Paintball gun handle grip

Abstract

A paintball gun handle grip is provided. The grip may comprise left and right rigid members. Each of the left and right rigid members may define an interface surface having a cavity for receiving protrusions protruding out of a handle of a paintball gun. Outer surfaces of the left and right rigid members may define a joint member mounting surfaces. The joint member may be attached to the left and right rigid members at the joint member mounting surfaces via any attachment method known in the art or developed in the future.

1 . A grip for a paintball gun handle to make the handle of the paintball gun aesthetically appealing and functionally gripable, the grip comprising:
 left and right rigid shells, each of the left and right rigid shells defining an interface surface and an outer surface, the interface surfaces having a cavity for receiving a protrusion protruding from left and right sides of the paintball gun handle, the outer surfaces of the left and right rigid members defining joint member mounting surfaces;   a joint member defining left and right side portions and a flexible middle portion, the mounting surfaces of the joint member being mountable to the joint member mounting surfaces of the left and right rigid members;   wherein the left and right rigid members and the joint member may be wrapped around a front surface of the paintball gun handle, the left and right rigid members may be mounted to left and right surfaces of the handle, respectively for providing an aesthetically appealing paintball gun handle grip and friction material interfacing the user's hand.   
   
   
       2 . The grip of  claim 1  wherein the joint member further comprises a left channel the disposed between the left side portion and the flexible middle portion, a right channel disposed between the right side portion and the flexible middle portion, the left and right channels relieving stress such that the flexible middle portion may be flush against the front surface of the handle when the left and right rigid members are mounted to the left and right surfaces of the handle. 
   
   
       3 . The grip of  claim 2  wherein the left and right channels have a V shaped configuration. 
   
   
       4 . The grip of  claim 2  wherein the joint member has a thickness of about ⅓ of a thickness of the flexible middle portion at the left and right channels. 
   
   
       5 . The grip of  claim 4  wherein the joint member has a thickness of about 1/16 of an inch at the left and right channels and a thickness of the flexible middle portion is about 3/16 of an inch. 
   
   
       6 . The grip of  claim 1  wherein the joint member is substantially only mounted to the mounting surfaces of the left and right rigid members. 
   
   
       7 . The grip of  claim 6  wherein nubs are formed on the mounting surfaces of the joint member, apertures sized and configured to interlock with the nubs are formed through the left and right rigid members, and the nubs are inserted through the apertures for mounting the joint member to the left and right rigid members. 
   
   
       8 . The grip of  claim 6  wherein the joint member is mounted to the mounting surfaces of the left and right rigid members with an adhesive, rivet, sonic welding, or nub/aperture combination. 
   
   
       9 . The grip of  claim 1  wherein the flexible middle portion comprises at least one sensory protrusion to provide a sense of feeling to the user with less pressure compared to a smooth flexible middle portion. 
   
   
       10 . A method of forming a grip for a paintball gun handle, the method comprising the steps of:
 forming a joint member defining mounting surfaces and an exposed surface, the joint member exposed surface having intricate colored line art;   forming left and right rigid members, each of the left and right rigid members defining an interface surface and an outer surface, the interface surfaces of the left and right rigid members having a cavity for receiving a protrusion of the paintball gun handle, the outer surface defining a mounting surface;   after forming the joint member and the left and right rigid members, attaching the mounting surfaces of the joint member to the mounting surfaces of the left and right rigid members.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the forming the joint member step is accomplished via a hot and cold mold process. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the forming the left and right rigid members is accomplished via plastic injection molding. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the attaching step is accomplished with a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the attaching step is accomplished with a cold adhesive. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the attaching step is accomplished with a hot adhesive.