Paintball gun, retrofit kit assembly, and methods of making and using

• US 20080295818A1
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Velocity City
• Original Assignee: Velocity Express LLC (TFI International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gardner, Jason, Styles, Leon
• Application Number:
  US11/807,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20080295818A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 124/83
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 21/48 Barrel mounting means, e.g. releasable mountings for replaceable barrels
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 29/00 Cleaning or lubricating arrangements injecting fluids into barrels or cartridge chambers F41A13/04 ; ammunition for cleaning purposes F42B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/62 with pressure supplied by a gas cartridge

Abstract

Paint ball guns frequently break paint balls within the gun. When this happens the gun is jammed with paint and residue of broken paint balls, and a user of the gun cannot fire the gun. An improved paint ball gun includes structures and features which allow quick opening of the barrel and breach of the gun for cleaning. After cleaning of the barrel and breach of the gun, the barrel and gun breach are quickly returned to firing position, and a user of the gun loses only a few seconds of game time before being able to resume firing. A kit of retrofit parts, as well as methods of making and operating the improved paint ball gun are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A paint ball gun, said paint ball gun having a main body defining a bore for receiving a paint ball, an elongate barrel securing to said main body at said bore and having a breach end receiving the paintball and a muzzle end from which the paint ball is ejected forcefully, a breach closure member movable for opening and closing said breach end of said barrel, and connection structure movably attaching said barrel to said main body and having a first position aligning and sealingly connecting said barrel with said bore for ejecting a paint ball from said barrel and a second position allowing rapid displacement of said barrel at said breach end from alignment with said bore so that the breach end of said barrel is exposed for cleaning.

2. The paint ball gun of claim 1, wherein said connection structure moves pivotally between said first and second positions in response to a movement of less than 360°

.

3. The paint ball gun of claim 1, wherein said connection structure moves pivotally between said first and second positions in response to a movement of less than 180°

.

4. The paint ball gun of claim 1, wherein said connection structure includes a pivot pin upon which said barrel is pivotal relative to said main body, and the orientation of said pivot pin is selected from the group consisting of:

substantially parallel with a bore of said barrel, and substantially perpendicular to a bore of said barrel.

5. The paint ball gun of claim 4, wherein said pivot pin is oriented substantially parallel with said barrel bore, and said connection structure further includes a latching device for latching said barrel in said first position of said connection structure.

6. The paint ball gun of claim 4, wherein said pivot pin is oriented substantially perpendicular to said barrel bore, and said connection structure further includes a latching device for latching said barrel in said first position of said connection structure.

7. The paint ball gun of claim 4 wherein said pivot pin is carried by an integral portion of said main body.

8. The paint ball gun of claim 4 wherein said pivot pin is carried by a member removably securing to said main body.

9. The paint ball gun of claim 8 wherein said member removably securing to said main body includes a collar member having a shape selected from the group consisting of:

generally annular and generally of C-shape, and said collar member removably attaching to said main body adjacent to a breach end of said bore, and a tubular adapter member at an aft end replicating the breach end and mounting thread of a conventional paint ball gun barrel, said tubular adapter member at a forward part thereof including a radially outwardly extending flange portion defining a shoulder bearing on said collar member, whereby said tubular adapter member is threadably received into the gun barrel thread of a conventional paint ball gun body and secures said collar member to said conventional paint ball gun body to pivotally support a paint ball gun barrel relative thereto.

10. The paint ball gun of claim 9, wherein said member removably securing to said main body further includes a boss carrying a hinge pin, and a hinged portion pivotal on said hinge pin relative to said main body between a first position aligned with said bore, and a second position in which a breach end of said barrel displaced from said bore and is exposed for cleaning.

11. The paint ball gun of claim 10 wherein said hinged portion defines a respective bore, said respective bore of said hinged member defining an internal thread for threadably receiving a paint ball gun barrel.

12. The paint ball gun of claim 1, wherein said connection structure includes a pivot pin upon which said barrel is pivotal relative to said main body, and the orientation of said pivot pin is selected from the group consisting of:

substantially parallel with a bore of said barrel, and substantially perpendicular to a bore of said barrel, said connection structure further including a member removably securing to said main body, said member including a collar member having a shape selected from the group consisting of;

generally annular and generally of C-shape, and said collar member removably attaching to said main body adjacent to a breach end of said bore, and a tubular adapter member at an aft end replicating the breach end and mounting thread of a conventional paint ball gun barrel, said tubular adapter member at a forward part thereof including a radially outwardly extending flange portion defining a shoulder bearing on said collar member, whereby said tubular adapter member is threadably received into the gun barrel thread of a conventional paint ball gun body and secures said collar member to said conventional paint ball gun body to pivotally support a conventional paint ball gun barrel relative thereto.

13. The paint ball gun of claim 12, wherein said connection structure further includes a latching device for latching said barrel in said first position of said connection structure.

24. The paint ball gun of claim 1, wherein said connection structure carries one of a male dovetail feature and a matching and slidably engageable female dovetail structure, and said main body carries the other one of said male dovetail feature and said matching and slidably engageable female dovetail structure.

25. The paint ball gun of claim 24, wherein an orientation for said male dovetail feature and for said matching and slidably engageable female dovetail structure is selected from the group consisting of:

substantially parallel with the length of said elongate barrel, and substantially perpendicular to the length of said elongate barrel.

26. The paint ball gun of claim 25, wherein said orientation is substantially parallel with the length of said elongate barrel, and said connection structure further includes a latching device for latching said barrel in said first position.

