Antistatic paint cup

• US 20060283861A1
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carlisle Fluid Technologies Incorporated (Carlisle Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Kosmyna, Michael J., Charpie, Mark E., Wisniewski, Ralph A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,665,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/495.20
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2408 characterised by the container or its attachment means to the spray apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2478 Gun with a container which, in normal use, is located above the gun
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2481 with a flexible container for liquid or other fluent material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/922 Static electricity metal bleed-off metallic stock

Abstract

A flexible, disposable liner for use in a fluid supply assembly. The disposable liner is made of an antistatic material. In use, the chargeable particles in a coating mixture do not stick to the disposable liner so that uniformity of the coating mixture is maintained while it is dispensed. A method of maintaining the uniformity of a coating mixture during dispensing is also described.

Claims

1. A disposable liner comprising at least one side wall defining a volume for containing:

material having chargeable particles therein, wherein the side wall comprises antistatic material.

2. The disposable liner of claim 1 wherein the antistatic material comprises a polymeric material containing an antistatic additive.

3. The disposable liner of claim 2 wherein the antistatic additive is selected from long-chain aliphatic amines and amides, phosphates, quaternary ammonium compounds, polyethylene glycols, glycol esters, ethoxylated long-chain aliphatic amines, polymeric antistatic additives composed of hydrophilic copolymers, intrinsic conductive polymers, polyaniline, polythiophene, conductive fillers, carbon black, metal powder and fibers, graphite fibers, or conductive nanofibers.

4. The disposable liner of claim 2 wherein the polymeric material is selected from polyethylene, or polypropylene.

5. The disposable liner of claim 1 wherein the disposable liner comprises a flexible bag comprising a side wall defining the volume for containing material having chargeable particles therein, an opening adjacent one end and a sealed zipper closure adjacent the opposite end.

6. The disposable liner of claim 1 wherein the disposable liner comprises a flexible, disposable cup, the disposable cup comprising a side wall, an open outlet end, and a closed bottom defining an interior, wherein the disposable cup stands on the bottom, and wherein the side wall collapses when fluid is withdrawn from the disposable cup, the disposable cup comprising an antistatic material, the antistatic material comprising a polymeric material containing antistatic conductive nanofibers whereby chargeable particles in a coating mixture do not stick to the disposable cup so that uniformity of the coating mixture is maintained while it is dispensed.

7. The disposable liner of claim 6 wherein the conductive nanofibers comprise carbon nanofibers.

8. The disposable liner of claim 6 wherein the polymeric material is selected from polyethylene, or polypropylene.

9. The disposable liner of claim 6 wherein a flange extends outward from an edge of the outlet end of the disposable cup.

10. The disposable liner of claim 9 wherein the flange extends downward from the outlet end at an angle in a range of from about 10°

to about 70°

.

11. The disposable liner of claim 9 wherein the flange of the disposable cup further comprises a removal tab.

12. The disposable liner of claim 6 wherein the disposable cup has indicia for measuring fluids on the side wall.

13. The disposable liner of claim 6 wherein the side wall is generally cylindrical.

14. The disposable liner of claim 6 wherein the side wall is generally elliptical.

15. The disposable liner of claim 6 wherein the sidewall has a first portion adjacent to the outlet end, a second portion adjacent to the bottom, and a third portion between the outlet end and the bottom, the first and second portions having a thickness greater than a thickness of the third portion.

16. The disposable liner of claim 15 wherein the thickness of the first and second portions is in a range of about 2 to about 3 times the thickness of the third portion.

17. The disposable liner of claim 15 wherein the first and second portions each cover about one fourth of the sidewall.

18. The disposable liner of claim 6 wherein the fluid supply assembly is a paint supply assembly, and wherein the coating mixture is a paint mixture and the chargeable particles are metallic particles, and wherein uniformity of the coating mixture is uniformity of a color of the paint mixture.

19. A method of maintaining uniformity of a coating mixture during dispensing comprising:

providing a reusable cup holder and an outer lid having an opening therein, the reusable cup holder adapted to mate with the outer lid;

providing a disposable cup adapted to fit in the reusable cup holder, the disposable cup comprising a side wall, an open outlet end, and a closed bottom defining an interior, the disposable cup comprising an antistatic material, the antistatic material comprising a polymeric material containing antistatic conductive nanofibers;

filling the disposable cup with a coating mixture containing chargeable particles;

placing the disposable cup in reusable cup holder;

attaching the outer lid to the reusable cup holder, sealing the disposable cup within the reusable cup holder and the outer lid;

connecting the opening in the lid to a spray gun; and

dispensing the paint mixture, the disposable cup collapsing as the coating mixture is dispensed, whereby the chargeable particles in the coating mixture do not stick to the disposable cup so that uniformity of the coating mixture is maintained while it is dispensed.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the coating mixture is a paint mixture and the chargeable particles are metallic particles, and wherein uniformity of the coating mixture is uniformity of a color of the paint mixture