More Smart Parts Patents

[spantol]

I just saw this over at PBNation. Looks like Smart Parts has added a couple more patents to their arsenal:

Dynamic paintball gun control

Pneumatically operated projectile launching device

The first seems really frickin' cool; even I'll admit that. The idea seems to be to have the gun adjust its dwell automatically to prevent hot shots.

The second, well, I can't make much sense of the second. Can anyone clarify what this one covers that the infamous extended patent didn't?

[Hawkeye]

The first one is a pretty neat idea.
I'm not sure if I understand the second one fully, but it seems like they are trying to patent the paintball marker.

[spantol]

Yeah, that's about what it sounded like to me, though they do throw the word "electric" in there every now and then. I just assumed it wasn't covering the concept of a paintball gun in general, as I don't believe there's enough room in PA to accomodate balls that big.

[FragTek]

omfg... Smart Parts, what in the heck are you doing?????

I LOVE YOUR PRODUCTS YET I HATE YOUR BUSINESS STRATEGY!!!!

The 2nd one sounds as if they are trying to patent all electro markers, wouldn't that be gay?

[Jeffy-CanCon]

I only use mech markers, so I'm not really familiar with the internals of many electros, but I think you may be right.

The patent claims an improvement over prior art by eliminating the use of springs in paintball guns, and instead using an electrically controlled pneumatic force to move the bolt.

Interesting that the patent particularly states that the system will allow cycling up to nine times per second. I wonder why they included that?

[FragTek]

that kind if bewildered me as well.

[Spaceman613]

the Cyber 9000 had the capabilities to do the dwell/velocity adjustemnt. And that was 3 or 4 years ago. Maybe Pneu-Ventures should have patented everything they developed.

[Jeffy-CanCon]

This patent is noted as a continuation of a continuation, so it probably is connected to the original shocker patent in some way.

[spantol]

I think I get it now. They've patented the idea that closed-bolt markers are more accurate, and gone on to describe that paintballs deform when hit with a burst of air:

The present invention eliminates the use of spring mechanisms in the transfer of energy to the projectile during the launching sequence. The invention uses a launching sequence which results in only the application of pneumatic force to the projectile. This creates a linear change in the amount of energy that is applied to the projectile as the pneumatically stored energy undergoes expansion and decompression upon release. This in turn minimizes the physical deformation of the projectile during the launching sequence, increasing the accuracy of the shot. In paintball applications, this linear application of force contributes greatly to increased accuracy, since a non-linear transfer of force at the low pressures required to limit paintball velocities to safe levels exaggerates the adverse ballistic effects on the paintball, due to its low velocity.

Aren't both of these claims demonstrably bunk?

[bryceeden]

Number two sounds like an attack on E-cockers.

[dyeforever]

number 2 sound like any marker that uses a slonied valve of some sort. imo

[FragTek]

Y must you do these things SP??? WHY???

This company seems to get a hard-on for confusing people with tons of patents that affect tons of other companies... I hope SP get pwned by another company!!!

[WARPED1]

Originally posted by Spaceman613
the Cyber 9000 had the capabilities to do the dwell/velocity adjustemnt. And that was 3 or 4 years ago. Maybe Pneu-Ventures should have patented everything they developed.

Unfortunatly, PVI went out of business. They had some good ideas............