LIQUID TRANSPORTATION AND DISPENSING DEVICE

Abstract

An apparatus for delivering a liquid substance, the apparatus comprising: a vertical tube having a top open end and a bottom closed end, the top open end being generally circular and the bottom closed end being generally circular and sloped to a center portion. The center portion is adapted to receive the intake nozzle for a sprayer to allow the liquid to be fed into the sprayer without having to tip the bucket and preventing air from clogging the sprayer.

Description

The present application claims priority to provisional patent application 60/865,028 filed Nov. 9, 2006 entitled “Liquid transportation and dispensing device”.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for transporting and dispensing liquids including paints, varnishes and other liquids that contained within containers that may be sprayed utilizing a sprayer.

Paint sprayers are known within the art to provide quick and efficient painting of large areas. Sprayers come in different sizes and shapes, and may be fed directly from paint can or five gallon buckets. One of the problems with the prior art is that paint sprayers need to be refilled frequently. This can take a lot of time and be inconvenient. For example, a painter may be spraying the outside of a house three floors up. It is inconvenient to constantly be refilling a sprayer. Because of this, sprayers may have a feeder arm that draws the paint through a filter. However, one of the problems with the feeder is that when the paint gets to a low point, the air will clog the filter and/or cause a backlog. Also, there is remaining paint that is unusable without tilting or pouring out the paint. The present invention would reduce the amount of paint that would remain, would eliminate the need for a helper or assistant to refill the container or pour paint, would reduce clogs and/or blockage. Also, the device would allow the user to more thoroughly mix the liquid material or paint.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a liquid dispenser for dispensing liquids including paint.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to apparatus for dispensing liquids and in particular for dispensing paint in a paint sprayer.

According to one embodiment, an apparatus for delivering a liquid substance, the apparatus comprising: a vertical tube having a top open end and a bottom closed end, the top open end being generally circular and the bottom closed end being generally circular and sloped to a center portion. The center portion being adapted to receive the intake nozzle of a spraying apparatus.

According to another embodiment, an apparatus for delivering a liquid substance is provided, the apparatus comprising: a circular insert having a sloped circular portion and a center portion in communication with the sloped circular portion, wherein the sloped circular portion slopes towards the center portion. The circular insert is sized to fit inside a container, such as a five gallon paint bucket or paint can.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 2 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 3 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 4 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 5 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 6 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 7 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 8 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 9 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 10 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 11 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 12 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 23 depicts the present invention;

FIG. 24 depicts the present invention; and

FIG. 25 depicts the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

FIGS. 1-4 depicts an apparatus for delivering a liquid substance as in the present invention. The apparatus 10 comprising a vertical tube 11 having a top open end 13 and a bottom closed end 12, the top open end 13 being generally circular and the bottom closed end 12 being generally circular and sloped to a center portion 17. The center portion may be a flat circle a recessed circular tube having a bottom portion at least one quarter of an inch lower than the center portion, as shown in FIGS. 1-4. As depicted, the recessed circular tube 15 may have an open top end 17, a generally planar bottom portion 16 and vertical tube wall 21. The bottom portion should be at least one quarter of an inch lower than the center portion to provide a well for the receipt of a paint sprayer filter. The vertical tube wall 21 of the recessed circular tube is in communication 22 with the sloped portion of the bottom closed end 12. According to a preferred embodiment, the apparatus is a five gallon paint container and may be manufactured with the bottom portion therein. The apparatus may also be an insert that fits into the bottom of a five gallon paint container. It is intended that a filtered intake nozzle 24, from a spraying apparatus system will be placed and rest in position at the lowest most central point of the bottom surface of the apparatus 10. The sloped or tapered portion will feed or guide the liquid contained in the apparatus towards the lowed most central point, or towards the filtered intake nozzle of the apparatus. This results in virtually all of the liquid in the apparatus being delivered to the filtered intake nozzle of the spraying apparatus. Also, it prevents air from clogging the filtered intake nozzle.

The center portion may also be a flat circle, as shown in FIGS. 5-8 as 17B. As shown in FIGS. 9-12 as 17C, the center portion may be a flat square. The center portion may also be a recessed cone, 17D, as shown in FIGS. 13-16. The center portion may also be a recessed square or recessed rectangle, 17E, as shown in FIGS. 17-18.

The present invention may also be an apparatus for delivering a liquid substance, the apparatus comprising: a circular insert 40 having a sloped circular portion 42 and a center portion 44. It is intended that the circular insert with fit into the bottom of a can or five gallon container. The can or container may be a paint container, according to a preferred embodiment. The apparatus may have a sealing means 46 in communication with the perimeter of the circular insert 40. In this way the apparatus can be inserted into the bottom of a can or bucket prior to filling with paint or other liquids. Once inside, a paint sprayer nozzle can sit in the center portion 44, 48, 50, 52, 54.

It should be understood that the foregoing relates to preferred embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for delivering a liquid substance, said apparatus comprising:

a vertical tube having a top open end and a bottom closed end, said top open end being generally circular and said bottom closed end being generally circular and sloped to a center portion.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said center portion is a flat circle.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said center portion is a flat square.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said center portion is a recessed circular tube having a bottom portion at least one quarter of an inch lower than said center portion.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said center portion is a recessed cone.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said center portion is a recessed rectangle.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said center portion is a recessed square.

8. An apparatus for delivering a liquid substance, said apparatus comprising:

a circular insert having a sloped circular portion and a center portion in communication with said sloped circular portion, wherein said sloped circular portion slopes towards said center portion.

9. An apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising a sealing means in communication with the perimeter of said circular insert.

10. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said center portion is a flat circle.

11. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said center portion is a flat square.

12. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said center portion is a recessed circular tube having a bottom portion at least one quarter of an inch lower than said center portion.

13. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said center portion is a recessed cone.

14. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said center portion is a recessed rectangle.

15. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said center portion is a recessed square.