Abstract:
An apparatus and method for applying liquid protectorant to a targeted surface, such as a automobile tire sidewall, comprising a container for holding the liquid protectorant, a hand-held applicator, and a conduit between the container and the applicator. And one embodiment, the container is pressurized and a manually controllable valve is operable to deliver the liquid protectorant from the container to the applicator. The applicator includes a nozzle for delivering liquid protectorant. The nozzle, however, is surrounded by portions of the applicator, for example brush bristles, to prevent liquid protectorant from traveling to other than the targeted area.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field Of The Invention  
           [0002]    The invention was developed to apply substances such as Armor-All         to such things as car tires when detailing the cars. Although the invention is not limited to this application, it is its primary focus.  
           [0003]    2. Problems In The Art  
           [0004]    The conventional way to apply such things as Armor-All         is to either squirt it out of a standard manually pumped spray bottle (for example a Winde™ bottle) or to pour some of the fluid on a cloth or rag and swipe it on the surface to which it is to be applied. Even with the spray bottle, a cloth or rag is needed to wipe and smooth it out over the surface. There are times when the liquid needs to be penetrate somewhat into the surface of application, and mere wiping is insufficient.  
           [0005]    A third method involves use of a sponge-type applicator such as liquid shoe polish or the like. It still usually requires some wiping or working with cloth. Foam applicators are sometimes used, but they deteriorate quite rapidly due to the rough surfaces of tires, and the lettering found on many tires.  
           [0006]    The problems with these techniques is that they generally require the two-step process of dispensing the fluid from its container and then wiping it on or working it into the surface. They also create a subtle but significant problem of having the substance on rags or applicators which in turn then causes the user&#39;s hands to come into contact with the substance. It also results in spillage of the substance.  
           [0007]    The problem with the above is that if the user&#39;s hands come in contact or the rags or towels come in contact with the liquid, it is difficult to clean and can drip or be transferred to floors and make them slippery. It can also be damaging to the user&#39;s skin. Some of these substances are dangerous if exposure to eyes or skin occur, or if inhaled through the nose or ingested into the lungs.  
           [0008]    Further, the above application methods tend to utilize a lot of the substance (more than is needed for the surface) and therefore a significant amount of liquid and thus a significant amount of cost is involved in the application of the substance.  
           [0009]    There are a variety of different types of vinyl and rubber protectorant fluids. Examples are Armor-All™ Protectorant of Armor-All™ Products Corporation of Aliso Viejo, Calif.; ReTire from Zep Products, of Smyrna, Ga.; and Ultra Shine Tire Protectorant from Grace-Lee Products, of Minneapolis, Minn. Most of them are packaged in relatively small hand-held sized plastic bottles. Some of the containers simply have screw off caps. The substance is poured onto a rag or other applicator. The substance is then wiped and/or worked onto a targeted surface, such as, for example, a car tire or other vinyl or rubber parts of an automobile. Using this process, it is very hard to regulate the amount of fluid that is dispensed out of the bottle that should be commenced with the needs of the targeted surface. In other words, the user just estimates how much to pour onto the applicator. Because most applicators are absorbent, any excess is either inefficiently placed on the target surface, or retained in the absorbent applicator. However, in both cases many times too much of the fluid is dispensed.  
           [0010]    Furthermore, the steps of pouring fluid onto an applicator, then moving the applicator to a surface, and then wiping the applicator on the surface all involve possible spillage. Also, the applicator either has a limited life span, or must be cleaned from time to time. If a rag, this means it must be washed, for example in a washing machine. The types of liquid protectorants discussed, are not necessarily environmentally friendly. Therefore, if the substance is able to be removed from the cloth or towel, it then enters the water and is placed into the water system of the municipality. Otherwise, the applicator must be washed under a hose or other facilities and again the substance would enter the municipal water system or fall or run off to the ground and also could enter ground water. Such substances are also potentially hazardous because if spilled on the floor, they can create slippery areas. Workers or customers would be exposed to this risk. The substances may produce environmentally hazardous substances when decomposing.  
