This invention concerns wide mouth spray actuators that emit a pressurized fluid at a high rate with a uniform, controlled spray pattern.
Spray paint is commonly used to paint various sized items—small to large. Applying paint as a spray to an item can reduce painting time in comparison to painting with a brush. Applying paint as a spray to an item also eliminates the need to use brushes or rollers to apply the paint. Finally, applying paint as a spray to an item, if done properly, can provide a superior surface finish in comparison to brush painted items.
There are paint application issues with conventional spray paint cans however. Commercially available spray paint cans have very small nozzles that emit a focused and compact jet of paint. As a result, it can take a substantial amount of time to paint a large object such as door. In addition, it can be difficult for a novice to paint any item—large or small—with the focused small spray paint jet as pooling and dripping can occur if the user fails to constantly move the can to adjust the orientation of the paint jet. Thus, optimal paint application can take some practice. As a result, there is a need for spray paint cans with actuators that can apply a uniform layer of spray paint to objects in a short period of time by a novice consumer.
One aspect of this invention is a spray actuator including a body having a top and a shroud, the shroud including a bottom perimeter and a central passageway having an inlet opening; an expansion chamber located in the central passageway opposite the inlet opening; an expansion chamber outlet opening that is oriented perpendicular to the central passageway inlet opening; and a mouth having a mouth inlet and a slotted outlet, wherein the expansion chamber outlet opening opens into the mouth inlet and wherein the expansion chamber outlet opening has a cross-sectional area that is smaller than the cross sectional area of the slotted outlet.
In another aspect, the actuator includes a throat located between the expansion chamber outlet and the mouth inlet. In another aspect, the throat cross-section has a constant cross-sectional area.
In still another aspect, the expansion chamber outlet is a choke point for of fluid flowing between the spray can stem opening (16) and the mouth inlet (28). In one further aspect, a choke point is created at outlet opening (22) by designing actuator (10) such that one or both of the area of opening (16) from the stem (14) into the expansion chamber and/or the area of the opening of the valve in the can into the hollow stem is larger than the cross-sectional area of expansion chamber outlet opening (22).
Another aspect is a spray can comprising a spray can containing a pressurized fluid and having an internal valve including a hollow stem having an opening; and an actuator including a body having a top and a shroud, the shroud including a bottom perimeter and a central passageway having an inlet opening; an expansion chamber located in the central passageway opposite the inlet opening; an expansion chamber outlet opening that is oriented perpendicular to the central passageway inlet opening; and a mouth having a mouth inlet and a slotted outlet, wherein the expansion chamber outlet opening opens into the mouth inlet and wherein the expansion chamber outlet opening has a cross-sectional area that is smaller than the cross sectional area of the slotted outlet and wherein the spray can hollow stem occupies a portion of the actuator central passageway.
Yet another aspect of this invention is a method of creating a thin uniform fluid spray stream having a width of about 1 inch and a height of up to 6 to 8 using actuators of this invention were the fluid stream dimensions are measured from about 3 to 10 inches from the actuator mouth outlet.
The present invention relates to a wide mouth actuator that, when associated with a container such as a can containing a pressurized fluid, allows users to controllably form and apply a uniform layer of paint of up to 6 to 8 inches or more in length and an inch or more in width with essentially parallel sides to a large area such as a wall or door.
The Figures generally show a spray actuator having an actuator body (10) a top (36) and a shroud (11) with a bottom perimeter (17) that encompasses a complementary spray can top (13) as shown for example in
Referring now to the
Stem (14) extends vertically from the spray can (12), is hollow and has an opening thereby providing a conduit through which a pressurized fluid flows from spray can (12) and into central passageway (19) when stem (14) is depressed or tilted. This configuration may be reversed with the stem becoming integral to the actuator instead of being integral to the spray can depending on spray can valve style.
Actuator (10) includes a shroud (11) and a central passageway (19) that includes inlet opening (16) which is sized to accept stem (14) and expansion chamber (20) at the opposite inlet opening (16). Referring to
The mouth cross-section may be the same width as expansion chamber outlet opening (22) or it may be less than the opening width depending upon the desired characteristics of the spray. Moreover, the passage or mouth (28) formed between expansion chamber outlet opening (22) and slotted outlet (30) tapers outwardly from inlet (28) to outlet (30). In general, as shown in
As noted above and as shown, for example, in
When assembled with actuator (10), the amount of fluid that can flow from the spray can via the stem and stem valve may be greater than in normal cans containing a fluid under pressure. To allow for this, the spray can internal valve should be selected from a valve that will not choke fluid flowing out of the spray can before it enters central chamber (19). In addition, inlet opening (16) should be large enough to allow fluid to flow freely into expansion chamber (20) again without choking fluid flow. This allows actuator (10) to dispense a very high volume of fluid over a large surface area in a short period of time—at rates as high as 18 ounces per minute or even higher.
