Patent Publication Number: US-2004045987-A1

Title: Corner trowel system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001] Not applicable to this application.  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002] Not applicable to this application.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0004] The present invention relates generally to joint compound applicators and more specifically it relates to a corner trowel system for efficiently applying joint compound within an inside corner.  
       [0005] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0006] Joint compound applicators have been in use for years. Conventional joint compound applicators are typically comprised of a hand-operated trowel device for applying the joint compound to a joint such as an inner corner of where two sheets of sheetrock meet at an angle.  
       [0007] The main problem with conventional trowels is that they are labor intensive to utilize. A further problem with conventional trowels is that they are not efficient when working in difficult to reach areas such as inside corners of a wall.  
       [0008] Examples of patented devices which may be related to the present invention include U.S. Pat. No. 2,288,987 to Allen; U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,337 to Johnson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,331 to Plasencia; U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,142 to Ames; U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,287 to Carlson; U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,451 to O&#39;Mara et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,389 to Retti; U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,821 to Munro; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,638 to Hoveland.  
       [0009] While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for efficiently applying joint compound within an inside corner. Conventional trowels do not provide for efficient application of joint compound to an inside corner of a wall structure.  
       [0010] In these respects, the corner trowel system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of efficiently applying joint compound within an inside corner.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of trowels now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new corner trowel system construction wherein the same can be utilized for efficiently applying joint compound within an inside corner.  
       [0012] The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new corner trowel system that has many of the advantages of the trowels mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new corner trowel system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art trowels, either alone or in any combination thereof.  
       [0013] To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a trowel member have a syncline shape, a first port and a second port within opposing sides of the trowel member, a cross tube fluidly connected to the ports, an applicator unit, and a reservoir positioned within the applicator unit. The reservoir is fluidly connected to the cross tube via a delivery tube. The joint compound is dispersed through the ports and then smoothed by the trowel member within an inner corner of a wall.  
       [0014] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.  
       [0015] In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.  
       [0016] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a corner trowel system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.  
       [0017] A second object is to provide a corner trowel system for efficiently applying joint compound within an inside corner.  
       [0018] Another object is to provide a corner trowel system that may be utilized within inside corners have various angles such as but not limited to 90 degrees and 45 degrees.  
       [0019] An additional object is to provide a corner trowel system that may apply various types of joint compounds including plaster.  
       [0020] A further object is to provide a corner trowel system that reduces the amount of time to apply joint compound to an inside corner.  
       [0021] Another object is to provide a corner trowel system that simultaneously applies and smoothes the joint compound.  
       [0022] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.  
       [0023] To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0024] Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:  
     [0025]FIG. 1 is a front upper perspective view of the present invention.  
     [0026]FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the present invention.  
     [0027]FIG. 3 is a front view of the present invention.  
     [0028]FIG. 4 is an exploded side perspective view of the present invention.  
     [0029]FIG. 5 is a side cutaway view of the present invention.  
     [0030]FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the present invention applying joint compound to an inner corner.  
     [0031]FIG. 7 is a top view of the present invention applying joint compound to an inner corner.  
     [0032]FIG. 8 a top cutaway view of the applicator applying joint compound to an inner corner.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0033] Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 through 8 illustrate a corner trowel system  10 , which comprises a trowel member  20  have a syncline shape, a first port  26  and a second port  28  within opposing sides of the trowel member  20 , a cross tube  30  fluidly connected to the ports  26 ,  28 , an applicator unit  50 , and a reservoir  52  positioned within the applicator unit  50 . The reservoir  52  is fluidly connected to the cross tube  30  via a delivery tube  40 . The joint compound  14  is dispersed through the ports  26 ,  28  and then smoothed by the trowel member  20  within an inner corner of a wall  12 .  
     [0034] As shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings, the trowel member  20  is comprised of a first member  22  and a second member  24  connected to one another at a desired angle reflecting the angle of the inner corner to apply joint compound  14  upon. The first member  22  and the second member  24  each preferably have a flat and straight outer surface that smoothes the dispensed joint compound  14  within the inner corner of the wall  12 .  
     [0035] The first member  22  and the second member  24  preferably have mirrored structures as best illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The outer lower corners of the first member  22  and the second member  24  are preferably rounded to avoid engagement of the wall  12  or other objects as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The angle between the first member  22  and the second member  24  is preferably ninety-degrees, however various other angles may be utilized to construct the trowel member  20 . The trowel member  20  may be comprised of various types of materials having various types of physical characteristics such as but not limited to metal or plastic.  
