Abstract:
A hand-held trim painting tool consists of a cylindrical body holding paint to be dispensed in a reservoir within the cylindrical body, a head attached to the body, a removable paint applicator attached to the head, a mechanism for loading paint into the reservoir, a valve permitting paint to be dispensed from the reservoir, an actuator incrementally opening and closing the valve, and a dispensing rate adjuster to regulate the rate at which paint is dispensed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present application relates to a hand-held paint trim tool with a dispensing rate adjusting mechanism. 
     Paint trim tools usually have a relatively small applicator onto which paint is fed, under pressure, from a cylindrical body to which the applicator is attached. Paint is fed from the tube by suitably opening a valve, letting the paint flow onto the applicator. However, previous devices generally have no way to adequately regulate the rate at which paint is dispensed from the valve to the applicator. 
     The present invention addresses the above problem by providing a paint trim tool with a mechanism that can be adjusted to provide various rates of dispensing the paint. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A hand-held trim painting tool consists of a cylindrical body holding paint to be dispensed in a reservoir within the cylindrical body, a head attached to the body, a removable paint applicator attached to the head, a mechanism for loading paint into the reservoir, a valve permitting paint to be dispensed from the reservoir, an actuator incrementally opening and closing the valve, and a dispensing rate adjuster to regulate the rate at which paint is dispensed. 
     A principle object and advantage of the present invention is that it provides a mechanism for regulating the rate at which paint is dispensed from the valve to the applicator. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  are side views of the present invention with some structure cut away to show details of the dispensing mechanism. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the way that various parts of the invention are put together. 
         FIG. 7  is a detailed cross-section of the mechanism for drawing paint into the reservoir and applying pressure to the paint within the reservoir. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-section illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-section illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-section illustrating a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-section illustrating a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-section illustrating a sixth embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 13   a - 13   b  are side views illustrating a seventh embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13C  is a perspective view illustrating the seventh embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention is generally referred to in the Figures as reference numeral  10 . 
       FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 , and  7  show general operating parts of the invention. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the present invention comprises a paint trim tool  10 , which preferably further comprises a body  12  holding paint; an applicator  14  upon which paint is dispensed from the body  12 ; a head  15  holding the applicator  14 , the head  15  being suitably removably attached to the body  12  as for example by a pin  15   a  on the body slidably engaging a groove, slot, or channel  15   b  on the head  15 ; a nozzle  32  ( FIG. 3 ); a handle  16 ; a trigger  18 ; a trigger pivot  22 ; and an end cap  24 . 
       FIG. 7  shows some additional internal structure of the invention  10 , which preferably comprises a handle spring  26 , a handle plunger  28 , and a handle plunger O-ring  30 . 
     Several embodiments of the invention are discussed below, but the common operation is as follows. Paint may be drawn into the body  12  (with the applicator removed) through the head  15 , by drawing back on the handle  16  and operating the trigger  18  to open the valve (discussed below). Drawing back on the handle  16  also compresses the handle spring  26 . When enough paint has been drawn into the body  12 , the operator releases the trigger  18  and the handle  16 . The handle spring  26  develops pressure against the paint P through the handle plunger  28  reciprocating through the handle plunger O-ring  30 . Because the valve (discussed below) is now closed, paint cannot escape from the body. The head  15  with nozzle  32  is then re-attached to the body  12 . 
     To dispense paint, the valve (discussed below) is opened by pressing the trigger  18 , and paint, urged by the handle spring  26  and the handle plunger  28 , then flows to the applicator  14  through the channel  34  and the nozzle  32 . 
       FIG. 3  is a partially broken away enlarged view of the paint trim tool  10 . 
     The present invention further comprises a valve body  36  which mounts within the body  12  by ears  38  sliding in slots or grooves  40 , as best seen in  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6A  is a detailed cross-section of the valve body  36 . As can be seen, the valve body preferably comprises an outer hard shell  42 , with a flange  44 . A rubber-like inner shell  46  is fixedly mounted to the outer hard shell  42 , as for example by adhesive, and engages the flange  44  with a protrusion  46 . 5 . A bullet valve  48  with paint passages  49  therethrough is fixedly mounted to the inner shell  46 . The valve body  36  slides in the slots of grooves  40  in the body  12 , doing so when activated by the trigger  18 . 
     The valve body  36  is urged forwardly by a valve spring  50 , thus urging the bullet valve  48  against a valve seat  52  sealing valve passages  49 . In this position, paint cannot flow out of the body  12  onto the applicator  14 . 
     The trigger  18  further comprises trigger arms  54  which enter the body  12  through trigger slots  56 , as best seen in  FIG. 6 . The trigger arms  54  are curved and increase in width toward the trigger  18 . The trigger  18  has pivot apertures  58  which engage the trigger pivots  22 . The trigger arms  54  slidably engage the ears  38 , causing the valve body  36  to move away from the valve seat  52 , allowing paint to flow through valve passages  49  (arrows in  FIG. 6A ) into the channel  34  and thence through the nozzle  32  to the applicator  14 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , in the static condition, the arms  54  rest against the ears  38  so that the bullet valve  48  is urged by the trigger spring  50  against the valve seat  52 . 
