Patent Application
20240401347
The present invention relates to a non-stick epoxy applicator, and more specifically, a polymer extruded reusable non-stick epoxy applicator for applying epoxy to a variety of surfaces.
It is desirable to have a reusable epoxy applicator. Further, it is desirable to have a flexible polymer or synthetic material based epoxy applicator, to allow for flexion during application to create a smooth epoxy surface.
One example embodiment of the present disclosure includes a reusable applicator for epoxy application. The reusable applicator having a rigid portion configured to support a handle attached thereto, the rigid portion having a first durometer. The reusable applicator having a flexible portion extending from said rigid portion, the flexible portion having a second durometer, said first durometer being greater than said second durometer. The flexible portion further includes an interaction surface located on a first side of the flexible portion, an opposite surface located opposite the interaction surface of the flexible portion, and a permanently lubricating film extending along said interaction surface and said opposite surface, the interaction surface spaced from the opposite surface by the flexible portion. The permanently lubricating film providing the interaction and opposite surfaces with a lower coefficient of friction than the rigid surface. The permanently lubricated film is embedded within the flexible portion.
Another example embodiment of the present disclosure includes a method of manufacturing a reusable applicator for epoxy application. The method includes providing a first lubricated material comprising a permanently lubricated film having a low coefficient of friction, providing a second material comprising a thermoplastic polyolefin, and providing a third material comprising a thermoplastic vulcanizate elastomer. The method further comprises loading a respective extruder with said first, second, and third materials, heating said first, second, and third materials within a heating section of the respective extruders, feeding said first, second, and third materials from said heating sections into a die head, and forming a single extrusion from said first, second, and third materials, the extrusion having said permanently lubricated film confined along a select portion of the applicator.
Yet another example embodiment of the present disclosure includes a reusable applicator for epoxy application. The reusable applicator having a blade and a handle. The blade includes a rigid portion configured to support a handle attached thereto, the rigid portion having a durometer between 50 and 80 on a Shore D scale, and a flexible portion extending from said rigid portion, the flexible portion having a durometer between 40 and 60 on a Shore A scale, said first durometer being greater than said second durometer, the flexible portion terminating in a triangular tip opposite the rigid portion. The flexible portion further includes an interaction surface located on a first side of the flexible portion, an opposite surface located opposite the interaction surface of the flexible portion; and a permanently lubricating film extending along said interaction surface and said opposite surface, the interaction surface spaced from the opposite surface by the flexible portion, the permanently lubricating film providing the interaction and opposite surfaces and having a coefficient of friction (COF) 0.5 or less and being between about 0.003″ to about 0.005″ thick. The permanently lubricated film is embedded within said interaction surface.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon consideration of the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts unless described otherwise throughout the drawings and in which:
The present invention relates to a non-stick epoxy applicator, and more specifically, a polymer extruded reusable non-stick epoxy applicator for applying epoxy to a variety of surfaces.
Referring to the figures, and in particular
In one example embodiment, the rigid portion 104 comprises a rigid thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), or the like. In another example embodiment, the rigid portion 104 comprises a rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or the like. In another example embodiment, the flexible portion 106 comprises a soft thermoplastic vulcanizate elastomer (TPE). In another example embodiment, the flexible portion 106 comprises a flexible PVC. A permanently lubricated film 108 resides on surfaces of the rigid and/or flexible portions 104, 106. In this example embodiment, the permanently lubricated film 108 comprises a slip coat with a low coefficient of friction (COF).
In one example embodiment, the blade 102 defines a triangular tip 114 that gradually widens through a widening portion 122 until a bend 116 in the blade. (see
In one example embodiment, the blade 102 terminates at a blade end 118, wherein the blade end is opposite the triangular tip 114. In one example embodiment, the blade 102 extends between 1 to about 4 inches from the triangular tip 114 to the blade end 118. In another example embodiment, the blade 102 extends about 2.5 inches from the triangular tip 114 to the blade end 118. In another example embodiment, the flexible material 106 comprises the triangular tip 114 and a portion of the widening portion 122. In one example embodiment, the flexible material 106 extends a flexible distance 130 from the triangular tip 114. In one example embodiment, the flexible distance 130 is about 1 inch. It would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that a manufacturing process described herein will make larger or smaller blades 102 with larger or smaller rigid and flexible portions 104, 106.
