HK1117455B - Fluid reservoir for a paint spray gun - Google Patents

Description

Fluid reservoir for a paint spray gun

Technical Field

The invention relates to a fluid reservoir (Flie β becher) for a paint spray gun/paint spray gun, having a container and a cover that can be placed on the container, the cover having a connection for placing the fluid reservoir on a paint spray gun or an adapter, wherein the container has a vent opening that can be closed by a valve.

Background

Such a fluid reservoir is known from the prior art, for example from WO 98/32539. The fluid reservoir is intended for single use and comprises a container made of plastic and a lid which can be placed on the container for closing the container. On the upper side of the cover, a connecting device is provided for mounting and fastening the fluid reservoir to the paint spray gun or to an adapter connected to the paint spray gun. Here, the fluid reservoir is "upside down," that is, the fluid reservoir is placed on the paint spray gun with the cap side down. The coating material in the fluid reservoir flows downwardly by gravity into the coating material inlet passage of the coating material spray gun. To achieve gravity-driven paint flow, pressure equalization between the interior of the fluid reservoir and the external environment is necessary. To ensure this pressure equalization, a vent opening is formed in the bottom of the container, which vent opening can be closed by adhesive tape or a manually operable valve.

Another type of fluid reservoir is known from DE 102004021298 a 1. In the fluid reservoir, the valve for closing the vent opening is designed as a slide valve. With such a slide valve, there is the risk that the ventilation opening is not completely closed when the valve slide is not completely pushed into the valve housing. In this case, there is a risk of filling the fluid reservoir with coating material: the coating flows out through the vent opening which is not completely closed by the slide plate.

Disclosure of Invention

Based on the prior art, it was an object of the present invention to provide a fluid reservoir with an easily manually operable valve for reliably closing a vent opening.

This object is achieved by a fluid reservoir having the following features: the valve has a closing element which pivots about a pivot like a rocker for closing the gas opening in a fluid-tight manner.

Advantageous embodiments of the fluid reservoir are as follows.

The closure element is pivotable between a first valve position, in which it closes the venting opening, and a second valve position, in which a pressure equalization between the interior of the container and the environment is possible.

The closing element can be releasably fixed in the first valve position by means of a clamping or latching mechanism.

A plug is integrally formed on the closure member and engages the vent opening in the valve closed position.

The plug is arranged on a plug disk which, when the plug is engaged with a vent opening, rests against the wall of the container, said vent opening being arranged on said wall.

The closing element is designed as a rocker having a first arm, a second arm and a pivot bearing.

The pivot bearing is mounted in a receiving seat arranged on the wall of the container.

The receiving seat is integrally formed on the wall of the container.

Corresponding stop elements are provided on the pivot bearing and the receiving bearing.

The pivot bearing element can be releasably locked in the receiving support both in the first valve position and in the second valve position by means of corresponding latching elements.

The plug is integrally formed on the upper side of the first arm facing the wall.

The closure element is switchable to a first valve position by manually pressing the first arm and from the first valve position to a second valve position by manually pressing the second arm.

A ring projecting outward and surrounding the ventilation opening is integrally formed on the wall, and a bead extending around the edge is integrally formed on the plug disk, said bead circumferentially clamping the ring in the first valve position.

The vent is located at the bottom of the container.

A seal is provided on the vent opening or on a ring or closure element surrounding the vent opening.

Drawings

The invention is explained in detail below according to an embodiment with reference to the drawings. The figure shows that:

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a fluid reservoir of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the valve of the fluid reservoir of FIG. 1 in a valve closed position (FIG. 2a) and a valve open position (FIG. 2 b); and

fig. 3 shows a detailed perspective view of the valve of the fluid reservoir in fig. 1 in an exploded view from obliquely above (fig. 3a) or obliquely below (fig. 3 b).

Detailed Description

The fluid reservoir shown in fig. 1 comprises a cup-shaped container 1 and a cap 2 which can be screwed onto the container. The cover 2 has an outlet connection with an outlet on its upper side. A connection 3 for mounting and fastening the fluid reservoir on the paint spray gun or on an adapter arranged between the paint spray gun and the fluid reservoir is integrally formed on the outside of the outlet connection end. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the connection 3 comprises threads and a wedge-shaped groove, which interact with a corresponding connection on the paint spray gun, i.e. a corresponding internal thread and a pin engaging the groove. Both the container 1 and the lid 2 are preferably made as plastic injection-molded parts.

