Patent Publication Number: US-2009220298-A1

Title: Securing device for hooper portion of paint ball gun

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a securing device for securely positioning the hopper portion to the paint ball gun. 
     (2) Description of the Prior Art 
     A conventional hopper portion for a paint ball gun includes a hopper and a tube which is connected to the dropping hole in the paint ball gun so as to provide paint balls into the paint ball gun. A securing device is used to secure the hopper portion to the paint ball gun. It is noted that the tube of the hopper portion may have different sizes and the dropping hole of the paint ball gun is fixed so that the users have to match the proper hopper portions and the guns. 
     The conventional securing device known to applicant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,412. The bushing disclosed is located between the tube of the hopper and the nut, the lower end of the bushing is not inserted into the tubular portion so that the lower end of the tube of the hopper portion is only positioned by a part of the bushing. The limited restriction force cannot secure the hopper portion and might fall down from the tubular portion by impact. Besides, the bushing includes a single opening which is defined axially through the wall of the bushing, the axial opening is squeezed to hold the tube of the hopper portion. However, because the lower end of the bushing does not contact other part so that only the upper portion of the axial opening is squeezed, the lower portion of the axial opening is not squeezed so that the tube of the hopper portion is not well held. Another embodiment of the bushing includes alternative axial recesses, however, the multiple axial recesses cannot provide a complete and sufficient grasp area to the tube of the hopper portion. 
     The present invention intends to provide a securing device for a hopper portion of a paint ball gun, the bushing includes a tapered outer periphery so as to be firmly engaged with the tubular member, and the tube of the hopper portion extends through the bushing the tubular member so that the tube can be well positioned. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a hopper securing device which comprises a tubular member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the tubular member is connected to a dropping hole in a paint ball gun and the second end of the tubular member receives a tube extending from a hopper. A nut is mounted to the second end of the tubular member and a bushing is located in the nut. The nut includes a groove defined in an inner periphery thereof and the bushing includes an engaging flange extending radially outward from an end thereof, the engaging flange is rotatably engaged with the groove. The bushing includes an opening and a tapered outer periphery. A lower end of the tube extends beyond the bushing. The second end of the tubular portion is inserted between the nut and the bushing. 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a securing device for hopper portion of a paint ball gun, wherein the device can secure the tubes of hopper portions of different sizes. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a securing device for hopper portion of a paint ball gun, wherein the tube of the hopper portion is firmly grasped so that the hopper does not fall during games. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view to show securing device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view to show that the hopper portion is secured by the securing device the of the present invention, and 
         FIG. 3  is a partial cross sectional view to show the securing device to position the hopper portion. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the securing device of the present invention comprises a tubular member  20  which includes a first end  21  and a second end  23 , the first end  21  of the tubular member  20  includes outer threads  22  so as to be threadedly connected to a dropping hole  11  in a paint ball gun  10 , and the second end  23  of the tubular member  20  includes outer threads  24 . A tube “A 1 ” extending from a hopper “A” is inserted into the second end  23  of the tubular member  20 . The first end  21  of the tubular member  20  includes a narrowed inner periphery. 
     A nut  30  includes inner threads  31  which are threadedly connected with the threads  24  of the second end of the tubular member  20 . The nut  30  including a groove  33  defined in an inner periphery thereof. A bushing  40  is located in the nut  30  and includes an engaging flange  43  extending radially outward from an end thereof. The engaging flange  43  is rotatably engaged with the groove  33 . A top flange  32  extends inward from a top end of the nut  30  and is located above the groove  33 . An inner diameter of a space enclosed by the top flange  32  is smaller than an outer diameter of the engaging flange  43 , so that the bushing  40  is rotatably positioned in the nut  30 . The bushing  40  includes an inclined opening  41  defined through a wall thereof and a tapered outer periphery  44 . A lower end of the tube “A 1 ” extends beyond the bushing  40 . The second end  23  of the tubular portion  20  inserted between the nut  30  and the bushing  40 . The bushing  40  includes a friction surface  42  defined in an inner periphery thereof and the friction surface  42  is in contact with the tube “A 1 ” of the hopper “A”. When rotating the knurled portion  34  on the outside of the nut  30 , the bushing  40  is squeezed to narrow the inclined opening  41  so as to firmly grasp the tube “A 1 ” of the hopper “A”. Because the lower end of the tube “A 1 ” extends beyond the lower end of the bushing  40 , so that the tube “A 1 ” is well positioned by the bushing  40  and this prevents the hopper “A” from falling from the paint ball gun  10  during games. 
     The engagement between the groove  33  of the nut  30  and the top engaging flange  43  of the bushing  40  position the bushing  40  in the nut  30  so that when the tube “A 1 ” extends through the bushing  40 , the bushing  40  does not offset from its central axis and this is convenient for the installation of the hopper “A”. 
     The bushing  40  can be replaced to be different size to secure the tubes “A” of the hoppers “A 1 ” of different sizes. The friction surface  42  of the bushing  40  ensures that the tube “A 1 ” of the hopper “A” does not shake during games. 
     While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.