Patent Application
20060231964
1. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to a nozzle for use with a patching tube or container and a caulking gun, and optionally, with a texture repair kit. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention pertain to creating textures as well as patching or re-enforcing textured surfaces without materially disturbing the textured pattern.
2. Description of Related Art
Methods and products used to facilitate patching or caulking are generally known in the art and used to repair or patch a surface. Caulking is most typically used to provide a resilient seal between two adjacent structures, such as a window frame and a brick wall, to prevent water and air from entering the gap between the two adjacent structures. The caulk is usually stored within a tube or container having an end cap at one end and a dispensing nozzle at an opposing end. The caulk container is placed within a caulking gun assembly having a trigger actuator that displaces the end cap to force caulk through the dispensing nozzle. Traditionally, the nozzle is elongated and comes to a sharp point at the end. This form has been used commonly to allow the user to more easily focus and direct the caulking material.
In applying the patching or caulking material, a user traditionally places the dispensing nozzle immediately adjacent to the area to be sealed and slides the nozzle tip along the area as the trigger is being depressed. A common problem arises in that it is difficult to ensure that the area that is caulked maintains a straight and uniform area. The person applying the caulk often must smooth the caulk bead using a putty knife or other similar tool. Consequently, the task of ensuring the caulked or patched area matches the other surfaces is made even more difficult when the original surface has a unique texture. In such a case, conventional caulking or patching tools, such as the elongated nozzle tip, are often inadequate to use in dispensing the patching material in a manner that provides a surface texture consistent with the original surface. The person will need to manually recreate the specific texture or pattern using the putty knife or other similar tool.
Therefore, there exists a long-standing need to provide a patching tube or container with a nozzle which can create specific surface textures or patterns useful for caulking or patching an area in a manner to substantially maintain consistency with the original surface texture.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a patching container with a nozzle that can create specific textured patterns has been developed. The nozzle is convenient for use in association with the repair or patching of a textured surface. The nozzle can deliver an application of caulking or other patching material to repair an area of a textured surface without disrupting the original pattern of texture. The nozzle may also be compatible for use with any generic caulking or patching container.
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a patching tool comprising a cylindrical nozzle with a head portion that may be made from aluminum, plated steel or a similar durable yet flexible and bendable material. The nozzle is adapted to attach to a patching container with an open-end, from where the patching material exits. The head portion of the nozzle defines a series of openings from which the patching material will exit when pressure is applied to the container. The nozzle is secured to the patching container with a joining portion. The joining portion may be a skirt depending from the head portion. The skirt includes an attaching structure adapted to attach the nozzle to the patching container. The skirt may be selectively joined to and removed from the patching container. The attaching structure may be threads on the underside of the attaching structure that can be screwed onto complementary threads on the open-end of the patching container. Alternatively, the attaching structure may be a catch, detent, snap or a fastener that can attach the nozzle to the patching container.
The head portion defines a series of openings may be formed so that a specific texture can be recreated by patching a surface with the specific nozzle. For example, a type of textured surface often used on exterior surfaces is known in the industry as “Spanish lace.” This texture is traditionally created by applying an aggregate of surface materials in a number of dabs throughout the surface and then spreading the material with specific tools in a swirling motion. A user must manually create the texture on the applied surface with patching material in multiple stages. The resulting texture has a pattern that is reminiscent of lace. After this base material dries, a final coating of paint or other similar material is then applied over the textured surface. When an area of a surface textured with Spanish lace needs to be patched or repaired, the conventional caulking or patching tools will not be able to recreate the same texture to match the original surface. With an embodiment of the present invention, however, the nozzle will allow a user to repair an area and establish virtually the same Spanish lace texture so that there is little or no disruption of the original texture.
The patching assembly, including the nozzle attached to the patching container, may be placed in a caulking gun. A trigger on the caulking gun releases a plunger. The plunger generates a pressure in the plunger housing that is transferred through a plunger rod which facilitates the pushing of patching material out through the series of openings defined by the nozzle. Once a desired amount of patching material is urged through the defined openings of the nozzle, the user may press the top of the head portion flush against the area to be repaired. When removed, the patching material is left in particular configurations along the applied surface. A trowel or other manipulating tool can then be used to flatten out the area of applied patching material. Such a manipulating tool may also be attached as an accessory to the nozzle so that only one device is needed to create the texture. The configuration of caulking beads that are left by the nozzle are formed so that when a trowel or other manipulating tool is used to flatten out the beads, a Spanish lace texture results. The resulting texture does not require multiple materials or manipulation steps in order to match with the surrounding surface.
