Abstract:
An improved foam applicator for applying fluid material to a surface, in which the handle and the fluid carrier portion of the applicator are each made substantially from foam. The handle can be made from a first foam member, the fluid carrier can be made from a second foam member, and an adhesive can be used to interconnect the first and second foam members. To manufacture the foam applicator, a foam handle material and a foam fluid carrier material are selected and bonded together to form a composite foam assembly embodying the applicator. To improve manufacturing efficiency, the foam handle material may comprise a strip of sufficient length to form plural instances of the handle, and the foam fluid carrier material may comprise a strip of sufficient length to form plural instances of the fluid carrier. Individual applicators can then be cut out following bonding of the foam handle material to the foam fluid carrier material.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not Applicable  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to apparatus for applying fluid materials to surfaces, and particularly paint brushes.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     By way of background, there are many varieties of foam applicators for use in the application of fluid materials to surfaces. Paint brushes are one common example. Such applicators typically comprise a handle made of wood or plastic and a porous polymeric foam member for carrying the fluid to be applied. The primary advantage of such applicators is that they are relatively low in cost and therefore disposable.  
         [0006]     It is to improvements in the field of fluid applicators that the present invention is directed. In particular, the invention addresses the continuing need for a fluid applicator, and particularly a foam applicator, that is low in cost while being designed for maximum ergonomic efficiency.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In accordance with the present invention, an improved foam applicator for applying fluid material to a surface includes a handle and a fluid carrier portion that are each made substantially from foam. By virtue of this simple construction, the applicator can be produced at minimal cost and will be extremely lightweight and comfortable in the hand of a user. The foam applicator of the invention can be embodied in various forms of construction, but will usually be implemented with the handle being made from a first foam member and the fluid carrier being made from a second foam member. An adhesive can be used to interconnect the first and second foam members into a composite unit. In a most preferred construction, the first foam member forming the handle will be relatively stiff and non-absorbent while the second foam member forming the fluid carrier will be relatively soft and absorbent.  
         [0008]     The invention further contemplates a method for manufacturing a foam applicator in which a foam handle material and a foam fluid carrier material are selected and bonded together to form a composite foam assembly embodying the applicator. In exemplary embodiments of the invention, the foam handle material comprises a strip of sufficient length to form plural instances of the handle, and the foam fluid carrier material comprises a strip of sufficient length to form plural instances of the fluid carrier. The method will then further include cutting out individual applicators following bonding of the foam handle material to the foam fluid carrier material. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0009]     The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying Drawing in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a foam applicator constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the foam applicator of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the foam applicator of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIGS. 4A, 4B  and  4 C are perspective views showing a sequence of assembly steps that can be used to manufacture the foam applicator of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a combined plan view and end view showing a composite foam assembly formed during manufacturing and embodying multiple foam applicators according to  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a die cutter that can be used to cut multiple foam applicators according to  FIG. 1  from the composite foam assembly of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of another foam applicator constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the foam applicator of  FIG. 7 ; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is a combined plan view and end view showing a composite foam assembly formed during manufacturing and embodying multiple foam applicators according to  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]     Turning now to the figures, wherein like reference numerals represent like elements in all of the several views,  FIGS. 1-3  illustrate a foam applicator  2  constructed in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The applicator  2  is adapted to facilitate the manual application of fluid material to a surface. Such materials can include, but are not necessarily limited to, paint products, in which case the applicator  2  would function as a paint brush.  
         [0020]     The foam applicator  2  includes a handle  4  and a fluid carrier portion  6 , both of which are made of foam. The handle  4  is preferably made from a first foam member and the fluid carrier  6  is preferably made from a second foam member. A hot melt adhesive  8  (best shown in  FIG. 3 ) is used to join the handle  4  made from the first foam member to the fluid carrier  6  made from the second foam member. Preferably, a layer of the adhesive  8  substantially covers the respective interconnecting faces  10  and  12  of the handle  4  and the fluid carrier  6  (see  FIG. 3 ). In this way, a strong adhesive bond will be obtained. Moreover, the adhesive  8  can serve as a fluid barrier so that fluid material held by the fluid carrier  6  is retained therein. As an alternative to adhesive bonding, it may be possible to use a welding process or other means to interconnect the handle  4  and the fluid carrier  6 . It will be appreciated that the applicator  2  could also be formed from a single foam member that embodies both the handle  4  and the fluid carrier  6 . However, this could lead to the wicking of fluid from the fluid carrier  6  to the handle  4 . Moreover, as described in the ensuing paragraph, foams that are well suited for use as a fluid carrier may not be particularly well adapted for use as a handle, and visa versa.  
