METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THROWABLE PAINTBALLS AND PAINTBALLS MADE THEREFROM

Abstract

A method of encapsulating content with calcium alginate membrane to form a capsule. The method includes embedding sodium alginate into a traditional gelatin ribbon used in gelatin encapsulation, adding calcium to a fill material, encapsulating the fill material, and then denaturing the gelatin in the shell. An exemplary use of this method is to form throwable paintballs; however, other products could be formed using this process. A paintball formed by this process is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A paintball comprising: a shell comprising: an alginate; a gelatin; a plasticizer; and water; and a fill material inside the shell comprising: polyethylene glycol; calcium chloride; and water.

2. The paintball according to claim 1, wherein the shell comprises about 1.5 parts by weight of the alginate; about 111 parts by weight of the gelatin; about 47 parts by weight of the plasticizer; and about 130 parts by weight of the water.

3. The paintball according to claim 1, wherein the shell comprises about 1.5 parts by weight of the alginate; about 111 parts by weight of the gelatin; about 47 parts by weight of the plasticizer; and a remainder the water.

4. The paintball according to claim 1, wherein the fill material comprises: about 1.18 parts by weight of the calcium chloride; about 10 parts by weight of the polyethylene glycol; and about 12 parts by weight of the water.

5. The paintball according to claim 1, wherein the fill material comprises: about 1.18 parts by weight of the calcium chloride; about 10 parts by weight of the polyethylene glycol; and a remainder the water.

6. The paintball according to claim 1, wherein the plasticizer comprises glycerin.

7. The paintball according to claim 1, wherein the shell further comprises a coloring agent.

8. The paintball according to claim 1, wherein the shell further comprises a preservative.

9. The paintball according to claim 1, wherein the fill material comprises a liquid.

10. The paintball according to claim 1, wherein the alginate comprises calcium alginate.

11. A paintball comprising: a calcium alginate shell; and a fill material inside the shell comprising: polyethylene glycol; calcium chloride; and water.

12. The paintball according to claim 11, wherein the fill material comprises: about 1.18 parts by weight of the calcium chloride; about 10 parts by weight of the polyethylene glycol; and about 12 parts by weight of the water.

13. The paintball according to claim 121, wherein the fill material comprises: about 1.18 parts by weight of the calcium chloride; about 10 parts by weight of the polyethylene glycol; and a remainder the water.

14. The paint ball according to claim 11, wherein the shell further comprises a coloring agent.

15. The paintball according to claim 11, wherein the shell further comprises a preservative.

16. The paintball according to claim 11, wherein the fill material comprises a liquid.

17. A paintball comprising: a shell comprising: an alginate; a gelatin; a plasticizer; and water; and a fill material inside the shell.

18. The paintball according to claim 17, wherein the shell comprises about 1.5 parts by weight of the alginate; about 111 parts by weight of the gelatin; about 47 parts by weight of the plasticizer; and about 130 parts by weight of the water.

19. The paintball according to claim 17, wherein the shell comprises about 1.5 parts by weight of the alginate; about 111 parts by weight of the gelatin; about 47 parts by weight of the plasticizer; and a remainder the water.

20. The paintball according to claim 17, wherein the alginate comprises calcium alginate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the features of the invention. In the drawings:

[0020] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of manufacturing paintballs according to the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 1A is a continuation of the flowchart of FIG. 1; and

[0022] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of an exemplary method of filling paintballs according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In the drawings, like numerals indicate like elements throughout. Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import. As used herein, the term “X” is a multiplier and can be any positive number.

[0024] The embodiments illustrated below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. These embodiments are chosen and described to best explain the principle of the invention and its application and practical use and to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.

[0025] Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments. The same applies to the term “implementation.”

[0026] As used in this application, the word “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion.

[0027] The word “about” is used herein to include a value of +/− 10 percent of the numerical value modified by the word “about” and the word “generally” is used herein to mean “without regard to particulars or exceptions.”

[0028] Additionally, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.

[0029] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, each numerical value and range should be interpreted as being approximate as if the word “about” or “approximately” preceded the value of the value or range.

[0030] The use of figure numbers and/or figure reference labels in the claims is intended to identify one or more possible embodiments of the claimed subject matter in order to facilitate the interpretation of the claims. Such use is not to be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of those claims to the embodiments shown in the corresponding figures.

[0031] It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods set forth herein are not necessarily required to be performed in the order described, and the order of the steps of such methods should be understood to be merely exemplary. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined, in methods consistent with various embodiments of the present invention.

[0032] Although the elements in the following method claims, if any, are recited in a particular sequence with corresponding labeling, unless the claim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for implementing some or all of those elements, those elements are not necessarily intended to be limited to being implemented in that particular sequence.

