Flux applicator brush and flux container system

• US 8,915,355 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Monson
• Original Assignee: Robert Monson
• Inventors: Monson, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRANO, ERNESTO ARTURIO
• Application Number:
  US13/241,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20130075283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 206/349, 206/15.3, 401/127, 401/176, 401/129, 401/122, 427/429
• US Class Current: 206/15.3
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/001 with integral reservoirs A46B11/0003, A46B11/0006 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0093 Arrangements for catching drips or overflow
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/20 Brushes for applying products to surfaces in general A46B2200/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for applying a pipe joining agent, such as flux, primer or adhesive, to pipe structure surfaces. The system includes a male brush that cooperates with a female brush that is removably mounted on a container than contains the agent to be applied. The male brush can be inserted through the female brush and into the container to pick up the agent. As the male brush is withdrawn from the container, the female brush wipes excess agent from the male brush so that the female brush picks up agent thereon. The male brush can then be inserted into the end of a pipe structure to apply the agent to the interior surface of the pipe structure. Also, the female brush can be removed from the container and then inserted over the end of a pipe structure to apply the agent to the exterior surface of a pipe structure.

Claims

1. A pipe joining agent container system, comprising:

a container having a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the bottom wall and extending upwardly from the bottom wall to an edge defining an open top of the container, the bottom wall and the side wall defining an interior space;

a pipe joining agent disposed within the interior space of the container;

a female pipe joining agent applicator brush removably associated with the container and configured for applying pipe joining agent to an exterior surface of a first cylindrical pipe structure that has a nominal exterior diameter, the female pipe joining agent applicator brush including;

a support structure, the support structure being configured for removable mounting on the container, and the support structure includes a sleeve and a first handle, the sleeve having a first axial end adjacent to the open top and a second axial end within the interior space;

a cylindrical female brush connected to the support structure, the female brush including an arrangement of bristles;

the bristles extend generally radially inward toward one another between the first axial end and the second axial end, and the bristles include outer radial ends connected to the sleeve and inner radial ends that define a passage through the cylindrical female brush, and the bristles are configured to wipe pipe joining agent and retain the wiped pipe joining agent; and

the passage has a diameter that is approximately equal to the nominal exterior diameter of the first cylindrical pipe structure; and

a male pipe joining agent applicator brush that is configured for applying pipe joining agent to an interior surface of a second cylindrical pipe structure that has a nominal exterior diameter, the male pipe joining agent applicator brush including;

a second handle having an outer surface;

a cylindrical male brush connected to the second handle and that extends circumferentially around the outer surface thereof, the male brush including a first axial end, a second axial end, and an arrangement of second bristles;

the second bristles extend generally radially outward from the outer surface of the second handle between the first axial end and the second axial end of the male brush, and the second bristles include inner radial ends adjacent to the outer surface and outer radial ends;

the cylindrical male brush has an outer diameter defined by the outer radial ends of the second bristles, and the outer diameter is large enough to contact the interior surface of the second cylindrical pipe structure;

and

the outer diameter of the cylindrical male brush is larger than the diameter of the passage of the cylindrical female brush;

the bristles of the female brush are soft enough to bend during wiping of the male brush and when applying the pipe joining agent and have enough elasticity to substantially return back to their original shape.

2. The pipe joining agent container system of claim 1, wherein the support structure is a lid for the container, and the lid has a perimeter edge that is configured to detachably connect to the edge of the side wall to close the open top.

3. The pipe joining agent container system of claim 1, wherein the support structure is a frame that removably mounts onto the container adjacent to the open top, and further comprising a lid for the container, the lid having a perimeter edge that is configured to detachably connect to the edge of the side wall to close the open top.

4. The pipe joining agent container system of claim 1, wherein the first handle is connected to the sleeve.

5. The pipe joining agent container system of claim 4, wherein the first handle comprises gripping structure formed on an exterior surface of the sleeve.

6. The pipe joining agent container system of claim 1, further comprising a cap connected to the support structure that is configured to close the passage through the cylindrical female brush, the cap is moveable between a first position that covers the passage through the cylindrical female brush and a second position where it does not cover the passage through the cylindrical female brush.

7. The pipe joining agent container system of claim 3, wherein the edge of the side wall includes a notch at the open top of the container, the first handle is configured to fit into the notch, and the lid closes the notch when the lid is connected to the side wall.