           [0011]    Other conventional types of containers for such fluids may incorporate in the hand-held bottle a spray nozzle with a manually pumped delivery system. Dispension of the fluid is therefore arguably easier, as is control over dispension of the fluid. However, the spray is generally not fine in nature. The amount of control is also not precise. This results in either an inefficient amount of the substance being applied to the surface, or spillage, splattering, dripping, or mis-direction of the spray; again resulting in waste of the fluid as well as creating possible negative environmental consequences. Moreover, even using the spray dispensers requires the second step of then wiping the substance over the targeted surface. Similar problems regarding use of such an applicator therefore occur.  
           [0012]    It should also be mentioned that most hand-held sized containers hold a relatively small amount of the fluid. This is especially inefficient for businesses that use a relatively large amount of the fluid over the course of a day. It requires a change-over of containers frequently as well as the uneconomic of paying for a large number of containers. Thus, the convenience of having a small hand-sized container, including the maneuverability of the same, is countervailed by the small amount of fluid that it can contain as well as the problems with imprecise amounts of fluid used and spillage.  
         OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    The primary object of the invention is to improve upon the problems and deficiencies in the art. For example, improvement is needed in eliminating the wiping step with towels, rags, or sponges. Also it would be very beneficial to eliminate any human contact with the substance. It is important to decrease the amount of substance used.  
           [0014]    It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus which solve or improve over the problems and deficiencies in the art.  
           [0015]    Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention include a method and apparatus which:  
           [0016]    a. Allow more precise control placement of the fluid on a targeted surface in an appropriate amount.  
           [0017]    b. Allow better dispension of fluid from a holding container.  
           [0018]    c. Reduce spillage, drips, or inaccurate placement of the fluid.  
           [0019]    d. Deter potential hazards of spillage of the fluid on the working area, which can render it slippery, or to the user.  
           [0020]    e. Deter and reduce adverse environmental effects of the fluid.  
           [0021]    f. Provides a substantial amount of fluid in a portable manner readily available for delivery to an applicator.  
           [0022]    g. Are durable.  
           [0023]    h. Are re-fillable.  
           [0024]    i. Are easily repairable and maintained.  
           [0025]    j. Are efficient and economical.  
           [0026]    k. Are easily handled and maneuvered manually by a worker and do not constrain free movement around a vehicle or targeted surface.  
           [0027]    These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent with reference to the accompanying specification and claims.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0028]    The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for applying liquid protectorant to a targeted surface. The apparatus consists of a container for holding a supply of liquid protectorant. A hand-held applicator is in fluid communication with the container through a conduit. A controller, which can meter the amount of fluid passing from the container to the applicator, is operatively connected to the apparatus. The applicator includes an application head. A nozzle is surrounded by the application head but has sufficient excess space around the nozzle so that fluid can be sprayed substantially directly to the targeted surface but is constrained from traveling to places other than the target surface when the applicator is placed on or near the targeted surface.  
           [0029]    The container applicator and conduit are operable by hand and portable. Thus, in one step via a delivery system, the fluid in the container is dispensed and delivered to the applicator nozzle. When the applicator is placed on the targeted surface, the fluid can be directed only to the surface and in quantities controllable by the controller. The applicator can at the same time wipe, spread or work the dispensed fluid across and/or into the targeted surface while maintaining the fluid on the targeted surface.  
           [0030]    The method according to the invention includes containing a relatively large supply of liquid protectorant in a manner that is hand portable, conveying the liquid in a controlled matter to a targeted surface while surrounding the dispensing of the fluid to prevent spillage or direction of the fluid outside the targeted surface and spreading the dispensed liquid across the targeted surface. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0031]    [0031]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, including a partial perspective view of an automobile tire and illustrating the hand-held nature of the apparatus.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 3 is an still further enlarged sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of FIG. 2.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of FIG. 3.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 5 is an enlarged isolated perspective taken along line  5 - 5  of FIG. 3.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of FIG. 5.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 7 is an sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of FIG. 6. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0038]    In order to provide a better understanding of the invention, one embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail. Frequent reference will be taken to the drawings. Reference numbers will be used to indicate certain parts and locations in the drawings. The same reference numbers will be used to indicate the same parts and locations throughout the drawings unless otherwise indicated.  
         [0039]    It is to be understood that the preferred embodiment is but one form and configuration the invention can take. This detailed description is neither intended nor does it limit the invention, which is solely defined by claims set forth herein.  
