Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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RECYCT~RT.R ONE-MATERIAL PAINT BRUSH WITH
HlN~ CLAMPING PANEL FOR REMOVABLE BRISTLE PACR
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to a recyclable one-
material paint brush with a hinged clamping panel for a
removable bristle pack, and a method of producing same.
The paint brush body can be fabricated easily and inexpen-
sively from one material, typically plastic, is easy to
use, and provides ready cleaning after use, by disengaging
the hinged clamping panel and enabling the bristle pack to
be removed and exposed to a cleaning solution.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A longstanding problem with paint brushes that
are used for industrial and domestic painting applications
is that with time and repeated use, paint tends to build up
within the bristles of the brush in the region where the
bristles are held by the ferrule clamp that joins the
bristles with the paint brush handle and base. The col-
lected paint in this confined area is difficult to clean
away. Usually, some residual paint is left in the bristles
at the junction with the ferrule even after the used brush
has been cleaned. The dried paint at this location col-
lects and builds up over time with repeated use of the
paint brush. This causes the bristles of the brush to
spread and thereby reduces the efficiency of the brush.
Also, the build up of dried paint tends to cause the
bristles to wear and break at the location of the dried
paint. This reduces the life of the paint brush. The
discarded paint brush is usually constructed of wood, metal
and bristles, which create an environmental disposal prob-
lem.
Proper cleaning of a paint brush requires a
considerable amount of solvent, if the person cleaning the
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brush is meticulous. If the paint has a water base, this
is also a serious problem because large amounts of water
are wasted attempting to thoroughly clean the brush.
However, if the paint is an oil base paint, then expensive
petroleum paint solvent or thinner is required for clean-
ing. The use of a petroleum base solvent constitutes a
waste of costly solvent and at the same time creates an
environmental pollutant. Most commercial painters will
tend to minimize costs by balancing the amount of the
solvent used with the number of times the paint brush is
used. It may be economic, for instance, to only expect a
paint brush to be used a half-dozen times before it must be
discarded, rather than incur the cost and waste a consider-
able amount of solvent attempting to meticulously clean the
brush after each use, and prolong the life of the paint
brush. In either case, an environmental pollution problem
is created.
It would be advantageous if a paint brush could
be designed which would minimize or eliminate the build up
of paint in the location where the bristles are set or meet
the paint brush handle. It would also be useful if a
mechanism could be developed to reduce the amount of
solvent which is required to clean a paint brush. It would
also be beneficial if a mechanism could be developed which
would reduce or eliminate bristle flare as it occurs over
time when a paint brush is repeatedly used. It would also
be advantageous if a paint brush could be constructed of
one or more materials which could be recycled, thereby
avoiding a disposal problem.
U.S. Patent No. 5,289,606, issued March 1, 1994,
to Blake A. Ledingham, discloses a unitary paint brush
which comprises a paint brush body attached to a handle.
The body defines a cavity adapted for receiving a group of
bristles. A pair of hinged releasable flaps project over
the cavity to abut the bristles when moved to a closed
21~3741
position. The bristles are released by moving the flaps
into an open position. The hinged flaps are held in place
on the bristle pack base by springs which can be rotated
from a flap open position to a flap closed position, and
vice versa. A problem with the springs is that they are a
separate component, are cumbersome and raise manufacturing
expense.
U.S. Patent No. 5,315,733, granted May 31, 1994,
Blake A. Ledingham, discloses a paint brush bristle clamp
which can be applied over the ferrule and part of the
bristles of a paint brush before use, and which deters
paint from migrating from the free end of the bristles to
the ferrule. The clamp is removed after the brush is used
so that the bristles at the ferrule are exposed. The
bristles are easy to clean after the clamp is removed.
