Brushless white-out correcting fluid applicator

• US 4,923,317 A
• Filed: 02/23/1989
• Issued: 05/08/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Tien-Tsung, Chen, Ruiz, Manuel W., Popat, Ghanshyam H., Bishop, Willis E.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/314,631
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 401/199, 401/198, 401/200, 401/205, 401/207, 401/206, 401/196, 401/260, 401/25, 401/27, 106/19, 106/21
• US Class Current: 401/205
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 8/02 with writing-points comprising fibres, felt, or similar porous or capillary material B43K8/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B43L 19/0018 with fluids

Abstract

A brushless white-out correcting fluid applicator for use in applying white-out fluid to paper without using a brush. The white-out fluid is a suspension including a substantial proportion of white or substantially white particles, such as titanium dioxide, or other color particles. The applicator includes a wear-resistant, porous tip and a regulator between the tip and a reservoir. The regulator may be formed of foam material, and the tip may be of sturdy porous plastic. The size of the pores in the tip and regulator are large enough so that they do not become clogged with particles in the white-out fluid. The regulator prevents the tip from dripping by regulating the rate at which fluid can leave the reservoir. The size of the pores adjacent the reservoir may be different than the size of the pores and passageways adjacent the tip. The applicator may be provided with an air-tight cap to avoid drying out between uses. Alternative embodiments of the applicator include a foam tip with a nylon mesh outer covering for wear resistance; and an internal, pressure actuated valve may be included to regulate the flow of the white-out suspension to the tip.

Claims

1. A brushless white-out type fluid applicator comprising:

an elongated applicator housing;

correction fluid or suspension within said applicator housing, said correction fluid including a substantial proportion at least 40 percent by weight, of particulate material of a predetermined range of sizes, with the upper end of said range comprising particles of a predetermined maximum diameter;

porous plastic tip means having a flexible wear-resistant surface and sized generally for applying said correction fluid to a single letter or line of print on paper, said porous plastic tip means having pores and channels therein;

regulator means between said tip and said reservoir for controlling the flow of fluid and for preventing dripping;

the pores or channels in said tip means and maximum flow control opening of said flow regulator means having a cross-section at least slightly greater than said maximum diameter of said particles, whereby clogging of said regulator means or said tip means is prevented; and

said tip means being formed of stiff porous plastic material, and said regulator means including flexible, spongy, porous foam material extending across and in substantial engagement with a surface of said porous plastic material facing toward said reservoir.

2. An applicator as defined in claim 1 wherein said maximum diameter is approximately 60 microns.

3. An applicator as defined in claim 1 wherein the fluid path through said regulator extends for a distance at least equal to or greater than the transverse dimension of said regulator.

4. An applicator as defined in claim 1 wherein the diameter of the pores or channels through said regulator are less than the corresponding diameter of the pores or channels through the tip.

5. An applicator as defined in claim 1 wherein said tip means is formed of stiff porous plastic material, and wherein said regulator means is formed of flexible, spongy, porous foam material.

6. An applicator as defined in claim 1 wherein the maximum diameter of the particles in the correction fluid suspension is about 80 microns, and this is the minimum diameter of the pores or channels in the regulating means and the tip means.

7. An applicator as defined in claim 1 wherein close fitting cap means are provided for securing said tip to prevent drying out of said tip when the applicator is not in use.

8. An applicator as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing is in the order of 1/2 to 5/8 inch in diameter and is at least 31/2 inches in length.

9. An applicator as defined in claim 1 further comprising retaining means for mounting the regulator means and the tip means on one end of said applicator housing.

10. An applicator as defined in claim 1 wherein said tip means is formed of relatively stiff porous plastic, having a hardness in the range of 15-60 on the Type A Durometer scale.

11. An applicator as defined in claim 1 wherein said regulator means includes valve means responsive to pressure on said tip means for permitting increased flow of fluid from said reservoir to said tip means.

12. An applicator as defined in claim 1 wherein said tip means is formed of relatively stiff porous plastic.

13. A brushless white-out correcting fluid applicator for completely covering typed words on paper or the like with white-out correcting fluid which when dry can be typed over, said applicator comprising:

reservoir means for containing said white-out fluid before it is applied to said paper;

white-out fluid containing at least 40 percent by weight of titanium dioxide in said reservoir means;

applicator means including porous material for applying said white-out fluid from said reservoir means to said paper, said applicator means being connected to said reservoir means throughout an entire process of applying said white-out fluid to said paper, said applicator means being in direct contact with said paper during said process of applying said white-out fluid to said paper, said applicator means including pores or channels the diameter of which are at least slightly larger than the size of the largest particles commonly present in said white-out fluid, such that said applicator does not become clogged with said white-out fluid;

said porous material being permanently and directly coupled to said reservoir means;

said applicator means including highly wear-resistant means formed of stiff porous plastic material having pores and channels, at the outer surface of said tip for engaging the paper;

said applicator means further including regulating means formed of spongy foam material for regulating the rate at which said white-out fluid flows from said reservoir means, said foam material having interconnected open cells forming passageways through the regulating means, said spongy foam material being in substantial engagement with said porous plastic material;

the diameter of the passageways through said regulating means being in the order of about 60-80 microns, and the diameter of the pores or channels in said porous plastic being greater than the largest size particles in said white-out fluid.

14. An applicator as defined in claim 13 wherein said foam material is generally cup-shaped, and further comprising means for providing supplemental support to said foam material.

15. An applicator according to claim 13, said applicator means comprising:

regulating means for regulating the rate at which said white-out fluid flows from said reservoir means, said regulating means being porous; and

tip means for transferring said white-out fluid from said regulator means to said paper, said tip means also being porous.

16. An applicator according to claim 15, wherein the diameter of the pores in said regulating means are only slightly larger than the largest particle in said white-out fluid, and the diameter of the pores in said tip means are different than the pores in said regulating means.

17. An applicator according to claim 15 wherein the diameter of the pores or channels in said regulating means is in the order of about 60-80 microns, and the diameter of the pores or channels in said tips means is slightly greater than the diameter of the pores or channels in said regulating means.

18. A brushless white-out type fluid applicator comprising:

an elongated applicator housing;

correction fluid or suspension within said applicator housing, said correction fluid including a substantial proportion at least 30 percent by weight of particulate material of a predetermined range of sizes, with the upper end of said range comprising particles of a predetermined maximum diameter;

a porous plastic tip means having a wear-resistant surface and sized generally for applying said correction fluid to a single letter or line of print on paper, said porous plastic tip having a thickness greater than one-thirty-second of an inch;

said porous plastic tip means having pores and channels therein;

regulator means between said tip means and said reservoir for controlling the flow of fluid and for preventing dripping;

the pores or channels in said tip means and the maximum flow control opening or openings of said flow regulator means having a cross-section at least slightly greater than said maximum diameter of said particles, whereby clogging of said regulator means and said tip means is prevented; and

said regulator means being formed of foam material in substantial engagement with said porous plastic.