Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Including supply holder for material – Moving solid surface engages material to be sprayed
Utility Patent
1998-12-30
2001-01-02
Kashnikow, Andres (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Including supply holder for material
Moving solid surface engages material to be sprayed
C239S120000, C239S376000, C239S379000, C239S391000, C239S526000, C239S596000, C239S600000
Utility Patent
active
06168093
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to applicators for coating materials and, more specifically, to applicators that develop a spray appropriate for depositing coating materials onto a surface to be coated.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Types of Coating Materials
Coating materials are often applied to a surface for protective and/or for aesthetic purposes. The present invention primarily relates to coating materials such as paint or texture material.
Paint is available in a variety of formulations, but in most cases forms a coating on or near the surface that protects and enhances the appearance of the coated surface. Normally, paint is formulated to form a coating of uniform thickness: if the surface is flat and smooth, the paint will dry in a coat that is also flat and smooth. The term “paint” as used herein thus includes stains, clear polymers, and other coatings that are intended to be applied in a coat of uniform thickness.
Texture material, on the other hand, is not formulated to form a coating of uniform thickness; to the contrary, texture material is sprayed on in liquid form and dries to form a bumpy, irregular surface. The texture material may coat the entire surface or may be applied in discrete splotches on the surface.
When dry, the texture material forms a texture pattern. By varying one or more parameters such as the composition of the texture material and the manner in which the texture material is applied, different texture patterns may be formed. Texture patterns are classified generally as follows: fine; orangepeel; medium splatter; heavy splatter; medium knockdown; and heavy knockdown. Of course, custom texture patterns may be formed, but the foregoing texture patterns are considered industry standards.
In addition, a class of texture materials contains particulates and creates an acoustic or “popcorn” texture pattern that is normally applied to ceilings. The present invention is not specifically related to products that create acoustic texture patterns.
The fine, orangepeel, medium splatter, and heavy splatter texture patterns are obtained simply by spraying texture material onto the surface to be textured. The fine and orangepeel texture patterns are similar to each other, the orangepeel simply being a heavier application of texture material.
The medium and heavy knockdown texture patterns are formed by spraying the texture material onto the surface to be textured and, after a short wait but before the texture material dries completely, working the texture material with a tool to flatten or “knockdown” the peaks of the texture material. In general, the medium knockdown texture pattern is obtained by working the medium splatter texture pattern, and the heavy knockdown texture pattern is obtained by working the heavy splatter texture pattern.
II. Application of Coating Materials
The formulation of the coating material is but one factor that controls the uniformity of the thickness of the applied coat. For both paint and texture material, another important factor is the system used to apply the coating material to the surface to be coated.
For paint, four basic types of applicator systems are known. The first is to apply the paint directly to the surface to be coated using a mechanical applicator such as a brush, roller, sponge, or the like. The second is to package the paint in an aerosol system that allows the paint to be applied in a spray. The third is a pneumatic system in which a stream of pressurized air the carries the paint onto the surface to be coated in a spray. And the fourth is an airless system in which a reciprocating piston acts on the paint to form a spray that carries the paint onto the surface to be coated.
Of these applicator systems, only three are commonly employed to dispense texture material. In some situations texture material is applied using a mechanical means such as a conventional paint roller, but this application method is limited in the varieties of texture patterns that may be applied.
Texture material is thus most commonly applied by (a) mixing the texture material with a stream of pressurized air and (b) using aerosol systems. The common factor between aerosol systems and pressurized air systems is that a pressurized gas carries the texture material onto the surface to be coated in a spray.
In most pressurized air systems, the texture material is stored in a hopper located above a hopper gun defining a mixing chamber. The source of pressurized air is normally an air compressor, hand pump, air tank, or the like. A stream of pressurized air is channeled from the air source to the mixing chamber. The texture material is mixed with the stream of pressurized air in the mixing chamber such that the stream carries the texture material out of the hopper gun in a spray. The manner in which the texture material is mixed with the stream of pressurized air and the size of an outlet orifice through which the texture material passes can both be varied to obtain the different texture patterns described above.
In aerosol systems, the texture material is sealed in a container with a pressurized propellant. The propellant exists in a liquid phase and a gas phase. The container is provided with a valve that, when opened, allows the gaseous-phase propellant to force texture material and liquid-phase propellant out of the container in a stream. The liquid propellant gassifies as it exits the container to help form a stream appropriate for depositing the texture material on the surface to be coated. Different texture patterns are obtained by providing means for varying a cross-sectional area of the outlet opening through which the texture material passes.
Unlike paint, texture material is not commonly dispensed using an airless sprayer. Airless sprayers designed for paint tend to atomize the material being dispensed. Atomization is appropriate for paint, which is applied in a thin, uniform coat, but not for texture material; to the contrary, texture material must be allowed to form discrete droplets or clumps in the spray that are deposited on the surface to form the bumpy, irregular texture pattern.
III. Commercial vs. Non-Commercial Applications
Pressurized air systems using an external air source are highly appropriate for commercial applications as they allow large surface areas to be textured quickly and with consistent results; but these systems are relatively bulky and expensive and thus not highly appropriate for non-professionals or for small surface areas.
The hand pump methods are more cost effective for medium jobs (one room or wall), but are not appropriate for larger jobs and can be somewhat difficult to use.
The aerosol methods are the most appropriate for applying texture material to small areas (texturing over patches), but are not cost effective for larger jobs.
The need thus exists for a cost-effective system for allowing non-professionals easily to apply texture material to large surface areas, such as an entire house interior, but which do not require expensive and complicated equipment such as air compressors and the like. Ideally, such a system would be able to spray a large variety of coating materials, including both paint and texture materials.
PRIOR ART
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
From the foregoing, it should be clear that one primary object of the present invention is to provide improved spray texturing devices and methods.
Another more specific object of the present invention is to provide spray texturing devices and methods that obtain a favorable mix of the following characteristics:
do not require an external source of pressurized air;
do not require physical exertion such as pumping by hand;
can be used to apply texture material to large surface areas;
may easily be used by non-professionals;
are cost effective;
produce consistent and aesthetically pleasing texture patterns; and
comprises simple construction and reduced parts to decrease manufacturing costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects are obtained by the present invention, which in one preferred form is a trigger actuated hopper g
Greer, Jr. Lester R.
Tryon James A.
Ganey Steven J.
Homax Products Inc.
Hughes & Schacht, P.S.
Kashnikow Andres
Schacht Michael R.
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