The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying a liquid substance to a surface and, more particularly, to a brush applicator adapted for attachment to a container.
Conventional brush applicators used for coating a surface from a container attached to the brush applicator tend to leak because of poor design. In addition, the brush portion of the brush applicator may become damaged when a user tries to remove the brush applicator by grasping the brush itself rather than twisting off the cap of the brush applicator.
What is needed is a brush applicator with a more robust design that will avoid damage to the brush applicator during normal use.
What is also needed is a brush applicator that provides a leak-proof method of applying a liquid material to the desired surface.
In one aspect of the present invention, a ported brush applicator comprises: a brush including a plurality of bristles attached to a ferrule; an applicator base cap attached to the brush, the applicator base cap including a cap section having a cap opening sized and configured for attachment to the container; an applicator base mesa protruding from the cap section and secured within the ferrule, the applicator base mesa having at least one tapered through hole extending from a mesa end surface into the cap opening; and; at least one fluid port having a first end in the plurality of bristles and a second end in the at least one tapered through hole, the fluid port configured for enabling the liquid material to flow from the cap opening, through the applicator base mesa, the at least one fluid port, and into the plurality of bristles.
In another aspect of the present invention, an applicator base cap comprises: a cap section having a cap opening sized and configured for attachment to a container; an applicator base mesa protruding from the cap section at a mesa base and having a mesa end surface, the applicator base mesa having a substantially wedge shape extending from the mesa base to the mesa end surface; and at least one tapered hole extending from the mesa end surface to the cap opening.
The additional features and advantage of the disclosed invention is set forth in the detailed description which follows, and will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description or recognized by practicing the invention as described, together with the claims and appended drawings.
The foregoing aspects, uses, and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description of the present invention when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying figures, in which:
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention.
The present invention relates generally to a brush applicator for a liquid material to be applied to a surface, the brush applicator having an internal ported structure for use with an external reservoir of the liquid material.
There is shown in
The brush applicator base cap 20 includes an applicator base mesa 22 sized and shaped to fit through the ferrule cap end 34 and extend into the ferrule 32. In the particular example shown, the cross-sectional shape of the ferrule 32 comprises a circular shape at the ferrule cap end 34, and an elongated rectangular shape at the bristle end 36. A transition sleeve 38 is a tapered region between the ferrule cap end 34 and the bristle end 36. Accordingly, the applicator base mesa 22 is a substantially solid cylindrical shape at a mesa base 24, with opposed bevel faces 26 at a mesa end surface 28.
In an exemplary embodiment, the applicator base mesa 22 has a circular cross-sectional shape. The two bevel surfaces 26 produce a generally wedge-shaped segment terminating at the mesa end surface 28, as shown in the illustration. It can be appreciated that the bevel faces 26 are sized and shaped to bear against interior ferrule surfaces 66, shown in
Optional mesa chamfers 52 may be formed between the two chords 43, where the mesa chamfers 52 serve to aid in the manufacturing process of inserting the application base mesa 22 into the ferrule 32. The mesa end surface 28 includes two tapered holes 44 positioned between the two chords 42 and originating in the mesa end surface 28. As best seen in
The tapered hole 44 has a first diameter, denoted as “A,” at the mesa end surface 28 of the applicator base mesa 22, and a second diameter, denoted as “B,” at the mesa base 24 of the applicator base mesa 22. The fluid port 60 has a diameter, denoted as “C,” at the mesa port end 64 of the fluid port 60. In an exemplary embodiment, diameter “A” is larger than diameter “C,” and diameter “C” is larger than diameter “B.” This configuration insures that the fluid port 60 achieves a tight fit within the tapered hole 44 when the applicator base cap 20 is assembled to the brush 12. This serves to minimize or eliminate the possibility that liquid material may leak around the fluid port 60 and into the ferrule 32 when the liquid material container is inverted.
Upon assembly of the ported brush applicator 10, the bevel faces 26 are positioned substantially against the inside ferrule surfaces 66. When the brush 12 is assembled to the applicator base cap 20, the ferrule cap end 34 of the ferrule 32 may be crimped against the mesa base 24 to essentially permanently attach the brush 12 to the applicator base cap 20. The cap section 54 may also include internal threads 68 configured to mate with external threads on the liquid material container (not shown). It can be appreciated that, after assembly, the bevel faces 26 allow the applicator base cap 20 to protrude into the ferrule 32 sufficiently so as to prevent the ferrule 32 from being rotated on the applicator base cap 20 by an applied torque. This insures that a user of the ported brush applicator 10 will not be able to twist and inadvertently separate the brush 12 from the applicator base cap 20 when attempting to twist off the ported brush applicator 10 from the liquid material container.
It is to be understood that the description herein is only exemplary of the invention, and is intended to provide an overview for the understanding of the nature and character of the disclosed ported brush applicators. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of various features and embodiments of the method and devices of the invention which, together with their description serve to explain the principles and operation of the invention.