PAINT BRUSH WITH POCKETED ADHESIVE FERRULE ATTACHMENT AND/OR FLEXIBLE GRIP WITH RIGID HANDLE SPINE

Abstract

A paint brush having an adhesive attachment that includes an engagement of a mass of adhesive within one or more pockets in a lower portion of the handle and an engagement of the mass of adhesive with an internal surface of the ferrule to form a permanent assembly. At least one flow passage fluidly connects with the pocket(s) to facilitate and/or permit flow of the adhesive into the pocket(s) during manufacturing of the paint brush. In addition, the paint brush may include an elongated upper portion having a rigid internal spine that is overlayed and surrounded with a more flexible grip.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to paint brushes, and more particularly to a paint brush having an adhesive attachment of the handle to the ferrule via one or more adhesive-filled pockets in the handle and/or having a flexible grip supported by a rigid handle spine.

Background

A paint brush is a type of brush commonly used to apply a coating, such as paint, sealants, or the like. A paint brush usually is made by clamping bristles to a handle with a ferrule. The ferrule is commonly attached to the handle by crimping or with mechanical fasteners, such as nails. Paint brushes generally are available in various sizes, shapes, and materials depending on the desired application.

SUMMARY

At least one common problem with convention paint brush designs is the additional steps and/or aesthetics involved with attachment of the ferrule via crimping or mechanical fasteners.

At least one aspect of the present disclosure provides a paint brush having an adhesive attachment of the ferrule to the handle, in which the adhesive attachment includes an engagement of a mass of adhesive within one or more pockets in the handle and an engagement of the mass of adhesive with an internal surface of the ferrule. The engagement of the mass of adhesive with the handle and/or the ferrule may be a mechanical engagement and/or a chemical bonding engagement. At least one flow passage that fluidly connected to the pocket(s) may be provided to facilitate and/or permit flow of the adhesive into the pocket(s) during manufacturing of the paint brush.

According to an aspect, a paint brush includes: an elongated handle having an upper portion and a lower portion; bristles operatively attached to the lower portion of the handle with a ferrule; and an adhesive attachment of the ferrule to the lower portion of the handle, wherein the adhesive attachment includes an engagement of a mass of adhesive within one or more pockets in the lower portion of the handle, and an engagement of the mass of adhesive with an internal surface of the ferrule, wherein the lower portion of the handle includes one or more flow passages that provide a fluid connection to each of the one or more pockets to facilitate and/or permit flow of the adhesive into the one or more pockets when manufacturing the paint brush.

According to another aspect, a method of manufacturing a paint brush includes: providing an elongated handle having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion includes one or more pockets, and one or more flow passages that provide fluid flow into the one or more pockets; depositing an adhesive in liquid form into an internal cavity of a ferrule; inserting the lower portion of the handle into the ferrule such that the liquid adhesive flows through the one or more flow passages and into the one or more pockets; and solidifying the adhesive to provide a mechanical and/or chemical bond of the adhesive within the pocket and with an internal surface of the ferrule.

Another common problem with paint brushes is that it may be desirable to form the elongated upper portion of the handle with a softer grip material for comfort and ergonomics of the design, but without the excessive overall flex that such grip materials provide.

At least one aspect of the present disclosure provides an elongated upper portion of the paint brush handle having a rigid internal spine that is overlayed and surrounded with a more flexible grip material for providing some degree of flex but with additional strength provided by the internal spine, and also which may improve the comfort and/or ergonomics of the paint brush design.

According to an aspect, a paint brush includes: an elongated handle having an upper portion and a lower portion; and bristles operatively attached to the lower portion of the handle; wherein the upper portion of the handle includes an internal spine and a grip surrounding the internal spine; wherein the internal spine is made with a first material, and the grip is made with a second material, the first material having greater rigidity than the second material.

According to another aspect, a method of manufacturing a paint brush includes: forming an internal portion of an upper part of a handle with a first material, including an internal spine; and overlaying and surrounding the internal portion of the upper part with a second material that forms a grip; wherein the first material has a greater rigidity than the second material.

The following description and the annexed drawings set forth certain illustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other objects, advantages, and novel features according to aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The annexed drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, show various aspects of the invention.

