Paintball container lid

Abstract

A lid for a paintball container is disclosed which comprises a body, a means for connecting said lid to said paintball container, aa first opening to transfer at least one paintball from said container into the lid, a second opening to transfer at least one paintball to outside of the lid; and a rotatable door for controlling the release of a paintball. The advantages of the present invention are that said lid can be operated rapidly and single handedly. It is a further advantage of the invention, that the lid does not require an adaptor or collar for use with the hopper of a paintball gun, the collar portion of the lid of the present invention being inserted into the hopper prior to opening thus preventing any individual paint balls being spilled during transfer from the pod to the desired location via the lid.

1 . A lid for a paintball container, said lid comprising:
 a body;   a connector for connecting said lid to said paintball container;   a first opening to transfer at least one paintball from said container into the lid;   a second opening to transfer at least one paintball to outside of the lid; and   a rotatable door for controlling the release of a paintball.   
     
     
         2 . A lid according to  claim 1  further comprising a collar, said collar defining the second opening and providing a guide to align the second opening of the pod assembly with a receptacle into which the paintballs are to be transferred to assist in the transfer of at least one paint ball from the lid of the container to said receptacle. 
     
     
         3 . A lid according to  claim 1  further comprising a collar, said collar defining the second opening and providing a guide to align the second opening of the pod assembly with a receptacle into which the paintballs are to be transferred to assist in the transfer of at least one paint ball from the lid of the container to said receptacle, wherein the collar is inserted into the receptacle into which the paintballs are to be transferred prior to the opening of the lid. 
     
     
         4 . A lid according to  claim 1  further comprising a collar, said collar defining the second opening and providing a guide to align the second opening of the pod assembly with a receptacle into which the paintballs are to be transferred to assist in the transfer of at least one paint ball from the lid of the container to said receptacle, wherein said collar comprises a tapered cylindrical shape which may be directly received into an opening of a paintball gun hopper, loader or body. 
     
     
         5 . A lid according to  claim 1  wherein the rotatable door is located in between said first and second openings, and said rotatable door extends across said body in a closed position to prevent the paintballs from exiting the paintball container. 
     
     
         6 . A lid according to  claim 1  wherein the rotatable door is substantially circular in shape. 
     
     
         7 . A lid according to  claim 1  further comprising a stop, said stop being attached to the body to limit the rotation of said rotatable door. 
     
     
         8 . A lid according to  claim 1  wherein said rotatable door is attached to said body of the lid by a resilient member, which biases said rotatable door in an open position. 
     
     
         9 . A lid according to  claim 1  wherein said rotatable door is attached to said body of the lid by a resilient member, which biases said rotatable door in an open position, wherein said resilient member is a torsion spring. 
     
     
         10 . A lid according to  claim 1  wherein the body further comprises a protrusion which engages with a complementary recess on the rotatable door, said protrusion and said recess engaging to bias the rotatable door in a closed position. 
     
     
         11 . A lid according to  claim 1  wherein said lid can be fitted retrospectively to existing paintball containers. 
     
     
         12 . A lid according to  claim 1  wherein the lid body has a slot therein for receiving the rotatable door there through. 
     
     
         13 . A lid according to  claim 1  wherein the lid body has a slot therein for receiving the rotatable door there through and the rotatable lid is always in contact with the slot present in the body. 
     
     
         14 . A lid according to according to  claim 1  wherein the lid is made from moulded plastic. 
     
     
         15 . A lid according to according to  claim 1  wherein the first opening has inner and outer walls. 
     
     
         16 . A lid according to  claim 1  wherein the first opening has inner and outer walls and the connector attaches via an interference fit between the inner wall of the first opening of the lid and the outer circumferential wall of a paintball receptacle body. 
     
     
         17 . A lid for a paintball container, according to  claim 1  wherein the first and second openings define a passage running through said body to transfer at least one paintball into and out of said container. 
     
     
         18 . A paintball container comprising:
 a lid according to  claim 1 ; and   a receptacle portion for holding and storing paintballs therein.   
     
     
         19 . A lid for a paintball container, said lid comprising:
 a tubular member having a central passage, an upper end and a lower end, said tubular wall having a cut-out section between said upper end and said lower end;   a closure member comprising a flat plate member, wherein in an open position, said plate member locates outside a main central passage of said tubular member, and which in a closed position said plate member locates across said central passage, thereby closing off said main central passage;   said closure member being movable between said open and closed positions, such that said plate member passes through said cut-out section;   said closure member being pivotally attached to said tubular member at a location on the outside of said tubular member; and   a tab member having a protruding portion which at all times protrudes outside of said tubular member,   wherein said tab member is movable between a first position in which said closure member is in said open position, and a second position in which said closure member is in said closed position;   wherein movement of said tab member between said second position and said first position causes said closure member to move between said closed position and said open position.