Painting apparatuses and methods

• US 8,408,157 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Depingo, LLC
• Original Assignee: Depingo, LLC
• Inventors: Ling, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuan, Dah-Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Binu
• Application Number:
  US12/047,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20080223292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 118256-265, 118/266, 401/219, 401/119, 401/176, 401/179, 401/180, 401/204, 401/270, 15/221, 15/971
• US Class Current: 118/264
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/14 with multiple outlet openings B05B1/02, B05B1/26 take precedence; with strainers in or outside the outlet opening
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/06 using ultrasonic or other kinds of vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 1/00 Apparatus in which liquid or other fluent material is applied to the surface of the work by contact with a member carrying the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. a porous member loaded with a liquid to be applied as a coating B05C5/02, B05C7/00 take precedence

Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, an apparatus for painting a work surface including a handle housing. A disposable painting module is configured to be removably engaged with the handle housing. The painting module includes a paint applicator configured to be removably engaged with the handle housing. The paint applicator is configured to apply paint to the work surface. A paint reservoir is fluidly coupled with the paint applicator and is configured to be removably engaged with the handle housing. An urging mechanism is coupled to the handle housing and configured to interact with the paint reservoir to substantially uniformly discharge the paint from the paint reservoir and supply the paint to the paint applicator.

Claims

1. A hand-held paint edging apparatus configured to be held and operated by a single hand of a user, comprising:

(a) a handle housing arranged and configured to be operatively held and carried by a person'"'"'s hand and to detachably receive a painting module;

(b) said painting module configured to be disposable, rapidly engaged with and carried by said handle housing and rapidly detachably removable from said handle housing, comprising;

(i) a paint applicator arranged and configured for rapid detachable engagement with said handle housing and configured to slidably apply paint in edging manner through a porous applicator to a work surface;

(ii) a paint reservoir having an outlet fluidly coupled with said paint applicator and arranged and configured for rapid detachable engagement with said handle housing, said paint reservoir comprising a syringe body having a fluid outlet and a plunger slidable within said syringe body for discharging paint from said syringe body and through said fluid outlet; and

(iii) a fluid coupling connected to operatively deliver paint from said paint reservoir fluid outlet to said paint applicator;

(c) an urging mechanism mounted to the handle housing and configured to impart a substantially constant force on said plunger along an entire operative paint discharge stroke of said plunger within said syringe body to discharge paint from said paint reservoir outlet at a substantially uniform flow rate;

(d) a flow control mechanism operatively connected to said urging mechanism to controllably regulate flow of paint through said fluid coupling between no flow and selectively enabled flow positions;

(e) a trigger mechanism mounted to said handle housing and operatively connected to said flow control mechanism and operable between non-actuated and actuated positions by the same hand of a user that operatively holds said paint edging apparatus, said trigger mechanism being operable when moved to said actuated position to move said flow control mechanism to selectively enable fluid flow through said fluid coupling; and

(f) wherein said paint edging apparatus is operable to uniformly and continuously apply paint from said paint reservoir through said paint applicator to a work surface as said paint applicator is advanced along an edging path; and

wherein said painting module is rapidly detachable from said handle housing after use for disposal and/or replacement by another painting module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the paint applicator includes a manifold having an inlet operatively connected to receive paint from said fluid coupling, and at least one paint dispensing opening, the manifold configured to receive paint through said inlet from the paint reservoir and to discharge the received paint through the paint dispensing opening.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the manifold includes more than one said paint dispensing opening configured to discharge paint.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the porous applicator of said paint applicator includes a pad attached to the manifold, the pad configured to accept the paint discharged from said paint dispensing opening and to apply said paint to the work surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said urging mechanism is configured to selectively engage, retain and align the plunger within the syringe body.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the urging mechanism includes an enclosure for receiving said reservoir wherein when the urging mechanism is disengaged from the reservoir plunger, clear access is provided into said enclosure for loading or unloading said paint reservoir into said enclosure, and no dispensing force is transmitted to said plunger.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a vibrator mounted to said handle housing and operatively connected to said paint applicator to impart vibratory and/or reciprocal motion to the paint applicator.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said vibrator is configured to be selectively powered through a switch.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said trigger mechanism is operatively connected to said vibrator switch, said trigger when moved to said actuated position being operable to close said switch to provide power to said vibrator.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said vibrator causes a surface of said porous paint applicator that is configured to engage the work surface, to move in a back and forth reciprocal manner within a single plane of motion and in a direction substantially parallel with the direction of edging motion of said porous applicator over said work surface;

whereby movement of said paint applicator along a straight edging path is enhanced.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second flow control mechanism operatively connected with said fluid coupling, configured to alter a rate at which the paint is supplied from the paint reservoir to the paint applicator.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said flow control apparatus and said trigger mechanism do not come into contact with paint flowing through said fluid coupling.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein only the components of the disposable painting module come into contact with paint during operation of the paint edging apparatus, thereby eliminating need for cleaning paint from the apparatus after use.