         [0021]     The first foam member used for the handle  4  is preferably stiffer and less absorbent than the second foam member used for the fluid carrier  6  in order to facilitate manual handling of the applicator  2 . In particular, the stiff and nonabsorbent material of the handle  4  will allow that component to be firmly grasped and manipulated by a user during fluid application to a surface, and will not absorb fluid from the fluid carrier. In contrast, the second foam member used for the fluid carrier  6  is preferably softer and more absorbent than the first foam member used for the handle  4  in order to facilitate the delivery and application of fluid to a surface. In particular, the soft and absorbent material of the fluid carrier  6  will allow that component to carry are reasonable load of fluid from a fluid source, and will enable the fluid to be evenly distributed over a surface during strokes of the applicator. In an exemplary construction, the first foam member used to provide the handle  4  comprises polyethylene foam and the second foam member used to provide the fluid carrier  6  comprises polyether foam. The first foam member used for the handle  4  is preferably close-celled and nonreticulated, while the second foam member used for the fluid carrier  6  is preferably open-celled and reticulated. Alternatively, the first foam member and the second foam member could both be open-celled and reticulated. If desired, the foams used to produce the handle  4  and the fluid carrier  6  may be treated with a colorant to signify that the applicator  2  is for use with particular types of fluid. The color may be the same for both the handle  4  and the fluid carrier  6 , or these components may be of different color.  
         [0022]     One advantage of using the foam handle  4  is that the applicator  2  will be extremely light in weight, thus allowing it to be used for extended periods without fatigue. The foam handle  4  is also shaped to maximize user comfort. For example, it will be seen in  FIGS. 1-3  that the handle  4  and the fluid carrier  6  of the applicator  2  are substantially co-equal in cross-sectional size at the respective interconnecting faces  10  and  12  thereof situated on each side of the adhesive  8  (best shown in  FIG. 3 ). This means that the width dimension “W” in  FIG. 1  and the thickness dimension “T” in  FIG. 2  will be substantially the same for both the handle  4  and the fluid carrier  6  at each face  10  and  12 . This feature results in the handle  4  having sufficient width and thickness to comfortably fit in a user&#39;s hand. This is in contrast to prior art fluid applicators wherein the handle is a slender wooden dowel or a flat plastic element that may tire the hand after an extended period of use. The surfaces of the handle  4  are also ergonomically tapered from the handle face  10  to a tip  14  of smaller cross-sectional size situated at the free end of the handle. In particular, in the plan view orientation of  FIG. 1 , the surfaces of the handle  4  that define its width are tapered to form a parabolic profile. In the side view orientation of  FIG. 2 , the surfaces of the handle  4  that define its thickness are tapered to form a thin trapezoidal profile. By so constructing the handle  4 , it will be especially comfortable in the hands of children who wish to use the applicator for arts and crafts projects. However, it will be appreciated that many other handle configurations could also be used. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the handle  4  may also be provided with a small hole  16  adjacent its free end to facilitate point-of-purchase display at a store or other venue. As best shown in  FIG. 2 , the fluid carrier  6  of the applicator  2  can be configured with a tapered rooftop profile  18  to define a tip  20  that facilitates fluid application.  
         [0023]     Turning now to  FIGS. 4A, 4B  and  4 C, a method for manufacturing the applicator  2  entails the selection of a foam handle material strip  30  and a foam fluid carrier material strip  32  ( FIG. 4A ), and the bonding of these strips ( FIG. 4B ) to form a composite foam assembly  34  ( FIG. 4C ). The bonding operation is performed with the handle material strip  30  and the fluid carrier material strip  32  placed in clamping fixtures (not shown) so that they are oriented substantially as shown in  FIG. 4A . The handle material strip  30  is then moved in the direction of the arrow labeled  35  in  FIG. 4A . As the handle material strip  30  is so moved, it passes under a hot melt nozzle  36  and a quantity of hot melt adhesive  38  is dispensed onto the strip&#39;s exposed upper surface  40  (see  FIG. 4B ). Over the course of the next eight seconds (approximately), the upper surface  40  of the handle material strip  30  will be substantially covered with a thin layer of the adhesive  38 . At this point, the bottom surface  42  of the fluid carrier material strip  32  is firmly pressed by way of a downward force  44  onto to the adhesive-covered surface  40  of the handle material strip  30  ( FIG. 4B ). The handle material strip  30  and the fluid carrier material strip  32  are maintained in this state for approximately 15-30 seconds to allow the adhesive  38  to cool and set so that the two strips are bonded together to produce the composite foam assembly  34  of  FIG. 4C .  
