Abstract:
A system including a sprayer including a handle, a trigger configured to move between a first trigger position and a second trigger position, wherein the sprayer is configured to block flow of a coating material when the trigger is in the first trigger position and to spray the coating material when the trigger is in the second trigger position, a trigger lock coupled to the trigger, wherein the trigger lock is configured to selectively block movement of the trigger between the first trigger position and the second trigger position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This Application is a Non-Provisional Application and claims priority to US Provisional Patent Application No. 61/826,936, entitled “Spray Tool Locking System”, filed May 23, 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The invention relates generally to a spray tool locking system. 
         [0003]    Spray tools output sprays to more efficiently coat objects. For example, spray tools may be used to paint objects or otherwise coat target objects with a coating material. Spray tools typically include a trigger that enables a user to selectively spray a coating material from the spray tool. Unfortunately, spray tools may allow a user to unintentionally depress the trigger and waste coating material. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
       [0004]    Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the originally claimed invention are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but rather these embodiments are intended only to provide a brief summary of possible forms of the invention. Indeed, the invention may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below. 
         [0005]    In a first embodiment a system including a sprayer including a handle, a trigger configured to move between a first trigger position and a second trigger position, wherein the sprayer is configured to block flow of a coating material when the trigger is in the first trigger position and to spray the coating material when the trigger is in the second trigger position, a trigger lock coupled to the trigger, wherein the trigger lock is configured to selectively block movement of the trigger between the first trigger position and the second trigger position. 
         [0006]    In another embodiment, a system including a magnetic trigger lock configured to block movement of a trigger of a sprayer between a first trigger position and a second trigger position, wherein the first trigger position does not actuate a mechanism coupled to the trigger, and the second trigger position does actuate the mechanism. 
         [0007]    In another embodiment a system including a valve of a sprayer, a trigger coupled to the valve, wherein the trigger is configured to move between a first trigger position and a second trigger position, the valve is closed when the trigger is in the first trigger position, and the valve is open when the trigger is in the second trigger position, a magnetic trigger lock coupled to the trigger, wherein the magnetic trigger lock is configured to block movement of the trigger between the first trigger position and the second trigger position. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a spray tool system with a trigger lock according to an embodiment; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a partial cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a spray tool system with a trigger lock in a locked position, taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a spray tool system with a trigger lock in an unlocked position, taken within line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a partial cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a spray tool system with a trigger lock, taken within line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a partial cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a spray tool system with a trigger lock, taken within line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a trigger lock according to an embodiment; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a partial cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a spray tool system with a trigger lock, taken within line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
         [0017]    When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present invention, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. 
         [0018]    The present disclosure is generally directed to a trigger lock capable of blocking unintentional use of a spray tool. The trigger lock may couple to the trigger and/or the handle and transition between a locked and unlocked position that blocks or enables use of a trigger. In some embodiments, the trigger lock may include position holding features (e.g., snap, magnet, latch, etc.) to resist transitioning between the locked and the unlocked positions. For example, the trigger lock may include one or more magnets that resist movement of the trigger lock from the locked position to the unlocked position. In another embodiment, the trigger lock may include a friction device that frictional engages a pin in either the trigger or the handle to resist rotation of the trigger lock. In still another embodiment, the pin may include recesses that increase the rotational resistance of the trigger lock. In other embodiments, the trigger lock or handle may include protrusions or recesses that engage counterpart recesses or protrusions on the trigger lock or handle. The resistance of the trigger lock to movement between the locked and unlocked positions blocks unintentional depression of the trigger. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a spray tool system  10  with a trigger lock  12  that enables a user to selectively block movement of the trigger  14 , and thus spraying by the spray tool system  10 . As illustrated, the spray tool system  10  includes a body  16  that couples to the trigger  14 , a handle  18 , a spray orifice  20 , and a coating material conduit  22 . In operation, the handle  18  enables a user to hold and direct the spray tool system  10  and to spray a coating material (e.g., liquid, powder, etc.) by depressing the trigger  14 . The trigger  14  couples to the body with the pin  24  (e.g., rotational joint), enabling the trigger  14  to rotate around the pin  24  in clockwise and counterclockwise directions  26  and  28 . For example, during operation, the user may depress the trigger  14  to rotate the trigger  14  in a clockwise direction  26 . As the trigger  14  rotates toward the handle  18 , the trigger  14  opens a valve  30  within the body  