Patent ID: 8424483

Claim:
A paint applicator configured for rapid detachable attachment to a hand held paint edging apparatus that includes a paint supply, the paint applicator comprising: a) a receiver including a pair of opposed cantilever arms, each having at least a portion that is elastically flexible, configured for rapid detachable attachment to the paint edging apparatus in a snap-fit interlocking manner, the receiver including a paint supply inlet that fluidly communicates with a first paint feed tube inlet, the paint supply inlet configured to receive paint from the paint supply when the receiver is attached to the paint edging apparatus; b) a manifold movably coupled to the receiver, wherein the manifold is configured for slidable movement with respect to the receiver and wherein the manifold includes a cam follower surface configured to engage a drive cam of an electric vibrating motor, the manifold including a second paint feed tube inlet, the manifold including at least one paint dispensing opening, the manifold configured to receive paint through the second paint feed tube inlet and to discharge the received paint through the at least one paint dispensing opening, the manifold defining a cavity, the manifold including first and second oppositely disposed sidewalls extending from an upper end of the manifold to lower edges thereof, wherein at least a portion of the manifold sidewalls downwardly diverge from one another in the direction of the sidewall lower edges; c) a paint feed tube having a first end sealably engaged with the first paint feed tube inlet of the receiver and a second end sealably engaged with the second paint feed tube inlet of the manifold for carrying paint from the paint supply to the at least one paint dispensing opening; and d) a porous applicator portion housed at least partially within the cavity defined by the manifold, the porous applicator portion configured to accept the paint discharged from the at least one paint dispensing opening and to apply the paint to a work surface, wherein the porous applicator portion is contained between the sidewalls of the manifold and extends slightly beyond the lower sidewall edges, and is compressible within the manifold as pressure is applied to the manifold in a direction from the upper end of the manifold toward the sidewall edges, wherein maximum compression of the porous applicator portion is limited by the distance that the porous applicator portion extends beyond the lower sidewall edges when in the uncompressed state, whereby maximum compression of the porous applicator portion remains constant regardless of how much excess pressure is applied to the manifold after the sidewall lower edges engage the work surface.