Paintball pod harness

{
  "publication_number": "US10775142B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Paintball pod harness",
  "abstract": "A paintball harness has a support plate with a rear surface that faces toward a user's lower back when the harness is worn by the user. A pair of primary straps extend from opposite ends of the back plate and can extend about the user's waist and removably couple to each other when the harness is worn by the user. The harness has a pair of secondary straps attached to the rear surface of the support plate and extend through a pair of openings in the support plate. At least a portion of the pair of secondary straps are elastic, the pair of secondary straps configured to releasably couple to a front surface of the pair of primary straps. A plurality of holsters attach to the support plate, each holster defining a channel that resiliently receives at least a portion of a pod of paintballs therein. The pair of secondary straps can be stretched while detached from the pair of primary straps to adjust a tension of the harness on the user and can be coupled pair of primary straps in the stretched position, where increasing the stretching of the secondary straps further pulls the support plate against the user's back when the harness is worn by the user.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A paintball pod harness, comprising: a support plate having a rear surface configured to face a user's lower back when the harness is worn by the user; a pair of primary straps extending from opposite ends of the support plate and configured to extend about the user's waist and removably couple to each other when the harness is worn by the user; a pair of secondary straps attached to the rear surface of the support plate and configured to extend through a pair of openings in the support plate, at least a portion of the pair of secondary straps being elastic, the pair of secondary straps configured to releasably couple to a front surface of the pair of primary straps; and a plurality of holsters attached to the support plate, the holsters defining a channel configured to resiliently receive at least a portion of a pod of paintballs therein, wherein the pair of secondary straps are configured to be stretched while detached from the pair of primary straps to adjust a tension of the harness on the user and configured to be coupled to said pair of primary straps in the stretched position, wherein increasing the stretching of the secondary straps is configured to further pull the support plate against the user's back when the harness is worn by the user.",
    "2. The paintball pod harness of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the primary straps is elastic.",
    "3. The paintball pod harness of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of holsters is detachable from the support plate.",
    "4. The paintball pod harness of claim 3, wherein said at least one of the plurality of holsters includes a stabilizing plate, a first elastic material portion attached to a left side of the stabilizing plate, a second elastic material portion attached to a right side of the stabilizing plate, and fasteners attached to the first and second elastic material portions to thereby allow the first and second material portions to couple to each other via the fasteners to define the channel configured to receive at least a portion of the pod of paintballs therein.",
    "5. The paintball pod harness of claim 4, further comprising a backing attached to the stabilizing plate.",
    "6. The paintball pod harness of claim 5, wherein the backing comprises an anti-slip feature or material configured to engage a surface of the pod of paintballs when inserted in the channel.",
    "7. The paintball pod harness of claim 4, wherein the fasteners are hoop-and-loop fasteners.",
    "8. The paintball pod harness of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the first and second elastic material portions of said at least one of the plurality of holsters are configured to extend through slots in a wall of the support plate so that the fasteners attach to each other adjacent the rear surface of the support plate and the channel of the holster is defined at least partially by a front surface of the support plate.",
    "9. The paintball pod harness of claim 8, wherein a tension provide said at least one of the plurality of holsters on the pod of paintballs is adjustable by detaching the first and second elastic material portions from each other and reattaching the first and second material portions to each other so that their fasteners overlap relative to each other by a different amount.",
    "10. A paintball pod harness, comprising: a support plate having a rear surface configured to face a user's lower back when the harness is worn by the user; a pair of primary straps extending from opposite ends of the support plate and configured to extend about the user's waist and removably couple to each other when the harness is worn by the user; a pair of secondary straps attached to the rear surface of the support plate and configured to extend through a pair of openings in the support plate, at least a portion of the pair of secondary straps being elastic, the pair of secondary straps configured to releasably couple to a front surface of the pair of primary straps; and a plurality of holsters removably attached to the support plate, the holsters defining a channel configured to resiliently receive at least a portion of a pod of paintballs therein, wherein the pair of secondary straps are configured to be stretched while detached from the pair of primary straps to adjust a tension of the harness on the user and configured to be coupled pair of primary straps in the stretched position, wherein increasing the stretching of the secondary straps is configured to further pull the support plate against the user's back when the harness is worn by the user.",