U.S. Patent No. 4,129,918, granted December 19,
1978, to Robert Lee, discloses an adjustable sleeve for an
artist's paint brush adapted to adjust the effective length
of the bristles of the brush. The adjustable sleeve is
tubular at its tip to contain the hair or bristles. The
sleeve is split above the tip to provide a spring biased
grip upon the brush ferrule. The adjustable sleeve is
tapered in substantial conformity with the taper of the
ferrule and it is longitudinally adjustable relative to the
ferrule to vary the effective length of the hair or bris-
tles. The sleeve is designed for use with an artist's
brush, which has bristles arranged in a taper column form.
The sleeve does not fit over the base of the brush at the
location where the bristles meet the base.
U.S. Patent No. 4,237,579, issued December 9,
1980, to Jonathan H. Salmon, discloses a tool for applying
a liquid stain to a flat surface to impart a timber grain
effect to the surface. The tool comprises a paint brush,
a bristle retaining slidable plate on one side of the brush
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and a slidable comb plate on the other side of the brush.
Both of the plates have an elongated slot which engages a
bolt which passes through the paint brush. The comb
adjustably separates the brush bristles into discrete
bunches to permit the application of stain to impart a wood
grain pattern to the surface. This tool does not disclose
a holder which fits on both sides of the paint brush base
where the bristles are secured to the base. The tool is
not designed to prevent paint from migrating down the
bristles in the direction of the base.
U.S. patent No. 4,339,837, granted July 20, 1982,
to Christiaan Reeberg, discloses a sliding box-like girdle
which fits over a paint brush to confine the bristles. The
girdle acts as a hanger so that the paint brush can be hung
on a wall. The girdle also protects the brush bristles
while on display, or during storage. Further, the girdle
is used to control the effective length of the bristle ends
for specific painting jobs. The girdle also serves to
squeeze excess paint from the bristles after each dip into
a can of paint. The girdle does not serve to encircle the
base of the paint brush, where the bristles meet the paint
base, and thereby prevent paint from migrating along the
bristles to the base, and thereby collecting at the base-
bristle ended face.
U.S. Patent No. 5,218,733, issued June 15, 1993to James M. Leu, discloses a paint brush with releasable
bristles. However, the bristles are held by a separate
plate and wing nut. The plate is not hinged to the brush
body and cannot be pivoted between an open and closed
position. Also, the brush comprises separate bolts and
nuts and is not recycleable.
- 21 5~3741
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a paint brush
construction comprising: (a) a paint brush body and
handle, the body having formed in one end thereof a cavity
for receiving a group of bristles; (b) a hinged bristle
bearing member positioned proximate to the cavity, the
member when moved about the hinge to a closed position
applying a force against bristles held within the interior
of the cavity, and the member when moved about the hinge to
an open position enabling bristles held within the cavity
to be removed.
The paint brush can include a group of parallel
bristles held within the cavity, with a glue cap at one end
of the bristles held within the cavity and free ends of the
bristles extending from the interior of the cavity.
The hinged member can be a panel which can be
constructed to have a planar configuration and the panel
can pivot about a pin which can extend through the body of
the paint brush. The panel can have formed on a side
thereof proximate the hinge pin, a protrusion which can
extend across the width of the cavity, so that when the
panel is moved to a closed position, the protrusion can
apply a force against bristles which are held in the
interior of the cavity, and when the panel is moved to an
open position, the protrusion can move away from the
bristles.
The paint brush can include a removable bristle
separator which can be located adjacent the glue cap and
can separate the bristles held inside the cavity into two
groups. The glue cap can secure the bristles and the
bristle separator together and can enable the bristles to
be removed as a unit from the interior of the cavity when
the member is in an open position.
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The protrusion can be shaped so that it has an
increasing radius, which causes the protrusion to apply an
increasing compression force against the bristles when the
member is moved to a closed position.
