Patent Application
20240399411
The present invention is directed to dispensing guns used to dispense and apply an extrudable work material to various work surfaces and areas, which dispensing guns have incorporated thereon an accessory tool stowage system. More specifically, the present invention is directed to mounting structures configured to provide onboard stowage of certain accessory tools which are of particular utility for use during the process of applying the extrudable work material. As such, the stowage system preserves optimal efficacy of work material application, by providing nonobtrusive availability of certain much-used scraping, spreading, finishing, or other such accessory work tools removably stowed on a dispensing gun for use during the process of applying the work material.
Various dispensing guns for dispensing sealant, adhesive, epoxy, caulk, and other such viscous work materials are known in the art. They include handheld gun-type devices in which a cartridge containing a work material is loaded for engagement by the device's drive mechanism. Such drive mechanisms, when actuated, force the extrusive flow of the viscous work material out from the loaded cartridge and onto a particular work surface or area. In applications involving repair or renewal of the work surface or area where a sealant or caulk had previously been applied, the old sealant or caulk is usually first removed before the application of the new sealant or caulk. Typically, the removal of the old sealant or caulk is carried out with the use of scraper type hand tools. Then, after a bead of new sealant or caulk is dispensed onto the work surface or area, finishing hand tools are used to force the applied sealant or caulk into cracks and/or crevices and then for shaping the exposed surface of the sealant or caulk to provide a desired appearance. In first time applications of the sealant or caulk, finishing tools are utilized to force the applied sealant or caulk into cracks and/or crevices and for shaping the exposed surface of the sealant or caulk. In general, these preparatory, application and finishing operations require the use of more than one hand tool in addition to the dispensing gun applicator being used to dispense the sealant or caulk. Having such hand tools readily available to the users of the gun-type applicator devices is both convenient for the user and makes the application of sealant, caulk and other like work materials more efficient.
Hence, there is a need for a stowage system for these gun-type applicator devices that provides availability of certain well-used accessory tools right there on the dispensing gun for on-demand access by users without having to set the dispensing gun down and retrieve the accessory tools for use immediately preceding, and during the work material application process.
A dispensing gun with an onboard accessory tool stowage system is provided. The dispensing gun has a frame body that includes a handle housing and a cartridge frame portion. The cartridge frame portion extends from the handle housing and is configured for receiving a cartridge of work material therein. The frame body further includes at least one retention structure. The at least one retention structure has at least one receiving post protruding from the frame body. The dispensing gun further has at least one accessory tool that is configured for releasable engagement with the at least one receiving post when stowed thereon. The dispensing gun also has a drive mechanism operably coupled to the frame body. The drive mechanism includes a drive member passing displaceably into the cartridge frame portion for forcing extrusion of work material from a cartridge of work material disposed in the cartridge frame portion.
Additionally, the at least one receiving post is formed in the frame body in one-piece formation, or alternately, the at least one retention structure may be formed by a base having an outer facing surface from which the at least one receiving post extends outwardly. The base may include a plurality of fastening tangs extending from an opposing surface thereof for passage through at least one aperture formed in the frame body for retentive engagement with a corresponding surface of the frame body.
From another aspect, a dispensing gun with an onboard accessory tool stowage system including a frame body having a handle housing and a cartridge frame portion is provided. The cartridge frame portion extends from the handle housing and is configured for receiving a cartridge of work material therein. The frame body further includes a plurality of retention structures. Each of the retention structures has at least one receiving post protruding from the frame body. The dispensing gun further includes a plurality of accessory tools. Each of the plurality of accessory tools is configured for detachable engagement with the at least one receiving post of a respective one of the plurality of retention structures when stowed thereon. Additionally, the dispensing gun includes a drive mechanism operably coupled to the frame body. The drive mechanism includes a drive member passing displaceably into the cartridge frame portion for forcing extrusion of work material from a cartridge of work material disposed in the cartridge frame portion.
Further, the plurality of retention structures each includes a base having an outer facing surface from which the at least one receiving post extends outwardly. The base is configured for retentive engagement with the frame body. The retentive engagement may be by discrete fasteners or by a plurality of fastening tangs extending from a surface of the base opposite to the outer facing surface, for passage through at least one aperture formed in the frame body.
