Abstract:
A paint cup has a base wall, a side wall, and a plurality of indentations positioned around the lower end of the side wall. The side wall extends upwardly from the base wall and has an upper end and a lower end. The indentations extend from an intermediate point between the upper and lower ends of the side wall to and through the base wall. Each indentation has a length, a cross-section, and a profile and at least one of the cross-section and profile varies along the length. The paint cup may be formed in two parts, with the upper part being the body member and the lower part being the base member. In addition, the paint cup can have an upper frustoconical part, a middle cylindrical part, and a lower frustoconical part.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The claimed invention relates to a paint cup for a paint sprayer. In particular, the invention concerns a paint cup that is easily grippable by a user.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Currently known hand-held airless paint sprayers utilize a paint cup as a reservoir for storing a fluid that is sprayed onto a surface. The paint cup is typically attached to the paint sprayer housing via a lid that is connected to the housing. Screw threads are often positioned at the top of the paint cup and coupled to screw threads on the lid. The paint cup is removable from the lid for filling. In order to remove or replace the paint cup from the paint sprayer, a user typically grasps the bottom or side of the paint cup and rotates the paint cup to disengage or engage the screw threads.  
           [0003]    In order for the paint sprayer to pump fluid from the paint cup, a suction hose or tube extends from the housing into the paint cup. The suction hose is preferably positioned at the bottom of the paint cup in order to pump as much fluid out of the paint cup as possible before having to refill the cup.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0004]    According to the claimed invention, a reservoir for use with an airless paint sprayer comprises a base wall, a side wall and a plurality of indentations. The side wall extends upwardly from the base wall. The side wall has an upper end and a lower end, with an opening positioned at the upper end for introduction of a material into the reservoir through the opening. The plurality of indentations are positioned around the lower end of the side wall and extend from an intermediate point between the upper and lower ends of the side wall to and through the base wall. Each of the plurality of indentations has a length, a cross-section, and a profile and at least one of the cross-section and profile varies along the length.  
           [0005]    In another embodiment, a reservoir for attaching to a handheld paint sprayer comprises a body member and a base member. The body member includes a first base wall and a first side wall extending upwardly from the first base wall. The first side wall and first base wall together define a container for the storage of a fluid. The first side wall has an upper end and a lower end and defines an opening through which the fluid is introduced into the body member at the upper end. The upper end is configured to attach to a paint sprayer. The base member has a second side wall and a second base wall and is coupled to the lower end of the first side wall over the first base wall. The base member has an open upper end and a closed lower end.  
           [0006]    In yet another embodiment, a reservoir for use with a handheld paint sprayer having a lid for coupling to the reservoir comprises a base wall, a side wall, and a rim extending upwardly from the side wall. The base wall has a generally circular shape and the side wall extends upwardly from the base wall. The rim extends upwardly from the side wall and defines an opening through which a material is introduced into the reservoir. The rim is configured to couple to a lid of a paint sprayer. The side wall comprises an upper frustoconical part, a middle cylindrical part, and a lower frustoconical part. The upper frustoconical part has an upper end and a lower end and a diameter at the lower end that is larger than the diameter at the upper end. The middle cylindrical part is connected to the lower end of the upper frustoconical part. The lower frustoconical part has an upper end and a lower end and a diameter at the lower end that is smaller than the diameter at the upper end. The upper end of the lower frustoconical part is connected to the middle cylindrical part and the lower end of the lower frustoconical part is connected to the base wall. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the paint cup of the invention shown installed on a paint sprayer;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a side view of the paint cup of FIG. 1;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the paint cup of FIG. 1;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a two-part paint cup according to another embodiment of the invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the two-part paint cup shown in FIG. 4; and  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the indentation shown in FIG. 2 at line  6 - 6 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    The present invention relates to a paint cup  10  that is utilized with a handheld airless paint sprayer  12 . The paint cup  10  is a reservoir that is attached to the paint sprayer  12 , as shown in FIG. 1, and is used to store paint. Paint is suctioned from the paint cup  10  through the sprayer  12  and is sprayed onto a surface. The paint cup  10  is used to store a variety of fluids, including paint, primer, and polyurethane, among other fluids. The invention is discussed herein in the context of a paint sprayer  12 . However, it may be utilized in applying other types of fluids, the invention not being limited only to a reservoir for storing paint.  