         [0024]     The handle material strip  30  and the fluid carrier material strip  32  are preferably shaped to produce a desired first applicator profile as a result of the bonding operation. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the first applicator profile defined by bonding the handle material strip  30  to the fluid carrier material strip  32  is the tapered side view profile of the applicator  2  shown in  FIG. 2 . To obtain this profile, the handle material strip  30  can be formed via a foam extrusion process (e.g., with polyethylene foam) using an extruder (not shown) that defines the tapered side view shape of the handle  4  in  FIG. 5 . Similarly, the fluid carrier material strip  32  can be formed via a foam molding process (e.g., with polyether foam) using a mold (not shown) that defines the tapered side view shape of the fluid carrier  6  in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0025]     With the side view profile of the applicator  2  being defined by the handle material strip  30  and the fluid carrier material strip  32 , a second desired applicator profile can be produced by way of a cutting operation that separates the composite assembly  34  of  FIGS. 4C and 5  into plural instances of the applicator  2 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , cutting can be performed with a die cutter  46  having a row of plural cutting elements  48  to cut multiple applicators in a single cutting operation. It is assumed, of course, that the handle material strip  30  and the fluid carrier material strip  32  are both of sufficient length to respectively form plural instances of the handle  4  and the fluid carrier  6  of  FIGS. 1-3 , and thus plural applicators  2 .  
         [0026]     It will be seen that the cutting elements  48  are shaped so that the second applicator profile is the tapered plan view profile of the applicator  2  shown in  FIG. 1 . In this way, the cutting operation will complete the formation of individual instances of the applicator  2 , with both of the tapered width and thickness profiles being precisely defined. Note that the cutting element  48  is further adapted to produce the applicator&#39;s mounting hole  16 .  
         [0027]     Turning now to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , a second applicator  52  is constructed in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The applicator  52  illustrates how a relatively minor design variation can give rise to a slightly modified manufacturing technique that is arguably simpler that the process described above relative to  FIGS. 4A-4C . The applicator  52  comprises a foam handle  54  and a foam fluid carrier  56  that are bonded to each other by way of an adhesive  56  (other bonding techniques could also be used). The materials used for these components may considered to be the same as their counterparts in the applicator  2  of  FIGS. 1-3 . The principal feature of the applicator  52  is that the plan view and side view profiles respectively shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  are different from the counterpart plan view and side view profiles of the applicator  2  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In  FIG. 7 , it will be seen that the applicator  52  is shorter and wider than the applicator  2 , and that the handle  54  has undulating tapered sides to facilitate gripping. In  FIG. 8 , it will be seen that the applicator  52  has no taper in either the handle  54  or the fluid carrier  56 .  
         [0028]     The non-tapered side view design of the applicator  52  means that this applicator can be manufactured in a different manner than the applicator  2 . Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the applicator  52  can be produced by bonding together the handle and fluid carrier material strips  60  and  62  so as to form a composite foam assembly  64  whose cross-sectional shape is the tapered plan view profile shown in  FIG. 7 . Considering the non-tapered side view profile of  FIG. 8 , it will be appreciated that single instances of the applicator  52  can be formed by repeatedly cutting the composite assembly at spaced locations, in much the same manner as loaf of bread is sliced. This means that a simple cutting blade can be used for the cutting operation instead of a die cutter as used to produce the applicator  2 .  
         [0029]     Accordingly, an improved foam applicator for use with fluid materials has been disclosed in which the applicator handle and the fluid carrier portion thereof are substantially made from foam. While various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it should be apparent that many variations and alternative embodiments could be implemented in accordance with the invention. For example, although manufacturing cost would be increased, it would be possible to introduce non-foam components into the applicator without departing from the basic concept of the invention. For example, the handle and/or areas of the fluid carrier of the applicator could be coated with paint, latex material or some other desired covering. Similarly, a piece of reinforcing plastic could be introduced within the interior of the handle and/or portions of the fluid carrier of the applicator to enhance stiffness. In all such cases, it is considered that the handle and the fluid carrier would still be made substantially from foam. It is understood, therefore, that the invention is not to be in any way limited except in accordance with the spirit of the appended claims and their equivalents.