Abstract:
A method of maintaining a painted surface by storing a volume of matched touch up paint in a squeezable container having a built in dispenser and applicator installed on the container and rubbing a porous pad into which a dispensed volume of touch up paint has been received onto a blemished area of the painted surface.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 61/876,268, filed on Sep. 11, 2013. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a method of maintaining a painted surface by touching up blemishes on the painted surface. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Conventional approaches to applying paint typically involve the use of a paint brush or paint roller, and a container for storing the paint. This approach can be efficient for large painting projects where there is an expectation that all of the paint will be used. However, touch-up and finishing projects typically require only a small amount of paint, and are usually done sometime after the original paint job was completed. 
         [0004]    In these instances, a user will typically need to find the original paint container and use a paint brush to make the necessary touch-ups after which the container must be resealed and stored, and the brush cleaned. This is a particular inconvenience. 
         [0005]    This approach also often results in spilled paint as the user moves the paint container to each location requiring touch-up. In many cases, more paint is spilled or lost or remaining in a temporary paint container such as a paint tray than is actually needed for the touch-up project, so that waste of paint results. 
         [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for maintaining a painted surface which minimizes waste of touch up paint and the time and trouble required for carrying out touch up of the painted surface. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The above recited object and others which will be apparent to those skilled in the art is achieved by a method including permanently storing matching touch up paint in a special storage container which is compact, the container combined with dispenser and with applicator to enable the paint to be directly applied to the surface from the container. 
         [0008]    The compact container is of small volume, i.e., preferably 8 ounces or less, and is configured to be easily squeezable by the hand of a user, so as to create pressure in the container sufficient to controllably force a small volume of paint into a dispenser-applicator installed on the top of the container. 
         [0009]    The applicator comprises a sponge or other porous pad connected to a dispensing pressure sensitive plunger that is selectively moved by compressing the pad against a surface to allow paint to be squeezed from the container and into the applicator. 
         [0010]    The pad is cleaned after each use. 
         [0011]    When the device is not in use, a cap is used to enclose and seal off, dispenser and applicator to protect against spills, inadvertent marks and prevent premature drying of the paint. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of a device used to carry out the method of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged fragmentary exploded pictorial view of the combined paint storage and applicator device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged top view of an assembled applicator pad and dispenser plunger included in the device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged bottom view of the plunger shown in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged partially sectional view of the dispenser plunger and porous pad with a pad holder piece therefore. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged sectional view of the components shown in  FIG. 5 , showing the resiliently deflectable elements of the dispenser plunger being further compressed by compression of the porous applicator pad against a surface. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  are fragmentary pictorial views of alternative types of applicator components. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0020]    The method of the present invention preferably uses a storage applicator device  10  which is of a type previously known and used but for other purposes, which features a container  14  used to permanently store a small volume of a paint matching the existing painted surface. 
         [0021]    The cap  12  may have an indicator patch  20  thereon of the color of the touch up paint contained therein. 
         [0022]    When a touch up of a painted surface  8  is desired, a sealing cap  12  is removed from the container  10  to expose a porous applicator pad. The paint in the container  14  is controllably dispensed into the porous applicator pad  16  by a dispenser plunger  30  being shifted from a closed to an open position by compression of the applicator pad  20 . 
         [0023]    This allows an outflow of a small volume of paint when the container  14  is squeezed by the hand of a user of a volume determined by the degree of squeezing applied to the container  14 . 
         [0024]    The dispenser plunger  30  is held within a hollow plug  22  which in turn is secured as by a snap or tapered fit within a neck  24  of the container  14 . The upper end of the hollow plug  22  is substantially closed off by an integral disc  26 . A small central opening  28  in the disc  26  receives the plunger  30  which has a rod portion  32  having a section interfit to the opening  28  to close off the opening  28  under the urging of resiliently deflectable elements  34  integral with and extending from the rod portion  32  extending spirally from a ring  35  press fit within the hollow plug portion  22 . 
         [0025]    The plunger rod portion  32  extends through the disc  24  and up into a hole  17  in the pad  16 . The compressible porous applicator pad  16  is affixed to the outside of the disc  26  with the plunger rod  32  extending up within the hole  17  in the applicator pad  16 . 
         [0026]    The pad  16  is affixed to the outside of the disc  26  as by an adhesive, the pad receiving the outflow of paint forced from the container  14  by squeezing the same when the pad  16  is compressed sufficiently to move the plunger portion  32  so as to open the small opening  28  and allow outflow of paint into the porous pad  16 . 
         [0027]    The deflectable elements  34  are partially compressed when the plunger body  36  is snap or press fit into the hollow plug portion  22  to continuously urge the rod portion  32  into the opening  28  so as to close off and seal the opening  28  and prevent dispensing of any paint until the pad  16  is again compressed. 
         [0028]    The pad  16  is cleaned after each use. 
         [0029]    The cap  12  is then installed over the dispenser applicator to protect and completely seal off these components. 
         [0030]    Thus, matching touch up paint is permanently stored in the container  14  and is instantly available to a user to neatly and conveniently dispense a small volume of paint into the pad  16 , and to apply the same to the surface by rubbing the applicator pad  16  on the blemished area of the painted surface  8  to apply the paint held within the pad  16  onto the surface  8 . 
         [0031]    Alternate forms of applicators  40 ,  42  which could be used are shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B .