U.S. patent application number 10/134959 was filed with the patent office on 2003-10-30 for paint ball caddy.
Invention is credited to Clark, William D..
Application Number | 20030200960 10/134959 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29249347 |
Filed Date | 2003-10-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030200960 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Clark, William D. |
October 30, 2003 |
Paint ball caddy
Abstract
A paint ball caddy is provided for use with competitive paint
ball guns as a means for conveniently transporting paint balls for
use as ammunition. The paint ball caddy has a body that accompanies
the entire contents of a conventional paint ball carton, but which
includes a pouring spout and a handle on the body that can be
gripped to tip the paint ball caddy and pour a quantity of paint
balls out of the spout in a controlled manner. The top of the paint
ball caddy is provided with a large refill opening, which may be
closed with a removable lid. Paint balls may be poured from the
caddy into smaller, conventional paint ball canisters, or directly
into the hopper of the magazine of a conventional paint ball
gun.
Inventors: |
Clark, William D.; (Downey,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Charles H. Thomas
CISLO & THOMAS LLP
Suite 405
4201 Long Beach Blvd.
Long Beach
CA
90807-2022
US
|
Family ID: |
29249347 |
Appl. No.: |
10/134959 |
Filed: |
April 30, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
124/45 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41A 9/83 20130101; F42B
39/26 20130101; F41B 11/52 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
124/45 |
International
Class: |
F41B 011/02 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A paint ball caddy for transporting, storing, and dispensing
paint balls formed with a hollow, barrel-shaped body having a
bottom and a top equipped with a pouring spout having a distal,
circular, dispensing opening between about three-quarters of an
inch and about three inches in diameter, and a refill opening
larger in area than said dispensing opening, a refill cover for
selectively closing and exposing said refill opening, and a handle
attached to said barrel-shaped body.
2. A paint ball caddy according to claim 1 wherein said hollow,
barrel-shaped body defines a paint ball enclosure with a volume
greater than one gallon.
3. A paint ball caddy according to claim 1 wherein said
barrel-shaped body and said refill cover are both formed of
plastic.
4. A paint ball caddy according to claim 3 wherein said circular
distal dispensing opening is about two inches in diameter and said
refill opening has an area of between about ten and about fifteen
square inches.
5. A paint ball caddy according to claim 1 wherein said refill
opening is surrounded by a rim projecting upwardly from said top
and said lid is a removable cap that fits atop and frictionally
engages said rim.
6. A paint ball caddy according to claim 5 wherein said removable
cap has a lifting tab that extends laterally outwardly and projects
beyond said barrel-shaped body.
7. A paint ball caddy according to claim 5 wherein said refill
opening has a semicircular shape.
8. A paint ball caddy according to claim 1 wherein said refill
opening is located on one side of said top and said pouring spout
is located on an opposite side of said top.
9. A paint ball caddy according to claim 8 wherein said handle is a
rigid handgrip rigidly joined to said barrel-shaped body beneath
said one side of said top in which said refill opening is
formed.
10. A paint ball caddy according to claim 9 wherein said handle is
a U-shaped grip having upper and lower legs attached to said
barrel-shaped body proximate said top and bottom, respectively.
11. A paint ball caddy comprising: a container having a laterally
enclosed floor, wall surfaces extending upwardly about the entire
perimeter of said enclosed floor, a top located at the upper
extremities of said wall surface, said top including a pouring
spout with an interior cross-section that narrows from said upper
extremities of said wall surfaces to a distal tip having a circular
pouring opening defined therein between about three-quarters of an
inch and about three inches in diameter, said top also defining a
refill opening therein larger than said pouring opening, a handle
attached to said container, and a lid removably positionable on
said refill opening.
12. A paint ball caddy according to claim 11 wherein said container
defines therewithin a paint ball enclosure having a cylindrical
shape and said refill opening has a semicircular shape, the arcuate
portion of which follows said wall surface.
13. A paint ball caddy according to claim 12 wherein said spout is
located off center on said top proximate said wall surface and
opposite said arcuate portion of said refill opening.
