The claimed invention relates to a paint sprayer. In particular, the invention concerns a hand-held airless paint sprayer having an in-line configuration.
Currently known hand-held paint sprayers exert extensive stress on muscles of the arm, particularly on the weaker muscles of the arm, such as those in the wrist. An airless paint sprayer typically utilizes several parts, including an electrical housing and motor, a pump housing and pump, a paint tank (also commonly referred to as a paint cup), a handle, a tip, an internal fluid passage through which paint or cleaning solutions may flow, and controls for triggering and controlling the flow of paint through the fluid passage. A typical prior art hand-held airless paint sprayer is shown in
According to one embodiment of the invention, an airless paint sprayer for spraying a fluid comprises a housing, a tip, a handle, a fluid storage unit and a drip guard. The housing houses a motor, a pump and a fluid passage. The tip is in communication with the fluid passage and the handle is coupled to the housing in the vicinity of the tip. The fluid storage unit is coupled to the housing for storing a fluid and is in communication with the fluid passage. The drip guard is positioned between the tip and the handle for deterring the flow of a fluid from the tip onto the handle.
In another embodiment, an airless paint sprayer having a center of gravity region in which a center of gravity is located comprises a main housing, a handle, and a paint cup. The main housing comprises an electrical housing for housing a motor, and a pump housing for housing a pump and a fluid passage through the pump. The pump housing is fluidly isolated from the electrical housing. The handle has a longitudinal axis and the paint cup has a longitudinal axis. The paint cup is for holding a paint and is in communication with the fluid passage of the pump housing. The longitudinal axis of the paint cup and the longitudinal axis of the handle are aligned with the center of gravity region of the paint sprayer.
In yet another embodiment, an airless paint sprayer for spraying a paint and having a center of gravity comprises a main housing, a handle, and a fluid storage unit. The main housing comprises a pump housing that houses a pump and a fluid passage, and an electrical housing that houses a motor for operating the pump. The handle is associated with the main housing and configured to be gripped by a user's hand. The area around the handle in the vicinity of where a user's hand grips the handle is defined as a gripping zone. The fluid storage unit is associated with the main housing for the storage of a fluid and is in communication with the fluid passage of the pump housing. The center of gravity of the paint sprayer is vertically aligned with the gripping zone.
In a further embodiment, an airless paint sprayer for spraying a paint comprises a main housing, a handle, and a paint cup. The main housing houses a motor, a pump, and a fluid passage. The pump is configured to pump a paint through the fluid passage and the motor is configured to operate the pump. The handle is coupled to the main housing and the paint cup is coupled to the handle for the storage of a paint. The handle is positioned between the main housing and the paint cup and the paint cup is in communication with the fluid passage.
The paint sprayer of the present invention is utilized in spraying paint, stain, or other viscous materials onto a surface, while directing stresses related to holding and activating the applicator to stronger muscles of the arm, including the bicep and tricep muscles. This redirection of stress, in turn, significantly reduces the fatigue of the user during use and allows for better control during the paint application process. The invention is primarily directed to airless paint spray gun applications, although it may have uses in other paint applications. The paint sprayer of the invention creates a number of ergonomic benefits, including: 1) changing the center of gravity of the spray gun relative to the current art so that the sprayer's weight acts on the larger and stronger muscles of the arm (bicep, tricep) versus the wrist muscles, as is done in the current art; 2) evenly distributing and balancing the weight of the sprayer, whereas the current art distributes the paint at a great distance from the handle and the center of gravity; 3) and shaping the handle for a comfortable formed fit to the hand of a user, whereas the prior art tends to be rectangular in shape and has uncomfortable edges.
As shown in
The present invention, as shown in
As shown in
Referring to
The main housing 16 also includes a pump housing 19. As shown in
As shown in
A control knob 42 is positioned at a rear end of the housing 16. This knob 42 can be used to adjust the amount of paint that flows through the fluid passage 34. The knob 42 may be rotatable, is preferably easy to operate, and maintains its position after being set.
An actuator 46 is coupled to the handle 14 and/or the housing 16. The actuator 46 is preferably a mechanical actuator coupled to an electrical switch 136. The mechanical actuator extends through the pump housing to the electrical housing. The electrical switch 136 is positioned inside the electrical housing 17 and sealed from the pump housing 19. The mechanical actuator 46 includes a button 48 that extends outwardly from the main housing 16 so that the user may press the button to operate the motor 22 and the pump 24. The actuator 46, in a preferred embodiment, is positioned between the tip 36 and the handle 14 below the pump housing 19, and is configured to be easily and ergonomically operable by a user in the gripping zone 26.
A lid structure 50 is coupled to the lower end 40 of the handle 14. The lid 50 has a generally frustoconical shape, with the larger portion of the cone being at the bottom. A rim 52 is formed at the bottom of the cone and includes an attachment mechanism (not shown) for coupling to the paint cup 12. The attachment mechanism may include a screw thread, a snap fixture, or any other attachment mechanism suitable for use in connecting the paint cup 12 to the handle 14.