27. The paint ball gun of claim 25, wherein said orientation is substantially perpendicular to the length of said elongate barrel, and said connection structure further includes a detent device for removably retaining said barrel in said first position, said detent device allowing said barrel to be moved to said second position in response to application of a predetermined lateral force to said connection structure.

14. A method of using a paint ball gun, said method including steps of:

providing a paint ball gun having a main body including a grip frame, a trigger, and defining a bore in the main body for receiving a paint ball;

attaching an elongate barrel to the main body with a breach end receiving the paintball and a muzzle end from which the paint ball is ejected forcefully;

providing a bolt assembly movable in the main body for opening and closing the breach end of the barrel;

providing connecting structure movably attaching the barrel to the main body and having a first position aligning and sealingly connecting the barrel with the bore for ejection of a paint ball therefrom, and a second position allowing rapid displacement of the barrel at the breach end out of alignment with the bore;

whereby in the second position of the barrel the breach end of the barrel is exposed for cleaning.

15. A retrofit kit for converting a conventional paint ball gun which utilizes a barrel defining an aft thread portion threadably engaging directly into a threaded forward bore portion of a main body of the paint ball gun, so that the barrel of the converted paint ball gun is movable quickly between a first position in which the barrel aligns with the bore portion so that a paint ball may be ejected forcefully therefrom, and a second position in which the barrel is moved out of alignment with said bore portion, exposing a breach end of said barrel and a breach area of said bore portion for cleaning, said retrofit kit including a collar member attachable at the forward end of said bore portion and movably carrying a hinged portion, said hinged portion defining a threaded bore for receiving a paint ball gun barrel, and in a first position said hinged portion aligning with the usual position of the paint ball gun barrel, so that the gun is operational to discharge a paint ball, in a second position of said hinged portion said paint ball gun barrel swinging aside from its usual position so that the breach is accessible for cleaning.

16. A two-part quick-release barrel mount for mounting to a conventional paint ball gun to allow the barrel of the paint ball gun to be quick removed for cleaning, the conventional paint ball gun having a main body with a bore portion at a forward end defining a thread for receiving an aft end of a conventional paint ball gun barrel, and a conventional paint ball gun barrel at an aft end defining a breach end portion with a male thread for threadably engaging into said bore portion of said main body, said quick-release barrel mount comprising a first portion which at an aft end part thereof replicates the breach end portion and male thread configuration of the aft end of a conventional paint ball gun barrel, said first portion being threadably receivable into the main body of the paint ball gun in substitution for the barrel;

and said first portion capturing thereon a generally ring-shaped second part which includes a pair of diametrically-opposed and radially outwardly extending lugs;

said lugs being engaged by a matching pair of hook-shaped arms protruding rearwardly from a barrel mount member, said barrel mount member defining a through bore and at a forward opening of said through bore defining a barrel-receiving thread.

17. The quick-release barrel mount of claim 16, further including said second part defining an elongate boss carrying a spring-loaded detent member, in a first relative position of said second and said barrel mount member said detent member engaging into a detent pocket defined at an aft face of a detent tab extending radially outwardly on said barrel mount member.

18. An improved paint ball gun having a main body defining a bore into which a paint ball is receivable for forceful ejection via a barrel attached to said main body, said main body defining a barrel-receiving thread at a forward portion of said bore, and said barrel-receiving thread being circumferentially interrupted so as to define plural axially extending grooves which are free of thread.

19. An improved paint ball gun barrel having a breach end portion defining a male thread for threading engagement into a main body of a paint ball gun, said breach end portion male thread being circumferentially interrupted so that said male thread defines plural axially extending grooves which are free of thread.

20. An improved paint ball gun and barrel combination, which combination allows the barrel to be quickly removed from and replaced onto a main body of the paint ball gun, said paint ball gun main body defining a bore into which a paint ball is receivable for forceful ejection via a barrel attached to said main body, said main body defining a barrel-receiving thread at a forward portion of said bore, and said barrel-receiving thread being circumferentially interrupted so as to define plural axially extending grooves which are free of thread and which are circumferentially interposed with axially extending thread sections;

and said paint ball gun barrel having a breach end portion defining a male thread for threading engagement into a main body of said paint ball gun, said breach end portion male thread being circumferentially interrupted so that said male thread defines plural axially extending grooves which are free of thread and which are circumferentially interposed with axially extending male thread sections;

whereby said barrel may be attached to said main body by passing said breach end portion axially into said bore of said main body with said interrupted thread sections of said barrel passing along said grooves of said main body thread, and said interrupted thread sections of said main body passing along said grooves of said barrel breach end portion, and so that after passing axially into said main body said barrel and main body are relatively rotated to engage said interrupted thread sections with one another.

21. A paint ball gun, said paint ball gun having a main body defining a bore for receiving a paint ball, an elongate barrel securing to said main body at said bore and having a breach end receiving the paintball and a muzzle end from which the paint ball is ejected forcefully, a breach closure member movable for opening and closing said breach end of said barrel, and connection structure movably attaching said barrel to said main body and having a first position aligning and sealingly connecting said barrel with said bore for ejecting a paint ball from said barrel and a second position allowing rapid linear displacement of said barrel at said breach end from said first position and to a second position in which said breach end of said barrel is exposed for cleaning.

22. The paint ball gun of claim 21, wherein said connection structure moves linearly and substantially parallel with the length of said elongate barrel between said first position and said second position.

23. The paint ball gun of claim 21, wherein said connection structure moves linearly and substantially perpendicularly to the length of said elongate barrel between said first position and said second position.

28. The paint ball gun of claim 21 wherein said connection structure is defined by an integral portion of said main body.