Coating material applicator

Abstract

To provide a coating material applicator capable of easily imparting unique feeling regardless of the skill of a user.SOLUTION: In a coating material applicator 1, a hand-held coating material storage container 2 is provided with an injection part 4 storing liquid coating material 6 and injecting the coating material 6. The injection part 4 is provided with a coating material passing member 5 interposed between an injection port and a coating surface, temporarily retaining the coating material 6 by directly receiving the injected coating material and impregnating the coating material to itself, porous, elastically deformable, and having liquid permeability. The coating material 6 can adhere to the coating surface by flapping the coating surface by the coating material passing member 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paint applicator. [Background technology]

[0002] In exterior wall painting, rollers and brushes have traditionally been used as applicators for applying liquid paint to a surface (surface to be painted). When applying a uniform coating using a coating tool such as a roller or brush, the skill of the worker applying the coating is essential. On the other hand, it is not easy for painting companies to secure experienced workers for the above-mentioned jobs.

[0003] In particular, many painters are not satisfied with simply finishing the painted surface with a uniform color, and often prefer to add variation, such as gradation. In order to create such varied paintwork, the painter is required to have artistic sense and a high level of brushwork skill, which can be called craftsmanship.

[0004] In light of the above, recently, in order to achieve the above-mentioned varied painting among the above-mentioned workers, a method has been used in which a sponge is soaked in paint and the paint is applied to the surface by tapping the surface with the sponge. As described above, by tapping the surface with a sponge soaked in paint, a unique texture can be achieved due to the porous sponge surface.

[0005] The sponges used are generally commercially available, generally rectangular parallelepiped sponges for cleaning and dishwashing, and are easily available. The above-mentioned technique of applying paint by tapping the surface with a sponge is not as efficient at applying paint to the surface as applying paint by rubbing the sponge soaked in paint against the surface, or rolling a sponge roller soaked in paint over the surface. However, if used effectively, the above-mentioned sponge-tasting technique can produce highly decorative paint with variations, allowing the client's wishes to be met in a detailed manner.

[0006] However, the above-mentioned sense and high level of skill are still required of the worker, such as soaking the sponge, which is not originally intended for applying paint, with the appropriate amount of paint, adjusting the amount of paint soaked depending on the pattern to be drawn, and even how to handle the sponge when applying paint.

[0007] Furthermore, even when using the commercially available sponges, as with the use of rollers or brushes, it is necessary to frequently soak the sponge in a paint container such as a paint can, roller tray, or roller bucket to soak it in paint prior to applying the paint, which is a cumbersome process. Furthermore, during the above-mentioned work, the paint soaked in the sponge often dripped onto places where it was not intended to be applied.

[0008] For example, a method of spraying paint using a spray gun is efficient in that it avoids the troublesome work described above and allows a wide area to be painted in a short period of time. However, even though spray painting can efficiently and uniformly apply paint, it is difficult to obtain the varied texture that an experienced painter can achieve with the sponge. In addition, it takes considerable practice to control the spray gun so that the paint sprayed into the air does not fly to unintended locations.

[0009] With regard to a paint applicator equipped with a sponge, for example, Patent Document 1 shows a paint applicator in which a groove 2 is formed on the outer periphery of a support rod 1 along the longitudinal axis of the support rod 1, sponges are attached as brush members 3, 3' on both sides of the groove 2 on the outer periphery of the support rod 1 along the longitudinal axis of the support rod 1, a nozzle tube 4 is inserted into the groove 2, small holes 4a are drilled in the nozzle tube 4 at a constant pitch, a thread 5 is stretched across the diameter of the small holes 4a and along the longitudinal axis of the nozzle tube 4, and the small holes 4a are covered via the thread 5 with a piece of tape 7 whose width is smaller than the pitch of the small holes 4a (Claim 1, Claim 4, page 3, lines 1 to 4, Figures 1 and 2).

[0010] The specification of Patent Document 1 states that "paint is supplied from nozzle 10 and fills nozzle tube 4. The paint spurts out from each small hole 4a, flows along thread 5 between nozzle tube 4 and tape piece 7, and spurts out from both ends of tape piece 7. The worker grasps a handle (not shown) and moves the applicator of this invention in the direction of arrow 15 or 16 while pressing it against the surface to be coated, to apply the paint. According to this invention, the nozzle tube is formed so that paint spurts out from small holes arranged at a constant pitch and flows out along the thread, so that the paint can be spread evenly along the length of the brush and applied evenly to the surface to be coated via the brush material or the cloth covered thereon" (page 4, line 20 to page 5, line 14, Figures 1 to 3).

[0011] As described above, the paint applicator shown in Patent Document 1 is intended to apply paint evenly to a painted surface. In other words, the paint applicator in Patent Document 1 is not intended to obtain a varied texture created by a skilled craftsman, and is not suitable for use in imparting such texture to a painted surface.

[0012] Specifically, in the paint applicator of Patent Document 1, as described above, paint flows from each small hole 4a along the spray thread 5 between the nozzle tube 4 and the tape piece 7 and is sprayed out from both ends of the tape piece 7, and most of the sprayed paint does not directly penetrate into the sponges that are the brush members 3, 3' provided along the vertical axis of the support rod 1 on both sides of the outer circumferential groove 2. Although some of the sprayed paint may directly penetrate into the sponge, the paint applicator is designed to spread the paint that has once adhered to the coating surface by the spraying out with the sponge to perform uniform coating.

