Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/874,775 filed Dec. 13, 2006, the contents of all of which are incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     The present disclosure relates to a kit for dispensing viscous fluid from a container. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Application of viscous fluid in the construction or repair industries, such as any type of sealant, epoxy, caulk, adhesive, floor glue or the like, to a roof, floor, ceiling, wall or other surface requires different types of tools depending upon the location, size, and configuration of the surface and the position, size and configuration of any flaws in the surface. Moreover, oftentimes, the surface can be difficult to reach either because of its configuration or because of the physical location of the surface. Further, the challenges in applying viscous fluids to surfaces not only include reaching or arriving at the location of the surface to be treated, but having the right applicator tools available at the location even though the type of applicator tools needed might not be known until the location is reached. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates to a kit for dispensing a viscous fluid from a container comprising: a nozzle for coupling to an outlet of the container defining a nozzle opening for dispensing the viscous fluid from the container and an applicator releasably securable to the nozzle. The nozzle includes applicator engaging structure and the applicator includes nozzle engaging structure releasably engageable with the applicator engaging structure of the nozzle to releasably secure the applicator to the nozzle. The applicator also includes a working area for spreading the viscous fluid dispensed by the nozzle. 
     The kit also includes an other applicator and the nozzle is selectively engageable with either of the two applicators. The other applicator also includes nozzle engaging structure releasably engageable with the applicator engaging structure of the nozzle to releasably secure the second applicator to the nozzle. The other applicator also includes a working area and the working areas of the two applicators are different. 
     One of the applicators may be in the form of a spatula applicator with its working area having beveled leading edge. The other applicator may be in the form of a brush applicator with its working area including a plurality of bristles. Either or both applicators may be in any other suitable form in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and the accompanying drawings described below, wherein an embodiment of the disclosure is described and shown, and in part will become apparent upon examination of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention and the advantages thereof will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a spatula applicator, a brush applicator, and nozzle engageable with a container for dispensing viscous fluid from the container and selectively engageable with the spatula applicator and the brush applicator for applying the viscous fluid to a surface; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the nozzle engaged with the spatula applicator of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the nozzle and spatula applicator of  FIG. 2  illustrating the nozzle engaged with the spout of the container; and 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle, brush applicator and container of  FIG. 1 , also illustrating with dashed lines the nozzle engaged with the spout of the container. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1-4  illustrate a kit spatula applicator  12 , a brush applicator  14  and a nozzle  16  selectively engageable with the spatula applicator and the brush applicator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a container  18  of viscous fluid having a spout  20  engageable with the nozzle for dispensing the viscous fluid from the container. The viscous fluid may be any type of sealant or the like, including epoxy, caulk, adhesive, etc. The illustrated container  18  may be in the form of any commercially-available container of sealant or the like or may have any other suitable construction. Similarly, the spout  20  of the container  18  may be in the form of any commercially-available spout or may have any other suitable construction. 
     The spatula applicator  12  includes an applicator body  30  that terminates in a working area  32  configured as a spatula. The applicator body  30  is generally cup shaped and is substantially flat. The leading edge  34  of the working area  32  is beveled, and extends linearly to facilitate smooth application of the viscous fluid. The spatula applicator  12  also includes nozzle engaging structure in the form of a rim  40  that protrudes from the side  42  of the applicator body  30 . The rim  40  extends arcuately and continuously from the side  42 , extending outward from the side and curving back to the side. The rim  40  defines an opening  44  for receiving the nozzle  16  and also defines a slot  50  on the inner surface  52  of the rim at or near the center of the rim. The opening  44  defined by the rim  40  is bell shaped. The slot  50  has a generally rectangular or square cross section and extends along the entire width of the rim  40 . The spatula applicator  12 , including the nozzle engaging structure, may have any other suitable construction in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     The brush applicator  14  includes an applicator body  60  that terminates in a working area  62  in the form of a brush. The applicator body  60  is generally cup shaped, but curved along its width. The brush applicator  14  also includes a pair of reinforcing ribs  64  extending at an angle from the side edges of the applicator body  60  and protruding from the applicator body. The reinforcing ribs  64  define a channel  66  for receiving the nozzle  16  when the nozzle is engaged with the brush applicator  14 . The working area  62  of the brush applicator  14  defines a plurality of slits  70  forming bristles  72  to form the brush and to facilitate brushing application of the viscous fluid. The leading edges of the bristles are beveled for application purposes. Additionally, the leading edge  78  of the working area  62  of the brush applicator  14  is arcuate along its expanse. 
