Handheld texture spray gun with hopper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11052412-B2
Application number	US-201916257941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2019
Priority date	Jan 26, 2018
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A sprayer includes a spray gun and a hopper. An air source provides compressed air to the sprayer to both eject fluid from the spray gun as a spray and to pressurize the hopper. The spray gun includes an airflow controller for controlling the flow of the compressed air to a nozzle of the spray gun, a pressure regulator for regulating a pressure of the compressed air flowing to the hopper, and a relief valve between the pressure regulator and the hopper. The hopper receives the compressed air through a port in the hopper, and the compressed air assists the flow of material out of the hopper and into the spray gun.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sprayer configured to spray fluid, the sprayer comprising:
a hopper configured to hold the fluid; and
a spray gun mounted to the hopper and configured to receive fluid from the hopper and spray the fluid onto a surface, wherein the spray gun comprises:
a gun body;
an air passage extending into the gun body, the air passage configured to receive a flow of pressurized air;
a connector configured to attach to a hose and supply the flow of pressurized air into the air passage;
a connector chamber in the gun body, the air passage configured to provide the flow of pressurized air to the connector chamber;
a first air pathway fluidly connected to the air passage, wherein at least a portion of the first air pathway extends through the gun body from the connector chamber, and wherein the first air pathway is configured to direct a first portion of the pressurized air to a nozzle of the spray gun, the first portion of the pressurized air configured to propel the fluid through the nozzle;
a second air pathway fluidly connected to the air passage, wherein at least a portion of the second air pathway extends through the gun body from the connector chamber, and wherein the second air pathway is configured to direct a second portion of the pressurized air to the hopper to pressurize the hopper and force the fluid from the hopper into the gun body; and
a pressure regulator located fluidly between the second air pathway and the hopper, the pressure regulator including a regulator spring, and wherein the pressure regulator is adjustable to vary a pressure of the second portion of the pressurized air downstream of the pressure regulator.

2. The sprayer of claim 1 , further comprising:
an airflow control mechanism mounted to the gun body and configured to control the flow of the first portion through the first air pathway.

3. The sprayer of claim 2 , wherein the airflow control mechanism comprises:
a valve member extending into the gun body, the valve member configured to be actuated between a closed state, where the valve member prevents the first portion from flowing through the first air pathway, and an open state, where the valve member allows the first portion to flow through the first air pathway.

4. The sprayer of claim 3 , wherein the valve member is capable of being positioned at a plurality of open positions while in the open state to vary a distance between the valve member and a valve seat.

5. The sprayer of claim 4 , wherein the valve member is mounted to the gun body via interfaced threading, the valve member configured to shift between the closed state and the open state by rotating relative to the gun body.

6. The sprayer of claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulator is mounted to the gun body.

7. The sprayer of claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulator is actuatable between a plurality of positions between a minimum flow position and a maximum flow position.

8. The sprayer of claim 1 , wherein the connector chamber is disposed upstream of an airflow control mechanism configure to control the flow of the first portion of pressurized air through the first air pathway, and wherein the connector chamber is disposed upstream of the pressure regulator.

9. The sprayer of claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulator further comprises:
a housing mounted on the gun body;
a diaphragm retained between the housing and the gun body;
a downstream chamber defined by the gun body and a second side of the diaphragm, wherein the downstream chamber is fluidly connected to the hopper;
a seal member connected to the diaphragm and separating the downstream chamber from an upstream chamber formed in the gun body, wherein movement of the diaphragm actuates the seal member between a closed position and an open position; and
a pressure control mechanism disposed within the housing and configured to exert a force on the first side of the diaphragm, via the regulator spring, to control a pressure of the flow of pressurizing air passing through the pressure regulator.

10. The sprayer of claim 9 , wherein the pressure control mechanism further comprises:
a knob disposed on the housing;
a threaded member extending from the knob into the housing, wherein rotation of the knob is configured to cause rotation of the threaded member; and
a threaded ring disposed on the threaded member, wherein rotation of the threaded member causes the threaded ring to shaft axially along the threaded member;
wherein the threaded ring interfaces with the regulator spring, such that movement of the threaded member in the first direction increases the spring force on the diaphragm and movement of the threaded member in the second direction decreases the spring force on the diaphragm.

11. The sprayer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a relief valve disposed in the second air pathway;
wherein the relief valve configured to pneumatically connect an interior of the hopper to the atmosphere when the relief valve is in an open position, thereby venting the pressure within the hopper.

12. The sprayer of claim 11 , wherein the relief valve is disposed downstream of a pressure regulator mounted to the gun body.

13. The sprayer of claim 11 , wherein:
the gun body includes an aperture disposed in the second air pathway;
the relief valve includes a spool disposed within the aperture, the spool comprising:
a first end exposed on a first side of the gun body;
a second end exposed on a second side of the gun body;
a first seal extending around the first end;
a second seal extending around the second end;

the spool and the aperture define a chamber within the gun body;
the spool is configured to shift between the open position and a closed position; and
the first seal pneumatically seals the chamber with the spool in the closed position, and the second seal interfaces with the gun body with the spool in each of the open position and the closed position.

14. The sprayer of claim 13 , wherein a diameter of the first seal is larger than a diameter of the second seal such that the pressurized airflow in the chamber exerts a larger force on the first seal than on the second seal.

15. A sprayer configured to spray fluid, the sprayer comprising:
a hopper configured to hold the fluid; and
a spray gun mounted to the hopper and configured to receive fluid from the hopper and spray the fluid onto a surface, wherein the spray gun comprises:
a gun body;
an air passage extending into the gun body, the air passage configured to receive a flow of pressurized air;
a connector chamber in the gun body, the air passage configured to provide the flow of pressurized air to the connector chamber;
a first air pathway fluidly connected to the air passage, wherein at least a portion of the first air pathway extends through the gun body from the connector chamber, and wherein the first air pathway is configured to direct a first portion of the pressurized air to a nozzle of the spray gun, the first portion of the pressurized air configured to propel the fluid through the nozzle;
a second air pathway fluidly connected to the air passage, wherein at least a portion of the second air pathway extends through the gun body from the connector chamber, and wherein the second air pathway is configured to direct a second portion of the pressurized air to the hopper to pressurize the hopper and force the fluid from the hopper into the gun body; and

a pressure regulator configured to control flow of the second portion of the flow of pressurized air to the hopper through the second air pathway to thereby control pressurization of the hopper;
wherein

Assignees

• Graco Minnesota Inc

Inventors

• Becker Steven D
• Larsen David M
• Wrobel Steve J
• Shultz Mark D
• Gundersen Robert J

Classifications

• B05D1/02

  performed by spraying · CPC title

• B05B12/087

  Flow or presssure regulators, i.e. non-electric unitary devices comprising a sensing element, e.g. a piston or a membrane, and a controlling element, e.g. a valve · CPC title

• B05B9/0403 Primary

  with pumps for liquids or other fluent material (B05B9/043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B7/2437 Primary

  and a secondary stream of atomising fluid being brought together in the container or putting the carried fluid under pressure in the container · CPC title

• B05B7/0815

  with at least one gas jet intersecting a jet constituted by a liquid or a mixture containing a liquid for controlling the shape of the latter · CPC title