FIG. 1A is a front, top, right perspective view of an exemplary paint brush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is the paint brush in FIG. 1A but with an exemplary grip of the paint brush removed to show an exemplary internal spine according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the paint brush in FIG. 1A, showing an exemplary adhesive attachment of the ferrule to the handle according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a lower portion of the handle of the paint brush in FIG. 1A, shown without the ferrule and bristles, and showing exemplary pockets and flow passages according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional front perspective view of the paint brush in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the exemplary pockets shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view corresponding with FIG. 2, but with the adhesive attachment removed to show the exemplary pockets in the lower portion of the paint brush handle.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional bottom plan view showing the lower portion of the paint brush handle according to FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8A-8E show an exemplary method of manufacturing the paint brush in FIG. 1A, in which the ferrule is shown in phantom view with broken lines.

FIG. 9A is a front, top, right perspective view of another exemplary paint brush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9B is the paint brush in FIG. 9A but with an exemplary grip of the paint brush removed to show an exemplary internal spine according to an embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective cross-sectional side view of the paint brush in FIG. 9A, but shown the adhesive attachment removed to show the exemplary pockets in the lower portion of the paint brush handle.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional bottom plan view showing the lower portion of the paint brush handle according to FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the lower portion of the handle of the paint brush in FIG. 9A, shown without the ferrule and bristles, and showing exemplary pockets and flow passages according to an embodiment.

FIG. 13A is a front, top, right perspective view of another exemplary paint brush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13B is the paint brush in FIG. 13A but with an exemplary grip of the paint brush removed to show an exemplary internal spine according to an embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a perspective cross-sectional side view of the paint brush in FIG. 13A, but shown the adhesive attachment removed to show the exemplary pockets in the lower portion of the paint brush handle.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional bottom plan view showing the lower portion of the paint brush handle according to FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged perspective view of the lower portion of the handle of the paint brush in FIG. 13A, shown without the ferrule and bristles, and showing exemplary pockets and flow passages according to an embodiment.

FIG. 17A is a front, top, right perspective view of another exemplary paint brush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17B is the paint brush in FIG. 17A but with an exemplary grip of the paint brush removed to show an exemplary internal spine according to an embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a bottom plan view of the paint brush in FIG. 17A.

FIG. 19 is a perspective cross-sectional side view of the paint brush in FIG. 17A, but shown the adhesive attachment removed to show the exemplary pockets in the lower portion of the paint brush handle.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional bottom plan view showing the lower portion of the paint brush handle according to FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is an enlarged perspective view of the lower portion of the handle of the paint brush in FIG. 17A, shown without the ferrule and bristles, and showing exemplary pockets and flow passages according to an embodiment.

FIG. 22A is a front, top, right perspective view of another exemplary paint brush according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 22B is the paint brush in FIG. 22A but with the grip, ferrule, bristles and adhesive attachment removed to show an exemplary internal spine, pockets and flow passages according to an embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a perspective cross-sectional side view of the paint brush in FIG. 22A, but shown the adhesive attachment removed to show the exemplary pockets in the lower portion of the paint brush handle.

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional bottom plan view showing the lower portion of the paint brush handle according to FIG. 23.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1A-7, an exemplary paint brush 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The paint brush 10 generally includes a handle 14 and bristles 16 (also referred to as filaments 16) that are operatively coupled to the handle 14 with a ferrule 18. The group of filaments 16, or each filament 16, may be provided in any suitable shape or form as may be desired. The shape of the group of filaments 16 (also referred to as the brush head shape) may dictate the overall shape of the paint brush handle, as shown in the various embodiments described herein. For example, the paint brush may include a rectangular configuration (FIGS. 1A-8e), a square configuration (FIGS. 9A-12), a triangular configuration (Figs. FIGS. 13A-16), a round configuration (FIGS. 17A-21), a chalk configuration (FIGS. 22A-24), or the like. The lower ends of the filaments 16 may be progressively longer across the lateral width of the brush 10 to provide a chiseled edge, such as typically used for trim work; or the lower ends of the filaments 16 may all be of substantially the same length if desired.

The handle 14 of the paint brush generally is elongated along a longitudinal axis 20 between an upper portion 22 and a lower portion 24. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1A-7, the lower portion 24 includes a generally flat front face 25, a generally flat rear face 26, and left and right sides 27, 28 respectively connecting the flat front and rear faces 25, 26. As shown, the lower portion 24 of the handle corresponding with the flat faces 25, 26 may be wider than the upper portion 22 of the handle to provide a generally rectangular shape, and the width of the lower portion 24 may taper inwardly toward the upper portion 22.

