Abstract:
The present invention relates to a spray kit with a conduit assembly. The invention generally includes a container with an aperture, a hose passing through that aperture, a conduit assembly that resides at least partially in the container, and a spray device. At least a portion of the hose resides in the conduit assembly. In addition, the spray device fluidly communicates with the container via the hose.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to spray-kits for dispensing fluids. More specifically, the present invention relates to a spray kit with a conduit assembly. In particular, the present invention relates to a spray kit with a conduit assembly that is adapted to be received in a fluid container.  
       BACKGROUND ART  
       [0002]     Consumers generally purchase painting kits for home or commercial use. By using a paint sprayer, a user can paint a surface faster than is possible with a brush or roller. Moreover, a paint sprayer generally provides just as good if not better surface coverage than a brush or roller.  
         [0003]     Typically, spray kits include a spray device with a detachable fluid container. Other spray kits utilize a hose receivable in a fluid container. If the container is relatively large, then the user has access to a relatively large amount of paint and will rarely need to refill the container. Thus, a large container saves the user from constantly replenishing his or her paint supply. Furthermore, a relatively long hose will allow the user to reach greater distances and thus, such a hose saves the user from constantly moving a heavy, paint-filled container.  
         [0004]     However, current spray kits are ineffective in several ways. First, the hose is not retained in the container. For example, the hose may fall out and cause paint to spill. Not only is the associated cleanup generally aggravating, but the user must spend additional money to purchase more paint. In addition to paint spills, the hose may coil while inside the container. This coiling may impair fluid flow and may disrupt paint application, causing uneven paint coverage. Furthermore, the coiling may leave unused paint at the bottom of the container. Lastly, because many hoses are not carefully engineered, impediments may enter the sprayer and further disrupt the application of the paint.  
         [0005]     Thus, the need exists for a spray kit that retains paint, ensures continuous paint flow, maximizes the use of paint, and filters paint prior to its arrival at the spray device.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     In light of the foregoing, it is a first aspect of the present invention to provide a spray kit with a conduit assembly.  
         [0007]     It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a spray kit comprising a container having an aperture, a hose that passes through the aperture, a conduit assembly residing at least in part in the container, where at least a portion of the hose is received in the conduit assembly, and a spray device that fluidly communicates with the container via the hose.  
         [0008]     It is still another aspect of the invention to provide a spray kit comprising a lid with an aperture, a reservoir adapted to receive the lid, a hose that passes through the aperture, a conduit assembly residing at least in part in the reservoir, where at least a portion of the hose resides in the conduit assembly, and a spray device that fluidly communicates with the container via the hose.  
         [0009]     Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method of dispensing a fluid. This method includes the acts of putting fluid in a container, providing a conduit assembly for the container, providing a hose for the container wherein the hose at least partially resides in the conduit assembly, activating a spray device that is in fluid communication with the hose, thereby dispensing the fluid. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     For a complete understanding of the objects, techniques and structure of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a spray kit according to the concepts of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  of the spray kit which has a container and a conduit assembly;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional perspective view of a modified lid, which carries the conduit assembly and which is received by the container, wherein the container and the conduit assembly are shown partially broken away;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view of a filter arrangement included in the present invention; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view of an alternative filter arrangement included in the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]     Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIG. 1 , it can be seen that spray kit is designated generally by the numeral  10 . Generally, the spray kit  10  includes a container  100  having an open end; a conduit assembly  200  that is located substantially inside the container  100 ; a hose  300  that is in fluid communication with the container  100  and is receivable in the conduit assembly  200 ; and a spray device  400  that is in fluid communication with the hose  300 .  
         [0017]     The container  100  may be any device that retains fluid or other material that can be pumped or otherwise dispensed by force. The container  100  generally includes an open end that receives the fluid and that allows the fluid to be dispensed. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the container  100  may include a reservoir  110  that receives a lid  150 . The reservoir  110  and the lid  150  are generally designed to mate with one another such that the lid  150  is retained and not easily dislodged.  