[0013] For this reason, even if the paint applicator of Patent Document 1 is used to tap a surface to be painted as described above, the paint will not adhere directly to the surface from the sponge brush members 3, 3', but will be a miss, making it difficult to impart the unique texture that is achieved by the porous sponge surface. In addition, tapping with the paint applicator of Patent Document 1 not only causes the paint to adhere to the surface to be painted, but also raises the risk of the paint scattering in unintended directions other than the surface to be painted.

[0014] Furthermore, in the paint applicator of Patent Document 1, the nozzle 10 is connected to a fuel tank via a supply pipe (page 4, lines 9 to 10). In other words, the paint applicator is a complex device that requires paint to be supplied from another source via the nozzle 10, and is not easy to handle and use.

[0015] On the other hand, Patent Document 2 describes an application nozzle protection device that has a sponge impregnated with a curing liquid such as a bath additive placed in the bottom of a roughly bottomed cylindrical cap, and the cap is removably attached to an application nozzle for applying a coating material such as an adhesive or paint (Utility Model Registration Claims).

[0016] The application nozzle protection device shown in Patent Document 2 aims to prevent the application nozzle from becoming clogged due to the hardening of the application material after use by storing a sponge impregnated with a curing liquid as described above in the bottom of the cap that is attached to the application nozzle when the application material is not being applied, i.e. after use.

[0017] Therefore, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 does not impart the above-mentioned texture of a porous sponge surface to a painted surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0018] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 59-180772 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 56-24973 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0019] In the end, although both Patent Documents 1 and 2 show products equipped with a sponge, they do not paint using the porous texture of the sponge, and Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not include the idea of ​​simply imparting the unique texture of a sponge to a painted surface. The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by providing a paint applicator that can easily impart a unique texture to a paint application tool, regardless of the level of skill. [Means for solving the problem]

[0020] The present invention provides a paint applicator which comprises a hand-held paint storage container and a paint passing member, the paint storage container having a spray section which stores liquid paint to be used for painting and sprays the stored paint to the outside of the paint storage container, the paint passing member being a porous, elastically deformable member provided on the spray section which has liquid permeability, the paint passing member being interposed between the paint nozzle provided on the spray section and the surface to be painted when paint is applied to the surface to be painted, the paint passing member directly receiving the paint sprayed from the paint nozzle provided on the spray section and temporarily holding the paint by impregnating it into the paint passing member itself, and which can adhere the paint held by the paint passing member to the surface to be painted by holding the paint storage container in one's hand and tapping the surface to be painted with the paint passing member provided on the paint storage container. The present invention also provides a paint applicator in which the paint storage container is a hand spray bottle having a nozzle as the spray outlet and a lever for pressurizing the inside of the paint storage container, the paint passing member is a sponge, and the paint can be sprayed from the nozzle into the paint passing member by operating the lever. Furthermore, the present invention provides a paint applicator in which the paint passing member has a substantially flat surface that comes into contact with the surface to be painted during paint application. Furthermore, the present invention has provided a paint applicator in which the paint passing member is a spherical or hemispherical sponge, the paint storage container which is a hand spray bottle has the nozzle directed from the top of the paint storage container in a direction intersecting the height direction, the paint passing member which is a sponge is approximately spherical with a diameter that is less than half the height of the paint storage container and larger than the mouth of the nozzle, and the center line (imaginary line) of the nozzle spray passes through the center of the approximately spherical paint passing member. Furthermore, the present invention provides a paint applicator in which the sponge has a recess into which the nozzle can be forcibly fitted, allowing the paint passing member to be detachably attached to the nozzle. Effect of the Invention

[0021] The present invention provides a paint applicator that can easily impart the unique texture of a porous material to a paint applicator regardless of whether the user is experienced or not. In addition, with the present invention, paint can be applied to a surface by holding the paint storage container in one's hand, eliminating the need for a paint storage tank or a hose for supplying paint from the tank, making the paint applicator simple and easy to handle. Furthermore, in the present invention, when liquid paint is applied to the porous and permeable member, it is possible for the paint to penetrate directly from the paint storage container into the paint passing member, thereby preventing the paint from dripping onto other surfaces. In particular, by using a paint applicator that transfers paint from a spray bottle to the surface to be painted via a sponge, the amount of paint applied can be easily adjusted and the paint passing member (sponge) can be replenished with paint by operating the trigger of the spray bottle. Therefore, according to the present invention, the paint container itself is used as an applicator, and the paint can be applied to the surface directly through the paint passage member of the paint container, making it easy to adjust the amount of paint impregnated and solving the problem of dripping. In particular, the use of the spray bottle in the present invention ensures that the lightweight bottle and lever operation make it easy to control the touch of the paint (making it even easier for inexperienced people to paint with variety) and that it is easy to handle without being large-scale. In particular, by making the surface of the paint passing member that comes into contact with the surface to be painted substantially flat, paint can be applied uniformly to the contacting area, allowing efficient painting. On the other hand, by using a spherical, elastically deformable member with water absorption (liquid permeability) as the paint passing member, and in particular by using a spherical sponge, when the paint passing member that has been pressed against the painted surface and compressed is pulled away from the painted surface, the contact area between the painted surface and the paint passing member gradually becomes smaller as the paint passing member restores its spherical shape while the paint applicator is retracted, thereby reducing the difficulty in pulling the paint passing member away from the painted surface due to adhesion of the paint. Furthermore, by making the paint passing member detachable from the paint storage container, it is possible to use multiple types of paint passing members with different hole coarseness, and to impart a more delicate change in texture to the painted surface. Also, by making the paint passing member detachable from the paint storage container, when the paint passing member becomes worn out, it can be replaced with a new paint passing member, and the paint storage container can be continued to be used without being discarded. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall side view showing one embodiment of a paint applicator according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2A is a partially cutaway side view showing a paint passing member shown in longitudinal section separated from a paint storage container of the paint applicator of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a partially cutaway side view showing the paint passing member of A attached to a paint storage container. [Diagram 3] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a spray portion of the paint applicator shown in FIG. 1 , removed from a paint storage container. [Figure 4] 2 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a state in which paint is sprayed into a paint passing member by operating a lever of the paint applicator of FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5A is a partially cutaway side view showing the paint applicator of FIG. 4 in use, and FIG. 5B is a partially cutaway perspective view of the paint applicator in the state shown in FIG. [Figure 6] (A) is a partially cutaway side view showing a modified example of a paint applicator according to the present invention, in which the paint passing member has been separated from the paint storage container; (B) is a partially cutaway side view showing the paint passing member of (A) attached to a paint storage container; and (C) and (D) are partially cutaway side views showing further modified examples of the paint applicator according to the present invention. [Figure 7] 1A is a partially cutaway side view of a modified paint passing member separated from a paint storage container, and FIG. 1B is a partially cutaway side view of the paint passing member of (A) attached to a paint storage container. [Figure 8] 8A is a partially cutaway side view showing the paint applicator of FIG. 7 in use, and FIG. 8B is a partially cutaway perspective view of the paint applicator in the state shown in FIG. 8A. [Figure 9] (A) is an explanatory perspective view based on a photograph mainly showing the front side, showing an example of a sponge as a paint-passing member, and (B) is an explanatory perspective view based on a photograph mainly showing the front side, showing an example of a sponge as a paint-passing member with finer mesh than the sponge shown in (A). [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective explanatory diagram based on a photograph showing a painted surface that has been painted using the sponge shown in FIG. 9(A) as a paint passing member. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective explanatory diagram based on a photograph showing a painted surface that has been painted using the sponge shown in FIG. 9(B) as a paint passing member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, in the drawings, U is defined as up, S is defined as down, F is defined as front, and B is defined as rear.

