Abstract:
A pressurized gas or liquid mixture of particulates, or an aggregate of particulates, to be delivered in an aerosol spray through a self-contained container to remove paint, stains and the like from various surfaces, such as wood or metal. The aerosol aggregate mixture can additionally include paint removers or cleaners and is sprayed directly on objects or surfaces to abrasively remove paint or stains in an uniform manner without destroying any fine details.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/662,660 titled “AEROSOL SANDBLAST,” filed Mar. 17, 2005, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0003]     Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the delivery of a pressurized gas or liquid aggregate, for use with a self-contained container, that can remove paint, stains and the like from various surfaces. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to an aerosol aggregate mixture that can be sprayed to abrasively remove paint or stains from wood or metal without destroying any fine details.  
         [0004]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0005]     Methods and products used to remove paint or stains are generally known in the art and used to prepare a surface for refurbishment or repainting. For example, paint or stain-removing solvents may be applied manually to various surfaces to remove paint or stains. Such solvents can be applied to wood to remove an old coat of paint so that a new layer may be applied uniformly or to remove unwanted stains, such as graffiti, from walls. Such solvents may also be used to remove rust or rust stains from corroded metal in order to repair an object. Similarly, other like solvents may be used to clean other objects such as car engines.  
         [0006]     The traditional processes, however, often encounter inconsistent removal of the paint or stains. For example, in the case of a finely detailed wood or metal surface or object, it is very difficult to remove the paint or rust stains from the grooves and recesses. This is a common problem in cleaning antique objects. Likewise, in handling smaller objects, it is complicated to uniformly apply the solvents to small crevices to remove the paint or stains. This is also problematic because the application of an excessive amount often damages the object or surface being cleaned, while the application of an insufficient amount yields insufficient contact with the paint or stain, giving poor removal results.  
         [0007]     Another traditional method avoids the above-mentioned complications by dipping the small or detailed objects directly into large batches of chemical solution to strip off the paint or stains. In this way, the chemicals may contact all surfaces of the object, including any small grooves and recesses, to uniformly strip the paint or stains. However, this method presents different problems in that the chemicals commonly used are highly toxic and may emit noxious fumes. This method allows dangerous fumes to be released indiscriminately into the atmosphere in often excessive amounts. Consequently, necessary safety precautions associated with these procedures render the method more costly and complicated.  
         [0008]     Therefore, there exists a long-standing need to provide a safe and effective product that can be applied in an efficient and simple manner to remove old paint or stains from any wood or metal surface consistently, including those surfaces with fine details.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY  
       [0009]     In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a self-contained aerosol container has been developed for use in association with sandblasting, a method of stripping off paint and stains from a surface. The hand-held container can deliver an aerosol application of a pressurized gas or liquid containing abrasive particulates to uniformly remove paint or stains from any wood or metal surface, including those with fine details. The particulates may include glass beads, pumice, sand, sand paper or the like. The aerosol container and the sprayed mixture provide an efficient, safe, and less costly way than the traditional methods used to remove paint or stains from a surface.  
         [0010]     In one embodiment, the mixture may contain one or an aggregate of glass beads, pumice, sand, sand paper or the like to enhance the abrasiveness of the sandblasting. By exposing the surface or object to the aerosol spray, the spray may then be directed uniformly to all the smaller groves and recesses that would otherwise be difficult to reach manually. Furthermore, the aggregates are small and fine with sharp edges, and thus are able to access the grooves and recesses in wooden or metal surfaces to remove the paint or stains without destroying any details.  
         [0011]     The sandblasting container according to an embodiment of the invention may contain a propellant, such as compressed air or liquid gas, to further facilitate the force of expulsion and blast velocity with which the aerosol spray is released. The propellant may also enhance the area performance of the blast (i e., the area of paint or stain removed).  
         [0012]     In another embodiment of the invention, the mixture held in the container may be one of water or solvent-based paint removers. For example, a water-based solvent may be a citrus derivative, while a solvent-based solvent may be xylene.  
         [0013]     Alternatively, the mixture held in the container may be composed of a combination of aggregates suspended in a solvent. A combination of a solvent and aggregates may make stripping paint and stains even more efficient. The mixture may contain any combination of aggregates and any number of solvents or cleaners. In an embodiment of the invention, the aggregate is blasted along with one or more paint-removing solvents or cleaner such as engine cleaner. By using a combination of paint removers admixed with one or more aggregates, the impact of the blast is enhanced. The combination softens the paint or stains, helping to make the removal process simpler and faster.  
         [0014]     In yet another embodiment, the container may further include a thicksotropic thickener to suspend the aggregate in the mixture. The thicksotropic is added to thicken the liquid component in which the aggregate is suspended. This may change the concentration and impact of the aerosol spray and also ensure that the aggregates are uniformly dispersed when released.  