     [0036]FIG. 3 best illustrates the first port  26  within the first member  22  and the second port  28  within the second member  24  for dispensing the joint compound  14  from. The ports  26 ,  28  are preferably positioned within an inner lower portion of the trowel as further shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings. The lower location of the ports  26 ,  28  allows for adequate surface coverage of the trowel member  20  to ensure that the dispensed joint compound  14  is adequately smoothed upon the wall  12 . More than one port  26 ,  28  may be utilized upon the first member  22  and the second member  24  in various locations. The ports  26 ,  28  may have various sizes and shapes capable of dispensing the joint compound  14 .  
     [0037] As best illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4,  7  and  8  of the drawings, a cross tube  30  extends between the ports  26 ,  28  in a fluidly connected manner. The cross tube  30  is fluidly connected to the reservoir  52  containing the joint compound  14  via a delivery tube  40  or other suitable distribution structure. The delivery tube  40  is fluidly connected to the cross tube  30  preferably in a central location for providing even division of the joint compound  14  to the first port  26  and the second port  28 . FIGS. 2 and 4 illustrate a corner tube  42  connected to the delivery tube  40  opposite of the cross tube  30  with an inner tube  44  connected to the corner tube  42  for allowing adjustment of the position of the trowel member  20  with respect to the reservoir  52  and the applicator unit  50 . The inner tube  44  is threadably connected to the reservoir  52  for receiving the joint compound  14 .  
     [0038] The reservoir  52  is comprised of a tubular structure capable of storing a volume of joint compound  14 . The reservoir  52  is preferably threadably connected to the applicator unit  50 , however various other connection configurations may be utilized which are commonly utilized within caulking guns and similar dispensing devices. The applicator unit  50  has a handle, a plunger  54  attached to a shaft member  56 , and a trigger  58  mechanically connected to the shaft member  56  for driving the plunger  54  into the reservoir  52  for dispensing the joint compound  14  from within the reservoir  52 .  
     [0039] In use, the user positions the desired reservoir  52  within the applicator unit  50  and then fluidly connected the trowel member  20  to the reservoir  52 . The user then manipulates the trigger  58  thereby forcing the plunger  54  forwardly into the reservoir  52  thereby forcing the joint compound  14  through the cross tube  30  to the ports  26 ,  28 . As the joint compound  14  is dispensed from the ports  26 ,  28 , the user moves the trowel member  20  along the inside corner of the wall  12  thereby dispensing and smoothing the joint compound  14  within the inside corner as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and  8  of the drawings. This process continues until the reservoir  52  is emptied or the inside corner is properly filled.  
     [0040] As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.  
     [0041] With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed to be within the expertise of those skilled in the art, and all equivalent structural variations and relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.  
     [0042] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.  
                                               Index of Elements for Corner Trowel System                          □ ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS           □           □           □           □           □           □           □           □           □           □ 10. Corner Trowel System           □ 11.           □ 12. Wall           □ 13.           □ 14. Joint Compound           □ 15.           □ 16.           □ 17.           □ 18.           □ 19.           □ 20. Trowel Member           □ 21.           □ 22. First Member           □ 23.           □ 24. Second Member           □ 25.           □ 26. First Port           □ 27.           □ 28. Second Port           □ 29.           □ 30. Cross Tube           □ 31.           □ 32.           □ 33.           □ 34.           □ 35.           □ 36.           □ 37.           □ 38.           □ 39.           □ 40. Delivery Tube           □ 41.           □ 42. Corner Tube           □ 43.           □ 44. Inner Tube           □ 45.           □ 46.           □ 47.           □ 48.           □ 49.           □ 50. Applicator Unit           □ 51.           □ 52. Reservoir           □ 53.           □ 54. Plunger           □ 55.           □ 56. Shaft Member           □ 57.           □ 58. Trigger           □ 59.           □ 60.           □ 61.           □ 62.           □ 63.           □ 64.           □ 65.           □ 66.           □ 67.           □ 68.           □ 69.           □ 70.           □ 71.           □ 72.           □ 73.           □ 74.           □ 75.           □ 76.           □ 77.           □ 78.           □ 79.