Patent ID: 6969210

Claim:
An improvement in an applicator implement having an applicator for applying a fluid material from a source to a surface, the improvement comprising: a stem having a first end and a second end, and an outer peripheral surface extending along the stem between the first end and the second end, in a direction along an axis; an applicator including a first portion secured to the stem adjacent the first end of the stem and a second portion projecting beyond the first end in a direction away from the second end, the first portion of the applicator being spaced inwardly from the outer peripheral surface toward the axis, and the second portion having an outer peripheral boundary; a transverse area extending across the stem, adjacent the first end of the stem, between the outer peripheral surface and the outer peripheral boundary; and a plurality of lumens extending through the stem from the first end to the second end, the lumens extending along the direction of the axis and spaced apart from one another, closely adjacent one another, in an array of closely adjacent lumens placed around the axis, each lumen being spaced from the axis and from the outer peripheral surface to lie between the axis and the outer peripheral surface, each lumen having an inlet adjacent the second end of the stem for receiving fluid material to be conducted from the source through the lumen, an outlet adjacent the first end of the stem for delivering the fluid material received at the inlet, and a transverse cross-sectional area, at least at the outlet, substantially smaller than the transverse area adjacent the first end of the stem, each outlet being located between the outer peripheral boundary of the second portion of the applicator and the outer peripheral surface and juxtaposed with the outer peripheral boundary of the second portion of the applicator, the outlets being separate from one another and placed around the axis in an array of closely adjacent outlets surrounding the second portion of the applicator with closely adjacent separate outlets corresponding to the plurality of lumens in the array of lumens for delivering the fluid material in a plurality of closely adjacent separate streams of relatively small cross-sectional area corresponding to the plurality of closely adjacent separate outlets, with the streams arrayed around the second portion of the applicator to surround the second portion of the applicator and be directed to lay down the delivered fluid material along the second portion of the applicator in an array of closely adjacent separate streams of relatively small cross-sectional area at the outer peripheral boundary of the second portion of the applicator.