EP0680706A1 - Brush for applying liquid or pasty products - Google Patents

Abstract

The brush has a head (3) in which the bristles (6) are held in a collar (5) and a ferrule (4). The ferrule has an open end (11) into which an insert (12) is fixed. This has a threaded hole (22) into which a threaded part (23), that is added to the handle or moulded with it, screws. Alternatively, two studs can project from the end of the handle and engage in L-shaped grooves in the ferrule. A rib round the handle can engage in a groove in the ferrule or the handle can be held in the ferrule of magnetism. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a brush for applying liquid or pasty products such as paint or glue on a support. It will find its application in all fields where it is necessary to apply or set up such products on various supports and in particular in the field of building paint.

In the field of building painting, it is known to use brushes of various shapes and sizes depending on the applications, to set up the paint or glue on the walls or on other supports to be covered by these products.

However, currently due to the diversity of the surfaces to be covered, and the complexity of the operations to be carried out, a large number of brushes of various shapes and sizes are used. This diversity of surfaces to be covered, and the multiplicity of brushes it requires, requires the painter to have a large range of brushes, which for him represents a significant investment.

This investment is further increased by the fact that, in order to avoid excessive loss of time on the site resulting from the cleaning of the brushes, in particular when changing paints or products to be applied, or quite simply when modifying the surfaces to be painted , you should generally use several brushes of the same type.

We also understand that this large number of brushes requires a large space to allow storage both on site and at the workbench of the painter.

Furthermore, this problem of space is also encountered during transport or the sale in adapted packaging of the brushes.

Indeed, not only the head comprising the fibers ensuring the positioning of the products can be bulky, but whatever the nature and the shape thereof, each brush currently comprises a handle or a fixed holding member.

Until then, due to the problem linked to the need for a perfectly maintained support with the head, there was a prejudice commonly shared by those skilled in the art in this area which suggested that it was not desirable to make it removable the head and the support of the brush.

Thus, it is not only necessary that the handle is perfectly held at the head to avoid its dissociation during the use of the brush, but it is also necessary that this association is waterproof to avoid any introduction or not desired liquid inside the head so that there is no possibility of alterations of the means of association of these two elements. In addition, these means must resist repeated use, that is to say successive placement on the same separate head handle.

The present invention aims to remedy the drawbacks of brushes currently known by providing a brush intended for applying products such as paint or glue to a support whose handle and head are separate and removable and being associable to form from a handle and a plurality of heads a variety of brushes.

An advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that it allows a reduction in the bulk which facilitates the transport and the presentation of the brushes as well as their storage both on the site of use and in the painter's workshop.

Another advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that it makes it possible, from a single handle, to produce a collection of different head brushes which considerably reduces the cost thereof.

Another object of the present invention is that it allows a dissociation of the handle and the easy head as well as an installation of these elements which is carried out very quickly.

Another object of the present invention lies in the fact that the joining of the head and of the handle avoids the damaging separation phenomena especially when using brushes.

Another object of the present invention also lies in the fact that, whatever the embodiment envisaged, the means for securing the handle and the head of the brush are protected against the introduction of products liable to harm the setting in place or withdrawal of these means of securing.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear during the description which follows which is however given only for information and which is not intended to limit it.

• des moyens de préhension constitués par au moins un manche,
• des moyens pour appliquer des produits constitués par au moins une tête présentant une touffe de fibres associées entre elles, par une colle thermodurcissable, dans une virole présentant dans sa partie supérieure un logement dirigé vers les moyens de préhension,
• des moyens de fixation amovible complémentaires pour solidariser entre eux, en position d'utilisation le manche et la tête.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a brush, intended for applying liquid or pasty products, such as glue or paint, characterized in that it comprises:

• gripping means constituted by at least one handle,
• means for applying products consisting of at least one head having a tuft of fibers associated with each other, by a thermosetting adhesive, in a ferrule having in its upper part a housing directed towards the gripping means,
• additional removable fixing means for joining together, in the use position, the handle and the head.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en position éclatée illustrant un pinceau conforme à l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique d'une variante de réalisation,
• la figure 3 est une vue schématique illustrant une variante de réalisation des moyens de liaison et de fixation du manche et de la tête du pinceau,
• la figure 4 est une vue schématique montrant une variante de réalisation des moyens de liaison et de fixation du manche et de la tête du pinceau,
• la figure 5 est une vue schématique illustrant un autre mode de réalisation du pinceau conforme à l'invention,
• la figure 6 est une variante de la réalisation montrée à la figure 5,
• la figure 7 est une variante de la réalisation montrée à la figure 6,
• la figure 8 montre une vue en coupe partielle d'une autre variante de réalisation reprenant le principe d'encliquetage de la figure 5.

