Paint ball hopper/pod loader

Abstract

A paint ball gun hopper/pod loader device comprising a storage container and a nozzle to allow the user to quickly and efficiently reload a paint ball gun hopper/pod. The nozzle of the paint ball gun hopper/pod loader device allows for the smooth transfer of paint balls from the interior of the container into the paint ball gun hopper/pods. The paint ball gun hopper/pod loader device has a lid to complete the enclosure of the container leaving the only opening of the device the transfer nozzle.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/358,032, filed Feb. 20, 2002, by the present inventors.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

[0003] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0004] 1. Field of the Invention

[0005] The present invention relates to the extreme sport of paint ball and, more particularly, to paint ball guns and loading the feeder apparatuses used to feed a stored supply of paint balls to the paint ball gun.

[0006] 2. Background of the Invention

[0007] The extreme sport of paint ball is best described as a “military” type activity. Two opposing teams, try to capture each others flags, and/or eliminate all members of the opposing teams, to win a game. Each of the players carries a compressed air/gas-powered paint ball marker/gun that shoots gelatin or plastic spherical capsules, which contain a colored liquid. When a player is hit with a paint ball shot from an opponent's paint ball gun, the paint ball bursts and leaves a colored “mark” on the player, who is then eliminated from the game.

[0008] Each paint ball gun is equipped with a “hopper/loader” that is physically attached to the paint ball gun; this device is adapted to internally store a set amount of paint balls to be fired through the paint ball gun, during the period of competition. Players also carry cylindrical “pods”, which usually contain additional paint balls, in harnesses on their bodies during competition to allow them to reload the hopper/loader of the paint ball gun during the competition.

[0009] Although there are devices that are used in the sport of paint ball that assist the player in loading the paint ball hopper during the “heat of competition.” As demonstrated in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 20020059927 (Woods), a device was introduced to quickly reload a paint ball gun hopper using a shutter device on the reloader tube, to the hopper mounted on the paint ball gun. This device is designed to reload the paint ball gun hopper during the heat of competition and is in all practicality a pod with a shutter for quick loading. Due to the limited carrying capacity of a player during the competition only a minimal amount of paint balls can be carried on the field.

[0010] The present invention is designed to effectively and efficiently load the hopper/pods of the paint ball player in the breaks between competitions. The present invention would be used to reload the shutter type pods of the above mentioned invention. The present invention allows the paint ball player the opportunity to enter the next competition with fully loaded paint ball gun hopper and pods.

[0011] The present invention assists the paint ball player with loading the hopper on his paint ball gun, along with reloader pods which he carries on a harness during a paint ball game, during the breaks between competitions. Paint balls generally come in boxes of 2,000 from the manufacturer and are divided into plastic bags of 500 each. Normally, in order to reload the paint ball hopper/pods in between competitions, the player must tear open the plastic bags containing the paint balls and attempt to pour the paint balls directly into the paint ball gun hopper and the pods; this usually results in the loss of anywhere from 10-30 paint balls per bag. The purpose of this invention is to easily load the paint ball gun hopper and pods, and prevent the loss of any paint balls in the process. Additionally, this invention lends itself to time efficiency. The present invention provides a transient storage container for paint balls in the period between competitions and ensures a smooth transfer of paint balls from the container of the invention to the paint ball gun hopper/loaders and pods without the traditional loss of paint balls.

[0012] The use of the present invention is described as follows: The top lid of the present invention is removed, the plastic bag of paint balls is removed from the manufacturers box, the plastics bag is carefully torn open, and the paint balls are placed into the oval shaped top opening of the present invention. The lid of the present invention is placed on the top opening to seal the container. The nozzle of the present invention is placed over the opening of the loader/hopper or pod, that is being reloaded, then present invention is tipped until the object fills with paint balls. The present invention is then tipped back upright and the loader/hopper or pod is closed, fully reloaded with paint balls. This process is repeated until the player's equipment is fully reloaded with paint balls.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

[0013] Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are the ability of a paint ball player to quickly and resourcefully reload his/her paint ball gun hopper and pods with paint balls that the player will carry into the next competition. The reloading process with the present invention ensures the player will load the paint balls into the hopper or pods, as intended, and not lose the amount of paint balls lost when not using the present invention. If the paint balls touch the ground, then they are not loaded into the paint ball gun due to the fear of contamination; therefore, they are useless.

[0014] The present invention will reduce the amount of time needed by paint ball players to load their paint ball gun hoppers and pods, by providing an efficient and sanitary loading process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The invention is a paint ball gun loading device, comprising: a storage vessel/container sized to receive a plurality of paint balls, and having an opening to transfer a plurality of paint balls to a paint ball gun hopper or quick load paint ball pod(s).

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a side view of the container, illustrates the container body, the lid which covers the container, and the nozzle which connects the container's inner compartment with the outside.

[0017] FIG. 2 shows a frontal view illustrates the side of the container and the nozzle.

[0018] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the container, illustrates the nozzle and the lid.

[0019] FIG. 4 shows a variation with the nozzle mounted on the bottom of the container.

[0020] FIG. 5 shows a variation with the nozzle mounted on the top of the container.

[0021] FIG. 6 shows a variation that depicts a collapsible nozzle attached to a plastic bag that would serve as a container for the paint balls.

[0022] FIG. 7 shows a variation that depicts a side view of the collapsible nozzle, which is extended, with a plastic bag to serve as a container.

