Abstract:
A paintball shooting range includes a housing, a plurality of shooting booths each set with a paintball marker and located at a first end of the housing, a control area located at the first end of the housing and shielded with paintball-proof means, a target area set with targets and located at a second end opposite to the first end of the housing, and at least one of: (1) maker restraining means for mechanically restraining the movement of the paintball marker; (2) paintball dispensing means for selectively and automatically dispensing paintballs to the paintball marker; and (3) cleaning means for automatically cleaning at least the target area. In addition, a trailer may constitutes the housing and a truck for transporting the trailer.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]     The invention generally relates a paintball shooting system for facilitating the practicing or playing of paintball markers(guns) include, alone or in combination, a target subsystem, a paintball marker firing subsystem, a paintball dispensing subsystem, and a range cleaning subsystem, and a range transporting subsystem. In particular, the target range can be fixed in one location or moveable to different location by being loaded on a trailer.  
         [0003]     2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ARTS  
         [0004]     Being fast paced and competitive, fun and safe, paintball is one of the fastest growing sports in America with more than seven million participants.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,471 describes a shooting gallery including a gun pivotally mounted on a board connected with the targets which are hit via concealed pneumatic means rather than any pellets. In this case, there is no pellet to be shot or re-loaded, and there is not any paintballs to be cleaned or loaded after shooting. The gun is pivotally fixed to the board to actuate the pneumatic means, rather than being selectively connected to one air tank for air-powering the paintballs and being restraining by a respective air hose pipe and a tether connected to a barrel of the marker.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 1,929,327 describes a shooting game system which feeds the guns with recycled missals D which were conveyed by the conveyors  58  into the nozzle  52  then to the guns. The game is started after a coin is inserted and reset after all targets are hit. The system only counts the number of missals D which hit targets rather than the numbers of missals D loaded to the guns. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,185,824 &amp; 4,215,867 show a similar conveying mechanism for recycling rubber balls which only counts the number of balls hit on the targets rather than the number of balls being dispensed.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,906 described a revolving turnable  19  for receiving balls  11  falling downwardly after striking the target  12  and dispensing the balls  11  one at a time through an outlet  21  into the tube  18 . The balls are driven up and through the tube  18  by a pinch wheel  22  working off motor  23 . Since the balls are recycled, there is no need for a big tank to hold and dispense new balls. On the other hand, paintballs are not recyclable such that there is need for a big tank.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,422A provides a portable automatic projectile loading device for only one gun-like apparatus utilizing compressed gas to fire projectiles. The device stores up to  1000  projectiles and a compressed gas cylinder are carried by the user in a backpack. All projectiles inevitably go to the same gun. There is not a projectile dispensing system to dispense projectiles to a plurality guns or a projectile counting mechanism to count the number of projectiles dispensed to each of the guns. The following patents share the same deficiencies. U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,232 uses a rotatable paddle positioned in the interior space forces paintballs out of the loader housing to drop into a vertical outfeed tube. Rather than counting dispensed balls, when the stack is fully replenished, a sensor will detect the presence of a paintball at the specified location and deactivate the motor, thereby stopping the paddle. U.S. Pat. No.  5 , 954 , 042  feeds paintballs into the firing chamber of the paintball gun against (rather than following) the force of gravity. The loader includes a mechanically driven rotating paddle wheel that moves the individual paintballs upward and out of the loader housing and into a feed tube.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. App. No. 2002/0096163 shows a bulk loader for supplying paintballs to a paintball gun. The loader has a housing with a bottom outlet, a feed tube connected to this housing at the outlet, a paintball moving device for vibrating the housing so as to move paintballs located near the bottom outlet, a switch mounted in or adjacent to the feed tube for sensing the absence of a paintball within the feed tube. The loader is designed only to feed a gun and be moved along with the gun, and it has no means for counting dispensed paintballs. Rather than a vibrating mechanism, U.S. Pat. App. No. 2003/0127084 applies a priming carrier  42  sequentially rotating a limited number of paint balls  40  into an empty space  38  automatically, and a feed carrier  43  having five paddles for directing the paint balls  40  into the firing chamber  17 . The carriers are designed only to feed a gun and have no means for counting dispensed paintballs. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,467,473 and 6,488,019 provide a feeder for feeding paintballs to a paintball gun which includes a first compliant moveable component, such as a rotating disk or conveyor belt, and a second compliant or non-compliant surface such that the paintballs are frictionally engaged between the first moveable component and the second component. U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,325 rotates an agitator with two arch wires extending from its main shaft during a rapid firing sequence to avoid jamming balls in the loader and to reduce undesired noise.  
