Spray texture material compositions, systems, and methods with accelerated dry times

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/562,033 filed Jul. 30, 2012, currently pending.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/562,033 is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/080,671 filed Apr. 4, 2008, now abandoned.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/080,671 claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/922,117 filed Apr. 5, 2007.

The contents of all related applications are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to texture material compositions, systems, and methods and, more particularly, texture material compositions adapted to be dispensed using an aerosol dispensing system.

BACKGROUND

The surfaces of drywall materials defining wall and ceiling surfaces are commonly coated with texture materials. Texture materials are coatings that are deposited in discrete drops that dry to form a bumpy, irregular texture on the destination surface. Texture materials are commonly applied using a hopper gun connected to a source of pressurized air. However, when only a small area is to be coated or an existing textured surface is repaired, texture materials are typically applied using an aerosol dispensing system.

An aerosol dispensing system for dispensing texture material typically comprises a container assembly, a valve assembly, and an outlet assembly. The container assembly contains the texture material and a propellant material. The propellant material pressurizes the texture material within the container assembly. The valve assembly is mounted to the container assembly in a normally closed configuration but can be placed in an open configuration to define a dispensing path along which the pressurized texture material is forced out of the container assembly by the propellant material. Displacement of the outlet assembly places the valve assembly in the open configuration. The outlet assembly defines a portion of the outlet path and is configured such that the texture material is applied to the destination surface in an applied texture pattern.

The propellant used by aerosol dispensing systems for texture materials may simply be a compressed inert gas such as air or nitrogen. More typically, the propellant used by aerosol dispensing systems is a bi-phase propellant material, including mixtures of volatile hydrocarbons such as propane, n-butane, isobutane, dimethyl ether (DME), and methylethyl ether.

At room temperature, bi-phase propellant materials typically exist in both liquid and vapor states within the container assembly. Prior to use, the vapor portion of the bi-phase propellant material is pressurized to an equilibrium pressure. When the valve assembly is placed in its open configuration, the vapor portion of the bi-phase propellant material forces the texture material out of the container assembly along the dispensing path.

When the valve assembly returns to its closed position, part of the liquid portion of the bi-phase propellant material changes to the vapor state because of the drop in pressure within the container assembly. The vapor portion of the propellant material returns the pressure within the container assembly to the equilibrium value in preparation for the next time texture material is to be dispensed from the aerosol dispensing system.

The texture material dispensed by an aerosol dispensing system may employ a solvent base, a water base, or a base containing a combination of water and water soluble solvents. A solvent based texture material dries quickly but can be malodorous and may require the use of complementary solvent cleaners for clean up. A water based texture material is typically not malodorous and can be cleaned using water but can take significantly longer to dry. A water/solvent based texture material can be cleaned using water, is typically not unacceptably malodorous, and has a dry time somewhere between solvent based and water based texture materials.

The need exists for formulations of water/solvent based texture materials that may be used to form an orange peel texture pattern.

SUMMARY

The present invention may be embodied as a system for dispensing texture material in an orange peel pattern comprising an aerosol dispenser and a contained material. The aerosol dispenser comprises a container assembly formed at least in part of tin-plated steel, a valve assembly that controls flow of pressurized fluid out of the container assembly, and an outlet assembly that alters a cross-sectional area of an outlet opening through which pressurized fluid flowing out of the container assembly through the valve assembly passes. The contained material comprises texture material and propellant material. The texture material comprises by weight approximately 24-34% water, approximately 4.1-6.1% latex binder, approximately 48-58% fillers, and approximately 4.8-8.8% drier accelerant. The contained material comprises approximately 10-15% by weight of the propellant material. The contained material is disposed within the container assembly. The outlet assembly is operated to alter the cross-sectional of the outlet opening such that the cross-sectional area of the outlet opening corresponds to a desired orange peel texture pattern. The valve assembly is operated to allow the propellant material to force at least a portion of the texture material out of the outlet opening in a spray pattern corresponding to the desired orange peel texture pattern. The drier accelerant promotes drying of the dispensed texture material in the desired orange peel texture pattern.

The present invention may also be embodied as a method of dispensing texture material in an orange peel pattern comprising the following steps. An aerosol dispenser is provided. The aerosol dispenser comprises a container assembly formed at least in part of tin-plated steel, a valve assembly that controls flow of pressurized fluid out of the container assembly, and an outlet assembly that alters a cross-sectional area of an outlet opening through which pressurized fluid flowing out of the container assembly through the valve assembly passes. A contained material is formed by combining texture material and propellant material. The texture material comprises by weight approximately 24-34% water, approximately 4.1-6.1% latex binder, approximately 48-58% fillers, and approximately 4.8-8.8% drier accelerant. The contained material comprises approximately 10-15% by weight of the propellant material. The contained material is arranged within the container assembly. The outlet assembly is operated to alter the cross-sectional of the outlet opening such that the cross-sectional area of the outlet opening corresponds to a desired orange peel texture pattern. Operating the valve assembly to allow the propellant material to force at least a portion of the texture material out of the outlet opening in a spray pattern corresponding to the desired orange peel texture pattern such that the drier accelerant promotes drying of the dispensed texture material in the desired orange peel texture pattern.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a section view of a first example aerosol dispensing system for texture material of the present invention; and

