U.S. patent application number 11/491606 was filed with the patent office on 2008-01-24 for systems and methods for easy-to-open paintball loader.
Invention is credited to Christopher V. Corcino, John Marques, Gary Shows.
Application Number | 20080017178 11/491606 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38970263 |
Filed Date | 2008-01-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080017178 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Marques; John ; et
al. |
January 24, 2008 |
Systems and methods for easy-to-open paintball loader
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for an easy-to-open paintball
loader housing. A housing is provided with a chamber for storing a
paintball feeding system and a chamber for storing a supply of
paintballs. The housing is separable such that the portion storing
the supply of paintballs may be reached by a user's hand for
cleaning.
Inventors: |
Marques; John; (Tustin,
CA) ; Corcino; Christopher V.; (Temecula, CA)
; Shows; Gary; (Riverside, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STETINA BRUNDA GARRED & BRUCKER
75 ENTERPRISE, SUITE 250
ALISO VIEJO
CA
92656
US
|
Family ID: |
38970263 |
Appl. No.: |
11/491606 |
Filed: |
July 24, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
124/51.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41B 11/53 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
124/51.1 |
International
Class: |
F41B 11/02 20060101
F41B011/02 |
Claims
1. A loader for a paintball marker, comprising: a housing
configured to be connected to the paintball marker and to hold a
supply of paintballs; a first chamber within said housing, wherein
said first chamber is configured to accommodate a substantial
entirety of a paintball feeding system; and a second chamber within
said housing, wherein said second chamber is configured to
accommodate at least a substantial portion of the supply of
paintballs, wherein said housing is separable into a first piece
and a second piece, which substantially correspond to said first
chamber and to said second chamber, respectively.
2. The loader of claim 1, wherein the paintball feeding system
comprises a motorized rotating tray for moving paintballs from said
second chamber to the paintball marker, an electronic control unit
for operating the motor, and a battery for supplying power to the
electronic control unit and the motorized rotating tray.
3. The loader of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises an opening
for loading the supply of paintballs into said loader, and wherein
said loader comprises a closure sized and configured to close said
opening.
4. The loader of claim 1, wherein said first piece and said second
piece are sufficiently separable to provide access to said second
chamber whereby cleaning of said loader surfaces defining said
second chamber is permitted.
5. The loader of claim 1, wherein said loader comprises an interior
wall at least partially separating said first chamber and said
second chamber.
6. The loader of claim 5, wherein said first piece comprises said
interior wall.
7. The loader of claim 1, wherein said first piece is separable
into a plurality of pieces.
8. The loader of claim 1, wherein said second piece and said first
piece are connected by at least one fastener.
9. A paintball loader, comprising: an upper piece; and a lower
piece, wherein said lower piece is configured to be connected to a
paintball marker; wherein said upper piece is removable from said
lower piece to expose a substantial entirety of a space defined by
said loader and configured to store paintballs.
10. The paintball loader of claim 9, wherein said upper piece
defines an opening sized to permit the loading of paintballs into
said paintball loader housing.
11. The paintball loader of claim 10, further comprising a lid
sized and configured to close said opening defined by said upper
piece.
12. The paintball loader of claim 9, wherein said lower piece is
sized and configured to house a paintball feeder system.
13. The paintball loader of claim 9, wherein said upper piece is
sized and configured to house a supply of paintballs.
14. A paintball loader housing, comprising: a first piece
configured to be connected to a paintball marker; and a second
piece configured to define a first opening sized to permit at least
one paintball to be loaded into said housing; wherein said second
piece is movable to an open position relative to said first piece,
wherein said first piece is capable of remaining connected to the
paintball marker when said second piece is in said open position,
and wherein when in said open position said paintball loader
housing defines a second opening larger than said first
opening.
15. The paintball loader housing of claim of 14, wherein said
second piece is entirely removable from said first piece.
16. The paintball loader housing of claim of 14, wherein said first
piece is sized and configured to house a paintball feeder
system.
17. The paintball loader housing of claim of 14, wherein said
second piece is sized and configured to house a supply of
paintballs.