[0024] (Basic configuration) The paint applicator 1 includes a paint storage container 2 and a paint passing member 5 (FIGS. 1 and 2). The paint storage container 2 includes a container body 3 that stores liquid paint 6, and a spray unit 4 that is attached to the container body 3 and sprays the paint in the container body 3 to the outside of the container body 3. The configuration of each of the above components will be described in order.

[0025] (Paint storage container 2) The paint storage container 2 is a handheld plastic spray bottle. The paint storage container 2 may be a commercially available hand spray bottle. For example, it can be implemented by adopting a spray bottle having a similar configuration to the sprayer disclosed in JP 2004-130263 A. However, the sprayer disclosed in JP 2004-130263 A is a hypochlorous acid sprayer that is equipped with an electric circuit provided with electrodes and batteries for applying voltage to adjust the concentration of hypochlorous acid or salt in the solution (aqueous solution of sodium chloride) contained therein, whereas in the present invention, which is intended for coating paint, the paint storage container 2 does not have the electric circuit including electrodes and batteries.

[0026] An example will be described in which a commercially available hand spray bottle is used as the paint storage container 2. In this example, the container body 3 can be placed upright with the bottom 31 being nearly flat. An opening 32 is provided at the top of the container body 3. The spray part 4 is attached to the opening 32, and the opening 32 is sealed by the spray part 4.

[0027] A tube 40 is provided between the container body 3 and the spray part 4 constituting the paint storage container 2, and the tube 40 constitutes a suction path for the paint within the container body 3. The spray unit 4 includes a front-rear passage 41 extending front-rear within the spray unit body 44, and a vertical passage 42 extending vertically within the spray unit body 44 (FIG. 3). The rear end of the front-rear passage 41 is connected to the upper end of the vertical passage 42.

[0028] The spray section 4 is equipped with the spray section main body 44 in which a piston-cylinder mechanism 43 is arranged to supply liquid paint to the front-rear passage 41 and the up-down passage 42, a trigger (lever 45) rotatably attached to the spray section main body 44, a spin element 47c attached to the front-rear passage 41, a nozzle member 47 attached to the front-rear passage 41, an intake 48 attached to the lower end of the up-down passage 42, and the tube 40 attached to the intake 48.

[0029] The intake 48 is provided with a plate-shaped base plate portion 48b that is exposed from below the vertical passage 42 and that protrudes rearward B from near the lower end of the vertical passage 42 within a cap body 48k described below. The above-mentioned jet body 44 and intake 48 are provided with outside air introduction holes 44a, 48a for introducing outside air into the container body 3. Hereinafter, as necessary, the outside air introduction hole 44a will be referred to as the first outside air introduction hole 44a, and the outside air introduction hole 48a located below the first outside air introduction hole 44a will be referred to as the second outside air introduction hole 48a.

[0030] An insertion portion 41a is provided at the front end of the front-rear passage 41, in front of the ejection portion main body 44. The spin element 47c is fitted into the insertion portion 41a. The nozzle member 47 equipped with a nozzle (nozzle tip 47a) is fitted into the tip of the spin element 47c. The spin element 47c is a member of a well-known configuration equipped on commercially available spray bottles. The spin element 47c applies rotation to the ejected liquid when the liquid (liquid paint 6 in the present invention) contained in the container main body 3 is ejected from the nozzle member 47 (nozzle tip 47a), thereby reducing the number of droplets that fly out linearly forward.

[0031] However, in the paint applicator 1 of the present invention which does not spray the paint 6 directly from a nozzle onto the surface m to be coated (FIG. 5), the spray part 4 may be implemented without including the spin element 47c. The nozzle member 47 is located at the top in the height direction of the paint storage container 2 and directs the nozzle (nozzle tip 47a) in a direction intersecting the height direction, that is, toward the front of the paint storage container 2 (FIGS. 1 to 5).

