Pivotable connection device for connecting paint cup to paint sprayer

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6536684
  • Patent Number
    6,536,684
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, June 11, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 25, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Fetsuga; Robert M.
    • Kontos; Lina R
    Agents
    • Baxley; Charles E.
Abstract
A paint sprayer includes a body having a connection hole on a top thereof and a trigger device is pivotably connected to the body. A hose fitting is connected to a handle of the body so as to be connected with a compressor. A connection device is pivotably connected between the body and a paint cup such that the paint cup is pivotable relative to the body so that the surface of the paint in the paint cup can be maintained at horizontal whatever angle the sprayer is operated.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a connection device which is pivotably connected between a paint cup and a paint sprayer so as to adjust the paint cup when the sprayer is used at an angle.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




A conventional paint sprayer


1


is shown in FIG.


1


and generally includes a sprayer body which has a fitting


13


connected to the handle of the sprayer so as to be connected with a compressor to send pressurized air into the body. A nozzle


11


is connected to a front end of the body and a paint cup


14


is connected to the barrel of the body by a connection neck


141


. The pressurized air sends the paint


15


in the paint cup


14


out from the nozzle


11


by pulling the trigger


12


which controls a valve means in the body. When the sprayer


1


is used an angle such as when spraying at a vertical wall, the body of the sprayer


1


is used at an angle relative to the ground and the surface of the paint


15


is inclined to include a low point and a high point. When the low point is lower than the opening of the connection neck


141


, no paint can be sucked in the body to be sprayed out. It has the same shortcoming when using the sprayer downward.




The present invention intends to provide a connection device that is connected to the paint cup and pivotable relative to the body of the sprayer so that the surface of the paint in the paint cup can be maintained in horizontal regardless of the angle of use of the sprayer.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paint sprayer includes a body having a connection hole on a top thereof so as to be pivotably connected to a connection device which is pivotably connected between the body and a paint cup.











The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

shows a conventional paint sprayer with a paint cup;





FIG. 2

is an exploded view to show the paint sprayer of the present invention;





FIG. 3

shows that the cup is pivotable relative to the shaft;





FIG. 4

is an end view to show the paint sprayer of the present invention, and





FIG. 5

shows that the paint cup is adjusted when the body of the paint sprayer is operated upward.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 2

to


4


, the paint sprayer of the resent invention comprises a body


2


which has a ring connected to a top edge of the body


2


and including a connection hole


21


. A guide hole


211


is defined in through the ring and communicates with an interior of the body


2


. A trigger device


23


is pivotably connected to the body


2


so as to control a valve device (not shown) in the body


2


and a hose fitting


24


is connected to the handle of the body


2


and connected to a hose from a compressor (both not shown). A nozzle


22


connected to the body


2


and communicates with the interior of the body


2


.




A connection device is pivotably connected between the body


2


and a paint cup


5


. The connection device comprises a pivotable member


3


which has an operation portion


31


and a connection portion


32


. A hole


33


is defined through the operation portion


31


and a passage


34


is defined through the connection portion


32


. The connection portion


32


is connected to a connection neck


52


of the paint cup


5


and the passage


34


communicates with the hole


33


and the interior of the paint cup


5


.




A shaft


4


has a head


40


and a hollow shank


41


. A securing portion


42


is connected longitudinally to the shank


41


. Two inlets


43


and an outlet


44


are defined through a wall of the shank


41


. Two seals


45


are mounted to the shank


41


and a position notch


46


is defined in an outer periphery of the shank


41


. The shaft


4


extends through the hole


33


of the pivotable member


3


and the connection hole in the body


2


. The securing portion


42


extends from the connection hole


21


and a locking member


47


together with a washer


48


are connected to the securing portion


42


to connect the shaft


4


and the pivotable member


3


to the body


2


. The pivotable member


3


is pivotable relative to the shank


41


of the shaft


4


. The inlets


43


communicates with the passage


34


of the pivotable member


3


and the outlet


44


communicates with the interior of the body


2


so that the paint in the paint cup


5


flows to the body


2


via the passage


34


, the inlets


43


and the outlet


44


, the guide hole


211


.




A positioning member


49


extends through the ring on the body


2


and is engaged with the positioning notch


46


in the shank


41


so as to position the shaft


4


. The operation portion


31


is securely clamped between the ring and the stepped surface of the shank


41


such that when loosening the locking member


47


, the pivotable member


3


is pivoted to adjust the position of the paint cup


5


which is secured to the pivotable member


3


. As shown in

FIG. 5

, when the body


2


is used upward, the position of the paint cup


5


is adjusted such that the surface of the paint


6


in the paint cup can be maintained at horizontal. The position of the paint cup


5


is also able to be adjusted such that the surface of the paint


6


in the paint cup can be maintained at horizontal when the body


2


is used downward. The pivotable member


3


can be replaced with a universal joint so as to allow the paint cup


5


to be adjusted more angles and positions.




While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A paint sprayer comprising:a body having a connection hole, a trigger device and a hose fitting; a paint cup connected to the body; a connection device pivotably connected between the body and the paint cup such that the paint cup is pivotable relative to the body, the connection device comprising a pivotable member which has an operation portion and a connection portion, a hole defined through the operation portion and a passage defined through the connection portion, the passage communicating with the hole; a shaft having a head and a hollow shank, a securing portion connected longitudinally to the shank, an inlet and an outlet defined through a wall of the shank, two seals mounted to the shank and a position notch defined in an outer periphery of the shank, the shaft extending through the hole of the pivotable member and the connection hole in the body, the securing portion extending from the connection hole and a locking member connected to the securing portion to connect the shaft and the pivotable member to the body, the pivotable member being pivotable relative to the shank of the shaft, the inlet communicating with the passage of the pivotable member and the outlet communicating with an interior of the body, and a positioning member extending through the body and engaged with the positioning notch in the shank.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number Name Date Kind
3003704 Roche Oct 1961 A
3236459 McRitchie Feb 1966 A
5069389 Bitsakos Dec 1991 A
6092740 Liu Jul 2000 A