         [0040]    The basic structure and environment of the invention will first be described, followed by more detail of the structure of the preferred embodiment of the invention, followed by a description of the operation of the preferred embodiment, and finally, concluded with a discussion of exemplary options, features, and alternatives with regard to the invention.  
         [0041]    By referring to FIG. 1, an automobile  8  is illustrated along with an associated tire sidewall  9 . Automobile detailing businesses sometimes utilize vinyl or rubber protectorant fluid to clean, protect, and improve the aesthetic appearance of automobile tires. Businesses involved in the same therefore utilize substantial quantities of the protectorant.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention. The device  10  includes a brush applicator (indicated generally at reference number  12 ) connected via hose  14  to a pressurized, hand-held canister  16 . The substance to be dispensed (e.g. Armor-All™) is in pressurized canister  16 .  
         [0043]    The liquid protectorant is generically described as a vinyl and rubber protectorant fluid. Such fluids are well known in the art. The specific composition of such fluids is not pertinent to the invention other than the fact that when spilled on the floor they can be slippery and that they are not necessarily environmentally or user friendly. FIG. 1 illustrates that the user can grip applicator  12  by hand (see reference number  15 ) and manipulate brush applicator  12  relative to tire sidewall  9  in an easy and efficient manner.  
         [0044]    The brush applicator  12  is comprised of a head  18 , bristles  20  extending from head  18 , a handle (generally indicated at  22 ) that comprises a hollow conduit, a valve  24  along conduit  22  and an exterior gripping portion  28 . A hand lever  26  operates valve  24 . By pushing lever  26  towards conduit  22 , valve  24  increasingly opens and provides a fluid conduit pathway from hose  14  to head  18 . Then lever  26  is in this normal, undepressed position, the fluid pathway through valve  24  is blocked or closed.  
         [0045]    Canister  16  includes a main body  30 , coupling  32  for hose  14 , a hand grip  34 , a {fraction (15/16)}″ hex release valve/filling cap  36 , and an air filling valve/cap  38 . Protectorant can be placed into canister  16  by removing cap  36 . The interior of canister  16  can be pressurized by removing cap  38  (when cap  36  is in place on canister  16 ) and adding pressurized air through  38 . Pressure can be adjusted or released through valve  36 . Caps  36  and  38  are threadably attached in place.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 2 shows in apparatus  10  in enlarged detail.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate that a conduit  42  is formed in and extends through head  18  into a nozzle  40  from conduit  22 . Nozzle  40  is basically centered in the middle of bristles  20  and extends at least approximately halfway from head  18  through bristles  40 . It is furthermore noted that nozzle  40  has a very small aperture  44  through which the fluid can be disbursed.  
         [0048]    It is further important to note that there is intentionally an open area  45  around nozzle  40  (extending from the bottom of head  18  to the distal ends of bristles  20 ). Dashed line  46  is used to indicate that open area where no bristles  20  exist.  
         [0049]    Head  18  can be made of plastic material. One end of conduit  42  would comprise threaded aperture  50  which receives the threaded male end  52  of connector  54 , which in turn can receive a male threaded end  56  of handle  22  into a threaded aperture therein. It should be noted that the fittings comprising  52 ,  54 , and  56  can be made of metal, for example brass or other corrosion resistant metals. Furthermore, to provide a sealing action against leakage, Teflon tape can be utilized between threaded parts, such as known in the art. An alternative is nitrile tape. Use of such materials is beneficial because rubber seals such as (rubber O-rings), could be corroded by the liquid protectorant.  
         [0050]    Nozzle  40  has a male threaded into  58  that fits within the female thread of aperture  60  at the other end of conduit  42  in head  18 . As can be seen further in FIG. 6, nozzle tip  62  in turn can be threaded via its male threaded end  64  into the other part of nozzle  40  indicated at reference number  66 .  
         [0051]    As illustrated by lines  67 , nozzle  40  functions to mist or spray liquid protectorant delivered through conduit  42  in a manner that would exit open area  45 . Bristles  20  would essentially surround, by 360°, nozzle  40  and therefore fluid could not pass through bristles  20  and thus is constrained to pass out of opening  45  or strike the innermost bristles  20  relative to nozzle  40 .  