16 . When the valve  30  opens, a pressurized coating material (e.g., liquid or powder) is able to flow through the coating material conduit  22  and into the body  16 , where the coating material discharges through the spray orifice  20 . Similarly, after spraying the coating material, the user may release the trigger  14  to stop the flow of the pressurized coating material. Specifically, the release of the trigger  14  enables the trigger to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction  28  away from the handle  18 . As the trigger  14  rotates away from the handle  18 , the valve  30  closes blocking the flow of coating material. In  FIG. 1 , the trigger lock  12  is in a locked position  32  that blocks the trigger  14  from rotating in the clockwise direction  26 , thus preventing the spray tool system  10  from spraying. In the illustrated embodiment, the trigger lock  12  couples to the trigger  14  with a pin  34  (e.g., rotational joint) enabling the trigger lock  12  to rotate between the locked position  32  (e.g., shown in solid lines) and an unlocked position  36  (e.g., shown in dashed lines). Accordingly, the trigger lock  12  may transition from the locked position  32  (e.g., extended position) to the unlocked position  36  (e.g., a retracted position or folded position) by rotating in clockwise direction  26 , or transition from the unlocked position  36  to the locked position  32  by rotating in the counter-clockwise direction  28 . The ability to transition the trigger lock  12  between the locked and unlocked position  32  and  36  enables the system  10  to selectively block unintentional depression of the trigger  14 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a partial cross-sectional side view of the spray system  10  of  FIG. 1 , taken within line  2 - 2 , illustrating the trigger lock  12  in a locked position  32 . As explained above, when the trigger lock  12  is in the locked position  32 , the trigger lock  12  blocks the trigger  14  from rotating in the clockwise direction  26 , which blocks the flow of coating material from the spray tool system  10 . The trigger lock  12  includes a body  50  with a front portion  52 , a rear portion  54 , and an aperture  56 . The body  50  couples to the trigger  14  with the pin  34  that passes through a pin aperture  58  in the front portion  52  of the body  50 . As illustrated, the front portion  52  defines a front surface  60  in contact with a rear trigger surface  62 . In the illustrated embodiment, the front surface  60  includes a rounded corner  64  (e.g., cam portion) that facilitates rotation of the trigger lock  12  in a clockwise direction  26  and a straight angled corner  66  (e.g., stop portion) that blocks rotation in the counter-clockwise direction  28 . Accordingly, the present embodiment illustrates a trigger lock  12  that may only be unlocked in the counter-clockwise direction  28 . However, in other embodiments, the front surface  60  may include only rounded corners  64  and  66  (e.g., 2 cam portions) that enable unlocking of the trigger lock  12  in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions  26  and  28 . In still other embodiments, the trigger lock  12  may be spaced away from the rear trigger surface  62 , so that the front surface  60  does not contact the rear trigger surface  62 . 
         [0021]    As illustrated, the rear aperture  56  extends through the rear portion  54 . The rear aperture  56  enables the body  50  to receive a position-holding device or position holding device that frictionally engages the pin  34 , to resist transitioning the trigger lock  12  between unlocked and locked positions. The position-holding device includes a spring holder  70 , spring  72 , and setscrew  76 . As illustrated, the spring holder  70  rests within the aperture  56  and receives the spring  72 . When assembled, the setscrew  76  threads into the body  50  to retain and compress the spring  72  in the spring holder  70 . The compression of spring  72  forces the spring  72  in direction  78  and drives the spring holder  70  into frictional engagement with the pin  34 . The friction between the spring holder  70  and the pin  34  resists movement of the trigger lock  12 , thus resisting unintentional movement of the trigger lock  12 . 
         [0022]    In addition to the position-holding device, some embodiments may include a magnet  80  to resist transitioning the trigger lock  12  from a locked position  32  to an unlocked position  36 . As illustrated, the magnet  80  (e.g., magnetized material) inserts into the aperture  56  behind the setscrew  76 , proximate the rear portion  54  of the body  50 . In the locked position  32 , the magnet  80  aligns with and attracts the magnet  82  (e.g., magnetized material) resting in the aperture  84  of the handle  18 . The magnetic attraction between the magnet  80  and the  82  forms a connection that resists movement of the trigger lock  12  out of the locked position  32 . However, other embodiments may have different configurations. For example, in some embodiments, the trigger lock  12  may not include a magnet  80 , but a magnetic or magnetizable material attracted to the magnet  82  in the handle. In other embodiments, the trigger lock  12  may not include a magnet  80  or a separate magnetizable material. Instead, the body  50  of the trigger lock  12  may be made out of a magnetizable material attracted to the magnet  82  in the handle  18 , or vice versa, a magnetizable material may be placed in the aperture  84  that attracts the magnet  80  in the trigger lock  12 . In still another embodiment, the handle  18  may be formed from a magnetizable material that attracts the magnet  80 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional side view of the spray system  10  of  FIG. 1 , taken within line  2 - 2 , illustrating the trigger lock  12  in an unlocked position  36 . In order to transition the trigger lock  12  from the locked position  32  to the unlocked position  36 , a user provides a force in the clockwise direction  26  capable of overcoming the forces that resist movement in the clockwise direction  26 . Specifically, when the force from the user in the clockwise direction  26  overcomes the magnetic connection between the magnets  80  and  82  and overcomes the friction force between the spring holder  70  and the pin  34 , the trigger lock  12  transitions into the unlocked position  36 . As illustrated, in the unlocked position the trigger lock  12  rests within a recess  74  of the trigger  14  enabling the user to depress the trigger  14  to spray a coating material