Patent Publication Number: US-2007098482-A1

Title: Paint applying device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/264,252, filed on Nov. 1, 2005. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention relates to a paint applying device, more particularly to a paint applying device which can supply paint continuously.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      A paint roller and a paint brush are two types of paint applicators. Conventionally, the paint roller requires repeated dipping of a roller portion of the paint roller into a tray of paint when conducting the painting activity. Similarly, the paint brush requires repeated dipping of bristles of the paint brush into a container of paint. Therefore, the conventional paint roller and paint brush are relatively inconvenient to use. Furthermore, cleaning of the conventional paint applicators, especially the paint brush, is often a time consuming and tedious activity. Normally, the bristles of the paint brush are cleaned by washing the bristles in a bucket of cleaning fluid or water. However, it is difficult to clean the bristles of the paint brush to the satisfaction of the user of the paint brush. Additionally, only the outer bristles have direct contact with the cleaning fluid or water in the bucket. Therefore, the cleaning fluid or water in the bucket cannot effectively penetrate or circulate throughout the bristles such that the bristles are not thoroughly cleaned.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a paint brush disclosed in Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 543395 includes a handle  10 , a body member  20 , bristles  30 , and a plug member  40 .  
      The handle  10  includes a paint inlet end portion  11 , a paint outlet end portion  12  opposite to the paint inlet end portion  11 , and a paint passage  13  fluidly communicating with the paint inlet end portion  11  and the paint outlet end portion  12 .  
      The body member  20  is connected to the paint outlet end portion  12  of the handle  10 , and includes an inlet portion  21  connected fluidly to the paint passage  13  of the handle  10 , and an assembling portion  22  for assembling the bristles  30  and the plug member  40  therein.  
      The plug member  40  includes an annular bristle-assembling portion  41 , and a plurality of paint outlet holes  42 . During assembly, the bristles  30  are first assembled in the annular bristle-assembling portion  41  of the plug member  40 , and the plug member  40  with the bristles  30  are then assembled in the assembling portion  22  of the body member  20 .  
      When the paint brush is in use, paint can flow from the paint inlet end portion  11  of the handle  10  to the bristles  30  via the paint passage  13  of the handle  10 , the paint outlet end portion  12 , the inlet portion  21  of the body member  20 , and the paint outlet holes  42  of the plug member  40  so that the bristles  30  can be supplied with the paint continuously.  
      However, the aforesaid paint brush has the following disadvantages:  
      1. After a period of use, the paint outlet holes  42  of the plug member  40  are likely to be blocked due to solidification of the paint. Therefore, the bristles  30  can not be provided with the paint efficiently.  
      2. In the aforesaid paint brush, the bristles  30  are coated entirely with the paint. However, it is only required to provide the distal portions of the bristles  30  with the paint when conducting the painting activity. Therefore, the aforesaid paint brush suffers from a problem of unnecessary consumption of the paint. Furthermore, it is relatively difficult to clean the paint brush to the satisfaction of the user.  
      3. The bristles  30  of the aforesaid paint brush can not be replaced with new ones after a period of use.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a paint applying device which can supply paint continuously, and which can avoid ineffective consumption of the paint.  
      In the first aspect of this invention, a paint applicator unit includes a holder and a hollow absorbent member. The holder includes a rear inlet portion, a front outlet end opposite to the rear inlet portion, and a paint passage extending between the rear inlet portion and the front outlet end. The hollow absorbent member is sleeved around the holder, and includes a rear open end portion extending around the holder, and a front closed end portion extending forwardly of the front outlet end of the holder. The front closed end portion of the hollow absorbent member is connected fluidly to the front outlet end of the holder.  
      In the second aspect of this invention, a paint applying device includes a hollow handle, a connector, a holder, and a hollow absorbent member. The hollow handle defines a paint storing space. The connector is connected fluidly and removably to the hollow handle. The holder includes a rear inlet portion connected fluidly and removably to the connector, a front outlet end opposite to the rear inlet portion, and a paint passage extending between the rear inlet portion and the front outlet end. The hollow absorbent member is sleeved around the holder, and includes a rear open end portion extending around the holder, and a front closed end portion extending forwardly of the front outlet end of the holder. The front closed end portion of the hollow absorbent members connected fluidly to the front outlet end of the holder. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:  
       FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a conventional paint brush;  
       FIG. 2  is another sectional view of the conventional paint brush;  
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a paint applying device according to this invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment;  
       FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the preferred embodiment; and  
       FIGS. 6 and 7  are sectional views showing consecutive steps of assembling the preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to  FIGS. 3, 4 ,  5 , and  6 , the preferred embodiment of a paint applying device according to this invention is shown to include a hollow handle  51 , a connector  52 , a holder  60 , and a hollow absorbent member  70 . The holder  60  and the hollow absorbent member  70  constitute a paint applicator unit.  
