Abstract:
According to various principles of the present invention, a collapsible paintball container may include a plurality of cylindrical sections arranged to form a holder sized to contain a supply of paintballs in a expanded state and arranged to fit one within another in a collapsed state. The container has a closed end and an open end. A lid can be provided to cover the open end and can be hingedly connected to the container. A spring or other biasing member can be provided to bias the lid in an open position when the lid is opened. The biasing member may also bias the lid in a closed position when the lid is closed. A locking member can be provided to retain the paintball container in its expanded state.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates generally to an apparatus for holding and dispensing paintballs, and in particular to a collapsible container adapted to be easily transported by a user for loading paintballs into a paintball gun hopper or magazine. 
         [0002]    Pneumatic paintball guns are typically used for individual or team recreational sports games, such as “survival” or “capture the flag.” During a typical game, a paintball player may go through several hundred paintballs. Since most paintball hoppers or magazines hold 200 paintballs or less at a time, players generally carry additional paintballs in capped tubes or “pods.” Once the player has exhausted the paintballs in the hopper, the paintballs contained in a pod may be poured from the pod into the hopper. 
         [0003]    Like many recreational activities, participation in paintball games typically requires the transportation of large amounts of equipment and accessories to a paintball field or other facility. For tournament play, this may require airline travel. Consequently, transporting the needed equipment to the paintball field can be cumbersome. In addition, the larger the volume of the equipment, the more storage space that is required for transporting and storing the equipment. In particular, numerous paintball pods may be transported to the paintball field. Conventional pods, however, are bulky and may take up valuable space. Thus, there is a need for a paintball pod that is able to minimize its size and thereby reduce its bulkiness when traveling or when not in use. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
         [0004]    According to one aspect of the invention, a collapsible paintball container may comprise a plurality of cylindrical sections connected together in a collapsible relationship. In an expanded state, the sections can be arranged to form an elongated storage tube having an open end and a closed end. The sections can be further configured to fit one within another in a collapsed state. The collapsible paintball container can also include a lid to cover the open end and a hinge to connect the lid to the container. The hinge may include a spring or other biasing member to bias the lid toward an open position when the lid is opened and to bias the lid in a closed position when the lid is closed. 
         [0005]    In one particular embodiment, a top section of the plurality of cylindrical sections may include a recessed area that provides a contact area for pushing inward to release the lid. The recessed area may, for instance, include two slots to provide flexibility that allows the recessed area to be depressed inward when pushed by a user. The paintball container may include a locking mechanism to retain the plurality of cylindrical sections in an expanded state until the locking mechanism is released by a user. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The above and other features and advantages of embodiments of the invention will become more readily apparent by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a somewhat schematic perspective view of a collapsible paintball container constructed in accordance with various principles of the invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a somewhat schematic plan view of the collapsible paintball container of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a somewhat schematic cross-sectional side elevation view of the collapsible paintball container of  FIG. 1 , showing the container in a collapsed state. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a somewhat schematic side elevation view of the collapsible paintball container of  FIG. 1 , illustrating further aspects of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    As will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following disclosure, the invention as described herein may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the specific embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will fully convey the principles and scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of a collapsible paintball container  100  in accordance with one aspect of the invention. The paintball container  100  may be sized to hold any number of paintballs, but is preferably sized to hold a sufficient quantity of paintballs to substantially fill a standard-sized magazine or hopper. In this embodiment, for example, the paintball container  100  may be about eleven (11) to eleven and a half (11½) inches long and about three (3) to four (4) inches in diameter and may hold approximately one hundred and fifty (150) to two hundred (200) standard paintballs. 
         [0013]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the collapsible paintball container  100  of this embodiment comprises a hollow, cylindrical tube formed from several mating sections  50 ,  60 ,  70 . The container  100  includes a closed end  10  and an opening  20  having a lid  30 . The lid  30  may be a separate piece that is attached to the paintball container  100  by a hinge  40 . A small lip along the perimeter of the lid  30  or other latching device can serve to hold the lid  30  in place when the lid  30  is closed. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a somewhat schematic plan view of the collapsible paintball container  100  of  FIG. 1 , showing the container  100  in an extended state.  FIG. 3  is a somewhat schematic plan view of the collapsible paintball container  100 , showing the container  100  in a collapsed state. Referring now additionally to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the mating sections  50 ,  60 ,  70  of the collapsible paintball container  100  may comprise a plurality of cylindrical hollow sections  50 ,  60 ,  70  arranged together to form an elongated tube in an expanded state ( FIG. 2 ), but sized and shaped to fit one within the other in a collapsed state ( FIG. 3 ). In this embodiment, the paintball container can include three sections: a top section  50 , an intermediate section  60 , and a bottom section  70 . However, the number of sections need not be so limited and may include any number of sections as desired. 
         [0015]    To enable the sections of the paintball container  100  to retract and collapse one within the other, the top section  50 , the intermediate section  60 , and the bottom section  70  may have respectively decreasing diameters to allow each subsequent section to fit into the previous section. For example, when the diameter of the top section  50  is about three (3) inches, the diameter of the intermediate section  60  may then be less than three (3) inches to allow the intermediate section  60  to slide into and fit within the top section  50 . The diameter of the bottom section  70  may then be less than the diameter of the intermediate section  60  to allow the bottom section  70  to slide into and fit within the intermediate section  60 . One or more of the sections  50 ,  60 ,  70  may further be tapered from a top end toward a bottom end to provide a more rigid interference fit in an expanded state while facilitating easier collapse of the sections  50 ,  60 ,  70  together to form the collapsed state. 