     The brush applicator  14  also includes nozzle engaging structure in the form of a rim  80  that protrudes from the side  82  of the applicator body  60 . The rim  80  extends arcuately and continuously from the side  82  of the applicator body  60 , extending outward from the body and curving back to the side of the applicator body. The rim  80  defines an opening  84  for receiving the nozzle  16  and also defines a slot  88  on the inner surface  90  of the rim  80  at or near the center of the rim. The opening  84  defined by the rim  80  is generally bell shaped. The slot  88  has a generally square or rectangular cross section and extends along the entire width of the rim  80 . The nozzle engaging structure of the brush applicator also includes the pair of reinforcing ribs  64  defining the channel  66 . The brush applicator  14 , including the nozzle engaging structure, may have any other suitable construction in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     The nozzle  16  includes a dispensing portion  100 , a cylindrical portion  102  and a flange  104  disposed about the end of the cylindrical portion opposite the dispensing portion. The dispensing portion  100  terminates in an elliptic opening  110  and the cross section of the dispensing portion transitions from the cylindrical portion  102  to the elliptic opening  110 . The center of the elliptic opening  110  is offset from the center longitudinal axis of the cylindrical portion  102 . The nozzle  16  includes an inner wall  120  defining a channel  122  for dispensing the viscous fluid. The inner wall  120  includes a screw thread for mating with a complementary screw thread  132  on the container  18 . The inner wall  120  also includes a pair of diametrically-opposed stops  134  to engage a pair of diametrically opposed stops  136  on the spout  20  of the container  18  for engaging the nozzle  16  with the spout  20  of the container  18 . 
     The nozzle  16  includes applicator engaging structure comprising the outer surface  140  of the cylindrical portion  102  and a rib  144  formed on the outer surface. The rib  144  has a generally square or rectangular cross section and extends from the flange  104  in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical portion  102 . To engage the nozzle  16  and either the spatula applicator  12  or the brush applicator  14 , the cylindrical portion  102  of the nozzle  16  slides into and fits snugly within the opening  44  of the spatula applicator or the opening  84 , the brush applicator  14 , with the rib  144  sliding into and fitting snugly within the slot  50  of the spatula applicator  12  or the slot  88  of the brush applicator  14 . When the nozzle  16  is engaged with the brush applicator  14 , the dispensing portion  100  is also received by the channel  66  defined by the reinforcing ribs  64  of the brush applicator. Thus, in engaging the brush applicator  14 , the applicator engaging structure of the nozzle also includes the outer surface  150  of the dispensing portion  100 . The nozzle  16 , including the nozzle engaging structure, can have any other suitable construction in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Accordingly, in the illustrated embodiment, the nozzle engaging structures of the spatula applicator  12  and the brush applicator  14  are substantially identical to each other except that the brush applicator  14  further includes the pair of reinforcing ribs  64  defining the channel  66 . The applicator engaging structure of the nozzle  16  is configured to engage either the nozzle engaging structure of the spatula applicator  12  or the nozzle engaging structure of the brush applicator  14 . Thus, the nozzle  16  is selectively engageable with either the spatula applicator  12  or the brush applicator  14 . As a result, the dispensed viscous fluid can be readily applied with either the spatula applicator  12  or the brush applicator  14  and, further, either applicator  12  or  14  can be readily replaced with the other applicator  12  or  14  depending upon the needs. 
     Any other suitable applicator for applying viscous fluid dispensed from the container  18  can be used instead of or in addition to the spatula applicator  12  and instead of or in addition to the brush applicator  14 . Further, such other applicators for applying viscous fluid can have any other suitable construction and can include any other suitable working areas in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     The spatula applicator  12 , brush applicator  14  and the nozzle  16  in accordance with the present disclosure provide several advantages. For example, the applicators  12  and  14  and nozzle  16  can be readily carried to the location where the viscous fluid is to be applied. Further, once at the location, the different applicators  12  and  14  provide different and readily-available options to apply the viscous fluid. Such advantages can be especially valuable where, as often is the case, the location where viscous fluid is to be applied may be difficult to reach, such as, for example, a roof, or such other location that is difficult to reach because of its physical location or because of obstructions, and the type of applicators needed cannot be determined until the location is reached. 
     While embodiments have been illustrated and described in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustrations and descriptions are considered to be exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected. The description and figures are intended as illustrations of embodiments of the disclosure, and are not intended to be construed as having or implying limitation of the disclosure to those embodiments. There are a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure arising from various features set forth in the description. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the disclosure may not include all of the features described yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may readily devise their own implementations of the disclosure and associated methods, without undue experimentation, that incorporate one or more of the features of the disclosure and fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims.

Technology Category: b