Multiple cannister supply paintball marker

Abstract

A paintball marker using a gas combination chamber having multiple inputs for sealably connecting to multiple gas supply canisters. Multiple seals and piercing needles are provided to release the compressed gas from the separate canisters into the combination chamber. A single release valve is then provided for launching the paintball marker using the combined gas supply. A body including an alignment chamber and a screw on back cover is provided for aligning the canisters in position and then generating the pressure for sealing and piercing the multiple canisters. The multiple canister connection provides an increased gas capacity over known markers while still using the low supply capacity of the commercially available gas canisters. The simple guided alignment provided by the marker body and the screw on pressure cap provide for quick field replacement of the canisters in the rough playing environment associated with the game of paintball.

1 . A paintball marker apparatus adapted to launch a paintball using a pressurized gas supplied from a plurality of gas cartridges, each gas cartridge having a gas containment body, the apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of gas inputs, each gas input adapted to flowably connected to one gas cartridge; and    a gas combination chamber flowably connected to the plurality of gas inputs.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , each gas input comprising: 
 a gas seal; and    a gas flow structure, the gas seal adapted to sealably connect the gas containment body to the gas flow structure such that the pressurized gas sealably flows from the gas containment body into the gas flow structure.    
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , the gas flow structure further comprising: 
 a piercing needle, the piercing needle adapted to puncture the gas containment body.    
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , the apparatus further comprising: 
 a cartridge housing defining a multiple cartridge holding area.    
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the apparatus further comprising: 
 a pressure application device, the pressure application device having a first range of motion adapted to apply sealing pressure to the gas cartridges.    
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , the pressure application device also having a second range of motion adapted to apply piercing pressure to the gas cartridges.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the apparatus further comprising: 
 a cartridge housing defining a first thread; and    a cartridge cap defining a second thread and a multiple cartridge contact area, the second thread adapted to engage the first thread such that the multiple cartridge contact area applies pressure to the gas cartridges.    
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the gas combination chamber further comprising: 
 a pressure release valve including a releasable chamber seal.    
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , the pressure release valve further comprising: 
 a seal biasing spring connected to the releasable chamber seal, the seal biasing spring adapted to bias the chamber seal to a sealed position.    
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , the gas combination chamber defining an expansion volume.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , the gas combination chamber defining an expansion volume.  
   
   
       12 . A multiple supply marker apparatus adapted to receive and launch a paintball using a pressurized gas provided in a container, the apparatus comprising: 
 a gas input means for accepting pressurized gas from multiple containers and combining the gas to form a combined gas supply; and    a launching means for releasing the combined gas supply to launch the paintball.    
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , each gas input means comprising: 
 a gas sealing means for sealing the container to the gas input means.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 a pressure application means for applying sealing pressure between the gas sealing means and the gas cartridge.    
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , each gas input means comprising: 
 a piercing means for puncturing the container.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  further comprising: 
 a pressure application means for applying piercing pressure between the piercing means and the container.    
   
   
       17 . A method for launching a paintball using pressurized gas from multiple gas cartridges, the method comprising: 
 providing multiple inputs for accepting the pressurized gas from each of gas cartridges;    releasing the pressurized gas from the cartridges;    combining at least a portion of the pressurized gas from each of the gas cartridges to form a combined gas supply;    selectively releasing the combined gas supply to act on the paintball.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , releasing the pressurized gas further comprising: 
 sealing at least a portion of the multiple gas cartridges; and then    piercing the sealed portion of a plurality of the multiple gas cartridges to release the pressurized gas.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , piercing further comprising: 
 providing a piercing needle; and    pressing the gas cartridge against the piercing needle.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising: 
 providing a gas expansion chamber; and    using a combined volume chamber to provide a launching volume of gas.