Portable kit for mixing and dispensing compositions

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a portable kit that includes a tray having disposed therein at least two compartments containing reactive components of a coating composition, the compartments being sealed with a single cover or wherein each said compartment is sealed with a discreet cover; and a spatula positioned across an exposed face of said tray. The portable kit is suitable for use in repairing minor automotive coating defects, such as chipped, scratched, cracked, delaminated, etched and marred areas on automotive bodies.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/802,420 filed on May 22, 2006 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a portable kit used for mixing and dispensing compositions, such as coating compositions having at least two chemically reactive components and more particularly to the kits used in repairing minor coating defects on auto vehicle bodies.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Auto vehicles, such as cars or trucks, during transport to auto dealerships can be subjected to minor damages that result in minor coating defects, such as small portions of coatings on auto bodies being chipped, scratched, cracked, delaminated, etched and marred. Similar minor defects can also result over time when auto vehicles are driven under various road conditions.

Repairing of such minor defects by auto vehicles paint shops can be time consuming and expensive for a typical auto vehicle owner since auto insurance companies generally do not reimburse auto vehicle owners for such minor repairs. To minimize the cost of such repairs, auto manufacturers or auto dealers have offered auto vehicle owners vials or applicators containing a small quantities of auto paint that is matched to the paint applied over auto bodies. The auto owner can then repair such minor defects by applying the matched paint over the minor defects. Since most auto vehicle owners are not familiar with applying paint over auto bodies, the resulting repair may not provide visually acceptable appearance. Moreover, such a process is not feasible for two component enamel auto paints or for auto paints that contain metallic flakes.

Therefore, a need still exits for a portable and preferably disposable auto paint repair kit that allows auto owner or small shop auto service provider to repair the aforedescribed minor paint defects expeditiously and at relatively low cost.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a portable kit comprising:

• • (a) a tray having disposed therein at least two compartments containing reactive products, said compartments being sealed with a single cover or wherein each said compartment is sealed with a discreet cover; and
  • (b) a spatula positioned across an exposed face of said tray.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

FIG. 1 broadly illustrates one of the embodiments of the kit of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross section of the kit of FIG. 1 taken along cross-sectional lines 2-2.

FIG. 3 represents a spatula used in the kit of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is another embodiment of a cover used in the kit of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is another embodiment of means for holding the tray of the kit of the present invention

FIG. 6 another embodiment of compartments used to store the component used in the composition of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED THE EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates one of the embodiments of a portable kit 1 of the present invention. The portable kit is used to store at least two chemically reactive components of a coating composition used to repair minor defects on the painted surfaces of vehicles, such as automobiles, as well as any other components such as solvents and catalysts.

kit 1 includes a tray 2 having at least two compartments 4 and 5 located on an exposed surface 16 of tray 2, which is preferably substantially planar. These compartments are preferably an integral part of exposed surface 16 of tray 2. Compartments can be provided with shapes suitable and necessary to store various components of a coating composition used for repair vehicles. For example, compartment 4 has a dish shape and compartment 5 has a cup shape. These shapes are dictated by the type of component of a coating composition being stored. For example, if a component is viscous, a dish shape may be more suitable since it should be easier to scoop out the material stored in a dish shape during use and if a component is liquid, a cup shape may be more suitable to reduce spillage. In its preferred embodiment, it is envisioned that the coating composition stored in compartments 4 and 5 preferably includes one viscous component 8 and one liquid component 9 wherein viscous component 8 is preferably stored in compartment 4 and liquid component 9 is preferably stored in compartment 5. Tray 2 preferably includes a compartment 6, which is preferably cup shaped suitable for storing a mixture of solvent 10.

In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a compartment 11 in the form of a recess positioned on surface 16 of tray 2 could be employed to position a bottle 13 containing a mixture of solvents. In addition, yet another compartment can be provided to store a requisite amount of a color component containing conventional pigment, dye, metallic flakes or other conventional additives used to provide a desired color to a coating composition. Such a color component generally matches to the color of the coating present on the rest of the body of the vehicle being repaired. Alternatively, the color component can be included in components 8 or 9 of the coating composition.

