Paintball container
AssigneeNPF Limited
InventorsJohn Ronald Rice, Mark Andrew Walker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A paintball container comprises a body 12 and a lid 14. The lid 14 is hinged to the body 12 at one side, and has a tab 42 at the other side to facilitate opening of the container. The body 12 has a guard 26 formed on it adjacent to the tab 42 on the lid. The guard is substantially U-shaped and bounds a recess 30 into which a user can insert their thumb to pull up the tab 42 to release the lid. The guard 26 prevents accidental opening of the lid, for example when the container is being removed from a harness in which it is being carried.
Claims55
A paintball container comprising a body of substantially constant cross section over the length of the container, a lid, and a hinge connecting the lid to the body, the lid being movable into a closed position in which it is arranged to engage with the body to close the container, wherein the container includes a release means positioned substantially opposite the hinge to enable opening of the container, and the body has a guard protruding laterally therefrom, the guard being substantially opposite the hinge so that, with the lid in the closed condition, the guard is adjacent at least part of the release means, thereby being arranged to direct a foreign body travelling longitudinally over the body towards the lid past the release means to prevent unintentional opening of the container, said container having defined therein a recess arranged to accommodate a user's digit wherein the guard at least partially circumscribes the recess and is sloped or curved towards the release means to guide the user's digit into the recess and into contact with the release means.
A paintball container comprising a body of substantially constant diameter over the length of the container, a lid selectively securable and releasable from a closed position to an open position on the body, release means operable to release the lid from the body to allow opening of the container, and a guard, the guard being aligned with the release means and projecting laterally from the container at least as far as the release means so as to guard the release means from unintentional operation, wherein the container has a recess defined therein which is arranged to accommodate a user's digit, and the guard at least partially circumscribes the recess and is sloped or curved toward the release means to guide the user's digit into contact with the release means.
A paintball container comprising a body, a lid selectively securable and releasable from a closed position to an open position on the body, a release member operable to release the lid from the body to allow opening of the container, and a guard, the guard at least partially defining a recess arranged to accommodate a user's digit and is sloped or curved towards the release means, and the release member being located within the recess whereby the guard is arranged to guide the user's digit into contact with the release member, while at the same time preventing inadvertent operation of the release member.
A paintball container comprising a body of substantially constant cross section over the length of the container, a lid, and a hinge connecting the lid to the body, the lid being movable into a closed position in which it is arranged to engage with the body to close the container, wherein the container includes a release means positioned substantially opposite the hinge to enable opening of the container, and the body has a guard protruding laterally therefrom, the guard being substantially opposite the hinge so that, with the lid in the closed condition, the guard is adjacent at least part of the release means, thereby being arranged to direct a foreign body travelling longitudinally over the body towards the lid past the release means to prevent unintentional opening of the container, said container having defined therein a recess arranged to accommodate a user's digit wherein the guard at least partially circumscribes the recess and is substantially U-shaped to guide the user's digit into the recess and into contact with the release means.
A paintball container comprising a body of substantially constant cross section over the length of the container, a lid, and a hinge connecting the lid to the body, the lid being movable into a closed position in which it is arranged to engage with the body to close the container, wherein the container includes a release means positioned substantially opposite the hinge to enable opening of the container, and the body has a guard protruding laterally therefrom, the guard being substantially opposite the hinge so that, with the lid in the closed condition, the guard is adjacent at least part of the release means, thereby being arranged to direct a foreign body traveling longitudinally over the body towards the lid past the release means to prevent unintentional opening of the container, said container having defined therein a recess arranged to accommodate a user's digit wherein the guard at least partially circumscribes the recess and is sloped or curved towards the release means to guide the user's digit into the recess and into contact with the release means,
- wherein the part of the lid arranged to be engaged by the user's digit circumscribes one side of the recess and the guard and the part of the lid arranged to be engaged by the user's digit together surround the recess;
- and
- wherein the recess is substantially U-shaped having a top end at least partially circumscribed by the part of the lid arranged to be engaged by the user's digit and a curved part at least partially circumscribed by the guard.
A paintball container comprising a body of substantially constant diameter over the length of the container, a lid selectively securable and releasable from a closed position to an open position on the body, release means operable to release the lid from the body to allow opening of the container, and a guard, the guard being aligned with the release means and projecting laterally from the container at least as far as the release means so as to guard the release means from unintentional operation, wherein the container has a recess defined therein which is arranged to accommodate a user's digit, and the guard at least partially circumscribes the recess thereby to guide the user's digit into contact with the release means;
- wherein the container defines a circumferential direction, the release means extends in the circumferential direction, and the guard is aligned with the release means in the circumferential direction;
- wherein the release means has an extent in the circumferential direction and the guard extends over substantially the whole of the circumferential extent of the release means;
- wherein the release means comprises a part of the lid arranged to be engaged by the user's digit so as to urge the lid away from the body, to open the container when selectively engaged by the user's digit;
- wherein said part of the lid bounds one side of the recess and the guard and said part of the lid together completely surround the recess;
- and
- wherein the recess is substantially U-shaped having a top end at least partially circumscribed by said part of the lid and a curved part at least partially circumscribed by the guard.
