# US 11,460,264 B2 · Anti-chop system for mechanical paintball markers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,460,264 B2 - Document ID: US11460264B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/945,188 - Filed: 2020-07-31 - Published: 2021-02-11 - Granted: 2022-10-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-07 - Assignees: Planet Eclipse UK Limited - Applicants: Planet Eclipse UK Limited - Inventors: Jack Kingsley Wood - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11460264B2 ## CPC - F41B 11/71: Electric or electronic control systems, e.g. for safety purposes - F41B 11/723: for controlling gas pressure for firing the projectile only - F41B 11/52: the projectiles being loosely held in a magazine above the gun housing, e.g. in a hopper - F41B 11/89: for toys - F41B: WEAPONS FOR PROJECTING MISSILES WITHOUT USE OF EXPLOSIVE OR COMBUSTIBLE PROPELLANT CHARGE; WEAPONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (projectiles for fishing, e.g. fish-spears, A01K81/00; sports implements for throwing A63B65/00, e.g. boomerangs A63B65/08; stationary apparatus for projecting sports balls, e.g. tennis balls, A63B69/40; throwing or slinging toys A63H33/18; knives, axes B26B; projectiles or missiles other than those incorporating springs as projecting means F42B6/00) ## Abstract An anti-chop system for mechanical paintball markers includes an optical sensor in the breech that detects presence of a properly seated paintball in the breech for launch. When such a paintball is not detected, a control circuit communicates with an actuatable structure that physically communicates with a paintball marker component that moves as part of the firing and launch of a paintball. For example, such an actuatable structure is a lever arm that communicates with the bolt or trigger to prevent the firing operation of the paintball marker when a paintball is not ready for launch. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An anti-chop system for mechanical paintball markers, comprising: a paintball marker having a breech and a movable component that is actuated as part of launching of a paintball; the movable component having a physical path of travel; a sensor positioned in the breech that is configured and arranged for sensing presence of a paintball in the breech; a control circuit connected to the sensor; an actuatable member connected to and controlled by the control circuit; the actuatable member being selectively locatable in and out of the physical path of the movable component; wherein actuation of the actuatable member locates the actuatable member in the physical path of the movable component thereby preventing movement of the movable component and preventing the firing operation of the paintball marker. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The anti-chop system of claim 1, wherein the movable component is a bolt. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The anti-chop system of claim 1, wherein the movable component is a trigger. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The anti-chop system of claim 1, wherein the actuatable member is a solenoid controlled plunger. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The anti-chop system of claim 1, wherein the actuatable member is a solenoid valve controlled piston. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The anti-chop system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The anti-chop system of claim 6, wherein the optical sensor is configured and arranged for sensing whether the paintball is fully seated, partially seated, or not seated in the breech. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The anti-chop system of claim 7, wherein the optical sensor is configured and arranged to send a signal to the control circuit that indicates the paintball is fully seated, partially seated, or not seated in the breech, and wherein the control circuit is configured and arranged to remove the actuatable member from the physical path of the movable component to allow movement of the movable component and the firing operation of the paintball marker only when the paintball is fully seated in the breech. ### Claim 9 A control system for mechanical paintball markers, comprising: a mechanical paintball marker having a movable component that is actuated as part of launching of a paintball; the movable component having a physical path of travel; a sensor configured and arranged to create a control signal; a control circuit connected to the sensor to receive the control signal; an actuatable member connected to and controlled by the control circuit; the actuatable member being selectively locatable in and out of the physical path of the movable component; wherein the control circuit is further configured and arranged to actuate the actuatable member into the physical path of travel of the movable component to prevent movement of the movable component thereby preventing the firing operation of the paintball marker. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The control system of claim 9, wherein the movable component is a bolt. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The control system of claim 9, wherein the movable component is a trigger. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The control system of claim 9, wherein the actuatable member is a solenoid controlled plunger. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The control system of claim 9, wherein the actuatable member is a solenoid valve controlled piston. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The control system of claim 9, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor that is configured and arranged to send a signal to the control circuit that indicates the paintball is fully seated, partially seated, or not seated in a breech of the mechanical marker, and wherein the control circuit is configured and arranged to remove the actuatable member from the physical path of the movable component to allow movement of the movable component and the firing operation of the paintball marker only when the paintball is fully seated in the breech. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The control system of claim 9, wherein the control circuit is configured and arranged to remove the actuatable member from the physical path of the movable component to allow movement of the movable component and the firing operation of the paintball marker only when an unlock signal is received by the control circuit.