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A compressed gas regulator of a piston type is disclosed in which a regulator is configured with an input valve situated entirely inside a compressed air canister, which regulator is then attached to a paintball gun, marker or other device for providing discrete charges of gas at a predetermined pre

A compressed gas regulator of a piston type is disclosed in which a regulator is configured with an input valve situated entirely inside a compressed air canister, which regulator is then attached to a paintball gun, marker or other device for providing discrete charges of gas at a predetermined pressure to the attached device. The overall size and weight of the regulator are minimized, which allows increased capabilities to the user. A regulator overpressurization port vents behind a conventional safety gauge for safety purposes. Fill, gage, and canister overpressurization rupture ports are interconnected with a fill channel that extends from the canister to the ports without intersecting or interfering with the regulating components within the regulator. The input valve seat face is surrounded by a shallow generally conical surface within an input plenum. The shallow generally conical surface extends at approximately 5 to 15 degrees.

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1. A regulator for regulating the delivery of pressurized gas from a supply of said pressurized gas to a device that utilizes discrete charges of pressure regulated gas comprising: a regulator housing, said regulator housing having proximal and distal ends, said regulator housing having a specially

1. A regulator for regulating the delivery of pressurized gas from a supply of said pressurized gas to a device that utilizes discrete charges of pressure regulated gas comprising: a regulator housing, said regulator housing having proximal and distal ends, said regulator housing having a specially configured bore extending therethrough, said regulator housing having a proximal portion adjacent said proximal end, a distal portion adjacent said distal end, and a body portion extending between said proximal and distal portions, said proximal portion adapted to being gas receivingly connected to said supply, and said distal portion adapted to being gas dischargingly connected to said device;a metering orifice extending within said proximal portion from an inlet to an outlet, an input valve seat generally surrounding said outlet and generally facing towards said distal end, said specially configured bore including a piston receiving bore extending generally within said body portion, said metering orifice and input valve seat being entirely within said proximal portion, said input valve seat being surrounded by a generally conical surface having an angle of from approximately 4 to 15 degrees;an output valve seat member removeably mounted in said distal portion, said output valve seat member having an outlet orifice extending therethrough between a first end and a second end, said second end opening to said distal end, an output valve seat generally surrounding said first end, said output valve seat generally facing toward said proximal end;a poppet member mounted for movement in said outlet orifice between open and closed configurations, said poppet member being adapted to sealingly engage said output valve seat in said closed configuration; anda piston member mounted in sealing engagement with said piston receiving bore, said piston member being adapted to move between gas input, holding, and output configurations and to sealingly engage said input valve seat through a resilient seal in said gas holding and output configurations, said piston member being resiliently biased by a spring member toward said gas input configuration, said piston member sealingly defining pressurized and un-pressurized chambers within said regulator, said un-pressurized chamber generally surrounding a portion of said piston member and being open to an ambient atmospheric pressure, said pressurized chamber extending generally from said input valve seat to said output valve seat, a first surface portion of said piston member generally facing said proximal end and a second surface portion of said piston member generally facing said distal end, said first surface portion having a smaller surface area than said second surface portion, and both said first and second surface portions being within said pressurized chamber, whereby said larger surface area is adapted to allowing gas pressure within said pressurized chamber to overcome the resilient bias of said spring member and move said piston member to sealingly engage said input valve seat. 2. A regulator of claim 1 including a fill port in said body portion, and a fill channel extending in said regulator housing from said proximal end into said fill port without intersecting said specially configured bore. 3. A regulator of claim 1 wherein said body portion includes a fill port, a pressure gauge port, and a rupture disk port, a fill channel extending from said proximal end into said body portion through said proximal portion outwardly of said specially configured bore and into said fill port, said fill channel being connected to said pressure gauge port through a pressure gauge channel and to said rupture disk port through a rupture disk channel. 