Referring to the embodiment of
In the example embodiment, the preferred durometer of the rigid portion 104 ranges between 50 and 80 durometer on a Shore D scale. In another example embodiment, the durometer of the rigid portion 104 is 60 on a Shore D scale. In the example embodiment, the preferred durometer of the flexible portion 106 ranges between 40 and 60 on a Shore A scale. In another example embodiment, the durometer of the flexible portion 106 is 55 on a Shore A scale. In one example embodiment, the permanently lubricated chemical film 108 is multi-extruded with the flexible portion 106 along with the rigid portion 104 during a single extrusion operation.
In one example embodiment, the permanently lubricated chemical film 108 is formed on the blade portion 102. In the example embodiment of
In one example embodiment, the permanently lubricated chemical film 108 is made from lubricating materials having a reduced COF and in one example embodiment is preferably a level of 0.5 or less. Such materials include polypropylene or polyethylene. In one example embodiment, the lubricating film 108 is an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). The lubricating film 108 is combined to the interaction surface 112a of the flexible portion 106, the flexible portion 106, or the surfaces of the blade 102 from a very thin film layer ranging from 0.001″-0.010″ and preferably 0.003″-0.005″ thick.
In the illustrated example embodiment of
The method of manufacture in the example embodiment, as illustrated in
In one embodiment the lubricated film 108 is in a granular form prior to the extrusion process. The materials are located within the respective extruders and heated by a heater 136 to a temperature range of 350° to 425° Fahrenheit, resulting in a molten state for both the first and second polymeric and lubricating film gasket materials. Once the prescribed temperature is reached, which in the example embodiment is preferably slightly above or at 350°, the first and second polymeric and film gasket materials are fed through the common die head assembly 138, forming the flexible and rigid portions 104, 106 of the blade 102 with the lubricated film 108 embedded along a select portion of the blade 102. After which, the extrusion is typically fed through a water bath for cooling to a prescribed temperature level before being cut and/or welded.
In another embodiment, the permanently lubricated film 108 is preformed prior to the extrusion process. As such, the film 108 remains in a solid state during the heating and extruding processes while being formed with the first and second polymeric materials. In another embodiment, the low COF film 108 is applied to by spraying the film on the molten first and second polymeric material just after the extrudate passes through the die head in the coextrusion or triextrusion process.
The film 108 being sprayed includes ultraviolet cured films. Such an example of an ultraviolet film would include, for example, polyether acrylate with 50% nano-scale silica currently being sold by BASF Coatings AG under the tradename LAROMER® PO 9026 V. Other types of suitable spray films are films capable of being chemically or thermally cured. In yet another embodiment, the first and second polymeric materials have differing compositions and durometer values as discussed earlier
In the illustrated example embodiment of
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings.
The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The disclosure is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has”, “having,” “includes”, “including,” “contains”, “containing” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a”, “has . . . a”, “includes . . . a”, “contains . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially”, “essentially”, “approximately”, “about” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1% and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.
The complete disclosure of the patents, patent documents, and publications identified herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety as if each were individually incorporated. To the extent there is a conflict or discrepancy between this document and the disclosure in any such incorporated document, this document will control. All documents referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
What have been described above are examples of the present invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
The present application is a non-provisional application that claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (e) to co-pending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/470,637 NON-STICK EPOXY APPLICATOR AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME that was filed on Jun. 2, 2023 with the United States Patent Office, the present application claims priority to said provisional application which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63470637 | Jun 2023 | US |
