Paintball gun device

Abstract

A quick load paintball device, and quick load hopper device.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention is directed to a paintball gun device, in particular to a rapid paintball hopper loading device.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The sport of paintball is fast growing in the United States attracting the interest of children, teenagers, young adults and even older adults. One of the key promotion aspects to paintball today is the numerous paintball tournaments held locally, regionally, statewide and even countrywide. The tournaments attract the very best players throughout the states due to both the competitive aspect of the sport, and now the significant promotional revenues being paid to the top players.[0003]The tournaments test and showcase a variety of skills of the players, including speed, agility and aiming precision of the players. The paintball guns have hoppers for containing and storing a significant quantity of paintballs when associated with the paintball gun. Most paintball hoppers are filled by opening the top of the ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a quick load paintball device.

[0014]The present invention is directed to an improved paintball gun device, an improved hopper device for a paintball gun, an improved paintball loading system for a paintball gun device, and an improved process or method of loading paintballs into a paintball gun device.

[0017]The specialized closure of the paintball hopper device according to the present invention is preferably includes a resilient diaphragm flap valve configured to be opened by use of force (e.g. forcing paintballs by hand (e.g. fingers) through the specialized closure or using a separate specialized paintball loading pod or container). Preferably, the resilient diaphragm flap valve is configured to automatically close due to its resilient nature when the force is removed. The separate storing and loading container can be provided with a closure (e.g. snap fit lid or screw cap closure) for securely storing the paintballs within the container. The upper end of the separate storing and loading container can be configured to cooperate with and actuate or otherwise open the specialized closure of the paintball hopper to allow paintballs to be gravity fed from the separate container into the hopper device. Specifically, when the upper end of the separate container is tilted and forced into the specialized closure of the hopper device, the resilient diaphragm flap valve of the specialized closure is opened to allow paintballs to be poured from the separate container into the hopper device. For example, the specialized closure can include one or more flap portions that are pushed downwardly to open the diaphragm flap value with the open neck of the separate paintball container when the neck of the separate paintball container is forced into the opening of the paintball hopper device. When the separate paintball container, after being emptied of paintballs, is retracted from the opening of diaphragm flap valve the specialized closure allows the resilient flaps to bend upwardly and effectively close the opening of the paintball hopper device.

[0019]The paintball gun device according to the present invention is configured to be loaded with paintballs faster and with more precision versus conventional paintball hopper loading methods. The improvement is mainly in the hopper device having an upper opening to allow paintballs to be loaded in one direction into the hopper device. The specialized closure device allows the hopper device to be opened and closed without opening and closing a lid on a conventional hopper device. The specialized closure device provided in the opening of the hopper device is opened and closed by the upper end of the separate paintball storing and loading container. When the upper end of the separate container is inserted or forced into the specialized closure device of the hopper device, the specialized closure device opens up to allow paintballs to be gravity fed or otherwise pour from the separate container into the hopper device by gravity. Further, once the separate container storing paintballs is emptied it is then simply tossed aside, and the specialized closure device recloses allowing the player to continue shooting and focusing on the tournament action going on around the player.

[0020]The specialized closure device is configured to automatically and immediately close when the mouth of the separate container is pulled upwardly and out of the specialized closure device. Thus, the user does not have to take any further action to close the hopper device unlike the conventional lid type closure on a conventional hopper device requiring a lid to be closed or a cap to be applied to the hopper.

Problems solved by technology

However, when filling or loading the hopper of the paintball gun during actual play of the tournament, loading the hopper of the paintball gun becomes significantly more difficult and problematic.

Specifically, it becomes difficult to open and quickly and accurately fill the hopper when other players are aiming and shooting at the subject player and the subject player is simultaneously returning fire during the filling operation.

Many times a significant number of paintballs are spilled or otherwise lost or wasted from the player's limited supply of ammunition when attempting to pour paintballs from the container into the hopper.

Further, the filling process makes the player a larger profile and significantly distracts the players attention greatly increasing the risk and chance the player will be hit by a paintball and knocked out of the competition during the paint ball filling process.

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