         [0015]     Depending on the type of surface to be sprayed, and the material to be stripped off or removed from that surface, the user may tailor the aerosol sandblast by using specific aggregates or combining different mixtures of aggregates with liquid components. Each aggregate, or combination of aggregate with liquid components, will yield different capabilities that may be used accordingly with specific surfaces to be stripped and cleaned.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]     A detailed description of embodiments of the invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate corresponding parts in the figures.  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a self-contained container delivering an aerosol spray to remove paint from a surface according to an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic representation of a sandblast aggregate according to an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a procedure to remove paint or stains from a surface.  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a self-contained container including a reservoir of paint remover according to an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a self-contained container including a reservoir of an aggregate admixed with a paint remover according to an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a self-contained container including a reservoir of an aggregate suspended in a thicksotropic according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]     In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and which illustrate several embodiments of the present invention. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and operational changes may be made without departure from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0024]     In  FIG. 1 , a self-contained aerosol container  1  for use in association with sandblasting is illustrated. The hand-held container  1  includes an actuator  2  that triggers the release of an aerosol spray  3 . The container  1  delivers an aerosol application of pressurized liquid  4  to remove old paint  5  from a wooden surface  6 . In the alternative, the aerosol spray that is delivered may be a pressurized gas. Also in the alternative, the aerosol spray may be used to remove old stains from a metal surface.  FIG. 1  demonstrates how the container  1  delivers an aerosol spray  3  that evenly contacts and distributes on the paint  5  on the wooden surface  6 . The aerosol spray  3  is generated from the reservoir  7  of the container  1 . By pushing down upon the actuator  2 , the valve assembly  8  is opened and the generated pressure releases the contents of the reservoir  7  in an aerosol spray  3 , as with other aerosol spray cans known in the art. In an alternative embodiment, the container may include a propellant, such as compressed air or liquid gas, to further facilitate the force of expulsion and blast velocity released. The propellant may also enhance the area performance of the blast (i.e., the area of paint or stains removed).  
         [0025]     The contents of the reservoir may include one or an aggregate of the following: water-based paint removers, solvent-based paint removers, sand, sand paper, pumice, glass beads, or the like.  FIG. 2  shows an enlarged illustration of an aggregate  9  of abrasive materials that can be included in the container to be delivered in an aerosol spray. The aggregate  9  includes a variety of sand  10 , pumice  11 , and glass beads  12 . The sharp, fine edges provided by each of the particulates in the aggregate  9  facilitates the stripping and removing of paint or stains from different surfaces. Because the particulates are of a fine size, but with effectively abrasive edges, the aerosol application can remove paint or stains from a surface without damaging detailing. Furthermore, because the aerosol spray can reach and contact the entire surface, including any recesses or grooves, the removal of paint or stains is done evenly.  
         [0026]     In  FIG. 3 , a block diagram of a procedure to remove paint or stains from wood or metal surfaces is shown. Other contemplated uses include cleaning oil and/or grime from engines of land or marine vehicle or stripping graffiti off walls. When the user pushes down on the actuator  102  of the container  101 , the valve assembly  108  opens and allows pressure to generate an aerosol spray  103  from the reservoir  107 . The aggregate  109  is released in the aerosol spray  103  to contact the desired surface  106 . As the aerosol spray  103  is continuously released, the abrasiveness of the particulates  113  in the aggregate  109  start to remove the old paint  105 . In one embodiment of the invention, the reservoir  107  may contain aggregate  109  mixed with paint remover  114 . This combination enhances the removal of the paint  105  from the underlying surface  106 . In the alternative, the aerosol spray may be used to remove old stains from a metal surface.  
         [0027]     Without being limited, several other embodiments of the aerosol container including different reservoir contents, and the corresponding container parts, are described below.  
         [0028]      FIGS. 4-6  show cross-sectional views of a self-contained aerosol container including various contents in the reservoir.  FIG. 4  illustrates a container  201  including a reservoir  207  filled with only a paint remover  214 . As described above, the container  201  includes an actuator  202  that triggers the release of the aerosol spray (not shown). The aerosol spray is generated from the reservoir  207  of the container  201 . By pushing down upon the actuator  202 , the valve assembly  208  is opened and the pressure generated releases the contents of the reservoir  207 . The container  201  allows a user to deliver an aerosol application of pressurized contents from the reservoir  207  to the desired surface as other aerosol systems known in the art. The paint remover  214  is delivered evenly to the desired surface and can remove old paint or stains from the surface without damaging any fine details on the surface.  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  illustrates a container  301  including a reservoir  307  filled with an aggregate  309  admixed with paint remover  314 . This combination may provide an enhanced removal of paint or stains. As described above, the container  301  includes an actuator  302  that triggers the release of the aerosol spray (not shown). The aerosol spray is generated from the reservoir  307  of the container  301 . By pushing down upon the actuator  302 , the valve assembly  308  is opened and the pressure generated releases the contents of the reservoir  307 . The container  301  allows the user to deliver an aerosol application of pressurized contents from the reservoir  307  to the desired surface. The aggregate helps as an added abrasive to remove more stubborn stains, rust or like. The aggregate  309  and paint remover  314  are delivered evenly to the desired surface and can remove old paint or stains from the surface without damaging any fine details on the surface.  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  illustrates a container  401  including a reservoir  407  filled with an aggregate  409  suspended in a thicksotropic  415 . The thicksotropic may be cellulose ethers or carbonal. As described above, the container  401  includes an actuator  402  that triggers the release of the aerosol spray (not shown). The aerosol spray is generated from the reservoir  407  of the container  401 . By pushing down upon the actuator  402 , the valve assembly  408  is opened and the pressure generated releases the contents of the reservoir  407 . The container  401  allows the user to deliver an aerosol application of pressurized contents from the reservoir  407  to the desired surface. The aggregate  409  suspended in a thicksotropic  415  is delivered evenly to the desired surface and can remove old paint or stains from the surface without damaging any fine details on the surface. The thicksotropic  415  is added to thicken the liquid component in which the aggregate  409  is suspended. In addition, the thicksotropic  415  keeps the aggregates uniformly dispersed in the solvent and prevents clumping.  
         [0031]     Depending on the type of surface to be sprayed and the material to be stripped off or removed from that surface, the user may tailor the aerosol sandblast by using different aggregates or combining different mixtures of aggregates with liquid components in different proportions. The aggregates, or combinations of aggregates with liquid components, described above are just a few examples of possible combinations. Different combinations will yield different capabilities that may be used accordingly with specific surfaces to be stripped.  
         [0032]     While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.  
         [0033]     The presently disclosed embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning of and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.