Patent Publication Number: US-2007095681-A1

Title: Epoxy coat kit

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/731,616, filed Oct. 28, 2005, entitled “Epoxy Coat Kit”. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention discloses an epoxy coating kit including a combination of items capable of being held within a dual purpose storage and mixing container. The epoxy kit is a nonobvious improvement over the prior art in that it provides a unique packaging and transport arrangement not contemplated by the prior art.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The prior art is documented with examples of kits and various assemblies for applying a floor coating or other multi-component polymer coating or adhesive. A first example of such a method, container and kit is set forth in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0112984, to Moran et al., and which teaches a two component polymeric material, such as an epoxy coating including filling a first pouch with a polymeric precursor material. A second pouch is filled with a curing agent, the first and second pouches being sealed and inserted into a mixing container which is in turn sealed. The first pouch can be filled with a first amount of polymeric precursor material, second pouch being filled with a second amount of a curing agent, with the first and second amounts totaling a first volume. The mixing container can have a second volume, with the first volume being greater than about half the second volume. The contents of the pouches can be transferred to the mixing container and mixed therein to react the components and dispense the resulting material.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,259, issued to Rice, teaches an epoxy mixing and dispensing apparatus including a movable cartridge and a first dump bucket assembly mounted at a first end portion of the cartridge for rotating and dumping a first bucket. A second dump bucket assembly is mounted at a second end of the cartridge for rotating and dumping a second bucket. An epoxy mixing assembly includes a power driven epoxy mixer for mixing epoxy ingredients in the buckets. Additional mixer placement and support apparatus facilitates movement of the mixer between the buckets and support at various operating positions. Additional controls independently operate the first and second power driven bucket rotation devices and the power driven epoxy mixer.  
      Additional prior art references include the method of applying a textured coating, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,383,560 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,003, both to Ledbetter, as well as the epoxy resin composition to Kuriyama et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,481. Additional references of note include the floor paint composition set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,312, to Takada et al., and the epoxy polysiloxane coating and flooring composition set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,860, to Mowrer et al.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention discloses a coating (e.g., epoxy) kit providing a unique, useful and nonobvious collection of items enabling a novice user to successfully apply a floor coating composition, the kit further providing an improvement over other kits known in the relevant art.  
      The kit, as opposed to previously known kits, includes a first container (with lid) for holding a first reacting coating ingredient. A second container likewise holds a second reacting ingredient, and a third fluidic container is provided for holding a preparation (pretreat) product prior to coating. A larger fourth container (with lid) is provided for holding the first, second and third containers therein.  
      The kit further includes at least one granulate based additive (e.g., aluminum oxide chips) held within a containing medium in turn inserted within the fourth container. At least one applicating device (e.g., a brush, roller mixing wand) is held within the fourth container. Additional kit features include such as a squeegee, pair of fluid impervious gloves, the kit further contemplating the first container being sized sufficiently larger than the remaining containers and to permit all of the kit ingredients to be supported within one carry-all enclosure. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Reference will now be made to the attached drawing, when read in combination with the following detailed description, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:  
       FIG. 1  is an illustration of the components associated with the epoxy floor coating kit according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , an epoxy coating kit is illustrated generally at  10  according to the present invention, such as which is capable of being applied to floors. As previously described, the epoxy kit discloses a nonobvious improvement over the prior art in that it provides a unique packaging and transport arrangement not contemplated by the prior art.  
      An outer container (bucket)  12  is provided with a resealable lid  14 . The bucket  12  functions both as the storage and transport container of the several kit items to be described, as well as a mixing container for the several ingredients included in the kit and by which the user applies a desired floor coating. The bucket  12  is further constructed of such as a durable and fluid retaining material, such as plastic, and is of a sufficient size to capably and compactly carry the remaining kit components.  
      A first smaller tub-shaped container  16  includes a first floor coating resin component and a second container  18  includes a second activator component. Both the containers  16  and  18  likewise include resealable (or non-resealable) lids. The container  18  is, in the embodiment illustrated, smaller than the container  16 , however it is also contemplated that the containers  16  and  18  can be of equal size. It is further envisioned that the additional containers  16  and  18  may be configured so as to be placed in side-by-side adhering contact within the outer container  12 , and such that a sufficient open interior area is present above the inserted containers for holding the remaining components of the kit assembly.  
      The components typically include a floor coating resin (in one non-limiting application being an epoxy like coating) and hardener and which, upon being intermixed within the primary container  12 , chemically react in the desired fashion to create a settable floor coating fluid for application to such as a concrete floor surface. It is further understood that the containers  12 ,  16  and  18  may be reusable.  
      Additional kit components include a floor cleaning and preparation solution, this typically a fluid contained in a jug  20  and which is pre-applied directly to the surface to be subsequently epoxy coated. The jug  20  is dimensioned such that is capable of setting upon a top edge surface of the first insertable tub-shaped container  16 , as well as against a side of the smaller second container  18 .  
      Still additional kit ingredients, intermixed with the primary resin components  16  and  18 , include a first flexible package  22  containing a volume of decorative flake (typically slip-resistant) chips, as well as a second flexible package  24  containing a volume of a further mixable ingredient, typically an aluminum oxide. It is also envisioned that the granulate based components  22  and  24  can be stored in paperboard or other suitable containers, the use of plasticized baggies being intended to maximize space utilization within the primary container  12 .  
      Yet additional kit items placeable within the container  12  include a conventional (e.g., sponge or foam) roller cover  26 , a wand  28  and a brush  30 , a squeegee  32 , and a pair of gloves  34 . Print instructions  36  are also shown for facilitating the preparation and application of the epoxy coat and which complete the internally held components of the floor coating kit assembly.  
      The construction of the coating kit is further such that the entire contents can be supported within such as the first or outer container  12 , rendering the kit more easily transportable than other prior art coating kit assemblies. The present invention further provides an improved and nonobvious collection of floor coating items suitable for use by such as a novice user in applying a coating to a suitable location.  
      Having described my invention, other and additional preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains. In particular, the coating kit, in addition to being directed to the application of epoxy floor coatings, may also include other types of adhesive, paint or other durable surface applications and may also incorporate a desired combination of ingredients applied to walls, roofs, or ceilings and in addition to a floor coating application as primarily described herein.