The paint cup 12 has an open upper end 54 that is removable from the lid structure 50 of the handle. An outer wall surrounds the paint cup 12 and a base surface 58 is positioned at the bottom of the paint cup. A preferred attachment technique is to screw the cup 12 onto the rim 52 of handle 14, although other attachment techniques known to those of skill in the art may also be utilized. The wall 56 of the paint cup 12 may be cylindrical, frustoconical, or the like, as long as it has an opening at the top and a base surface 58 at the bottom. The paint cup 12 also serves as a base for the entire sprayer 10, so that the sprayer can rest on an underlying surface. In addition, the paint cup 12 preferably has a base surface 58 upon which the cup may rest during filling (after the cup 12 has been removed from the remainder of the sprayer). In a preferred embodiment, as shown in
The paint cup 12 may be made of a polymer, such as a low density polyethylene or polypropylene. Other materials may also be used in making the cup 12, the invention not being limited to a particular material. Screw threads or other attachment mechanisms (not shown) are preferably positioned around the upper end 54 of the paint cup 12 for mating with the screw threads on the lid 50 of the handle 14. As shown, the paint cup upper end 54 preferably seats within the rim 52 of the lid 50.
Referring to
The pump housing 19 includes a cylinder 78 and a piston 80. The motor 22 is coupled to the cylinder 78 and moves the piston 80 back and forth to pump fluid through the fluid passage 34, which extends through the pump housing 19. The pump housing 19 is attached to the electrical housing 17 by screws or other known fastening means. The pump housing 19 and electrical housing 17 are configured and oriented so that the “wet” part of the sprayer (the pump housing 19) is maintained separately from the “dry” part of the sprayer (the electrical housing 17). It is preferred that the housings are maintained separately from one another to deter fluid in the pump housing 19 from entering into and possibly damaging the electrical components in the electrical housing 17. In addition, the pump housing 19 is removable from the electrical housing 17 for cleaning purposes. The pump housing 19 can be submerged in a cleaning solution while the electrical housing 17 is maintained dry. While a particular configuration for the main housing is depicted herein, other embodiments of the main housing 16 are also applicable to the present invention.
As shown in
The actuator 46, shown in
An alternative embodiment of the drip guard 86 is shown in
Referring again to
In particular, the handle 14 has a varied cross-section that has a generally rectangular shape 118 at the upper end 110 that transitions to a circular shape at the lower end 112. The rectangular shape 118 transitions to a circular shape 120 in a first transition zone 114, as shown in
Furthermore, the circular cross-sectional shape 120 at the lower end 112 of the handle 14, where the handle 14 joins with the lid 50, also includes a transition zone—referred to as the third transition zone 122, as shown in
Referring again to
The center of gravity will vary within the Cg region 134 depending upon whether the paint cup 12 is full of fluid or empty. The Cg may vary slightly as the paint is used from the paint cup 12. It is preferred that the Cg is positioned so that there will be little variation in Cg as paint is used from the cup 12. The Cg of the paint sprayer 10 may be manipulated by moving the components within the main housing 16. For instance, the motor 22 may be moved around within the electrical housing 17 to modify the position of the Cg. Other components may also be moved around to alter Cg, if so desired.
In a preferred embodiment, the center of gravity of the sprayer 10 is designed so that the sprayer 10 may sit on a flat surface without tipping over, regardless of the amount of paint in the paint cup 12, and is resistant to tipping caused by accidental bumping. The center of gravity may take into account accessories, including the sprayer 10 itself, a hose 126, 130 (should the sprayer 10 be used with an accessory hose instead of the paint cup 12), and the power cord 32. In addition, the center of gravity is preferably positioned so that the paint sprayer 10 is balanced when in the hand of a user.
It is preferred that the pump 24 is designed to prime on the first try with every use. In addition, it is preferred that the internal fluid passage 34 is smooth and has no trap points. A smooth internal fluid passage 34 will make it easier to clean the sprayer 10 and result in greater overall customer satisfaction since the sprayer 10 will be more likely to operate properly during subsequent uses.
In use, the user unscrews the paint cup 12 from the sprayer 10 and fills it with paint. After plugging the power cord 32 into an electrical outlet, the user grips the handle 14 and activates the sprayer 10 by pressing the actuator button 48. The actuator 46 pivots to activate the switch 136 and the motor 22. Spray intensity may be adjusted by turning the control knob 42 on the rear end 20 of the sprayer housing 16. While pressing the actuator button 48, the user moves his/her arm back and forth to spray paint onto the desired surface.
The sprayer 10 may be cleaned by removing and emptying the paint cup 12 from the lid 50, filling the paint cup 12 with clean water or cleaning solution, reattaching the paint cup 12 to the lid 50, and spraying the water or solution through the fluid passage 34 out the tip 36. Alternatively, the pump housing 19 can be removed from the main housing 16 and soaked or run under water. Typical cleaning solutions include water, paint thinner (mineral spirits), lacquer thinner, denatured alcohol, turpentine, and other paint solvents.
The various parts of the paint sprayer 10, such as the tip guard 37, housing 16, drip guard 86, handle 14, power cord 32, and other parts are shown as having a particular configuration. The configurations shown are for illustration purposes only, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and not limited to any of the particularly shown embodiments.
While various features of the claimed invention are presented above, it should be understood that the features may be used singly or in any combination thereof. Therefore, the claimed invention is not to be limited to only the specific embodiments depicted herein.
Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. The embodiments described herein are exemplary of the claimed invention. The disclosure may enable those skilled in the art to make and use embodiments having alternative elements that likewise correspond to the elements of the invention recited in the claims. The intended scope of the invention may thus include other embodiments that do not differ or that insubstantially differ from the literal language of the claims. The scope of the present invention is accordingly defined as set forth in the appended claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20040007632 A1 | Jan 2004 | US |