18. A loader for a paintball marker, comprising: a housing
configured to be connected to a paintball marker, wherein said
housing defines a space for storing a supply of paintballs, wherein
said housing is movable to an open position, wherein a portion of
said housing remains connected to the paintball marker when said
housing is in said open position, and wherein said open position
directly exposes substantially an entirety of said space for
storing the supply of paintballs such that said space may be
reached by a user's hand.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates generally to paintball loaders. More
particularly, the invention relates to easy-to-open paintball
loaders.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Paintball is an exciting sport whose participants use
compressed air guns (called markers) to shoot paintballs at other
players. During play, participants attempt to eliminate other
players by hitting them with paintballs fired from their markers.
Upon impact, a paintball capsule explodes, splattering the paint
upon the impact surface. A player who has been marked by an
exploding paintball must retire from the field of play. Various
styles of game play exist, and paintball games are played in a
variety of environments, including natural settings and artificial
playing fields.
[0005] In order to fire multiple paintballs in rapid succession
with minimal manual operation, a paintball loader may be connected
to a marker. Paintball loaders store a supply of paintballs and
feed individual paintballs from the supply into the marker.
Typically, the loader will include a refill opening, closable by a
lid, which permits replenishment of the supply of paintballs within
the loader. Because the discharge of paintballs creates a volatile
environment for fragile paintballs stored in the loader,
occasionally paintballs may explode within the loader. The
resultant exploded residue may impede or even prevent continued
operation of the paintball feeding system. In general, the refill
opening is not large enough to permit thorough cleaning of the
interior space of the loader by hand. As a result, in the event of
a paintball explosion within the loader, it is often necessary to
remove the loader from the marker so that the loader housing may be
opened for cleaning. Present loader housings typically may be
separated along a generally central, vertical seam. Because
paintball loaders are connected to the markers, opening the housing
of the loader for cleaning may be a time-consuming and
labor-intensive process.
[0006] Not being able to quickly and easily open the loader housing
for cleaning may be particularly disadvantageous during game play,
when time spent maintaining equipment may expose the player as a
target and/or may reduce the player's ability to fire on other
players. Hence, there is a need for a paintball loader housing that
is easy to disassemble. In addition to being advantageous during
game play, an easy-to-open housing may also be advantageous when,
for example, players are servicing their equipment in anticipation
of or following termination of game play.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The systems and methods generally relate to an easy-to-open
paintball loader housing. Desirably, the present loaders permit
portions of the loader housing to be separated from one another
without removing the loader from the paintball marker. In certain
preferred embodiments, the separation of the loader housing
provides significantly greater access to the internal space of the
loader housing than is possible through the refill opening. In some
embodiments, the separation of the loader housing may allow
refilling of the loader with a supply of paintballs such that the
refill opening may be omitted.
[0008] In one embodiment, a loader for a paintball marker is
provided. The loader may comprise: a housing configured to be
connected to the paintball marker and to hold a supply of
paintballs; a first chamber within the housing, wherein the first
chamber is configured to accommodate a substantial entirety of a
paintball feeding system; and a second chamber within the housing,
wherein the second chamber is configured to accommodate at least a
substantial portion of the supply of paintballs. With respect to
the loader, the housing is separable into a first piece and a
second piece, which substantially correspond to the first chamber
and to the second chamber, respectively.
[0009] In another embodiment, a paintball loader is provided. The
paintball loader may comprise: an upper piece; and a lower piece,
wherein the lower piece is configured to be connected to a
paintball marker. With respect to the loader, the upper piece is
removable from the lower piece to expose a substantial entirety of
a space configured to store paintballs.
[0010] In another embodiment, a paintball loader housing is
provided. The paintball loader housing may comprise: a first piece
configured to be connected to a paintball marker; and a second
piece configured to define a first opening sized to permit at least
one paintball to be loaded. The second piece is movable to an open
position relative to the first piece, wherein the first piece is
capable of remaining connected to the paintball marker when the
second piece is in the open position, and wherein when in the open
position the paintball loader housing defines a second opening
larger than the first opening.
[0011] In another embodiment, a loader for a paintball marker is
provided. The loader may comprise: a housing configured to be
connected to a paintball marker, wherein the housing defines a
space for storing a supply of paintballs, wherein the housing is
movable to an open position, wherein a portion of the housing
remains connected to the paintball marker when the housing is in
the open position, and wherein the open position directly exposes
substantially an entirety of the space for storing the supply of
paintballs such that the space may be reached by a user's hand.