14. A paint ball caddy according to claim 13 wherein said pouring
spout is about two inches in height and said circular opening
therein is about two inches in diameter.
15. A paint ball caddy according to claim 11 wherein said container
has a storage capacity of at least one gallon.
16. A paint ball caddy according to claim 11 wherein said refill
opening is located on one side of said top and said pouring spout
is located on an opposite side of said top and said handle is
comprised of a handgrip that projects laterally outwardly from said
container on a side thereof beneath said refill opening.
17. An article for transporting and dispensing paint balls
comprising: a container having a top, a bottom, and upright and
laterally encompassing sidewalls extending therebetween to define
therewithin a paint ball storage enclosure, a pouring spout at said
top in communication with said paint ball storage enclosure
terminating in a distal, paint ball dispensing opening having a
circular cross section between about three-quarters of an inch and
three inches in diameter, a refill opening in said top greater in
area than said paint ball dispensing opening, a lid for covering
said refill opening, wherein said lid is displaceable to uncover
said refill opening, and a carrying handle attached to said
laterally encompassing sidewalls.
18. An article according to claim 17 wherein said pouring spout has
an interior surface that forms a funnel having a circular cross
section that has an internal diameter that narrows from about two
and a half inches proximate said paint ball storage enclosure to
about two inches at said paint ball dispensing opening.
19. An article according to claim 18 wherein said paint ball
storage enclosure is formed of plastic, is cylindrical in shape,
and has a volume of at least one gallon capacity.
20. An article according to claim 18 wherein said lid is a cap that
is removably engageable with said refill opening and which includes
a gripping tab that projects outwardly beyond said container.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present the invention is a device for storing,
transporting, and dispensing paint balls that are used in paint
guns of the type utilized in competitive games in which opponents
use the paint guns to shoot paint balls at each other or at
targets.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] In recent years the use of paint guns to shoot paint balls
as a means of target practice has become increasingly popular.
Paint guns of this type are shaped generally in the form of an
elonggated automatic weapon having a relatively long barrel, a
stock, a trigger mechanism, and an ammunition receiving chamber
located between the stock and the barrel. A small magazine or
hopper is typically located atop the chamber and feeds paint balls
into the chamber, one at a time, in response to actuation of the
trigger mechanism. Competitive opponents utilize paint guns of this
type to shoot paint balls at each other and attempt to surpass the
other opponents in speed and accuracy. The paint balls burst upon
impact leaving a mark of paint at the point of impact. The impact
of the paint balls upon an opponent causes no pain, but registers a
mark upon the body or clothing of the targeted participant that
indicates a point of impact.
[0005] In conventional practice the paint balls are formed as
spherical balls of congealed paint about eleven-sixteenths of an
inch in diameter. A few of these paint balls can be carried in a
magazine or hopper that is mounted atop a paint gun and which
discharges the paint balls into the loading mechanism of the paint
gun as the user fires the gun. However, these magazines can carry
only a limited supply of the paint balls which are usually used up
rather rapidly.
[0006] Additional paint balls can be carried in tubular canisters
which fit into pockets or loops of a bandolier. These canisters are
typically about five inches in length and about two and
three-eighths inches in diameter. Canisters of this type
accommodate approximately 100 paint balls, when filled. The
bandoliers in which the canisters are carried are normally strapped
about the user's waist but can be worn diagonally across the user's
chest or back.
[0007] Currently, paint balls that are utilized as ammunition as
described above are sold within shapeless plastic bags that are
packaged in large, rectilinear paperboard cartons. Paint balls are
often sold in lots of 1000 in this manner.
[0008] In conventional practice a user attempts to pour a smaller
number of paint balls from the plastic bag in a carton directly
into the smaller canisters or into the magazine attached to the top
of the paint gun. However, very frequently the paint balls spill as
the user attempts to fill the canister or magazine in this fashion.
When the paint balls spill, they sometimes break. Since each paint
ball costs approximately five cents, this can represent a
significant loss. In actual practice it typically takes two people
to pour the paint balls from the cartons in which they are sold
into the paint ball canisters or magazines that are often utilized
with paint ball guns.