The ferrule 18 is configured to secure the filaments 16 and maintain brush head shape and may improve brush handling. The ferrule 18 may be made with any suitable material in any suitable manner. For example, the ferrule 18 may be made with a stainless-steel sheet material that is formed into the desired shape (e.g., rectangular in the illustrated embodiment). The filaments 16 may be coupled to the ferrule 18 in any suitable manner. For example, upper ends of the filaments 16 may be set in a suitable adhesive that extends into one or more outwardly protruding grooves 30a, 30b in the inner wall of the ferrule 18 for securely fastening the filaments 16 to the ferrule 18.

In exemplary embodiments, as best shown in FIG. 2, the paint brush 10 includes an adhesive attachment 32 of the ferrule 18 to the lower portion 24 of the handle 14, preferably without additional mechanical fastening, such as crimping of the ferrule 18 to the handle 14, or without fasteners, such as nails or the like. The adhesive attachment 32 includes a mass of adhesive 34 that engages within one or more pockets 36 in the lower portion 24 of the handle 14 and engages an internal surface 38 of the ferrule 18. The engagement of the mass of adhesive 34 within the one or more pockets 36 of the handle and/or the internal surface 38 of the ferrule may be a mechanical engagement, a chemical bonding engagement, or both.

To facilitate mechanical engagement with the ferrule 18, the ferrule 18 may include one or more laterally protruding structures that engage with the mass of adhesive 34 (also referred to as adhesive 34). For example, the ferrule 18 may include additional outwardly protruding groove(s) 30c that receive portions of the mass of adhesive 34. Alternatively or additionally, the internal surface 38 of the ferrule 18 may be treated, such as by increasing the surface roughness, applying a coating, or the like, to promote engagement with the mass of adhesive 34. Alternatively or additionally, the adhesive 34 and the ferrule 18 (or internal coating surface thereof) may be made with respective materials that react with each other to form a chemical bond. For example, a surface coating on the internal surface 38 of the ferrule 18 may act as an intermediary that forms a mechanical bond with the ferrule 18 and a chemical bond with the adhesive, or vice versa, or both.

As shown with additional reference to FIGS. 3-7, the one or more pockets 36 in the lower portion of the handle may have any suitable shape or form. In the illustrated embodiment, each side of the handle 14 corresponding with the flat faces 25, 26 includes two pockets 36 laterally offset and spaced apart from each other by a wall 40. The pockets 36 may provide suitable mechanical attachment features to promote attachment with the mass of adhesive. For example, the pockets 36 may be formed as a relief or recess in the side of the lower portion 24 of the handle, as shown, such that the pockets 36 form a ledge 42 and/or overhang 44 that cooperate with the mass of adhesive 34 to secure the adhesive relative to the handle. Although the pockets 36 are shown as respective recesses that open toward the side face, other forms of the pockets 36 also may be provided, such as being more fully enclosed. Additional engagement structures such as ribs or the like also could be provided in each pocket 36. Alternatively or additionally, a surface coating could be used on the surface of the pockets to promote mechanical and/or chemical bonding with the adhesive 34 and/or pocket 36. In the illustrated embodiment, the two pockets 36 corresponding with the front face 25 of the handle are a mirror image of the two pockets 36 corresponding with the rear face 26 of the handle, although the pockets 36 on each side may be different and/or the pockets 36 on the same side may be different.

The adhesive 34 may be any suitable material that provides the mechanical and/or chemical engagement within the pockets 36 of the handle 14 and the internal surface 38 of the ferrule 18, including the grooves or other engagement features of the ferrule. In exemplary embodiments, the adhesive 34 is a curable material that is flowable in liquid form prior to cure, and then can cure into a hardened solid form, which may be promoted by time, temperature, and/or accelerant (e.g., UV light, chemical curing agent, or the like). As such, the mass of adhesive 34, when cured, can have various shapes and forms as it flows and then cures to form the mechanical and/or chemical engagement. This may include thin regions, bulk regions, or the like, in which the mass of adhesive 34 is sufficiently continuous to provide the attachment of the ferrule 18 with the handle 14 to create a permanent assembly. To facilitate a chemical reaction, the pocket(s) 36 and/or internal surface 38 of the ferrule 18 may be treated with a surface coating. Exemplary materials for the adhesive 34 include, but are not limited to, one or more of epoxy, thermoset rubber, urethanes, hot melt adhesives, polyester resins, silicone rubber, or any other suitable material in single or two-part formulations, or combinations thereof.

