Non-lethal pistol and method of using same
AssigneeTippmann Sports, LLC
InventorsDENNIS J. TIPPMANN, JR., JEFFREY P. DOUGLAS, KYLE D. SMITH, BRYCE A. CARRICO
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A non-lethal pistol for propelling projectiles, such as paintballs. The pistol has a body with a grip portion and a barrel. A canister of propellant received in the body to supply a valve assembly with propellant that is selectively vented to propel projectiles through the barrel. The pistol includes a firing mechanism adapted to actuate the valve assembly.
Claims9
A method of launching a projectile from a non-lethal pistol, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a non-lethal pistol with a valve assembly configured to vent gas to propel projectiles out of a barrel;
- inserting an unused canister of compressed gas into the non-lethal pistol;
- making an initial trigger pull of a trigger on the non-lethal pistol to release a supply of compressed gas from the unused canister to the valve assembly, wherein the valve assembly does not include a supply of compressed gas to vent responsive to the initial trigger pull;
- and
- making a subsequent trigger pull on the non-lethal pistol to vent compressed gas supplied to the valve assembly responsive to the initial trigger pull to a propel projectile from the non-lethal pistol.
The method of claim 2, wherein the initial trigger pull pierces the unused canister of compressed gas, but does not fire a projectile.
A method of launching a projectile from a non-lethal pistol, the method comprising the steps of:
- gripping a non-lethal pistol with a valve assembly configured to vent gas to propel projectiles out of a barrel;
- inserting an unused canister of compressed gas into the non-lethal pistol;
- piercing a seal covering a mouth of the canister by making an initial trigger pull on the non-lethal pistol, wherein the initial trigger pull does not propel a projectile out of the barrel;
- and
- making a subsequent trigger pull on the non-lethal pistol to vent compressed gas supplied to the valve assembly responsive to the initial trigger pull to propel a projectile out of the barrel.
A method of launching a projectile from a non-lethal pistol, the method comprising the steps of:
- gripping a non-lethal pistol with a valve assembly configured to vent gas to propel projectiles out of a barrel;
- inserting an unused canister of compressed gas into the non-lethal pistol;
- making at least two trigger pulls on the non-lethal pistol to propel a projectile after inserting the unused canister;
- wherein an initial trigger pull after inserting the unused canister pierces a seal covering a mouth of the canister to supply compressed gas to the valve assembly, but does not propel a projectile out of the barrel;
- and
- wherein trigger pulls subsequent the initial trigger vent compressed gas supplied to the valve assembly responsive to the initial trigger pull to propel projectiles out of the barrel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.