certified non-gun (de-militarized) firearms retrofitted with laser and recoil kits. However, there is an increased security risk with the distribution and usage of ATF certified non-gun alternatives as these are real firearms that have been demilitarized whereas air guns have always been toys, not created from real weapon molds, only modeled after real firearms. Although ATF certified non-guns reasonably simulate the recoil of a firearm loaded with live ammunition, they are still treated as real weapons, locked in secure storage containers when not in use. This requires a higher level of logistics and weapon tracking that would otherwise be unnecessary with air guns. Alternatively, an air gun is considered a toy by the ATF and therefore does not require enhanced security when not in use. The present invention seeks to address the problems faced when attempting to provide a realistic shooting experience with air guns while circumventing the security requirements brought about by other solutions such as ATF certified non-guns.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a non-lethal, air-gun training weapon for realistically simulating the behavior of a live firearm. The present invention provides an air-gun to simulate the weight and feel of a live firearm. A laser assembly housed within the air-gun allows users to track their dry fired shots in lieu of using air gun ammunition such as pellets. Compressed air or gas stored in a gas container is provided to the air gun in a manner normal to an air gun. The gas container is positioned within a magazine to further simulate a live firearm. Upon firing the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon, the sudden release of compressed air or other gas into the air-gun actuates a bolt through a bolt chamber towards the stock at the rear of the air-gun. This allows the user to reasonably simulate the recoil generated from the momentum of a real firearm. An electromechanical system housed within the magazine features a transceiver that is capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving information from an external computer system. This allows the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon to track the user's trigger pulls which in turn allows the system to track ammunition count as well. Another example would involve the computer receiving information about the tilt and cant of an air gun from sensors that are included in the electromechanical magazine. The external computer system is capable of sending a command to jam the air-gun training weapon to force the user to rectify the problem before continuing to fire. When the exhaustion of ammunition or weapon jamming has been rectified, the user may begin shooting again. These combined features of the present invention provide the air gun user with realistic situations that may arise during the use of a real firearm.
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is a non-lethal, air-gun training weapon that is capable of realistically simulating targeted gunfire, weapon recoil, trigger 161 activity, ammunition count, and weapon jamming. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon is created as a toy, therefore, the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon can never be used as a real firearm. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon comprises an air-gun 1, a magazine 2, a laser assembly 3 and an electromechanical assembly 4. The air-gun 1 serves as the main body of the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon and acts to provide the same weight and feel of a real firearm. The laser assembly 3 is positioned within the air-gun 1, while the electromechanical assembly 4 is housed within the magazine 2. The magazine 2 is removably attached to the air-gun 1 such that the magazine 2 may be detached in order to simulate the reloading of a weapon.
In reference to
The barrel 12 is adjacently connected to the front of the receiver 11 and provides a channel in which the laser assembly 3 is positioned. The barrel 12 is positioned such that it is concentric with the bolt chamber 14, as shown in
In reference to
When the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon is fired, the gas release pin 163 engages the gas release valve 23 as shown in
In reference to
In reference to
The controller board 42 is a programmable chip or similar device that is electronically connected to the transceiver 41, the jamming device 43, and the bolt sensor 44, as depicted in
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, data is constantly transferred bi-directionally between the controller board 42 and the external computer system via the transceiver 41. The signal from the bolt sensor 44 is sent to the controller board 42 and then transmitted to the external computer system via the transceiver 41. The external computer system can then record the number of simulated laser rounds fired by the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon. When the number of simulated laser rounds fired reaches a predetermined limit, the external computer system transmits a signal to the controller board 42 via the transceiver 41, commanding the controller board 42 to activate the jamming device 43. This is done in order to simulate un-jamming/clearing of the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon. Once activated, the jamming device 43 prevents the user from firing any further simulated laser rounds until a predetermined procedure has been carried out. Upon performing the predetermined procedure, the jamming device 43 is deactivated and the user is able to once again fire the laser assembly 3, resuming simulated fire. The external computer system may also randomly send a signal to activate the jamming device 43 in order to simulate the random jamming of a real firearm. In all embodiments of the present invention, the controller board 42 is capable of recording the number of simulated laser rounds fired and/or determining when to activate the jamming device 43.