      The hollow handle  51  is configured as an elongate compressible container so as to define a paint storing space  513 , and includes a first threaded hollow connecting portion  511 .  
      The connector  52  is connected fluidly and removably to the hollow handle  51 . Specifically, the connector  52  includes a second threaded hollow connecting portion  526  connected threadedly to the first threaded hollow connecting portion  511  of the hollow handle  51 , and a spout  527  having a cross-section smaller than that of the second threaded hollow connecting portion  526 . The spout  527  includes a tubular wall  528  defining an axial fastening hole  521  with an open end  529 , two limiting recesses  522  formed in an inner surface of the tubular wall  528  and extending radially from the axial fastening hole  521  and axially toward the open end  529  of the fastening hole  521 , two through holes  524  extending through the tubular wall  528  and staggered angularly with the limiting recesses  522 , respectively, and limiting grooves  523 , each of which extends angularly from a corresponding one of the limiting recess  522  to a corresponding one of the through holes  524 . The tubular wall  528  of the spout  527  of the connector  52  further has an annular sealing groove  525 , the radius of which is smaller than that of each of the limiting grooves  523 .  
      The holder  60  includes a rear inlet portion  61  connected fluidly and removably to the spout  527  of the connector  52 , a front outlet end  621  opposite to the rear inlet portion  61  and formed with an elongate opening  631 , a substantially wedge-shaped hollow plate body  62  that tapers to the front outlet end  621  from the rear inlet portion  61 , and a paint passage  63  formed in the hollow plate body  62  and extending between the rear inlet portion  61  and the front outlet end  621 .  
      The hollow absorbent member  70  is sleeved around the holder  60 , and includes a rear open end portion  72  extending around the holder  60 , and a front closed end portion  71  extending forwardly of the front outlet end  621  of the holder  60 . The front closed end portion  71  of the hollow absorbent member  70  is connected fluidly to the front outlet end  621  of the holder  60 .  
      The hollow absorbent member  70  further includes a foam body  74  that extends from the rear open end portion  72  to the front closed end portion  71 , and that has a cavity  73  receiving the wedge-shaped hollow plate body  62  and having an opening  731  in the rear open end portion  72 . The wedge-shaped hollow plate body  62  further has two opposite outer faces  623 , and a flanged end portion  622  projecting from the outer faces  623  adjacent to the opening  731  of the cavity  73  to abut against the rear open end portion  72  of the hollow absorbent member  70 .  
      The rear inlet portion  61  of the holder  60  further includes a hollow neck  611  projecting rearward from the flanged end portion  622  of the wedge-shaped hollow plate body  62  and connected removably to the spout  527  of the connector  52 . The hollow neck  611  has an annular wall  615  inserted into the fastening hole  521  of the tubular wall  528  of the spout  52 , two limiting blocks  612  protruding outwardly from the annular wall  615  at two diametrically opposite positions, an annular sealing recess  613  formed on an outer surface of the annular wall  615  proximate to the limiting blocks  612 , and a sealing ring  614  disposed in the annular sealing recess  613 . The annular sealing groove  525  of the tubular wall  528  of the spout  527  engages the sealing ring  614 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 7 , the limiting blocks  612  are engaged in the through holes  524 , respectively, after passing through the limiting recesses  522  and the limiting grooves  523  upon rotation of the holder  60  relative to the connector  52 .  
      In use, when the hollow handle  51  is filled with paint therein and is then compressed, the paint flows continuously from the hollow handle  51  to the front outlet end  621  of the holder  60  via the spout  52  and the rear inlet portion  61  and the paint passage  63  of the holder  60 . The front closed end portion  71  of the hollow absorbent member  70  absorbs the paint passing through the elongate opening  631  of the holder  60  so that paint application can be conducted. Therefore, it is not necessary to soak the whole hollow absorbent member  70  with the paint. The problem of ineffective consumption of the paint suffered in the prior art can be avoided accordingly.  
      Furthermore, the foam body  74  of the hollow absorbent member  70  is used to conduct the paint application, and the elongate opening  631  is relatively large as compared to the paint outlet holes  42  of the plug member  40  of the aforesaid prior art. Therefore, cleaning of the paint applying device of the present invention can be conducted with relative ease.  
      It should be noted that since paint application can be conducted using the front closed end portion  71  of the hollow absorbent member  70 , the remaining portion of the hollow absorbent member  70 , i.e., except the front closed end portion  71 , can be made of a material other than foam material.  
      While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.