[0032] For ease of handling when painting by hand, the height of the paint storage container 2 is preferably 15 cm to 30 cm. Also, the width in the front-to-rear direction of the paint storage container 2 (including the spray part 4) is preferably 5 cm to 20 cm. In particular, it is preferable that the height of the paint storage container 2 is 18 cm to 25 cm and the width of the spray part 4 is 8 cm to 18 cm. From the viewpoint of hand-holding, it is preferable that the capacity (of liquid paint) of the container body 3 is 100 cc to 2000 cc, and it is particularly preferable that the capacity is 200 cc to 1000 cc.

[0033] By adopting a commercially available hand spray bottle for the paint storage container 2, it is possible to provide a paint storage container 2 within the above numerical ranges. However, as long as handling during painting is not impeded, the dimensions of the paint storage container 2 and the capacity of the paint 6 may deviate from the above range.

[0034] A double cylindrical wall portion 43b, 43c constituting the cylinder 43a of the piston-cylinder mechanism 43 is provided at a lower position of the front-rear passage 41 of the injection portion 4 (FIG. 3). Hereinafter, as necessary, the cylindrical wall portion 43b will be referred to as the outer cylindrical wall portion 43b, and the cylindrical wall portion 43c will be referred to as the inner cylindrical wall portion 43b. The outside air introduction hole 44a is formed below the outer cylindrical wall portion 43b. A piston member 43d that reciprocates within the cylinder 43a is disposed within the cylinder 43a via a coil spring 43e.

[0035] The internal volume of the cylinder 43a is approximately equal to the amount of liquid paint (discharge amount) that is sprayed when the lever 45 is fully pulled. The internal volume of the cylinder 43a corresponds to the amount of paint 6 to be sprayed at one time, and is preferably 0.2 cc to 100 cc. From the viewpoint of ensuring an appropriate amount of paint ejection, the stroke of the piston member 43d is preferably 4 mm to 50 mm. However, even if the internal volume of the cylinder 43a or the stroke of the piston member 43d deviates from the above range, as long as paint can be ejected appropriately, this does not exclude implementation with a stroke outside the above numerical range.

[0036] The lever 45 is rotatably fitted to the inside of the side wall of the ejection portion main body 44 . A pressing protrusion 45a that comes into contact with the front end of the piston member 43d is provided on the rear surface of the lever 45, and by rotating the lever 45, the piston member 43d can reciprocate within the cylinder 43a.

[0037] The piston member 43d includes a sliding portion 43f that slides on the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 43a. In the piston member 43d extending along the front-rear direction, the sliding portion 43f is a large-diameter portion formed on the piston member 43d that has a diameter larger than other portions of the piston member 43d in the front-rear direction, and the outer diameter (maximum diameter) of the sliding portion 43f is equal to the inner diameter of the cylinder 43a. When the sliding portion 43f of the piston member 43d moves rearward from the outside air introduction hole 44a, outside air flows into the container body 3 through the outside air introduction holes 44a, 48a. The maximum pull width of the lever 45 of the ejection portion body 44 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 2 to 8 cm from the viewpoint of operability.

[0038] A double insertion wall portion 46a, 46b surrounding the lower end of the upper and lower passage 42 is provided below the injection portion main body 44, and the intake 48 is fitted into the upper and lower passage 42 and the insertion wall portion 46a, 46b. Hereinafter, the insertion wall portion 46a will be referred to as the inner insertion wall portion 46a, and the insertion wall portion 46b will be referred to as the outer insertion wall portion 46b as necessary.

[0039] The intake 48 is provided with, above the base plate 48b, a fitting wall 48c (upper fitting wall 48c) fitted to the outer fitting wall 46b, and a pipe 48d fitted to the upper and lower passages 42 and the inner fitting wall 46a. Below the base plate 48b of the intake 48, a fitting wall 48e (lower fitting wall 48e) that fits tightly into the opening 32 when the jetting unit main body 44 is attached to the opening 32 of the container main body 3, and a sub-pipe 48f that communicates with the pipe 48d and into which the upper end of the tube 40 is fitted. The second outside air introduction hole 48a is formed in a top plate 48n that is the top of the upper fitting wall 48c.

[0040] The secondary pipe portion 48f is provided with a locking portion (not shown) for restricting the rotation of the tube 40. The pipe portion 48d is provided with communication holes 48g, 48h which communicate with the front-rear passage 41 and the inside of the cylinder 43a. Furthermore, a valve 49 is disposed at the upper part of the interior of the pipe portion 48d. Hereinafter, as necessary, the communication hole 48g will be referred to as the upper communication hole 48g, and the communication hole 48h located below the upper communication hole 48g will be referred to as the lower communication hole 48h.

[0041] The valve 49 has a brim-shaped flange portion 49a. The flange portion 49a is supported by a support wall portion 48i provided on the intake 48. The flange portion 49a prevents the paint 6 from flowing back from the front-rear passage 41, and when the liquid pressure below the support wall portion 48i reaches a desired pressure, the flange portion 49a communicates between the inside of the pipe portion 48d and the front-rear passage 41 to supply the paint 6 to the front-rear passage 41. Hereinafter, the support wall portion 48i will be referred to as the upper support wall portion 48i as necessary.

[0042] A ball valve body 49b is disposed below the valve 49. The ball valve body 49b is supported by a support wall portion 48j provided on the intake 48, and prevents the paint from flowing back from inside the cylinder 43a, and supplies the paint 6 upward when the liquid pressure below the support wall portion 48j increases to a desired pressure. Hereinafter, the support wall portion 48j will be referred to as the lower support wall portion 48j as necessary.