         [0014]    Referring to FIGS.  1 - 3 , the paint sprayer  12  has a housing  14 , a lid  16 , a tip  18 , a tip guard  20 , a handle  22 , and a trigger or actuator  24  for operating the device. The paint cup  10  is coupled to the lid  16  of the paint sprayer  12  and has an upper opening  26  that is surrounded by a rim  28 . A side wall  30  surrounds the paint cup  10  on the sides and a base wall  32  is positioned at the bottom of the side wall  30 . The side and base walls  30 ,  32  together form a reservoir into which paint or other fluids may enter the paint cup  10  through the upper opening  26 . The base wall  32  provides a base surface  34  on which the paint cup  10  may rest. Advantageously, the base wall  32  has a substantial enough size to provide a surface  34  on which the entire paint sprayer  12  may rest when the paint cup  10  is attached to the sprayer  12 . The paint sprayer  12  and the paint cup  10  are preferably designed to balance on the base wall  32  of the paint cup  10  for upright storage during non-use. The base  36  of the handle  20  may also provide an additional support surface, as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0015]    Screw threads  38  are positioned on an exterior surface of the rim  28  of the paint cup  10  and are configured to couple with mating screw threads that are positioned on an interior surface (not shown) of the lid  16 . In use, the paint cup  10  is typically grasped around its base wall  32  and/or side wall  30  and rotated in order to screw or unscrew the screw threads  38  on the rim  28  from or onto the lid  16 .  
         [0016]    The paint cup  10  is preferably an enlarged version of conventional paint cups in that it is sized to hold one quart of fluid. This enlarged cup has a larger diameter opening  26  (also referred to as a mouth) than is conventionally utilized. The mouth  26  is sized in order to allow a user to insert a hand inside the cup for cleaning purposes. The larger size makes the cup more readily cleanable and allows for longer spray periods due to the ability to store greater quantities of paint in the cup. The larger size, however, also makes it more difficult to screw and unscrew the paint cup  10  from the lid  16  of the sprayer  12 , particularly for users with smaller hands who find it difficult to grasp the enlarged base wall  32  or side wall  30 . Thus, a preferred embodiment of the invention also provides finger grips  40  around the bottom of the paint cup  10 . The finger grips  40  comprise slots or indentations  42  into which a user&#39;s fingers are guided. When the user&#39;s fingers are positioned in the finger grip slots  42 , the user has more leverage to turn the paint cup  10 .  
         [0017]    The geometry of a preferred finger grip slot is shown in FIGS. 2, 3,  5 , and  6 . The finger grip slots  42  have a generally V-shaped side profile and a generally V-shaped cross-section (shown in FIG. 6). The V-shaped side profile and cross-section provide a V-shaped slot  42  that better conforms to the fingers of the user. The fuller parts of the user&#39;s fingers generally fall into the wider part of the slots  42  at the base wall  32  and the thinner parts of the finger fall into the upper parts of the slots  42 , which are narrower. The tips of the fingers either extend outside the grips  40  on the side wall  30  for longer fingers, or are positioned in the upper parts of the slots  42  for shorter fingers.  
         [0018]    The finger grips  40  are positioned around the bottom of the paint cup  10  in spaced intervals so that when a user&#39;s palm rests against the base wall  32 , the fingers of the user&#39;s hand are guided into adjacent finger grips  40 . When the fingers are positioned in the slots  42 , the fingers can push against the surface surrounding the slots  42  during rotation. This provides leverage for the user during rotation of the cup  10 . Moreover, the user&#39;s fingers fall easily into the slots  42  of the finger grips  40  due to their V-shaped profile so that the user&#39;s hand is often deterred from slipping during rotation of the paint cup  10 . In a preferred embodiment, shown in FIG. 3, the finger grips  40  are evenly spaced around the bottom of the paint cup  10 , although other spacings may also be utilized.  
         [0019]    Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the paint cup  10  has an outer profile that includes an upper frustoconical part  44 , a lower frustoconical part  46 , a central cylindrical part  48 , and a rim  28 . The rim  28  is connected to the upper frustoconical part  44 . The upper frustoconical part  44  and lower frustoconical part  46  each have a cone shape, with the larger diameter of the cone being positioned adjacent the central cylindrical part  48 . Because of the size of the paint cup  10 , the upper frustoconical part  44  tapers to a smaller diameter where it joins to the rim  28 . By utilizing a tapered, conical portion adjacent the rim  28 , a smaller diameter lid  16  is utilized on the paint sprayer  12  than would otherwise be required if the upper frustoconical part  44  were cylindrical. This makes it more practicable to attach the enlarged paint cup  10  to a paint sprayer  12 , since the size of the lid  16 , which is attached to the housing  14 , may be minimized. The use of an upper frustoconical part  44  also provides a space between the actuator  24 , the handle  20 , and the paint cup  10  where the user&#39;s hand is positioned during use.  
