Patent ID: 6481432
Filing Date: 2002-11-19
Classification: F41B

Abstract:
A hopper for dispensing paintballs to a paintball launcher, said hopper comprising:a reservoir having a reservoir discharge through which paintballs exit said reservoir, said reservoir being sized to receive and retain a plurality of paintballs; a transfer conduit having a proximal end connected to said reservoir discharge to receive said paintballs from said reservoir discharge, said transfer conduit having a distal end formed for connection to said paintball launcher and said transfer conduit being sized and shaped for supplying said paintballs in one by one sequence to said paintball launcher; a counter mechanism for counting each paintball moving through said transfer tube, said counter mechanism including: counting means positioned to operate between a first position in which no paintball is present in said transfer conduit proximate said counting means and a second position in which a paintball transiting from said proximal end to said distal end of said transfer conduit is in said transfer conduit proximate said counting means, said counting means being configured to supply detection signals reflective of the presence of each paintball proximate said counting means, interface means connected to said counting means to receive said detection signals, said interface means being configured to generate counting signals reflective of the passage of each paintball through said transfer conduit, control means connected to said interface means to receive said counting signals, said control means being configured to process said counting signals and to supply image signals reflective of the count of paintballs passing through said transfer conduit, and a display connected to receive said image signals from said control means, said display being configured convert said image signals to visually perceivable images reflecting the count of paintballs passing through said transfer conduit.