Abstract:
A paint applicator for use in a corner application having a pad pivotally attached to the handle. The head may be resiliently biased as well.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation that claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 of Patent Cooperation Treaty International Application No. PCT/US2003/025828 filed on Aug. 15, 2003 entitled “CORNER PAINTING TOOL”, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0002]     The present invention generally relates to paint application devices and more particularly to paint application devices which are adapted for applying paint to corner surfaces.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The use of paint applicators such as paint brushes, paint rollers, and paint pads for the application of paint to walls and the like is well known. Brushes allow for accurate paint application in that they provide a relatively small interface area with respect to the surface being painted and can be provided in a wide array of sizes. However, brushes are relatively slow due to their typical sizes and limited paint holding volume. Moreover, depending on the quality of paint and the diligence of the worker, brushes can often result in visible brush strokes and loose bristles in the dried paint.  
         [0004]     Matted rollers are therefore often the tool of choice for fast paint application to relatively large surfaces such as walls and ceilings. The matted material forming the roller is sufficiently absorbent to hold a large volume of paint.  
         [0005]     That volume can be further enhanced by tailoring the width and diameter of the roller to the given application. However, given such size and shape, accurate control of the paint application is difficult, and accurate application to corner surfaces is especially problematic.  
         [0006]     Foam pads are therefore often the tool of choice given the demands of paint application and drawbacks of the above-referenced alternatives. Such applicators absorb a relatively high volume of paint, and can be dabbed onto intricate textures. Moreover, such pads often have a straight or angular edge enabling application of paint along a straight trim line or to a corner surface and the like. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a bottom view illustrating a corner painting tool in accordance with the invention;  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating the corner painting tool depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating the attachment of a paint pad to the corner painting tool depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a top view illustrating various features of the corner painting tool depicted in  FIG. 1  in phantom;  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the corner painting tool taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; and,  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is a side elevational view illustrating the corner painting tool depicted in  FIG. 1 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     Referring now to the drawings figures, a corner painting tool (also referred to as a corner painting device) constructed in accordance with the teachings of the disclosure is generally referred to by reference numeral  10 .  
         [0014]     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , corner painting tool  10  includes a head  12 .  
         [0015]     Head  12  provides a pad presenting surface  14 , which includes a first front face  16  and a second front face  18 . First front face  16  and second front face  18  are generally disposed at right angles to each other such that the faces  16 , 18  can engage corner surfaces. Faces  16 , 18  are generally defined by upper edges  20 A,  20 B, lower edges  22 A,  22 B, and side edges  24 A,  24 B. Head  12  also provides corner engaging points  26 A,  26 B.  
         [0016]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , head  12  of a corner painting tool  10  in accordance with the invention also comprises a first rear face  28  and a second rear face  30 . The rear faces  28 , 30  include grooves  32 A,  32 B ( FIG. 3 ). Rear faces  28  and  30  are generally interconnected by a bridge  34  and a top wall  36 .  
         [0017]     Referring now again to  FIG. 1 , bridge  34  provides projecting tabs or bosses  38 A,  38 B. With further reference to both  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the interior of top wall  36  provides a retention knob  40 . Projections  42 A and  42 B extend from the lower edges  22 A,  22 B of faces  16 , 18 .  
         [0018]     The corner painting tools also generally include a handle  44 . With reference to  FIG. 5 , handle  44  includes recesses  46 A,  46 B for receiving bosses  38 A,  38 B. Handle  44  is capable of pivoting about an axle (not shown) defined by the interaction between recesses  46 A,  46 B and bosses  38 A,  38 B. Head  12  is capable of rotating between about 0 degrees and about 90 degrees with respect to the handle  44 .  
         [0019]     In particular, head  12  is capable of rotating at least about 80 degrees with respect to handle  44 .  
         [0020]     Handle  44  further includes a retention knob  48 , which provides a retention tab  49 . Retention tab  49  is oriented generally perpendicular to retention knob  48 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . In one embodiment of a corner painting device according to the invention, a resilient element  50  is provided between retention knob  40  and retention knob  48 . In the illustrated embodiment, resilient element  50  is held in place between retention knob  40  and retention knob  48  by retention tab  49 .  
         [0021]     Resilient element  50  is exemplified by a spring, but any conventionally known element capable of biasing the head  12  with respect to the handle  44  may be used in accordance with the invention. Springs having a spring constant between about 5 lbs/inch and about 35 pounds/inch may be used including but not limited to springs having a spring constant of about 20 pounds/inch.  
