Paintball loader systems

Abstract

A paintball loader system designed to efficiently deliver paintballs to a paintball gun. The drive mechanism is a screw-type design comprising a resilient auger. A microcontroller is programmed to automatically adjust the rotation of the auger based on data from multiple sensor points within the loader. The auger is mounted such that both rotational axial movements are enabled during operation. The axial movement of the auger is used to maintain a constant force on the paintballs awaiting loading within the paintball gun.

1 ) A paintball loader system comprising:
 a) at least one paintball storage compartment structured and arranged to store paintballs;   b) at least one ball passage structured and arranged to pass the paintballs between said at least one paintball storage compartment and at least one paintball gun;   c) rotatably mounted within said at least one paintball storage compartment, at least one rotatable auger structured and arranged to convey the paintballs from said at least one paintball storage compartment to said at least one ball passage; and   d) at least one rotator structured and arranged to rotate said at least one rotatable auger;   e) wherein rotation of said at least one rotatable auger exerts at least one force on at least one paintball during such rotation;   f) wherein such at least one force conveys the at least one paintball generally toward said at least one ball passage along at least one axial direction of said at least one rotatable auger;   g) wherein said at least one rotatable auger comprises at least one resilient material, having at least one selected resiliency, structured and arranged to resiliently engage the at least one paintball during such conveyance; and   h) wherein said at least one resilient material is further structured and arranged to assist in maintaining such at least one moving force within a limit settable by at least one selected resiliency of said at least one resilient material.   
     
     
         2 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one rotational-characteristics controller structured and arranged to control rotational characteristics of said at least one rotatable auger. 
     
     
         3 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 2 , wherein said at least one rotational-characteristics controller comprises:
 a) at least one operating conditions detector structured and arranged to detect operating conditions of said at least one rotatable auger; and   b) at least one rotational-characteristics adjuster structured and arranged to adjust the rotational characteristics of said at least one rotatable auger based upon such operating conditions.   
     
     
         4 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 3 , wherein said at least one rotational-characteristics adjuster comprises at least one rotational-speed adjuster structured and arranged to adjust rotational speed of said at least one rotatable auger. 
     
     
         5 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 3 , wherein said at least one rotational-characteristics adjuster comprises at least one rotational-direction adjuster structured and arranged to adjust rotational direction of said at least one rotatable auger. 
     
     
         6 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 3 , wherein said at least one operating conditions detector comprises at least one resistance detector structured and arranged to detect resistance to conveyance of the at least one paintball toward said at least one ball passage. 
     
     
         7 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 3 , wherein said at least one operating conditions detector comprises at least one ball-passage-flow sensor structured and arranged to sense flow of the at least one paintball in said at least one ball passage. 
     
     
         8 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 7  wherein said at least one operating conditions detector comprises at least one resistance detector structured and arranged to detect resistance to conveyance of the at least one paintball toward said at least one ball passage. 
     
     
         9 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 8 , wherein said at least one rotational-characteristics adjuster comprises at least one rotational-direction adjuster structured and arranged to adjust rotational direction of said at least one rotatable auger. 
     
     
         10 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 9 , wherein said at least one operating conditions detector comprises at least one resistance detector structured and arranged to detect resistance to conveyance of the at least one paintball toward said at least one ball passage. 
     
     
         11 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a) at least one debris catcher structured and arranged to catch paintball-related debris occurring within said at least one paintball storage compartment during use; and   b) at least one debris passage structured and arranged to
 i) pass such paintball-related debris from said at least one paintball storage compartment to said at least one debris catcher, and 
 ii) restrict passage of the paintballs from said at least one paintball storage compartment to said at least one debris catcher; 
   c) wherein operation of said at least one rotatable auger moves the paintballs toward said at least one ball passage and assists movement of such paintball-related debris to said at least one debris catcher; and   d) wherein a reduction of such paintball-related debris adjacent the paintballs during delivery to the at least one paintball gun is achieved.   
     
     
         12 ) A paintball loader system comprising:
 a) paintball storer means for storing paintballs;   b) ball passage means for passing the paintballs between said paintball storer means and at least one paintball gun;   c) rotatable conveyer means for conveying the paintballs from said paintball storer means to said ball passage means;   d) rotational mount means for rotatably mounting said rotatable conveyer means within said paintball storer means; and   e) rotator means for rotating said rotatable conveyer means;   f) wherein said rotatable conveyer means comprises rotation-derived-force exertion means for exerting at least one rotation-derived force on at least one paintball during such rotation; and   g) wherein said rotation-derived-force exertion means comprises
 i) axial-direction propeller means for propelling the at least one paintball generally toward said ball passage means along at least one axial direction of said rotatable conveyer means, and 
 ii) rotation-derived-force limiter means for limiting such at least one rotation-derived force. 
   
