EP3617420A1 - Hand tool for distributing and / or smoothing pasty and viscous masses in inner or outer corners, and method for the production thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a hand tool (10) for applying, distributing and / or smoothing pasty and mushy masses with a handle (40) to which a sheet (20) for processing the corresponding pasty or mushy mass is attached. The blade (20) is mirror-symmetrical and at least partially angled along its axis of symmetry (21) and thus forms two wings (22). The invention now proposes that the wings (22) each taper to the outside and have a rounded tip (23) at their outer ends opposite the axis of symmetry (21) and consist of a thin, flexible material. The outer tips (23) of the wings (22) each have a bevel (24) away from one another or towards the inside, depending on whether it is a hand tool (10) for an area with an inside corner or with an outside corner acts. The invention further relates to a method for producing such a hand tool (10) (FIG. 1).

Description

The invention relates to a hand tool of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1 for applying, distributing and / or smoothing pasty and pulpy masses. Pasty or pulpy compositions are understood to mean, in particular, fillers and plastering compositions which are applied, for example, to surfaces such as walls, ceilings or floors in the interior of buildings. Other areas of application and dimensions are of course also possible.

When decorating rooms, it is also important to be able to smooth the inner corners, for example between two walls, between a wall and the ceiling or between a wall and the floor, evenly and precisely with a suitable mass, such as a leveling compound. Preferably, there should be no edges, waves, grooves, patterns or the like. The same applies to the plastering of outside corners on buildings and the like.

Known corner fillers usually consist of a handle, a support and a sheet, the sheet consisting of a folded square sheet. The two resulting legs are then also square. A disadvantage of these known corner fillers, however, is that due to the rectangular design of the legs and the rather high material thickness used, these are relatively rigid, so that when the pasty mass is smoothed, striations can quickly occur in the mass on the side edges of the corner filler, which then in turn must be extra smoothed out. This applies to both inside and outside corners.

The US 2006/0185110 A1 describes corner filler for inside corners. The corner filler has two wings, the angle of which can be adjusted to one another and can also be locked at the desired angle in order to be able to work on differently shaped inner corners, or to increase or decrease the pressure that the corner filler exerts on the area to be worked . A disadvantage of this arrangement, however, is that at an angle which exerts enough pressure that the pasty material can still be distributed well in the corner and smoothed out, the outer edges of the wings leave traces or grooves in the pasty material. This is unsightly and must be prevented. In addition, the adjustment option means that many components are required, which increases the cost of the corner filler.

The US 2,339,235 describes a tool for smoothing adhesive tape or seals on inside and outside corners of two abutting plywood panels or walls. Here a material selection for the two wings is described, which has a certain thickness in order to make the wings as rigid as possible. This is also important for the smoothing of adhesive tapes so that there are no air pockets between the adhesive tape and the plate and that the adhesive connection holds well and securely. When used for adhesive tape there is no problem with the undesirable formation of grooves on the outer edges of the wings, but when using it to smooth pasty or pulpy masses, the situation is different. The particularly rigid wings press with their outer edges into the smooth pasty mass and leave unwanted traces that have to be reworked.

In the US 5,792,489 finally, a corner filler for inside corners is also described. The two wings of the corner filler each have an outward-facing area at their end opposite the handle, on which a flexible application strip made of a soft material such as rubber or a soft plastic is arranged. For this purpose, the outer corners of the otherwise rather rectangular wings are on the outside, away from one another, kinked in order to give the flexible application strip sufficient hold. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that different components made of different materials are required in any case, which makes the corner filler more expensive. In addition, recycling is more difficult or more complex if the corner filler consists of different materials.

The object of the invention is therefore to improve a corner filler in such a way that it is easy to use and no grooves, patterns or the like arise during use. Another object of the invention is to produce an improved corner filler simply and inexpensively. These objects are achieved by the characterizing features of claims 1 and 5 and 13, which have the following special meaning.

The wings of the blade taper to the outside and have a rounded tip at their outer end opposite the axis of symmetry and are made of a thin and flexible material. The outer tips of these wings have a bevel towards the inside, with the spatula for inside corners or outwards away from the opposite wing, with the spatula for outside corners. The triangular shape makes the wings more flexible and does not press into the pasty or pulpy mass as easily as with rectangular wings. Since there is a risk in particular in the area of the outer edges or the tips of the wing that there are grooves or imprints in the pasty mass, these are angled inwards or outwards. This avoids imprints in the pasty mass.