[0012] In another embodiment, a method of cleaning the inside of a
paintball loader is provided. The method may comprise connecting
the paintball loader to a paintball marker; firing the paintball
marker, wherein the firing causes an area of the paintball loader
to require cleaning before it is in a suitable condition for
continued firing; and moving the paintball loader to an open
position, wherein a portion of the paintball loader remains
connected to the paintball marker, and wherein the open position
defines a space providing suitable access to reach the area of the
paintball loader requiring cleaning with the user's hand.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment
of an easy-to-open paintball loader housing with a paintball feeder
system and a supply of paintballs enclosed within.
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the easy-to-open
paintball loader housing of FIG. 1.
[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the
easy-to-open paintball loader housing of FIG. 1.
[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates the separation of the upper and lower
pieces of the easy-to-open paintball loader housing of FIG. 1.
[0017] These and other features will now be described with
reference to the drawings summarized above. The drawings and the
associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of
the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention.
Throughout the drawings, reference numbers may be re-used to
indicate correspondence between referenced elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] Systems and methods which represent one embodiment of an
example application of the invention will now be described with
reference to the drawings. Variations to the systems and methods
which represent other embodiments will also be described.
[0019] In general, an operating paintball loader includes a supply
of paintballs, a feeder mechanism for transferring the paintballs
to a marker, and a housing that encloses the supply of paintballs
and the feeder mechanism and that is connectable to a marker.
Typically, loader housings are plastic shells. Many conventional
housings are manufactured in two halves. These halves contact one
another along respective mating surfaces which typically define a
generally vertical plane. The halves are joined together,
typically, with fasteners, such as metal screws and/or bolts.
[0020] Generally, a portion of the housing is connected to a
marker, either directly or through the use of a small connecting
device, such as a metallic connector that may clamp, screw, or
otherwise connect the loader to the marker. Because the housing
typically may be opened only by separating the two halves of the
housing, a loader is often disconnected from a marker before
opening the housing in order, for instance, to clean the inside of
the housing of an exploded paintball. Moreover, separating the
housing into two halves typically requires the removal of the
feeder system from the housing. Disconnecting the loader from the
marker, removing the feeder system from the housing, and the
associated reassembly after opening the housing are time-consuming
and labor-intensive tasks, which presents a significant
disadvantage, especially during game play.
[0021] To remedy the problems described-above, preferred
embodiments of the invention provide an easy-to-open paintball
loader housing. Some embodiments of the invention allow the loader
to remain connected to the marker while opening the housing. Other
embodiments allow the loader to be opened without removing or
otherwise disassembling the feeder mechanism. Still other
embodiments allow only a portion of the housing to be moved into an
open position that exposes an affected area, such as a reservoir
portion of the loader housing, which is an area likely to contain
the residue of an exploded paintball. Yet other embodiments combine
some or all of the embodiments just described or combine other
features described below.
[0022] The accompanying drawings illustrate one embodiment of a
loader 20 in accordance with the invention. As illustrated in FIG.
1, loader 20 stores a supply of paintballs (or "supply") 30 and
moves individual paintballs from the loader 20 to a paintball
marker (not illustrated) using a paintball feeding system (or
"feeder") 40. A housing 50 encloses the feeder 40 and the supply
30. The housing 50 is only partially illustrated in FIG. 1; it is
illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. Although in the
illustrated embodiment the housing 50 encloses the feeder 40, in
other embodiments a housing may only partially enclose a feeder, or
may not enclose a feeder at all. Furthermore, although in the
illustrated embodiment the housing 50 encloses the supply 30, in
other embodiments a housing may only partially enclose a supply of
paintballs. For instance, a separate reservoir may be attachable to
a housing, such as the housing 50, and store a portion of a supply
of paintballs, such as the supply 30.
