APPLICATOR ASSEMBLY FOR FLUENT MATERIALS

• US 3,692,417 A
• Filed: 05/12/1969
• Issued: 09/19/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bruno D. Aston
• Original Assignee: Bruno D. Aston
• Inventors: Aston, Bruno D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Charles, Lawrence
• Application Number:
  US04/823,864
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 401/121,122,129 200/15.2,15.3
• US Class Current: 401/122
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/046 comprising a wiper

Abstract

A container for fluent material to be applied by an elongated brush with radial bristles has a relatively long entrance passage with re-entrant portions to control the quantity of material on the brush by contracting the brush for wiping action as the brush is withdrawn from the container.

Claims

1. In an applicator assembly wherein an elongated applicator brush with radial bristles is insertable into a container to pick up a quantity of fluent material from a supply body therein in preparation for application of the fluent material by the brush, the improvement to control the quantity of the fluent material on the brush by wiping surplus material from the brush as the brush is withdrawn from the container, comprising:

means forming an orifice serving as the entrance to the container, said orifice having re-entrant portions extending the length thereof and defining an inner restricted zone at the inner end thereof and defining bays extending radially outwardly from the inner zone, said inner restricted zone of the orifice progressively increasing in its cross sectional dimension from a minimum at the inner end of the orifice to a maximum at the outer end thereof and being dimensioned relative to the brush to contract circumferentially spaced radial portions of the brush relatively severely to wipe substantial quantities of the fluent material therefrom, the bays of the orifice being dimensioned for greater freedom of other circumferentially spaced radial portions of the brush to leave substantial quantities of the fluent material thereon to cause the brush as a whole to be impregnated with the fluent material to a degree for smooth application of the fluent material by the brush without release of the fluent material in blobs from the brush.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the overall cross dimension of the orifice formed by said bays is substantially constant along the length of the orifice.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 2 in which the brush tapers towards its outer end to a reduced cross sectional area but which is greater than the overall cross dimension of the orifice formed by said bays, whereby to lessen the tendency of the outer end portion of the brush to pick up the residual material in the passage when the brush is reinserted and to increase the tendency of more remote portions of the brush to pick up the residual material when the brush is reinserted.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 3 in which said brush is of progressively larger cross section from its outer end towards its inner end.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the radial bays define an outer diameter of the orifice that is on the order of 75%-85% of the cross dimension of the brush.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 5 in which the inner restricted zone of the orifice is on the order of 30- percent of the diameter of the brush.