In a preferred embodiment, the handle is directly or indirectly connected to the blade via a hinge. This increases the distance between the handle and the blade. This minimizes the risk of the operator accidentally holding his hand when using the hand tool the operator comes into contact with the mass and leaves traces or marks here. So operators with relatively large or wide hands can use the hand tool according to the invention well.

Advantageously, the hand tool also has a triangular base plate as an interior spatula, with which the blade and the handle and / or the hinge are connected. This base plate gives the hand tool stability, particularly if the wings are particularly elastic and flexible. The base plate has approximately the shape of an isosceles triangle. The wings are then arranged on the two sides of this base plate of equal length, while on the third side the handle or hinge are attached centrally. It is particularly advantageous here if the wings are folded and these edges are arranged on the sides of the triangular base plate. The handle and / or the hinge can be arranged flat on the base plate and protrude centrally from the third side of the triangle.

In the case of an interior corner filler, the base plate is advantageously applied to the sheet from above. For example, it can be welded or glued here. The handle and / or the hinge can then again be applied to the base plate from above and fastened there. Here, too, the handle and / or the hinge can be welded or glued. Of course, it is also possible to provide a connection between the base plate and / or the leaf and / or the handle and / or the hinge by another fastening method, such as screws, rivets, clips or the like.

In a hand tool according to the invention for outside corners, a bevel is provided on the wings in the lower region, on the side facing the handle. In the area of this bevel, a bend facing away from the opposite wing is provided. This prevents that when processing pulpy and pasty Masses and when brushing the tool along an outer corner from top to bottom material is taken from the lower edge of the wing and removed.

In a preferred embodiment, the angle of the outer tips of the wings, hereinafter called the wing angle, is 20 ° to 50 °, preferably 25 ° to 45 °. Here, the wing angle for inside and outside corner filler can also be designed differently, for example 30 ° for an inside corner filler and 43 ° for example for an outside corner filler. The exact angles are variable here and depend on the respective application.

The sheet preferably consists of a thin elastic sheet. This is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and has the necessary elastic and flexible properties in order to process the pasty or pulpy mass easily without leaving marks or patterns.

The sheet can be made in one piece from a sheet of metal which is first cut, eroded or punched and then folded. This makes it easy to produce the correct shape of the hand tool. A groove can be created between the two wings, which is covered by the base plate.

The angle between the two wings of the hand tool, hereinafter referred to as the leg angle, is preferably more than 90 ° for inside corners, preferably approximately 100 °. The most common interior angles in indoor spaces, for example the angle between two walls, between a wall and the ceiling or between a wall and the floor, is often around 90 °. If the leg angle between the wings of the hand tool is slightly larger than 90 °, e.g. approx. 100 °, the elastic wings can nestle optimally against the surface of the pasty mass and smooth it out at the appropriate angle, e.g. 90 °. Is this Hand tool intended for an outside angle, the two wings are arranged at an angle to one another that is less than 90 °, for example 80 °. Outside angles also often have an angle of 90 °. Here, too, the elastic wings can nestle very well against the pasty mass and smooth it perfectly. Of course, it is also possible to provide hand tools with different leg angles, depending on the application.

The handle preferably has an ergonomic shape and / or is made of a haptically pleasant material. As a result, it is pleasant for an operator to work with the hand tool over a long period of time, since the handle then lies well in the hand. The handle can also consist of a two-component material in which, for example, a soft plastic component and a hard plastic component are combined. The soft plastic then provides a pleasant feel, while the hard plastic ensures firmness in the handle. Of course, the handle can also be made of other material, for example wood or a composite material.

Such a corner filler can be produced by first punching, cutting or eroding a blank for the sheet from a sheet metal material or another flat flexible material. This blank is then approximately trapezoidal and symmetrical. This shape is then subjected to a forming process to produce the leg angle between the two wings and the bevels at the tips of the wings. Depending on the embodiment, the bends are also produced in this way. This then creates the desired shape of the sheet.

The sheet is then connected to the base plate and / or the handle and / or the hinge, for example by welding, gluing, riveting or screwing. Other types of connection of these components are also conceivable and encompassed by the invention.