         [0016]    The lengths of each of the sections  50 ,  60 ,  70  may be sized as desired, considering, for instance, the lengths of the other sections and the desired overall length of the paintball container  100 . In one arrangement, the top, middle, and bottom sections  50 ,  60 ,  70  are sized such that the middle and bottom sections  60 ,  70  fit completely within the top section  50 . For example, the top section  50  may be about four (4) inches long and the intermediate and bottom sections  60 ,  70  may each be about three and a half (3.5) inches each in length. Thus, in this example, the overall collapsed height of the paintball container will be only about four (4) inches plus the lid thickness. The overall length of the paintball container  100  of this example when the sections  50 ,  60 ,  70  are expanded will be about eleven (11) inches plus the lid thickness. 
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a somewhat schematic side elevation view of the collapsible paintball container  100  of  FIG. 1 . Referring now additionally to  FIG. 4 , each section  50 ,  60 ,  70  can include a locking mechanism to lock the respective sections in place when the paintball container  100  is in an expanded position. In one embodiment, for example, the locking mechanism may comprise a guide element  80 , such as a guide pin or detent, arranged on an inner or outer wall of one section, with a corresponding channel or groove  90  arranged in an adjacent wall of a mating section. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , a guide element  80  is arranged on an outer wall of the intermediate section  60 , with the top section  50  including a channel  90  running along an interior wall thereof. A locking mechanism  95  may be provided to lock the container  100  in its expanded position. The locking mechanism  95  may, for instance, comprise a catch groove, a latch, or other mechanism that retains the guide member  80  in a lower end  93  of the channel  90 . 
         [0018]    With the guide member  80  arranged in the channel  90 , the paintball container  100  can be expanded or collapsed. As the paintball container  100  is collapsed, the guide element  80  of the intermediate section  60  slides toward an upper end  91  of the channel  90 . As the paintball container  100  is expanded, the guide element  80  of the intermediate section  60  slides towards the lower end  93  of the channel  90 . 
         [0019]    In this embodiment, the channel  90  includes a notch or catch groove  95  arranged on a side of channel  90  near its lower end  93  to receive the guide element  80 . With the container  100  expanded, for instance, the intermediate tube  60  can be twisted (in this example in a clockwise direction) to position the guide member  80  in place in the catch groove  95  and, thus, lock the intermediate section  60  in the expanded position. To thereafter collapse the paintball container  100 , the locking mechanism may be released by twisting the intermediate section  60  in an opposite (in this case, counterclockwise direction) and thereby sliding the guide element  80  out of the catch groove  95 . The intermediate section  60  and the bottom section  70  can include a similar mechanism for retaining the sections in their expanded relationship. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , the top section  50  can include a push tab area  55  that provides a thumb or finger contact area that a user can depress to pop the lid  30  off. The push tab area  55  can be a recessed area located opposite from the hinge  40 . The push tab area  55  may include one or more slots  57  cut into the top section  50 . The slots  57  provide flexibility to allow the push tab area  55  of the top section  50  to be more easily depressed inward when the user pushes on the push tab area  55 . 
         [0021]    The lid  30  can also comprise a locking lip disposed along its perimeter. The locking lip mates with a corresponding upper edge of the top section  50 . The locking lip can include a first portion that corresponds to the upper edge of the top section  50  near the push tab area  55  and a second portion that corresponds to the remaining upper edge of the top section  50 . In one embodiment, the first portion of the locking lip provides a more positive latching action than the second portion of the locking lip. Further, the second portion of the locking lip preferably only remains latched when the first portion of the locking lip is latched onto the top section  50 . 
         [0022]    Conventional solutions have used a tab extending from the lid to allow a user to pry the lid open with a thumb or finger. Unfortunately, however, having a tab that extends past the maximum diameter of the lid may sometimes lead to accidental lid opening such as, for example, when a pod accidentally pushes up on a tab of another pod, or when the tab is otherwise bumped during game preparation or play. 
         [0023]    According to another aspect of the present invention, the push tab area  55  in the top section  50  and the locking lip in the lid  30  of the collapsible paintball container  100  can work together such that the lid  30  need not have a tab to pop the lid  30  open. In this embodiment, when the user pushes in the push tab area  55 , the latching portion of the lid  30  disengages from the top section  50  and the lid  30  is released. The hinge  40  may be spring-loaded such that the lid  30  pops open when the push tab area  55  is pushed and remains open until a user closes and snaps the lid  30  shut. 
         [0024]    Referring specifically to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the top section  50  may further include an overlay of material  59 , such as rubber or other flexible yet substantially resilient material, disposed along a periphery of the container  100  near the opening. In one embodiment, for example, an overlay of rubber may be positioned around a substantial portion of an upper portion of the top section  50 , which may include all of the periphery except the area where the lid is hinged to the top section  50 . The overlay of rubber  59  may be, for example, 0.75 inches wide and extend just below the bottom of the two slots  57  in the push tab area  55 . The overlay of rubber  59  can cover the two slots  57  and help provide resiliency to the push tab area  55  to assist that area  55  in springing back into place after being depressed by a user. The rubber overlay  59  may also assist in preventing water and debris from getting into the paintball container  100 . 
         [0025]    The collapsible paintball container or pod  100  may be formed of any of a variety of materials including molded plastic, aluminum, steel, or other materials commonly used for such applications and known within the art. In one embodiment, the collapsible paintball container  100  may be constructed of a plastic material, such as polypropylene or any other material of similar weight and strength. 
         [0026]    Having described various exemplary embodiments of the invention, it is noted that numerous modifications and variations can be made by persons ordinarily skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. Therefore, it is to be understood that changes may be made to embodiments of the invention disclosed herein that are nevertheless still within the scope and the spirit of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.