         [0022]     Including a resilient element  50  such as a spring to bias head  12  with respect to handle  44  is advantageous for a number of reasons. Resilient element  50  provides steady positive pressure when the corner painting tool is engaged with a surface to be painted, regardless of the orientation of the handle  44  with respect to the head  12 . That is, resilient element  50  provides steady positive pressure to the head  12  when the corner painting device  10  is engaged with the painting surface regardless of the angle of the handle  44  as the handle  44  is pivoted about bosses  38 A,  38 B.  
         [0023]     Furthermore, resilient element  50  causes the pad to automatically return to a normal (or neutral) position with respect to the handle and allows controlled paint loading from a comfortable angle. Including a resilient element  50  also makes it easier to initially apply the tool  10  to the wall surface, as the head  12  would otherwise be free to pivot as it was transported from a paint loading container (such as a paint bucket or a paint tray) to a wall surface, thereby increasing the risk of unintentionally splattering or dripping of paint.  
         [0024]     Handle  44  may also include grip portions  52 A,  52 B. Grip portions  52 A,  52 B are typically provided by an elastomeric material. Various thermoplastic elastomers, such as Santopreneg products (Advanced Elastomer Systems, L. P., Akron, Ohio), may be used to provide rubbery gripping surfaces on the exterior of handle  44 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , handle  44  may be molded to include threads  54  for engaging a conventional extension pole. Of course, corner painting tool  10  may be used without such an extension pole.  
         [0025]     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , pad  56  is generally angular, and is capable of engaging corner surfaces. Pad  56  includes pad faces  58  and  60 . Pad  56  comprises a paint carrying fabric  62 , which is adhered to a pad backing  64 . A suitable material for the pad fabric is a woven short nylon, having a pile height between about 0.05 inches and about 0.25 inches. A suitable fabric pile height is about 0.18 inches. A suitable material for the pad backing  64  is polyvinyl chloride.  
         [0026]     Pad  56  need not be a two component construction, i.e., pad  56  may comprise a single unitary material. Pad  56  also provides retaining elements  66 A,  66 B for engaging grooves  32 A,  32 B. Accordingly, retaining elements  66 A and  66 B may be received by grooves  32 A and  32 B, in order to effect the coupling of pad  56  to head  12  and retain paid  56  on pad presenting surface  14 . Preferably, retaining elements  66 A,  66 B of pad  56  can engage grooves  32 A,  32 B by a snap-fit.  
         [0027]     Pad  56  is generally defined by top edges  68 A,  68 B, side edges  70 A,  70 B, and bottom edges  72 A,  72 B. Pad  56  also provides a corner engaging edge  74 , &lt;BR&gt; &lt;BR&gt; which is capable of engaging a corner surface, i.e., a surface defined by two walls (or similar surfaces) which are connected at right angles. Top edges  68 A and  68 B are generally linear. In general, each pad face  58 , 60  is generally rectangularly shaped.  
         [0028]     Accordingly, top edges  68 A and  68 B are generally perpendicular or transverse to side edges  70 A and  70 B. Similarly, bottom edges  72 A and  72 B are generally perpendicular to side edges  70 A and  70 B.  
         [0029]     Providing linear top edges  68 A,  68 B is advantageous because it allows corner painting tool  10  to paint a corner surface all the way up to the ceiling.  
         [0030]     Additionally, providing linear top edges  68 A,  68 B to corner painting tool  10  allows the user to apply paint to either side of the corner along the edge of the ceiling.  
         [0031]     Accordingly, corner painting tool  10  allows a user to both paint corners and to edge painting surfaces.  
         [0032]     Head  12  and handle  44  may be manufactured through a variety of methods including, without limitation, injection molding, injection stretch blow molding, thermoforming, extrusion blow molding, injection blow molding, insert molding, co-injection molding, rotational molding, and other methods known in the art. Injection molding is the preferred method for manufacture.  
         [0033]     A variety of thermoplastic resins may be used to manufacture the handle and head of the corner painting tools of the invention, including polyethylenes (e.g., high density polyethylene or linear low density polyethylene), polypropylenes (including structural foam comprising polypropylene), polyethylene terepthalates, polyvinyl chlorides, polycarbonates, etc. Polypropylenes are preferred materials for head  12  and handle  44  construction.  
         [0034]     Although the foregoing text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments of a container for a paint roller assembly, it should be understood that the detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment of a container for a paint roller assembly. The present invention generally relates to paint applicators and more particularly to paint applicators including a paint application element which has a non-stick coating.