The invention will be clearly understood on reading the following description accompanied by the accompanying drawings, among which:

• FIG. 1 is a schematic view in exploded position illustrating a brush according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an alternative embodiment,
• FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating an alternative embodiment of the means for connecting and fixing the handle and the head of the brush,
• Figure 4 is a schematic view showing an alternative embodiment of the connecting means and fixing the handle and the brush head,
• FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating another embodiment of the brush according to the invention,
• FIG. 6 is a variant of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5,
• FIG. 7 is a variant of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6,
• FIG. 8 shows a view in partial section of another alternative embodiment taking up the snap principle of FIG. 5.

The subject of the present invention is a brush intended for applying liquid or pasty products such as glue or paint to a support. It will find its application in all the field where one must apply or put in place such products on different supports.

Thus in particular that in the field of painting and more particularly in that of building painting, it is known to use brushes of various shapes and sizes depending on the applications to set up the painting or glue on walls or any other support to be covered with such products.

In all the description which follows, a brush 1 is more particularly illustrated, the handle 2 of which has a circular section and the head 3 of which is also round. Of course, this embodiment is in no way limiting and it is entirely possible to realize from the invention brushes 1 with a handle which have a polygonal section and a head 3 also polygonal (flat, square, rectangular, conical, etc.) or in any other specific form suitable for a particular use.

The handle 2 is made of any type of material such as for example wood, metal or light metal alloy or even hard plastic. It has a variable length depending on the applications as well as a diameter suitable for ensure perfect manual support.

The head 3 is constituted by a ferrule 4 and a collar 5 as well as by a tuft of fibers 6. These fibers 6 can be natural fibers such as silk, horsehair or even artificial fibers such as for example nylon 6-6, nylon 6-10 depending on the desired flexibility intended to constitute the brush.

The ferrule 4 is here a smooth piece made of a metallic or synthetic material, the surface condition of which has excellent non-stick properties in order to facilitate its cleaning, in particular of glue or paint particles which are liable to become attached to it. during the use of the brush.

An annular collar 5 made by means of a string or else by metallic wires of small section tightens the top of the fibers 6 of the tuft in order to ensure a retention of the fibers 6 which allows a uniform placement of the product to be applied thanks to freedom of movement of the base of the fibers 6.

In one embodiment, the ferrule 4 of conical shape comprises in its upper part 10 a housing 11, directed towards the gripping means 2, inside which is placed a part 12 of complementary shape.

This part 12 constitutes an insert whose outside diameter is slightly less than the lower diameter of the ferrule 4 in order to be housed inside the housing 11 while avoiding the possibility of passage of impurities or products inside this ferrule 5.

This insert 12 comprises at least one perforated part 13 intended to allow the penetration of the thermosetting adhesive during the assembly operation of the brush head.

For this, after the fibers 6 have been engaged by the top of the ferrule 4, in order to pass them inside thereof, until their end comes out from the other side over a determined length in according to the needs, we inject a glue thermosetting to secure the top of the fibers 6 to each other over at least part of their length trapped inside the ferrule. The other length remaining free in order to provide flexibility to the tuft of fibers 6 necessary for the regular and homogeneous application of the product to the support.

Before the glue is fully cured, the insert 12 is introduced into said housing 11 under pressure so that part of the glue penetrates into said perforated part 13 and, by hardening, maintains and secures the insert 12 with the part of the fibers 6 glued.

According to the invention, the handle 2 and the head 3 have been made removable in order to allow, from a handle 2, a combination of various combinations of heads 3 allowing the making of brushes of different shapes.

For this, the handle 2 has fixing means 20 which must cooperate with means 21 complementary to the head 3.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, these means 20 are constituted by a threaded end piece 23, made of a material such as metal, metal alloys or even plastics. This threaded end piece 23 may have come from molding or else attached and secured to the handle 2 by a bolt, a screw or by bonding or riveting techniques.

The means 21 consist of a threaded orifice 22, provided at the level of the insert 13, the internal diameter of which corresponds substantially to the external diameter of the threaded end piece 23 in order to ensure that it is hermetically put in place.

In this case, the presence of the part 12 advantageously makes it possible to associate a head 3 of more varied shape and dimensions from, in particular the possibility of using threaded end pieces 23 which have different thread pitches which can cooperate with an orifice which has a gradual tapping of complementary pitch.