[0023] As illustrated in FIG. 1, feeder 40 preferably has a
motorized rotating tray 42, a battery unit 44, and a control unit
46. The motorized rotating tray 42 feeds paintballs from the supply
30 into a tunnel defined within the tray and sized to permit a
paintball to pass. The battery unit 44 supplies electric power to
motorize rotating tray 42. A control unit 46 controls the operation
of the motorized rotating tray 42, such as causing the rotation of
the tray to be on or off. Although the illustrated embodiment
describes an electronically controlled and motorized feeder 40, in
other embodiments a feeder may comprise only mechanical parts. In
still other embodiments a loader may not include a feeder, relying
instead on the shape and configuration of the housing 50 to move
paintballs from the supply 30, through the housing 50, and to the
connected paintball marker. Loaders without a mechanized feeding
system are sometimes referred to as "hoppers."
[0024] Paintballs exit housing 50 through feed opening 51. The
feeder 40 moves paintballs from the supply 30, through the tunnel
defined in the motorized rotating tray 42, and out feed opening 51.
A paintball marker (not illustrated) may be connected to the
housing 50 at the feed opening 51 to receive the paintballs from
the loader 20. After leaving opening 51, paintballs may enter
directly into a paintball marker or may pass through an
intermediate structure(s), such as a tube, before reaching a
paintball marker. Typically, loader 20 is configured to be
connected to a paintball marker at or near feed opening 51. Thus,
housing 50 is connectable to a paintball marker in a suitable
manner to facilitate the movement of paintballs from the supply 30,
through housing 50, and to a paintball marker. Housing 50 may
connect directly to a paintball marker or may connect via an
intermediate device (not illustrated), such as a metal connector
that clips, snaps, slides, or otherwise provides a connection
between the housing 50 and a paintball marker.
[0025] The housing 50 preferably is made of plastic. In other
embodiments, however, a housing may be made with other suitable
materials, such as aluminum, polyurethane, rubber, and so forth, as
well as from combinations of the same or like. As illustrated in
FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 50 is separable into a lower piece 52
and an upper piece 56. The lower piece 52 is further separable into
a left piece 53 and a right piece 54. The lower piece 52 and the
upper piece 56 meet together at respective mating surfaces, which
preferably define a generally horizontal intersection 57. The
mating surface of the upper piece 56 defines an opening of the
upper piece 56. Similarly, the mating surface of the lower piece 52
defines an opening of the lower piece 52. In the illustrated
arrangement, the left piece 53 and the right piece 54 meet together
at respective mating surfaces, which preferably define a vertical
intersection 55.
[0026] As illustrated, the vertical intersection 55 defines a
substantially planar interface. In contrast, the horizontal
intersection 57, between the lower piece 52 and the upper piece 56,
is a more sloped or curvilinear surface. In other embodiments, a
vertical intersection, such as the vertical intersection 55, may be
less planar, or more sloped, and a horizontal intersection, such as
the horizontal intersection 57, may be more planar, or less sloped.
Furthermore, although in the illustrated embodiment the lower piece
52 is separable into a left piece 53 and a right piece 54, in other
embodiments a lower piece, such as lower piece 52, may be a single
physical unit. Additionally and/or alternatively, in other
embodiments an upper piece, such as upper piece 56, may be
separable into multiple physical pieces or units. Moreover, in
other embodiments, a housing may be separable into a left piece and
a right piece without being separable into an upper piece and a
lower piece. Preferably, in such an arrangement, the portion of the
loader connectable to the marker is defined entirely by one of the
left and right pieces so that the pieces may still be separable
with one piece coupled to the marker. In still other embodiments, a
housing may not be fully separable into pieces, but may be
configured to allow pieces of the housing to move to an open
position that exposes a portion of the inside of the housing while
remaining interconnected. It will be appreciated by one in the art
that pieces of a housing, such as lower piece 52, left piece 53,
right piece 54, and upper piece 56 of the housing 50, may be sized
in a variety of suitable proportions.
[0027] In the illustrated embodiment, a closure, such as a lid 58,
is attached to the upper piece 56 via a springed hinge, which
causes the lid 58 to rotate to an open position relative to the
housing 50. In the open position, preferably the lid 58 is
substantially perpendicular with respect to the portion of the
upper piece 56 by which it is supported. By placing pressure
against the force of the spring (not illustrated), the lid may be
rotated into a substantially horizontal position with respect to
upper piece 56 and snapped into place, covering supply access or
refill opening 61. Although in the illustrated embodiment, supply
access opening 61 is covered by lid 58, it will be appreciated that
many other suitable configurations are possible. By way of example,
supply access opening 61 may be closed by a sliding door.