     
     
         13 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 12 , further comprising rotational-characteristics controller means for controlling rotational characteristics of said rotatable conveyer means. 
     
     
         14 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 13 , wherein said rotational-characteristics controller means comprises:
 a) operating-conditions detector means for detecting operating conditions of said rotatable conveyer means; and   b) rotational-characteristics adjuster means for adjusting the rotational characteristics of said rotatable conveyer means based upon such operating conditions.   
     
     
         15 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 14 , wherein said rotational-characteristics adjuster means comprises rotational-speed adjuster means for adjusting rotational speed of said rotatable conveyer means. 
     
     
         16 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 14 , wherein said rotational-characteristics adjuster means comprises rotational-direction adjuster means for adjusting rotational direction of said rotatable conveyer means. 
     
     
         17 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 14 , wherein said operating conditions detector means comprises resistance detector means for detecting resistance to said axial-direction propeller means. 
     
     
         18 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 14 , wherein said operating conditions detector means comprises ball-passage-flow sensor means for sensing flow of the at least one paintball in said ball passage means. 
     
     
         19 ) The paintball loader system according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a) debris catcher means for catching paintball-related debris occurring within said paintball storer means during use; and   b) debris passage means for
 i) passing such paintball-related debris from said paintball storer means to said debris catcher means, and 
 ii) restricting passage of the paintballs from said paintball storer means to said debris catcher means; 
   c) wherein operation of said rotatable conveyer means moves the paintballs generally toward said ball passage means and assists movement of such paintball-related debris to said debris catch means; and   d) wherein a reduction of such paintball-related debris adjacent the paintballs during delivery to the at least one paintball gun is achieved.   
     
     
         20 ) A paintball loader system comprising:
 a) at least one paintball storer structured and arranged to store paintballs;   b) at least one ball passage structured and arranged to pass the paintballs between said at least one paintball storer and at least one paintball gun;   c) at least one rotatable conveyer structured and arranged to convey the paintballs from said at least one paintball storer to said at least one ball passage;   d) at least one rotational mount structured and arranged to rotatably mount said at least one rotatable conveyer within said at least one paintball storer; and   e) at least one rotator structured and arranged to rotate said at least one rotatable conveyer;   f) wherein said at least one rotatable conveyer comprises at least one rotation-derived-force exerter structured and arranged to exert at least one rotation-derived force on at least one paintball during such rotation; and   g) wherein said at least one rotation-derived-force exerter comprises
 i) at least one axial-direction propeller structured and arranged to propel the at least one paintball toward said at least one ball passage along at least one axial direction of said at least one rotatable conveyer, and 
 ii) at least one rotation-derived-force limiter structured and arranged to limit such at least one rotation-derived force; and 
   h) at least one rotational-characteristics controller structured and arranged to control rotational characteristics of said at least one rotatable conveyer;   i) wherein said at least one rotational-characteristics controller comprises
 i) at least one operating conditions detector structured and arranged to detect operating conditions of said at least one rotatable conveyer; and 
 ii) at least one rotational-characteristics adjuster structured and arranged to adjust such rotational characteristics of said at least one rotatable conveyer based upon such operating conditions; 
   j) wherein said at least one rotational-characteristics adjuster comprises
 i) at least one rotational-speed adjuster structured and arranged to adjust rotational speed of said at least one rotatable conveyer, and 
 ii) at least one rotational-direction adjuster structured and arranged to adjust rotational direction of said at least one rotatable conveyer means; and 
   k) wherein said at least one operating conditions detector comprises
 i) at least one resistance detector structured and arranged to detect resistance to said at least one axial-direction propeller, and 
 ii) ball-passage-flow sensor structured and arranged to sense flow of the at least one paintball in said at least one ball passage means; and 
   l) at least one debris catcher structured and arranged to catch paintball-related debris occurring within said at least one paintball storer during use; and   m) at least one debris passage structured and arranged to
 i) pass such paintball-related debris from said at least one paintball storer to said at least one debris catcher, and 
 ii) restrict passage of the paintballs from said at least one paintball storer to said debris catcher; 
   n) wherein operation of said at least one rotatable conveyer moves the paintballs toward said at least one ball passage and assists movement of such paintball-related debris to said at least one debris catcher; and   o) wherein a reduction of such paintball-related debris adjacent the paintballs during delivery to the at least one paintball gun is achieved.