From yet another aspect, a dispensing gun with an onboard tool stowage system is provided. The dispensing gun includes a frame body having a handle housing and a cartridge frame portion. The cartridge frame portion extends from the handle housing and is configured for receiving a cartridge of work material therein. The frame body further includes at least one retention structure, and the at least one retention structure includes at least one receiving post protruding from the frame body. The dispensing gun additionally includes at least one accessory tool configured for detachable coupling with the at least one receiving post when stowed thereon. Still further, the dispensing gun includes a drive mechanism operably coupled to the frame body. The drive mechanism includes a drive member that passes displaceably into the cartridge frame portion for forcing extrusion of work material from a cartridge of work material disposed in the cartridge frame portion.
Referring now to
The inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to stowage of accessory tool and stowage refers to the process of arranging and securing those tools on a dispensing gun 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d. Stowage of the accessory tools involves optimizing the use of space and ensuring that the accessory tools are unobtrusively secured during transport and use of the dispensing gun 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d. To accommodate the releasable retention of one or more of the accessory tools 170, 180, the tool stowage system 200a, 200b, 200c provides at least one post 214, 214a, 214b, 224 that extends outwardly from the frame body 110. Briefly, the applicator system 10 is configured such that it may be loaded securely with one or more cartridges (not shown) containing a particular work material, of any suitable type known in the art. Once loaded, the dispensing gun 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d may be actuated to force extruded dispensing of the work material from the cartridge onto a work surface (or area). The dispensing gun 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d is generally constructed to minimize overall weight and bulk, while preserving the structural properties required for maximum transfer of energy to drive such extruded dispensing of the work material. The dispensing gun 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d is suitably constructed to maintain stable support and secure retention of the cartridge loaded therein during operation.
As will be discussed in following paragraphs, the post 214, 214a 214b is respectively received within a receptacle 172, 172a of a finishing tool 170. Finishing tool 170 is designed to be used to displace work material applied by the dispensing gun 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d into cracks, crevices and seams of a given work area and shape the bead of applied work material to provide a desired appearance, which may be a bevel of a certain angle, a concave fillet, or the like. To accomplish this task the finishing tool 170 may be formed of a wide range of materials having various degrees of flexibility or resilience. As such, where the finishing tool is formed of a flexible material such as silicone, natural rubber or artificial rubber materials, and the like, the engagement between the receptacle 172, 172a thereof and the post 214, 214a, 214b can be a frictional engagement. When the finishing tool is formed of less resilient materials, the post 214 may also be formed with retention protuberances to provide a snap-fit engagement with the receptacle 172, 172a of the accessory tool 170. The accessory tool 180, a scraper/smoothing tool, is also frequently used when viscous type work materials are applied to a work area by means of a dispensing gun. A scraping tool is most often used to remove old caulk or sealant from the work area in preparation for the application of new caulk or sealant, and a smoothing tool is used to work material applied by the dispensing gun into cracks, crevices, and seams of the work area. Accessory tool 180 has a scraper formed at one longitudinal end thereof and the opposing end is configured with a radiused and tapered contour to function as a smoothing tool. The scraping function of accessory tool 180 requires it to be formed of a less flexible material than that of accessory tool 170, and is often formed of a plastic composition that is harder and stiffer than that of the finishing tool 170. For that reason, in order to ensure a reliable releasable engagement of the posts 224 and 225 of the accessory tool stowage system 220b with the accessory tool 180, each of the posts 224 and 225 is formed with a respective retention protuberance 2242 and 2252, respectively, to provide a snap-fit type releasable engagement with the at least one receptacle 182a, or a pair of receptacles 182 and 184 of the scraper/smoothing accessory tool 180.