         [0010]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,432 shows a paintball hopper with counter mechanism which includes a timer and an LCD display so the user can see how many paintballs have been launched and monitor time. However, all paintballs inevitably go to the same marker. There is not a dispensing system to dispense paintballs to a plurality makers or a paintball counting mechanism to count the number of paintballs dispensed to each individual marker.  
         [0011]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,532,946 interconnects a cleaning ball storage and feeding device between a hopper and a loading tube for selectively feeding cleaning balls into the barrel to purge the barrel from shell particles and filler paint deposited from a previously propelled ruptured paintball. However, it merely cleans the barrel rather than any shooting range.  
         [0012]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,057 shows a movable shooting range within a trailer with fans, filters, air conditioning, light weight, hardened alloy ceilings, floors and side walls. At the forward end of the trailer, a control booth has electronic controls and equipment which allows a range operator to monitor the shooting performance of any person shooting from shooting stalls mounted within the trailer. However, the shooting range was designed for shooting with frangible ammunition rather than paintballs. In addition, the flooring of the trailer is simply flat and with rubber-type matting for comfort and sound absorbing qualities, rather than other shapes for easily paint-cleaning.  
         [0013]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,705 describes a portable trailer support platform has cannons  50  on both side of the platform which fire projectiles  80  to the targets  120  on the other side of the platform. The projectiles are recycled via the inward slanted floor  36  and a vertical conveyer  88  to the hopper  90 , then horizontal conveyors  96  to each cannon  50 . A piston  64  is used to control a predetermined amount of projectiles to fall into magazine to be available for a cannon  50 . The floor was slanted only toward the center line for recycling the projectiles rather than toward a center hole for collecting any paint and waste water.  
         [0014]     U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,217,026 and 6,338,487, as well as U.S. Pat. app. No. 2001/0008329 describe a game system including a bullet-supply device for feeding back the shot bullet to a pneumatic gun and a communication line connecting the bullet-supply device to the pneumatic gun. The bullet-supply device feeds selected bullet to the gun without counting the number of bullet. The communication line is a hose with a chain therein to prevent the hose being twisted by the movement of the player. The system employs a sensor to ensure the gun is at the shooting position before actuating the gun is at the shooting position such that the player can freely move the shooting gun, rather than restrain the movement of the gun with the chain to ensure safety.  
         [0015]     Currently, a more convenient system for transporting, managing, and cleaning a paintball shooting range is in need to expose new people to the sport.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     It is a purpose of this invention to provide non-contact exposure to the sport of paintball while at the same time entertaining and presenting a challenge (the shooting range) to the participants.  
         [0017]     It is another purpose of this invention to provide a more convenient system for transporting, and cleaning a paintball shooting range to attract more people to the sport.  
         [0018]     It is another purpose of this invention to provide safer way to shoot paintballs via a paintball shooting range installed with non-human targets.  
         [0019]     It is another purpose of this invention to provide a system for easily managing the dispensing of paintballs so as to charge fee accordingly.  
         [0020]     It is another purpose of this invention to allow manufacturers to actually let consumers experiment with various prototypes (markers in particular) at trade shows in a safe environment by using the mobile/immobile Paintball Shooting Range.  
         [0021]     It is another purpose of the invention to provide sales representatives of paintball marker manufacturers to travel with a smaller range loaded on a trailer to demonstrate and market the various markers and products to potential customers at their location.  