    "11. The paintball pod harness of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the primary straps is elastic.",
    "12. The paintball pod harness of claim 10, wherein the holsters include a stabilizing plate, a first elastic material portion attached to a left side of the stabilizing plate, a second elastic material portion attached to a right side of the stabilizing plate, and fasteners attached to the first and second elastic material portions to thereby allow the first and second material portions to couple to each other via the fasteners to define the channel configured to receive at least a portion of the pod of paintballs therein.",
    "13. The paintball pod harness of claim 12, further comprising a backing attached to the stabilizing plate.",
    "14. The paintball pod harness of claim 13, wherein the backing comprises an anti-slip feature or material configured to engage a surface of the pod of paintballs when inserted in the channel.",
    "15. The paintball pod harness of claim 12, wherein the fasteners are hoop-and-loop fasteners.",
    "16. The paintball pod harness of claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the first and second elastic material portions are configured to extend through slots in a wall of the support plate so that the fasteners attach to each other adjacent the rear surface of the support plate and the channel of the holster is defined at least partially by a front surface of the support plate.",
    "17. The paintball pod harness of claim 12, wherein a tension provided by each of the plurality of holsters is adjustable by detaching the first and second elastic material portions from each other and reattaching the first and second material portions to each other so that their fasteners overlap relative to each other by a different amount.",
    "18. A paintball pod harness, comprising: a support plate having a rear surface configured to face a user's lower back when the harness is worn by the user; a pair of straps extending from opposite ends of the support plate and configured to extend about the user's waist and removably couple to each other when the harness is worn by the user; and a plurality of holsters removably attached to the support plate, the holsters defining a channel configured to resiliently receive at least a portion of a pod of paintballs therein, the plurality of holsters including a stabilizing plate, a first elastic material portion attached to a left side of the stabilizing plate, a second elastic material portion attached to a right side of the stabilizing plate, and hoop-and-loop fasteners attached to the first and second elastic material portions to thereby allow the first and second material portions to couple to each other via the fasteners to define the channel configured to receive at least a portion of the pod of paintballs therein, at least a portion of the first and second elastic material portions configured to extend through slots in a wall of the support plate so that the fasteners attach to each other adjacent the rear surface of the support plate and the channel of the holster is defined at least partially by a front surface of the support plate, wherein a tension provided by each of the plurality of holsters is adjustable by detaching the first and second elastic material portions from each other and reattaching the first and second material portions to each other so that their fasteners overlap relative to each other by a different amount.",
    "19. The paintball pod harness of claim 18, further comprising a backing attached to the stabilizing plate, the backing comprising an anti-slip feature or material configured to engage a surface of the pod of paintballs when inserted in the channel."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention is directed to paintball pod harness, and more particularly to a modular paintball pod harness with removable pod holders and double lumbar straps.\n\nPaintball is a popular team sport in which competitors shoot paintballs at each other using a paintball marker or gun, while players move over a field of play (e.g., a wooded or natural environment). Paintballs are loaded into a hopper attached to the marker, such that the hopper feeds paintballs into the marker during use. It is often necessary to reload the hopper with paintballs during a competition, and players usually carry a harness around their waist with pods housing paintballs, allowing them to refill the hopper with paintballs by removing a pod from the harness and engaging it with the hopper to transfer the paintballs from the pod to the hopper.\n\nIn accordance with on aspect of the invention, an improved paintball pod harness is provided that allows for adjustment in tension of a belt of the harness, providing improved lumbar support during use and inhibiting (e.g., preventing) shifting, bouncing or movement of the harness on the player's back during use. Such inhibiting (e.g., preventing) of shifting, bouncing or movement of the harness on the player's body during use can reduce noise generated by such movement of the harness, and therefore facilitating the player's ability to move through a field of play without being heard (e.g., move surreptitiously).",
  "cpc": [
    "F42B 39/02",
    "A45F 2003/144",
    "A45F 5/00",
    "A45F 5/021",
    "F42B 39/082"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A45F 5/02",
    "F42B 39/02"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Hk Army Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Jason Jeremiah Pineda"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2020-04-16",
  "publication_date": "2020-09-15",
  "grant_date": "2020-09-15",
  "priority_date": "2020-04-16",
  "application_number": "US-202016850286-A",
  "family_id": "72425745",
  "cited_by_count": 8,
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}