FIGS. 2A-2B are side elevation views depicting the process of using the aerosol dispensing system of FIG. 1 to apply texture material to a destination wall surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawing, depicted therein is an aerosol dispensing system 20 constructed in accordance with, and embodying, the principles of the present invention. The aerosol dispensing system 20 comprises a container assembly 22, a valve assembly 24, and an outlet assembly 26. The container assembly 22 and valve assembly 24 define a main chamber 28.

The main chamber 28 contains a liquid material 30 and a vapor material 32. The liquid material 30 comprises propellant material in liquid form and an orange peel texture material concentrate. The vapor material 32 comprises propellant material in vapor form. The combination of the liquid material 30 and the vapor material 32 in the container assembly 22 will be referred to as the contained material 34.

When the valve assembly 24 is in a closed configuration, the flow of fluid out of the main chamber 28 is substantially prevented. However, the vapor material 32 pressurizes the liquid material 30 within the main chamber 28 such that, when the valve assembly 24 is in an open configuration, the vapor material 32 forces the liquid material 30 out of the main chamber 28.

As perhaps best shown in FIG. 1, the example container assembly 22 comprises a main member 40, a bottom cap 42, and an end cap 44 formed of tin-plated steel. The tin-plated steel used to form the main member 40, bottom cap 42, and end cap 44 comprises a thin sheet of steel coated on one side by an even thinner layer (approximately 0.5 microns) of tin.

The main member 40 is a rectangular sheet that is rolled into a cylinder and welded along a seam 50 to define first and second end openings 52 and 54. The bottom cap 42 is a shaped tin-plated steel member that is crimped onto the cylindrical main member 40 to seal the first end opening 52. The end cap 44 is also a shaped tin-plated steel member defining a mounting opening 56; the end cap 44 is crimped onto the main member 40 such that fluid may not flow through the second opening 54 between the end cap 44 and the main member 40. The main member 40, bottom cap 42, and end cap 44 define an interior metal surface 58 of the container assembly 22.

With the bottom cap 42 covering the first opening 52, the end cap 44 covering the second opening 54, and the valve assembly 24 supported by the end cap 44, the aerosol dispensing system 20 defines the main chamber 28.

Alternatively, the container assembly 22 may be made of aluminum, in which case the bottom cap portion and the end cap portion may be integrally formed with the main member portion.

The example texture material concentrate is generally formulated as follows.

The texture material concentrate described in the table set forth above is combined in the container assembly 22 with the propellant material to obtain the contained material 34. The preferred amount of propellant material used to form the example dispensing system 20 is approximately 12.6% of the texture material concentrate by weight and is preferably within a first preferred range of substantially between 10% and 15% and is in any event preferably within a second preferred range of substantially between 5% and 20%. The propellant material is typically dimethyl ether (DME).

The solvent/carrier of the example formulation set forth in the table above is water. The resin/binder is or may be a conventional latex binder. The fillers may comprise any conventional pigments, extenders, and thickeners. If used, the additives forming part of the formulation described in the table set forth above typically comprise conventional biocides, dispersants, and defoamers.

The drier accelerant may be any water soluble solvent such as such as tetrahydrofuran, acetone, methanol, iso-propanol, ethanol, N-propanol, propylene glycol monomethylether, propylene glycol n-propyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diacetone alcohol, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, N-methyl pyrrolidone, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, diethanolamine, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol, methyl ethyl ketone, and methyl acetate.

In the context of the example container assembly 22 comprising tin-plated steel components, the texture material concentrate may be formulated to have anti-corrosion properties. In this case, the texture material concentrate may further comprise first and second anti-corrosion materials are included to promote passive corrosion behavior of the metal interior surface 58 of the container assembly 22 in contact with the texture material concentrate. Passive corrosion behavior occurs when the interaction between a metal structure and the environment forms a thin protective film on the surface of the metal structure. Passive corrosion produces essentially no corrosion of the metal structure and thus is very desirable.

In the example texture material concentrate, the first anti-corrosion material is an aninonic, phosphate ester. The example first anti-corrosion material is Elfugin, a proprietary product sold by Clariant Paper Chemicals as an antistatic for application to paper products. In the general example described above, approximately 1.00% (±5%) of the first anti-corrosion material is preferably used. The second anti-corrosion material of the example texture material concentrate is sodium nitrite. In the general example described above, approximately 0.100% (±5%) or 0.250% (±5%) of the first anti-corrosion material is preferably used, depending upon the nature of the remaining components of the texture material concentrate and propellant.