In the case where there is no insert 12, the orifice 22 is directly formed in the body of the ferrule 4.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the relative positioning of the threaded end-tapped orifice is reversed and, the threaded end-piece 63 is attached or molded on the ferrule 4 or else on the part 12, and the handle 2 comprises a tapped hole 62 formed in its central part to cooperate in the mounted position with the threaded end piece 63 in order to ensure its joining.

To make this association of the head and the handle 2 even more leaktight, one can provide on the ferrule 4, or even on the handle 2, an annular groove intended to receive a seal made of elastomeric material.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the securing means 30 of the handle 2 are constituted by two lugs or pins 31 coming from molding or reported by making perpendicular projection to cooperate with complementary means 32 of the ferrule 4 or possibly of Exhibit 12.

These means 32 are constituted by a housing 33 delimited by two L-shaped grooves inside which, in the mounted position, is placed each stud 31 according to an assembly of the "socket" type.

Of course, the means 32 and the means 30 could be placed respectively on the shell 4 or on the part 12 and on the handle 2.

In an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the means 40 for securing the handle 2 are constituted by one or two ribs 41 which have come from molding or are attached to cooperate with complementary means 42 of the ferrule or of the part 12.

These means 42 are constituted, in the case of Figure 4, by a groove 43 inside which in the mounted position is placed in the abutment position the circular rib 41 according to an assembly of the type "mortise-mortise".

Of course, the means 42 and 40 could be placed respectively on the ferrule and on the part 12 as well as on the handle 2, as shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the handle has two circular ribs 71 defining between them a groove 72 and the interior of the ferrule 4 has an annular lip 73 able to snap into place at said groove 72.

Furthermore, it is also possible that the means 40 are constituted by pins or a partial rib projecting perpendicularly to cooperate with the means 42 according to a snap-on assembly. Likewise, for said means 42 which may be partial. In this regard, Figure 8 shows in partial section the ferrule 4 in which the top of the fibers 6 is secured by thermosetting glue, and taking up the principle of latching of the head 3 on the handle 3 using a groove 80, provided directly at the distal end of the handle or attached, cooperating with radial pins 81 arranged at the upper external part of the ferrule 4.

In the case of assembly by clipping, there may be provided, to facilitate the separation of the head and the handle, means 74 for locally weakening the wall of the collar 4 so as to be able to tear it at this level. In this regard, known techniques used in the context of bottle stoppers can be used.

In Figure 7, there is shown an alternative embodiment of the ends of the handle 2 and the ferrule 4 also allowing clipping of the two elements as well as a facilitated possibility of detachment of the head. The means 40 are in this case constituted by one end carrying grooves 75 able to cooperate with the annular pins 76 of the complementary means 77, while the breaking by breaking of the pins 76 takes place during a rotation of the ferrule 4 by report to handle 2, according to the arrow marked 78.

In FIG. 5, it has been particularly possible to show another embodiment in which the means 50 for securing the handle 2 are constituted by a part magnetized 52 having to cooperate in the mounted position with means 51 of the ferrule 4 or else of the part 12 constituted by a metallic part 53.

Claims (10)

Brush (1), intended for applying liquid or pasty products, such as glue or paint, characterized in that it comprises: - gripping means (2) consisting of at least one handle, - Means (3-6) for applying products consisting of at least one head (3) having a tuft (6) of fibers associated with each other, by a thermosetting adhesive, in a ferrule (4) having in its upper part a housing directed to the gripping means - Means (20,21; 30,32; 40,42; 50,51) of additional removable fixing to secure together, in the use position the handle and the head. Brush according to claim 1, characterized in that the means (20) for securing the handle are constituted by a threaded end piece (23) added or molded. Brush according to claim 1, characterized in that the complementary means (21) for securing the head consist of a tapped hole (22). Brush according to claim 1, characterized in that the head (3) comprises a part (12) constituting an insert which has an openwork part (13). Brush according to claim 1, characterized in that the means (30) for securing the handle are constituted by two pins (31) projecting perpendicularly attached or molded. Brush according to claim 5, characterized in that the means (32) for additional solarization of the head consist of two L-shaped openings (33) each having to cooperate with a nipple on the handle. Brush according to claim 1, characterized in that the means (40) for securing the handle consist of one or more ribs (41; 72; 75). Brush according to claim 7, characterized in that the complementary means (42) for securing the head consist of grooves (43), lips (73) or lugs (76) each having to cooperate with the rib (s) (41) by snap-fastening. Brush according to claim 1, characterized in that the means (50) for securing the handle are constituted by a magnetic piece (52). Brush according to claim 9, characterized in that the complementary means (51) for securing the head consist of a metal part (63) to be associated with the magnetized part (52).

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