In another embodiment, portable kit 1 can include four compartments, wherein first of the aforedescribed compartment contains a crosslinkable reactive component of the coating composition, second compartment contains a crosslinking reactive component of the coating composition, third compartment contains the color component of the coating composition and fourth compartment contains a solvent mixture.

Tray 2 is generally made of a material that does not react with the components of the coating composition during storage. Some of the suitable material can include a thermoplastic resin selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chlorides, polypropylenes, polyethylenes, polystyrenes, a combination of polypropylene/ethylene-vinyl alcohol/(EVOH)/polypropylene, a combination of polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate, and a combination of polystyrene/EVOH/polyethylene. Tray 2 can be suitably made by conventional manufacturing methods such as thermoforming or injection molding. The thickness of tray 2 can be reduced to decrease cost without sacrificing its rigidity and by strength by preferably providing a peripheral skirt 32. Additionally a peripheral ledge 34 along the edge of skirt 32 can be employed to further improve the rigidity and structural strength tray 2 while further reducing the thickness of tray 2.

Tray 2 can be provided with a depressed area 30 for user to positioning thumb of a user to thereby facilitate gripping of tray 2 during use. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, tray 2 can be provided with an opening 30A for passing thumb of a user there through to facilitate the gripping of tray 2 during use.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, compartment 4 containing component 8 and compartment 5 containing component 9 are protected with discreet covers 12A and 12B, respectively. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5 compartment 4 containing component 8 and compartment 5 containing component 9 can be protected with a single cover 12. Covers 12A, 12B or 12 are preferably conventional heat sealed aluminum foils. Alternatively, these covers can be glued with conventional adhesives. Exposed surface 16 of tray 2 is preferably provided with a peripheral lip 20 to prevent accidental spillage of components 8 and 9 when covers 12A, 12B or 12 are removed or when components 8 and 9. Covers 12A, 12B or 12 are preferably provided with lift tabs 18A and 18, respectively to facilitate expeditious removal said covers.

In practice, the user removes covers 12A, 12B or 12 and then mixes the components 8 and 9 of the coating composition either in one of the compartments 4 or 5 or on exposed surface 16 to form a pot mix, which typically has a limited pot life ranging for few minutes to few hours. Thereafter, the pot mix either hardens into an unusable mass or the repaired area resulting from such a pot mix would have unacceptable coatings properties, such as adhesion to the underlying surface. Thus, to produce an acceptable quality repair, the pot mix must be applied before the pot mix loses its potency. Therefore, it is would be very helpful to provide the user with ready-to-use tools required to do a repair of acceptable quality. As shown in FIG. 1, the portable kit of the present invention includes a spatula 14

Therefore, portable kit, which is preferably disposable, also includes tools required to do a repair of acceptable quality. As seen in FIG. 1, kit 1 includes a spatula 14 positioned across exposed face 16 of tray 2. Spatula 14 is an elongated member preferably having a spoon shape at one end for scooping liquid and preferably having a substantially flat flexible blade at the other end to facilitate mixing of the various components of the coating composition to form the pot mix and proper spreading as well as smoothening of the pot mix when applied over the coating defect. Spatula 14 can be injection molded from any suitable material, such as resin, which is preferably non-reactive with the various components of the coating composition. Alternatively, spatula 14 can even be a conventional mixing stick generally made of wood. FIG. 3 shows a more elaborate spatula 14A, which has a substantially flat flexible blade 28 at one end for the purposes discussed above and a conventional squeegee 36 at the other. Squeegee 36 assists the user from removing any excess solvent applied over the repaired area. Exposed face 16 is preferably provided with recesses 22 A and 22 B to advantageously secure spatula 14 or 14 A during storage. If desired one or both of recesses 22 A and 22 B can be provided with at least one detent 24 in which a portion spatula 14 or 14 A can be snapped in recesses 22 A and 22 B.