         [0020]    The lower frustoconical part  46  is tapered with the smaller diameter of the cone shape being positioned at the bottom. The taper helps to direct the fluid in the paint cup  10  toward the bottom, center  50  of the paint cup  10 . A suction hose for suctioning paint from the paint cup  10  to the housing  14  (not shown) of the paint sprayer  12  is generally positioned in the bottom, center  50  of the paint cup  10 . By directing the paint into the center of the paint cup  10 , more paint is ensured to be suctioned from the paint cup  10  through the hose, which preferably extends from the paint sprayer housing  14  to the bottom center  50  of the paint cup  10 . In addition, the taper of the outer surface of the lower part  46  makes the diameter of the base wall  32  smaller. The smaller base is easier to grip by users, who have varied hand sizes.  
         [0021]    The lower frustoconical part  46  may comprise an upper portion  52  and a lower portion  54 . The upper portion  52  is angled at a first angle α relative to the base wall  32  and the lower portion  54  is angled at a second angle β relative to the base wall  32 . The first angle αis smaller than the second angle β. In one embodiment, the finger grips  40  are positioned in the lower portion  54 . In another embodiment, the finger grips  40  extend the entire height of the lower frustoconical part  46 . In yet another embodiment, the finger grips  40  extend into the upper and lower portions  52 ,  54 .  
         [0022]    According to another aspect of the invention, the paint cup  10  is formed from two separately formed members that are joined together. The two-part paint cup is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and includes a body member  60  and a base member  70 . The body member  60  includes the upper opening  26  surrounded by the rim  28 , a first side wall  62 , and a first base wall  64 . The rim  28  is connected to the upper end of the first side wall  62  and the first base wall  64  is connected to the lower end of the first side wall  62 . The first side and base walls  62 ,  64  of the body member  60  form a reservoir into which paint is poured through the upper opening  26 . The rim  28  is configured to couple to the lid  16  of the paint sprayer  12 , as discussed above. In a preferred embodiment, the body member  60  first side wall  62  has an upper frustoconical part  44 , a lower frustoconial part  46  and a central cylindrical part  48 .  
         [0023]    The base member  70  includes an open upper end  72  that is surrounded by a second side wall  74  and a second base wall  76 . Finger grip slots  42  are positioned around the second side and base walls  74 ,  76  of the base member  70  in spaced intervals. In a preferred embodiment, the slots  42  are evenly spaced around the second base and side walls  76 ,  74 . The base member  70  serves as a base for the paint cup  10  and provides a wide bottom on which the paint cup  10  may rest during filling. In addition, the base member  70  of the paint cup  10  serves as a resting surface for the entire paint sprayer  12 , when it is installed on a paint sprayer  12 . The base member  70  is configured to seat adjacent the first base wall and first side wall  62 ,  64  of the body member  60  to form a single paint cup  10 .  
         [0024]    As discussed above in connection with FIGS.  1 - 3 , the upper and lower frustoconical parts  44 ,  46  provide benefits associated with the overall design and use of the paint sprayer  12 . The lower frustoconical part  46  serves an additional benefit when used with the two-part paint cup design. In particular, the second base wall  76  of the base member  70  replaces the first base wall  64  of the lower frustoconical part  46  of the body member  60  as the base surface  34  for the paint cup  10 . Advantageously, the lower frustoconical part  46  may have a more greatly sloped taper than if the lower frustoconical part were required to serve as the base surface  34  for the paint cup  10 . Since the two-part design allows for a more greatly sloped lower frustoconical part, more paint is funneled to the bottom, center  50  of the paint cup  10  and can be suctioned through the hose.  
