Abstract
The invention relates to a paintball backpack for storing, transporting and/or delivering projectiles to a device for firing the projectiles, comprising a storage container for the projectiles and at least one delivery connection for transporting the projectiles, wherein the paintball backpack comprises a first and at least one second delivery device, wherein the first and the at least one second delivery device are arranged superposed over each other in or on a storage container and are connected to each other by the at least one delivery connection. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for delivering projectiles from a storage container by at least two delivery devices for transferring the projectiles to a device for firing the projectiles.
Claims
1. A paintball backpack for storing, transporting and/or delivering projectiles to a device for firing the projectiles, comprising: a storage container for the projectiles and at least one delivery connection for transporting the projectiles, wherein the paintball backpack comprises: a first delivery device in a bottom area of the storage container and at least one second delivery device in a head area of the storage container, wherein the first delivery device and the at least one second delivery device are arranged superposed over each other in and/or on a storage container and are connected to each other by the at least one delivery connection; and, an opening in the head area for transferring the projectiles to the device for firing the projectiles.
2. The paintball backpack according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second delivery device comprises a storage plane, wherein the storage plane serves for an intermediate storage of the projectiles and the second delivery device is connected to the opening for transferring the projectiles by a delivery connection.
3. The paintball backpack according to claim 2, wherein the at least one storage plane is arranged in a head area of the storage container and is surrounded by a side wall and/or is formed by a funnel-shaped intermediate plane.
4. The paintball backpack according to claim 2, wherein the storage plane of the at least one second delivery device, which is arranged in a head area of the storage container and/or is formed by a funnel-shaped intermediate plane, comprises an overflow device.
5. The paintball backpack according to claim 1, wherein an axle for transferring a delivery force connects the first delivery device and at least one second delivery device to each other in such a manner that an operation of the at least two delivery devices can be synchronized.
6. The paintball backpack according to claim 1, wherein the at least two delivery devices comprise rotors, delivery worms, delivery chains and/or drive means for generating a delivery force, wherein the drive means for generating a delivery force are selected from a group comprising at least one electromotor, an internal combustion engine and/or a device for generating compressed air.
7. The paintball backpack according to claim 1, wherein the first delivery device comprises a motor and a mechanical safety coupling, as a result of which, when a maximum delivery force is exceeded, the delivery of the projectiles is decoupled from the motor movement.
8. The paintball backpack according to claim 1, wherein a guide structure consisting of two oblique planes is arranged in the inner chamber of the storage container, wherein the two oblique planes are connected to one another in such a manner that they form a rounded-off connection edge with one another in an upper area of the storage container which constitutes a plateau area of the guide structure, wherein the projectiles are guided from this plateau area by the two oblique planes in the direction of a head area of the storage container and/or in the direction of the first and/or of another delivery device.
9. The paintball backpack according to claim 1, wherein the paintball backpack comprises a carrier system to which belts for carrying the paintball backpack are attached.
10. The paintball backpack according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second delivery device, which is arranged in the head area of the storage container, can be attached to a device for firing the projectiles by another delivery connection, a connection means and/or a movable guide means for transporting the projectiles.
11. The paintball backpack according to claim 10, wherein a length of the movable guide means can be variably adapted to body prerequisites of the user of the paintball backpack.
12. The paintball backpack according to claim 1, wherein the device for firing the projectiles comprises illumination means for displaying operating states of the paintball backpack.
13. A method for delivering projectiles from a storage container of a paintball backpack according to claim 1 by the at least two delivery devices for transferring the projectiles to the device for firing the projectiles, comprising: a) providing the paintball backpack, wherein the storage container of the paintball backpack is filled with a plurality of projectiles, b) operating the delivery devices, c) delivering the projectiles by the at least two delivery devices from the storage container for transferring the projectiles to the device for firing the projectiles, wherein the transfer of the projectiles takes place in the head area of the storage container.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein a synchronization of an operation of the at least two delivery devices takes place by an axle for transferring a delivery force.
15. The method according to claim 13, wherein a synchronization of the operation of the at least two delivery devices takes place by using at least two identical electromotors and/or by an electronic and/or sensory controlling of at least two electromotors.
Description
(1) The invention is explained in detail in the following using exemplary embodiments and the following figures. In the figures:
(2) FIG. 1: shows an exemplary embodiment of a paintball backpack according to the invention with a first and a second delivery device,
(3) FIG. 2: shows the interior of a storage container of a preferred embodiment of the paintball backpack according to the invention,
(4) FIG. 3: shows a preferred embodiment of the paintball backpack according to the invention, wherein a synchronization of the two delivery devices: is realized by an axle,
(5) FIG. 4: shows the head area of a preferred embodiment of the paintball backpack according to the invention,
(6) FIG. 5: shows the interior of a storage container of a preferred embodiment of the paintball backpack according to the invention, and
(7) FIG. 6: shows a preferred embodiment of the outer wall of the paintball backpack according to the invention.
