BENEFITS
The benefits of such a system vary for the different industries it would be used in. We have identified a few industries which would have substantial benefits from such a technology utilised in those products such as;
- Airsoft and gel blasters
- Military
- Spearguns
- Cattle industry – tranquilizers
Airsoft and gel blasters
Currently, airsoft and gel blasters use the following methods for propulsion of the projectiles being bb’s and gel balls.
- Automatic Electric Gun (AEG) method
- High Pressure Air (HPA) method and;
- Gas blow back rifle (GBBR) method
AEG Method
AEG’s have been around a long time and make up the vast majority of the airsoft and gel blasters in the market. That is for a good reason. They are cheap to make and run. They do have some drawbacks however. They are mechanically complex that can make them unreliable. Since they are purely mechanical, if the user wants to change the configuration of them for example to increase the rate of fire or velocity of the projectile, the user needs to interchange parts to aftermarket parts which take considerable time and knowledge to accomplish properly. Also as they are changed to increase the velocity and/or rate of fire, it puts further stress on other components making them more likely to fail unless all components are changed to aftermarket stronger components.
HPA Method
The use of high pressure air is far more reliable than the AEG method as it is vastly mechanically simplified requiring the use of a solenoid to release the air and load the projectile. The circuitry in this system allows the user to easily adjust the rate of fire and through adjusting the air pressure, the velocity of the projectile also. With this, it covers most of the issues with AEG method however it has some drawbacks.
HPA systems require a tank which stores air at approximately 4,500PSI. To do this the user must have access to a compressor which can achieve this which is an expensive item to purchase or hire at venues. The tanks are also expensive and the typical user normally has 2 tanks which for use for an extended time means they will run out and need to use the facilities compressor at a cost or switch to an AEG type gun. Since the tanks are stored at such a high pressure, it also has a significant risk attached to use of such high pressure tanks held close to the body.
GBBR Method
The use of green gas (essentially butane) as a propellant for the projectiles is a novel approach and through the design of the airsoft and gel blaster guns gives the user the “realistic” feel of the gun to the real thing through the action of a cycling bolt. The use of butane though comes at a significant cost as they are extremely inefficient and also at a risk as butane is extremely flammable. They are also prone to issues due to the cycling of the bolt and typically low quality of materials used in their construction.
Benefits of our innovative new system in Airsoft and Gel blaster industries
Mechanical Life
This new system is mechanically simple which has one moving part being the nozzle to load the bb or gel ball into the barrel for firing. Being mechanically simple means that there are less fail points and less items to wear out and maintain with o-rings being the only item that would wear down.
Safety
As has been stated in other systems that are used in these industries, there are risks inherent in them using air stored at a very high pressure or the use of butane as a propellant. This system uses aa different source which is extremely safe, non-volatile and non-toxic. The pressure generated by this method is contained within the apparatus and is not stored but transferred from the chamber to the barrel. The materials utilized in this device ensure that this transfer of pressure from the chamber to the barrel is well within the safety guidelines and are never a hazard at any time.
Configurability
This new system has the ability to be tuned by the end user to their preferences. This includes the velocity of the projectile and the rate of fire which are the 2 main attributes which the user is interested in adjusting. The adjustability of these attributes also does not affect the reliability of the system. Adjusting these attributes means that the rate at which it uses the consumable item and battery is affected.
Cost
While the initial cost of this new system would exceed a standard AEG method, it would be cheaper than a comparable quality AEG aftermarket system that would be more of a direct comparison. It is also far cheaper than a complete HPA setup and cheaper to operate than the GBBR method. The running cost of this new method is just the consumable used which is cheaper than a GBBR method and cheaper than the fill cost of an HPA tank at a venue.
Benefit Summary
In summary, the benefits of this new system as a whole far surpasses the other methods. It is more mechanically reliable than all other methods due to its limited amount of moving parts, it’s initial purchase is cheaper than other comparable systems and its ongoing cost is cheaper than the HPA and GBBR methods. Its ability for the user to change its attributes easily with no affect on the reliability of the device is better than all other methods.