with the spray tool system  10 . Furthermore, in some embodiments, the recess  74  may include a magnet that attracts the magnet  80  to resist transitioning the trigger lock  12  out of the unlocked position  36 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a partial cross-sectional side view of the spray system  10  of  FIG. 1 , taken within line  2 - 2 , illustrating the trigger lock  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the pin  34  includes a first recess  100  and a second recess  102  at circumferentially offset positions, such that a tip  101  of the spring holder  70  selectively snaps into the recesses  100  and  102 . The engagement of tip  101  within recesses  100  and  102  may further resist the movement of trigger lock  12  between the locked and unlocked positions  32  and  36 . As illustrated, the engagement of tip  101  with first recess  100  resists movement of the trigger lock  12  out of the locked position  32 . However, with enough rotational force, the spring holder  70  will compress the spring  72  in direction  104  enabling the tip  101  of spring holder  70  to exit the first recess  100 . As the user continues to rotate the trigger lock  12  in direction  26 , the trigger lock  12  transitions to the unlocked position  36 . When the trigger lock  12  reaches the unlocked position  36 , the spring  72  extends and moves the tip  101  of spring holder  70  into the recess  102 . Accordingly, when the tip  101  of spring holder  70  extends into the recess  102 , the engagement of tip  101  within recess  102  is able to resist movement of the trigger lock  12  out of the unlocked position  36 . While the present embodiment illustrates a first and second recess  100  and  102 , other embodiments may include only one recess. For example, one embodiment may only include the recess  100  for engagement with the tip  101  to resist movement of the trigger lock  12  out of the locked position  32 . In another embodiment, there may only be the recess  102  for engagement with the tip  101  to keep the trigger lock  12  in the unlocked position  36 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 5  is a partial cross-sectional side view of the spray system  10  of  FIG. 1 , taken within line  2 - 2 , illustrating the trigger lock  12 . As illustrated, the rear portion  54  of the body  50  includes a rear surface  120 . In the present embodiment, the rear surface  120  forms a protrusion  122  that corresponds to a recess  124  in the handle  18 . In the locked position  32 , the protrusion  122  rests within the recess  124 , and resists rotational movement of the trigger lock  12  out of the locked position  32 . However, with enough rotational force on the trigger lock  12 , the protrusion  122  will exit the recess  124 . As the trigger lock  12  continues to rotate in the clockwise direction  26 , the trigger lock  12  transitions to the unlocked position  136 . Moreover, other embodiments may include additional protrusions  122  and recesses  124  (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5) to provide multiple holding positions. For example, the rear surface  120  may include protrusions  122  on opposite sides of the aperture  56  that correspond to recesses  124  in the handle  18 . In another embodiment, the trigger lock  12  and the handle  18  may include the magnets  80  and  82  in addition to the protrusion  122  and the recess  124  to increasingly resist movement of the trigger lock  12  from the locked position  32  to the unlocked position  36 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a trigger lock  12 . As explained above, the trigger lock  12  includes the body  50  with the front portion  52 , the rear portion  54 , and the aperture  56 . The body  50  enables the trigger lock  12  to couple to the trigger  14  with the pin  34  and enables the position-holding device to frictionally engage the pin  34 . More specifically, the front portion  52  includes the aperture  58  that enables the trigger lock  12  to couple to the trigger  14  with the pin  34 , while the rear portion  54  enables the position-holding device to contact pin  34  through the aperture  56 . As explained above, the position-holding device frictionally engages the pin  34  to resist transitioning the trigger lock  12  between locked and unlocked positions  32  and  36 . 
         [0027]    As illustrated, the body  50  defines multiple surfaces including the front surface  60 ; the rear surface  120 ; side surfaces  140  and  142 ; top surface  144 ; and bottom surface  146 . These surfaces facilitate alignment, movement, and coupling of the trigger lock  12  to the spray tool system  10 . For example, the side surfaces  140  and  142  may include a respective flange  148  (e.g., finger grip or lever) that enable a user to contact and manipulate the trigger lock  12  between locked and unlocked positions  32  and  36 . Moreover, the top and bottom surfaces  144  and  146  may form various shapes (e.g., concave, pseudo-concave, etc.) that may also assist the user in manipulating the trigger lock  12 . In some embodiments, the rear surface  120  may include protrusions  150  that overlap opposite sides of the handle  18 . The rear protrusions  150  may assist in aligning the trigger lock  12 , and reduce axial stress on the pin  34 . For example, when the trigger lock  12  is in the locked position  32 , an axial force on the trigger lock  12  may force the protrusions  150  into contact with the handle  18 , thus reducing the axial force on the pin  34 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 7  is a partial cross-sectional side view of the spray system  10  of  FIG. 1 , taken within line  2 - 2 , illustrating the trigger lock  12 . In the present embodiment, the trigger lock  12  couples to the handle  18  with the pin  34  instead of coupling to the trigger  14 . Accordingly, the trigger  14  may include the magnet  82  or another type of mechanism (e.g., protrusion or recess) that resists movement of the trigger lock  12  between locked and unlocked positions  32  and  36 . In operation, the trigger lock  12  rotates between locked and unlocked positions  32  and  36  by rotating in the counter-clockwise direction  26  towards the handle  18 . In other embodiments, the trigger lock  12  may transition into an unlocked position  36  by rotating in the clockwise direction  26  towards the handle  18 . As explained above, the trigger lock  12  enables the user to selectively block unintentional depression of the trigger  14 . 
         [0029]    While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.