Wearable Drywall Finishing Pump for Untethered Compound Application
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic finishing tools for plasterboard surfaces are cumbersome and require frequent refilling due to limited receptacle sizes, leading to increased user fatigue and trip hazards from long hoses or power cords, and are impractical for jobsites without access to mains power or air compressors.
Innovation Solution
A self-contained, wearable apparatus with a receptacle, applicator, and pump for finishing compound, powered by a battery and featuring a lobe pump, allowing for untethered operation and reduced weight, enabling continuous application without the need for external power or hoses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing automatic finishing tools are used with limited receptacle sizes, then the tool can be operated, but frequent refilling is required leading to increased user fatigue and loss of time
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus divides the finishing system into portable segments: a wearable receptacle unit with integrated pump and battery, and a separate applicator tool connected by conduit. This segmentation allows the large-capacity receptacle to be worn on the user's body, enabling continuous operation without frequent refilling while maintaining tool maneuverability.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacle is positioned in a new spatial dimension by wearing it on the user's back or body, transforming it from a stationary or hand-carried component to a body-integrated unit. This dimensional change eliminates the need for long hoses or power cords extending from stationary equipment, removing trip hazards and enabling untethered movement throughout the workspace.
2Ease of operation
If long hoses or power cords are used to connect stationary equipment, then power and compound can be supplied, but trip hazards are created and user mobility is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the power source (battery) and pump from the stationary equipment and relocates them to the wearable receptacle unit. This removal of external power cords and long hoses eliminates trip hazards and restores full user mobility, allowing unrestricted movement throughout the jobsite without safety concerns.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable apparatus is self-contained with an integrated battery-powered pump that autonomously delivers compound to the applicator tool. The system serves itself without requiring external power sources or stationary equipment, enabling the user to move freely without being constrained by hoses or power cords.
3Duration of action of moving object
If stationary equipment with large receptacles is used, then continuous supply of compound is possible, but the equipment cannot be easily moved between job sites
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the large-capacity receptacle into a wearable unit that can be easily transported. By dividing the apparatus into portable components (receptacle with pump and battery, applicator tool), the system maintains large-capacity continuous supply while achieving full portability, allowing easy movement between different job sites without requiring stationary equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacle transitions from a stationary large-capacity container to a wearable unit carried on the user's body. This spatial repositioning enables the large-capacity system to be easily transported between job sites while maintaining its continuous supply capability, combining the benefits of large capacity with high portability.
4Productivity
If the receptacle is made larger to reduce refilling frequency, then continuous application is improved, but the weight increases causing user fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The heavy receptacle is counterbalanced by wearing it on the user's back or body, distributing the weight across the user's frame rather than requiring it to be handheld or mounted on equipment. This weight distribution strategy enables the use of larger-capacity receptacles without proportionally increasing user fatigue, as the body naturally supports the load.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacle is repositioned from a handheld or equipment-mounted position to a body-worn position on the user's back. This dimensional change allows the receptacle to be larger and heavier without increasing user fatigue, as the body's structure naturally supports and distributes the weight, enabling larger capacity while maintaining ease of use.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus reduces user fatigue and trip hazards while providing continuous application, making it practical for various job sites and eliminating the need for stationary equipment, thus enhancing efficiency and usability.
Implementation Method 1
a pump for pumping the compound from the receptacle to the applicator for application to the surface or feature
Implementation Method 2
powered by a battery
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for use in drywall plastering, and more specifically for applying a pumpable finishing compound to a surface, is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a receptacle for storing the pumpable compound, an applicator for applying the compound to a surface or feature to which the compound is to be applied, a pump for pumping the compound from the receptacle to the applicator for application to the surface or feature, an electric motor which drives the pump, a battery that powers the electric motor, and a conduit through which the compound is pumped from the receptacle to the applicator, and the receptacle, pump, motor and battery of the apparatus may be able to be worn by a user, or carried on a part of the user's body, while the apparatus is in use for applying the compound to the surface or feature. The apparatus is self-contained and self-powered, and it can consequently operate in an “untethered” manner in the sense that it does not require any power cables extending from the apparatus to a remote power outlet or generator, and there is no need for any hoses or the like to deliver finishing compound, or compressed air, or anything like that, to the apparatus while it is in use.