Paintball canister

Abstract

A paintball canister apparatus includes a cylindrical canister body and a lid pivotally attached to the open end of the canister body. A lip extends downward from a major portion of an outer periphery of the lid, the lip extending along an outer surface of the canister body when the lid is closed. The lip and canister body are configured such that the lip engages the canister body to maintain the lid in the closed position. The canister body is made from a resilient material such that the lid may be opened by sliding a player's digit upward along the outer surface of the canister body into contact with the bottom edge of the lip and exerting a squeezing force on the canister body and an upward force on the lip to disengage the ridge from the groove and move the lid toward an open position.

1 . A paintball canister apparatus comprising:
 a substantially cylindrical canister body having a lower closed end and an upper open end;   a lid pivotally attached to the open end of the canister body;   a lip extending downward from a major portion of an outer periphery of the lid, the lip extending along an outer surface of the canister body when the lid is in a closed position covering the open end of the canister body;   wherein the lip and canister body are configured such that the lip engages the canister body to maintain the lid in the closed position;   wherein at least the canister body is made from a resilient material such that the lid may be opened by sliding a player's digit upward along the outer surface of the canister body into contact with the bottom edge of the lip and exerting a squeezing force on the canister body and an upward force on the lip to disengage the ridge from the groove and move the lid toward an open position.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising a ridge extending from at least a portion of the canister body adjacent the open end thereof, and a groove defined by the lip and operative to engage the ridge to maintain the lid in the closed position. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a bottom edge of the lip is curved from an inner wall thereof, located adjacent to the canister body when the lid is in the closed position, upward and outward to an outer wall thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the ridge extends from portions of the canister body adjacent the open end between each side of a hinge attaching the lid to the canister body and the side of the canister body opposite the hinge. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the lip defines a gap in a lower portion thereof oriented such that the hinge is located in the gap when the lid in the closed position. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the hinge is sloped from a lower edge thereof adjacent to the canister body upward and outward to an outer edge thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a tab extending upward from the hinge and adapted to be engaged by a cord to secure the apparatus in a canister belt. 
     
     
         8 . A paintball canister apparatus comprising:
 a substantially cylindrical canister body having a lower closed end and an upper open end;   a body hinge element attached to the canister body adjacent to the open end thereof;   a ridge extending from at least a portion of the canister body adjacent the open end thereof between the body hinge element and a side of the canister body opposite the body hinge element;   a lid comprising a lid hinge element pivotally attached to the body hinge element; and a lip extending downward from an outer periphery of the lid, the lip extending along an outer surface of the canister body over the ridge when the lid is in a closed position; and   a groove defined by the lip and operative to engage the ridge to maintain the lid in the closed position;   wherein at least the canister body is made from a resilient material such that the lid may be opened by sliding a player's digit upward along the outer surface of the canister body into contact with the bottom edge of the lip and exerting a squeezing force on the canister body and an upward force on the lip to disengage the ridge from the groove and move the lid toward an open position.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein a bottom edge of the lip is curved from an inner wall thereof, located adjacent to the canister body when the lid is in the closed position, upward and outward to an outer wall thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the ridge extends from at least opposite portions of the canister body adjacent the open end between each side of the body hinge element and the side of the canister body opposite the body hinge element. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the lip defines a gap in a lower portion thereof oriented such that the body hinge element is located in the gap when the lid in the closed position. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the body hinge element is sloped from a lower edge thereof adjacent to the canister body upward and outward to an outer edge thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising a tab extending upward from one of the body hinge element and the lid hinge element and adapted to be engaged by a cord to secure the apparatus in a canister belt. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising a bias element operative to exert a bias force on the lid toward an open position.