The accessory tool stowage systems 200a, 200b and 200c are configured and disposed to keep the accessory tools 170, 180, when stowed, well clear of the user's normal handling and manipulation of the dispensing gun 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d during typical use, while consistently maintaining a readily accessible yet firmly supported retention of the accessory tools 170, 180. As shown in the drawings, the receptacles 172 and 172a are each formed in the illustrated embodiments as a simple through opening. It is contemplated that in alternate embodiments, the receptacle 172, 172a may be formed otherwise, such as by a recess or other complementary structure for retentively mating with the post 214, 214a, 214b. The rectangular shape of the opening that defines the receptacle 172 or somewhat oval shape of the receptacle 172a and the corresponding receiving posts 214, 214a, 214b illustrate but a very few of numerous examples of shapes, and forms that these cooperatively engaging features may take on. It should be understood that the shape and number of posts and corresponding receptacles may altered from that which is specifically disclosed herein without departing from the inventive concepts set forth in this disclosure. Other shapes and number of posts may be chosen, so long as the cooperative engagement provides a secure hold during typical use of the dispensing gun 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d while being readily removable by a user simply drawing the accessory tool 170 up and off the post or posts. Likewise, the retention of the accessory tool 180 can be similarly modified without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed herein.
Generally, the handle housing 120 includes a handle, member 140 which extends as shown the appended drawings. The handle housing 120 also includes a trigger member 142 pivotally coupled to an upper part of the handle member 140 in some dispensing gun configurations, or pivotally coupled to the handle housing 120 in other dispensing gun configurations, for pivotal displacement thereabout, not important to the inventive concepts being disclosed herein and well known in the art. The handle housing 120 also serves as the housing for the hardware that implements the drive mechanism 300 of the dispensing gun. The mechanical assembly of elements that form the drive mechanism 300 and their coupling to the trigger member is likewise not important to the inventive concepts being disclosed herein and likewise well known in the art. The handle housing 120 is formed to define one or more compartments to house any suitable type and combination of drive mechanism hardware known in the art that may be utilized for a given dispensing gun 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d. Such drive mechanism hardware housed by the handle housing 120 (not shown) may include, for example, a ratcheting or other suitable mechanism known in the art for retractably advancing the drive member 310 into the cartridge loading compartment defined by the cartridge frame 130.
Referring now specifically to
For any of dispensing guns 100a, 100b, 100c and 100d, drive mechanism 300 may be of any suitable type known in the art. As such, the type of coupling between drive mechanism 300 and the drive member 310 may employ any suitable type of coupling mechanism. For example, a ratcheting type mechanism may operate on the drive member 310 that passes displaceably through the handle housing 120. The drive mechanism 300 in the embodiment shown is configured to operate responsive to displacement of the trigger 142 toward the handle member 140, with the trigger member 142 being coupled by a pivot member 144 to an upper portion of the handle member 140 or alternately in some dispensing gun configurations, to another portion of the handle housing 120. The trigger member 142 may be biased by a spring or other resilient member (not shown) to be displaced outward from the handle member 140 subsequent to having been squeezed toward the handle member 140 for a pull stroke.
The trigger member 142 is returned by the spring for displacement in another pull stroke. With each pull stroke, the ratcheting drive mechanism incrementally advances then holds the drive member 310, and the plunger disc 312 therewith, further into the cartridge receiving space 138, against the piston disc of the cartridge loaded there. While the drive mechanism 300 is suitably housed within the handle housing 120, as described herein, the present invention is not limited to any particular choice of drive mechanism type, nor to any particular choice of structure and configuration for that drive mechanism 300. As such mechanisms are well known in the art, the drive mechanism 300 is not described in any further detail.
The cartridge frame 130 in the dispensing gun 100a includes a cartridge frame member 134 that extends longitudinally from the rear support member 132 to the front support member 136. The rear support member 132 is mechanically coupled to the handle housing 120. The cartridge frame member 134 of dispensing gun 100a has a semicylindrical contour to form a cradle that serves to support a cartridge of work material disposed in the cartridge receiving space 138. The cartridge frame member 134 may be formed with a plurality of stiffening ribs 135, arranged in longitudinally spaced relationship, one with respect to another, and protruding on an outwardly facing side of the cartridge frame member 134.
