Patents by Inventor John Ronald Rice

John Ronald Rice has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6615814
    Abstract: A paintball gun is disclosed which includes a data link for transferring data to and/of from a remote terminal. The link may be a contact or contactless one. A removable data carrier may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: NPF Limited
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
  • Publication number: 20030154968
    Abstract: An electronically controlled pneumatic paintball gun, comprising means for monitoring and/or controlling one or more parameters of the gun's operation and alphanumeric display means for displaying data related to said monitoring or control on a display panel integral with the gun.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: NPF Limited
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
  • Publication number: 20030131514
    Abstract: A paintball marker comprises a main body 10, a barrel 12 defining a firing axis X-X, and a grip frame assembly including a frame 26 and a trigger 22 pivotably mounted in the frame 26. The trigger has an upper finger engaging portion 50 and a lower finger engaging portion 52 so that it can be operated by two fingers 54, 56. The lower finger engaging portion 52 is curved round so that its finger engaging surface 66 ends in a horizontal part 68. The pivot axis of the trigger is adjustable between a number of positions, one of which is offset to the rear of the finger engaging portions 50, 52 so that the trigger can be operated by pulling downwards on the horizontal part 68 of the finger engaging surface 66.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2003
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice , Nicholas John Marks
  • Publication number: 20030131835
    Abstract: A paintball feed system (10) comprises flexible detent beams (32a,b) that flex about first and second support points (33,34) such that they allow a paintball (22a) to pass from a hopper (18) into a feed tube (12) leading to a paintball marker's breech (16) under it's own weight when flexing about the first support point (33). The beams (32a,b) are rigid enough, when flexing about the second support pint (34), to prevent the return of the paintball (22a) back into the hopper (18) from the feed tube (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2003
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice , Nicholas John Marks , Fraser Colley
  • Publication number: 20030131834
    Abstract: A control system for a paintball marker having a breech, the control system comprising a contact sensor, a controller, and a paintball firing mechanism, the sensor being arranged to be located within the paintball marker, to sense a paintball being in contact therewith, and to produce a signal indicative of the presence of said paintball within said breech, and the controller being arranged to receive said signal and to control the actuation of said firing mechanism in response to said signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2003
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice , Nicholas John Marks
  • Publication number: 20030121927
    Abstract: A paintball container comprises a body 12 and a lid 14. The lid 14 is hinged to the body 12 at one side, and has a tab 42 at the other side to facilitate opening of the container. The body 12 has a guard 26 formed on it adjacent to the tab 42 on the lid. The guard is substantially U-shaped and bounds a recess 30 into which a user can insert their thumb to pull up the tab 42 to release the lid. The guard 26 prevents accidental opening of the lid, for example when the container is being removed from a harness in which it is being carried.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: NPF Limited
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice , Mark Andrew Walker
  • Patent number: 6474325
    Abstract: A gas regulator, relating in particular to a regulator for a gas or air cylinders, for supplying compressed air to a paintball gun or other compressed air powered projectile firing devices. A micro controller operably associated with the gas regulator is adapted to generate a shots remaining signal by receiving a pressure drop signal from a pressure transducer and a set of shot fired signals corresponding to the gas pressure drop signal. A method is also provided for generating the shots remaining signal using a second gas cylinder temperature signal, a temperature compensated shots remaining calibration constant and a gas regulator input pressure signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: NPF Limited
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
  • Publication number: 20020017286
    Abstract: A gas regulator including a microcontroller, preferably but not exclusively for use with paintball guns or other projectile firing devices, is disclosed. The microcontroller provides advanced features including a “shots remaining” feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
  • Publication number: 20020017287
    Abstract: An electronically controlled pneumatic paintball gun, comprising means for monitoring and/or controlling one or more parameters of the gun's operation and alphanumeric display means for displaying data related to said monitoring or control on a display panel integral with the gun.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
  • Patent number: 6311682
    Abstract: An electronically controlled pneumatic paintball gun, comprising means for monitoring and/or controlling one or more parameters of the gun's operation and alphanumeric display means for displaying data related to said monitoring or control on a display panel integral with the gun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: NPF Limited
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
  • Patent number: 6138656
    Abstract: A paint ball gun is connected through a first gas pressure regulator to a supply of pressurized gas for maintaining a high gas pressure in a first chamber in the gun and a second gas pressure regulator is connected between the first chamber and a second chamber in the gun to maintain a working gas pressure in the second chamber greater than atmospheric pressure but less than the gas pressure in the first chamber. A pneumatic control valve is arranged to receive gas under pressure from the second chamber and direct it selectively to a pneumatic ram mounted for sliding movement in a cylinder in the gun between a retracted position and a forward position in which it opens a valve to admit high pressure gas from the first chamber to the barrel to fire a paint ball. An electrical switch for the control valve is connected to an electronic control circuit which incorporates a micro-switch operated by the trigger of the gun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: NPF Limited
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
  • Patent number: 6003504
    Abstract: A paint ball gun is connected through a first gas pressure regulator to a supply of pressurised gas for maintaining a high gas pressure in a first chamber in the gun and a second gas pressure regulator is connected between the first chamber and a second chamber in the gun to maintain a working gas pressure in the second chamber greater than atmospheric pressure but less than the gas pressure in the first chamber. A pneumatic control valve is arranged to receive gas under pressure from the second chamber and direct it selectively to a pneumatic ram mounted for sliding movement in a cylinder in the gun between a retracted position and a forward position in which it opens a valve to admit high pressure gas from the first chamber to the barrel to fire a paint ball. An electrical switch for the control valve is connected to an electronic control circuit which incorporates a micro-switch operated by the trigger of the gun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: NPF Limited
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks
  • Patent number: D473910
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: NPF Limited
    Inventors: John Ronald Rice, Nicholas John Marks, Mark Andrew Walker