         [0022]     It is another purpose of this invention to be used as a tool to help promote and market paintball as a sport and entertainment as well as allow less adventurous consumers to participate without the possibility of physical harm. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]     The foregoing and additional features and characteristics of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description considered with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like elements and wherein:  
         [0024]      FIG. 1  illustrates a trailer for transporting a paintball shooting range according to the present invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  illustrates another trailer for transporting a paintball shooting range according to the present invention;  
         [0026]      FIG. 3A  shows the top view of a paintball shooting range according to the present invention;  FIG. 3B  shows the cross-sectional view of the wall taken from A-A line in  FIG. 3A ;  FIG. 3C  is a perspective view of a target subsystem of a paintball shooting range according to the present invention;  
         [0027]      FIGS. 4A &amp; 4B  shows a top view and a side view of a shooting booth of a paintball shooting range according to the present invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 5  shows one embodiment of the maker powering arrangement of a paintball shooting range according to the present invention;  
         [0029]      FIG. 6  shows a control panel of the maker powering arrangement of a paintball shooting range according to the present invention;  
         [0030]      FIG. 7  shows a side view of a paintball dispensing subsystem of a paintball shooting range according to the present invention;  
         [0031]     FIGS.  8 A-C show a top view and two side views of the paintball dispensing subsystem in  FIG. 7 ; FIGS.  8 D-E show a prospective view and a side view of a turret/accelerator assembly (U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,410) adopted in the paintball dispensing subsystem in  FIG. 7 ; and  
         [0032]     FIGS.  9 A-B show a top view and a side view of a cleaning subsystem of a paintball shooting range according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0033]     The paintball shooting system for facilitating the practicing or playing of paintball markers(guns) include, alone or in combination, range transporting subsystem  100 , a target subsystem  200 , a paintball marker firing subsystem  300 , a paintball dispensing subsystem  400 , and a range cleaning subsystem  500 . In particular, the paintball shooting system  10  can be fixed in one location or moveable to different location by being loaded on a trailer.  
         [0034]     The range transporting subsystem  100  includes a 12′×30′ trailer loaded with all other subsystems positioned in a predetermined manner in the enclosed space such that they can be easily transported and put into operation at any locations as one unit. Any commercial available trailer can be modified to transport paintball shooting system  10 . For example, Cargo Trailer Engineering offers (at http://www.haulmark.com/engineering/cargo1.asp) a model Elite II depicted in  FIG. 1  which has a fiberglass roof cap  101  for styling and added protection of interior from weather (U.S. Pat. No. D290,106), d.o.t. required lighting  102 , solid steel front bows  103 , heavy-duty roof bows  104 , plywood interior walls  105 , ¾″ plywood interior floor  106 , a galvanized roof  107  for protecting against weather and corrosion, aluminum fender flares  108 , chassis  109  protected with rust-inhibited coating, load-matched tires and wheels  110 , heavy-duty torflex axles with e-z lube  111 , solid steel frames  112 , strong side wall studs  113 , frame-integrated tube tongue  114 , couplers  115 , and heavy-duty front jack  116  with easy-cranking mechanism for lowering and raising. As another example, Sundowner offers a support utility trailer model Bumper Pulls ( available at http://www.sundownertrailer.com/products.php?model=SUTBP) as depicted in  FIG. 2  which is 6′9″ wide, 6′6″ tall, plywood floor with tread plate overlay, running boards, stainless steel hinges, hubcap trim ring with center cap, spare tire, aluminum skin, insulated walls, 2′ tread plate nose wrap, led lights, inside dome light, full rear ramp to fit 6′6″ tall, camper vent, and framed and wired for AC. As shown in  FIG. 3B , the trailer wall preferably includes an inner barrier netting full height wall/ceiling, a ½″ tubular steel frame, and a trap/tent exterior wall/roof. As such, the target range is enclosed with the tent constructed with an ½″ tubular steel frame, the tarp outer wall encompasses the entire target range and contains a paint splatter, and the inner wall is made of a strong nylon mesh and will encompass the entire target range. The nylon mesh withers or breaks the balls. In particular, the steel frame has a flange base with a grounded attachment. In addition, the outside of the trailer is painted or posted with commercials of the paintball shooting range to market the range and the sport.  
         [0035]     As shown in  FIG. 3A , the target subsystem  200  is positioned at front end of the trailer and suitably configured to permit players to locate and identify the target area while addressing the paintballs from the back end of the trailer so that the players may land the paintballs within the target area. In addition, to facilitate the identification of the targets under conditions without external lighting, the targets  250  are preferably illuminated by a light  201 .  FIG. 3C  shows eight columns and three rows of colorful targets  250  marked under 1-4 on a shelf  205  for four players. The target subsystem  200  could be any existing electric or mechanical types. For example, electric targets light up when hit, a siren sounds off when all targets are hit, and then are automatically reset. As another example, mechanical targets fall when hit and are manually reset. Different light colors and siren sounds are set for targets of different difficulty. Any shooting range target system or shooting game system known to one skilled in the art can be incorporated into the systems to encourage or entertain the players.  