To fill the container 1, the lid 2 is removed and replaced after filling. The cover 2 can then be placed and fastened to the connection of the paint spray gun or an adapter by means of the connection 3. During spraying, the fluid reservoir is located on the upper side of the paint spray gun and the liquid in the container flows by gravity into the paint inlet passage of the paint spray gun.

In order to maintain the gravity-driven liquid flow, the pressure between the interior of the container 1 and the external environment must be balanced. Thus, a vent 6 is provided in the wall 9 of the container 1. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the vent 6 is located at the bottom of the container. Alternatively, however, the vent 6 may be provided on the side wall of the container 1, preferably near the bottom. In order to close the venting opening 6, a valve 5 is provided, said valve 5 being arranged on the underside of the container bottom. Furthermore, a peripherally circumferential cylindrical rim 21 is integrally formed on the underside of the container bottom, said rim projecting beyond the valve 5 in order to be able to place the container 1 on the ground during filling.

The valve 5 is designed as a pendulum valve (Wippenventil) and has a closure element 8 which is pivotable about a pivot 7 for closing the ventilation opening 6. Fig. 2 and 3 show the valve 5 in detail, wherein fig. 2a shows the valve 5 in a valve closed position, fig. 2b shows the valve 5 in a valve open position, and fig. 3a and 3b show the components of the valve 5 in an exploded view.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the valve 5 comprises a closing element 8 which can rotate like a rocker about a pivot 7. The closing element 8 can be pivoted between a first valve position, in which the closing element 8 closes the venting opening 6 (as shown in fig. 2a), and a second valve position, in which a pressure equalization between the interior of the container 1 and the environment is possible (as shown in fig. 2 b). In the first valve position, in which the closing element 8 closes the ventilation opening 6, the closing element 8 is preferably fixed in the ventilation opening 6 in a manually releasable manner by means of a clamping or latching mechanism.

The closure element 8 comprises a first arm 12 and a second arm 13 and a pivot bearing member (Schwenklager)14 integrally formed on the underside of the closure element 8. The pivot bearing member 14 is substantially cylindrical in design and is clamped in a receiving seat (Aufnahmelager)15 integrally formed in the bottom of the container 1. The receiving seat 15 is shaped in such a way that the pivot bearing element 14 can be releasably clamped or latched in the receiving seat. Alternatively or in addition, the closing element 8 can also be connected inseparably and therefore be limited so that it can be pivoted on the receiving abutment 15 by means of the pivot bearing 14.

On the upper side of the first arm 12 of the closure element 8, a cylindrical or conically tapering plug 10 is provided, which is integrally arranged on a plug disk (zapf center) 11. In the closed position of the valve (fig. 2a), the plug 10 engages the vent opening 6 and closes this opening in a fluid-tight manner. In this case, the plug disk 11, which has a larger diameter than the plug 10, rests against the outside of the wall 9 of the container 1, the ventilation opening 6 being formed in said wall 9. A circular groove is provided on the plug disk, which is preferably of cylindrical configuration like the plug 10. When in the valve closed position (fig. 2a), a ring 16 projecting from the wall 9, integrally formed around the vent opening 6 at the lower side of the wall 9, tightly engages the groove. By this snap-fit engagement of the ring 16 in the annular groove on the plug disk 11, a releasable fixing of the closure element 8 in the valve-closed position is ensured and at the same time a fluid-tight engagement of the plug 10 with the vent opening 6 is ensured. Preferably, the diameter of the plug 10 is adapted to the diameter of the preferably circular vent opening 6 in such a way that the plug 10 engages tightly with the vent opening 6 and also a releasable fixing of the closure element 8 in the vent opening 6 in the closed position of the valve is thereby possible. For this purpose, the diameter of the plug 10 preferably tapers conically forward.

In an alternative embodiment, the slot in the plug tray 11 is wider than the width of the ring 16. When the closure element is placed in the valve closed position, no jamming action occurs. In this embodiment, the annular groove in the plug disk serves to receive liquid that may collect on the area around the vent opening, particularly the ring 16, during spraying. Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment, a bead 20 extending circumferentially along the edge side is integrally formed on the plug plate 11, which bead circumferentially clamps the ring 16 in the valve-closed position (fig. 2 a). When the vent opening 6 is closed by the closure element 8, the bead 20 serves as spray protection and prevents splashing of liquid or paint residues that accumulate around the vent opening 6 and in particular in the region of the ring 16 during spraying.