[0009] Also, it is rather cumbersome for the user to attempt to
carry the paperboard box or to carry the plastic bag without the
box. There has heretofore been no satisfactory method for
transporting an adequate number of paint balls for use as
ammunition in contests or for transferring quantities of the paint
balls from the bulk packages in which they are sold to the paint
ball canisters and paint ball gun magazines that are so widely
utilized.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] According to the present invention, a paint ball caddy is
provided which will accommodate the entire contents of a
conventional bulk paint ball carton, but which includes a pouring
spout that may be utilized to dispense the paint balls into the
smaller paint ball canisters or directly into the magazine on top
of the paint ball gun. The paint ball caddy dispenses the paint
balls much more efficiently than has been possible by attempting to
pour paint balls from a plastic bag into canisters or directly into
the magazine on the gun.
[0011] The paint ball caddy of the present invention has a
cylindrical, drum-shaped or barrel-shaped container approximately
eight inches in height and about six inches in diameter. At its top
the paint ball caddy has a pouring spout shaped as a slightly
tapered, frustoconical structure that has an opening at its upper
extremity, preferably about two inches in diameter. The pouring
spout is located on one side of the barrel-shaped body. A handgrip
is attached to the outside surface of the body, on the side thereof
opposite the pouring spout.
[0012] On the other side of the container top, opposite the pouring
spout, a raised, semicircular rim is formed that surrounds a
semicircular opening in the top. Paint balls can be easily poured
from the plastic bags in the bulk cartons in which they are sold
into the paint ball caddy of the invention through the semicircular
opening in the top of the caddy.
[0013] The paint ball caddy of the invention also includes a
semicircular cap with a lifting tab that fits onto the raised rim
to close the fill opening in the caddy once the body of the caddy
has been filled with paint balls. Thereafter, when the user lifts
and tilts the caddy to pour paint balls out of the spout and into
canisters or the magazine of a paint ball gun, the cap over the
semicircular refill opening prevents the paint balls from spilling
out.
[0014] In one broad aspect the invention may be considered to be a
paint ball caddy for transporting, storing, and dispensing paint
balls. The paint ball caddy of the invention is formed with a
hollow, barrel-shaped body having a bottom and a top equipped with
a pouring spout having a distal, circular dispensing opening
between about three-quarters of an inch and about three inches in
diameter. The caddy also has a refill opening larger in area than
the dispensing opening. A refill cover is provided for selectively
closing and exposing the refill opening. A handle is attached to
the barrel-shaped body.
[0015] In another broad aspect the invention may be described as a
paint ball caddy comprising: a container having a laterally
enclosed floor, wall surfaces extending upwardly about the entire
perimeter of said enclosed floor, a top located at the upper
extremities of the wall surfaces, the top including a pouring spout
with an interior cross section that narrows from the upper
extremities of the wall surfaces to a distal tip having a circular
pouring opening defined therein between about three-quarters of an
inch and about three inches in diameter. The top also defines a
refill opening larger than the pouring opening, a handle attached
to the wall surfaces, and a lid removably positionable on the
refill opening.
[0016] In still another aspect the invention may be described as an
article for transporting and dispensing paint balls. The article is
comprised of a container having a top, a bottom, and upright,
laterally encompassing sidewalls extending between the top and
bottom to define a paint ball storage enclosure. A pouring spout is
provided at the top in communication with the paint ball storage
enclosure. The pouring spout terminates in a distal paint ball
dispensing opening having a circular cross section between about
three-quarters of an inch and three inches in diameter. A refill
opening is defined in the top of the container. The refill opening
is greater in area than the paint ball dispensing opening. A lid
covers the refill opening and is displaceable to uncover the
opening. A carrying handle is attached to the laterally
encompassing sidewall.