         [0036]     The paintball marker firing subsystem  300  includes a plurality shooting booths  310  ( FIG. 4A ) each having a pneumatic paintball marker  311 , a support counter top  312 , and partitions  313 . Each pneumatic paintball marker  311  uses air for propellant and a loader to feed the paintballs purchased for target shooting. Each marker  311  is restrained in a corresponding booth  31 , and selectively connected to at least one air tank  320  via a corresponding air hose  321  and a valve/switch  322  for separately controlling each marker  311 . A compressor and a regulator are provided between the air tank and the valve/switch  322  to accommodate the pressure difference therebetween. The partitions  313  can be made of any material strong enough to withstand impact of paint-balls. In one embodiment ( FIG.5 ), five air tanks (e.g., CO2) are connected to a high pressure manifold  323  which in turn connected to the valve/switch  322  each of which is separately turn on/off by an attendant via a control panel  325  in  FIG. 6 . The control panel  325  has a set of electric switches  326  for controlling the dispensing of paintballs to each marker  311  (described later) and a set of pneumatic switches  327  for controlling the supply of air to each marker  311 . As shown in  FIG. 3A , the attendant enters the system via an entry  301  into safe area  305  which is protected by a full height netting  309 . The netting  309  is installed for the attendant&#39;s safety, yet allows visibility for monitoring the players. Two attendants will operate the target range. One will remain behind or at the side of the booths to manage the paintball sales, air supply, and paint-cleaning. The second attendant will be out in front of the range to load the markers  311 , maintain the markers  311 , and provide instruction for the safe operations of the markers  311 .  
         [0037]     In addition to being tethered to the counter which confines the firing range to the target area, the paintball markers  311  are set at a velocity range of 0-300 ft/sec, and preferably 200 ft/sec which is 100 ft/sec slower than competition paintball and further assures containment. The partitions  313  divide each firing booth  310 , which protects players from shooting at one another.  
         [0038]     As shown in  FIG. 4B , on the support counter top  312 , each paintball marker  311  is provided with a U-shaped supporting seat  314  for resting the handgrip of the marker  311 , and a restraining pipe. Each restraining pipe has a 6-16″ (preferably 12″) long tether  315  coming therethrough and a securing ring  316  at the end of each tether  315  to be secure to a barrel or a trigger frame of the marker  311  thereby restraining the movement of the marker  311  (e.g., to an angle of fire of 135 degrees) to point/aim only at the target area. The tether  315  can be made of a chain, a rope or a wire (of nylon, cotton, hemp, or other flexible substance). The movement of the marker  311  is further restrained by the air hose  321  connected to the end of the grip of the marker  311 . Alternatively, the marker  311  can be electric or gas powered. Any existing paintball markers can be adapted for the invention.  
         [0039]     At the left side of FIGS.  9 A-B, the paintball dispensing subsystem  400  comprises a reservoir  405  placed above the booths  310  for receiving and storing around 5,000 paintballs therein, and selectively dispensing the paintballs to a loader of each marker  311 . The reservoir  405  has a sloped plate  410  placed above a deadspace. An air-conditioning unit  420  which keeps the paintballs at 18-24° C. is placed in the deadspace. Alternatively, the reservoir  405  and the air-conditioning unit  420  are assembled into a removable unit for holding different volumes of paintballs for the prior art paintball systems to control the paintballs in a fixed range of temperature. The prior art did not offer such a system for any paintball tanks or paintball loaders.  
         [0040]     At the lower end of the sloped plate  410 , five ball dispensing mechanisms  425  are provided. U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,410 is incorporated by reference for its turret/accelerator assembly  36  for receiving balls that fall by gravity. The ball dispensing mechanisms  425  of the invention are modification of the turrets by making smaller the center opening  60  thereof such that only a limited number of paintballs will fall into each turret/accelerator assembly  36  at a predetermined speed. In  FIG. 8A , each turret/accelerator assembly  36  has a circumferential array of peripheral openings each sized to receive one of the balls as the ball dispensing mechanisms  425 . Each turret is rotated about its axis such that balls that fall by gravity onto the turret/accelerator assembly  36  are urged by centrifugal force toward a respective peripheral opening connecting to a flexible feed tube  430  ( FIG. 8B ).  