The valve 5 can be switched from the valve closed position (fig. 2a) to the valve open position (fig. 2b) manually by pressing the second arm 13. When the second arm 13 of the closure element 8 is manually pressed, the pivot bearing 14 rotates through an angle of approximately 10 ° to 45 ° in the receiving abutment 15. In order to prevent the closure element 8 from deflecting excessively, a stop mechanism is provided, which in the embodiment shown in the figures is formed by a ramp 17 on the underside of the receiving seat 15. The closure element 8 can be deflected by pressing the second arm 13 until the upper side of the second arm 13 abuts against the ramp 17, as shown in fig. 2 b. The vent opening can be closed by manually pressing the first arm 12 to place the closure element 8 in the closed position (fig. 2 a).

In order to be able to fix the closing element 8 not only in the closed position of the valve but also in the open position of the valve, corresponding stop elements are preferably provided on the pivot bearing 14 and the receiving abutment 15. In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 3a and 3b, the stop element is in the form of a recess 18 on the pivot bearing part 14 and a stop pin 19 on the receiving bearing 15, which corresponds to the recess 18. In order to be able to lock the closing element 8 on the receiving abutment 19 both in the closed position of the valve and in the open position of the valve, two recesses 18 are provided on the pivot bearing part 14 and two corresponding locking pins 19 are provided on the receiving abutment 15, said recesses being located at opposite positions outside the pivot bearing part 14 which is embodied in a semi-cylindrical shape.

In order to ensure the best possible liquid-tight closure of the vent opening 6, a sealing ring is provided in a preferred embodiment, which is not shown here, which sealing ring can be mounted on the plug 10 or on the plug disk 11 or in the ring 16.

Claims (12)

1. Fluid reservoir for a paint spray gun, having a container (1) and a cover (2) which can be placed on the container (1) and which has a connection (3) for placing the fluid reservoir on the paint spray gun or adapter, wherein the container (1) has a ventilation opening (6) which can be closed by means of a valve (5), characterized in that the valve (5) has a closing element (8) which is pivoted like a rocker about a pivot (7) for closing the ventilation opening (6) in a fluid-tight manner, the closing element (8) being designed as a rocker with a first arm (12), a second arm (13) and a pivot bearing (14), the pivot bearing (14) being supported in a receiving seat (15) which is arranged on a wall (9) of the container (1), and in that the pivot bearing (14) and the receiving seat (15) are provided with mutually corresponding stop elements.

2. The fluid reservoir as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the closure element (8) can be pivoted between a first valve position in which the closure element (8) closes the ventilation opening (6) and a second valve position in which a pressure equalization between the interior of the container (1) and the environment is possible.

3. The fluid reservoir as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the closure element (8) can be releasably fixed in the first valve position by means of a clamping or latching mechanism.

4. A fluid reservoir according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a plug (10) is integrally formed on the closure element (8), said plug engaging the venting opening (6) in the valve-closed position.

5. The fluid reservoir as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the plug (10) is arranged on a plug disk (11), which plug disk (11) rests against the wall (9) of the container when the plug (10) is in engagement with the vent opening (6), which vent opening (6) is arranged on the wall (9).

6. The fluid reservoir as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receiving abutment (15) is formed integrally on the wall (9) of the container (1).

7. The fluid reservoir as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the pivot bearing element (14) can be releasably locked in the receiving support (15) both in the first valve position and in the second valve position by means of corresponding latching elements.

8. The fluid reservoir as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the plug (10) is integrally formed on the upper side of the first arm (12) facing the wall (9).

9. The fluid reservoir as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the closure element (8) can be switched into the first valve position by manually pressing the first arm (12) and from the first valve position into the second valve position by manually pressing the second arm (13).

10. The fluid reservoir as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that a ring (16) which projects outwards and surrounds the ventilation opening (6) is integrally formed on the wall (9), and a bead (20) which extends peripherally and circumferentially is integrally formed on the plug disk (11), said bead circumferentially clamping the ring (16) in the first valve position.

11. A fluid reservoir according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vent (6) is located at the bottom of the container.

12. The fluid reservoir as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that a seal is provided on the venting opening (6) or on a ring (16) or on the closure element (8) surrounding the venting opening (6).