(8) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a paintball backpack (10) according to the invention with a first (12) and a second delivery device (14). The two delivery devices (12, 14) are connected to one another by a delivery connection (16). In the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 the delivery devices (12, 14) and the delivery connection (16) are in the inner chamber of a storage container (40). In addition, a guide structure (24) consisting of a first (20) and a second, oblique plane (22) is present in the inner chamber of the storage container. The arrangement of the two oblique planes (20, 22) forms a plateau area (42) from which projectiles present in the inner chamber of the storage container (40) move in the direction of a head area (52) and of a bottom area (54) of the storage container (40). The first (20) one of the two oblique (planes (20) 22) comprises a recess (36) in the lower area which imitates the circular shape of the first delivery device (12).
(9) FIG. 1 furthermore shows another delivery connection (18) which runs from the second delivery device (14) to an opening (46). The paintball backpack (10) of the invention is suitable for the storage, transportation and delivery of projectiles. The projectiles are located in the storage container (40) of the paintball backpack (10), which is carried by a player when playing paintball. The paintball backpack (10) comprises carrier belts (not shown) on its back side (44) with which the backpack (10) can be carried in a known manner on the back of a player. The bottom area (54) of the paintball backpack (10) is usually located at the level of the hip of the user when the paintball backpack (10) is being carried, whereas the head area (52) of the paintball backpack (10) is located at the level of the player's throat and/or neck. As a result of the downwardly acting gravity (58), the projectiles are collected in the, for example, funnel-shaped bottom area (54) of the storage container (40). Therefore, the projectiles pass into the take-in an area of the first delivery device (12), wherein the first delivery device (12) can be, for example, a rotor, a delivery chain and/or a delivery worm. The first delivery device (12) comprises delivery pockets (30) which are present arranged on a partial circle of the first delivery device (12), wherein the first delivery device (12) has a circular base surface in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The projectiles pass by a rotary movement of the first delivery device (12) into a delivery connection (16) formed in the present exemplary embodiment by a stable plastic tube. The first (12) and the second delivery device (14) are driven by drive means, wherein the drive means can be, for example, electromotors. The projectiles are transported through the delivery connection (16) counter to the force of gravity (58) to a second delivery device (14). In the exemplary embodiment of the paintball backpack (10) according to the invention and shown in FIG. 1 the second delivery device (14) is arranged in the head area (52) of the backpack (10).
(10) FIG. 2 shows the inner chamber of a storage container (40) of a preferred embodiment of the paintball backpack (10) according to the invention. In particular the second delivery device (14) can be seen which has a circular base surface area and a side wall (26) in the embodiment shown, wherein the side wall (26) imitates the circular base surface area of the second delivery device (14). The side wall (26) is located above the second delivery device (14) and forms in the shown embodiment of the invention a storage plane (34) into which the projectiles pass through the delivery connection (16) from the first delivery device (12). The projectiles are stored in the storage plane (34) before they also fall by gravity (58) into the delivery pockets (not shown) of the second delivery device (14). From the second delivery device (14) the projectiles are delivered through another delivery connection (18) to an opening (46) in the outer wall (56) of the paintball backpack (10) according to the invention. The other delivery connection (18) can be formed, for example, by a hose or a tube.
(11) A surplus of projectiles develops in the storage plane (34) above the second delivery device (14) which makes it possible that a continuous supplying of the second delivery device (14) with projectiles is ensured. For the case that there is no additional space for additional projectiles in the storage plane (34), an overflow device (28) is provided in the side wall (26) of the second delivery device (14). The overflow device (28) is formed in the exemplary embodiment of the paintball backpack (10) according to the invention and shown in FIG. 2 by an opening in the side wall (26) through which the excess projectiles can be discharged from the storage plane (34). These projectiles which leave the storage plane (34) through the overflow device (28) pass back into the storage container (40) and back again into the take-in the area of the first delivery device (12) by the force gravity (58).
(12) Furthermore, FIG. 2 shows the bottom area (54) of the storage container (40) of the paintball backpack (10) according to the invention. In the embodiment shown the bottom area (54) is formed by a funnel-shaped bottom surface (32) whose lowest point is formed by the first delivery device (12). As a result of the funnel-shaped design of the bottom surface (32), the projectiles located in the bottom area (54) of the storage container (40) pass into the take-in the area of the first delivery device (12). Furthermore, FIG. 2 shows the delivery pockets (30) of the rotor, which forms the first delivery device (12) in the embodiment of the invention shown.