The invention is also directed to a bristle
holder for use with a paint brush having a handle at a
first end, a bristle receiving base at the second end, and
bristles extending from the base, comprising: (a) a girdle
adapted to encircle the base of the paint brush handle and
a base portion of the bristles; (b) a pivotal member
secured to the side of the girdle, on the end of the girdle
removed from the handle end, the member abutting bristles
held in the girdle when the member is moved to a first
closed position, and the member being removed from the
bristles when the member is moved to a second open posi-
tion.
The member of the bristle holder can be hinged to
the girdle. The member can be hinged to the girdle by
means of a pin which can extend through the girdle.
The member can be a panel which has a protrusion
on one side thereof, the protrusion abutting the bristles
when the member is moved to a closed position, the protru-
sion being moved away from abutment with the bristles when
the member is moved to an open position.
The invention is also directed to a paint brush
construction comprising: (a) a paint brush body and
handle; (b) a ferrule encircling the body and providing a
cavity for receiving the base of a pack of parallel
bristles; (c) a pack of parallel bristles with one end of
the bristles held in the cavity; (d) a pivotal member which
has a protrusion on a bristle proximate side thereof, the
protrusion applying a force against the bristles when in a
21S3741
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first position, the protrusion withdrawing from applying a
force to the bristles when in a second position; and (e) a
pin extending through the ferrule for enabling the member
to be reciprocally pivoted from a first position to a
second position.
DRAWINGS
In the drawings which represent a detailed
illustration of specific embodiments of the invention, but
which should not be construed as limiting the scope of the
invention in any way:
Figure l illustrates an isometric view of a
recyclable paint brush with a hinged bristle clamping panel
in a half-open position and removable bristle pack.
Figure 2 illustrates an isometric exploded view
of the recyclable paint brush with the hinged bristle
clamping panel in half-open position and the bristle pack
removed.
Figure 3 illustrates a front view of the paint
brush with the hinged bristle clamping panel fully opened
to a lowered position exposing one side of the upper end of
the bristles inside the bristle holding portion of the
paint brush.
Figure 4, which is shown on the same sheet of
drawings as Figures 8 and 9, illustrates a front view of
the recyclable paint brush with the hinged clamping panel
closed in an uppermost position clamping the upper end of
the bristles inside the bristle holding portion of the
paint brush.
21537~1
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Figure 5 illustrates a side view of the recycla-
ble paint brush with the hinged bristle clamping panel
opened to a lower three-quarter position.
Figure 6 illustrates a side section view of the
recyclable removable bristle paint brush with the hinged
bristle clamping panel opened half-way from the bristles.
Figure 7 illustrates a side section view of the
recyclable removable bristle holder paint brush with the
hinged side bristle clamping panel clamped against the
upper end of the bristles.
Figure 8 illustrates a side view of the bristle
clamping panel of the recyclable paint brush.
Figure 9 illustrates a front view of the bristle
clamping panel.
Figure 10 illustrates an enlarged isometric view
of the bristle holder portion of the recyclable paint brush
with the clamping panel in a partially open position.
Figure 11 illustrates an enlarged isometric view
of the bristle holder portion of the recyclable paint brush
with the clamping panel in an almost fully open position
exposing the upper glued end of the bristles.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF
SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
Unlike conventional paint brushes, which typical-
ly are constructed of a wooden handle, a metal ferrule, a
bristle separating member, nails, and bristles, the main
components of the subject paint brush bristle holder are
formed primarily of three pieces, a one-piece handle and a
bristle holder girdle base, a hinged bristle clamping panel
21537~1
and a removable bristle pack. A pair of projections on
each side of the clamping panel fit into corresponding
recesses in the lower regions of the bristle holder on
either side of a cavity in the side of the holder and
enable the clamping panel to be pivoted from a fully closed
to fully open position relative to the one-piece handle and
bristle holder.
Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of a
recyclable paint brush with a hinged bristle clamping panel
in a half-open position and removable bristle pack.