[0033] The present invention provides a method of encapsulating content with a calcium alginate membrane utilizing soft gel encapsulation. The described invention calls for the sodium alginate to be embedded in the gelatin ribbons. The gelatin ribbon is then used in the traditional encapsulation process. The gelatin in the shell can be removed by denaturing the gelatin with enzymes or water and heat. If the gelatin is removed, the calcium alginate membrane still holds the contents of the shell.

[0034] An exemplary method of manufacturing the paintballs of the present invention is described below with reference to flow chart 100 of FIG. 1.

[0035] In step 101, a solution of sodium alginate and water is prepared. An exemplary solution includes 1.16% sodium alginate solution per weight mixed with distilled water. In step 102, raw granular gelatin is mixed with glycerin, water and the sodium alginate solution formed in step 101. While animal-based gelatin is desired, vegan equivalents to animal-based gelatin can also be used. As used herein, both animal-based gelatin and vegan equivalents to gelatin are described together as “gelatin”.

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment, 111 (or “111X”) grams of gelatin, 47 (or “47X”) grams of glycerin, and 130 (or “130X”) grams of water and sodium alginate solution as described in step 101 is mixed together. Preservatives, coloring and opacifying agents can be added.

[0037] In step 103, the ingredients from step 102 are placed into a reactor called a gelatin melter. The reactor is surrounded by a thermal jacket and heats the mixture while a very high torque tribune mixer stirs the mixture under vacuum. This process takes around 3 hours until the gelatin turns into a molten liquid mass. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the time and temperature may vary.

[0038] In step 104, a fill material 213 (shown in FIG. 2) is prepared. The fill material depends on the capsules' application; however, the fill material must be a liquid or a paste. In order for the calcium alginate membrane to form, the fill material needs to contain calcium, or the paintball needs to be placed in a calcium bath at any point after encapsulation. In order to add calcium, a calcium salt, such as calcium chloride or calcium lactate, can be added to liquids. In an exemplary embodiment, 1.18 (or “1.18X”) grams of calcium chloride, 10 (or “10X”) grams of polyethylene glycol 3350, and 12 (or “12X”) grams of water are mixed together to form the fill material. While step 104 can include adding calcium, if calcium is not added in step 104, calcium can be added during any of steps 112 or 118, as described in detail below. It is, however, imperative that calcium is added during the manufacturing process.

[0039] In step 105, the gelatin solution from step 103 is pumped onto chilled drums and through a spreader box. This transforms the liquid gelatin into two solid ribbons of gel.

[0040] In step 106, encapsulation occurs. Encapsulation is a manufacturing process that hermetically seals the gelatin ribbon around the fill material in a shape determined by a die roll.

[0041] For the encapsulation process, referring to FIG. 2, two gel ribbons 202, 204, formed by the process of steps 101-105, are fed into two rotary dies 206, 208, respectively. Simultaneously, a displacement pump 210 delivers the fill material 213 into a heated wedge 212 that sits between two rotary dies 206, 208. The wedge 212 injects the fill material 213 formed in step 104 into the die cavities between ribbons 202, 204 just before the dies 206, 208 cut the ribbons 202, 204 and seal the two cut portions of ribbons 202, 204 together, forming a shell 205, with the fill material 213 in between, forming paintballs 220.

[0042] Fill material 213 can contain water or not contain water. If fill material 213 contains water, in step 108, paintballs 220 are stored in an airtight container (not shown) to prevent paintballs 220 from drying out. Prior to using paintballs 220, paintballs are removed from the container. Optionally, if calcium was not added in step 104, in step 112, paintballs 220 can be placed in a calcium and water solution. In an exemplary embodiment the water and calcium solution can include about X grams of calcium chloride and about 100X grams of water.

[0043] Regardless of whether step 112 is used, in step 114, the gelatin in the paintball 220 can optionally be denatured by placing the paintball 220 in hot water (about 102° F. or higher, depending on the type of gelatin used) or, alternatively, in step 116, paintball 220 can be placed in a water and enzyme solution that denatures gelatin. An exemplary enzyme can be bromelain. In an exemplary embodiment, the water and enzyme solution can include about X grams of bromelain and about 100X grams of water. If calcium has not yet been added in either of steps 104 or 112, in step 118, calcium can be added to the hot water of step 114 or to the water/enzyme solution of step 116. Denaturing the gelatin in the shell 205 reduces shell 205 to a calcium alginate membrane, making the shell 205 softer and more breakable.

[0044] If the paintballs 220 fill does not contain water, it can be beneficial to allow the paintball shell 205 to fully dry before storing, which is typically done in the traditional soft gel encapsulation process. In step 120, paintballs 220 can be stored in any type of container, whether or not the container is airtight.

[0045] The process then moves to steps 110,118, which are described above.

[0046] While exemplary percentages of ingredients are provided herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that other percentages can be used.

[0047] It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.