(13) FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein a synchronization of the two delivery devices shown (12, 14) is realized by an axle (38) connecting the two delivery devices (12, 14) to one another. It can be seen that the axle (38) connects to one another in particular the central areas of the delivery devices (12, 14), which are circular in this exemplary embodiment. These central areas of the delivery device (12, 14) are formed, for example, by hubs of the rotors which form the delivery devices (12, 14). Illustration 3 clearly shows the delivery pockets (30) of the first delivery device (12). Moreover, FIG. 3 shows that the delivery connection (16) is located in the area of a side wall (60) of the storage container (40).
(14) FIG. 4 shows the head area (52) of a preferred embodiment of the invention. In particular the second delivery device (14) can be seen with a side wall (26) forming a storage plane (34). An opening (28) is present in this side wall (26) and is also designated as an overflow device. In the embodiment of the invention shown the opening (28) of the side wall (26) of the second delivery device (14) is located in the area of the back side (44) of the storage container (40). When the paintball backpack (10) is being carried by a user the back side (44) of the paintball backpack (10) rests on the user's back. Carrier belts (not shown) can be provided on this back side (44) of the paintball backpack (10) which make it possible to carry the paintball backpack (10) in a known manner. An opening (46) is present in the head area (52) in the outer wall (56) which forms the back side (44) of the paintball backpack (10) into which opening the other delivery connection (18) coming from the second delivery device (14) empties. Therefore, the transfer of the projectiles from the storage container to the device for shooting the projectiles such as, e.g., a marker takes place via the opening (46).
(15) FIG. 5 shows the inner chamber of the storage container (40) of an embodiment of the invention and shows in particular the guide structure (24). The guide structure (24) is formed in the embodiment shown by two oblique planes (20, 22) that are not equally large and form a plateau area (42) of the guide structure (24) in a transitional area between these two oblique planes (20, 22). After this plateau area (42) the projectiles pass due to the force of gravity (58) either into an upper area (62) or into a lower area (64) of the storage container (40). The guide structure (24) shown in FIG. 5 ensures a frictionless operation of the paintball backpack (10) according to the invention in particular when the user of the paintball backpack (10) is lying, for example, on the ground in order to fire projectiles with the device for firing the projectiles. In this lying position of the user the outer wall (56) of the paintball backpack (10) is arranged substantially parallel to the ground on which the user is lying. Therefore, the force of gravity (58) acts in this lying position in the direction of the back side (44) of the paintball backpack (10). In order to ensure a continuous supplying of the second delivery device (14, not shown in FIG. 5), the guide structure (24) consisting of the two oblique planes (20, 22) is provided in the storage container (40) in order that the projectiles pass into the take-in area of the first delivery device (12). Without such a guide structure (24) the projectiles would be distributed in a lying position of the user uniformly on the back side (44) of the paintball backpack (10) according to the invention due to the unfavorable action of gravity, which would render a continuous supplying of the first delivery device with projectiles in this lying position significantly more difficult. The guide structure (24) overcomes this challenge in that the projectiles pass from a plateau area (42) of the guide structure (24) in particular into the lower area (64) of the storage container (40).
(16) FIG. 6a shows a preferred embodiment of the outside wall of the paintball backpack (10) according to the invention. The opening (46) can be seen in the outside wall (56) of the paintball backpack (10), wherein the opening (46) is provided with an adapter (48) in the embodiment shown. The projectiles pass through this adapter (48) from the other delivery connection (18) into a movable guide means (not shown) which connects the paintball backpack (10) to a device for firing the projectiles. According to FIG. 6b the adapter (48) can be constructed in two parts, as a result of which when the two adapter halves are joined together a movable guide means can be clamped in or squeezed in between the two adapter components. An especially stable fastening of the connection means is ensured by the squeezing or clamping of the connection means by the two components of the adapter (48). In a preferred embodiment of the invention the components of the adapter (48) can comprise an inner threading (50) so that a connection means can also be screwed, for example, into the adapter (48).
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
(17) 10 paintball backpack 12 first delivery device 14 second delivery device 16 delivery connection 18 other delivery connection 20 first oblique plane 22 second oblique plane 24 guide structure 26 side wall of the second delivery device 28 overflow device 30 delivery pocket 32 funnel-shaped bottom area of the storage container 34 storage plane 36 recess in the first oblique plane 38 axle 40 storage container 42 plateau area of the guide structure 44 back side of the paintball backpack 46 opening for transferring the projectiles 48 bipartite transfer means 50 threading 52 head area of the storage container 54 bottom area of the storage container 56 outside wall of the paintball backpack 58 gravity 60 side wall of the paintball backpack 62 upper area of the storage container 64 lower area of the storage container 66 safety coupling