Specifically, the paint brush 2 comprises a handle 4, a
removable bristle pack 6, the top end of which is held in
place inside the hollow bristle holder 8 at the lower end
of the handle 4. A hinged bristle clamping panel 10 is
held in place in a pivotal manner at the front base of the
holder 8 by a pair of hinge pins 12 which are formed of the
same material as the panel 10. Immediately behind the
hinged clamping panel 10 is a cavity 14 which, as seen in
Figure 1, exposes the proximate side of the bristles 6.
To assist the user of the paint brush in gripping the
clamping panel 10, and moving it from a closed to an open
position, and vice versa, a curved finger grip 16 is formed
in the top middle portion of the free side of the hinged
clamping panel 10 opposite the pair of hinge pins 12. The
design of the clamping panel 10 shown in Figure 1 is of a
two-tier construction, which enables the lower portion of
the bristle facing side of the clamping panel 10 to fit
inside cavity 14 and be closer to the bristles 6 when the
clamping panel 10 is in a closed (upright) position.
The one-piece handle 4 and holder 8 can be
constructed as a single piece of injection-molded plastic,
such as high density polyethylene, which is completely
recyclable. The clamping panel 10 with finger grip 16 and
hinge pins 12 can also be constructed of a single piece of
injection molded plastic, for example, completely
21~53741
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recyclable high density polyethylene. The pins 12 of the
panel 10 can be inserted into the corresponding recesses of
holder 8 while the panel 10 is hot and pliable, to enable
the panel 10 to be pivotally mounted in the holder 8.
Since both the handle 4 and holder 8 are formed of one
piece of plastic, and the panel 10 is formed of a second
piece of the same plastic, and there are no extra pieces,
such as metal hinge pins, or metal bristle clamping fer-
rules, the two units are fully recyclable.
The removable bristle pack 6 is formed as a
separate unit by clamping the bristles as a parallel group
in a mold and gluing one end of the bristles 6 together
with a suitable fast acting glue. Alternatively, the
bristle pack 6 with glue 32 can be formed in existing paint
brush manufacturing equipment by using an adapter mold. In
a typical paint brush manufacturing operation, a bundle of
parallel bristles are inserted into a hollow cylindrical
metal ferrule. A separator dividing the bristles into two
groups is often included in the bundle of bristles. The
metal ferrule is then mold crimped about one end of the
bundle of bristles to squeeze them together. Glue is then
applied to the end of the bundle of bristles held within
the crimped metal ferrule. After the glue has set, the
ferrule, glue and bristle bundle are then fitted onto a
handle, typically a wooden handle.
This existing equipment can be modified to
produce bristle packs according to the invention by insert-
ing a removable adapter mold in place of the ferrule. Thebristle bundle is held in the adapter mold, glued at one
end, and after the glue has set, the bristle pack 6 is
withdrawn from the adapter mold.
Figure 2 illustrates an isometric exploded view
of the recycIable paint brush with the hinged bristle
clamping panel 10 in half-open position and the bristle
21 ~3 7~I
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pack 6 removed. Specifically, as seen in Figure 2, the
handle 4 has the bristle holder 8 formed as one piece
affixed to its base. The bristle pack 6, as seen in Figure
2, has been removed from the hollow interior of the holder
8. After use, the bristle pack 6 can be readily cleaned
of paint when removed from the hollow cavity within the
holder 8. The top ends of the bristles 6 (which fit within
the cavity in the holder 8) are held firmly together as a
unit by a layer of glue 32. When the bristle pack 6 is
inserted inside the interior of the holder 8, the glue base
32 fits inside the top end of the cavity in the holder 8
and is proximate to the base of the handle 4.
Figure 2 illustrates the clamping panel 10 in a
half-open position, extending horizontally from the holder
8, and pivoted about pins 12. The finger grip 16 enables
the user to easily grip the panel 10 and open or close it
as required. As seen in Figure 2, and also shown in Figure
1, the panel 10 is of a one-piece two-tier design, which is
preferred in order to enable the bristle-side of the
clamping panel 10 to fit within cavity 14 and proximate to
the bristle pack 6. The panel 10, when pivoted away from
the holder 8 about pins 12, exposes the cavity 14 there-
under as seen in Figure 2, and by releasing clamping action
on the bristle pack 6, enables the bristle pack 6 to be
removed.
