Airflow control for an integrated handheld texture sprayer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9630196-B2
Application number	US-201414762973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2014
Priority date	Jan 24, 2013
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A handheld sprayer includes a housing, a turbine, a spray tip, and a hopper. An air flow passage extends through the housing. The turbine is configured to generate an airflow within the air flow passage. The spray tip is positioned to receive airflow from the air flow passage. The hopper is connected to the housing and configured to discharge a fluid into the air flow passage. In one embodiment a valve is positioned within the air flow passage and configured to control the airflow from the turbine to the spray tip. In another embodiment, a voltage limiting circuit is configured to control voltage to an electric motor of the turbine to control speed of the turbine. In another embodiment, an air inlet control device is configured to control the air intake of the turbine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A handheld sprayer comprising:
a housing through which an air flow passage extends;
a turbine configured to generate an airflow within the air flow passage;
a spray tip positioned to receive airflow from the air flow passage;
a hopper connected to the housing and configured to discharge a fluid into the air flow passage; and
an airflow control apparatus selected from a group consisting of:
a rotary vane that rotates to impede airflow from the turbine to the spray tip to control the airflow from the turbine to the spray tip, and a vane control external to the housing that controls the vane;
a sliding gate positioned within the airflow passage and configured to control the airflow from the turbine to the spray tip, and a gate control external to the housing that controls the sliding gate;
a voltage limiting circuit configured to control voltage to an electric motor of the turbine in order to control the speed of the turbine, and a circuit control external to the housing that controls the voltage limiting circuit in order to control the airflow generated by the turbine; and
a plunger moveable to impede the inlet air to the turbine and configured to control the inlet air to the turbine in order to control the airflow generated by the turbine, and a knob external to the turbine that controls movement of the plunger through a screw.

2. The handheld sprayer of claim 1 , wherein the airflow control apparatus comprises the rotary vane that rotates to impede the airflow from the turbine to the spray tip to control the airflow from the turbine to the spray tip, and the vane control external to the housing that controls the vane.

3. The handheld sprayer of claim 2 , wherein the vane control is a knob connected to rotate the rotary vane.

4. The handheld sprayer of claim 1 , wherein the airflow control apparatus comprises the sliding gate positioned within the airflow passage and configured to control the airflow from the turbine to the spray tip, and the gate control external to the housing that controls the sliding gate.

5. The handheld sprayer of claim 4 , wherein the gate control is a portion of the sliding gate that extends external to the housing to allow control of the movement of the sliding gate.

6. The handheld sprayer of claim 1 , wherein the airflow control apparatus comprises:
the voltage limiting circuit configured to control the voltage to the electric motor of the turbine in order to control the speed of the turbine; and
the circuit control external to the housing that controls the voltage limiting circuit in order to control the airflow generated by the turbine.

7. The handheld sprayer of claim 6 , wherein the voltage limiting circuit comprises at least one variable resistor and a TRIAC.

8. The handheld sprayer of claim 7 , wherein one of the at least one variable resistors is a rotary potentiometer, and wherein the circuit control is a knob connected to the rotary potentiometer.

9. The handheld sprayer of claim 7 , wherein the circuit control is a rotary wheel that linearly controls the voltage to the turbine through the at least one variable resistor and the TRIAC.

10. The handheld sprayer of claim 1 , wherein the airflow control apparatus comprises:
the plunger moveable to impede the inlet air to the turbine and configured to control the inlet air to the turbine in order to control the airflow generated by the turbine, and the knob external to the turbine that controls the movement of the plunger through the screw.

11. The handheld sprayer of claim 10 , wherein the turbine comprises:
an air vent inlet;
an air intake port; and
a plenum through which air passes from the air vent inlet to the air intake port.

12. The handheld sprayer of claim 11 , wherein the plunger is moveable within the plenum to impede the air provided to the air intake port in order to control inlet air to the turbine.

13. A method for spraying a fluid from a handheld sprayer, the method comprising:
generating an airflow with a turbine;
directing the airflow through a passage within the sprayer to a spray tip;
selectively discharging a fluid into the passage from a hopper for spraying through the spray tip; and
controlling the airflow through the passage within the sprayer, wherein controlling the airflow through the passage is selected from a group consisting of:
impeding the airflow through the passage using a rotary vane positioned within the passage, and controlling, using a knob, the rotary vane to control the airflow through the passage;
impeding the airflow through the passage using a sliding gate positioned within the passage, and controlling the sliding gate using a portion of the sliding gate that is external to the sprayer; and
limiting, using a voltage limiting circuit, the voltage provided to a motor of the turbine, and controlling the voltage limiting circuit to control the speed of the turbine.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein controlling the airflow through the passage within the sprayer comprises:
impeding the airflow through the passage using the rotary vane positioned within the passage; and
controlling, using the knob, the rotary vane to control the airflow through the passage.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein controlling the airflow through the passage within the sprayer comprises:
impeding the airflow through the passage using the sliding gate positioned within the passage; and
controlling the sliding gate using the portion of the sliding gate that is external to the sprayer.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein controlling the airflow through the passage within the sprayer comprises:
limiting, using the voltage limiting circuit, the voltage provided to the motor of the turbine; and
controlling the voltage limiting circuit to control the speed of the turbine.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the voltage limiting circuit comprises a rotary potentiometer and a TRIAC, and wherein controlling the voltage limiting circuit comprises controlling, using a knob of the rotary potentiometer, the voltage limiting circuit to control the speed of the turbine.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the voltage limiting circuit comprises at least one variable transistor and a TRIAC, and wherein controlling the voltage limiting circuit comprises controlling, using a rotary wheel knob external to the sprayer, the at least one variable transistor to control the speed of the turbine.

19. A handheld sprayer comprising:
a housing through which an air flow passage extends;
a turbine configured to generate an airflow within the air flow passage;
a spray tip positioned to receive airflow from the air flow passage;
a hopper connected to the housing and configured to discharge a fluid into the air flow passage;
a rotary vane selectively positionable within the air flow passage to controllably impede airflow from the turbine to the spray tip; and
a plate control external to the housing that controls an angular position of the rotary vane to control the airflow from the turbine to the spray tip.

Assignees

• Graco Minnesota Inc

Inventors

• Finstad Eric J
• Horning Jeromy D
• Kinne Robert W
• Deneson Bret A
• Wrobel Steve J
• Larsen David M
• Mattson Barry W

Classifications

• B05B7/02

  Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge (for spraying particulate material B05B7/14; with means for heating the material to be sprayed B05B7/16; with means for supplying fluent material to a discharge device B05B7/24) · CPC title

• B05B7/0416

  with arrangements for mixing one gas and one liquid · CPC title

• B05B7/2489

  an atomising fluid, e.g. a gas, being supplied to the discharge device (B05B7/2402, B05B7/2483, B05B7/262 take precedence) · CPC title

• B05B7/2478 Primary

  Gun with a container which, in normal use, is located above the gun · CPC title

• B05B7/2418

  Air pumps actuated by the operator, e.g. manually actuated · CPC title