While dispensing gun 100a is shown as including two accessory tool stowage systems, the accessory tool stowage system 200a and the accessory tool stowage system 200b, such is intended to be exemplary. A single one of accessory tool stowage system 200a or 200b may be included as part of the frame body 110 and in any unobtrusive location thereon. Further, multiple accessory tool stowage systems may likewise be included as part of frame body 110, with the only limit being the available mounting space. In the particular example shown in
Referring now to
Dispensing gun 100b is like that of dispensing gun 100a, previously described, but has a handle housing 120 with a greater longitudinal extent, sufficient for the accessory finishing tool 170 to be oriented longitudinally. Also, the accessory tool stowage system 200a of the for stowage of the accessory finishing tool 170 is disposed on an opposing side of handle housing 120 from that of dispensing gun 100a in order to avoid interference with a nozzle tip cutting feature (not shown) disposed in the handle housing 120 of dispensing gun 100b and accessible on the left side of the dispensing gun. The post 214 protrudes from the handle housing portion of the frame body 110. The receptacle 172 of finishing tool 170 is releasably engaged to the post 214 of accessory tool stowage system 200a in the manner described for dispensing gun 100a. Accessory tool stowage system 200b is arbitrarily disposed on an opposing side of the cartridge frame member 134 in correspondence with that of accessory tool stowage system 200a for no other reason other than it is believed that such might provide more convenience to a user. Accessory tool stowage system 200b has at least one post 224 protruding from the cartridge frame member 134 and the accessory tool 180 is releasably engaged therewith. As the accessory tool 180 is a scraper/smoothing type tool, with greater longitudinal extent than that of the finishing type accessory tool 170, accessory tool stowage system 200b, as shown, makes use of a pair of posts 224 and 225. The receptacles 182 and 184 of the scraper/smoothing tool 180 are respectively releasably engaged to the posts 224 and 225 of accessory tool stowage system 200a in the manner described for dispensing gun 100a. Greater details of the structure of accessory tool stowage systems 200a and 200b will be described in following paragraphs.
In
Due to the truncated nature of the handle housing 120 of dispensing gun 100c, either one, or both of accessory tool stowage systems 200a, 200b are disposed on the cartridge frame 130 of the frame body 110. While each of the accessory tool stowage systems 200a, 200b are illustrated as being disposed on a different one of the cartridge frame members 134a and 134b, they may also both be disposed on either one of the cartridge frame members 134a, 134b in longitudinally spaced relationship.
Hereto, the Accessory tool stowage system 200b has at least one post 224 protruding from the cartridge frame portion of the frame body 110, specifically, the cartridge frame member 134b, and the accessory tool 180 is releasably engaged therewith. As the accessory tool 180 is a scraper/smoothing type tool, with greater longitudinal extent than that of the finishing type accessory tool 170, accessory tool stowage system 200b, as shown, makes use of a pair of protruding posts 224 and 225 respectively releasably engaged by at least one receptacle of the accessory tool 180, as will be described in following paragraphs. Accessory tool stowage system 200a includes a retention mounting clip (not shown in the figure) coupled to the cartridge frame member 134a by a plurality of tangs 216 respectively engaging the cartridge frame member 134a through corresponding mounting holes 112. As will be further described in following paragraphs, between each pair to tangs 216 there is disposed a reinforcement post 217 extending through the corresponding mounting hole 112. The retention mounting clip includes a protruding post upon which the finishing type accessory tool is releasable engaged.
Turning now to
The cartridge frame 130 includes rear support member 132 affixed to the handle housing 120 and a pair of frame members 134a and 134b extending longitudinally to a front support member 136. Front support member 136 has an annular contour into which the nozzle portion of a work material cartridge is received. Hereto, front support member 136 may be formed with an open portion thereof to function as a passageway for the nozzle portion of the work material cartage to pass therethrough during insertion and removal of the cartridge into and out from the cartridge receiving space 138 that is bounded by the front and rear support members 136 and 132, and the pair of diametrically opposed cartridge frame members 134a and 134b.
