Parts
These parts are:
- The Point Tip which moves within the barrel
- The point insulator or sleeve which is sometimes built into the tip
- The barrel/base which screws onto the blade
- Two contacts within the barrel/base which are seperated by a small gap and attached to the two wires running down the blade. The two contacts must be electricaly insulated from the barrel/base and each other
- Grub screws which hold the point within the barrel/base however, some screwless designs exist
- A spring to provide the required 750g resistance
- A small contact spring that completes the circuit
| On the right is a 3d animation of a working Leon Paul GT epee point. This cut away model shows what happens within a the tip is depressed. The circuit is normally open between the two brass contacts inside the point on the farthest right of the model. When the tip depressesd it travels for a minimum of 1 mm before the contact spring touches the two contacts and completes the circuit. If the point is not in contact with an earthed piste or the opponents weapon this causes a coloured hit light to come on. |
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Each manufacturer has their own design of tip which has its own relative strengths and weaknesses. The points are often refered to as being from a particularcountry (French, German) however, this is not entirely accurate as some countries produce more than one design of tip. Click on the model on the left to see and expanded annoteted view of a Leon Paul and a German tip. The model below shows the different parts that fit together to make an electric epee. Click on the image for a larger annotated view. |