         [0025]    As shown in FIG. 5, the lower end  66  of the body member  60  and the base member  70  are preferably dimensioned so that when the base member  70  seats against the lower end  66  of the body member  60 , a smooth outer surface of the paint cup  10  is defined. In order to provide a smooth outer surface, the lower end  66  of the body member  60  preferably includes an inset  68  to provide space for the second side wall  74  of the base member  70 . The base and body members  70 ,  60  may also include complementary parts that provide a seat  78  in the bottom of the base member  70  for the body member  60 . For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower end  66  of the body member  60  turns from a taper to a cylindrical portion  80  and the inner surface of the base member  70  includes protrusions  82  that are configured to grasp the cylindrical portion  80  of the body member  60 . The inner protrusions  82  serve to guide the body member  60  into proper position within the base member  70  so that the body member  60  is centered within the base member  70 , among other benefits.  
         [0026]    The body member  60  is connected to the base member  70  by attachment features. As shown in FIG. 4, one type of attachment feature includes a pair of fins  84  that extend outwardly from the first side wall  62  at the lower end of the body member  60 . The fins  84  are configured to mate with corresponding slots  86  in the base member  70 , shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The attachment feature is preferably designed so that it is not visible when the body member  60  is connected to the base member  70 . Other types of attachment features may alternatively be provided, such as glue, welds, screw threads, bayonets, screws and the like.  
         [0027]    In a preferred embodiment, the base member  70  is fixed to the body member  60  using the attachment feature, although the base member  70  may be removable from the body member  60  if so desired. Separately formed body and base members  60 ,  70  allow for greater design variations than would be possible with a single member paint cup  10 . For example, differently colored body and base members  60 ,  70  may be utilized and the members can be made from different types of materials. For instance, the body member  60  can be formed of a clear plastic material while the base member  70  can be formed from an opaque colored plastic material for contrast. In a preferred embodiment, the body member  60  is made of a polyethylene and the base member  70  is made of a polyethylene. In addition, the members can have different sizes and configurations. For instance, the base member  70 , while shown as being frustoconical in the figures, is not required to be frustoconical in all embodiments of the two-part design. The base member  70  can take on other shapes and sizes. For instance, it may be advantageous to provide a base that has a greater diameter than the largest diameter of the paint cup  10 . Furthermore, while the embodiments shown in the figures include finger grips  40 , some of the claimed embodiments do not require finger grips  40 .  
         [0028]    The paint cup  10  may include volume indicators  88 , shown in FIG. 1, on the side wall  30  of the paint cup  10  for determining how much paint remains in the paint cup  10 . The volume indicators  88  are particularly useful when the body member  60  of the paint cup  10  is transparent.  
         [0029]    In an alternative embodiment, the paint cup  10  is formed as a one-part paint cup  10 , where the finger grips  40  are integrally molded into the shape of the reservoir. The reservoir has the same basic shape as shown in FIGS.  1 - 6 , with the finger grips  40  positioned around the side and base walls  30 ,  32 .  
         [0030]    The finger grips  40  are shown and described as being evenly spaced around the bottom of the paint cup  10 , with six finger grips  40  being provided. The spacing of the finger grips  40  may vary, with some of the grips  40  being closer to others of the grips  40 . In addition, more or less than six grips  40  may be provided, although it is preferred that at least four or five grips  40  are provided to accommodate the four fingers and thumb of a user&#39;s hand.  
         [0031]    In a preferred embodiment, the paint cup  10  is a one quart paint cup and includes six finger grips  40  that are spaced around the base surface  34 . The rim  28  of the upper opening  26  has a diameter of approximately 3.3 inches and the base surface  34  of the paint cup  10  has a diameter of approximately 4.2 inches. The finger grips have a height of approximately 1 inch and a depth at the base wall of approximately 0.3 inches. The overall height of the paint cup  10  is about 4.9 inches and its width at the central cylindrical wall  48  is approximately 5.3 inches. The dimensions may vary from the above-described dimensions, which are provided for exemplary purposes only.  
         [0032]    The paint cup  10  may be manufactured utilizing blow molding or other techniques. The body member  60  and base member  70  can be separately blow molded and then joined together using any of the above-described techniques.  
         [0033]    While various features of the claimed invention are presented above, it should be understood that the features may be used singly or in any combination thereof. Therefore, the claimed invention is not to be limited to only the specific embodiments depicted herein.  
         [0034]    Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. The embodiments described herein are exemplary of the claimed invention. The disclosure may enable those skilled in the art to make and use embodiments having alternative elements that likewise correspond to the elements of the invention recited in the claims. The intended scope of the invention may thus include other embodiments that do not differ or that insubstantially differ from the literal language of the claims. The scope of the present invention is accordingly defined as set forth in the appended claims.