Additionally and/or alternatively, supply access opening 61 may
remain completely or partially uncovered. In still other
embodiments, supply access opening 61 may be covered by a cap, a
cloth, a plug, a cork, combinations of the same and equivalents,
and so forth. As noted above, some embodiments may permit refill of
the loader housing 50 by separation of pieces of the housing 50
such that the supply access opening 61 may be omitted.
[0028] A user may add paintballs to the supply 30 by placing
paintballs inside the housing 50 through the supply access opening
61. Thus, preferably, the supply access opening 61 is sized to
allow multiple paintballs to pass through the opening 61. However,
preferably, the supply access opening 61 is smaller than an opening
defined by the mating surfaces of either of the upper piece 56 or
lower piece 52, as described above. As discussed above with
reference to FIG. 1, individual paintballs leave the housing 50
through feed opening 51, which is defined by a passage through
vertical intersection 55, between left piece 53 and right piece
54.
[0029] Although in the illustrated embodiment it is contemplated
that paintballs enter the housing 50 through supply access opening
61 and exit the housing 50 through the feed opening 62, in other
embodiments paintballs may enter and exit the housing 50 through a
single opening. Such an opening may be defined along any suitable
portion of a suitable housing. For example, a single opening may be
defined, with respect to housing 50, in the lower piece 52, left
piece 53, right piece 54, vertical intersection 55, upper piece 56,
and/or horizontal intersection 57. Thus, in some embodiments,
housing 50 may not include a lid 58. Additionally, and/or
alternatively, lid 58 may be attached to another portion of a
housing. For instance, a lid may be attached to cover a supply
opening defined in a lower piece of a housing. One skilled in the
art will appreciate that there are many suitable ways to arrange
and manufacture various component pieces of the housing in such a
way as to allow for the entry and exit of paintballs. In some
embodiments, paintballs may enter and/or exit a loader housing
through an opening that is not accessible until portions or pieces
of the loader housing have been moved to an open position, such as
by sliding movable pieces.
[0030] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the interior space of
housing 50 is divided into at least a supply chamber 63 and a
feeder chamber 64. It is the primary responsibility of the supply
chamber 63 to house the supply 30. In the illustrated arrangement,
the upper piece 56 of the housing 50 substantially corresponds to
the supply chamber 63 and substantially encloses or circumscribes
an entirety of the supply 30. That is, preferably, the substantial
entirety of the maximum supply 30 is located within a space defined
by the outer wall(s) of the upper piece 56.
[0031] It is the primary responsibility of the feeder chamber 64 to
house the feeder 40. In the illustrated arrangement, lower piece 52
of the housing 50 corresponds to the feeder chamber 64 and
substantially encloses or circumscribes an entirety of the feeder
40. Thus, preferably, the feeder 40 is located within a space
defined by the outer wall(s) of the lower piece 52.
[0032] In the illustrated embodiment, supply chamber 63 and feeder
chamber 64 are physically separated by an intermediate wall 65.
Intermediate wall 65 defines an intermediate opening 66, which
permits individual paintballs of the supply 30 to move from supply
chamber 63 to feeder chamber 64. In the illustrated arrangement,
the intermediate wall 65 is a portion of the lower piece 52.
However, in other arrangements, the intermediate wall 65 may be a
portion of the upper piece 56 or may be a separate component that
can be supported by either of the lower piece 52 and upper piece
56.
[0033] Although in the illustrated embodiment, the supply chamber
63 is oriented above the feeder chamber 64, in other embodiments a
supply chamber may be below a feeder chamber 63. Additionally
and/or alternatively, a supply chamber and a feeder chamber may be
arranged in a substantially side-by-side manner, or in any suitable
arrangement. Furthermore, in some embodiments, a supply chamber and
a feeder chamber may occupy substantially the same chamber. In
these embodiments, the respective supply chamber and feeder chamber
may be considered as logical chambers and may occupy adjacent space
without a physical barrier (such as intermediate wall 65) between
them. Moreover, although in the illustrated embodiment intermediate
opening 66 is sized to permit multiple paintballs of the supply 30
to pass from the supply chamber 63 to the feeder chamber 64, in
other embodiments an intermediate opening may be sized to permit
only a single paintball from moving from a supply chamber to a
feeder chamber. In yet other embodiments, an intermediate wall may
completely separate a supply chamber from a feeder chamber. In
these embodiments, paintballs may pass outside of the respective
supply chamber before passing inside the respective feeder chamber.