In reference to
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the actuating mechanism 432 is again a solenoid. The jamming rod 431 is directly attached to the solenoid such that linear motion of the jamming rod 431 is directly controlled by the solenoid. When the external computer system transmits a command to jam the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon via the transceiver 41, the controller board 42 sends an electric current through the solenoid, which in turn causes the jamming rod 431 to traverse out through the magazine casing 21. When the external computer system transmits a command to un-jam the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon, the controller board 42 removes the current to the solenoid, which in turn allows the jamming rod 431 to slide back into the magazine casing 21, thus allowing the user to fire the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon again.
In another alternative embodiment of the present invention, the actuating mechanism 432 is a motor. The jamming rod 431 is operatively coupled to the motor in order to control the position of the jamming rod 431. When the external computer system transmits a command to jam the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon via the transceiver 41, the controller board 42 sends an electric current through the motor, which in turn causes the jamming rod 431 to traverse out through the magazine casing 21. When the external computer system transmits a command to un-jam the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon, the controller board 42 reverses the current flow through the motor, which in turn pulls the jamming rod 431 back into the magazine casing 21, thus allowing the user to fire the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon again.
In yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, the jamming rod 431 engages the gas release pin 163 instead of the bolt 13. When activated, the jamming rod 431 traverses out of the magazine casing 21 into the receiver 11. The jamming rod 431 then engages the gas release pin 163, such that the gas release pin 163 is unable to engage the gas release valve 23. This in turn prevents compressed gas from being released from the gas container 22 and thus the non-lethal, air-gun training weapon from being fired. It is also possible in other embodiments for the jamming rod 431 to engage the gas release valve 23, such that compressed gas cannot be released from the gas container 22.
In reference to
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the laser diode 32 is electrically connected to the battery 45, as depicted in
In reference to
In reference to
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims
1. A non-lethal, air-gun training weapon comprises:
- an air-gun;
- a magazine;
- a laser assembly;
- an electromechanical assembly;
- the air-gun comprises a receiver, a barrel, a bolt, a bolt chamber, a gas channel, and a firing mechanism;
- the magazine comprises a magazine casing, a gas container, a gas release valve, and a gas release vent;
- the laser assembly comprises a laser housing, a laser diode, and a diode aperture;
- the electromechanical assembly comprises a transceiver, a controller board, a jamming device, a bolt sensor, and a battery;
- the firing mechanism being positioned within the receiver;
- the barrel being adjacently connected to the receiver;
- the barrel being concentric with the bolt chamber;
- the bolt chamber traversing into the receiver;
- the bolt being slidably positioned within the bolt chamber;
- the magazine casing being attached to the receiver;
- the gas channel traversing into the receiver and into the bolt chamber; and
- the gas container being pneumatically coupled to both the laser assembly and the bolt through the gas channel and the bolt chamber.
2. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the laser assembly being positioned into the barrel adjacent to the bolt chamber;
- the diode aperture traversing into the laser housing; and
- the laser diode being positioned within the laser housing adjacent to the diode aperture.
3. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the gas container being positioned within the magazine casing;
- the gas release valve being positioned into the magazine casing; and
- the gas container being in fluid communication with the gas channel through the gas release valve.
4. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the magazine further comprises a gas refill valve;
- the gas refill valve being positioned into the magazine casing; and
- the gas refill valve being in fluid communication with the gas container.
5. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the transceiver, the controller board, and the battery being positioned within the magazine casing;
- the bolt sensor being positioned into the magazine casing;
- the transceiver, the controller board, the jamming device, and the bolt sensor being electrically connected to the battery; and
- the transceiver, the jamming device, and the bolt sensor being electronically connected to the controller board.
6. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the laser diode being electrically connected to the battery.
7. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the laser assembly further comprises a pressure switch and a laser battery;
- the laser battery being positioned within the laser housing;
- the pressure switch being adjacently connected to the battery housing opposite the diode aperture;
- the pressure switch traversing into the laser housing; and
- the laser diode and the pressure switch being electrically connected to the laser battery.
8. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the jamming device comprises a jamming rod and an actuating mechanism;
- the actuating mechanism being positioned within the magazine casing;
- the jamming rod being bistably positioned through the magazine casing; and
- the jamming rod being operatively coupled to the actuating mechanism.
9. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 8 comprises:
- the jamming rod traversing out of the magazine casing into the receiver and the bolt chamber; and
- the jamming rod engaging the bolt.
10. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 1 comprises:
- the firing mechanism comprises a trigger, a hammer, and a gas release pin;
- the gas release pin being slidably positioned within the receiver;
- the hammer being mechanically coupled to the trigger; and
- the trigger being operatively coupled to the gas release pin through the hammer.
11. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 10 comprises:
- the gas release pin engaging the gas release valve.
12. A non-lethal, air-gun training weapon comprises:
- an air-gun;
- a magazine;
- a laser assembly;
- an electromechanical assembly;
- the air-gun comprises a receiver, a barrel, a bolt, a bolt chamber, a gas channel, and a firing mechanism;
- the magazine comprises a magazine casing, a gas container, a gas release valve, and a gas release vent;
- the laser assembly comprises a laser housing, a laser diode, and a diode aperture;
- the electromechanical assembly comprises a transceiver, a controller board, a jamming device, a bolt sensor and a battery;
- the firing mechanism comprises a trigger, a hammer, and a gas release pin;
- the jamming device comprises a jamming rod and an actuating mechanism;
- the firing mechanism being positioned within the receiver;
- the barrel being adjacently connected to the receiver;
- the barrel being concentric with the bolt chamber;
- the laser assembly being positioned into the barrel adjacent to the bolt chamber;
- the bolt chamber traversing into the receiver;
- the bolt being slidably positioned within the bolt chamber;
- the magazine casing being attached to the receiver;
- the gas channel traversing into the receiver and into the bolt chamber;
- the gas container being pneumatically coupled to both the laser assembly and the bolt through the gas channel and the bolt chamber;
- the transceiver, the controller board, the jamming device, and the bolt sensor being electrically connected to the battery;
- the transceiver, the jamming device, and the bolt sensor being electronically connected to the controller board;
- the diode aperture traversing into the laser housing;
- the laser diode being positioned within the laser housing adjacent to the diode aperture;
- the actuating mechanism being positioned within the magazine casing;
- the jamming rod being bistably positioned through the magazine casing;
- the jamming rod being operatively coupled to the actuating mechanism;
- the gas release pin being slidably positioned within the receiver;
- the hammer being mechanically coupled to the trigger;
- the trigger being operatively coupled to the gas release pin through the hammer;
- the gas container being positioned within the magazine casing;
- the gas release valve being positioned into the magazine casing; and
- the gas container being in fluid communication with the gas channel through the gas release valve.
13. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 12 comprises:
- the magazine further comprises a gas refill valve;
- the gas refill valve being positioned into the magazine casing; and
- the gas refill valve being in fluid communication with the gas container.
14. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 12 comprises:
- the laser diode being electrically connected to the battery.
15. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 12 comprises:
- the laser assembly further comprises a pressure switch and a laser battery;
- the laser battery being positioned within the laser housing;
- the pressure switch being adjacently connected to the battery housing opposite the diode aperture;
- the pressure switch traversing into the laser housing; and
- the laser diode and the pressure switch being electrically connected to the laser battery.
16. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 12 comprises:
- the jamming rod traversing out of the magazine casing into the receiver and the bolt chamber; and
- the jamming rod engaging the bolt.
17. The non-lethal, air-gun training weapon as claimed in claim 12 comprises:
- the gas release pin engaging the gas release valve.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 30, 2013
Publication Date: Mar 6, 2014
Applicant: HATALOM SYSTEMS LLC (Orlando, FL)
Inventors: Daniel P. Quinlan (Orlando, FL), John M. Hinnant (Oveido, FL), Teresa Melia Hinnant (Oveido, FL)
Application Number: 14/015,050
International Classification: F41A 33/06 (20060101); F41A 33/02 (20060101);