Paint can adapter for handheld spray device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764346-B2
Application number	US-201414889697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2014
Priority date	May 8, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

An adapter ( 14 ) allows direct connection of a handheld spray device ( 10 ) to paint cans ( 12, 12 A, 12 B, 12 C), of varying dimensions. The adapter ( 14 ) includes a cage ( 60 ) for holding the paint can ( 12, 12 A, 12 B, 12 C), a cap ( 62 ) that connects the cage ( 60 ) to the handheld spray device ( 10 ), and a gasket ( 64 ) that seals the open upper end of the paint can ( 12, 12 A, 12 B, 12 C) to the cap ( 62 ). The adapter ( 14 ) may also include a suction tube extension 66 that is connectable between the pump inlet ( 52 ) and the suction tube ( 54 ) of the spray device ( 10 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An adapter for use with a handheld spray device having a pump inlet and a lid with internal threading surrounding the pump inlet, the adapter comprising:
a lower portion configured to receive and support a paint can, the lower portion comprising:
a bottom with a central aperture;
a sidewall extending upward from the bottom;
a plurality of ribs on the sidewall;
an open top; and
threading on the sidewall;

an upper portion configured to threadably connect to the lower portion and to the lid of the handheld paint sprayer, the upper portion comprising:
a top with a central aperture;
a sidewall extending downward from the top and having threading capable of mating with the threading on the sidewall of the lower portion to connect the lower portion to the upper portion while accommodating any one of the plurality of different paint can heights; and
a tubular neck extending upward from the top and having external threading capable of mating with the internal threading of the lid of the handheld paint sprayer to connect the adapter to the handheld paint sprayer; and

a flat ring gasket located within the upper portion with an upper surface of the gasket positioned against an inner surface of the top of the upper portion and a lower surface of the gasket positioned to engage and seal the upper end of the paint can, the gasket having a central aperture that is aligned with and has a similar diameter to the central aperture of the top of the upper portion.

2. The adapter of claim 1 , and further comprising a suction tube configured to connect to the pump inlet and extend downward through the neck, through the central apertures in the top of the upper portion and the gasket, and into the paint can.

3. The adapter of claim 2 and further comprising:
a suction tube extension connectable between pump the inlet and an outlet end of the suction tube.

4. The adapter of claim 3 , wherein the central aperture in the bottom of the lower portion is configured to receive and hold the suction tube extension when the adapter is not in use.

5. The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the lower portion includes external threads at an upper end of the lower portion, and the upper portion includes internal threads for engaging the external threads of the lower portion to mount the upper portion on the upper end of the lower portion.

6. The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the gasket comprises a foam ring formed of a closed cell crosslinked polyethylene foam.

7. The adapter of claim 6 , wherein the foam ring includes a plurality of outward extending tabs for engaging an inner surface of the sidewall of the upper portion.

8. A paint spraying system comprising:
a handheld spray device having a pump inlet for receiving paint to be sprayed and having a lid with internal threads surrounding the pump inlet; and
an adapter that connects and seals an open paint can to the handheld spray device so that paint from the paint can is supplied to the pump inlet, the adapter comprising:
a variable height paint can holding structure formed by an upper portion and a lower portion that are threadly connected together by threading having axial lengths sufficient to accommodate paint cans of different heights, the upper portion including a tubular neck with external threads capable of mating with the internal threads of the lid of the handheld spray device to connect the variable height paint can holding structure to the handheld spray device;
a flat ring gasket positioned within the upper portion for providing a seal between the upper portion and an upper end of a paint can positioned within the variable height paint can holding structure; and
a suction tube configured to connect to the pump inlet and to extend downward through the neck, through central apertures in the upper portion and the gasket, and into the paint can held within the variable height paint can holding structure.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the lower portion includes external threads at an upper end of the lower portion, and the upper portion includes internal threads for engaging the external threads of the lower portion to mount the upper portion on the upper end of the lower portion.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the gasket comprises a foam ring.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the foam ring includes a plurality of outward extending tabs for engaging an inner surface of the upper portion.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein a lower portion is configured to receive and support a paint can an industry standard size and of any one of a plurality of different paint can heights, the lower portion comprising:
a bottom with a central aperture;
a sidewall extending upward from the bottom;
a plurality of ribs on the sidewall;
an open top; and
threading on the sidewall.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the upper portion is configured to threadably connect to the lower portion and to the lid of the handheld paint sprayer, the upper portion comprising:
a top with a central aperture;
a sidewall extending downward from the top and having threading capable of mating with the threading on the sidewall of the lower portion to connect the lower portion to the upper portion while accommodating any one of the plurality of different paint can heights; and
a tubular neck extending upward from the top and having external threading capable of mating with the internal threading of the lid of the handheld paint sprayer to connect the adapter to the handheld paint sprayer.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the flat ring gasket is located within the upper portion with an upper surface of the gasket positioned against an inner surface of the top of the upper portion and a lower surface of the gasket positioned to engage and seal the upper end of the paint can, and wherein the gasket has a central aperture that is aligned with and has a similar diameter to the central aperture of the top of the upper portion.

15. An adapter for use with a handheld spray device having a lid with internal threads and a downward facing pump inlet, the adapter comprising:
a variable height paint can holding structure formed by an upper portion and a lower portion that are threadly connected together by threading having axial lengths sufficient to accommodate paint cans of different heights, the upper portion including a tubular neck with external threads capable of mating with the internal threads of the lid of the handheld spray device to connect the variable height paint can holding structure to the handheld spray device;
a flat ring gasket positioned within the upper portion for providing a seal between the upper portion and an upper end of a paint can positioned within the variable height paint can holding structure; and
a suction tube configured to connect to the pump inlet and to extend downward through the neck, through central apertures in the upper portion and the gasket, and into the paint can held within the variable height paint can holding structure.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein a lower portion is configured to receive and support an industry standard paint can of any one of a plurality of different paint can heights, the lower portion comprising:
a bottom with a central aperture;
a sidewall extending upward from the bottom;
a plurality of ribs on the sidewall;
an open top; and
threading on the sidewall.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the upper portion is configured to threadably connect to the lower portion and to the lid of the handheld paint sprayer, the upper portion comprising:
a top with a

Assignees

• Graco Minnesota Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Daniel R
• Pemberton Dale C
• Dawson Charles W
• Muetzel Pamela J

Classifications

• B05B9/0861

  the motor being electric · CPC title

• B05B15/40

  Filters located upstream of the spraying outlets · CPC title

• 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

• B05B9/01 Primary

  Spray pistols, {discharge devices}(B05B9/03 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B11/0008 Primary

  Sealing or attachment arrangements between sprayer and container (between pump and container B05B11/1043) · CPC title