Patent Application
20080023916
The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:
Referring now to
In another embodiment, depicted in
The floor 56 is pitched at an angle from horizontal so that the discharged and undamaged/unbroken paintball pellets 90 move toward the rear 54 of the enclosure 50 toward and eventually into the collection bin 58 via an open top 58a thereof. The pitch of the floor 52 may be described in a variety of ways, dependent upon the perspective of the observer. If viewed from the front 52, the pitch of the floor 56 forms a decline from front 52 to rear 54. Conversely, if viewed from the rear 54, the pitch of the floor 56 forms an incline from rear 54 to front 52.
The walls 60 and 62 are arranged in a spaced relationship. Each of the walls 60, 62 and 64 provide a vertical barrier to prevent discharged paintball pellets 90 from escaping the enclosure 50. The walls 60 and 62 may be aligned in parallel or in an unparallel arrangement. If observing the wall 60 or 62 from a side view perspective, the wall 60 and/or 62 may have the geometric appearance of a rectangle or a trapezoid, among other geometric varieties envisioned. The rear wall 64 is disposed between walls 60 and 62 and upstanding from the floor 56 to form an end wall at the rear 54 of the apparatus 50. The rear wall 64 may be aligned in a variety of manners, including substantially vertical or pitched toward or away from the rear 54 of the apparatus 50, as may be desired to influence deflection of stray paintball pellets 90.
The cover or top wall 66 is oriented to rest on the top margin of each of the walls 60 and 62 and along the top margin of the rear wall 64. As with the walls 60, 62 and 64, the cover or top wall 66 provides a barrier to prevent discharged paintball pellets 90 from escaping the enclosure 50.
Within the enclosure 50, and depending downwardly from the interior portion of the cover or top 66, at least one drape or curtain 68 is placed or suspended. The drape or curtain 68 absorbs the energy imparted by a discharged paintball pellet 90 in a manner to inhibit damage or breakage of the pellet 90. Maintenance of the physical integrity of the paintball pellet 90 is desirable so as to maximize the useful life of the paintball pellet 90 for repeated usage in a target shooting session or sessions. Also, in extending the useful life of a paintball pellet 90, the user is able to minimize the cost expenditures necessary to maintain a cache of paintball pellets 90 for practice and for competition.
The drape or curtain 68 may have a variety of forms and compositions. One envisioned embodiment includes the utilization of a plurality of tassels or bands 70 oriented substantially adjacent to one another in a substantially parallel manner. A single tassel or band 70 may overlap adjacent tassels or bands 70 to maximize the ability of the drape or curtain 68 to effectively dissipate the energy generated by the propelled and discharged paintball pellet 90. Each tassel or band 70 comprises a fixed end 70a and a free end 70b. As depicted in
The collection bin 58 is coupled at the rear 54 of the enclosure 50 and in communication with the floor 56. The top margin of the collection bin 58 is oriented substantially aligned with or slightly subjacent to the rear margin of the floor 56. This orientation allows the collection bin 58 to receive discharged paintball pellets 90 that have moved from the interior of the enclosure 50 along the pitched floor 56 and toward the rear 54 of the enclosure 50. Thus, intact paintball pellets 90 may be recovered and recycled for subsequent use through the utilization of the drape or curtain 68, the pitched floor 56 and the collection bin 58. In lieu of enclosure by a rear wall 64, the collection bin 58 may be enclosed by a removably attachable extension 66a of the cover or top 66, as shown in
The enclosure 50 may further comprise a support structure 76 for supporting and/or elevating the enclosure 50. It is envisioned that the support structure 76 may comprise elements that are coupled to and support the enclosure 50 from the bottom or may comprise elements that are coupled to and support the enclosure 50 from the top. For instance, and in one envisioned embodiment, the support structure 76 is coupled to the bottom of the enclosure 50 and may comprise a plurality of legs 78 reinforced by bracing 80, as illustrated in
Referring to
It is envisioned that the apparatus 10 may generally be fabricated from a rigid material, including metal or hardened plastic. It is envisioned that the chute 12 or enclosure 50 is fabricated from steel, aluminum, or plastic material. It is also envisioned that the bin 16 or 58 is fabricated from the same or similar material as is the chute 12 or enclosure 50, including a textile material. Likewise, support structure 76 is envisioned to be fabricated from steel, aluminum, plastic, or a textile material.
To use the present invention, user simply aligns himself at the front 52 of enclosure 50, aims paintball gun toward curtain 68 and fires. After striking curtain 68, discharged paintball pellets 90 fall freely and fully-intact to the pitched floor 56 of enclosure 50. Thereafter, pellets 90 move from the interior of the enclosure 50 along the pitched floor 56 and gravitate toward the rear 54 of the enclosure 50 and finally into the collection bin 58. User opens door 59a of collection bin 58 and collects the intact paintball pellets 90 thus allowing pellets 90 to be recycled for subsequent use.
The use of the present invention provides a means by which paintball pellets can be discharged into an enclosure which is adapted to absorb the energy imparted by discharged paintball pellets in a manner so as to inhibit damage or breakage thereof quickly, easily, and efficiently, thereby maximizing the useful life of the paintball pellet for repeated usage.
Therefore, the foregoing description is included to illustrate the operation of the preferred embodiment and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. As one can envision, an individual skilled in the relevant art, in conjunction with the present teachings, would be capable of incorporating many minor modifications that are anticipated within this disclosure. The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be broadly limited only by the following Claims.