[0043] A cap body 48k having a vertical insertion hole is attached above the base plate portion 48b of the intake 48, and the injection portion 4 can be attached to the container body 3 by screwing the female thread 48m of this cap body 48k into a male thread (not shown) on the outer periphery of the opening 32 of the container body 3.

[0044] The liquid paint 6 contained in the container body 3 of the paint storage container 2 and sprayed from the nozzle of the spray unit 4 has a viscosity that allows the paint to pass smoothly through each passage in the spray unit 4 and be sprayed from the nozzle without clogging. In other words, the paint storage container 2 should have a configuration and dimensions that allow the paint 6 to be applied to be moved within the paint storage container 2. The paint 6 of the paint applicator 1 of the present invention may be a water-based paint diluted with water, or an oil-based paint diluted with a solvent. It is particularly preferable to use a water-based paint that is often used for painting exterior walls as the paint 6.

[0045] Further, depending on the synthetic resin in the paint to be diluted, any of acrylic paint, urethane paint, silicone paint, and fluorine paint may be used as the paint 6. The paint 6 is not particularly limited in composition, but it is preferable to use a paint specifically for concrete, with an MFT of 5 degrees Celsius, a pH of 9.0±0.5, a viscosity of 2000 cps to 9000 cps, a solid content of 32% by weight to 46% by weight, and a specific gravity in the range of 0.94 g / ml to 1.3 g / ml. Furthermore, the paint storage container 2 can be implemented by adopting a commercially available hand spray bottle having a configuration other than the hand spray bottle illustrated, and it is also possible to adopt other well-known spray containers specifically for paint that are suitable for applying liquid paint by hand.

[0046] (Paint passing member 5) The paint passing member 5 is a porous, elastically deformable member having liquid permeability (FIGS. 9, 1, 2, 4 and 5). The paint passing member 5 may be made of a sponge. The sponge is a porous, soft material with countless tiny holes inside. When immersed in liquid, the sponge absorbs the liquid by replacing the air in the pores, and has the property of easily releasing the absorbed liquid when subjected to external force. The size (volume) of the paint passing member 5 is designed to absorb the above-mentioned internal volume of the cylinder 43a (the amount of liquid paint that is sprayed when the lever 45 is fully pulled), and when the paint passing member 5 is pressed against the coating surface m, the absorbed liquid paint seeps out and adheres to the coating surface m. This makes it possible to prevent the paint 6 from accidentally dripping from the paint passing member 5 unless the paint passing member 5 is pressed against the coating surface m (Figures 4 and 5).

[0047] The sponge used as the paint passing member 5 can be one having a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape that is commonly used as a kitchen or bathroom item (Figs. 9, 1, 2, 4, and 5). By using a rectangular parallelepiped sponge, attaching the sponge to the paint storage container 2 with the surface with the largest area facing forward, and bringing the front face into contact with the surface m to be painted, a larger amount of paint 6 can be applied to the surface m to be painted at one time. When the paint passing member 5 is made approximately rectangular, it is preferable that at least the vertical width of the paint passing member 5 is less than half the height of the paint storage container 2 and larger than the mouth, i.e., the nozzle tip 47a, of the nozzle. Specifically, on the premise that it is to be attached to a ready-made hand spray bottle (paint storage container 2), it is preferable to adopt a sponge having a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with a length (maximum width) of 5 cm to 20 cm, a width (maximum width) of 5 cm to 20 cm, and a front-to-back thickness (maximum width) of 2 cm to 15 cm, and from the viewpoint of a balance between ease of handling and the amount of water supply, it is particularly preferable to adopt a sponge having a length (maximum width) of 7 cm to 15 cm, a width (maximum width) of 7 cm to 15 cm, and a front-to-back thickness (maximum width) of 3 cm to 8 cm. However, this does not exclude sponges that deviate from the above dimensional ranges as long as the desired coating is possible.

[0048] In addition, the sponge may have a shape other than the approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape as long as the front surface that contacts the coating surface m is flat. As described above, by making the flat surface of the sponge the front surface, a larger area can be secured for contacting the surface wall (coating surface m). On the other hand, from the viewpoint of smooth release from the coating surface m with which it comes into contact, a sponge having a substantially spherical shape may be adopted as the paint-passing member 5 (FIGS. 7 and 8). For example, a spherical sponge used in sponge balls used in children's ball games or in toys (models) that imitate ice cream served in a cup cone can be adopted as the paint-passing member 5.

[0049] When the paint passing member 5 is spherical, it is preferable that the diameter of the spherical paint passing member 5 be less than 1 / 2 the height of the paint storage container 2 and be approximately spherical with a diameter larger than the mouth, i.e., the injection port, of the nozzle (nozzle tip 47a). When the exemplified commercially available hand sprayer is used as the paint storage container 2, the diameter of the spherical paint passing member 5 is preferably 3 cm to 10 cm. The paint passing member 5 may be an approximately rectangular parallelepiped, approximately spherical, approximately hemispherical, or another shape. In any case, as long as the liquid paint absorbed by the paint passing member 5 can seep out and adhere to the painted surface m when the paint passing member 5 is pressed against the painted surface m, and the paint 6 does not drip from the paint passing member 5 unless the paint passing member 5 is pressed against the painted surface m, the paint passing member 5 may have dimensions other than those described above. In addition, with regard to the porous sponge used as the paint passing member 5, a number of sponges with different mesh sizes, such as a coarse one (Figure 9(A)) and a fine one (Figure 9(B)), can be prepared and used to achieve a better finish.