Fig. 1:

ein erfindungsgemäßes Handwerkzeug als Inneneckenspachtel perspektivisch von vorne,

Fig. 2:

eine Vergrößerung des Blattes des Handwerkzeuges aus Fig. 1 von oben,

Fig. 3:

das Blatt des Handwerkzeugs aus Fig. 1 und 2 von unten,

Fig. 4:

einen Rohling eines Blattes für ein erfindungsgemäßes Handwerkzeug gemäß Fig. 1 bis 3,

Fig. 5:

ein weiteres Ausführungsbeispiel eines erfindungsgemäßen Handwerkzeugs als Außeneckenspachtel perspektivisch von oben,

Fig. 6:

das Handwerkzeug aus Fig. 5 in Seitenansicht.

Further advantages and exemplary embodiments result from the following description, the subclaims and the drawings. In the drawings, the hand tool according to the invention is shown in two exemplary embodiments. Show it:

Fig. 1:

a hand tool according to the invention as an interior corner spatula in perspective from the front,

Fig. 2:

an enlargement of the blade of the hand tool Fig. 1 from above,

Fig. 3:

the blade of the hand tool 1 and 2 from underneath,

Fig. 4:

a blank of a sheet for a hand tool according to the invention 1 to 3 .

Fig. 5:

a further embodiment of a hand tool according to the invention as an external corner filler in perspective from above,

Fig. 6:

the hand tool Fig. 5 in side view.

Fig. 1 shows a hand tool 10 according to the invention as an interior corner spatula. One can see the handle 40 on which a hinge 41 is arranged. The blade 20 has two wings 22 which taper to the outside and are thus approximately triangular and are mirror-symmetrical to the axis of symmetry 21. The hinge 41 and the blade 20 are attached to a triangular base plate 30. The base plate 30 has approximately the shape of an isosceles triangle. The wings 22 are arranged on the two sides 31 of the base plate 30 of equal length. The hinge 41 protrudes centrally from the third side 32 of the base plate 30. The two wings 22 have at their respective tips 23 a bevel 24 towards the inside.

This prevents the tips 23 of the wings 22 from pressing into the pasty or pulpy mass when working with the hand tool 10. The two wings 22 are arranged at an angle 25 to one another, which corresponds to approximately 100 ° in this exemplary embodiment. In this exemplary embodiment, the two wings 22 have been brought into this leg angle 25 by a fold along the axis of symmetry 21.

A more accurate view of the base plate 30 on the sheet 20 offers Fig. 2 , Here you can see the welds 33 with which the base plate 30 is fastened to the sheet 20 on the one hand and the hinge 41 to the base plate 30 on the other hand. Of course, other fastening options of these components to one another are also included in the scope of the invention.

The 1 and 2 also show that the angle of the wings 22, hereinafter called the wing angle 26, is between 20 ° and 40 ° in the present hand tool 10. The exact size of the wing angle 26 depends on the specific application.

Fig. 3 shows the sheet 20 from behind. The sheet 20 has the two wings 22, which were created by folding. Between the two wings 22 there is a groove through which the base plate 30 is visible. This base plate 30 further connects the two wings 22 and gives the hand tool additional stability.

Fig. 4 shows a blank for a sheet 20 according to the invention. It is an eroded or stamped approximately trapezoidal sheet metal part, in which the later shape of the wings 22 with the tips 23 can already be seen. This part is subjected to a folding process along its axis of symmetry 21, but also in other areas, so as to form the later sheet 20. Here only the base plate 30 then has to be attached and the hinge 41 fastened with the handle 40 in order to obtain the finished hand tool.

The 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the hand tool 10 according to the invention. This is an outside corner spatula. In this hand tool 10 too, a handle 40 with a blade 20 is provided, the blade 20 being angled and forming two wings 22. These wings 22 each have a bevel 27 in their lower area, facing the handle 40, which in turn each has a bend 28 pointing outwards. This prevents material from being accidentally removed when the outer corner filler is moved downwards.

Furthermore, the special shape of the wings 22 can be seen again. These tapers again taper to the outside and each have a rounded tip 23 at their outer ends. The bevel 23 provided at the tips 23 points outwards, away from the opposite wing 22. The wing angle 26 is slightly larger in this embodiment than in the first shown and is between 40 ° and 50 °. The leg angle 25 between the two wings 22 is preferably slightly less than 90 ° and is approximately 80 °.