[0017] The invention may be described with greater clarity and
particularity by reference to the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a paint ball caddy according to the
invention being utilized to fill the magazine of a paint gun
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a paint ball caddy according to the
invention being utilized to fill a conventional paint ball
canister.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view of the paint ball
caddy shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the paint ball caddy
illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0022] FIG. 5 bottom plan view of the lid employed in the paint
ball caddy of FIG. 3, shown in isolation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
[0023] FIG. 1 shows a paint ball caddy 10 and illustrates the
manner in which it can be utilized to pour a supply of paint balls
12 into a paint ball magazine 14 mounted atop a conventional paint
ball gun 16. Both the magazine 14 and the paint ball gun 16 are
shown in phantom. FIG. 2 illustrates how the same paint ball caddy
10 can be utilized to fill a conventional paint ball canister
18.
[0024] The paint ball caddy 10 has a drum-shaped, or barrel-shaped
body 20, formed of plastic with an upright, cylindrical, outer wall
surface 22 and an upright, cylindrical, inner wall surface 24. The
wall surfaces 22 and 24 extend upwardly about the entire perimeter
of a flat, circular bottom 26 which has an outer diameter of seven
inches. The inner surface of the container bottom 26 forms an
upwardly facing enclosed floor 28. The outer wall surface 22
extends upwardly a distance of about eight inches and terminates at
a top 26. The paint ball caddy 10 thereby defines a generally
cylindrical cavity or paint ball enclosure 30 having a cubic volume
greater than one gallon.
[0025] On one side of the top 26 the paint ball caddy 10 is formed
with a frustoconical pouring spout 32, the inner surface of which
forms a funnel 34 that terminates in a circular distal discharge or
dispensing opening 36, preferably about two inches in inner
diameter. The pouring spout 32 has a slight taper so that the
funnel 34 narrows from a maximum diameter of about two and a half
inches proximate the top of the paint ball enclosure 30 to two
inches in diameter at the paint ball dispensing opening 36.
[0026] The pouring spout 32 is located off center on the top 26,
proximate the wall surfaces 22 and 24. The outer periphery of the
base of the pouring spout 32 proximate the paint ball storage
enclosure 30 is located at the periphery of the top 26 so that
there is a smooth transition between the top of the storage
enclosure 30 where it ends at the upper extremity of the interior
wall surface 24 and the interior funnel wall 34. This allows the
paint balls 12 to flow unimpeded by any obstruction out of the
cylindrical paint ball enclosure 30, through the frustoconical
funnel 34 and out of the dispensing opening 36.
[0027] The pouring spout 32 is formed on the side of the top 26
opposite a refill opening 38. The refill opening 38 is larger in
area than the dispensing opening 36, and preferably is between
about tem and about fifteen square inches in area. Preferably, the
refill opening 38 has an interior diameter of six inches. The
arcuate portion of the refill opening 38 follows the contour of the
wall surfaces 22 and 24 and is located opposite the pouring spout
32.
[0028] The paint caddy 10 is equipped with a plastic cap 40 that is
removably engageable with the refill opening 38. The top 26 of the
paint ball caddy 10 is formed with an upright rim 42 that projects
upwardly from the surrounding flat surface of the top 26 a distance
of 0.40 inches. The rim 42 has a semicircular, annular shape that
surrounds the refill opening 38. The rim 42 has a thickness of
about 0.04 inches.
[0029] The cap 40 is formed with a pair of concentric gripping
walls in its underside, including an outer wall 44 and an inner
wall 46. The walls 44 and 46 in the underside of the lid 40 form a
semicircular channel 48 therebetween, as illustrated in drawing
FIG. 5. The width or gap of the channel 48 is about 0.04 inches.
The outer wall thickness of the wall 44 is about 0.08 inches, and
the height of the outer wall 44, as measured from the flat top
surface 50 of the lid 40, is about 0.315 inches. The thickness of
the inner wall 46 is a 0.04 inches and the inner wall height is
0.354 inches.