To facilitate and/or permit the flow of adhesive 34 into the one or more pockets 36 prior to curing, the lower portion 24 of the handle 14 may include one or more flow passages 46 that provide a fluid connection from outside of the pocket(s) 36 to within each of the one or more pockets 36. The flow passages 46 may have any suitable form, may be provided in any suitable quantity, or may be positioned at any suitable location to facilitate and/or permit the flow of the adhesive 34 into the pockets 36 while also providing the attachment to the ferrule 18 via the continuity of the mass of adhesive 34 when cured. For example, the flow passages 46 may be formed as holes, slots, channels, apertures, or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, one flow passage 46 is associated with each of the pockets 36, and is formed as a channel in a bottom surface 48 of the lower portion 24 of the handle, in which the flow passage channel opens toward the side.

Also to facilitate flow of adhesive 34 into the one or more pockets 36 prior to curing, the lower portion 24 of the handle 14 may include one or more vent passages 49 (shown in FIG. 3) that fluidly connect the pocket(s) 36 with an external atmosphere. The vent passage(s) 49 permit air to escape from the pocket(s) 36 when the liquid adhesive flows into the pocket(s), and also may permit air to enter the pocket(s) 36, which, depending on the adhesive used, may promote curing of the adhesive 34. In the illustrated embodiment, the vent passages 49 are shown in broken line as through-holes that open on one end into the pocket 36 and at an opposite end open to a slot 49, which may be used for crimping if desired.

Turning now to FIGS. 8A-8E, an exemplary method of manufacturing the paint brush 10 is shown. In the illustrations, the ferrule 18 is shown in broken-line phantom view for further clarity. Referring first to FIG. 8A, the process includes depositing the adhesive 34 in liquid form into an internal cavity of a ferrule 18 and inserting the lower portion 24 of the handle 14 into the ferrule 18. As shown, the mass of adhesive 34 may be the same adhesive that is used to bond and secure the upper ends of the filaments 16, although a separate mass of adhesive 34 also may be used. In addition, although shown as first securing the filaments 16 with the adhesive 34, the mass of liquid adhesive 34 could later secure the filaments 16 after being used to attach the ferrule 18 to the handle 14. FIG. 8B shows an initial volume of the adhesive 34 being displaced in the internal cavity of the ferrule 18 by further inserting the lower portion 24 of the handle into the ferrule 18. FIGS. 8C-8E show the handle being further inserted into the cavity, whereby the liquid adhesive flows through the one or more flow passages 46 and into the one or more pockets 36. As the adhesive volume increases, the amount of interference with the flow passage areas increases, thus creating a mechanical and/or chemical bond between the handle and the ferrule when the adhesive is cured and solidified. This creates a permanent attachment of the handle 14 with the ferrule 18 via the adhesive 34, and thus permanently attaches the group of filaments 16 without the need for crimping or mechanical fasteners.

Turning back to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the exemplary handle 14 also includes a rigid internal spine 50 at the upper portion 22 of the handle 14 that is surrounded by a flexible grip 52. The internal spine 50 is made with a first material, and the grip 52 is made with a second material, in which the first material has greater rigidity than the second material. In exemplary embodiments, the flexible grip 52 provides a degree of flex to the upper portion 22 of the handle, and the more rigid internal spine 50 provides strength to the upper portion 22 of the handle which limits the degree of flex.

The material of the grip 52 may be a flexible elastomeric material that provides a soft touch and bendable handle that provides a sure gripping surface and flexibility in tight spaces. Exemplary material(s) for the grip 52 include, but is not limited to, one or more of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material, including thermoplastic rubber (TPR), thermoplastic olefin (TPO), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), or any other suitable material or combinations of such materials. These flexible materials may generally have a flexibility that is at least an order of magnitude less than the material of the rigid internal spine 50, as measured by durometer, elastic modulus or flexural modulus testing. For example, the elastic modulus of a TPE may be in a range from about 4.0 MPa to about 200 MPa.

