Utility-power operated pressurized spray can

Details Utility-power operated pressurized spray can Utility-power operated pressurized spray can

1998-01-22

2002-02-26

Shaver, Kevin (Department: 3754)

Dispensing

With lock or fastening seal

For a fluid pressure discharge assistant

C222S402110, C222S464100, C222S504000, C251S089000, C251S129200, C137S590000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06349854

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention pertains to the general field of pressurized spray cans and more particularly to an aerosol paint spray can that can only be operated when it is connected by means of an a-c power cord, to an a-c utility power source.
BACKGROUND ART
The use of graffiti to deface various types of surfaces is wide spread both in cities of the United States of America and cities of many other industrialized world nations. Graffiti can consist of any unauthorized name, word or symbol or any combination thereof that is placed on a public or private surfaces by so called “graffiti taggers”. Graffiti taggers have been around and have marked public surfaces since the days of the Pharaohs—even the pyramids did not escape this aesthetic plaque. Today, there is hardly a blank wall in inner cities, such as in central Los Angeles, that does not display some form of graffiti.
The primary target areas for graffiti taggers include public and private businesses, street and freeway signs, subways, trains and buses. To curtail the application of graffiti, several plans, devices and activities have been implemented: in Los Angeles, for instance, 4,000 people participated in a graffiti paint-out spearheaded by the Los Angeles Police Department. In one morning, the volunteers used 1700 gallons of paint and eradicated 62,000 feet of graffiti. The work of both public and private graffiti cleanup efforts are evident across the city in patchwork squares of unmatched paint on walls and buildings. As well meaning as cleanup techniques are, statistics have shown that when graffiti are covered in patches, the patches are invitations to graffiti vandals. Thus, graffiti is three times as likely to reappear then if the wall were all one color. To prevent street and particularly high-rise freeway signs from being marked razor wire has been placed around the signs access areas. The Transit Authorities of the various cities have taken cars out of service for cleaning as soon as they were marred by graffiti, no matter how slight the marking. Guards and dogs have also been posted in Yards where these vehicles are stored for cleaning and maintenance.
To implement graffiti removal and watch programs has been costly for city governments. Most of the money goes to pay for crews that respond to the complaints by homeowners and businesses. Last year, the Los Angeles county government spent over $10 million trying to clean up the graffiti. The city of Los Angeles spent another $4 million, and the Southern California Rapid Transmit district spent $5 million. These figures are in addition to the money spent by various police agencies in chasing and arresting graffiti taggers. In New York, the Transit Authority has spent $6 billion in subway cleanup campaigns. Workers spend an average of 110 hours a week cleaning spray-paint off subway cars. In subways, it has been estimated that the national cost for controlling graffiti will exceed $4 billion. In addition to the cost involved in trying to eradicate graffiti, there is also the cost involved in decreased property values and in the more intangible psychic costs of living in a city that looks as though it is under siege.
Graffiti taggers use ballpoint pens, felt-tip markers and aerosol spray cans to perform their work with spray cans being the marker of choice. Over the years there have been various efforts to control graffiti by clamping down on the use of aerosol paint spray cans. According to the paint industry about 41,400 of these paint spray cans with a retail value of $120,000 are sold each day in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. By another estimate, more than 8,000 of these spray cans are used daily to deface property nationwide. To curtail the adverse use of spray cans, laws have been passed or are in process of passage to keep spray cans locked up, making these cans unavailable for purchase by persons under the age of 18 and even to ban the sale of spray paint cans statewide, except those used by commercial firms. An outright ban is, of course, unfair to both the manufacturers and retailers—and most likely ineffective.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents or other literature that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. Particularly, no patents were found that disclosed aerosol paint spray cans that can only be operated when connected to a utility power source. However, the following U.S. patents were considered related:
U.S. Pat. No.
INVENTOR
ISSUED
5,385,271
Bierend, et al
January 31, 1995
5,318,208
Van der Wal
June 7, 1994
5,014,884
Wonsch
May 14, 1991
4,972,975
Fuhrig
November 27, 1990
4,971,257
Birge
November 20, 1990
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,271 Bierend et al patent discloses an aerosol spray can that is modified by the attachment of a valve. The valve has an upper fluid port to which is attached a spray head and a lower fluid port that is attached to a valve attachment port on the spray can. The valve is operated by an a-c utility power supplied through a power cord. When power is not applied, the valve is positioned to prevent the fluid in the can from being sprayed. Conversely, when power is applied, the valve is repositioned to allow the fluid in the can to be sprayed when the spray head is depressed.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,208 Van der Wal patent disclose an aerosol spray can that is operated by a handgrip releasably attached to a modified spray can. The handgrip which can only be operated when it is connected to a 120-volt a-c power receptacle, includes a manually operated trigger. The trigger controls the application of the a-c power to a solenoid located within the handgrip. When the solenoid is activated, a first valve and a second valve are sequentially opened to allow the paint in the spray can to be sprayed.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,884 Wonsch patent discloses an aerosol spray can that includes a spray mechanism for finely atomizing fluids through a hydraulically-operated pump. The spray mechanism is inserted into a housing which is connected with the supply container for the liquid through a close-fitted or frictional locking connection. The spray mechanism incorporates a battery operated gear pump in which, the suction line of the pump is connected through an opening in the bottom of the housing into the supply container. The supply container is equipped with a venting line, whereby the gear pump includes a pressure tube at its output which is connected with a discharge nozzle.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,975 Fuhrig patent discloses a housing that stores a battery that powers an electric motor that operates a compressor for producing compressed air in combination with a suction unit and a pressure joint. A product container that includes a spray nozzle is placed inside the housing with a connection between the pressure joint of the compressor and the interior of the product container. The compressor pressurizes the product container through an aperture thereby forcing the liquid through the container spray nozzle.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,257 Birge patent discloses an electrostatic particle spraying apparatus. The apparatus includes a hand held triggering mechanism that includes a d-c power source and a coupling sleeve into which a conventional aerosol spray can is inserted when the triggering mechanism is squeezed, a hammer depresses the nozzle tip of the aerosol can, releasing the pressurized fluid of the can from the nozzle tip.
This application is also related to the applicant's copending application Ser. No. 08/095,851, filed Jul. 23, 1993 and entitled Utility-Power Operated Aerosol Spray Can.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,271 Bierend, et al patent and the U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,208 Van der Wal patent as well as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/212,939 filed Mar. 15, 1994 and the present application are all assignees of the present invention. The U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,385,271 and 5,308,208 are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
For background purposes and indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the

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