Patent Publication Number: US-10780455-B1

Title: Caulking gun

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to the field of caulking material dispensers. More particularly, the invention relates to a caulking gun. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A caulking gun is referred to in the art as a dispenser of caulking material through a nozzle. “Caulking is both the processes and material (also called sealant) to seal joints or seams in various structures and some types of piping.” (Wikipedia). 
       FIG. 1  pictorially illustrates a caulking gun, according to the prior art. 
     The caulking gun of the prior art is marked by reference numeral  12 . It comprises a housing  18  in which is disposed a caulking tube  30  in a form of a cylinder having a nozzle  32 . The housing comprises a ratchet mechanism  20 , a handle  14  and a corresponding lever  16 . By approaching lever  16  to handle  14 , the ratchet mechanism advances a toothed rod  26 , which pushes a plunger  24 . The plunger pushes the piston  36  of the tube  30 , which detaches from the tube&#39;s walls and enters into the tube cylinder. Thus, the bottom of the tube operates as a piston such that the caulking material (which is in a form of a paste) is pushed outside the tube, through nozzle  32 . 
     One of the drawbacks of this structure is the fact that the dispensing of the caulking material is not continuous, but rather in beats, which of course does not suit some types of dispensing. 
     The prior art solves this obstacle by a device in which the ratchet mechanism is replaced by a motor which dispenses the caulking material in a continuous and constant dispensing operation. Nevertheless, such a caulking gun is cumbersome and not compact, since it combines two mechanisms, a motor and a battery, which also occupies a meaningful volume. 
     All the methods described above have not yet provided satisfactory solutions to the problem of a caulking gun adapted for the needs of a handyman. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art. 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A caulking gun, comprising:
         a cylindrical housing ( 18 );   a nut ( 46 ) fixed to a rear wall ( 56 ) of the housing;   a screw ( 44 ) threaded into the nut ( 46 ), the screw ( 44 ) having a bit ( 42 ) at one end thereof, and a bearing ( 48 ) connected to the other end thereof,   a caulking tube ( 30 ) situated inside the housing ( 18 ) between a front wall ( 28 ) thereof and the bearing ( 48 ); and   a stopper, for preventing the bearing ( 48 ) from reaching to the rear wall ( 56 ) of the housing ( 18 ) and as a result being separated from each other;   wherein the bit ( 42 ) having a depression ( 62 ), for allowing connecting thereto a snap connector, and   wherein the nut ( 46 ) is further welded to a second wall ( 58 ) of the housing, for holding the screw steady such that its longitudinal axis coincides with the longitudinal axis of the housing, and   wherein the housing comprises flexible straps ( 66 ) connecting the front wall to a back wall ( 28 ,  58 ) of the housing, for providing compact storage of the caulking gun.       