The internal spine 50 may have any suitable shape and be made with any suitable material for providing the degree of strength and limiting the flexibility provided by the material of the grip 52 alone. As shown, the internal spine 50 may be unitary with the lower portion 24 of the brush 10; although the internal spine 50 also could be a separate part attached to the lower portion 24. In the illustrated embodiment, the internal spine 50 has a cruciform shape, although other shapes such as X-shape, asterisk-shape, hexagonal, trapezoidal, triangular, or the like may be employed. Exemplary material(s) for the internal spine 50 include, but is not limited to, one or more of a thermoset or thermoplastic polymer, such as polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), polyoxymethylene (POM), or polycarbonate (PC), or any other suitable rigid plastic material, preferably which is impervious to many paint solvents. These rigid materials may generally have a rigidity (stiffness) that is greater than about 1 GPa, such as in a range from 1.0 GPa to about 20 GPa, as measured by durometer, elastic modulus or flexural modulus testing. For example, the elastic modulus of wood may be about 10 GPa, such as in a range from 10 GPa to 20 GPa. The flexural modulus of PP may be about 1.00 GPa (such as in a range from 1-2 GPa), or about 3 GPa to 10 GPa with glass fiber-reinforcement. The elastic modulus of PC may be about 2.00 GPa (such as in a range from 2-3 GPa); or about 3-7 GPa if blended with another polymer; or in a range of about 5-10 GPa with glass fiber-reinforcement.

In exemplary embodiments, the degree of flex of the upper elongated portion 22 of the handle 14 is such that one pound of pushing force causes the upper end of the handle 14 to flex one inch in a direction opposite the force. Because the handle 14 is generally symmetrical, this flexibility measurement is equal in all directions. The rigid structural spine 50 inside of the flexible grip 52 can be adjusted in size (thickness), shape, and/or material to achieve a desired flex or feel for each brush handle based at least upon on the flexibility of the elastomer, as measured by durometer testing, for example. Accordingly, the degree of flex may vary such that one pound of pushing force results in greater than one inch of flex or less than one inch of flex, such as 0.5 inch to 2 inches of flex, for example. Various durometers of elastomeric material may be tested and determined for flexibility, colorability, and/or touch/feel.

Also as shown in the illustrated embodiment, the upper portion 22 of the handle may include a hanging ring 54 (also referred to as a hang hole). The hanging ring 54 may be unitary with the internal spine 50. The hang ring 54 may provide a contrasting color and feel combination, as well as durability, relative to the grip 52.

In an exemplary method of manufacturing, the upper portion 22 of the handle is formed along with the lower portion 24, which may be done by a suitable injection molding process as a first shot in a mold, and then the grip material 52 may be over-molded around the internal spine 50 as a second shot in the mold. Alternatively, other methods of forming these portions of the paint brush 10 may be provided, such as additive manufacturing the internal spine 50, the lower portion 24, and/or the grip 52, for example.

Turning to FIGS. 9A-24, other exemplary embodiments of paint brushes 110, 210, 310, and 410 are shown having different shapes, in which paint brush 110 having a square configuration is shown in FIGS. 9A-12, paint brush 210 having a triangular configuration is shown in FIGS. 13A-16, paint brush 310 having a round configuration is shown in FIGS. 17A-21, and paint brush 410 having a chalk configuration is shown in FIGS. 22A-24. The paint brushes 110, 210, 310, and 410 are similar to the above-referenced paint brush 10, and consequently the same reference numerals but in the 100-series, 200-series, 300-series, and 400-series are used to denote structures corresponding to similar structures in the paint brushes 10, 110, 210, 310, and 410. In addition, the foregoing description of the paint brush 10 is equally applicable to the paint brushes 110, 210, 310, and 410, except as noted below. It is also understood that other aspects of the paint brushes 10, 110, 210, 310, and 410 may be substituted for one another or used in conjunction with one another where applicable.

Similarly to the paint brush 10, the paint brushes 110, 210, 310, and 410 each include an adhesive attachment (not shown in paint brushes 110, 210, 310, and 410) that includes an engagement of a mass of adhesive within one or more pockets 136, 236, 336, 436 in the lower portion 124, 224, 324, 424 of the handle and an engagement of the mass of adhesive with an internal surface 138, 238, 338, 438 of the ferrule 118, 218, 318, 418. The engagement of the mass of adhesive with the handle and/or the ferrule may be a mechanical engagement and/or a chemical bonding engagement. At least one flow passage 146, 246, 346, 446 fluidly connects the pocket(s) 136, 236, 336, 436 to facilitate and/or permit flow of the adhesive into the pocket(s) during manufacturing of the paint brush. One or more vent passages 149, 249, 349, 449 (shown as channels or grooves) also may be provided to fluidly connect the pocket(s) 136, 236, 336, 436 with an external atmosphere, such as via slots 147, 247, 349, 447 (e.g., crimp slots) so as to permit air to escape from the pocket(s) when the liquid adhesive flows into the pocket(s), and/or to permit air to enter the pocket(s) 36 to promote curing of the adhesive 34. In addition, the paint brushes 110, 210, 310, and 410 each include elongated upper portion 122, 222, 322, 422 of the paint brush handle having a rigid internal spine 150, 250, 350, 450 that is overlayed and surrounded with a more flexible grip 152, 252, 352, 452 for providing some degree of flex but with additional strength provided by the internal spine, and also which may improve the comfort and/or ergonomics of the paint brush design.