The frame body 110 also includes at least one of the accessory tool stowage system 200a, 200b. In the exemplary frame body 110 of dispensing gun 100d illustrated, the accessory tool stowage system 200a is disposed on the handle housing portion of the frame body 110, with a post 214 protruding therefrom. The accessory finishing tool 170 is releasably engaged with the post 214, in the manner previously described with respect to dispensing guns 100a, 100b and 100c. Hereto, the accessory tool stowage system 200b is disposed on the cartridge frame portion of the frame body, specifically, but arbitrarily, the cartridge frame member 134b, and the accessory tool 180 releasably engaged therewith. It should be noted that any one or both of the accessory tool stowage systems 200a, 200b, as well as multiples thereof, may be positioned on one or both cartridge frame members 134a, 134b.
Turning now to
The base 212 of retention mounting clip 210 has an opposing lower surface 213 with a plurality of tangs 216 extending therefrom for engagement with an interior facing surface 111 of the frame body 110 through corresponding mounting holes 112. The plurality of tangs 216 are arranges in pairs, with a reinforcement post 217 extending away from the lower surface 111 of the base 212 between a corresponding pair of tangs 216. The reinforcement post 217 provides added strength against rotative displacement of the retention mounting clip 210. Each tang 216 of a respective pair of tangs has a barb 218 extending in a direction from the reinforcement post 217 to engage the interior facing surface 111 of the frame body 110 after being passed through corresponding mounting holes 112 formed through the frame body 110. Thus, as shown in
As indicated in
Referring
Turning now to
The base 212c has a lower surface 213 configured for fixation to the frame body 110. At one end 2122 of the base 212c there is formed an L-shaped tab 2162 extending from the lower surface 213 for engagement with the interior facing surface 111 of the frame body 110 through a slotted opening 126 formed through a portion of the frame body 110, which portion may be the handle housing, as illustrated in
With reference to
Alternately, as shown in
The post 224, having a substantial longitudinal extent as compared to the post 225 is not very flexible, if at all, and as the accessory tool 180 is also not very flexible, there is a need for some resilience in the retention mounting clip structure to accommodate the tool's engagement and disengagement therefrom. That need is fulfilled by the post 225 which has a much narrower longitudinal extent and resiliently cantilevered from the base 222. Thus, when the accessory tool is set on the pair of posts 224 and 225, and then pushed down to seat the accessory tool 180 on the retention clip 220, the flexible post 225 is displaced by a camming action of the retention protuberance 2252 against a corresponding internal surface of a receptacle 184 or 182a, until the accessory tool 180 is fully seated. At that point, the resilience of the post 225 allows it to elastically spring back and the retention protuberance 2252 engages an upper surface of the accessory tool 180. When the accessory tool 180 is being removed from the retention clip 220, the flexible post 225 is similarly displaced by the camming action of the retention protuberance 2252 as it is drawn into receptacle 184 or 182a to thereby release the engagement thereof with the accessory tool 180.
The retention clip 220 may be affixed to the frame body 110 by a plurality of tangs 226 that extend from the lower surface 223 of the base 222. The plurality of tangs 226 are arranged in pairs with each tang 226 of a respective pair of tangs having a barb 228 formed on a distal end thereof extending laterally in a direction opposite to that of the barb 228 of the adjacent tang 226 of that pair of tangs. Each of the barbs 228 pair of tangs 226 engage the interior facing surface 111 of the frame body portion to which the retention mounting clip 220 is mounted through corresponding mounting holes 114 formed through the that frame body portion.
It should be understood that the base 222 retention mounting clip 220 of accessory tool stowage system 200b may have any thickness as necessary to suit the required clearance need avoid interference with other structures of the dispensing gun 100a. 100b, 100c and 100d. With additional reference to
Another version of the retention mounting clip of accessory tool stowage system 200b is shown in
Referring back to
The various portions, parts, and components of the systems disclosed herein may be formed of any suitable material known in the art for the particular requirements of the intended applications. Metallic, polymeric, rubber, synthetic rubber and other such materials, as well as combinations thereof, may be employed in view of such factors as the required combination of strength, rigidity, weight, and the like. The inventive concepts disclosed herein are not limited to any specific choice of such material compositions or their combinations.
Although the inventive concepts disclosed herein have has been described in connection with specific exemplary forms and embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that various modifications other than those discussed above may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, functionally equivalent elements may be substituted for those specifically shown and described, certain features may be used independently of other features, and in certain cases, particular locations of the elements or processes may be reversed or interposed, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