Figure 3 illustrates a front view of the recycla-
ble paint brush with the hinged bristle clamping panel
fully opened to a lower position exposing the top ends of
the bristles inside. As seen in Figure 3, the clamping
panel 10, with finger grip 16, is in a fully opened (fully
lowered) vertical position, thereby fully exposing the
cavity 14, and releasing all clamping force on the underly-
ing bristle pack 6. In this position, the bristle pack 6can be removed from the interior of the holder 8. The
interior walls of the cavity 14 are slightly flared towards
2I~3741
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the free end of the holder 8 (opposite to the handle 4) to
facilitate withdrawal of the bristle pack 6, and also
manufacture by a plastic injection molding machine. If the
removable bristle pack 6 becomes stuck inside the holder 8
for any reason, such as clogged paint, it can be pried
loose by a suitable instrument such as a screwdriver. The
panel 10 has angled sides 26 so that potentially hazardous
sharp edges are avoided, and the sides 26 fit snugly with
the angled sides of cavity 14.
Figure 4 illustrates a front view of the recycla-
ble paint brush with the hinged clamp panel raised to a
closed uppermost position, thereby completeiy covering the
side of cavity 14 of the paint brush. When the clamping
panel 10 is in the uppermost position as illustrated in
Figure 4, the bristle abutting edge 22 (shown in dotted
lines) is fully clamped against the underlying bristle pack
6, and holds the bristle pack 6 in place within the holder
8. This clamping action also prevents the migration of
paint past the point where the edge 22 bears on the
bristles 6, as will be explained in more detail below.
Figure 5 illustrates a side view of the recycla-
ble paint brush with the hinged clamping panel open to
about three-quarters of its fully opened position. The
panel 10, with finger grip 16, pivots about hinge pin 12
and a corresponding pin on the opposite side, which are
received in corresponding openings formed in the holder 8.
As seen in Figure 5, the clamping panel 10 has a two-tier
construction, the upper tier fitting within the side of
cavity 14 when the panel 10 is moved to an uppermost
vertical closed bristle clamping position.
Figure 6 illustrates a side-section view of the
recyclable removable bristle paint brush with the hinged
bristle clamping panel opened half-way from the bristle
pack 6. As seen in Figure 6, the clamping panel 10 has
21~37~1
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- 13 -
been opened by means of finger grip 16 to about half of its
fully opened position. The panel 10 pivots about the pair
of hinge pins 12. The design of the bristle clamp edge 22
is fully illustrated in Figure 6. It has an increasing
radius curved configuration so that as panel 10 is pivoted
upwardly to a closed position, the curved design of bristle
edge 12 applies increasing clamping force against the
adjacent portion of the bristle pack 6. This action
applies a firm gripping force against the bristle pack 6.
It also squeezes the bristles 6 at the abutting location of
the edge 22 and the pin 12 to thereby compress the bristles
6 at that point and prevent paint from migrating upwardly
from the free lower end of the bristles 6 into the interior
of the holder 8.
While not shown in Figure 6, the bristle pack 6
can include in its interior an optional bristle separator.
Such a separator is positioned in the top interior portion
of the bristles 6, separates the bristles into two groups
and creates a bristle gap below the bristle separator. The
gap serves to hold paint and provides a smooth stroking
action, if desired. Figure 6 also illustrates the glue cap
32 at the top of the bristle pack 6.