         [0041]     A counter  435  (e.g., a micro switch, or an electric eye;  FIG. 7 ) for counting the dispensed paintballs and a magnetic strip seal  440  (for a lid, a door, or an exit) are installed between the feed tube  430  and the loader of each marker  311  to count the dispensed paintballs. The section of tube connected with the loader is preferably clear with markings to show number of balls loaded. The marker  311  will not fire should the connection to counting device be broken or mal-functions. Players can purchase the paintballs in 25 ball increments to shoot a wide range of targets. As mentioned, the numbers of paintballs to be loaded will be controlled from the control panel to allow each marker to be fed individually. As explained later, the counter and the feeding system will be connected into a microprocessor to monitor total number of balls fed to the markers and the balls loaded to each markers. Prizes will be given for participating and additional prizes will given based on targets hits.  
         [0042]     Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,410, FIGS.  8 D-E show a bracket  38  carries a flat circular base  40  in fixed position beneath and generally aligned with each opening  34 . A turret  42  in the form of a flat circular plate is coupled to a shaft  44  for free rotation above base  40 . Turret  42  has a circumferential array of peripheral through-openings  46  at uniform radius from the axis of shaft  44 , and at uniform angular spacing relative to each other around the circumference of turret  42 . Each opening  46  is sized to receive a single one of the balls  48 . A cylindrical wall  50  is mounted on base  40  surrounding the periphery of turret  42 . A bracket  54  is affixed to wall  50 , and extends radially inwardly therefrom so as to overlie the turret through-openings  46  as they pass in turn beneath the bracket  54 , for purposes to be described. A conical funnel  56  is mounted by angularly spaced legs  58  in fixed position above wall  50 . The outer diameter of funnel  56  is greater than the diameter of wall  50  and greater than the diameter of openings  34 . Funnel  56  has a central opening  60  that overlies and is aligned with the center of turret  42  where it is coupled to shaft  44 . Shaft  44  extends through a bearing  62  on base  40  to a pulley  64  beneath the base. A variable speed electric motor  66  with integral gear box  67  is mounted on bracket  38 , and has an output shaft  68  that is coupled to a pulley  70 . Pulleys  64 ,  70  are interconnected by a drive belt  72 . Thus, turret  42  is rotated by motor  66  at an angular velocity that corresponds to the speed of rotation of the motor reduced by gear box  67 .  
         [0043]     The range cleaning subsystem  500  includes a transparent plastic sheet  505  placed behind the target subsystem and on the neighboring side walls for the paintballs to burst thereon, a fresh water holding tank  510  with a pump for pressure-water-cleaning the enclosed space, a floor drain  515  for collecting paint and waste water, and a floor  520  tapered from the bottom of the plastic sheet  505  toward the floor drain  515 . Alternatively, a spray system sprays the target system and along each neighboring wall. The spray system can adopt any method to disperse water under pressure to cover area to be cleaned.  
         [0044]     The electrical system of the invention may support not only the lights for booth/trailer, but also the markers so no batteries are used. The paintball shooting system is powered by a gas powered auxiliary generator. The markers  311  (usually running on 9V batteries) are modified to run on 120V, 240V, or the like which work in conjunction with a transformer. A router, a switch, or a power split is needed if an external power source is available in addition to the internal generator of the system. In the prior art, no markers operate while plugged into an electric supply other than a battery.  
         [0045]     Optionally, a microprocessor or a computer is connected to each subsystem or component systems including but not limited to feeding system, cleaning system, tethering system, air system, target system, advertising, gun system, cooling system and power generation system, to locally or remotely monitor and diagnose the performance of each component system, to collect data from all component systems, to audit controls for operation of all systems, to download of changes in operating controls for all component systems, to provide help desk for operations for all component systems, to provide training for all component systems, to provide infomatics on all component systems as compared to general database.  
         [0000]     Optionally, a scoring subsystem is added into the system to record the score of each player and display for the attendant and/or the players.  
         [0046]     The principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the present invention have been described in the foregoing specification. However, the invention which is intended to be protected is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. The embodiments described herein are illustrative rather than restrictive. Variations and changes may be made by others, and equivalents employed, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all such variations, changes and equivalents which fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the claims, be embraced thereby.