         [0052]    FIGS.  5 - 7  illustrated in detail of the structure of nozzle  40 . It is pointed out that nozzle  40  is easily replaceable and removable for maintenance and cleaning. It is also removeable to interchange nozzle size and for spray characteristics. By referring particular FIG. 6, it can be shown that portion  66  of nozzle  40  includes a bore  68  having an upper open end  70 . Bore  68  increases somewhat in diameter at its lower portion (see reference numeral  72 ). In portion  72  of bore  68  is a screen  74  that is annular is shape and covers the bottom end of bore  68 .  
         [0053]    As can be seen in FIG. 6, the very tip  76  of nozzle  40  has a bore  78  longitudinally therethrough with an upper end  80  in fluid communication with bore  68 . An insert  82  is threaded into tip  76 . Dashed lines  84  and  85  illustrate the flow path of fluid through insert  82 . The fluid is allowed to travel longitudinally along nozzle  40  until the location indicated at  86  which blocks further axial movement. Fluid has to travel around sides of part  86  (see annular void  88  in FIG. 7, and then enter channel  90  where it flows out increasingly constricted pinhole  92 .  
         [0054]    The detailed structure of nozzle  40  is discussed for the following reason. By utilizing such a nozzle, the fluid first must pass in pressurized fashion through screen  74 . This filters out any solid particulars and serves to break up the fluid. The fluid is then forced through increasingly smaller passage ways until it finally must travel around part  86  and through very small channel  90  and then out an increasingly constricted pinhole  92 . The cooperation of these elements therefore causes good aeration and essentially atomizing or misting as it leaves pinhole  92 . By doing so, economy in the use of the fluid is achieved along with the efficiency of use of fluid.  
         [0055]    Operation of device  10  is shown by referring to the Figures and is as follows. The combination of FIG. 1 is assembled. The fluid to be dispensed is placed into canister  16  by filling cap  36 . Cap  36  is sealingly replaced, cap  38  is removed, and canister  16  is pressurized or charged through conventional valve  38  (with valve core)(through a standard air chuck operatively connected to the air stem valve  38  via a bicycle pump or other pressurized air source). Valve  38  is identical to an air valve on a bicycle tire. Nozzle  40  has been pre-designed to extend downwardly the distance relative to the length of bristles  20 . It is noted that a benefit of this is that if the user presses bristles  20  too hard on a surface, the distal end of nozzle  40  would prevent complete bending and possible deformation or damage to bristles  20  or when bristles rebound, deters splattering.  
         [0056]    The head  18  has been designed so that bristles  20  are approximately 2½ inches in length. They are intentionally selected to be of the type that have a soft edge that tends to absorb some of the product like a sponge.  
         [0057]    Nozzle  40  extends approximately 1¼ inch down through bristles  20 . The unobstructed area  45  around nozzle  40  is approximately 1 to 1½ inches wide. The remainder of the bristles  20  occupy the remainder of the approximately 4½ inch diameter of brush head  18 .  
         [0058]    Nozzle opening  44  is very small, almost pinhole size. Examples are #2 (0.025″ diam.) and #4 (0.050″ diam.) nozzle sizes; #2 for lighter fluids and #4 for heavier fluids. It is preferred that liquid lighter than No. 10 motor oil be used with device  10 . If the liquid is too heavy, more of a pinstream than a mist is produced. Therefore, if the liquid is too heavy, one might dilute it or use a slightly larger hole size for nozzle opening  44  (e.g. #2 for lighter fluids and #4 for heavier fluids).  
         [0059]    Canister  16  is pressurized to maximum pressure of 200 psi. The maximum liquid capacity is 32 ounces. It has been found that 40 psi is about the minimum pressurization for good operability.  
         [0060]    The combination of the pressurization of the fluid and the pinhole opening  44  results in a mist-like or almost vaporized discharge of the fluid through nozzle  40 . The unobstructed space around nozzle  40  allows the misted fluid to get to the surface and then the brush bristles are used to spread it out evenly thereover.  
         [0061]    As seen in FIG. 1, canister  16  handled  34  can be gripped with one hand of the user and applicator  12  with the other hand of the user. The user can then efficiently walk to automobile  8  and tire sidewall  9  and easily place the brush bristles  20  directly to sidewall  9 . The bristles should be gently placed on sidewall  9 , preferably at the middle of one side of the tire.  