8. The pipe joining agent container system of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical male brush further includes pipe joining agent stirring bristles at the second axial end thereof, the pipe joining agent stirring bristles have a stiffness greater than a stiffness of the second bristles, and the pipe joining agent stirring bristles have an outer diameter that is less than the outer diameter defined by the outer radial ends of the second bristles.

9. The pipe joining agent container system of claim 1, wherein the pipe joining agent comprises flux, primer or adhesive.

10. The pipe joining agent container system of claim 1, wherein the sleeve has a constant diameter from the first axial end to the second axial end.

11. The pipe joining agent container system of claim 1, wherein the bristles of the cylindrical female brush extend over substantially the entire length of the sleeve from the first axial end to the second axial end.

12. A pipe joining agent container system, comprising:

a container having a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the bottom wall and extending upwardly from the bottom wall to an edge defining an open top of the container, the bottom wall and the side wall defining an interior space;

a pipe joining agent disposed within the interior space of the container;

a female pipe joining agent applicator brush removably associated with the container and configured for applying pipe joining agent to an exterior surface of a first cylindrical pipe structure that has a nominal exterior diameter, the female pipe joining agent applicator brush including;

a support structure, the support structure being configured for removable mounting on the container, and the support structure includes a sleeve and a first handle, the sleeve having a first axial end adjacent to the open top and a second axial end within the interior space;

a cylindrical female brush connected to the support structure, the female brush including an arrangement of bristles;

the bristles extend generally radially inward toward one another between the first axial end and the second axial end, and the bristles include outer radial ends connected to the sleeve and inner radial ends that define a passage through the cylindrical female brush that extends from the first axial end to the second axial end, and the bristles are configured to wipe pipe joining agent and retain the wiped pipe joining agent; and

the passage has a diameter that is approximately equal to the nominal exterior diameter of the first cylindrical pipe structure; and

a male pipe joining agent applicator brush that is configured for applying pipe joining agent to an interior surface of a second cylindrical pipe structure that has a nominal exterior diameter, the male pipe joining agent applicator brush including;

a second handle having an outer surface;

a cylindrical male brush connected to the second handle and that extends circumferentially around the outer surface thereof, the male brush including a first axial end, a second axial end, and an arrangement of second bristles;

the second bristles extend generally radially outward from the outer surface of the second handle between the first axial end and the second axial end of the male brush, and the second bristles include inner radial ends adjacent to the outer surface and outer radial ends;

the cylindrical male brush has an outer diameter defined by the outer radial ends of the second bristles, and the outer diameter is large enough to contact the interior surface of the second cylindrical pipe structure;

and

the outer diameter of the cylindrical male brush is larger than the diameter of the passage of the cylindrical female brush, and wherein the cylindrical female brush has an axial length measured between the first axial end and the second axial end of the sleeve that is greater than the length of the cylindrical male brush.

13. A container system, comprising:

a container having a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the bottom wall and extending upwardly from the bottom wall to an edge defining an open top of the container, the bottom wall and the side wall defining an interior space;

a pipe joining agent disposed within the interior space of the container;

a two-part brush system configured to apply the pipe joining agent to interior and exterior surfaces of cylindrical pipe structures, the two-part brush system includes;

a cylindrical female applicator brush removably mounted on the container and configured for applying the pipe joining agent to an exterior surface of a cylindrical pipe structure that has a nominal exterior diameter, the female applicator brush including;

a first axial end adjacent to the open top of the container and a second axial end within the interior space;

an arrangement of bristles, the bristles extend generally radially inward toward one another and extend between the first axial end and the second axial end, and the bristles define a passage through the cylindrical female applicator brush, and the bristles are configured to wipe pipe joining agent and retain the wiped pipe joining agent;

the bristles are soft enough to bend when being used during wiping and when applying pipe joint agent and have enough elasticity to substantially return back to their original shape; and

the passage has a diameter that is approximately equal to the nominal exterior diameter of the cylindrical pipe structure; and

a male applicator brush that is configured for applying pipe joining agent to an interior surface of the cylindrical pipe structure that has a nominal exterior diameter, the male applicator brush including;

a handle;

a cylindrical male brush connected to the handle and that extends circumferentially around an outer surface thereof, the male brush including a first axial end, a second axial end, and an arrangement of bristles;

the bristles of the male brush extend generally radially outward from the outer surface of the handle between the first axial end and the second axial end of the male brush;

the cylindrical male brush has an outer diameter that is large enough to contact the interior surface of the cylindrical pipe structure; and

the outer diameter of the cylindrical male brush is larger than the diameter of the passage of the cylindrical female brush.