Paintball quick change hopper

Abstract

A quick change hopper for paintballs or other ball shooting guns, which allows a hopper top full of balls to be attached to the hopper base connected to the paintball gun and refill the gun with balls, without pouring balls from one container to another, and which may be done with one hand.

1 . A quick change hopper for use on a paintball gun, comprising:
 a hopper configured to attach to a paintball gun, said hopper comprised of two units, a hopper base with a hopper base top surface with a left and a right hopper base guide configured for interlocking engagement with corresponding rails of a hopper top body;   the second unit of the hopper comprising a hopper top body, with a bottom surface configured to fit against the top surface of the hopper base, and further comprising a left and right hopper guide for interlocking engagement with said left and right gun body guides, and with said hopper top body further including;   a feed opening in said bottom surface of said hopper top body, configured for alignment with a feed chamber of said hopper base when said hopper top body is seated on said hopper base, with said feed opening including a closure panel which is configured to move to a sealed position when said hopper body is unseated from said gun body, and which is configured to move to an open position when said hopper body is seated to said gun body; wherein   said door closure panel of said hopper is configured to close when removed from said hopper base, and to open when seated on said hopper base, and thus to allow paint balls to flow by gravity into said hopper base to refill said paintball gun without opening a lid to pour.   
   
   
       2 . The quick change hopper of  claim 1  in which said hopper base guides are comprised of rails which interfit with corresponding hopper top body rails. 
   
   
       3 . The quick change hopper of  claim 1  in which said closure panel is a biased panel which slides between an open and closed position on said hopper top body. 
   
   
       4 . The quick change hopper of  claim 3  which further includes one or more projections on said hopper base configured to open said closure panel on said hopper top body. 
   
   
       5 . The quick change hopper of  claim 4  in which said closure panel is biased to return to a closed position unless forced open by contact with said one or more projections. 
   
   
       6 . The quick change hopper of  claim 1  in which said closure panel is a biased panel which is hinged on one side to swing open, exposing said feed opening. 
   
   
       7 . The quick change hopper of  claim 1  in which said hopper base guides and said hopper top body guides are comprised of a male and corresponding female profile for interfitting engagement. 
   
   
       8 . The quick change hopper of  claim 1  in which said hopper base guides and said hopper top body guides are comprised of angle shaped rails for interfitting engagement. 
   
   
       9 . The quick change hopper of  claim 1  in which said hopper base guides and said hopper top body guides are comprised of a male L shape rail on one surface that corresponds to a female L shape rail on a corresponding surface. 
   
   
       10 . The quick change hopper of  claim 1  in which said hopper base guides and said hopper top body guides are comprised of a male T shape rail on one surface that corresponds to a female T shaped groove on a corresponding surface. 
   
   
       11 . The quick change hopper of  claim 1  in which said hopper base guides and said hopper top body guides are comprised of a male tab on one surface that corresponds to a female corresponding shaped groove on a corresponding surface 
   
   
       12 . A quick change hopper for use on a paintball gun, comprising:
 a hopper configured to attach to a paintball gun, said hopper comprised of two units, a hopper base with a hopper base top surface with a left and a right hopper base guide configured for interlocking engagement with corresponding rails of a hopper top body, with said hopper base configured to include a motor for feeding paint balls, and a battery pack for powering said motor;   the second unit of the hopper comprising a hopper top body, with a bottom surface configured to fit against the top surface of the hopper base, and further comprising a left and right hopper guide for interlocking engagement with said left and right gun body guides, and with said hopper top body further including;   a feed opening in said bottom surface of said hopper top body, configured for alignment with a feed chamber of said hopper base when said hopper top body is seated on said hopper base, with said feed opening including a closure panel which is configured to move to a sealed position when said hopper body is unseated from said gun body, and which is configured to move to an open position when said hopper body is seated to said gun body; wherein   said door closure panel of said hopper is configured to close when removed from said hopper base, and to open when seated on said hopper base, and thus to allow paint balls to flow by gravity into said hopper base to refill said paintball gun without opening a lid to pour.   
   
   
       13 . The quick change hopper of  claim 12  in which said hopper base guides are comprised of rails which interfit with corresponding hopper top body rails. 
   
   
       14 . The quick change hopper of  claim 12  in which said closure panel is a biased panel which slides between an open and closed position on said hopper top body. 
   
   
       15 . The quick change hopper of  claim 14  which further includes one or more projections on said hopper base configured to open said closure panel on said hopper top body. 
   
   
       16 . The quick change hopper of  claim 15  in which said closure panel is biased to return to a closed position unless forced open by contact with said one or more projections. 
   
   
       17 . The quick change hopper of  claim 12  in which said closure panel is a biased panel which is hinged on one side to swing open, exposing said feed opening. 
   
   
       18 . The quick change hopper of  claim 12  in which said hopper base guides and said hopper top body guides are comprised of a male and corresponding female profile for interfitting engagement. 
   
   
       19 . The quick change hopper of  claim 12  in which said hopper base guides and said hopper top body guides are comprised of angle shaped rails for interfitting engagement. 
   
   
       20 . The quick change hopper of  claim 12  in which said hopper base guides and said hopper top body guides are comprised of a male L shape rail on one surface that corresponds to a female L shape rail on a corresponding surface. 
   
   
       21 . The quick change hopper of  claim 12  in which said hopper base guides and said hopper top body guides are comprised of a male T shape rail on one surface that corresponds to a female T shaped groove on a corresponding surface. 
   
   
       22 . The quick change hopper of  claim 12  in which said hopper base guides and said hopper top body guides are comprised of a male tab on one surface that corresponds to a female corresponding shaped groove on a corresponding surface.