Paintball gun loading methods and apparatus

Abstract

A loader for a paintball gun can include a housing comprising a chamber configured to house a quantity of paintballs, and a removable drive tray comprising a drive mechanism configured to drive an agitator or feed mechanism of the loader, wherein the removable drive tray is configured to be releasably secured to the housing during operation of the loader, and is further configured to be readily removed from the housing without the use of a tool. The agitator or feed mechanism may be arranged in the removable drive tray.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A loader for a paintball gun, said loader comprising:
 a housing comprising a chamber configured to house a quantity of paintballs; and   a removable drive tray comprising a drive mechanism configured to drive an agitator or feed mechanism of the loader, wherein the removable drive tray is configured to be releasably secured to the housing during operation of the loader and is further configured to be readily removed from the housing without the use of a tool.   
     
     
         2 . A loader according to  claim 1 , wherein the agitator or feed mechanism is arranged in the removable drive tray. 
     
     
         3 . A loader according to  claim 2 , wherein the agitator or feed mechanism is configured to be arranged in communication with an interior of the chamber when the removable drive tray is secured to the housing. 
     
     
         4 . A loader according to  claim 2 , wherein the agitator or feed mechanism comprises a feed mechanism, and wherein the feed mechanism comprises a rotatable feed wheel having a plurality of fins configured to move paintballs toward a feed opening in the drive tray. 
     
     
         5 . A loader according to  claim 4 , wherein the feed opening in the drive tray communicates with a feed tube in the housing, wherein said feed tube is configured to be arranged in a feed neck of a paintball gun. 
     
     
         6 . A loader according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a battery chamber configured to house a power supply, and a power supply connector configured to mate with a corresponding power supply connector arranged in the removable drive tray when the removably drive tray is secured to the housing to provide power from the power supply to the removable drive tray. 
     
     
         7 . A loader according to  claim 1 , wherein the removable drive tray further comprises a display. 
     
     
         8 . A loader according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a motor. 
     
     
         9 . A loader according to  claim 8 , wherein said motor is configured to drive a drive shaft connected to a rotational feeder. 
     
     
         10 . A loader according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive tray comprises depressible protrusions configured to mate within openings in the housing to releasably secure the drive tray to the housing. 
     
     
         11 . A loader for supplying paintballs to a paintball gun, said loader comprising:
 a housing comprising:
 a chamber configured to house a quantity of paintballs; 
 a power supply receptacle configured to house a power supply; and 
 a feed tube configured to deliver paintballs from the loader to a feed neck of the paintball gun; and 
   a removable drive tray configured to be releasably secured to the housing, said drive tray comprising:
 a feed mechanism configured to be in communication with the chamber when the drive tray is arranged in the housing, and further configured to deliver paintballs from the chamber to the feed tube during operation of the loader; 
 a drive mechanism configured to drive the feed mechanism; and 
 a power connector configured to receive power from the power supply. 
   
     
     
         12 . A loader according to  claim 11 , wherein said removable drive tray further comprises a display configured to display one or more parameters related to operation of the loader during operation of the loader. 
     
     
         13 . A loader according to  claim 11 , wherein said feed mechanism comprises a rotatable feed wheel having a plurality of fins configured to move paintballs from the chamber toward an opening in the drive tray that communicates with the feed tube during operation of the loader. 
     
     
         14 . A loader according to  claim 11 , wherein said removable drive tray comprises an attachment mechanism for removably securing the drive tray to the housing, wherein said attachment mechanism permits the removable drive tray to be attached to and removed from the housing without the use of a tool. 
     
     
         15 . A loader according to  claim 14 , wherein the attachment mechanism comprises one or more depressible projections arranged on the removable drive tray and configured to mate within one or more openings in the housing. 
     
     
         16 . A paintball loader comprising:
 a body configured to receive and house a quantity of paintballs;   a tray configured to be releasably attached to the body, wherein the tray can be secured to and removed from the body without the use of a tool.   
     
     
         17 . A paintball loader according to  claim 16 , wherein the tray comprises a drive/feed mechanism for causing paintballs housed in the body to be expelled from the body during operation of the loader. 
     
     
         18 . A paintball loader according to  claim 17 , wherein the drive/feed mechanism comprises an agitator or a feed wheel. 
     
     
         19 . A paintball loader according to  claim 16 , wherein the tray comprises an attachment mechanism for attachment to the body, wherein the attachment mechanism permits the tray to be secured to and removed from the body without the use of a tool. 
     
     
         20 . A paintball loader according to  claim 19 , wherein the attachment mechanism comprises one or more projections configured to mate within one or more openings in the body.