Generally speaking, the first anti-corrosion material should be within a first preferred range of substantially between 0.5% and 2% and in any event should be within a second preferred range of substantially between 0.1 and 5.0%. The second anti-corrosion material should be within a first preferred range of substantially between 0.05% and 1.0% and in any event should be within a second preferred range of substantially between 0.025% and 2.0%. The amount of water set forth in the foregoing table should be reduced by the amount of the first and second anti-corrosion materials used.

If the anti-corrosion materials are used, the texture material concentrate is preferably formulated and combined with propellant material as follows. The first and second anti-corrosion materials are initially dissolved in the water. The remaining materials are then mixed with the water solution to obtain the texture material concentrate.

If the container assembly is formed of tin-plated steel, the bottom cap 42 is crimped onto the main member 40 to form a container subassembly 22a. The valve assembly 24 is combined with the end cap 44 to form a cap subassembly 22b. The texture material concentrate is placed within the container subassembly 22a. The cap subassembly 22b is crimped onto the container subassembly 22a to form the container assembly 22. The propellant material is then introduced into the container assembly 22 through the valve assembly 24. The outlet assembly 26 is then engaged with the valve assembly to form the aerosol dispensing system 20.

With the foregoing general understanding of the present invention, the details of several example formulations of the texture material concentrate and the construction and use of the example aerosol dispensing system 20 will now be described in further detail with reference to FIG. 1.

The example valve assembly 24 comprises a valve housing 60, a valve seat 62, a valve member 64, and a valve spring 66. The end cap 44 supports the valve housing 60 and the valve seat 62 adjacent to the mounting opening 56. The valve housing 60 supports the valve spring 66 such that the valve spring 66 biases the valve member 64 against the valve seat 62 in a normally closed position. An intake tube 68 extends from the valve housing 60 to the end of the main member 40 closed by the bottom cap 42.

The outlet assembly 26 comprises an actuator member 70, a resilient member 72, and a clamp member 74. The actuator member defines a stem portion 76 and a plurality of finger portions 78. The stem portion 76 extends through the mounting opening 56 and engages the valve member 64. The actuator member 70 supports the resilient member 72 such that the resilient member 72 is held within the finger portions 78. The clamp member 74 engages the actuator member 70 such that displacement of the clamp member 74 relative to the actuator member 70 bends the finger portions 78 towards each other to deform the resilient member 72.

A dispensing path 80 extends between an inlet opening 82 defined by the intake tube 68 and an outlet opening 84 defined by the resilient member 72. Fluid is prevented from flowing along the dispensing path 80 when the valve assembly 24 is in the closed configuration as defined above. Fluid may flow along the dispensing path 80 when the valve assembly 24 is in the open configuration. The spray pattern of liquid flowing out of the main chamber 28 through the outlet opening 84 may be varied by deforming the resilient member 72 as described above.

More specifically, the valve spring 66 normally biases the valve member 64 against the valve seat 62 to close the dispensing path 80. When the actuator member 70 is displaced towards the container assembly 22, the valve member 64 is displaced away from the valve seat 62 against the force of the valve spring 66 to place the valve assembly 24 in its open configuration. In this open configuration, the example dispensing path 80 extends through a first passageway 90 defined by the intake tube 68, a valve chamber 92 defined by the valve housing 60, a gap 94 between valve member 64 and the valve seat 62, a second passageway 96 defined by the actuator member 70, and a third passageway 98 defined by the resilient member 72.

Turning now to FIGS. 2A-2B of the drawing, depicted therein is an example of use of the example dispensing system 20 described above. The example dispensing system 20 is used to apply texture material to a wall member 120 defining a target surface portion 122. In the case of a repair to the wall member 120, existing spray texture material 124 typically surrounds the target surface portion 122.

Initially, the dispensing system 20 is arranged such that the outlet opening 84 faces the target surface portion 122. The actuator member 70 is then displaced to place the valve assembly 24 in its open configuration. The pressurized propellant material causes a portion of the contained material 34 to be dispensed from the container assembly 22 through the dispensing path 80.

Because of the formulation of the contained material 34 and the geometry of the resilient member 72, the contained material exits the container assembly 22 in a spray 130 comprising discrete droplets 132. The droplets 132 are deposited onto the target surface 122 to form a texture coating 134 in an applied texture pattern. The texture coating 134 is initially wet but dries when exposed to air.

By appropriately selecting the cross-sectional area of the outlet opening 84, the applied texture pattern of the texture coating 134 can be formed such that the applied texture pattern substantially matches the existing pattern of the existing texture material 124.

In the example dispensing system 20 described above, the outlet opening 84 is varied using the collar 74 to deform the fingers 78 and thus the resilient member 72. Alternatively, the outlet opening of the dispensing system 20 may be varied using any of the structures described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,633, and the teachings of that patent are incorporated herein by reference.

The scope of the present invention should be determined by the claims appended hereto and not the foregoing detailed description of the invention.