         [0062]    Lever  26  can be depressed and released to discharge the misted fluid for short bursts and then released to allow the brush to apply it to the surface. The fluid should be applied sparingly and the brush gently moved clockwise following the outer edge of the rim of the tire until a 360° pass has been made. Then the brush is moved counter-clockwise around the outer edge of the sidewall for another 360°. If needed, several other short pulls of the trigger can be made to provide a little more fluid. The whole tire is covered with two passes. Starting and finishing at the middle prevents drips on the floor or on the tire.  
         [0063]    Once the protectorant fluid is dispensed onto a portion of sidewall  9 , while bristles  20  protect against any liquid going to an area other than the targeted part of sidewall  9 , the user can quickly and easily wipe or brush  20  around sidewall  9 . The brush allows the liquid to be worked into the targeted surface. Short bursts of trigger  26  can be made according to need and experience to dispense appropriate amounts of liquid protectorant on sidewall  9  and simultaneously wipe and work the protectorant comprehensively around the sidewall  9 . Once entire sidewall  9  has been treated, the user can easily move apparatus  10  to the next tire or location.  
         [0064]    It will be appreciated the present invention can take many forms and embodiments. The true incense and spirit of this invention are defined in the impended claims, and it is not intended that the embodiment of the invention presented here and should limit the scope thereof. Variations obvious to one skill in the art will be included with the invention, within the invention defined by the claims.  
         [0065]    For example, the type of nozzle can vary according to need and desire. In the preferred embodiment, the nozzle mists or atomizes or vaporizes the fluid. In certain circumstances, more volume and less misting of the fluid may be desirable.  
         [0066]    The exact position of the nozzle  40  relative to the brush bristles, including open area  45  in relationship of the distal end of nozzle  40  relative to the applicator head  18  and the distal head end of bristles  20 , can be varied according to need. Bristles  20  can, for example, be flag-brush. They can have a fine but soft edge and have some absorbent qualities.  
         [0067]    Container  30  can be a metal canister, preferably stainless steel. It specific size can be varied according to need and desire, but it is preferred that it be easily portable by gripping and moving in a hand-held manner. Different delivery systems could be used including aerosol or by attachment to a central pressurized distribution system.  
         [0068]    The grip  28  for handle  22  can be ½″ rubber hose or a formed handle grip. It is preferred that handle  22  be relatively short to allow for greater flexibility and maneuverability of head  18  relative to targeted areas. Conduit  14  is preferred to be flexible but made of an material that resists corrosion by material such as those used with the invention. An example such hoses are those that are used to apply acidic fluids.  
         [0069]    Alternatively to canister  16 , a larger container or a pressurized air source could be used to push the product through the brush. It is even possible to attach a plurality of brush applicators  12  by a plurality of hoses  14  to a centralized source of pressurized fluid. Hose  14  can be short or long. Examples are 5′, 10′ and 25′.  
         [0070]    The valve  24  is placed near the brush applicator  12  instead of at the canister  16  to eliminate any run-on of pressurized fluid if the valve was at canister  16  and turned off. In other words, having the valve at or near brush applicator  12  allows quicker on/off of fluid discharge and therefore less waste of material.  
         [0071]    Therefore, the device can apply a precisely controllable, economical amount of the fluid, and allow it to be spread evenly and thoroughly, without any need for contacting the user or being placed on any intermediate applicator, such as a cloth. The mist is contained within the open area of the brush bristles so as not to be wasted on other than the surface intended, furthermore allowing a more economical and efficient application of the substance.  
         [0072]    It has been the experience of the inventor that an up to 80% savings in the amount of fluid to be used (in this example Armor-All™) can be realized. This translates in substantial economic savings.  
         [0073]    By way of another example, it is the experience of the inventor that in traditional methods, 4 ounces of liquid protectorant are used per car (all four tires). But with the present invention this amount has been reduced to approximately ½ ounce per car. Considering that an automobile detailing company might go through over 50 gallons of liquid protectorant in a week, the amount of savings cumulatively is substantial. Also, expense, time and labor of washing rags or applicators is eliminated or reduced, cleaning up spills, and damaging environment, users, or non-targeting areas is reduced.