[0050] The paint passing member 5 is provided with a recess 51 into which the nozzle member 47 protruding forward of the paint storage container 2 can be inserted (Figures 2, 5(A), 6(A)(B), 7 and 8(A)). The inner diameter of the recess 51 is smaller than the outer diameter (maximum outer diameter) of the nozzle member 47 (FIGS. 2(A) and 6(A)), and can be forcefully fitted into the nozzle member 47. This forceful fitting makes it possible to detachably attach the paint passing member 5 to the nozzle member 47 (FIGS. 2(B) and 6(B)).

[0051] The recess 51 is recessed from the surface of the paint passing member 5 toward the center o of the paint passing member 5 (FIGS. 2 and 7). The center o of the paint passing member 5 is the midpoint of an imaginary line connecting the intersection of the diagonals on the front surface and the diagonals on the rear surface if the paint passing member 5 is a rectangular prism, and is the center of the sphere if the paint passing member 5 is a sphere. Therefore, by fitting the nozzle member 47 into the recess 51, the center of the spray of the paint 6 (the center line is the dashed line in Figs. 2(A)(B) and 7(A)(B)) can be made to pass through the center o of the paint passing member 5. By making the center of the spray pass through the center o of the paint passing member 5, the paint 6 can be impregnated into the paint passing member 5 without bias, and the unexpected dripping can be further suppressed. It is preferable that the depth (recess width) of the recess 51 is approximately the same as the protruding width of the nozzle member 47 or does not exceed the protruding width of the nozzle member 47.

[0052] The paint passing member 5 may be fixed to the nozzle member 47 with an adhesive so that the paint passing member 5 does not come off due to adhesion of the paint 6 applied to the coating surface during coating. When the paint passing member 5 is fixed to the nozzle member 47 with an adhesive, the inner diameter of the recess 51 may be the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the nozzle member 47, other than as described above, or the paint passing member 5 may not have a recess 51. However, by providing the recess 51, the nozzle (nozzle tip 47a) at the tip of the nozzle member 47 can be disposed inside the spherical paint passing member 5, so that the paint 6 can be sprayed inside the paint passing member 5 and the sprayed paint 6 does not drip from the paint passing member 5. In particular, by disposing the recess 51 as described above (FIGS. 2(B) and 7(B)), the paint can be sprayed by disposing the nozzle at a position close to the center o of the paint passing member 5, so that the risk of the paint 6 dripping can be more reliably eliminated.

[0053] The paint passing member 5 may be a hemisphere (semispherical) formed by cutting a sphere in half (not shown). When the paint passing member 5 is a hemisphere, the recess 51 may be formed in the center of the flat surface (cut surface) and the spherical portion may face the coating surface m, but it is more preferable to face the flat surface as the front surface toward the coating surface m and form the recess 51 in the spherical portion.

[0054] By making the paint passing member 5 a sphere or a hemisphere with a spherical front surface, when the paint passing member 5, which has been pressed and compressed against the coating surface m during the tapping process, is pulled away, the contact area of ​​the paint passing member 5 with the coating surface m can be gradually reduced as the paint passing member 5 restores its shape, preventing the paint adhering to the coating surface m from making it difficult to peel the paint passing member 5 from the coating surface m due to adhesion. Therefore, by making the paint passing member 5 a sphere or hemisphere, the task of tapping the coating surface m with the paint passing member 5 can be performed smoothly. When the paint passing member 5 is a rectangular parallelepiped, it is sufficient if it is a hexahedron or other polyhedron that is approximately similar to a rectangular parallelepiped (including a cube), and is not limited to an exact rectangular parallelepiped. For example, it may be an approximately polyhedron including an approximately hexahedron with rounded corners. Furthermore, even when the paint passing member 5 is the sphere, the sponge need only be approximately spherical, and is not limited to a perfect sphere. For example, the paint passing member 5 may be an elliptical sphere, or may have a shape other than a rounded sphere, in which the surface facing the coating surface m has a convex curved surface. The paint passing member 5 may also be in the form of a (poly)prism, (poly)pyramid, (poly)frustum of a pyramid, a cylinder, a cone, or a truncated cone (not shown). When the shape of the paint passing member 5 is the above-mentioned (poly)prism, (poly)pyramid, (poly)frustum of a pyramid, a cylinder, a cone, or a truncated cone, it is preferable, but not limited to, that the flat end surface or bottom surface be the front surface from the viewpoint of painting efficiency.

[0055] The sponge forming the paint passage member 5 may be a sponge such as the mud sponge or a processed sponge (natural sponge), but it is also possible to use an artificial sponge (synthetic sponge) made to imitate a processed natural sponge. For the paint passing member 5, either the natural sponge or the synthetic sponge may be used, but it is most suitable to use the synthetic sponge, which is widely available.

[0056] Regarding the natural sponges mentioned above, six species of sponges belonging to the phylum Porifera and class Demospongi, including the sponge Porifera, have bodies made only of sponge fibers (soft, spongy fibers) and do not have hard bone fragments, making them suitable for use as sponges for cosmetics and bathing. Sponges from the Mediterranean and Red Seas are particularly soft and considered to be of high quality. The tissues of sponges caught on the seabed are allowed to rot, and the remaining skeletons are washed away, which are then sold as the above natural sponges.