If desired, portable kit 1 can include an instruction sheet that describes a mixing and application process for using portable kit 1. Such instructions are available in a co-pending commonly assigned patent application (Attorney Docket No FA-1330 USPRV) entitled “Repairing Small Coating Defects” and having Ser. No. 60/792,826 filed on Apr. 18, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference. If desired, portable kit 1 can be shrink wrapped.

If desired, portable kit 1 of the present invention can be also used as a mixing kit for two component epoxy, polyurethane, silicone or acrylic adhesives.

Claims

1. A portable kit comprising:

(a) a tray having disposed therein at least two compartments containing reactive components of a coating composition, said compartments being sealed with a single cover or wherein each said compartment is sealed with a discreet cover; and

(b) a spatula positioned across an exposed face of said tray.

2. The portable kit of claim 1 wherein said single cover or said discreet cover is provided with a lift tab to facilitate removal of said cover.

3. The portable kit of claim 1 wherein said single cover or said discreet cover is a heat sealed aluminum foil.

4. The portable kit of claim 1 wherein said exposed face of said tray is provided with a peripheral lip to prevent accidental spillage of said reactive components.

5. The portable kit of claim 1 wherein said tray is provided with recesses to secure said spatula to said tray.

6. The portable kit of claim 5 wherein at least one of said recesses is provided with at least one detent in which a portion of said spatula can be snapped in said recess.

7. The portable kit of claim 1 wherein at least one of said reactive products is in a viscous form.

8. The portable kit of claim 1 or 7 wherein one of said compartment is dish shaped.

9. The portable kit of claim 1 wherein at least one of said reactive products is in a liquid form.

10. The portable kit of claim 1 or 9 wherein one of said compartment is cup shaped.

11. The portable kit of claim 1 wherein said spatula is an elongated member having a spoon at one end and a flat flexible blade at other end.

12. The portable kit of claim 1 wherein said spatula is an elongated member having a squeegee at one end and a flat flexible blade at other end.

13. The portable kit of claim 1 wherein said tray is provided with a depressed area for positioning thumb of a user to facilitate gripping of said portable kit.

14. The portable kit of claim 1 wherein said tray is provided with an opening for passing thumb of a user through said opening to thereby facilitate gripping of said portable kit.

15. The portable kit of claim 1 wherein said tray is provided with a peripheral skirt.

16. The portable kit of claim 1 further comprising a squeegee.

17. The portable kit of claim 1 or 16 comprising four said compartments, wherein first said compartment contains a crosslinkable reactive component, second said compartment contains a crosslinking reactive component and third said compartment contains a color component and fourth said compartment contains a solvent mixture.

18. The portable kit of claim 17 wherein said kit is a repair kit for repairing automotive coating defects.

19. The portable kit of claim 1 or 16 wherein said tray is shrink-wrapped.

20. The portable kit of claim 19 comprising an instruction sheet that describes a mixing process for using said portable kit.

21. The portable kit of claim 1 or 16 wherein said tray is made of a thermoplastic resin selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chlorides, polypropylenes, polyethylenes, polystyrenes, a combination of polypropylene/ethylene-vinyl alcohol/(EVOH)/polypropylene, a combination of polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate, and a combination of polystyrene/EVOH/polyethylene.

22. The portable kit of claim 22 wherein said tray is made by a thermoforming or injection molding process.

23. The portable kit of claim 1 comprising two said compartments, wherein first said compartment contains a crosslinkable reactive component and second said compartment contains a crosslinking reactive component.

24. The portable kit of claim 24 wherein said kit is a repair kit for repairing automotive coating defects.

25. The portable kit of claim 24 wherein said kit is a mixing kit for two-component epoxy, polyurethane, silicone, or acrylic adhesives.