초록 ▼

An active feed loader for a paintball gun. The active feed loader includes a generally horizontal interior passageway or channel having a first end in communication with an interior space of the housing where paintballs are housed. A rotatable paddle positioned in the interior space forces paintball

An active feed loader for a paintball gun. The active feed loader includes a generally horizontal interior passageway or channel having a first end in communication with an interior space of the housing where paintballs are housed. A rotatable paddle positioned in the interior space forces paintballs out of the housing and through the interior passageway or channel until they drop through an opening therein into a vertical outfeed tube where they form a paintball stack. When the paintball gun is fired, the paintball stack is depleted until a sensor detects the absence of a paintball at a specified location within the outfeed tube. Upon detecting the absence, the sensor activates a motor which rotates the paddle to force paintballs through the interior passageway and into the outfeed tube where they replenish the paintball stack. When the stack is fully replenished, the sensor will detect the presence of a paintball at the specified location and deactivate the motor, thereby stopping the paddle. If the loader includes a channel, an elongated top wall of a directional plug prevents paintballs from dropping into a open top end thereof.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [25.] For a paintball gun having a body, a firing chamber located in an interior portion of said body and an infeed tube for delivering paintballs to said firing chamber, an active feed paintball loader, comprising:a housing mounted to said body of said paintball gun, said hou

[ What is claimed is:] [25.] For a paintball gun having a body, a firing chamber located in an interior portion of said body and an infeed tube for delivering paintballs to said firing chamber, an active feed paintball loader, comprising:a housing mounted to said body of said paintball gun, said housing having walls which define an interior space for storing a plurality of paintballs;a generally vertical outfeed tube having an inlet end though which paintballs fed to said outfeed tube are dropped and an outlet end coupled to said infeed tube of said paintball gun;an active feed tube having an inlet end in communication with said interior space of said housing and an outlet end coupled to said inlet end of said outfeed tube;a rotatable paddle positioned in said interior space of said housing, said paddle forcing paintballs out of said interior space and into said active feed tube during rotation thereof;a motor coupled to said paddle; anda sensor electrically connected to said motor and positioned to detect an absence of a paintball at a specified location within said outfeed tube;said paintballs dropped into said outfeed tube forming a paintball stack;said sensor activating said motor to rotate said paddle when said paintball stack has been sufficiently depleted such that said sensor detects said absence and wherein rotation of said paddle forces paintballs into said active feed tube and wherein continued rotation of said paddle pushes said paintballs forced into said active feed tube through said active feed tube and to said outfeed tube for dropping onto said paintball stack for replenishment thereof. [32.] An active feed paintball loader, comprising:a housing having walls which define an upper interior space and walls which defines a lower interior space in communication with said upper interior space, said upper and lower interior spaces suitable for storing a plurality of paintballs therein;a channel formed in a bottom wall of said walls which define said upper interior space, said channel having a generally horizontal bottom wall and a first opening at a first end thereof, said first opening at said first end in communication with said lower interior space of said housing;a generally vertical outfeed tube having an exit aperture at one end thereof through which paintballs entering said outfeed tube are dropped;said channel having a second opening in communication with an opening in said outfeed tube;a rotatable paddle positioned in said lower interior space of said housing, rotation of said paddle forcing paintballs out of said interior space and into said channel through said first opening thereof;a motor coupled to said paddle; anda sensor electrically connected to said motor and positioned to detect an absence of a paintball at a specified location within said outfeed tube;wherein, upon detecting said absence, said sensor activating said motor to rotate said paddle to force at least one of said plurality of paintballs through said channel and into said outfeed tube.