[0057] As for the synthetic sponge used for the paint passing member 5, it is preferable to use a urethane sponge formed as an open-cell urethane foam (polyurethane foam) having air permeability (water permeability). In particular, it is preferable to use soft urethane foam, which is a petrochemical product, is flexible, has excellent cushioning properties and recovery properties, and has an open-cell structure expanded by about 10 to 60 times. When using a synthetic sponge for the paint passing member 5, it is sufficient to use a sponge made of the same material as that used for makeup, bathing, washing dishes, and cleaning the bathroom.

[0058] By directly fixing the paint passing member 5 to the nozzle member 47 with an adhesive, the paint passing member 5 is less likely to come off from the nozzle member 47. On the other hand, by not fixing the paint passing member 5 to the nozzle member 47 with the adhesive but by removably attaching the paint passing member 5 to the nozzle member 47, the paint passing member 5 can be easily replaced. For example, by preparing a plurality of sponges (paint passing members 5) with different mesh sizes, it is possible to select a sponge with an appropriate mesh size according to the texture of the paint, or to change the texture of the paint by replacing the sponge used during painting with another sponge with a different mesh size. In addition, by making the paint passing member 5 detachable from the nozzle member 47, it becomes possible to easily replace a worn paint passing member 5 with a new paint passing member 5.

[0059] (Example of use) By pulling the trigger (lever 45) of the paint applicator 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2) with the paint passing member 5 attached to the spray part 4 of the paint storage container 2 with a fingertip, the paint 6 in the container body 3 is sprayed from the nozzle of the spray part 4 into the paint passing member 5 (FIGS. 4, 5, and 8). After a desired amount of paint 6 has permeated into the paint passing member 5, the trigger (lever 45) is released, and the paint storage container 2 is swung toward the surface m (wall surface) to be painted with the hand holding the paint storage container 2, and the paint passing member 5 is used to tap the surface m (wall surface) (FIGS. 5(A) and 8(A)). By repeatedly operating the trigger to allow the paint 6 to permeate into the paint passing member 5 and tapping the surface m with the paint passing member 5, the paint 6 can be applied to the wall surface with a unique texture.

[0060] In a particularly preferred example of painting according to the present invention, first, paint is applied by holding the paint storage container 2 with a coarse sponge (paint passing member 5) attached as shown in Fig. 9(A) in the hand h and tapping it on the surface m to be painted (Fig. 10), and after painting, the paint storage container 2 with a fine sponge (paint passing member 5) attached as shown in Fig. 9(B) is held and tapped on the surface m to be painted (Fig. 11). By using sponges with different meshes in this way, it was possible to achieve painting with a varied pattern (paint 6) that appears in a light color (white) on a gray wall, as shown in Fig. 11. During the above-mentioned spraying, or when the paint passing member 5 is stopped while pressed against the surface m to be painted, a trigger (lever 45) may be pulled to apply the paint 6 to the surface m to be painted (Figs. 5(B) and 8(B)). By operating the trigger, it is possible to achieve a variety of finishes. In addition, by sliding (wiping) the paint passing member 5 along the surface m while pressed against the surface m, it is possible to further vary the finish.

[0061] (Example of change) Next, we will explain a suitable example in which the paint passing member 5 can be prevented from accidentally falling off the nozzle member 47, even if the paint passing member 5 is freely detachable from the nozzle member 47 (Figure 6). A brim-shaped hook portion 47b having a larger diameter than other portions of the nozzle member 47 in the fore-and-aft direction is provided on the outer periphery of the nozzle member 47, and a ring-shaped groove that accommodates the hook portion 47b is formed as the hooked portion 52 on the inner surface of the recess 51 of the paint passing member 5 (Figure 6(A)). When the nozzle member 47 is inserted into the recess 51 of the paint passing member 5, the hook portion 47b fits into the hooked portion 52, making it difficult for the inserted nozzle member 47 to retract (Figure 6(B)).

[0062] It is also possible to prevent the inserted nozzle member 47 from retracting by having the hook portion 47b push out the inner circumferential surface of the recess 51 (pushing it within the recess 51) without providing the hook portion 52. Alternatively, rather than providing the hook portion 47b directly on the nozzle member 47, a cap member 47d may be formed separately from the nozzle member 47 and attached by placing it over the nozzle member 47, and the brim-shaped hook portion 47b may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cap member 47d (Figure 6(C)).

[0063] The cap member 47d may be made of plastic and fixed to the nozzle member 47 by forced fitting, or may be fixed to the nozzle member 47 by adhesive (FIG. 6(D)). Also, the cap member 47d may be fixed to the nozzle member 47 by forced fitting, and the paint passing member 5 may be bonded to the cap member 47d by an adhesive. The cap member 47d is provided with a receiving portion 47e for the nozzle member 47, into which the nozzle member 47 is inserted. A through hole 47f penetrating the cap member 47d is provided at the back of the receiving portion 47e at a position corresponding to the nozzle tip 47a (nozzle nozzle outlet) of the inserted nozzle member 47. The cap member 47d ejects the paint sprayed from the nozzle member 47 through the through hole 47f toward the paint passing member 5 without blocking it.

[0064] In either case, whether hook portion 47b is provided directly on nozzle member 47 (FIGS. 6(A)(B)) or on cap member 47d (FIGS. 6(C)(D)), hook portion 47b may be formed as a continuous ring in the circumferential direction of nozzle member 47, or hook portion 47b may be formed as a discontinuous, intermittent hook in the circumferential direction of nozzle member 47 (not shown). For example, hook portion 47b may be formed by providing a plurality of protrusions arranged on the outer circumferential surface of nozzle member 47 or cap member 47d along the circumferential direction of nozzle member 47. In each of the above-mentioned modified examples including the cases shown in Figs. 6(A) to (D), the shape of the paint passing member 5 can be substantially spherical or other shapes other than a substantially rectangular parallelepiped (not shown).