One apparent difference between the paint brushes 10, 110, 210, 310, and 410 is the shape. Another difference between paint brush 10 and paint brushes 110, 210, 310, and 410 is that the lower surface 148, 248, 348, 448 engages against the internal surface 138, 238, 338, 438 of the ferrule 118, 218, 318, 418; whereas the paint brush 10 includes tapered surfaces 49a, 49b, 49c, 49e (as shown in FIG. 7, for example) that taper radially inwardly toward the lower surface 48 to form a gap with the internal surface 38 of the ferrule 18. As such, in the paint brush 10, liquid adhesive 34 can flow into the pockets 36 without passing through the flow passages 46, but the passages 46 facilitate such flow and provide additional mechanical engagement to provide the permanent assembly. On the other hand, because the lower surface 148, 248, 348, 448 of paint brushes 110, 210, 310, and 410 are flush with the internal surface 138, 238, 338, 438 of the ferrule 118, 218, 318, 418, the only path for the liquid adhesive to flow into the pockets 136, 236, 336, 436 is via the flow passages 146, 246, 346, 446.

Exemplary paint brush(es) have been shown and described herein, although it is understood that alterations or modifications may be provided based on the understanding of the present disclosure.

As used herein, an “operative” connection, coupling, or the like; or a connection by which entities are “operatively” connected, is one in which the entities are connected in such a way that the entities may perform as intended. An operative connection may be a direct connection or an indirect connection in which an intermediate entity or entities cooperate or otherwise are part of the connection or are in between the operatively connected entities. An operative connection or coupling may include the entities being integral and unitary with each other.

It is to be understood that terms such as “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “front,” “rear,” “forward,” “rearward,” and the like as used herein may refer to an arbitrary frame of reference, rather than to the ordinary gravitational frame of reference.

It is to be understood that all ranges and ratio limits disclosed in the specification and claims may be combined in any manner, including all values, ranges and subranges between the stated values. It is to be understood that unless specifically stated otherwise, references to “a,” “an,” and/or “the” may include one or more than one, and that reference to an item in the singular may also include the item in the plural.

The term “about” as used herein refers to any value which lies within the range defined by a variation of up to ±10% of the stated value, for example, ±10%, ±9%, ±8%, ±7%, ±6%, ±5%, ±4%, ±3%, ±2%, ±1%, ±0.01%, or ±0.0% of the stated value, as well as values intervening such stated values.

The phrase “and/or” should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified unless clearly indicated to the contrary. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B,” when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A without B (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B without A (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

The word “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” may refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.”

The transitional words or phrases, such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” and the like, are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain embodiment or embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described elements (components, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such elements are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any element which performs the specified function of the described element (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been described above with respect to only one or more of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.

Claims

1. A paint brush comprising: an elongated handle having an upper portion and a lower portion;bristles operatively attached to the lower portion of the handle with a ferrule; andan adhesive attachment of the ferrule to the lower portion of the handle, wherein the adhesive attachment includes an engagement of a mass of adhesive within one or more pockets in the lower portion of the handle, and an engagement of the mass of adhesive with an internal surface of the ferrule,wherein the lower portion of the handle includes one or more flow passages that provide a fluid connection to each of the one or more pockets to facilitate and/or permit flow of the adhesive into the one or more pockets when manufacturing the paint brush.

2. The paint brush according to claim 1, wherein the engagement of the mass of adhesive with the handle and/or the ferrule includes a mechanical engagement.

3. The paint brush according to claim 1, wherein the engagement of the mass of adhesive with the handle and/or the ferrule includes a chemical bonding engagement.

