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US 12,656,078 B2Granted
Gas regulator
AssigneeMethod Development Products LLC
InventorsJerod Bushman, John Chambers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and methods relate to gas regulators for use with paintball guns. The gas regulator includes a poppet housing interchangeable by a user to modify output pressure of the gas regulator. The poppet housing includes markings visible externally on the gas regulator indicating to the user the output pressure provided. The gas regulator may further include a rotatable adapter for coupling with a paintball gun. A regulator piston that functions to control the output pressure based on the poppet housing selected acts in some embodiments on an internal balanced piston for selectively opening and closing flow through the gas regulator.
Claims18
A gas regulator, comprising:
- a body with an end for coupling to a source of gas introduced into a high-pressure chamber of the gas regulator;
- a regulator piston moveable between an open position for gas flow through the gas regulator and a closed position with the gas flow blocked between the high-pressure chamber and a low-pressure chamber of the gas regulator;
- a regulating spring acting on the regulator piston such that the regulator piston is moved to the closed position once the low-pressure chamber reaches a preset output pressure;
- a poppet housing engaging the regulating spring to provide a force from the regulating spring to the regulator piston that results in the regulator piston being moved to the closed position at the preset output pressure, wherein a top face of the poppet housing includes a pressure marking visible externally on the gas regulator;
- and
- a poppet valve concentrically disposed in the poppet housing and configured to be depressed by a device gas inlet to supply the gas from the low-pressure chamber out of the gas regulator,
- wherein:
- the regulating spring urges the regulator piston toward and into contact with a balanced piston to move the balanced piston away from a sealing seat permitting the gas flow between the high-pressure chamber and the low-pressure chamber;
- and
- gas pressure on a drive side of the regulator piston counteracts the force of the regulating spring to urge the regulator piston away from the balanced piston that is thereby biased toward and into contact with the sealing seat blocking the gas flow between the high-pressure chamber and the low-pressure chamber.
7 more elements
A method of changing pressure output from a gas regulator, comprising:
- providing the gas regulator including:
- a body with an end for coupling to a source of gas introduced into a high-pressure chamber of the gas regulator;
- a regulator piston moveable between an open position for gas flow through the gas regulator and a closed position with the gas flow blocked between the high-pressure chamber and a low-pressure chamber of the gas regulator;
- a regulating spring acting on the regulator piston such that the regulator piston is moved to the closed position based on pressure within the low-pressure chamber;
- and
- a poppet valve configured to be depressed by a device gas inlet to supply the gas from the low-pressure chamber out of the gas regulator;
- removing a first poppet housing concentrically surrounding the poppet valve from the gas regulator, wherein the first poppet housing engages the regulating spring to provide a first force from the regulating spring to the regulator piston that results in the regulator piston being moved to the closed position at a first output pressure as indicated by a first marking on the first poppet housing visible externally on the gas regulator;
- and
- inserting a second poppet housing concentrically surrounding the poppet valve into the gas regulator, wherein the second poppet housing engages the regulating spring to provide a second force from the regulating spring to the regulator piston that results in the regulator piston being moved to the closed position at a second output pressure different from the first output pressure as indicated by a second marking on the second poppet housing visible externally on the gas regulator.
6 more elements
A gas regulating system for use with a paintball gun, comprising:
- a gas regulator including:
- a body with an end for coupling to a source of gas introduced into a high-pressure chamber of the gas regulator;
- a regulator piston moveable between an open position for gas flow through the gas regulator and a closed position with the gas flow blocked between the high-pressure chamber and a low-pressure chamber of the gas regulator;
- a regulating spring acting on the regulator piston such that the regulator piston is moved to the closed position based on pressure within the low-pressure chamber;
- and
- a poppet valve configured to be depressed by connection with the paintball gun to supply the gas from the low-pressure chamber into the paintball gun;
- a first poppet housing insertable into the gas regulator to concentrically surround the poppet valve, wherein the first poppet housing engages the regulating spring when in the gas regulator to provide a first force from the regulating spring to the regulator piston that results in the regulator piston being moved to the closed position at a first output pressure as indicated by a first marking on the first poppet housing visible externally on the gas regulator;
- and
- a second poppet housing insertable into the gas regulator to concentrically surround the poppet valve, wherein the second poppet housing engages the regulating spring when in the gas regulator to provide a second force from the regulating spring to the regulator piston that results in the regulator piston being moved to the closed position at a second output pressure different from the first output pressure as indicated by a second marking on the second poppet housing visible externally on the gas regulator.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.