In operation, actuator (10) is depressed manually by applying pressure to the top (36) of actuator (10) thereby causing the valve (not shown) in spray can (12) to open and thereby directing the can liquid contents—which are held under pressure—to be directed from the pressurized spray can (12) through hollow stem (14) and into the expansion chamber (20) portion of central passageway (19). Expansion chamber (20) is sized to be large enough to allow the pressure of the entering fluid to equalize in the chamber such that when the fluid turns ninety degrees from the direction it enters the expansion chamber (20) and enters the actuator mouth inlet (28), the pressure drop of the fluid passing from expansion chamber outlet opening (22) into actuator mouth inlet (28) is essentially uniform across the cross-section of outlet opening (22). The cross-sectional shape of the expansion chamber is not critical to the equalization of fluid pressure but it can have an effect on the ultimate actuator spray pattern. Therefore, the cross-section of expansion chamber outlet opening (22) may be rectangular in shape so that it corresponds generally to the shape of mouth slotted outlet (30). Outlet opening can also be oval in shape.
Actuator embodiments described herein are able to form a uniform fluid spray stream having a variety of shapes with varying lengths and widths. In one aspect, the actuator will form a liquid spray pattern having a width of about 1 inch or more and a height of up to 6 to 8 inches when measuring the fluid spray dimensions on a flat surface located at a distance of from about 3 to 10 inches away from the actuator slotted outlet (30).
Expansion chamber outlet opening (22) functions as both an opening to mouth inlet (28) and as a choke point for of fluid flowing between the spray can stem opening (16) and the mouth inlet (28). By acting as a choke point, when fluid/gas flow is initiated, expansion chamber (20) becomes pressurized with the fluid/gas in a controlled manner which in turn creates a uniform pressure drop across the cross-section of expansion chamber outlet opening (22). The choke point is created at expansion chamber outlet opening (22) by designing actuator (10) such that the area of inlet opening (16) from the stem (14) into expansion chamber (20) and any openings from the spay can valve into the stem is/are larger than the cross-sectional area of expansion chamber outlet opening (22) in order to prevent fluid flow from being choked or held up before it enters expansion chamber (20). In other words, the cross-sectional area of expansion chamber outlet opening (22) must be smaller than the cross-sectional area of inlet opening (16) or any can valve opening through which fluid/gas must flow to reach expansion chamber (20). Moreover, the choke point must be at expansion chamber outlet opening (22) in order to ensure that the fluid that exits slotted mouth (30) is uniform in rate across the entire opening. The choke point is defined as an area or point of significant liquid pressure drop in comparison to pressure losses experienced at other areas where liquid flows through the can valve and actuator.
Generally, the size of expansion chamber outlet opening (22) will be fixed. However, in one optional aspect, the size of expansion chamber outlet opening (22) can be varied to vary the pressure drop across the opening and thereby alter the volumetric flow rate of the fluid exiting spray can. The volumetric fluid flow rate can be controlled by, for example, placing a valve—such as a gate valve—across expansion chamber outlet opening (22) that that can be moved to expand and contract the opening width and thereby the cross-section of expansion chamber outlet opening (22).
In another aspect of this invention, expansion chamber outlet opening (22) may exit into an optional throat (24) (See
Mouth slotted outlet (30) and expansion chamber outlet opening (22) can each have fixed cross-sections to provide optimal performance. In one aspect, one or both of the cross-sectional area of slotted outlet (30) and expansion chamber outlet opening (22) can vary (in width, height or both) and by doing so can change the fluid or gas spray pattern emitted from slotted outlet (30).
As shown for example in
In another aspect, actuator mouth (26) can rotate at least ninety 90° degrees (See
Another aspect, shown in
Actuators with mouths having different angular dimensions are shown in
An actuator with a mouth (28) including a first vane (44) and a second opposing vane (46) is shown in
The actuator of the present invention may be fabricated from conventional materials including metals and plastics. In one aspect, actuator (10) is an injection molded thermoplastic polymer. Useful materials, including polymer are those that are known to be compatible with paint and may further be resistant to solvents commonly contained in paint.
It will be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and modification of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.
This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 62/628,437 filed on Feb. 9, 2018 and to U.S. provisional application No. 62/632,524, filed on Feb. 20, 2018 the specifications of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62628437 | Feb 2018 | US | |
62632524 | Feb 2018 | US |