Barrel blocking device
A plug sized, shaped and formed to fit securely within the firing end of the barrel of a paintball marker, for blocking misfired or accidentally-fired paintballs. The plug is comprised of a handle and a tip. The tip is comprised of a squeegee located adjacent a terminal end portion of the tip, at least one rib along the length of the tip, a channel along the length of the tip and an energy-absorbing contact edge located adjacent the terminal end portion. The plug is preferably flexible so as to provide for a secure fit within the barrel, to absorb energy from misfired paintballs and to provide for discharge of gas and debris.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application No. 60/647,508, filed on Jan. 27, 2005, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
FIELD OF INVENTIONThis invention relates to paintball markers (guns) and blocking the barrel of same to prevent inadvertent discharge of a paintball.
BACKGROUNDPaintball is a sport where two or more players fire paintballs at each other from a paintball marker (gun) within the rules of a game, often like capture the flag. A player is “marked” if a paintball contacts, bursts and sheds its colored “paint” on him. Paintballs that do not break are not counted as marks. Referees enforce the rules and insure safety.
Players typically wear a paintball mask and goggles to minimize serious injury to the face, ears, and eyes. Regulated fields require masks, goggles and marker plugs or barrel covers to play on the field. The marker plugs and barrel covers prevent accidental firing of a paintball while not engaged in a game. Marker plugs will soon be required to meet American Society for Testing and Materials (“ASTM”) standards. See Proposed ASTM Designation F 2271-03, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
The ASTM Standard requires, in short, that a blocking device prevent discharge of a paintball when the marker is fired several times, when the barrel is dry and after immersion in paint (which decreases friction between the barrel and any plug).
The known ways of blocking a barrel are the plugs and covers mentioned previously. Plugs act as stoppers to prevent paintballs from inadvertently exiting the marker's barrel. Unfortunately, such plugs are not effective in a barrel that is slick with paint, and few if any, of the existing plugs, can pass the proposed ASTM standards for paintball barrel blocking devices.
Paintball covers or “condoms” cover the end of the marker barrel, and “catch” fired balls. Cords connect the paintball cover to an anchoring point on the marker. Such covers are more expensive than plugs, difficult to clean, and require complicated mounting for proper operation as compared to the plug.
SUMMARYThe present invention satisfies the above-referenced needs. It is a flexible plug shaped to removably engage the end of a paintball marker barrel. The plug is comprised of a handle and a tip. The tip is sized and configured to snugly engage an inside of a marker barrel. The tip is comprised of a terminal end portion and an intermediate end portion located between the terminal end portion and the handle, and an open channel that joins the terminal end portion and the intermediate portion. Preferably, the tip is also comprised of a squeegee portion at the terminal end portion and ribs along the length between the terminal end portion and the intermediate portion.
The present invention is also a method of using the flexible plug comprising grabbing the handle, aligning the terminal end portion of the tip with a firing end of a barrel of a paintball marker, twisting the handle while pushing the tip into the barrel, securing the tip within the barrel; and releasing the handle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
As shown in
As shown in
During insertion, the tip 14 compresses due to its flexibility, and removably engages the inner surface of the barrel along the tip's length as shown in
Several features of the tip 14 make it advantageous over the simple plugs of the prior art.
First, the flexibility of the plug 10 allows it to compress during insertion into a barrel 4, but subsequently expand to tightly engage the barrel 4, as shown in
Second, during insertion and removal of the plug 10, the squeegee lip 18 wipes off the inside of the barrel 4, which is advantageous because it removes paint or moisture from the barrel 4 that would otherwise reduce friction on the plug 10, which further secures the plug 10 in the barrel 4. In other words, the more friction, the less likely the plug 10 is to slip out of the barrel 4 or be discharged from the barrel 4 upon being struck by a misfired paintball. As shown in
Third, the ribbing 20, shown in detail in
Fourth, the curved or winding vent channels 24, which are preferably located on opposite sides of the tip 14 as shown in
Fifth, the contact edge 26 of the tip 14 has advantageous features of its own. As shown in
It may be advantageous in other embodiments, as shown in
Sixth, the large flattened handle 12 can be easily formed with the logo of a company or otherwise branded.
Although what has been shown and discussed is a flexible plug 10, a less flexible plug could be used, especially if it had the impact absorbing contact edge 26,34 that absorbs the energy of the misfired paintball.
Claims
1. A flexible plug shaped to removably engage the end of a paintball marker barrel, the plug comprising:
- a handle; and
- a tip configured to engage an inside of a marker barrel, the tip comprising
- a terminal end portion and an intermediate end portion located between the terminal end portion and the handle, and a channel that joins the terminal end portion and the intermediate portion.
2. The flexible plug of claim 1 wherein the tip is sized to fit snugly within the paintball marker barrel.
3. The flexible plug of claim 1 further comprising at least one rib defining a rib cross-sectional perimeter formed along the tip.
4. The flexible plug of claim 3 wherein walls of the channel extend beyond the cross-sectional perimeter of the rib.
5. The flexible plug of claim 3 wherein at least one rib located adjacent the terminal end portion has a cross-sectional perimeter that extends beyond the other ribs formed along the tip.
6. The flexible plug of claim 1 further comprising a contact edge adjacent the terminal end portion.
7. The flexible plug of claim 6 wherein the contact edge is shaped to accept a paintball.
8. The flexible plug of claim 6 further comprising a hole extending through at least a portion of the contact edge.
9. The flexible plug of claim 8 wherein the hole is contiguous with the channel.
10. The flexible plug of claim 6 wherein the contact edge is shaped to pierce a paintball.
11. The flexible plug of claim 1 further comprising a squeegee adjacent the terminal end portion.
12. The flexible plug of claim 1 wherein the tip is cylindrical.
13. The flexible plug of claim 1 wherein the channel is curved along its path.
14. The flexible plug of claim 1 further comprising a hole in the handle.
15. The flexible plug of claim 1 wherein the handle is a flat, oval shape.
16. The flexible plug of claim 1 wherein the plug is comprised of rubber.
17. The flexible plug of claim 1 further comprising a channel on each side of the tip.
18. A method of using the flexible plug shaped to removably engage the end of a paintball marker barrel of claim 1 comprising:
- grabbing the handle;
- aligning the terminal end portion of the tip with a firing end of a barrel of a paintball marker;
- twisting the handle while pushing the tip into the barrel;
- securing the tip within the barrel; and
- releasing the handle.
19. A flexible plug shaped to removably engage the end of a paintball marker barrel, the plug comprising:
- a handle;
- a tip configured to engage an inside of a marker barrel, the tip comprising
- a terminal end portion and an intermediate end portion located between the terminal end portion and the handle, and a channel that joins the terminal end portion and the intermediate portion;
- at least one rib defining a rib cross-sectional perimeter formed along the tip; and
- ribs located adjacent the terminal end portion, at least one rib having a cross-sectional perimeter that extends beyond other ribs formed along the tip
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 27, 2006
Publication Date: Aug 24, 2006
Applicant: National Paintball Supply, Inc. (Sewell, NJ)
Inventor: Simon Stevens (Sewell, NJ)
Application Number: 11/340,991
International Classification: F41A 21/00 (20060101); F41A 17/00 (20060101); F41B 11/00 (20060101);