WO2008084221A2

WO2008084221A2 - Paint brush cleaning

Info

Publication number: WO2008084221A2
Application number: PCT/GB2008/000059
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alan James Roddis; William George Colton
Original assignee: Ideas2Develop Ltd
Priority date: 2007-01-11
Filing date: 2008-01-10
Publication date: 2008-07-17
Also published as: GB0714201D0; GB0700536D0; WO2008084221A3

Abstract

A paint brush cleaning device having a first part (9) adapted for securing to a power drill so that said device may be rotated about a longitudinal axis thereof, a second part (20, 31) integral with said first part and having means (20, 31) for attaching the device to the handle of a paint brush with said handle extending along said longitudinal axis, and means (22, 17) for attaching the device to a liquid container to provide a closure therefor.

Description

Paint Brush Cleaning

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to the cleaning of paint brushes both efficiently and effectively by the application of rotary motion to the brush.

Background

The cleaning of paint brushes is a burden to all those who decorate walls and other surfaces with paint. Paint brushes that have been used to apply oil-based paints or varnishes onto walls, woodwork, metalwork etc require special cleaning consideration. An example of a common oil-based product is a gloss paint which cannot easily be removed from paint brush with water and, accordingly, turpentine or a substitute therefore is commonly used.

US5185938 (Hutt) discloses a device which is securable to the chuck of a handheld power drill and is adapted to clamp either a paint brush or a paint roller, so as to spin the same for cleaning by centrifugal force. The device is a three part construction comprising a jaw unit, a sleeve and a cap nut which, when assembled, may grip the handle of a paint brush and be attached to a hand held power drill so that the paint brush may be rapidly rotated about its longitudinal axis within a container whereby the paint is flung from the brush leaving the brush in a clean condition.

The device of Hutt is relatively complex, being in three parts and, when not in use, the component parts, or the whole of the device, is likely to be misplaced.

GB2367485 (Twigg) discloses a device based on an adaptation of the handle of a paint brush with a female cavity in handle. The cavity provides a connection means to a power drill. Although less complex than Hutt, the attachment means is still prone to being mislaid and lost. Statements of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided an attachment device which has first and second longitudinally displaced ends said first end providing means for connecting the attachment device to a power drill, said second end providing means for connecting said attachment device to an application member, such as a paint brush, and means to attach the device to a fluid container, particularly when said device is not in use.

Preferably, said attachment device is attached to a fluid-retaining container by a thread-like means.

Preferably, said thread-like means incorporates a mechanism, which prevents the attachment device from being detached from the container accidentally. This mechanism may be in the form of an anti-tamper feature and/or a child-lock type feature, for example, whereby a vertical force must be applied to said attachment device before a rotary force will detach said device from said container.

Preferably, said attachment device has a substantially male protrusion for attachment to a rotary actuator.

Preferably, said attachment device has a substantially female cavity for attachment to a rotary actuator.

Preferably, said aforementioned male protrusion option or female cavity option are substantially cylindrical in shape.

Preferably, said aforementioned male protrusion option or female cavity option are substantially non-cylindrical in shape, providing, by way of example, at least one drive surface or flat for positive, non-slip rotary movement between said attachment device and said rotary actuation.

Preferably, said attachment device has female cavity for attachment to an application device, such as a paint brush handle.

Preferably, said female cavity incorporates at least one radially extending split, as viewed in the end view, which discontinues the circumferential surface, permitting said female circumferential surface to open radially when an application device such as a paint brush handle is inserted. The paint brush is thereby retained by the frictional force between it and the attachment device.

Preferably, said female cavity includes a substantially elastomeric member with a higher co-efficient of friction resistance that said parent material of the attachment device, thereby offering an increased frictional drive feature.

The invention is not only retrofittable to the billions of paint brushes already in the marketplace, but it can not be misplaced given that, without it, the cleaning fluid would escape from the container. The invention thereby provides an attachment means which does not increase the total number of parts required in the cleaning operation, given that a fluid retainment cap is a mandatory requirement of the cleaning operation.

A further benefit is that the manufacturing cost of the attachment device of the invention is practically identical to the fluid retention cap already in use on containers carrying fluid such as turpentine substitute. This is a primary attraction to a manufacturer who wishes to add customer value by offering the benefits of the invention, without compromising the manufacturing costs of the container. In a particular aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paint brush cleaning device securable to the chuck of a power drill and adapted to clamp a paint brush so as to effect removal therefrom of paint by centrifugal force, the device comprising a sleeve for accommodating at least a portion of the handle of the paint brush, said sleeve having at one end one or more handle engaging elements and, at the other end, means for attaching the sleeve to a liquid container to provide a closure therefor, said device further comprising a clamping element which is removably attachable to said other end of the sleeve and, when the sleeve is not attached to the container, attachable to said one end of the sleeve to clamp the or each handle engaging element against the paint brush handle.

Preferably the device further includes a vessel, removably attachable to said fluid container, or to the other components of the device itself, within which the head of the paint brush may be located for spinning and for receiving paint removed from the brush.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The accompanying drawings are as follows:-

Figure 1 shows an isometric view of the invention, showing the first embodiment of the invention with a rotary actuation device;

Figure 2 corresponds to Figure 1 and shows a cross sectional view of the first embodiment invention;

Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 2 and shows a cross sectional view of the second embodiment of the invention, showing details of the insert grommet member; Figure 4 corresponds to Figure 3 and shows a cross sectional view of the invention attached to a fluid retention container;

Figure 5 corresponds to Figure 3 and shows a cross sectional view of the invention attached to a rotary actuation device;

Figure 6, corresponds to Figure 3 and shows a cross sectional view of the invention attached to an application device, shown by way of example only as a paint brush;

Figure 7, shows the attachment device, rotary actuation device and paint brush inserted into a container containing a cleaning fluid. Said container, in this context, is defined by the container open orifice being larger than the width of the paintbrush;

Figure 8 shows an isometric view of the third embodiment of the invention, showing an example of an anti-tamper feature in the attachment device;

Figure 9 shows an isometric view of the fourth embodiment of the invention, showing an example of label which is attached to the fluid retainment container and which shows the instructions for using attachment device of the invention with a rotary actuation device;

Figure 10 is a slightly isometric, longitudinal section of a fifth embodiment of a device of the present invention;

Figure 10a shows the device of Figure 10 attached to a fluid container;

Figure 11 shows the device of Figure 10 attached to a paint brush; Figure 12 shows the device of Figure 10 attached to a paint brush and to a power drill;

Figure 11 shows the device of Figure 10 attached to a fluid container;

Figure 14 shows the device of Figure 10 in use with the paint brush located within a paint receiving vessel; and

Figure 15 shows the device of Figure 10 attached to a fluid container and with a paint receiving vessel also attached to said container.

Detailed description of the invention

From Figure 1 , the attachment device 10 preferably contains a first end 11 and a second end 12. Said first end 11 is preferably a substantially male protrusion 9 extending beyond face 13 of the main body 14.

Preferably said male protrusion 9 has a circumferential coarse surface finish 8. Said surface finish provides acceptable frictional drive for the rotary actuator.

Preferably, the main body 14 is cylindrical in shape and contains an outer surface finish with a high frictional resistance 15,

Adjacent to the first end 11 is a female cavity which contains an appropriate container attachment means 17, shown in Figure 1 as a thread-like member.

Preferably, adjacent to thread-like means 17 is a sealing surface 18, which is preferably conical in shape and profiled to provide a sealing means when the attachment device 10 is attached to a container (not shown). Said sealing means provides a seal to prevent fluid from escaping from the container.

The second end 12 provides a substantially female cavity (not shown), which permits an application means, such as a paint brush, to be inserted and secured into the attachment device 10. Clearly, there are numerous methods of detachably securing the paint brush to the attachment device 10 including mechanical securing with a screw. However the preferred means is by a frictional interference fit.

Figure 2 corresponds to Figure 1 and shows a cross sectional view of the first embodiment invention, an attachment device 10.

From Figure 2 said attachment device 10 contains a second end 12 with a female cavity 20. Said female cavity 20 is preferably circumferentially discontinued by at least one slot 21 , as further shown in the side view.

Adjacent to the first end 11 is a female cavity 22, which contains a threadlike means 17 and preferably a sealing surface 18 which is radially displaced to male protrusion feature 9.

Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 2 and shows a cross sectional view of the second embodiment of the invention, showing an attachment device 30 with an insert grommet member 31 in the female cavity 32. Said grommet member 31 is ideally made from an elastomeric material such as rubber and therefore provides a high frictional resistance to positively retain the paintbrush (not shown) with the attachment device 30. Said grommet member 31 is preferably securely and permanently bonded to the attachment means 30. Figure 4 corresponds to Figure 3 and shows a cross sectional view of the attachment means 30 attached to a fluid retention container 40 which contains a suitable cleaning fluid 41.

As described previously, said attachment device 30 is secured to the container 40 by a suitable means, such as a thread-like engagement 41 as shown. Furthermore, preferably, a seal joint is made between the two devices 30 and 40 at conical surface interface 42. Clearly one or more sealing surfaces could be employed in the assembly as deemed suitable.

Figure 5 corresponds to Figure 3 and shows a cross sectional view of the attachment device 30 attached to a rotary actuation device 50. Preferably, said rotary actuation device has a chuck-like feature 51 which comprises of one or more jaws which permit the chuck 51 to be attached to the male protrusion 52 of the attachment device 30.

Figure 6, corresponds to Figure 3 and shows a cross sectional view of the attachment device 30 attached to an application device, shown by way of example only as a paint brush 60. Preferably, the attachment means between 30 and 60 is by way of a frictional interference fit at surface 61.

Figure 7, shows the attachment device 30, rotary actuation device 50 and paint brush 60 inserted into a container 70 containing a cleaning fluid 71. Said container 70, in this context, is defined by the container with an open orifice 72 being larger than the width of the paintbrush 60.

The paintbrush 60 is cleaned by the rotary actuation transmitted from the drill 50, preferably while the paint brush 60 is submerged in the cleaning fluid 71. Preferably, the container 70 has a lid (not shown) covering the opening 72. Figure 8 shows an isometric view of the third embodiment of the invention, showing by way of example only, of an anti-tamper feature 80 in the attachment device 81.

Figure 9 shows an isometric view of the fourth embodiment of the invention, showing an example of label 90 which is attached to the fluid retainment container 91 and which shows the instructions for using attachment device 30 of the invention with a rotary actuation device (not shown).

The reader should thereby relate to the adder user value of the attachment device of the invention.

Referring to Figures 10 to 15 of the accompanying drawings, a further embodiment of the paint brush cleaning device 101 which comprises three elements, namely, sleeve 103, end cap 105 which is secured to sleeve 103, and clamping element 107 which is removably attachable to end cap 5 and thereby indirectly to sleeve 103.

Sleeve 103 is of a length sufficient to accommodate at least a significant portion of the handle of a paint brush. At one end 109 sleeve 103 is provided with longitudinally extending integral fingers 111 , each of which is capable of resilient radial movement towards the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. Located longitudinally adjacent fingers 111 on the solid body of the sleeve is an external screw thread 113 which is of a longitudinal length between about half and two thirds that of the length of fingers 111.

The wall 115 of sleeve 103 is substantially uniform in thickness along most of its length. However, towards that end remote from fingers 111 , the wall thickens and the interior surface becomes fluted, as illustrated in the drawings. Beyond the end of the fluted section 117 the sleeve is stepped inwardly to provide a hexagonal cross section spindle 119 which has a length very roughly the same as that of the fluted section 117.

Secured to sleeve 103 at its end adjacent spindle 119 is end cap 105. This end cap 105 is a hollow, substantially cylindrical body which surrounds the end of sleeve 103. Cap 105 has a section 121 of relatively small diameter, provided with an internal screw tread 123. Stepped outwardly from section

121 is a relatively large diameter portion 125 which is provided with tab members 127, each having a radially outwardly extending lug 129 and each being flexible relative to the body of cap 105.

Clamping element 107 is broadly in the form of a short cylindrical sleeve having a first, relatively small diameter section 131 which is internally screw threaded and which includes a portion which extends gradually and radially outwards at 133. Extending from portion 133 is a second cylindrical section 135 and this in turn is stepped outwardly to provide a further cylindrical section 137 provided with recesses 139 for accommodating lugs 129 of tabs 127. In order to release clamping element 107 from end cap 105, diametrically opposed tabs 127 are depressed radially inwards, in order to extract legs 129 from recesses 139, and the clamping element moved longitudinally relative to end cap 105.

Clamping element 107, having been removed from end cap 105, may be then applied to the other end of sleeve 103 for engaging the screw thread 123 of element 107 with the corresponding thread 113 of sleeve 103. Effecting such screw threaded engagement between these members causes the clamping element 107 increasingly to impinge upon fingers 111 and thereby cause them to move radially inwardly. This operation may be effected with the handle 141 of paint brush 103 located within the sleeve 103 as illustrated in, for instance, Figure 11. This thread engagement is continued until the brush handle 141 is securely clamped. The resultant assembly may then be attached to a handheld (or surface mounted) drill 145 by mounting spindle 119 within drill chuck 147 to achieve the position illustrated in, for instance, Figure 12. In order to remove paint loaded on brush 143, the brush is positioned within a vessel, such as a bucket, and the drill operated to rotate rapidly the brush. As a result, paint is thrown by centrifrigal force outwardly from the brush leaving the brush entirely free of paint after a few seconds rotation.

Referring to Figure 13, there is illustrated a container 149 for, for instance, turpentine substitute, the cap of the container being the entire assembly illustrated in Figure 10. The container of turpentine substitute or other fluid may be sold complete with the Figure 10 assembly. Alternatively, it may be sold with an ordinary container cap which may be substituted with the Figure 10 assembly by the purchaser.

Referring to Figures 14 and 15, a fluid container 151 , which may be a container for, for instance, turpentine substitute, may be fitted in addition to the Figure 10 assembly, an outer vessel 153 which, as illustrated in Figure 15, is an outer cap for the container. This vessel 153 is of broadly frusto- conical shape with a relatively narrow base and a wide open end. The open end is provided with an integral, inwardly extending lip 155. The container 151 is provided with a corresponding recessed portion 157 and the vessel 153 is fitted to container 151 by press fitting the lip 155 into recess 157 by downward pressure applied to vessel 153 relative to container 151.

Vessel 153 may be then be used as the container within which the brush may be rotated, as a illustrated in Figure 14, in order to remove the paint from the brush. The container within which the brushes rotated may itself be loaded with a suitable fluid such as a turpentine substitute. Alternatively it may be empty, relying solely on the centrifigal force to remove paint from the brush.

Claims

1. A paint brush cleaning device having a first part (9) adapted for securing to a power drill so that said device may be rotated about a longitudinal axis thereof, a second part (20, 31) integral with said first part and having means (20, 31 ) for attaching the device to the handle of a paint brush with said handle extending along said longitudinal axis, and means (22, 17 ) for attaching the device to a liquid container to provide a closure therefor.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said attachment means includes a screw-threaded portion.

3. A device according to claim 1or 2, wherein said attachment means comprises means for preventing the device from being detached from the container accidentally.

4. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said attachment means includes an anti-tamper feature and/or a child-lock feature, whereby a vertical force must be applied to said device before a rotary force will detach said device from said container.

5. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the device has a substantially male protrusion for attachment to a power drill.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said protrusion is substantially cylindrical in shape.

7. A device according to claim 5, wherein said protrusion is of non- cylindrical shape.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said protrusion is provided with a drive surface or flat for non-clip rotary movement between said device and said power drill.

9. A device according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein said attachment device has a substantially female cavity for attachment to a power drill.

10. A device according to Claim 9, wherein said cavity is substantially cylindrical in shape.

11. A device according to Claim 9, wherein said cavity is of non- cylindrical shape.

12. A device according to Claim 11, wherein said cavity is provided with a drive surface or flat for positive, non-slip rotary movement between said device and said power drill.

13. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said device has a female cavity for attachment to a paint brush handle.

14. A device according to any Claim 13, wherein said female cavity incorporates at least one radially extending split, as viewed in the end view, which discontinues the circumferential surface, permitting said female circumferential surface to open radially when a paint brush handle is inserted.

15. A device according to Claim 13 or Claim 14, wherein said female cavity includes a substantially elastomeric member with a higher co- efficient of friction resistance than that of the main body of the device, thereby providing an increased frictional drive.

16. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a seal is formed between said container and said device when they are connected together.

17. A paint brush cleaning device securable to the chuck of ae power drill and adapted to clamp a paint brush so as to effect removal of paint therefrom by centrifugal force, the device comprising a sleeve for accommodating at least a portion of the handle of the paint brush, said sleeve having at one end one or more handle engaging elements and, at the other end, means for attaching the sleeve to a liquid container to provide a closure therefor, said device further comprising a clamping element which is removably attachable to said other end of the sleeve and, when the sleeve is not attached to the container, attachable to said one end of the sleeve to clamp the or each handle engaging element against the paint brush handle.

18. A device according to Claim 19, wherein the device further includes a vessel, removably attachable to said fluid container, or to the other components of the device itself, within which the head of the paint brush may be located for spinning and for receiving paint removed from the brush.