4. The paint brush according to claim 1, wherein at least one flow passage is associated with each pocket, and each of the at least one flow passages is formed as a channel in a bottom surface of the lower portion of the handle.

5. The paint brush according to claim 4, wherein each of the respective channels opens toward the side of the lower portion of the handle.

6. The paint brush according to claim 4, wherein one or more vent passages are associated with each of the one or more pockets, the one or more vent passages being configured to fluidly connect the respective one or more pockets with an external atmosphere.

7. The paint brush according to claim 1, wherein opposite sides of the lower portion of the handle each includes two pockets laterally offset and spaced apart from each other by a wall.

8. The paint brush according to claim 1, wherein the one or more pockets are formed as a recess in a side of the lower portion of the handle, and form a ledge and/or overhang that cooperate with the mass of adhesive to secure the adhesive relative to the handle.

9. The paint brush according to claim 1, wherein the one or more pockets includes two pockets on one side of the lower portion of the paint brush handle corresponding with a front face of the handle, which are a mirror image of two additional pockets on an opposite side of the lower portion of the handle corresponding with a rear face of the handle.

10. The paint brush according to claim 1, wherein the mass of adhesive is formed by a curable adhesive that is flowable in liquid form prior to cure, and then can cure into a hardened solid to form the mass of adhesive.

11. The paint brush according to claim 1, wherein the internal surface of the ferrule includes one or more laterally protruding structures that engage with the mass of adhesive.

12. The paint brush according to claim 11, wherein the one or more laterally protruding structures include one or more outwardly protruding grooves that receive portions of the mass of adhesive.

13. The paint brush according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive includes an epoxy, thermoset rubber, urethanes, hot melt adhesives, polyester resins, silicone rubber, or combinations thereof.

14. The paint brush according to claim 1, wherein the mass of adhesive also operatively attaches upper ends of the filaments to the internal surface of the ferrule.

15. The paint brush according to claim 1, wherein the ferrule is attached to the handle without crimping or without fasteners.

16. A method of manufacturing a paint brush comprising: providing an elongated handle having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion includes one or more pockets, and one or more flow passages that provide fluid flow into the one or more pockets;depositing an adhesive in liquid form into an internal cavity of a ferrule;inserting the lower portion of the handle into the ferrule such that the liquid adhesive flows through the one or more flow passages and into the one or more pockets; andsolidifying the adhesive to provide a mechanical and/or chemical bond of the adhesive within the pocket and with an internal surface of the ferrule.

17. A paint brush comprising: an elongated handle having an upper portion and a lower portion; andbristles operatively attached to the lower portion of the handle;wherein the upper portion of the handle includes an internal spine and a grip surrounding the internal spine;wherein the internal spine is made with a first material, and the grip is made with a second material, the first material having greater rigidity than the second material.

18. The paint brush according to claim 16, wherein the internal spine and the grip are respectively configured to cooperate with each other such that the upper portion of the paint brush handle is flexible in a range from 0.5 inches to 2-inches in response to one pound of force applied to the handle.

19. The paint brush according to claim 16, wherein the grip is made with one or more of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material, including thermoplastic rubber (TPR), thermoplastic olefin (TPO), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), or combinations of such materials.

20. The paint brush according to claim 16, wherein the internal spine is unitary with the lower portion of the handle, in which the lower portion of the handle includes one or more pockets at least partially filled with a mass of adhesive, in which the mass of adhesive engages an internal surface of a ferrule to provide an adhesive attachment that permanently fixes the ferrule to the handle and thereby operatively attaches the filaments to the handle.

21. The paint brush according to claim 16, wherein the internal spine has a cruciform shape, X-shape, asterisk-shape, hexagonal, trapezoidal, or triangular shape.

22. The paint brush according to claim 16, wherein the internal spine 50 is made with one or more of a thermoset or thermoplastic polymer, such as polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), polyoxymethylene (POM), or polycarbonate (PC), or any combination thereof.

23. The paint brush according to claim 16, wherein a hanging ring is unitary with the internal spine.

24. A method of manufacturing a paint brush comprising: forming an internal portion of an upper part of a handle with a first material, including an internal spine; andoverlaying and surrounding the internal portion of the upper part with a second material that forms a grip;wherein the first material has a greater rigidity than the second material.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the forming the internal portion includes injection molding in a first shot in a mold, and wherein the overlaying and surrounding includes injection molding as a second shot in the mold.