     In  FIG. 4 , the trigger  18  has been depressed as shown by the arrow. This causes the trigger arms  54  to ride against the ears  38 , with the ears  38  rising along the curved, widening arms. As the ears rise along the widening arms, this in turn causes the valve body  36 , attached to the ears  38 , to move rearwardly, so that the bullet valve  48  moves slightly off the valve seat  52 , allowing paint to flow through passages  49  into the channel  34  at a slow rate. 
     In the first embodiment, it will be seen that a trigger adjustment screw  20  has been screwed into the trigger  18  so that the trigger adjustment screw  20  impinges the body  12 , stopping the inward motion of the trigger arms and the rearward motion of the bullet valve, regulating the rate of dispensing paint. 
     In  FIG. 5 , the trigger adjustment screw  20  has been screwed out of the trigger  18 , allowing the trigger  18  to be depressed further, again as shown by the arrow. The curved, widened portion arms  54  have now ridden further along the ears  38 , causing the ears  38  to move further rearwardly, so that the bullet valve  48  has moved further away from the valve seat  52 , allowing paint to be dispensed at a greater rate. 
     It will be understood that the trigger adjustment screw can be incrementally screwed in or out of the trigger  18 , to increase or decrease the rate of dispensing paint, respectively. 
     A second embodiment of the present invention  110  is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . Instead of the trigger adjustment screw, a narrow orifice  60  with external threads has been screwed into the head  15 , which has been modified to have internal threads. Because the internal diameter of the orifice  60  is less than that of the head  15 , the rate of dispensing paint will be limited. It will be understood that other types of orifices with varying internal diameters may be threaded into the head  15  to regulate the rate of dispensing paint. It will also be understood that the orifice  60  may be inserted at any point along the path of the paint, for example in the channel  34 . 
     A third embodiment of the present invention  210  is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . Instead of having the adjustment screw  20 , a portion of the channel  34  has been modified to a flexible tube  62 . An adjustment screw  64  impinges on the flexible tube  62  to control the rate of dispensing paint. It will be understood that the adjustment screw  64  may be incrementally adjusted to incrementally regulate the rate of dispensing paint. 
     A fourth embodiment of the present invention  310  is illustrated in  FIG. 10 . Instead of having the trigger adjustment screw  20 , at some point along the channel  34 , a gate valve  66  has been inserted. The gate valve  66  has an O-ring  68  through which a plunger  68  is slid into and out of the channel  34  to regulate the rate of dispensing paint. 
     A fifth embodiment of the present invention  410  is illustrated in  FIG. 11 . Instead of having the trigger adjustment screw  20 , at some point along the channel  34 , a ball valve  70  is inserted. The ball valve  70  further comprises a valve seat  72 , a ball  74 , and a valve spring  76 . The valve seat  72  has external threads which mesh with internal threads on the body  12 . The valve seat  72  may be screwed toward or away from the ball, thus increasing or decreasing the tension of the spring  76 , respectively. The change in spring tension regulates the rate of dispensing paint 
     A sixth embodiment of the present invention  510  is illustrated in  FIG. 12 . This embodiment is similar to that of  FIG. 11 . A ball valve  78  is inserted at some point along the channel  34 . The ball valve  78  further comprises a valve seat  80 , a ball  82 , and an adjustment screw  84 . As the adjustment screw  84  is screwed inwardly or outwardly toward the channel  34 , the range of motion of the ball  82  is decreased or increased, respectively. The change in the range of motion of the ball regulates the rate of dispensing paint. 
     A seventh embodiment of the present invention  610  is illustrated in  FIGS. 13   a - 13   c . The invention  510  further comprises a bracket  86  attached to the body  12 , a U-channel  88  attached to the trigger pivot  22  and slidingly engaging the bracket, and an adjustment bolt  90  threaded into the U-channel  88  and impinging on the body  12 . As the adjustment bolt is tightened, it causes the U-channel  88  to move downwardly within the bracket  90 . Because the trigger pivots  22  are attached to the U-channel  88 , the trigger pivots  22  also move downwardly relative to the tube  12 . This in turn causes the trigger  18  to pivot to a position further from the tube  12 , giving the trigger  18  a greater range of motion relative to the body  12 . This permits the trigger arms  54  to move further into the body  12  when the trigger  18  is depressed, which in turn allows a greater dispensing rate as the trigger arms act on the valve body  36 , as previously described. Compare  FIG. 13   a  to  FIG. 13   b.    
     Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods and materials are described below. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent allowed by applicable law and regulations. In case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions, will control. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.