14. A hand-held paint edging apparatus comprising:

(a) a handle housing arranged and configured to be operatively held and carried by a single hand of a user;

(b) a removable and replaceable disposable painting module configured to be rapidly detachably engaged with and carried by said handle housing, said painting module comprising;

(i) a paint applicator arranged and configured for detachable engagement with said handle housing and configured to slidably apply paint in an edging manner through a porous applicator to a work surface;

(ii) a paint reservoir having an outlet fluidly coupled with said paint applicator and arranged and configured for detachable engagement with said handle housing, comprising;

(1) a syringe body having a fluid outlet;

(2) a plunger coaxially aligned for movement within the syringe body; and

(3) an operative seal suitable for viscous fluids such as paint, said seal slidably, sealingly arranged between the syringe body and plunger, wherein movement of said plunger away from said fluid outlet creates a filling stroke for drawing fluid into said syringe body through said fluid outlet, and wherein movement of said plunger towards said fluid outlet creates a dispensing stroke for forcing fluid out of said syringe body through said fluid outlet; and

(iii) a fluid coupling connected to operatively deliver paint from said reservoir fluid outlet to said paint applicator;

(c) an urging mechanism including a constant force spring mounted to the handle housing, said urging mechanism arranged to operatively engage said plunger to help co-axially align the plunger within the syringe body, said urging mechanism arranged and configured to apply constant force to said plunger as it moves along its entire said dispensing stroke toward said fluid outlet;

(d) an electric vibrator mounted to said handle housing and operatively connected to said paint applicator and to receive energizing power from a power source, for imparting when energized through a switch, oscillatory vibrating motion to said paint applicator; and

(e) a trigger mechanism mounted to said handle housing and operatively connected to said switch and to said fluid coupling, said trigger mechanism being operable by the same hand of a user that operatively holds the paint edging apparatus, said trigger mechanism being operable between actuated and non-actuated positions to;

(i) close said switch to provide energizing power to said electric vibrator, while simultaneously selectively enabling and controlling the rate of fluid flow through said fluid coupling when moved to said actuated position; and

(ii) open said switch to de-energize said electric vibrator, and simultaneously stop fluid flow through said fluid coupling when moved to said non-actuated position; and

(f) wherein said paint edging apparatus is operable to uniformly and continuously apply paint from said paint reservoir through said paint applicator to a work surface as said applicator is advanced along an edging path; and

wherein said painting module is rapidly detachable form said handle housing after use for disposal and/or replacement by another painting module.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the paint applicator includes a manifold having an inlet fluidly coupled to said fluid coupling and at least one paint dispensing opening, the manifold configured to receive paint through said inlet from the paint reservoir and to discharge the received paint through the paint dispensing opening.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a movable portion of said paint applicator is configured to be selectively powered to vibrate with respect to the handle housing.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the paint applicator includes a slider feature configured to slidably engage within a track feature of said handle housing to removably engage the paint applicator with the handle housing.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the painting module contains all of the paint engaging and carrying portions of said apparatus.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said porous applicator has a generally planar lower surface configured to engage said work surface to which edging paint is to be applied, wherein said paint applicator has a sidewall oriented generally perpendicular to said lower surface;

and wherein said sidewall includes a protruding edging feature for maintaining a small gap between a surface adjacent and generally perpendicular to the work surface, and a side edge of said porous applicator.

20. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a second flow control mechanism independently operable from said trigger mechanism and operably connected to said fluid coupling for selectively adjusting the rate of fluid flow through said fluid coupling for accommodating varied paint viscosities.

21. A hand-held paint edging apparatus comprising:

(a) a handle housing arranged and configured to be operatively held and carried by a single hand of a user;

(b) a removable and replaceable disposable painting module configured to be rapidly detachably engaged with and carried by said handle housing, said painting module comprising;

(i) a paint applicator arranged and configured for detachable engagement with said handle housing and configured to slidably apply paint in an edging manner through a porous applicator to a work surface;

(ii) a paint reservoir having an outlet fluidly coupled with said paint applicator and arranged and configured for detachable engagement with said handle housing;

comprising;

(1) a syringe body having a fluid outlet;

(2) a plunger coaxially aligned for movement within the syringe body; and

(3) an operative seal suitable for viscous fluids such as paint, said seal slidably, sealingly arranged between the syringe body and plunger, wherein movement of said plunger away from said fluid outlet creates a filling stroke for drawing fluid into said syringe body through said fluid outlet, and wherein movement of said plunger towards said fluid outlet creates a dispensing stroke for forcing fluid out of said syringe body through said fluid outlet; and

(iii) a fluid coupling connected to operatively deliver paint from said reservoir fluid outlet to said paint applicator;

(c) an urging mechanism including a constant force spring mounted to the handle housing, said urging mechanism arranged to operatively engage said plunger to help co-axially align the plunger within the syringe body, said urging mechanism arranged and configured to apply constant force to said plunger as it moves along its entire said dispensing stroke toward said fluid outlet;

(d) an electric vibrator mounted to said handle housing and operatively connected to said paint applicator and to receive energizing power from a power source, for imparting when energized through a switch, oscillatory vibrating motion to said paint applicator; and

(e) a trigger mechanism mounted to said handle housing and operatively connected to said switch and to said fluid coupling, said trigger mechanism being operable between multiple alternative actuation modes including;

(i) a first actuation mode whereby said trigger mechanism selectively enables and controls the rate of fluid flow through said fluid coupling, but the vibrator is not activated;

or

(ii) a second actuation mode whereby said trigger mechanism closes said switch to activate said vibrator, but no paint flow is enabled through said fluid coupling to said paint applicator;

or

(iii) a third actuation mode whereby said trigger mechanism both activates said vibrator by closing said switch, and enables delivery of paint to said paint applicator by selectively controlling the rate of paint flow through said fluid coupling.