The present invention relates to a painting tool and more particularly to a painting tool having an adjustable paint mask guide integral therewith.
The accurate application of paint along an edge or in a straight line using a hand-held painting tool is a highly skilled task requiring experience and a far steadier hand than possessed by most people. Traditional methods for accurately painting along an edge or a straight line have involved applying a length of masking tape to define the straight line or shield the edge to remain unpainted. The tape is then removed once the paint is applied leaving a straight line or an unpainted edge. This method may be messy, costly and time consuming.
Another method involves using a brush or other paint applicator in one hand and a shield or other masking guide in another hand. As with the masking tape the shield or masking guide is held on a surface or against an edge while the paint is applied. The shield or masking guide is moved along the surface as more paint is to be applied. This method can be just as messy and time consuming as the tape masking method and requires two steady, dexterous hands.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages of traditional methods of paint masking, there is a need for an improved painting tool that is less messy, less costly and less time consuming. There is a need for a painting tool with an integral masking guide that would avoid the need of applying masking tape that would need to be removed after the paint had dried in order to paint a straight line or a clean edge. Further, there is a need for a painting tool with an integral masking guide such that a worker does not need to hold two separate implements in order to paint a straight line or a clean edge. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.
The present invention is directed to a hand-held painting tool with an integral adjustable paint mask. The tool comprises a base, a handle fixed to the base, a paint dispenser associated with a portion of the base an adjustable paint mask associated with the base and adjacent the paint dispenser, and a paint mask position controller associated with the handle. Bristles are oriented along the side of the tool between the paint dispenser and the adjustable paint mask.
The paint mask position controller comprises a lever or a ratcheting trigger, or preferably a cantilevered lever. The base is generally triangular and one vertex thereof has elongated bristles having a beveled edge. The handle may include a bladder which is connected to a passageway through the base to the paint dispenser. An upper portion of the handle is removable at a point of separation and replaceable with a paint tube for storing paint. The paint tube connects to the passageway through the base to deliver paint from the paint tube to the paint dispenser.
The adjustable paint mask is adjacent to two adjoining edges of the painting dispenser. The paint dispenser may comprise lambs wool, a synthetic fibrous material or other material commonly used as a paint dispenser. The adjustable paint mask preferably comprises a rigid upper portion and a pliable lower portion.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:
As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention is concerned with a hand-held painting tool, generally referred to in
The base 12 is preferably triangular in shape so as to provide three vertices 22 with a profile appropriate for reaching into corners or other recesses in order to apply paint. The base 12 may be constructed from wood, metal, plastic or any other material appropriate for forming a painting tool. One vertex 22 of the base may include extended bristles 24 with a beveled tip or beveled edge 26 as is commonly found on paint brushes. These extended bristles 24 are useful for painting in corners and recesses as described above.
The handle 14 is preferably mounted on an upper surface 28 of the base 12 whereas the paint dispenser 16 is mounted on an opposite lower surface 30 thereof. The handle 14 is designed to present a comfortable grip and angle for the wrist and hand of a user of the paint tool 10. In alternate embodiments, as illustrated in
The paint dispenser 16 preferably comprises a lambs wool or synthetic fibrous material as is commonly found on paint rollers or similar painting devices. As described, the paint dispenser 16 is positioned on the lower surface 30 of the base 12 and preferably wraps around a back side 36 of the base 12 and ends near the upper surface 28 as illustrated in
The paint mask guide 18 is positioned along at least one side of the base 12 adjacent the paint dispenser. Preferably, the paint mask guide 18 is adjacent two sides of the base 12—the same two sides on which the side bristles 38 are located. The side bristles 38 are located between the paint dispenser 16 and the paint mask guide 18. In this configuration, the paint mask guide 18 may be affixed to the side of the base 12 so as to be co-extensive with the paint dispenser 16 and the side bristles 18. In the alternate embodiment, the paint mask guide 18 is adjustable as described below.
The paint mask guide 18 is preferably made from plastic or rubber, but metal or other materials commonly found in painting products may also be used. Plastic is preferred so as to be less likely to scratch or otherwise damage a surface to be covered by the guide. While the paint mask guide 18 may be uniformly made of these materials, in the adjustable embodiment, the paint mask guide 18 may have an upper portion 40 made from a rigid material and a lower portion 42 made from a pliable or flexible material. The rigid upper portion 40 makes the paint mask guide 18 more stable when it is raised and lowered as described below. The flexible lower portion 42 allows the paint mask guide 18 to move and bend in response to contact with certain edges. This action of the flexible lower portion 42 allows for painting lines to approach more closely to wood trim, cover plates, and other features on surfaces a user may be painting.
When in a fully lowered position, the paint mask guide 18 fully covers the side of the paint dispenser 16 and side bristles 38 as illustrated in
The position of the paint mask guide 18 is regulated by a paint mask guide position controller 20. The position controller 20 comprises a lever or trigger 44 adjacent to the handle 14. The lever/trigger 44 is connected to a pair of guide arms 46, which move outward from the handle 14 toward the side edges of the base 12. These guide arms 46 are attached to the rigid upper portion 40 of the paint mask guide 18. Through the action of the lever/trigger 44, the guide arms 46 operate to raise and lower the paint mask guide 18. Ratcheting teeth 48, located between the paint mask guide 18 and the side of the base 12, engage to hold the paint mask guide 18 in a locked position. The ratcheting teeth 48 are aligned perfectly parallel to the plane of the tool 10 so that the teeth 48 are able to raise and lower with respect to one another when the lever/trigger 44 is actuated. The locked position of the ratcheting teeth 48 corresponds to whatever position the paint mask guide 18 is in when a user releases the lever/trigger 44.
The lever/trigger 44 may operate in any number of ways designed to achieve the desired raising and lowering of the paint mask guide 18. In one preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
In another preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
In operation, a user would raise the paint mask guide 18 while applying paint to the paint dispenser 16. Used in this way, the paint mask guide 18 remains free of paint while paint is applied to the paint dispenser 16. The paint may be applied simply by placing the paint dispenser 16 into a supply of paint in order to coat the paint dispenser 16. Alternatively, as described above, the bladder 32 may be used to draw more paint into the tool 10.
As illustrated in
In addition, because of the triangular design of the base, a person can paint around the entirety of the wood trim 56 on a door as illustrated in
A plunger 64 or other similar construction, i.e., a ratcheting mechanism similar to a caulking gun, is designed to force the paint through the tube 60 and onto the passageway 34 through the base 12. As described above, the passageway 34 introduces paint to the paint dispenser 16. As illustrated in FIG. 16 the paint tube 60 allows a user to use this paint tool 10 on a ceiling while still forcing paint to the paint dispenser 16. As with the other embodiments, the paint mask guide 18 operates to protect the adjoining wall 58 from the paint released from the paint dispenser 16.
Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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2784435 | Gubler | Mar 1957 | A |
3341879 | Kumpman | Sep 1967 | A |
3698033 | French | Oct 1972 | A |
5331710 | Tollasepp | Jul 1994 | A |
5933905 | Hess | Aug 1999 | A |
6010268 | Sereg et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20090041529 A1 | Feb 2009 | US |