         [0018]     The reservoir  110  includes a bottom surface  112  that may be of any size or shape. For example, the bottom surface  112  may have a circular, square, rectangular, octagonal or any other shape. Typically, the bottom surface  112  is a round, planar surface. The reservoir  110  also includes one or more sidewalls  114  that adjoin the bottom surface  112  and extend therefrom. The sidewall  114  may be cylindrical. The sidewall  114  has an inner surface  116  and an outer surface  118 . An end of the sidewall  114  opposite the bottom surface  118  terminates at a flange  120 . An inner surface of the flange may seamlessly coalesce into the sidewall&#39;s inner surface  116 . The flange  120  matches the sidewall  114  and is cylindrical in the illustrated embodiment. The reservoir  110 , and in particular the flange  120 , define a substantially open end  122  that is opposite the bottom surface  112 . In addition to the above described elements, one or more rims  124  may extend from sidewall&#39;s outer surface  118 . A handle  126  may also pivotably extend from the sidewall&#39;s outer surface  118 .  
         [0019]     In a particular embodiment, the reservoir  110  is made of plastic. However, the reservoir or portions thereof may be made of any other suitable material, including but not limited to: metal, rubber, paper, cardboard, glass, or fabric.  
         [0020]     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the container  100  may include a lid  150 . The lid  150  is generally designed to engage the reservoir  110 . The lid  150  includes a plate  152  which is typically a planar, disc-shaped member. Extending through the plate  152  is an aperture  154 . Although shown centrally disposed, the aperture  154  may be located off-center in the lid.  
         [0021]     An attachment flange  155  is located along the outer periphery of the plate  152 . The attachment flange  155  is mateable with the reservoir  110 , and in particular, the flange  120 . The attachment flange  155  includes an inner collar  156  extending substantially perpendicularly downwardly from an interior underside of the plate  152 . The attachment flange  155  may also include an outer collar  158  that extends substantially perpendicularly from the plate and is spaced radially outwardly from the inner collar. In other words, the inner collar  156  and the outer collar  158  are concentric and cylindrical, although one collar may differ in height from the other collar. Designed to receive the container&#39;s flange  120 , the inner collar  156  and the outer collar  158  define a recess  159  therebetween. As shown, the inner collar  156  may extend from an underside of the plate  150 . The outer collar  158  may extend both above and below the plate  152 . In a particular embodiment, the outer collar  158  may be greater in length than the inner collar  156 . Furthermore, a ledge  160  may extend radially outwardly from the outer collar  158 . When the lid  150  is coupled to the reservoir  110 , a recess may exist between the ledge  160  and the reservoir&#39;s rim  124 .  
         [0022]     In a particular embodiment, the lid  150  is made of plastic. However, the lid or portions thereof may be made of any other suitable material, including but not limited to: metal, rubber, paper, cardboard, glass, or fabric.  
         [0023]     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the conduit assembly  200  may be coupled to the container and in particular to the lid  150 . The conduit assembly may include a seal  202 , lubricant  210 , a conduit tube  220 , and a filter  240 .  
         [0024]     Generally, the seal  202  is designed to engage the container  100 . The seal  202  has an aperture  203  therethrough that slidably receives the hose  300 . In particular, the seal  202  is a disc-shaped member with an inner surface  204  that defines the central aperture  203  and an outer surface  205  that engages the lid  150 . The perimeter of the seal&#39;s inner surface is sized to allow the hose&#39;s outer diameter or surface to slidably pass through the seal  202 . The outer surface of the seal is configured to fit into the container&#39;s aperture. Indeed, the outer surface  205  of the seal may have an annular groove  206  that receives a portion of the container and, in particular, a portion of the lid&#39;s plate  152 .  
         [0025]     The conduit assembly  200  may also include a lubricant  210 . This lubricant  210  may be applied to the outer surface of the hose  300 . In one embodiment, the lubricant  210  may be applied on the outer surface of the hose  300  which is movable into the container  100 . In other embodiments, the lubricant  210  may be applied to any portion or all of the hose. The lubricant may be oil, other petroleum-based products, or any similar lubricant known such as petroleum jelly.  
         [0026]     The conduit assembly  200  may also include a conduit tube  220 . The conduit tube  220  extends downward into the container  100 . The conduit tube generally has a seal end  222  opposite a filter end  224 . The seal end  222  may attach to the seal  202  by a friction fit or adhesive. Of course, other ways of fastening could be used to secure the seal  202  to the tube  220 , such as mating threads or interlocking tabs and receptacles. The filter end  224  of the conduit tube  220  may contact a filter  240  (see  FIG. 2 ). The conduit tube  220  provides an inner surface  226  and an outer surface  228  which are joined at the ends  222 ,  224 . The perimeter of the conduit tube&#39;s inner surface  226  may be slightly larger than the outer perimeter of the hose. Thus, the hose  300  can pass through and slidably move within the conduit tube  220 . In a particular embodiment, the conduit tube  220  is made of a semi-rigid material, such as plastic. Ideally, the conduit tube  220  is less flexible than the hose received therein. This prevents the hose from coiling within the container which would interfere with the fluid drawn through the hose by the spray device  400 . As such, the spray hose  300  telescopically moves within the conduit tube  220 .  
