Patent Publication Number: US-2007119877-A1

Title: Aerosol spray can attachment

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Discharge from aerosol spray canisters frequently results in overspray, a problem somewhat solved by the use of spray tubes acting on the discharge flow. Discharge of a high viscosity medium accentuates the problem.  
      In the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,438 discloses a spray guard to confine spray ejected from the spray wand of a garden sprayer to prevent undesired contact of the spray with certain plants.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,000 discloses a shield for attachment to an aerosol container with a nozzle valve being actuated by lengthwise movement of a conical shield in endwise contact with an area to be sprayed.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,076 discloses an aerosol container fitted with a conical shroud with a vent being provided to exhaust excess spray from the aerosol container. A support for the spray shield is adjustable to fit aerosol cans of different diameter.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,165 shows a shield or guard is vented to return any spillage and vapors back to the hand held spray gun. Rollers on the end of a shroud are for wall contact to reduce overspray.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,855 shows the shield or protector to restrict the spray pattern to a desired area being treated. The shield is intended for attachment to the spray head on a wand of a sprayer and serves to restrict overspray.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,151 discloses a guard or shield assembly for confining a spray to a small area, as for example, individual plants in a garden. The spray guard is lengthwise collapsible.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,056 discloses a spray guard for use with spray guns where the guard has a conical passageway formed internally in which a pressurized air flow is delivered to the outer end of the spray guard with one of the objectives being to eliminate overspray.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,180 discloses a shield for an airless sprayer to protect the user from the penetration of a sprayed medium into the user&#39;s skin.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,857 shows a shield on an aerosol container attached by a circular cover of the shield snapping into an annular groove at the container upper end.  
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
      The present invention is directed toward providing a canister attachment with a backup supply of spray tubes. A shield protrudes beyond the discharge end of the spray tube to restrict overspray. Provision is made for storing a selection of spray tubes on a base of the attachment. The shield is interchangeable with others of greater or lesser lengths to best suit the task at hand. Backup spray tubes, which may be of different lengths and inside diameters, are carried in a manner avoiding interference with grasping of the aerosol container. The base of the present device, in addition to storing one or more spray tubes flexes for attachment to an aerosol container. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      In the accompanying drawings:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present attachment in place on an aerosol canister,  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the present attachment separated from an aerosol canister;  
       FIG. 3  is a plan view of the attachment and aerosol container with fragments of the attachment broken away for purposes of illustration;  
       FIG. 4  is a fragmentary side elevational view of the attachment in place on an aerosol canister;  
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view of a fragment of a shield of the present attachment supporting a conical restrictor;  
       FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of the attachment on a canister in the hand of a user;  
       FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of a modified form of the present attachment with fragments broken away for purposes of illustration;  
       FIG. 8  is a sectional view taken downwardly along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7 ;  
       FIG. 9  is an enlarged sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 ;  
       FIG. 10  is a plan view of the attachment skirt removed from engagement with a cap of an aerosol container. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      With continuing attention to the drawings wherein applied reference numerals indicate parts similarly hereinafter identified, the reference numeral  1  indicates an aerosol container with contents under pressure for discharge via a combination, finger actuated valve and nozzle  2 . A domed end of the container is at  3  having a cap  4 . A container rim is at  1 A.  
      With attention now to the present attachment, a base  5  seats about container rim  1 A with the base confined by rim engaging bumps  6  seating below the rim.  
      A spray shield  7  has an inlet end  8  and a discharge end  10  with the former being shaped for engagement with a shield holder  11 . Holder supports are at  15 . For retention of shield  7 , a pin  12  thereon seats within a slot  13  in the holder to permit shield substitution if desired. Holder  11  is of open construction for the passage of a spray tube  14  and an airflow during spray discharge. The inlet end of holder  11  is of a size and shape and positioned to permit use of the attachment without a spray tube if desired. It will be noted that spray tube  14  terminates outwardly at its distal end at a point offset inwardly from the discharge end  10  of the shield, thereby inhibiting the size of the spray pattern. For example, when the aerosol spray is for providing a textured surface coating, the spray pattern is of a relatively large diameter, when compared with a paint spray pattern, resulting in added effort to the user to accomplish overspray removal. Any collection of spray occurring on the interior of shield  7  is confined against dripping from the shield end by a bead  16  which may additional serve to retain in place a later described spray confining attachment.  
      For use when very small areas are to be treated, the user may install in shield end  10  a spray restrictor  18  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The attachment defines a discharge opening  20 , and is of somewhat flexible construction for engagement with bead  16  of the shield.  
      With certain makes of aerosol canisters spray tubes  14  of different internal diameters are provided. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the present attachment permits spray tube placement adjacent the frontal aerosol surface of a container avoids interference with grasping of the container by the user. Depending upon the user&#39;s objectives, one or more spray tubes may be carried by engagement of a spray tube with spaced apart projections  21  defining tube receiving open areas  22  on base  5 .  
      In use of the present attachment base  5  is applied to the aerosol can rim with the raised areas or bumps  6  seating below the rim of the container. A spray tube is selected to best suit the task and spray medium at hand and is endwise inserted into the nozzle, which may be momentarily separated from a can discharge tube. Alternatively, the shield may be momentarily separated from its holder, the tube installed on the combination nozzle/actuator and the shield subsequently reinstalled.  
      In  FIG. 7 a  preferred form of the attachment is shown on an aerosol canister  25  having a dome shaped upper end portion  25 A terminating upwardly in a cap  26  which has a perimeter  27  offset upwardly and outwardly from the upper end portion  25 A of the canister and partially defines an annular recess or groove  28 .  
      A base  31  of the preferred form of the invention partially overlies the frontal portion of cylindrical canister  25  with attachment means including a pair of flexible clips as at  32  which grip a major arc of the canister perimeter. Base  31  terminates upwardly in a conical skirt  33  overlying the adjacent domed portion  25 A of the canister. With attention to  FIGS. 8-10  an arcuate insert or lip  34  on the skirt flexes outwardly to seat in annular recess  28  below cap  26  to attach the base upper end to the canister. Lip  34  may be castellated to enhance flexibility.  
      In place on base  31  are projections  35  which serve to carry an array of spray tubes as at  36  adjacent the frontal area of canister  25 . Preferably the spray tubes are of different inside diameters and lengths to provide the user a selection to best accomplish the current spraying task.  
      A shield at  37  may be like the shield earlier described and provided with a pin  38  for detachable engagement with a shield holder  40 . A holder sleeve  40 A terminates at an inlet end proximate the combination valve and nozzle  41  of the type found on aerosol canisters.  
      A probe at  42  in the base permits the user to periodically clear a clogged spray tube before attachment to nozzle/valve  41 .  
      Upon installation of the attachment on an aerosol canister, the shield is removed from the holder for insertion of a spray tube end (if used) into the nozzle/valve  41  whereupon the shield (or a substitute shield of different configuration) is inserted into the holder.  
      While I have shown but a few embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.  
      Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be secured by a Letters Patent is: