WO2023027574A1

WO2023027574A1 - A spray gun handle and trigger attachment

Info

Publication number: WO2023027574A1
Application number: PCT/MY2021/050113
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yoke En Ong
Original assignee: Samurai 2K Aerosol Sdn. Bhd.
Priority date: 2021-08-24
Filing date: 2021-11-30
Publication date: 2023-03-02
Also published as: TW202325410A

Abstract

The present invention discloses a spray gun handle and trigger attachment for use with an aerosol type container (50), the attachment comprising a trigger assembly (20) pivotal with respect to a handle grip (30), wherein the trigger assembly (20) is adapted to activate a spray valve (51) of the aerosol type container (50) when actuated by a palm of a user's hand, in which the direction of the spray is generally away from the user.

Description

A SPRAY GUN HANDLE AND TRIGGER ATTACHMENT

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a spray gun handle and trigger attachment, particular for use with an aerosol type container for purposes of spraying a target area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An aerosol container is a dispensing system designed to turn a liquid product into a finely dispersed mist, by propelling the liquid product with a pressurised propellant fluid stored therein. It is widely used in sanitary articles, cosmetics, cleansing articles, and industrial articles. However, there are inconveniences when handling an aerosol container. For example, a push-button valve aerosol container may leak near the button after a period of time of continuous usage. The content in the aerosol container may be a chemical synthetic and is harmful to human health so avoiding direct contact so said chemicals is necessary. Many spray guns have been introduced which connects the aerosol container to a hand-held apparatus with a trigger assembly for actuating said aerosol container, in which the trigger is usually activated with the user’s fingers. Prolonged use may cause fatigue in the fingers, which would cause inconsistencies in spraying the content from the aerosol container.

Many technologies have been implemented to improve on existing spray gun handle attachments. One such technology is disclosed in a United States patent with publication no. US9808816B1 which recites a portable, self-contained, hand-held, spray gun system having a spray gun with a handle, barrel, trigger, and an interchangeable cartridge containing a sprayable substance which may flow from the cartridge under pressure through a portion of the barrel past a selectively positionable needle valve and out an exit orifice of a nozzle when the trigger is squeezed allowing a user to spray the pressurized contents of the vessel over a selected surface and stop such spraying activity by releasing the trigger all without the need for a separate power source or motorized compressor. Another United States patent with publication no. US9533818B2 discloses a clamping device for a sprayer can comprising a shell body which includes a grip portion and a clamping portion for clamping one end of a sprayer can. The clamping portion includes a circumferential wall, and the circumferential wall defines a space for receiving a dispenser valve of the sprayer can, and a receiving opening communicating with the space. The circumferential wall is further formed with a window which communicates with the space, and the dispenser valve can spray through the window. Yet another United States patent with publication no. US8052015B2 discloses a holder apparatus which includes a handhold formed on an end thereof for holding and a barrel section extending from another end thereof. A clamping section is formed from the front end of the barrel section opposite to the handhold and includes two jaw portions joined together, two limited grooves respectively formed in and extending along the two jaw portions, two inner rim portions respectively defined against the two limited grooves and two clamping edges respectively formed on the inner wall of the two jaw portions related to the two limited grooves, wherein the clamping edges grip a neck of a sprayer and support the bottom of a rim of a sprayer. One other technology as disclosed in a United States patent with publication no. US20080054025A1 recites a device for holding and actuating a sprayer, the sprayer includes a neck, a rim formed on the neck, a push-button valve and a nozzle on the push-button valve. The device includes a holder and a trigger, whereby the holder includes a handle, a barrel extending from the handle and a clamp extending from the barrel. Further, the clamp includes two jaws formed thereon, a mouth defined between the jaws and a gap defined between the jaws. The neck of the sprayer can be pushed into the mouth through the gap and the trigger is connected to the holder so that the trigger is operable to push the push-button valve of the sprayer. SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a spray gun handle and trigger attachment for preventing contact with an aerosol container directly and reducing a risk of harming human health. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an attachment which would be more stable in use and reduce fatigue on the user’s arm when said attachment is in use for prolonged periods.

It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a spray gun handle and trigger attachment for use with an aerosol type container, the attachment comprising a trigger assembly pivotal with respect to a handle grip, wherein the trigger assembly is adapted to activate a spray valve of the aerosol type container when actuated by a palm of a user’s hand, in which the direction of the spray is generally away from the user.

Preferably, the attachment further comprises a receptacle on a front end portion of the attachment which is adapted to dock the aerosol type container.

Preferably, the receptacle has a front opening to allow spraying of content from the aerosol container.

Preferably, the receptacle includes an aperture on either a right or a left side of said receptacle to allow access for adjusting the spray valve of the aerosol type container.

Preferably, the receptacle includes a receiving opening disposed at either an upper end or a lower end for docking the aerosol type container.

Preferably, the receptacle having the receiving opening disposed at its upper end, is upwardly or downwardly angled in an angle ranging from 0° to 30° with respect to horizontal axis of a top part of a body of the attachment, such that the angle of spraying is parallel to said body.

Preferably, the trigger assembly comprises a trigger body which is formed by a first portion for receiving a force exerted by the user’s palm to trigger the first portion through moving the trigger assembly from an original position to an actuating position, a second portion for actuating the spray valve of the aerosol type container when the trigger assembly is at the actuating position, and a third portion disposed in between the first portion and the second portion for returning the trigger assembly to the original position.

Preferably, the third portion is configured to provide a substantial amount of resistance when the first portion is pushed inwards, and return the trigger assembly to its original position after the force exerted onto the first portion is released.

Preferably, the second portion is configured to rotate about a pivot point and move upwards to press the spray valve upon triggering the first portion.

Preferably, the trigger assembly with a receptacle having a receiving opening disposed at its lower end has a pivot point located at bottom of the first portion such that the second portion moves downwards to actuate the spray valve upon triggering the first portion.

Preferably, the handle grip includes an extrusion disposed perpendicularly with respect to the trigger assembly for receiving a user’s fingers when the handle grip is held.

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiment described herein is not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawing the preferred embodiments from an inspection of which when considered in connection with the following description, the invention, its construction and operation and many of its advantages would be readily understood and appreciated.

FIG. 1 illustrates a spray gun handle and trigger attachment for use with an aerosol type container.

FIG. 2 illustrates a breakdown drawing of the spray gun handle and trigger attachment in accordance with a preferably embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross sectional view of the spray gun handle and trigger attachment.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of the spray gun handle and trigger attachment with the aerosol type container docked to the attachment.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the spray gun handle and trigger attachment.

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross sectional view of the alternative embodiment of the spray gun handle and trigger attachment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the invention shall be described according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention and by referring to the accompanying description and drawings. However, it is to be understood that limiting the description to the preferred embodiments of the invention is merely to facilitate discussion of the present invention and it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

The present invention discloses a spray gun handle and trigger attachment for use with an aerosol type container, such as illustrated in FIG. 1. In a preferred embodiment, the attachment comprises a body 10 or a shell formed with a first section 11 and a second section 12 correspondingly connected to each other by either being pressed fit together or secured with screws. The first section 11 may include a plurality of hollow extrusions Illa, 111b, 111c in its interior to coincide with a plurality of elongate member [not shown] in the second section 12 to ease assembly of the body 10 of the attachment. Preferably, the body 10 of the attachment may be made of a plastic material which is light and strong, in addition to being able to withstand a weight of the aerosol type container 50. Besides that, the handle grip 30 extends downwardly at an angle from a top part 13 of the body 10 and may be designed to have an ergonomic shape for the user to hold with a single hand easily. Preferably, the top part 13 of the body 10 is typically rectangular in structure with the handle grip 30 extending from its lower portion. In a particular embodiment, the handle grip 30 further includes a substantially J-shaped extrusion 60 to disposed perpendicularly on an opposite end of the handle grip 30 with respect to the trigger assembly 20, in which the extrusion 60 is for receiving the user’s fingers when the handle grip 30 is held. Preferably, the extrusion 60 is attached to the second section 12 of the body 10 and fits into a slot on the first section 11 when both sections 11, 12 of the body 10 are assembled together.

In another preferred embodiment, a receptacle 40 is formed at an end portion of the top part 13 of the first section 11 of the body 10, in which the receptacle 40 includes a circumferential wall 41 which defines a space for receiving or docking of the aerosol type container 50 and a receiving opening either on an upper end or a lower end of said receptacle 40 communicating with the space. Preferably, the receiving opening has an inner diameter which is smaller than an outer diameter of the circumferential wall 41, such that the receptacle 40 may be secured with a neck 52 of the aerosol type container 50. Also preferably, the upper end of the receptacle 40 which receives the aerosol type container 50 has a substantially greater thickness as compared to the thickness of the circumferential wall 41.

In yet another preferred embodiment, the receptacle 40 is formed with a front opening communicating with the space and for the spray valve to spray content from the aerosol type container 50. Preferably, the receptacle 40 may include one or more protruding lips 43 disposed on an inner wall of the circumferential wall 41 which the spray valve 51 may rest on when the aerosol type container 50 is docked into the receptacle 40, and the protruding lips 43 may also prevent the aerosol type container 50 from moving or shifting out of position while in use. Further, the receptacle 40 may include an aperture 42 disposed on either a right or a left side of the receptacle 40 to allow adjusting of the spray valve 51, particularly for adjusting a volume of content being sprayed out from the aerosol type container 50. Preferably, the aperture 42 is disposed on the left side of the receptacle 42 for this particular embodiment.

In a particular embodiment, the receptacle 40 is upwardly angled in an angle denoted as a in FIG. 3 that ranges from 0° to 30° with respect to a horizontal axis of the top part 13 of the body 10 of the attachment, such that the receiving opening is on a plane that is pointing upwards and the aerosol type container 50 may be docked into said receptacle 40 in a direction towards the user, such as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4. Preferably, the angle of the receptacle 40 is between 5° to 25°. Such a configuration allows for increased stability and balance when in use, in addition to allowing for a direction of the spray to be parallel to the horizontal axis of the top part 13 of the body 10 of the attachment. Besides that, the receptacle 40 being at such an angle also allows for easy installation and removal of the aerosol type container 50. In an alternative embodiment, the receptacle 40 may be downwardly angled in an opposite vertical direction in a similar angle ranging from 0° to 30°, and more preferably from 5° to 25° with respect to the horizontal axis of the top part 13 of the body 10 of the attachment, such that the receiving opening is on a plane that is pointing downwards. This allows for deeper angles of spraying to be achieved without compromising ergonomics of the user holding the spray gun handle and trigger attachment. When the receptacle 13 is upwardly or downwardly angled in an angle of 0° with respect to the horizontal axis of the top part 13 of the body 10 of the attachment, the receptacle 13 is perpendicular to the top part 13 of the body 10 of the attachment.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, the body of the attachment may have a hollow interior which houses the trigger assembly 20 which is pivotal with respect to the handle grip 30, wherein the trigger assembly 20 is adapted to activate the spray valve 51 of the aerosol type container 50 when actuated by a palm of a user’s hand. In a preferred embodiment, the trigger assembly 20 may be made of a plastic material which is lightweight and flexible, yet sturdy to withstand repetitive actuation of the trigger assembly 20 while in use. The trigger assembly 20 may also be configured with boundary edges which are substantially greater in width and thickness in comparison with its inner structure, which can be seen in FIG. 2. Advantageously, this allows for the trigger assembly 20 to be highly flexible as compared to an entirely solid structure which may be less malleable and has a higher rate of wear and tear due to repetitive usage. In addition, a more cost-efficient manufacturing process may be achieved as less raw materials may be used to produce the trigger assembly 20.

In another preferred embodiment, the trigger assembly 20 comprises a trigger body which is formed by a first portion 21 for receiving a force exerted by the user’s palm to trigger the first portion 21 through moving the trigger assembly 20 from an original position to an actuating position, a second portion 22 for actuating the spray valve 51 of the aerosol type container 50 when the trigger assembly 20 is at the actuating position, and a third portion 23 disposed in between the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 for returning the trigger assembly 20 to the original position. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the trigger assembly 20 is attached to the first section 11 of the body 10 via a pivot point 25, which is located at an end of the second portion 22 opposite to an end which actuates the spray valve 51 of the aerosol type container 50. In the original position, the first portion 21 protrudes from a rear section of the handle grip 30 facing the user, whereas the second portion is at a position parallel to the horizontal axis of the top part 13 of the body 10, and the third portion 23 extends downwardly in a curved manner towards an inner wall of the handle grip opposite to the first portion 21. In the actuating position, the first portion 21 is triggered by the force exerted from the user’s palm, in which the second portion 22 is then configured to rotate about the pivot point 25 in a clockwise rotation and moves upwards to actuate the spray valve 51, subsequently spraying content from the aerosol type container 50. Concurrently, the third portion 23 provides a substantial amount of resistance due to being compressed towards the inner wall of the handle grip 30 when the first portion 21 is pushed inwards. When the force exerted onto the first portion 21 is released, the third portion 23 pushes against the inner wall of the handle grip 30 and returns the trigger assembly 20 to the original position. Advantageously, the spray valve 51 may be actuated with minimal force required due an increased surface area acting upon the first portion 21, which then allows spraying of the content to be stable throughout use as compared to the attachment being actuated by the user’s fingers.

In an alternative embodiment, the top part 13 of the body 10 of the attachment may be configured to be parallel to the horizontal axis with the handle grip 30 extending downwardly at an angle towards the user for increased stability and balance as weight of the aerosol type container 50 is concentrated at the receptacle 40 as compared to the previous embodiment whereby the weight of the aerosol type container 50 is more concentrated at the middle of the top part 13 of the body 10 of the attachment. Preferably, the body 10 of the attachment is also formed with the first section 11 and second section, both secured together by the hollow extrusions Illa, 111b, 111c and the elongate members [not shown] from the first section 11 and the second section 12 respectively. In this embodiment, the trigger assembly 20 with a receptacle 40 is configured with a receiving opening disposed at its lower end for receiving and docking the aerosol type container 50, wherein the lower end of the receptacle 40 has a thickness substantially greater than the thickness of the circumferential wall 41, for securing the neck 52 of the aerosol type container 50, such as illustrated in FIG. 5. The receptacle 40 further includes the aperture 42 being disposed on the right side of the receptacle 40 for allowing adjusting of the spray valve 51.

Preferably, the first portion 21 of the trigger assembly 20 is configured to be pivoted about a pivot point 26 which is located near the bottom of the handle grip 30. as illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. In this alternative embodiment, the trigger assembly 20 is configured with the first portion 21 extending upwards at an angle to the second portion 22, and the third portion 23 extending upwards in a curved manner from the bottom of the first portion 21, adjacent to the pivot point 26. Preferably, the second portion 22 may be parallel to the horizontal axis of the top part 13 of the body 10 of the attachment. Also preferably, the third portion 23 may extend in a direction generally away from the user’s palm. The trigger assembly may further include a groove 27 which would accommodate to the shape of the hollow extrusion 111b when the trigger assembly 20 is actuated. Upon triggering the first portion 21, the second portion 22 moves downwards in an anti-clockwise rotation about the pivot point 26 to actuate the spray valve 51, in which the third portion 23 compresses inwards when in the actuating position.

The present disclosure includes as contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a degree of particularly, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangements of parts may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A spray gun handle and trigger attachment for use with an aerosol type container (50), the attachment comprising a trigger assembly (20) pivotal with respect to a handle grip (30), wherein the trigger assembly (20) is adapted to activate a spray valve (51) of the aerosol type container (50) when actuated by a palm of a user’s hand, in which the direction of the spray is generally away from the user.

2. The attachment according to claim 1 further comprising a receptacle (40) at a front end portion of the attachment which is adapted to dock the aerosol type container (50).

3. The attachment according to claim 2, wherein the receptacle (40) has a front opening to allow spraying of content from the aerosol container (50).

4. The attachment according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the receptacle (40) includes an aperture (42) on either a right or a left side of said receptacle (40) to allow access for adjusting the spray valve (51) of the aerosol type container (50).

5. The attachment according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the receptacle (40) includes a receiving opening formed at either an upper end or a lower end for docking the aerosol type container (50).

6. The attachment according to claim 5, wherein the receptacle (40) having the receiving opening formed at its upper end, is upwardly or downwardly angled in an angle ranging from 0° to 30° with respect to horizontal axis of a top part (13) of a body (10) of the attachment, such that the angle of spraying is parallel to said body (10).

7. The attachment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the trigger assembly (20) comprises a trigger body which is formed by a first portion (21) for receiving a force exerted by the user’s palm to trigger the first portion (21) through moving the trigger assembly (21) from an original position to an actuating position, a second portion for actuating the spray valve (51) of the aerosol type container (50) when the trigger assembly is at the actuating position, and a third portion (23) disposed in between the first portion (21) and the second portion (22) for returning the trigger assembly (20) to the original position.

8. The attachment according to claim 7, wherein the third portion (23) is configured to provide a substantial amount of resistance when the first portion (21) is pushed inwards, and return the trigger assembly (20) to its original position after the force exerted onto the first portion (21) is released.

9. The attachment according to claim 7, wherein the second portion (20) is configured to rotate about a pivot point (25) and move upwards to actuate the spray valve (51) upon triggering the first portion (21).

10. The attachment according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the trigger assembly (20) with a receptacle (40) having a receiving opening disposed at its lower end has a pivot point (26) located at bottom of the first portion (21) such that the second portion (22) moves downwards to actuate the spray valve (51) upon triggering the first portion (21).

11. The attachment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle grip (30) includes an extrusion (60) disposed perpendicularly with respect to the trigger assembly (30) for receiving a user’s fingers when the handle grip (30) is held.