4. A regulator of claim 1 including a pressure gauge port and a pressure relief channel open to an ambient atmosphere and extending between said un-pressurized chamber and an exterior portion of said body portion, said exterior portion being adjacent said pressure gauge port. 5. A regulator of claim 1 wherein said metering orifice is generally cylindrical and said input valve seat comprises generally a frustum of a right cone generally concentric with said metering orifice and having an input valve seat face around said outlet. 6. A regulator of claim 1 wherein said proximal portion bears a male thread and said metering orifice and input valve seat are within an input valve seat member, said input valve seat member being entirely within said proximal portion. 7. A regulator of claim 1 wherein said regulator housing is all one piece, an axis extending longitudinally of said regulator housing between said proximal and distal ends, said specially configured bore extending generally concentrically of said axis, said specially configured bore including a first female thread adapted to threadably engaging an input side retainer member, a second female thread adapted to threadably engaging said output valve seat member, said piston receiving bore, and an annular boss extending inwardly from said piston receiving bore, said spring member being supported in said resiliently biased relation to said piston member by said annular boss. 8. A regulator of claim 2 including a fill nipple received in said fill port, said fill nipple having a coupling portion and a threaded barrel portion axially spaced apart by a collar along a major axis of said fill nipple, said collar having an axial thickness of less than approximately 10 percent of said major axis. 9. A regulator of claim 1 wherein said regulator is colored a dull black. 10. A regulator of claim 1 including a fill nipple received in a fill port, said fill nipple having a coupling portion and a threaded barrel portion axially spaced apart by a collar along a major axis of said fill nipple, said collar having an axial thickness of less than approximately 10 percent of said major axis, said fill nipple including an axial bore extending generally concentric with said major axis between proximal and distal ends of said fill nipple, and a hex socket in said axial bore at said proximal end. 11. A regulator adapted to regulating the delivery of discrete charges of pressurized gas from a supply of said pressurized gas contained in a canister that includes a canister neck comprising: a regulator housing, said regulator housing having proximal and distal ends, and a specially configured bore extending between said proximal and distal ends, said regulator housing having a proximal portion adjacent said proximal end, a distal portion adjacent said distal end, and a body portion extending between said proximal and distal portions, said proximal portion adapted to being received substantially entirely within said canister neck, and said distal portion adapted to being gas dischargingly connected to a device that utilizes said discrete charges of pressurized gas;said proximal portion having an input side retainer member removably mounted therein, said input side retainer member including a metering orifice having an inlet end, an outlet end, and an input valve seat generally surrounding said outlet end, said input valve seat generally facing towards said distal end, said input valve seat being entirely within said proximal portion;a piston member mounted in said specifically configured bore, said piston member being adapted to move between gas input, gas holding, and gas output configurations and to sealingly engage said input valve seat through a resilient seal in said gas holding and gas output configurations and to disengage from said input valve seat in said gas input configuration, said piston member being resiliently biased toward said gas input configuration, said piston member being adapted to move against said resilient bias to said gas holding configuration responsive to a build up of pressure to a predetermined amount within a pressurized chamber within said specially configured bore. 12. A regulator of claim 11 wherein said regulator housing is one piece. 13. A regulator of claim 11 including an output side retainer member with a generally cylindrical male threaded surface having an axial length and adapted to being threadably mounted in said distal portion, and a pressure relief groove running generally axially through said generally cylindrical male threaded surface for a part of said axial length. 14. A regulator adapted to regulating the delivery of discrete charges of pressurized gas from a supply of said pressurized gas contained in a canister that includes a canister neck, said regulator comprising: a body, said body being one piece and having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, said body having a proximal portion adjacent said proximal end, a distal portion adjacent said distal end, and a body portion extending between said proximal and distal portions, said body including a bore extending generally concentric of said longitudinal axis between said proximal and distal ends, said bore being specially configured;an input side retainer member having a metering orifice therein and an input valve seat, said input side retainer member adapted to being removably mounted in said proximal portion;an output side retainer member including an outlet orifice, said output side retainer member adapted to being removably mounted in said distal portion;a