# US 2013/0152912 A1 · Marker feed conduit for illuminating paintballs > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0152912 A1 - Document ID: US20130152912A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/702,940 - Filed: 2011-06-02 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-06-09 - Assignees: Professional Paintball Services Pty Ltd - Inventors: Peter Andrew Spencer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130152912A1 ## CPC - F41B 11/52: the projectiles being loosely held in a magazine above the gun housing, e.g. in a hopper - F41B 11/50: Magazines for compressed-gas guns; Arrangements for feeding or loading projectiles from magazines - F41B 11/57: Electronic or electric systems for feeding or loading (F41B11/53 takes precedence) - F41B: WEAPONS FOR PROJECTING MISSILES WITHOUT USE OF EXPLOSIVE OR COMBUSTIBLE PROPELLANT CHARGE; WEAPONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (projectiles for fishing, e.g. fish-spears, A01K81/00; sports implements for throwing A63B65/00, e.g. boomerangs A63B65/08; stationary apparatus for projecting sports balls, e.g. tennis balls, A63B69/40; throwing or slinging toys A63H33/18; knives, axes B26B; projectiles or missiles other than those incorporating springs as projecting means F42B6/00) ## Abstract A paintball marker feed conduit for illuminating paintballs, comprising an inlet end for coupling relative to a paintball hopper, an outlet end for coupling relative to a paintball marker body, and a contained path between the inlet and outlet, the feed conduit being arranged to house a plurality of paintballs in single file and supply said paintballs in succession from the hopper to the paintball marker body inside which a foremost one of said paintballs rests ready for firing from the marker, wherein the feed conduit includes a light mounted to shine light directly onto said foremost paintball to charge the paintball while resting inside the paintball marker body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A paintball marker feed conduit for illuminating paintballs, comprising an inlet end for coupling relative to a paintball hopper, an outlet end for coupling relative to a paintball marker body, and a contained path between the inlet and outlet, the feed conduit being arranged to house a plurality of paintballs in single file and supply said paintballs in succession from the hopper to the paintball marker body inside which a foremost one of said paintballs rests ready for firing from the marker, wherein the feed conduit includes a light mounted to shine light directly onto said foremost paintball to charge the paintball while resting inside the paintball marker body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feed conduit is in the form of an assembly including a removable illumination attachment to which the light is mounted, whereby the attachment is able to be fitted to the paintball marker for night play requiring paintball illumination and removed from the paintball marker for day play not requiring paintball illumination. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light is in the form of an LED. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light is in the form of an ultra bright LED. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 3, including a second, additional LED oriented to shine light in a direction angled relative to the direction of light shone by the first LED. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second LED is oriented substantially perpendicularly relative to the first LED. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the assembly is arranged such that the light shines directly onto the foremost paintball through a window. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the removable attachment is waterproof to facilitate internal and/or external cleaning of the conduit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the LED is arranged to flicker to reduce energy consumption from a battery of the feed conduit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the illuminating attachment is adapted to be retro-fitted to an existing non-illuminating feed elbow to form the feed conduit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 2, including a safety switch to automatically switch off the light in the event the attachment is removed from the paintball marker. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 5, wherein one of the LEDs is adapted to continue illuminating in the even the other of the LEDs fails. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 1, including an external on/off switch for switching off the light. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the on/off switch is magnetic or wireless. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 1, including a dimmed tell-tale illumination indicator to indicate to a user when the light is in operation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 1, including an interchangeable battery housing which is interchangeable with other like battery housings. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 1, arranged such that the foremost paintball illuminating in the breach is visible from a distal end of a barrel of the paintball marker. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A paintball marker feed conduit as claimed in claim 17, arranged such that the foremost paintball illuminating is the only illumination from the light visible to players other than the user. ### Claim 19 (canceled)