This may require that the paintballs leave the respective loader
housing, or may also require an additional channel or tube
connecting the respective supply chamber and the respective feeder
chamber.
[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, the feeder chamber 64 is
divided into three chambers, which are divided by two walls. A tray
chamber 67 preferably is sized and configured to house and,
preferably, enclose the motorized rotating tray 42. A control
chamber 68 preferably is sized and configured to house and,
preferably, enclose the control unit 46. A battery chamber 69
preferably is sized and configured to house and, preferably,
enclose the battery unit 44.
[0035] In the illustrated embodiment, the tray chamber 67 and the
control chamber 68 are separated by a control wall 70. Control wall
70 only partially separates tray chamber 67 from control chamber
68. Control wall 70 defines a control wire opening 71 between tray
chamber 67 and control chamber 68, which permits wires to connect
motorized rotating tray 42 with control unit 46. Similarly, in the
illustrated embodiment, the tray chamber 67 and the battery chamber
69 are separated by a battery wall 81. Battery wall 81 only
partially separates tray chamber 67 from battery chamber 69.
Battery wall 81 defines a battery wire opening 82, which allows
wires from battery unit 44 to connect to control unit 46 by passing
from battery chamber 69, through tray chamber 67, to control
chamber 68.
[0036] In other embodiments, a feeder chamber can be configured
without internal walls, such as control wall 70 and battery wall
81. In still other embodiments, a feeder chamber may include walls
that completely separate internal chambers, such as tray chamber
67, control chamber 68, and battery chamber 69. For instance, the
various components of a feeder system may be connected via wireless
communications, eliminating the necessity for openings to
accommodate wire communications, such as the control wire opening
71 and the battery wire opening 82. In still other embodiments,
portions of a feeder system may be only partially enclosed,
defining openings to the outside of a housing, such as the housing
50.
[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, battery chamber 69 defines a
battery replacement opening 84. The battery replacement opening 84
provides access to the battery unit 44 without requiring the
disassembly of other pieces of housing 50, such as lower piece 52
from upper piece 56 or left piece 53 from right piece 54. In the
illustrated embodiment, battery replacement opening 84 is covered
with a battery cover 85. There are a variety of suitable manners in
which to connect a battery cover, such as battery cover 85, to a
housing, such as the housing 50, such that a battery replacement
opening, such as battery replacement opening 84, is either
partially or completely covered. For instance, a battery cover may
attach to a housing via fasteners, adhesives, tongue and groove
alignments, snaps, slotted fittings, combinations of the same and
the like, and so forth. In the illustrated embodiment, battery
cover 85 is connected to housing through a slotted fitting that is
secured with a fastener.
[0038] The separable pieces of housing 50 may be connected and/or
attached in a variety of suitable manners. In the illustrated
embodiment, lower piece 52 and upper piece 56 define one or more
aligned vertical holes 88a, 88b (FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively).
Fasteners may be inserted into corresponding vertical holes 88a,
88b, in order to couple lower piece 52 and upper piece 56. In FIG.
2, vertical holes 88a are visible on the lower piece 52, but are
obscured from view on upper piece 56. In FIG. 3, vertical holes 88b
are visible on the upper piece 52, but are not identified on the
lower piece 56.
[0039] Similarly, corresponding horizontal holes 89 are provided to
permit the left piece 53 and right piece 54 to be coupled together,
such as via a fastener (not shown). Horizontal holes 89 are
visible, in FIG. 2, on the left piece 53, but are obscured from
view on right piece 54. By way of example and not of limitation,
fasteners may include screws, bolts, nails, dowels, combinations of
the like, and so forth. Left piece 53 and right piece 54 define
adjacent horizontal holes 89. Horizontal holes 89 may be joined
with fasteners as well.
[0040] As discussed above, in the illustrated embodiment, battery
cover 85 is slotted to fit over battery replacement opening 84. A
single battery cover hole 90 may receive a fastener to attach
battery cover 85 to lower piece 52.