     According to one embodiment of the invention, the bit ( 42 ) is adapted to be used by an electric screwdriver. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, the bit ( 42 ) is adapted to be used by an electric drill. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, the bearing ( 48 ) is welded to the screw ( 44 ). 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, the stopper is in a form of a washer ( 50 ) welded to the screw ( 44 ). 
     According to another embodiment of the invention, the stopper is in a form of a tenon ( 52 ) disposed in an orthogonal hole to a longitudinal axis ( 60 ) of the screw ( 44 ). 
     According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the stopper is in a form of a pair of nuts ( 54 ) threaded on the screw ( 44 ) such that each of the nuts ( 54 ) applies a force on the other. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, the bearing is covered by a cover, for preventing the material dispensed by the tube from entering into rotating parts of the bearing. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention, the housing further comprising a foldable handle, for preventing rotating of the caulking gun when being used. 
     The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred embodiments, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings: 
         FIG. 1  pictorially illustrates a caulking gun, according to the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  schematically illustrates a caulking gun from a back side thereof, according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  schematically illustrates a caulking gun in which is disposed a tube, according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a zoomed view on a front side of a caulking gun, according to one embodiment of the invention. 
       Each of  FIGS. 5, 6 and 7  illustrates an example of a stopper for preventing the screw from separating from the bearing. 
         FIG. 8  schematically illustrates a caulking gun, according to another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  schematically illustrates a caulking gun, according to yet another embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. 
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will be understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments (“best mode”), which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features, methods, systems, procedures, components, circuits, and so on, are not described in detail. 
       FIG. 2  schematically illustrates a caulking gun from a back side thereof, according to one embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  schematically illustrates a caulking gun in which is disposed a tube, according to one embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a zoomed view on a front side of a caulking gun, according to one embodiment of the invention. 
     The caulking gun is marked herein by reference numeral  10 . It comprises a housing  18  in which is fixed a nut  46 , in which is threaded a corresponding screw  44 . The screw  44  is situated longitudinally to the longitudinal axis  60  of housing  18 . The length of screw  44  is about the length of the tube  30 . 
     The external end (i.e., the end which is situated outside housing  18 ) of the screw  44  is a bit (“drill”)  42  of a prismatic form. 
     The internal end (i.e., that is situated inside housing  18 ) of screw  44  is connected a rotational bearing  48 , situated perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis (not illustrated) of the screw  44 . 
     According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the term “bearing” refers to a machine part in which another part (such as a journal or pin) turns or slides. 
     As such, the term “rotational bearing” refers herein to a machine part in which another part turns. 
     Since the screw  44  is threaded in the corresponding nut  46 , upon rotating screw  44  it advances/retracts along the longitudinal axis of the screw, depending on the rotation direction. Since screw  44  is connected to the bearing  48 , upon advancing the screw  44 , the bearing pushes the bottom side of tube  30 . Upon rotating the screw  44  in the opposite direction, the bearing  48  retracts, thereby allowing removing the empty tube from housing  18 . 
     A caulking tube (illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) is disposed in the gap between the bearing  48  and the front wall  28  of housing  18 . 
     The bottom side of the tube is in direct or indirect contact with the bearing  48 . If the screw  44  were connected to a piston instead of a bearing, it would rotate the piston. However, using a rotational bearing diminishes the rotational power of the piston, and thereby the piston slides without rotating. 
     When the bearing  48  is pushed ahead by the screw  44 , it pushes the bottom side of the caulking tube  30 , thereby operating as a piston which pushes the content of the tube out of the tube via a nozzle. 
     An electric screwdriver  40  connects to the bit  42  of screw  44 , thereby allowing the electric screwdriver  40  to be used as the power source for rotating the screw  44  (actually, the chuck  38  of the electrical screwdriver  40  grips the bit  42  of screw  44 ). Thus, the manual ratchet mechanism of the prior art is replaced by an electric screwdriver, thereby providing continuous operation, which does not require much physical effort from the user, in addition to the compactness of the caulking gun which is achieved due to the omission of the ratchet mechanism. 
     As mentioned above, screw  44  is connected at the end thereof to bearing  48 . If the screw  44  mates with the hole in the center of the bearing by force, when the screw  44  is retracted in order to release space for placing therein a tube, the bearing  48  may meet the rear wall  56  of housing  18 , and as a result be separated from the screw  44 . 
     One solution is attaching a stopper to the screw, preferably about 3 mm from the bearing  48 . Each of  FIGS. 5, 6 and 7  illustrates an example of such a stopper. In  FIG. 5  the stopper is in a form of a washer  50  welded to the screw  44 ; in  FIG. 6  the stopper is in a form of a tenon  52  disposed in a orthogonal hole in the screw  44 ; and in  FIG. 7  the stopper is in a form of a pair of nuts  54  tightly connected to each other on the screw  44 . For the sake of brevity, the threads of screw  44  are not illustrated in  FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 . 
     Another way to prevent such separation is to weld the bearing  48  to screw  44 . 
     Preferably, the bearing has a cover (not illustrated), for preventing the material dispensed by the tube from entering into the rotating parts (including balls) of the bearing  48 . 
     It should be noted that from a mechanical point of view, the mechanism of the caulking gun  10  of the present invention is much simpler than the mechanism of the caulking gun  12  of the prior art, as it does not comprise a ratchet mechanism. 
     Furthermore, the present invention is advantageous over motorized caulking guns of the prior art, since it is more compact in storage. Actually, the caulking gun  10  of the present invention is in a form of a cylinder, and when the screw  44  is kept separated from the caulking gun  10 , it is actually a cylinder slightly greater than the tube  30 . 
     The power of the caulking gun  10  is an electric screwdriver, which is an essential tool for any handyman and householder. 
     Preferably, the housing is made of painted iron. The width of the screw  44  is preferably at a diameter of 0.5 cm. 
       FIG. 8  schematically illustrates a caulking gun, according to another embodiment of the invention. 
     According to this embodiment of the invention, the housing comprises flexible straps  66 , which allow diminishing the space the caulking gun occupies when not in use. The straps may be made of leather, metal chain, and the like. 
       FIG. 9  schematically illustrates a caulking gun, according to yet another embodiment of the invention. 
     According to this embodiment of the invention, the caulking gun comprises a foldable handle  44 , which allows preventing a rotation of the housing  18  when the caulking gun is being used. 
     In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals (Reference Signs List) have been mentioned:
         numeral  10  denotes a caulking gun, according to one embodiment of the invention;   numeral  12  denotes a caulking gun, according to the prior art;   numeral  14  denotes a handle;   numeral  16  denotes a lever;   numeral  18  denotes a housing;   numeral  20  denotes a ratchet mechanism;   numeral  24  denotes a pushing plunger;   numeral  26  denotes a toothed rod which is a part of the ratchet mechanism  20 ;   numeral  28  denotes the front wall of housing  18 ;   numeral  30  denotes a caulking tube;   numeral  32  denotes a nozzle;   numeral  34  denotes caulking material;   numeral  36  denotes a piston of tube  30 ;   numeral  38  denotes a chuck of an electrical screw driver;   numeral  40  denotes an electric screwdriver, as an example of a rotating device having a chuck ( 38 );   numeral  42  denotes a bit (“drill”) in a prismatic form;   numeral  44  denotes an elongated screw the length of which is about the length of caulking tube;   numeral  46  denotes a nut correspondingly with screw  44 ;   numeral  48  denotes a rotational bearing;   numeral  50  denotes washer as an example of a stopper;   numeral  52  denotes a tenon as an example of a stopper;   numeral  54  denotes a pair of nuts threaded on the screw  44  such that they apply force on each other, as an example of a stopper;   numeral  56  denotes a rear wall of the housing  18 ;   numeral  58  denotes a wall of housing  18  wherein the nut  46  is disposed between this wall and the rear wall  56 ;   numeral  60  denotes a longitudinal axis of the housing  18  and screw  44 ;   numeral  62  denotes a depression in bit  42 , for allowing a snap connection thereof,   numeral  64  denotes a foldable handle; and   numeral  66  denotes a flexible strap.       

     The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form. 
     Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should to be interpreted according to this definition. 
     The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form.