         [0027]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B ; the conduit assembly  200  may also include a filter  240 . Filter  240  may filter particulate matter from the fluid before the fluid is dispensed. The filter  240  is positioned inside the container  100  and may be of any size or shape. The filter may be constructed of any porous material that allows adequate fluid flow. The filter may be replaced as needed. Variations of the filter may have one or more regions that each have different perimeter. Regarding this type of multiple-region design, two illustrative embodiments are shown in  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B . As shown in those FIGS., the filter  240  may have a first region  250  and a second region  252 . The first region  250  may have a smaller perimeter than the second region  252 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a particular embodiment where the perimeter of the first region  250  is slightly less than the inner perimeter of hose  300 . In this embodiment, friction between the outer perimeter of the first region  250  and the inner surface of the hose  300  causes the filter  240  to “stick,” or be retained, in the hose  300 . The perimeter of the second region  252  may be larger than the perimeter of the first region  250 , resulting in a step  254  that may have a length proportional to the difference between the first region&#39;s perimeter and the second region&#39;s perimeter. In particular, the step&#39;s length is greater than the combined thickness of the hose  300  and the conduit tube  220 . Thus, the hose  300  and the conduit tube  220  may rest on the step  254 . And it will be appreciated that the filter  240  may anchor the hose  300  near the bottom of the conduit tube  220 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 4B  illustrates another embodiment. In this particular embodiment, the first region&#39;s perimeter is slightly less then the conduit tube&#39;s inner perimeter, but the first region&#39;s perimeter is greater than the hose&#39;s inner perimeter. As such, friction between the outer perimeter of the first region  250  and the inner surface of the conduit tube  220  cause the filter  240  to “stick,” or otherwise be retained, in the conduit tube  220 . Unlike the previously described embodiment, however, the filter  240  in the present embodiment does not anchor the hose  300  near the bottom of the conduit tube. Thus, in this embodiment, the hose  300  may slide in the conduit tube  220  to the extent that friction allows.  
         [0030]     In other embodiments, the filter  240  is not located near the bottom of the conduit tube  220 , but rather the filter  240  may be located in another portion of the hose  300 . For example, the filter may be positioned in the end of the hose nearest to the spray device  400 , or may be positioned in a more central portion of the hose.  
         [0031]     The filter  240  may be generally composed of any porous material. Various embodiments of the filter  240  may have different porosities. For example, one embodiment may include a filter that includes a layer of screening, while other embodiments may include a filter that is made of mesh or a sponge-like material.  
         [0032]     In assembling various embodiments of the present concept, a person may pass the hose  300  through the lid  150  and the conduit assembly  200 . Next, the user may secure the filter  240  to the hose and/or the conduit assembly  200 . Lastly, the lid  150  and conduit assembly  200  may be attached to the reservoir  110 .  
         [0033]     Upon activating the spray device  400 , fluid is drawn from the container  100 , through the conduit assembly  200  and hose  300 , and is expelled from the spray device  400 . Ideally, the fluid flow will be continuous and result in uniform dispersion of the fluid.  
         [0034]     Because the hose  300  is retained at least in part in the container  100 , the hose  300  will not fall out. Thus, fluid spills will be minimized—saving the user the time costs associated with cleanup. In addition, the conduit assembly  200  prevents the hose  300  from coiling while inside the container  100 . By reducing coiling, the conduit assembly  200  further aids in providing uniform fluid dispersion and minimizes unused fluid at the bottom of the container. Lastly, in embodiments that utilize a filter  240 , the spray kit prevents impediments from entering the spray device  400 , thereby aiding in uniform fluid dispersion.  
         [0035]     Thus, it can be seen that the objects of the invention have been satisfied by the structure and its method for use presented above. While in accordance with the Patent Statutes, only the best mode and preferred embodiment has been presented and described in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and thereby. Accordingly, for an appreciation of the true scope and breadth of the invention, reference should be made to the following claims.