Mixing cup adapting assembly

• US 6,595,441 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2002
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Joseph, Stephen C. P., Petrie, Robert M., Navis, Keith C., Roeker, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mar, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, CHRISTOPHER S
• Application Number:
  US10/139,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20020134861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 285/360, 285/376, 285/401, 239/345, 239/340, 239/337, 239/347, 239/350, 239/318, 239/378, 239/74, 222/189.06, 222/481, 222/158, 141/383, 141/346, 141/385, 141/384
• US Class Current: 239/345
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/40 Filters located upstream of the spraying outlets
• 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

Abstract

An assembly for feeding liquid to the inlet port of a gravity feed sprayer. The assembly includes (1) a mixing cup of a known type commonly used to mix paint with solvent that is of stiff polymeric material and bears indicia on its side wall indicating the levels to which a plurality of different liquids should be sequentially poured into the cup to achieve a predetermined ratio between the liquids; (2) a first adapter comprising a central portion having a through opening and a transverse portion including a peripheral part defining a groove along its inner surface adapted for sealing engagement with a top end of the mixing cup; and (3) a second adapter having a through opening, a first end portion of which second adapter is adapted to releasably engage the inlet port of a gravity feed paint sprayer. A second end portion of the second adapter and the central portion of the first adapter have connector parts adapted for releasable liquid tight engagement between the adapters with their through openings in communication.

Claims

1. An assembly for connecting a liquid supply to an inlet port on a gravity fed liquid spraying device, said assembly comprising:

a first adapter having first and second end portions and a through opening extending through said end portions, said first end portion of said first adapter including means for communicating with the liquid supply;

a second adapter having first and second end portions, and a through opening extending through said end portions of said second adapter, said first end portion of said second adapter including means for engaging the inlet port of the gravity feed spray gun;

the second end portions of the adapters having connector parts adapted for releasable liquid tight engagement with the through openings in the adapters in communication;

said connector parts on said first adapter including a projecting portion having an outer surface and axially spaced proximal and distal ends, and projecting resiliently flexible hook members on opposite sides of the projecting portion, said hook members having distal ends and opposed radially inwardly projecting lips on said distal ends; and

said connector parts on said second adapter including an inner surface in the second end portion of the second adapter defining a bore opening through the end of the second adapter and adapted to receive the projecting portion of the of the first adapter in an engaged position with the outer surface of the projecting portion in liquid tight engagement with the inner surface, and a collar around the second end portion of the second adapter, said collar having major recesses along opposite sides adapted to pass the distal ends of the projecting hook members of the first adapter when the projecting portion is pressed axially into the bore with the first and second adapters in a first relative position at which the hook members are aligned with the major recesses in the collar, said collar having retaining surfaces facing the first end of the second adapter extending along corresponding sides of said major recesses, and said first and second adapters being rotatable relative to each other to a second relative position when said adapters are in said first relative position to cause the lips on hook members to be engaged with said retaining surfaces on the collar, said collar including cam lobes projecting radially outwardly on corresponding sides of the major recesses, and minor recesses in the collar on the sides of the cams opposite the major recesses, said retaining surfaces extending along said second recesses, and rotation of said first and second adapters to said second relative position causing the resiliently flexible projecting hook members to be deflected radially outwardly by, and to move around said cam lobes until the projecting hook members are positioned in said minor recesses in the collar at which position said Inwardly projecting lips on the distal ends of the projecting book members are engaged with said retaining surfaces of the collar.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, further including the liquid supply, said liquid supply comprising a mixing cup of stiff polymeric material comprising a side wall having top and bottom ends, and a bottom wall extending across and closing the bottom end of said side wall, said top end of said side wail defining an opening into said cup, and said side wall bearing indicia indicating the levels to which a plurality of different liquids can be sequentially pound into the cup to achieve a predetermined ratio between the liquids;

said means on said first end portion of said second adapter for communicating with the liquid supply comprises a transverse portion of said second adapter including a peripheral part defining a groove receiving said top end of said mixing cup in sealing engagement with said peripheral part; and

said assembly further includes a tapered removable pin extending through said side wall of said mixing cup adjacent said bottom wall, said pin having been pressed through the side wall to form a passageway through the side wall, being positioned in the passageway to restrict any liquid in the mixing cup from moving through the passageway, being removable from the passageway to allow air to move through the passageway into the mixing cup adjacent said bottom wall, and after such removal being again positionable in the passageway to again restrict any liquid in the mixing cup from moving through the passageway.

3. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first adapter is of polymeric material, said projecting portion of said first adapter includes axially spaced radially outwardly projecting scaling rings along said outer surface, said first adapter has a boss around the proximal end of the projecting portion, and in said engaged position the sealing rings are in slightly compressed liquid tight engagement with the inner surface, and the collar around the second end portion of the second adapter has an end surface abutting the boss of the first adapter.