[0030] The lid 40 is a cap that is removably engageable with the
refill opening 38. The size and shape of the rim 42 and the channel
48 defined between the inner wall 46 and outer wall 44 of the lid
40 are such that the lid 40 may be pressed downwardly to tightly
close the refill opening 38. The rim 42 conforms to the shape of
the semicircular channel 48 between the otter wall 44 and inner
wall 46 of the lid 40. The lid 40 is thereby snugly attached to the
top 26 of the paint caddy 10 and is secured to the rim 42 by the
force of friction.
[0031] The lid 40 is provided with a laterally projecting,
rectangular-shaped lift tab 52. The lift tab 52 projects radially
outwardly from the arcuately curved edge of the outer wall 44 of
the lid 40, preferably a distance of about one inch. The width of
the lift tab 52 is also preferably about one inch, and the lift tab
52 may have a thickness of 0.04 inches.
[0032] The paint caddy 10 is also provided with a handle 54 which
is formed as a generally U-shaped grip having upper and lower legs
56 and 58 that are attached to the outer surface 22 of the
barrel-shaped body 20 at vertically separated locations. The handle
grip legs 56 and 58 are preferably spaced about five inches apart
and project outwardly from the outer wall surface 22 of the paint
caddy body 20 a distance of about one and a quarter inches. The
grip 54 may have a thickness of about 0.25 inches, as measured
perpendicular to the axis of alignment of the paint caddy body 20,
and may have a width perpendicular to its thickness of about one
inch. The rigid legs 56 and 58 of the handle 54 are rigidly joined
to the barrel-shaped body 20 beneath the side of the top 26 in
which the refill opening 38 is formed. That is, the handle 54
should be located on the side of the paint caddy 10 opposite the
side at which the pouring spout 32 is located.
[0033] To utilize the paint caddy 10, the lid 40 is first lifted by
means of the gripping tab 52 to disengage the channel 48 between
the outer and inner walls 44 and 46 of the lid 44 from the upright
rim 42 surrounding the refill opening 38. With the lid 44 removed,
the mouth of the conventional plastic bag in which paint balls 12
are sold in bulk is inserted through the refill opening 38, and the
paint balls 12 are then emptied from the bag into the paint ball
enclosure 30 of the paint ball caddy 10. The paint ball enclosure
30 will accommodate the entire quantity of 1000 paint balls sold in
a conventional paint ball bag.
[0034] The lid 40 is then pressed downwardly onto the top 26 with
the channel 48 in the underside of the lid 40 in registration with
the rim 42 surrounding the refill opening 38. The lid 40 is thereby
attached to the top 26 of the paint caddy 10, by the grip of the
lid walls 44 and 46 against the rim 42 at the top of the paint
caddy body 20.
[0035] The user may then utilize the paint caddy 10 as a
convenient, readily transportable, easily usable supply container.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, to pour some paint balls 12 from the
paint caddy 10 into the hopper of a conventional paint ball gun
magazine 14, the user merely seizes the handle 54 and tilts the
pouring spout 32 toward the opening of the hopper into the magazine
14 that receives the paint balls 12. The paint balls 12 will then
tumble in a controlled manner into the open mouth of the hopper of
the magazine 14. When the magazine 14 is filled, the user merely
tilts the paint caddy 10 back from the pouring position shown in
FIG. 1, to the upright position illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0036] The paint ball caddy 10 may be utilized in the same manner
to refill conventional tubular paint ball cartridges 18 of the type
illustrated in FIG. 2. The paint balls 12 can be poured into the
canisters 18 by a single user, utilizing one hand to hold the
handle 54 of the paint caddy 10 and the other to grip the paint
ball canister 18.
[0037] Undoubtedly, numerous variations and modifications of the
invention will become readily apparent to those familiar with paint
ball guns and their accessories. For example, the body 20 of the
paint ball caddy 10 does not necessarily need to have a cylindrical
shape. It can have virtually any shape that provides a sufficient
volume. Also, the handle does not necessarily need to be of a
U-shaped configuration to form a closed loop with the outer wall
surface of the paint caddy body. Accordingly, the scope of the
invention should not be construed as limited to this specific
embodiment depicted and described, but rather is defined in the
claims appended hereto.
* * * * *