A paintball container comprising a body of substantially constant diameter over the length of the container, a lid selectively securable and releasable from a closed position to an open position on the body, release means operable to release the lid from the body to allow opening of the container, and a guard, the guard being aligned with the release means and projecting laterally from the container at least as far as the release means so as to guard the release means from unintentional operation, wherein the container has a recess defined therein which is arranged to accommodate a user's digit and is sloped or curved toward the release means, and the guard at least partially circumscribes the recess thereby to guide the user's digit into contact with the release means.
A paintball container comprising a body, a lid, and a hinge connecting the lid to the body, the lid being movable into a closed position in which it is arranged to engage with the body to close the container, wherein the container includes a release means positioned substantially opposite the hinge to enable opening of the container, and the body has a guard protruding laterally therefrom, the guard being substantially opposite the hinge so that, with the lid in the closed condition, the guard is adjacent at least part of the release means, thereby being arranged to direct a foreign body travelling longitudinally over the body towards the lid past the release means to prevent unintentional opening of the container, said container having defined therein a recess arranged to accommodate a user's digit wherein the guard at least partially circumscribes the recess and is substantially U-shaped to guide the user's digit into the recess and into contact with the release means.
A paintball container comprising a body of substantially constant cross section over the length of the container, a lid, and a hinge connecting the lid to the body, the lid being movable into a closed position in which it is arranged to engage with the body to close the container, wherein the container includes a release means positioned substantially opposite the hinge to enable opening of the container, and the body has a guard protruding laterally therefrom, the guard being substantially opposite the hinge so that, with the lid in the closed condition, the guard is adjacent at least part of the release means, thereby being arranged to direct a foreign body traveling longitudinally over the body towards the lid past the release means to prevent unintentional opening of the container, said container having defined therein a recess arranged to accommodate a user's digit wherein the guard at least partially circumscribes the recess and is sloped or curved towards the release means to guide the user's digit into the recess and into contact with the release means,
- wherein the part of the lid arranged to be engaged by the user's digit circumscribes one side of the recess and the guard and the part of the lid arranged to be engaged by the user's digit together surround the recess;
- and
- wherein the recess is substantially U-shaped having a top end at least partially circumscribed by the part of the lid arranged to be engaged by the user's digit and a curved part at least partially circumscribed by the guard.
A paintball container comprising a body, a lid selectively securable and releasable from a closed position to an open position on the body, release means operable to release the lid from the body to allow opening of the container, and a guard, the guard being aligned with the release means and projecting laterally from the container at least as far as the release means so as to guard the release means from unintentional operation, wherein the container has a recess defined therein which is arranged to accommodate a user's digit, and the guard at least partially circumscribes the recess thereby to guide the user's digit into contact with the release means;
- wherein the container defines a circumferential direction, the release means extends in the circumferential direction, and the guard is aligned with the release means in the circumferential direction;
- wherein the release means has an extent in the circumferential direction and the guard extends over substantially the whole of the circumferential extent of the release means;
- wherein the release means comprises a part of the lid arranged to be engaged by the user's digit so as to urge the lid away from the body, to open the container when selectively engaged by the user's digit;
- wherein said part of the lid bounds one side of the recess and the guard and said part of the lid together completely surround the recess;
- and
- wherein the recess is substantially U-shaped having a top end at least partially circumscribed by said part of the lid and a curved part at least partially circumscribed by the guard.
A paintball container comprising a body, a lid selectively securable and releasable from a closed position to an open position on the body, release means operable to release the lid from the body to allow opening of the container, and a guard, the guard being aligned with the release means and projecting laterally from the container at least as far as the release means so as to guard the release means from unintentional operation, wherein the container has a recess defined therein which is arranged to accommodate a user's digit and is sloped or curved toward the release means, and the guard at least partially circumscribes the recess thereby to guide the user's digit into contact with the release means.
A paintball container comprising a body, a lid selectively securable and releasable from a closed position to an open position on the body, release means operable to release the lid from the body to allow opening of the container, and a guard, the guard being aligned with the release means and projecting laterally from the container at least as far as the release means so as to guard the release means from unintentional operation, wherein the container has a recess defined therein by the guard, the guard comprising two side portions, one on either side of the recess, the side portions being spaced apart and projecting laterally from each other a sufficient distance to accommodate a single digit of a user so as to allow single digit operation of the release means, the release means defining the upper end of the recess and enclosing the entire upper end of the recess when the lid is in a closed position so as to guard the release means from unintentional operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.