[0065] (Other embodiments) Although not shown in the figures, the paint storage container 2 may be made of soft plastic that can be deformed (compressed) by pressing the container body 3 with a hand, and instead of the spray part 4 shown in the figures, a cap with a discharge port with a smaller diameter than the opening 32 may be fitted as the spray part 4 to the opening 32 of the container body 3, and a paint passing member 5 may be attached to the cap. In this modified example, instead of the lever 45 (trigger), the paint in the container body 3 can be sprayed from the discharge port to the paint passing member 5 by squeezing and compressing the container body 3.

[0066] (others) During the construction of a concrete wall, if there is a part of the molded wall where the concrete does not fit properly inside the plywood (form), the plywood (form) is removed and the defective part is repaired by applying concrete to it. However, the concrete at the repaired part is flat and does not have fine irregularities, unlike the normal part where the inner surface of the plywood has fine irregularities, which spoils the aesthetic appearance of the wall. Therefore, the surface of the concrete replenished by the above-mentioned refilling can be tapped with the sponge (paint passing member 5) of the paint applicator 1 according to the present invention to create irregularities. If the shaping work is performed simultaneously with painting, the paint 6 absorbed by the sponge can be attached to the wall at the same time by tapping with the sponge. On the other hand, if the purpose is only the above-mentioned shaping, the paint 6 can be sprayed without spraying on the sponge, the container body 3 can be left empty, or water can be placed in the container body 3 instead of the paint 6, and the uneven shape can be adjusted with the water when tapped. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1 Paint applicator 2 Paint storage container 3 Container body 4 Injection part 5 Paint passing member 6. (Liquid) Paint 31 (of container body 3) bottom 32 (of container body 3) opening 40 Tubes 41 (of injection part 4) front and rear passages 41a (of the ejection part 4) 42 (Injection section 4) upper and lower passages 43 (injection section 4) piston-cylinder mechanism 43a (of piston-cylinder mechanism 43) cylinder 43b (of cylinder 43a) cylindrical wall portion (outer cylindrical wall portion) 43c (of cylinder 43a) cylindrical wall portion (inner cylindrical wall portion) 43d (piston member of piston-cylinder mechanism 43) 43e (piston-cylinder mechanism 43) coil spring 43f (of piston member 43d) sliding portion 44 (of injection part 4) injection part body 44a (of the ejection unit body 44) outside air introduction hole (first outside air introduction hole) 45 (Injection part 4) lever 45a (Lever 45) Pressing protrusion 46a (of the ejection body 44) insertion wall portion (internal insertion wall portion) 46b (of the ejection portion main body 44) insertion wall portion (outer insertion wall portion) 47 (Injection part 4) nozzle member 47a (Nozzle tip of nozzle member 47) 47b (nozzle member 47) hook portion 47c (Injection section 4) spin element 47d Cap member 47e (of cap member 47d) receiving portion 47f (cap member 47d) through hole 48 (Injector 4) Intake 48a (intake 48) outside air introduction hole (second outside air introduction hole) 48b (Intake 48) Circuit Board 48c (of intake 48) fitting wall portion (upper fitting wall portion) 48d (intake 48) pipe section 48e (of intake 48) fitting wall portion (lower fitting wall portion) 48f (intake 48) sub-pipe 48g (Intake 48) Through hole (Upper through hole) 48h (Intake 48) Through hole (lower through hole) 48i (intake 48) support wall portion (upper support wall portion) 48j (intake 48) support wall (lower support wall) 48k (intake 48) cap body 48m (cap body 48k) female thread 48n (the top plate portion of the fitting wall portion 48c) 49 Valve 49a (of valve 48) flange 49b (valve 48) ball valve body 51 (of paint passing member 5) recess 52 (of the recess 51)

Claims

1. The paint sprayer is provided with a hand-held paint storage container and a paint passing member. The paint storage container includes a spray unit that stores liquid paint to be used for painting and sprays the stored paint to the outside of the paint storage container, The paint passing member is a porous, elastically deformable member having liquid permeability, the porous, elastically deformable member being provided in the spray portion, The paint passing member is interposed between a paint nozzle of the spray unit and a paint surface when paint is applied to the paint surface, the paint passing member directly receives the paint sprayed from the spray nozzle of the spray unit and temporarily holds the paint by impregnating the paint passing member itself, This paint applicator allows the paint storage container to be held in one hand and the paint passing member provided on the paint storage container to be used to tap the surface to be painted, thereby causing the paint held by the paint passing member to adhere to the surface to be painted.

2. The paint container is a hand spray bottle having a nozzle as the spray outlet and a lever for pressurizing the inside of the paint container, and the paint passing member is a sponge, 2. The paint applicator according to claim 1, wherein the paint can be sprayed from the nozzle into the paint passing member by operating the lever.

3. 3. The paint applicator according to claim 2, wherein the paint passing member has a surface that comes into contact with the surface to be painted during paint application, the surface being substantially flat.

4. The paint passing member is a spherical or semi-spherical sponge, The paint container is a hand spray bottle, and the nozzle is directed from the top of the paint container in a height direction to a direction intersecting the height direction, The paint passing member, which is a sponge, is approximately spherical with a diameter that is less than half the height of the paint storage container and is larger than the mouth of the nozzle, 3. The paint applicator according to claim 2, wherein a center line of the spray from the nozzle passes through a center of the paint passing member which is substantially spherical.

5. 5. A paint applicator according to claim 3, wherein the sponge has a recess into which the nozzle can be forcibly fitted, so that the paint passing member can be detachably attached to the nozzle.

Images