Figure 7 illustrates a side section view of the
recyclable removable bristle paint brush with the hinged
side bristle clamping panel fully closed against the
bristles. As seen in Figure 7, the panel 10 has been fully
raised to its upper vertical position so that the panel 10
and grip 16 fully covers the side of cavity 14 (see Figure
3) and the bristle edge 22 is fully forced against the
bristles 6 in the region adjacent hinge pin 12. In this
position, edge 22 applies a force which is transmitted
across the width of the entire group of bristles 6. In
this configuration, paint and carrier solvent, which are
held by the lower free portion of the bristles 6, are
prevented from migrating by capillary action upwardly into
21~37~I
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the interior cavity of the holder 8. The force applied by
edge 22 can in some cases cause the bristle pack 6 to
deform inwardly on the proximate side. Thus the bristles
6 may not project entirely straight (in line) from the
holder 8. This tendency to angle the bristles 6 can be
offset by appropriately angling the interior back side of
the cavity in the holder 8.
Figure 8 illustrates a side view of the bristle
clamping panel of the recyclable paint brush. As seen in
this enlarged side view, the one-piece bristle panel 10 is
constructed so that it has at the top portion a curved
finger grip 16, which enables the top end of the panel 10
to be easily gripped and manipulated by a finger of the
user. The lower end of the one-piece panel 10 is con-
structed so that it has a pair of pins 12 extending lat-
erally in opposite directions from the sides of the base
and the central area of the bristle edge 22. The curved
face of the bristle edge 22 is normally designed with an
increasing radius so that as panel 10 is pivoted to a
closed position about the pair of hinge pins 12, which is
received inside corresponding holes in holder 8, the curved
face of the edge 22 applies a gradually increasing bearing
force against the bristles 6 (not shown in Figure 8). It
will be understood that other designs of edge 22 can be
made to apply the type of bristle clamping force against
bristle pack 6 that is desired as panel 10 is raised from
a fully open (see Figure 3) to a fully closed position, as
illustrated in Figures 4 and 7.
Figure 9 illustrates a front view of the bristle
gripping panel. In this enlarged view of the bristle panel
10, the curved concave design of the finger grip 16 is
illustrated. This curved configuration readily fits the
fingertip of a user. The angled edges 26 of the panel 10
ensure that no potentially hazardous sharp edges, which can
cause cuts and problems to the user, are exposed. The pair
2~3741
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of pins 12, which project from each side of the base of
panel 10, are readily visible in Figure 9. The upper edge
of bristle edge 22 is also illustrated in Figure 9. It
will be understood that the pin and opening hinge system
can be reversed so that the openings are in the panel 10
and the pins are formed on the holder 8. Other forms of
hinge mechanisms can also be used.
Figure 10 illustrates an enlarged isometric view
of the bristle holder portion of the recyclable paint brush
with the clamping panel in a partially open position. This
enlarged view, as illustrated in Figure 10, shows clearly
how the proximate hinge pin 12 extends from the side of the
panel 10 into a corresponding opening 12 in the base of the
holder 8. A similar arrangement exists on the opposite
side of the holder 8 (not shown). A portion of the clamp-
ing edge 22 is also visible. Figure 10 illustrates op-
tional finger ribs 28, which can be formed in the sides of
the holder 8, to enhance grippability of the paint brush 2
and holder 8. A portion of the cavity 14, which underlies
the panel 10, and exposes the proximate area of the bristle
pack 6, is also illustrated clearly in Figure 10.
Figure 11 illustrates an enlarged isometric view
of the bristle holder portion of the recyclable paint brush
with the clamping panel 10 in a virtually fully opened
position exposing the underlying bristles 6. When the
panel 10 is in the virtually fully opened position as
illustrated in Figure 11, the bristle clamping edge 22 has
been fully withdrawn from the underlying bristles 6. When
the panel 10 is in this position, bristle pack 6 can be
fully withdrawn from the interior of the panel holder 8,
as illustrated above in Figure 2.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art
in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations
and modifications are possible in the practice of this
2ls37~l
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invention without departing from the spirit or scope
thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be
construed in accordance with the substance defined by the
following claims.