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0023] 10—Container 110—Container (Add. Embodiment) 210—Container (Add. Embodiment) 12—Nozzle 112—Nozzle (Alter. Embodiment) 212—Nozzle (Alter. Embodiment) 14—Lid

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIGS. 1, 2, AND 3—PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0024] A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 (side view), FIG. 2 (frontal view), and FIG. 3 (top view). The invention consists of a container 10 with a nozzle 12 that serves as a passage for the contents from the inside of the container 10 to the exterior of the container 10. The contents of the container 10 are held in the interior of the container by the lid 14. In the preferred embodiment, the container 10, the nozzle 12, and the lid 14, would consist of plastic. However, the container 10, the nozzle 12, and the lid 14, may consist of other material that is durable and not adverse to the gelatin paint balls stored within.

[0025] In the preferred embodiment, container 10 may be constructed of clear plastic, to allow a user to visually determine the supply of any paint balls in the container 10. However, container 10 may also be constructed of opaque plastic or any other material of similar weight and strength. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, container 10 is of such a size that it will hold up to 1,000 paint balls, sufficient to fill a standard paint ball gun hopper and several quick load paint ball pods. Also lid 14 and nozzle 12, in the preferred embodiment, may be constructed of plastic. However, lid 14 and nozzle 12 may be instead constructed of any material that is of similar weight and strength.

[0026] Nozzle 12 connects the inside and outside of container 10. In the preferred embodiment, nozzle 12 is one and one half inches in diameter, ensure the smooth passage of paint balls through nozzle 12 from the inside to the outside of the container 10 and into the paint ball gun hopper/pod being loaded. However, nozzle 12 can be larger or smaller in size, as long as sufficient flow of the paint balls is allowed from the inside to the outside of the container 10.

[0027] Lid 14 is a structural support to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, one that ensures a closure to container 10. When applied, lid 14 ensures the paint balls enclosed in container 10 only pass through nozzle 12, which is then the only opening on the present invention.

[0028] Additional Embodiments

[0029] Additional embodiments are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 has the nozzle 112 connected to the bottom of the container 110. FIG. 5 has the nozzle 12 connected to the top of the container 10. The nozzle 12 may be connected to various parts of the container 10 and the present invention will still operate, as depicted in the preferred embodiment.

[0030] Alternative Embodiments

[0031] Alternative embodiments are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 shows a nozzle 212 connected to the container 210, which is a sealed plastic bag designed to hold paint balls. The nozzle 212 in this instance would consist of plastic and would be extendible, as shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a nozzle 212 which is extended to transfer paint balls from the container 210, a plastic bag designed to hold paint balls, to load the paint ball gun hopper/pods. The paint balls would come in the plastic bag, the plastic seal on nozzle would be broken, the nozzle extended and the paint balls transferred from the plastic bag to the hoppers/pods. The nozzle 212 and container 210 are made of plastic in this alternative embodiment, however, the nozzle 212 and the container 210 may be constructed of similar material of strength and weight. This alternative embodiment could be used to transfer other products beside the paint balls demonstrated in this model.

[0032] Operations

[0033] The present invention provides a transient storage container for paint balls in the period between competitions and ensures a smooth transfer of paint balls from the present invention to the hopper/loaders and pods, without the traditional loss of paint balls.

[0034] The use of the present invention is described as follows: The top lid of the present invention is removed, the plastic bag is removed from the manufacturer's box, the plastics bag is carefully torn open, and the paint balls are placed in the oval shaped top opening of the present invention. The lid is placed on the top opening to seal the container. The nozzle is placed over the opening of the loader/hopper or pod, that is being reloaded, then the container is tipped in the direction of the hopper/pod, until the hopper/pod fills with paint balls. The container is then tipped back upright, and the loader/hopper or pod is closed, fully reloaded with paint balls. This process is repeated until the player's equipment is fully reloaded with paint balls.

[0035] Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are the ability of a paint ball player to quickly and resourcefully reload his paint ball gun hopper and pods that the player will carry into the next competition. The reloading process with the present invention ensures the player will load the paint balls into the hopper or pods, as intended, and reduce the amount lost when loading paint balls by hand or other methods into the hoppers/pods.

[0036] Advantages

[0037] The present invention reduce the amount of time expended by paint ball players loading their paint ball gun hoppers and pods by hand, by providing an efficient loading process.

[0038] Paint ball players traditionally lose many paint balls by loading their paint ball gun hoppers/pods by hand or other means. The present invention will save the paint ball player the loss of paint balls, and therefore, save the paint ball player the cost of additional paint balls.

[0039] Conclusion, Ramifications and Scope

[0040] Accordingly, the reader will see that the present invention will make the process of loading the paint ball player's paint ball gun hopper/pods an effective and efficient process. Presently, there is not a device in existence that is designed to be used to reload paint ball gun hopper/pods during the down time between competitions, the present invention will allow for quick loading procedure for these paint ball gun hopper/pods. Many players load their paint ball gun hopper/pods by grabbing handfuls of paint balls from the manufactures paint ball bags and dropping them in ten paint balls at a time. The present invention with a holding capacity of 1,000 paint balls can pour one to two hundred paint balls into the paint ball gun hopper/pods in seconds.

[0041] While the paint ball hopper/pod loader device of the present invention, as shown and disclosed in detail, is filly capable of obtaining and providing the advantages stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than described in the appended claims.

Claims

1) A paint ball gun hopper/pod loading device, comprising:

a) a vessel/container to receive and transfer a plurality of paint balls.

b) an enclosure to the vessel/container.

c) an opening to transfer a plurality of paint balls from the vessel/container to a paint ball gun hopper or quick load paint ball pod.

2) The paint ball gun hopper/pod loading device of claim 1 is for use between paint ball games, but not during the heat of competition.