[0041] Although in the illustrated embodiment, lower piece 52 and
upper piece 56 are joined in the same manner that left piece 53 and
right piece 54 are joined, in other embodiments different suitable
attachment instruments may be used. Furthermore, the scope of the
invention is not limited to mechanical fasteners. There are a
variety of suitable ways to connect various component pieces of
housing 50. For instance, the components of housing 50 such as
lower piece 52 and upper piece 56, may be snapped together, adhered
together, strapped together, tied together, clicked together, slid
together, taped together, fastened together, pinned together,
nailed together, stuck together, combinations of the same and the
like, and so forth. Moreover, although in the illustrated
embodiment the component pieces of housing 50, such as left piece
53 and right piece 54, separate completely, in other embodiments
the component pieces may only partially separate. For instance, the
component pieces may open on a hinge, may slide in such a manner as
to partially separate, and so forth.
[0042] When lower piece 52 is separated from upper piece 56, as
illustrated in FIG. 4, a substantial portion of the entirety of
supply chamber 63 is exposed. This movement to a separated position
may be considered movement to an open position. Thus, when upper
piece 56 is separated from lower piece 52 such that a substantial
portion of the entirety of supply chamber 63 is exposed, then the
housing 50 of loader 20 may be said to be in an open position (or
alternatively that the loader 20 is in an open position). This is
advantageous because conditions of use may require cleaning the
inside of the loader 20 that enclose the supply chamber 63. One of
these conditions of use may be the explosion of a paintball within
supply chamber 63 of housing 50. Surfaces that may require cleaning
for proper, effective, and/or aesthetic use may include the inside
surface of upper piece 56, the exposed surface of intermediate wall
65, and the top surface of motorized rotating tray 42. In some
embodiments, the exposure of a supply chamber, such as supply
chamber 63, may be sufficiently large such that a user's hand may
reach substantially the entirety of the corresponding interior
surfaces of the housing 50 of loader 20, which may facilitate
quick, efficient, and/or thorough cleaning. In other words, the
open position of the housing 50 of loader 20 (or, alternatively,
the open position of loader 20) may be sufficiently open such that
there is suitable access to reach the area requiring cleaning. This
is advantageous because many supply access openings, such as supply
access opening 61, may not permit suitable access to the interior
surfaces of the housing 50 of loader 20 required for quick,
efficient, and/or thorough cleaning, at least not without the use
of tools.
[0043] In the illustrated embodiment, lower piece 52 and upper
piece 56 are connected with three fasteners that connect the
respective pieces through adjacent vertical holes 88a, 88b. This is
advantageous because it may facilitate easy opening of the loader
20 for certain conditions, such as when a user desires to clean the
inside of loader 20 following the explosion of a paintball.
Removing upper piece 56 from lower piece 52 does not require the
disassembly of lower piece 52 or the removal of loader 20 from a
paintball marker. Moreover, the feeder 40 may not need to be
disassembled or removed from feeder chamber 64. Reducing the amount
of disassembly a user must perform in order to gain access to the
inside of loader 20 (corresponding to supply chamber 63) may
facilitate the quick, efficient, and/or thorough cleaning of loader
20. Such advantages may be particularly meaningful during game play
when time spent maintaining a loader, such as loader 20, may reduce
the effectiveness of a player and expose the player to the risk of
elimination.
[0044] Although in the illustrated embodiment, the upper piece 56
and the lower piece 52 are connected by three fasteners, in other
embodiments pieces of a loader that move to an open position may be
connected with fewer fasteners, or even no fasteners. In some
embodiments, pieces of an easy-to-open loader, such as the lower
piece 52 and the upper piece 56, may be connected together by
sliding, slotting, adhering, snapping, bolting, clicking,
combinations of the same and the like, and so forth. The pieces may
be formed specially such that no fasteners or additional elements
are necessary. For instance, the pieces may have slotted fittings
or tongue and groove alignments that facilitate connection without
fasteners. It will be appreciated that there are many suitable
manners in which pieces of an easy-to-open loader, such as loader
20, may be connected to facilitate quick, efficient, and/or
thorough access.
[0045] While certain embodiments of the invention have been
described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example
only, and are not intended to limit the scope or the present
invention. Accordingly, the breadth and scope of the present
invention should be defined in accordance with the following claims
and their equivalence.
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