In contrast to the inner corner filler, no triangular base plate 30 is provided here. The hinge 41 is bent significantly more than in the embodiment described first. This serves to ensure that the hand of an operator holding the hand tool 10 and thus spreading or applying a pasty or pulpy mass to an outside corner does not come into contact with the outside corner or the mass located thereon and destroys or damages the processing result. In order to achieve this, the angle at which the handle 40 is relative to the sheet 20 must differ significantly with an inner corner and an outer corner spatula.

In conclusion, it should also be pointed out that the embodiments shown here are merely an exemplary implementation of the invention. It is not limited to this. Rather, changes and modifications are still possible. For example, the handle can be designed differently or be made of another material. The length of the rod can also vary, as can the size of the blade. The attachment and / or the angular position of the parts angel, base plate and sheet to one another can be done in a different way. The sheet can be made from any flexible sheet material.

Reference symbol list :

10

Hand tool

20th

sheet

21

Axis of symmetry of 20

22

wing

23

Top of 22

24

Fold at 23

25

Leg angle

26

Wing angle

27

bevel

28

Bend

30

baseplate

31

equally long pages of 30

32

third page of 30

33

Weld

40

Handle

41

fishing rod

Claims (14)

Hand tool (10) for applying, distributing and / or smoothing pasty and pulpy masses in the area of an inner corner,
with a handle (40) on which a sheet (20) for processing the corresponding pasty or pulpy mass is attached,
the sheet (20) being mirror-symmetrical and at least partially angled along its axis of symmetry (21) and thus forming two wings (22),
characterized,
that the wings (22) each taper to the outside and have a rounded tip (23) at their outer ends opposite the axis of symmetry (21) and consist of a thin flexible material
and that the outer tips (23) of the wings (22) have a bevel (24) towards each other. Hand tool (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle between the two wings (22), hereinafter called leg angle (25), is more than 90 °, preferably 100 °. Hand tool (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the blade (20) is connected to a base plate (30) which has approximately the shape of an isosceles triangle, the two wings (22) on the two sides of the same length (31) of the base plate (30) are folded along and the handle (40) and / or the hinge (41) cut the third side (32) in the center or are arranged centrally on it. Hand tool (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the blade (20) and / or the handle (40) and / or the hinge (41) are welded (33) or glued to the base plate (30). Hand tool (10) for applying, distributing and / or smoothing pasty and pulpy masses in the area of an outside corner,
with a handle (40) on which a sheet (20) for processing the corresponding pasty or pulpy mass is attached,
the sheet (20) being mirror-symmetrical and at least partially angled along its axis of symmetry (21) and thus forming two wings (22),
characterized,
that the wings (22) have a bevel (27) in their lower region facing the handle (40), which in turn has a bend (28) pointing away from the opposite wing (22),
the wings (22) tapering further upward and have a rounded tip (23) at their outer ends opposite the axis of symmetry (21) and consist of a thin flexible material
and that the outer tips (23) of the wings (22) have a bevel (24) facing away from each other. Hand tool (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the angle between the two wings (22), hereinafter called leg angle (25), is less than 90 °, preferably 80 °. Hand tool (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the angle of the outer tips (23) of the wings (22), hereinafter called wing angle (26), is in the range between 20 ° and 50 °, preferably in the range of 25 ° to 45 °. Hand tool (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the handle (40) is connected indirectly or directly to the blade (20) via a hinge (41). Hand tool (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the blade (20) consists of a thin elastic sheet. Hand tool (10) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the sheet (20) is formed in one piece from a cut, eroded or stamped sheet metal or another flat material which is folded or reshaped. Hand tool (10) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the handle (40) has an ergonomic shape and / or is made of a haptically pleasant material. Hand tool (10) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the handle (40) is made of a two-component material. A method for producing a hand tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an approximately trapezoidal symmetrical shape is first punched out, cut out or eroded from a sheet metal material or another flexible sheet material and then this shape is shaped such that the desired shape of the Leaf (20) arises. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that the formed sheet (20) is glued, welded, screwed or riveted to the base plate (30) and / or the handle (40) and / or the hinge (41).

Images