poppet member adapted to being valvingly associated with said outlet orifice and adapted to being actuated to a gas output configuration by an operator; and,a piston member adapted to being mounted in said bore, said piston member being adapted to move between gas input, gas holding, and said gas output configurations and to sealingly engage said input valve seat through a resilient seal in said gas holding and gas output configurations and to disengage from said input valve seat in said gas input configuration, said piston member adapted to being resiliently biased toward said gas input configuration, said piston member being adapted to move against said resilient bias to said gas holding configuration responsive to a build up of pressure to a predetermined amount in a pressurized chamber in said bore, said pressurized chamber being adapted to holding a said discrete charge of pressurized gas at said predetermined amount of pressure until said poppet member is actuated to said gas output configuration, said piston, input retainer, and output retainer members adapted to being generally aligned with one another along said longitudinal axis. 15. A regulator of claim 14 wherein said proximal portion is adapted to being received substantially entirely within said canister neck. 16. A regulator of claim 14 wherein said output side retainer member includes a wrench receiving socket adapted to being generally aligned with said longitudinal axis. 17. A regulator of claim 14 including a fill port in said body and a fill nipple adapted to being threadably received in said fill port, said fill nipple having a coupling portion and a threaded barrel portion axially spaced apart by a collar along a major axis of said fill nipple, said collar having an axial thickness of less than approximately 10 percent of said major axis. 18. A regulator of claim 14 wherein said proximal and distal portions are internally threaded, and said input side retainer member is adapted to being threadably mounted in said proximal portion, and said output side retainer member is adapted to being threadably mounted in said distal portion. 19. A regulator of claim 18 wherein said output side retainer member includes a male thread and a pressure relief groove running generally axially in said male thread. 20. A regulator adapted to regulating the delivery of discrete charges of pressurized gas from a supply of said pressurized gas contained in a canister that includes a canister neck, said regulator comprising: a body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, said body having a proximal portion adjacent said proximal end, a distal portion adjacent said distal end, and a body portion extending between said proximal and distal portions, said proximal portion adapted to being received substantially entirely within said canister neck, said body including a bore extending generally concentric of said longitudinal axis between said proximal and distal ends, said bore being specially configured, said proximal and distal portions being internally threaded;an input side retainer member having a metering orifice therein and an input valve seat, said input side retainer member being threadably mounted in said proximal portion;an output side retainer member including an outlet orifice, said output side retainer member being threadably mounted in said distal portion;a poppet member valvingly associated with said outlet orifice and adapted to being actuated to a gas output configuration by an operator; and,a piston member mounted in said bore, said piston member being adapted to move between gas input, gas holding, and said gas output configurations and to sealingly engage said input valve seat through a resilient seal in said gas holding and gas output configurations and to disengage from said input valve seat in said gas input configuration, said piston member being resiliently biased toward said gas input configuration, said piston member being adapted to move against said resilient bias to said gas holding configuration responsive to a build up of pressure to a predetermined amount in a pressurized chamber in said bore, said pressurized chamber being adapted to holding a said discrete charge of pressurized gas at said predetermined amount of pressure until said poppet member is actuated to said gas output configuration, said piston, input retainer, and output retainer members being generally aligned with one another along said longitudinal axis. 21. A method of assembling a regulator that is adapted to regulating the delivery of discrete charges of pressurized gas comprising: selecting a body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, said body having a proximal portion adjacent said proximal end, a distal portion adjacent said distal end, and a body portion extending between said proximal and distal portions, said body including a bore extending generally concentric of said longitudinal axis between said proximal and distal ends, said bore being specially configured;selecting an input side retainer member having a metering orifice of a desired size therein; andremovably installing said input side retainer member in said proximal portion;wherein said bore includes an internally threaded proximal portion and an internally threaded distal portion, and said method includes installing an output side retainer member in said internally threaded distal portion by engaging a socket in said output retainer member with a tool.