Patent Application
20240024923
The present invention relates to a device for removing residue, excess material, and other unwanted deposits from an apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to cleaning and removing material from a spray gun. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to a device for cleaning hardened product off a spray gun applicator for spray foam insulation.
Spray form insulation has grown in popularity over the last few years with new home construction and renovations. It provides an alternative to other types of insulation, such fiberglass batts, which generally requires more manpower and time for installation. Spray foam insulation allows a single individual to apply the mixture to the desired area in a significantly less amount of time than previously required. Additionally, the foam insulation mixture expands into the surrounding space, providing more efficient performance. The application of spray foam insulation is done with a spray gun. The spray gun has a tube connected to the device which supplies the gun with the insulation mixture. The barrel of the gun is an extended length such that the individual can access harder to reach areas and apply the insulation mixture where needed. When the insulation mixture is applied, it starts out in a liquid form and expands into a foam when applied, which eventually solidifies shortly after application. During the application process, some of the spray foam mixture may remain on the spray gun barrel, handle, and other areas of the spray gun, affecting the performance of the spray gun.
The spray gun will typically become exposed to the insulation material, which then expands and hardens in and on the gun barrel. This can affect performance, requiring the user to periodically stop work to clean and scrape the insulation material off the spray gun, or even be forced to replace the spray gun. Currently, individuals will use a knife, razor blade, or other sharp surface to scrape off the hardened material from the spray gun. This can be time consuming and inefficient as the blades are not suited to quickly and easily clean the residue from the gun. In particular, using a razor blade or knife is slow, inefficient, dulls the knife which is typically needed for other uses, and does not provide effective cleaning of the barrel and nozzle to sufficiently improve the performance of the spray gun.
What is needed is a device which provides quick and easy cleaning of a spray gun barrel and nozzle. What is further needed is a device which is specifically designed to be used with an insulation spray gun to remove excess insulative material which collects on the barrel and the nozzle of the spray gun. What is needed is a device specifically designed for use with the spray gun such that the device can clear the hardened and expanded insulative material from key areas of the spray gun, thereby improving the performance of the spray gun and increase the useable lifespan of the spray gun.
The present invention is a spray gun cleaning device. The device is designed to allow for quick and easy cleaning of a foam insulation application spray gun. More specifically, the device is suited to remove spray foam insulation from a spray gun to improve performance and increase the lifespan of the spray gun. The device has features that allow for the removal of hardened insulation material from the barrel and nozzle of the spray gun.
The cleaning device has a feature to accommodate the long, rounded barrel of the spray gun to quickly and efficiently remove excess insulation material from the barrel. Additionally, the device has additional features which engage with the nozzle of the spray gun to remove the buildup of hardened material in and around the nozzle.
The cleaning device has a sharp edge with an arc similar to that of the spray gun barrel arc. The arced edge allows the user to scrape the barrel of the spray gun, removing the built-up insulation material. The cleaning device also has a nozzle hole which fits the nozzle of the spray gun. The nozzle hole provides friction around the nozzle to clear the nozzle of insulation material. The nozzle hole may be grooved, textured, or may be equipped to hold a razor blade. The nozzle hole is specifically designed to scrape and remove built-up insulation material from the nozzle of the spray gun.
The cleaning device may also be configured such that the cleaning device can fit inside a spray gun for easy and convenient storage. In an embodiment, the device has a base on which the barrel scraper is located. The nozzle hole or plurality of nozzle holes are located on a body. In this embodiment, the body of the device may be inserted into the open space of the handle of the spray gun and the base of the device rests on the edge of the hollow handle of the spray gun. The user may grasp the base of the device to easily pull the device out from the hollow handle of the spray gun to use as excess insulation material collects on the spray gun.
An embodiment of a spray gun cleaning device 10 of the present invention is shown in
The edge 42 of the scraper 40 of the current embodiment is an arcuate shape. The arcuate shape is designed to function with a rounded surface. The edge 42 of the scraper 40 may not be limited to an arcuate shape. The edge 42 is sufficiently sharp to travel between the desired surface and excess, collected material, thereby separating the excess, collected material from the desired surface. In the current embodiment, the edge 42 is of an arcuate shape having an inner radius of curvature selected to match substantially an outer radius of curvature of a barrel of an insulation spray gun. As depicted in
The nozzle hole 70 of the body 14 of the device 10 is designed to fit the tip or nozzle of a spray gun apparatus as depicted in
As depicted in
The nozzle hole 70 and the secondary nozzle hole 90 may also have a removable or replaceable razor blade receiving feature. A razor blade may be inserted into the device 10 wherein the sharp edge of the razor blade sits partially within the nozzle hole 70 or the secondary nozzle hole 90 to provide additional scraping and cleaning ability.
The present embodiment of the device 10 is designed such that the device 10 may fit securely in the handle of a spray gun for easy access and use as needed. The body 14 of the device 10 is of a form and shape such that the body 14 will fit securely within the hollow handle of a spray gun. The base 12 of the device 10 may rest flush with the bottom of the handle of a spray gun to prevent the device 10 from slipping too far into the hollow handle of the spray gun. Additionally, the user may grasp the base 12 of the device 10 to remove the device 10 from the handle of the spray gun for use.
The present invention has been described with reference to specific examples and configurations. 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, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