In other embodiments of the invention, the nozzle can be customized to recreate other specific patterns or textures. Each nozzle may define openings of varying positions or sizes, and each nozzle defines these openings in a predetermined configuration. In this way, each nozzle may yield specifically desired patterns depending on the user and the surface texture that the user wishes to create in an area or recreate on a repaired area.
In other embodiments, the nozzle may be configured in a variety of shapes other than cylindrical. Each shape allows the user to create a different pattern or texture with the applied viscous fluid or texture material. For example, the nozzle may be of a rectangular shape rather than cylindrical. In another embodiment, the nozzle may be in the shape of a three-pronged or “Y” configuration. The configuration is comprised of three prongs joined at a center point, with each prong extending separately out from that center point. This shape is known in the industry as “crow's feet.” In yet another embodiment, the nozzle may be of an oblong shape.
In the alternative, the patching container may come with a thin piece of foil sealed over the open-end. The user can then select the appropriate nozzle for the desired texture and attach that nozzle onto the patching container. By piercing openings in the foil according to those defined on the nozzle, the container is made ready for applying the patching material. As another option, the foil may be manufactured to be removable before the selected nozzle is attached. In this manner, the patching container may be manufactured to be used with any one of the nozzles, regardless of the specific texture design it will be used to recreate. The compatibility of these parts will increase the cost-effectiveness and convenience to users.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a nozzle that comes with accompanying accessories, such as a patching container, a manipulating tool and a caulking gun, all in a convenient system or kit. The system may allow a user to patch or repair and area so that it is substantially consistent with a surrounding surface with a textured pattern, such as Spanish lace. By providing, in one package, all the necessary tools to recreate the textured pattern on the repaired area, the system eliminates the burden of gathering the various tools separately and then attempting to manually apply and recreate the texture with conventional tools.
A detailed description of embodiments of the invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate corresponding parts in the figures.
a is a side-exterior view of a nozzle unattached and attached to a patching container according to an embodiment of the invention.
b is a side-exterior view of a nozzle, with a manipulating tool, attached to a patching container according to an embodiment of the invention.
a is a front-exterior view of a crow's feet-shaped nozzle, according to an embodiment of the invention.
b is a front-exterior view of an alternative crow's feet-shaped nozzle, according to an embodiment of the invention.
In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and which illustrate several embodiments of the present invention. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and operational changes may be made without departure from the scope of the present invention.
In
The series of openings 12 shown in
As shown in
The nozzle 1 may accompany the patching container 2 or be offered separately. The patching container 2 may include a foil covering 16 over the open-end 24 as the embodiment shown in
Without being limited, several other embodiments of the nozzle comprising different shapes, and defining different configurations of openings, are described below. Because the structure of each embodiment focuses on the interaction between the nozzle and differing configurations, each embodiment is described with respect to the nozzle and its configuration. It is intended that the assembly not described have the same mating structure as the element that is described and is compatible with each of the embodiments.
The nozzle can be customized to recreate specific patterns or textures. In different embodiments, the nozzle may be configured in a variety of shapes to allow the user to create a different pattern or texture with the applied viscous fluid or texture material. For example, the nozzle may be of a rectangular shape, a cylindrical shape, a three-pronged shape, an oblong shape, or a triangular shape. Each nozzle may define openings of varying positions and varying sizes on the exterior applicator surface. Each nozzle defines these openings in a predetermined configuration. In this way, each nozzle may yield specifically desired patterns depending on the user and the surface texture that the user wishes to create on an area or recreate on a repaired area.
In one embodiment, shown in
In another embodiment, shown in
In yet another embodiment, shown in
In
Once a desired amount of patching material is urged through the defined openings 12 of the nozzle 1, the user may press the top of the head portion against the area to be repaired. When removed, the applied patching material (not shown) is left in particular configurations along the applied surface. The user may then utilize a manipulating tool (not shown), such as a trowel, sponge or float, to flatten out the area. The configuration of patching material that is left by the nozzle are formed so that when the manipulating tool is used to flatten out the beads, a Spanish lace texture may be created. The resulting texture does not require multiple materials or steps of manipulation in order to substantially match with the surrounding surface, and the user may simply paint over the patched area.
While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.
The presently disclosed embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning of and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.