4. An assembly for use on a gravity fed liquid spraying device having an inlet port, said assembly comprising:

a mixing cup of stiff polymeric material comprising a side wall having top and bottom ends, and a bottom wall extending across and closing the bottom end of said sidewall, said top end of said side wall defining an opening into said cup, and said side wall bearing indicia indicating the levels to which a plurality of different liquids can be sequentially pawed into the cup to achieve a predetermined ratio between the liquids;

an adapter assembly for connecting the mixing cup to the inlet port on the gravity fed liquid spraying device, said adapter assembly comprising;

a first adapter having first and second end portions and a through opening extending through said end portions of said first adapter, said first end portion of said first adapter comprising a transverse portion including a peripheral part defining a groove along said inner major surface receiving aid lop end of said mixing cup in sealing engagement with said peripheral part;

a second adapter having first and second end portions, and a through opening extending through said end portions of said second adapter, said first end portion of said second adapter including means for engaging the inlet port of the gravity feed spray gun;

the second end portions of the adapters having connector parts adapted fir releasable liquid tight engagement with the through openings in the adapters in communication;

said connector parts on said first adapter including a projecting portion having a cylindrical outer surface, axially spaced proximal and distal ends, and axially spaced radially outwardly projecting sealing rings along said cylindrical outer surface, a boss around the proximal end of the projecting portion, and projecting resiliently flexible hook members on opposite sides of the projecting portion, said hook members having distal ends and opposed radially inwardly projecting lips on said distal ends; and

said connector parts on said second adapter including a cylindrical inner surface in the second end portion of the second adapter defining a bore opening through the end of the second adaptor and adapted to receive the projecting portion of the of the first adapter in an engaged position with the sealing rings in slightly compressed liquid tight engagement with the inner surface, and a collar around the second end portion of the second adapter having an end surface adapted to abut the boss of the first adapter when the projecting portion of the first adapter is in said engaged position, said collar having major recesses along opposite sides adapted to pass the distal ends of the projecting hook members of the first adapter when the projecting portion is pressed axially into the bore with the first and second adapters in a first relative position at which the hook members are aligned with the major recesses in the collar, said collar having retaining surfaces facing the first end of the second adapter and extending along corresponding sides of said major recesses, and said first and second adapters being rotatable relative to each other to a second relative position when said adapters are in said first relative position to cause the lips on hook members to be engaged with the retaining surfaces on the collar, said collar including cam lobes projecting radially outwardly on corresponding sides of the major recesses, and minor recesses in the collar on the sides of the cams opposite the major recesses, said retaining surfaces are along said second recesses, and rotation of said first and second adapters to said second relative position causes the resiliently flexible projecting hook members to be deflected outwardly by, and to move around said camobes until the projecting hook members are positioned in said minor recesses in the collar at which said inwardly projecting lips on the distal ends of the projecting hook members arc engaged over said retaining surfaces of the collar;

said assembly further including a tapered removable pin extending through said side wall of said mixing cup adjacent said bottom wall, said pin having been pressed through the side wall to form a passageway through the side wall, being positioned in the passageway to restrict any liquid in the mixing cup from moving through the passageway, being removable from the passageway to allow air to move through the passageway into the mixing cup adjacent said bottom wall, and after such removal being again positionable in the passageway to again restrict any liquid in the mixing cup from moving through the passageway.

5. An assembly for use on a gravity fed liquid spraying device having an inlet port, said assembly comprising:

a container of polymeric material having a portion defining an inlet opening;

an adapter assembly for connecting the container to the inlet port on the gravity fed liquid spraying device, said adapter assembly comprising;

a first adapter of polymeric material having first and second end portions and a through opening extending trough said end portions of said first adapter, said first end portion of said first adapter comprising a transverse portion including a peripheral part;

means for releasably attaching said container to said peripheral part with said portion defining said inlet opening in sealed engagement with said peripheral part;

a second adapter having first and second end portions, and a through opening extending through said end portions of said second adapter, said first end portion of said second adapter including means for engaging the inlet port of the gravity feed spray gun;

the second end portions of the adapters having connector parts adapted for releasable liquid tight engagement with the through Openings in the adaptors in communication;

said connector parts on said first adapter including a projecting portion having an outer surface, axially spaced proximal and distal ends, and axially spaced radially outwardly projecting sealing rings along said outer suffice, a boss around the proximal end of the projecting portion, and projecting resiliently flexible hook members on opposite sides of the projecting portion, said book members having distal ends and opposed radially inwardly projecting lips on said distal end,; and

maid connector parts on said second adapter including a cylindrical inner surface in the second end portion of the second adapter defining a bore opening through the end of the second adapter and adapted to receive the projecting portion of the of the first adapter in an engaged position with the sealing rings in slightly compressed liquid tight engagement wit the inner surface, and a collar around the second end portion of the second adapter having an end surface adapted to abut the boss of the first adapter when the projecting portion of the first adapter is in said engaged position, said collar having major recesses along opposite sides adapted to pass the distal ends of the projecting hook members of the first adapter when the projecting portion is pressed axially into the bore with the first and second adapters in a first relative position at which the book members are aligned with the major recesses in the collar, said collar having retaining surfaces facing the first end of the second adapter and extending along corresponding sides of said major recesses, and said first and second adapters being rotatable relative to each other to a second relative position when said adapters are in said first relative position to cause the lips on hook members to be engaged with the retaining surfaces on the collar.