PAINT SHIELD AND METHOD OF USE

Description

PRIORITY

This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/712,630, filed Oct. 28, 2024, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a handheld apparatus for assisting in the painting, and more particularly to a paint shield for accommodating contours and imperfections in walls, ceilings, and tight corners.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Current methods of painting typically require expensive and extensive taping that can consume over 20 minutes to properly tape an entire room.

Existing paint shield products all have a relatively rigid, stainless steel blade that is unforgiving to the contour and imperfections in walls and corners.

There remains a need for providing such an improved, lightweight, easy to manufacture paint shield that better accommodates contours and imperfections in walls, ceilings, and tight corners and that is amenable to mass-production at a reasonable cost.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus or paint shield includes a rigid handgrip portion for being gripped by a user of the paint shield. The handgrip portion defines a proximal end and a distal end. A flexible blade extends from the distal end of the handgrip portion. The flexible blade has a top side and an opposite, bottom side. The flexible blade is configured to i) conform to a surface in contact with the flexible blade and ii) inhibit flow of a fluent substance from the top side to the bottom side with the flexible blade in contact with a surface.

In one preferred form of the present invention, the flexible blade tapers in a direction moving away from the distal end of the handgrip portion.

In another preferred form of the present invention, the flexible blade is formed from silicone. Preferably, the flexible blade has hardness of about 45 on the Shore 00 scale. In another preferred form, the flexible blade has hardness of about 75 on the Shore A scale.

In still another preferred form of the present invention, the flexible blade is configured to prevent flow of a paint from the top side to the bottom side with the flexible blade in contact with a substantially flat surface with an application force applied by a user sufficient to bend the flexible blade at least 45 degrees from its as-molded, resting shape.

According to another preferred form of the present invention, the flexible blade is removably received within a slot formed at the distal end of the handgrip portion.

In accordance with another preferred form of the present invention, the handgrip portion and the flexible blade is unitarily constructed such that the flexible blade is non-removably connected to the handgrip portion.

In still another preferred form of the present invention, the flexible blade has a length of between about 10 mm and about 30 mm from the distal end of the handgrip portion from which the flexible blade extends. Preferably, the flexible blade has a length of about 20 mm from the distal end of the handgrip portion.

According to another preferred form of the present invention, the flexible blade has a thickness of between about 4 mm and about 7 mm.

In another preferred form of the present invention, the flexible blade has a proximal end received in the handgrip portion and a tapered distal end for contacting a surface, wherein the proximal end has a thinned medial portion and an enlarged retention portion.

According to another preferred form of the present invention, the flexible blade and the handgrip portion are elongate, having a length along a central axis of between about 200 mm and about 450 mm, wherein the central axis is perpendicular to a length of said flexible blade extending from the distal end of the handgrip portion. Preferably, the flexible blade and the handgrip portion each have a length along the central axis of about 300 mm.

In another preferred form of the present invention, the handgrip portion has a plurality of intersecting, transverse ribs defining recessed portions therebetween.

In another preferred form of the present invention, the handgrip portion is elongate, having spaced apart side ends, and the handgrip portion has an aperture therethrough located at one of the spaced apart side ends.

In accordance with another preferred form of the present invention, the flexible blade and the handgrip portion are elongate, having a length along a central axis, and the flexible blade is symmetrical when viewed in a cross-sectional plane that is perpendicular to the central axis. In one form, the flexible blade is asymmetrical when viewed in a cross-sectional plane that is perpendicular to the central axis.

According to another preferred form of the present invention, the flexible blade is configured to elastically deform to surfaces joining at about a 90 degree angle.

In another broad form of the invention, a method of using a paint shield includes the steps of obtaining one of the aforementioned paint shield embodiments discussed above, gripping the handgrip portion of the paint shield, pressing the flexible blade of the paint shield against a surface to elastically deflect the flexible blade, and applying a fluent substance to the surface proximate to said top side of the flexible blade.

Other features and advantages will become readily apparent from the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification, in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIG. 1 is an isometric view, taken from the top, front, and right side, of a preferred embodiment of a paint shield of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of just the handgrip portion of the paint shield of FIG. 1 prior to installation of the blade;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the handgrip portion of the paint shield of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the handgrip portion of the paint shield shown in FIG. 2, taken along plane 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged, cross-sectional view of the blade installed in the distal end of the handgrip portion of the paint shield of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the handgrip portion of the paint shield shown in FIG. 2, taken along plane 6-6 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view, taken from the top, front, and right side of just the blade of the paint shield of FIG. 1 prior to installation in the handgrip portion; and

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of just the blade of the paint shield of FIG. 1 prior to installation in the handgrip portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described the presently preferred embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure should be considered as an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated.

In accordance with the illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention, and components thereof, illustrated in FIGS. 1-8, the invention has the form of a handheld apparatus or paint shield 40.

With reference to FIG. 4, the paint shield 40 includes an elongate and rigid handgrip portion 44 having a proximal end 48 and a distal end 52. The handgrip portion 44 is for being gripped by a user of the paint shield 40 during use. A flexible blade 54 extends from the distal end 52 of the rigid handgrip portion 44. As will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter, the flexible blade 54 (e.g., FIG. 5) is configured to conform to a surface and inhibit flow of a fluent substance (e.g., latex paint, oil paints, etc.) from a top side 56 to a covered or bottom side 58 with the flexible blade in contact with a surface, such as a wall, ceiling, trim, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the handgrip portion 44 and the flexible blade 54 are elongate and define a central axis 60 extending between spaced-apart side ends 62. The handgrip portion 44 includes a plurality of intersecting, transverse ribs 64 defining diamond-shaped recesses 68 therebetween for imparting rigidity in the handgrip portion 44, which may be formed from a rigid thermoplastic (such as polypropylene) or metal. The handgrip portion 44 further includes an aperture 70 extending fully therethrough for permitting the paint shield 40 to be hung or suspended on a hook, clip, or other type projection for storage.

Referring to FIG. 5, the distal end 52 of the handgrip portion 44 includes a slot 74 that extends along the central axis 60 and which receives an enlarged retention portion or barbed proximal end 78 of the flexible blade 54. In one form, the flexible blade 54 may be removably secured in the slot 74 to permit changing of the blade 54 by the user. In other forms, the flexible blade 54 may not be removed, and may be unitarily formed with the handgrip portion 44 such as by insert molding, bi-injection molding, 3-D printing, gluing, or other equivalent manufacturing means. The flexible blade 54 is symmetric relative to the central axis 60, as can be seen in cross section in FIG. 5, which permits the paint shield 40 to be used in any orientation by a user. The blade 54 includes a tapering distal end 80 that is cantilevered from the handgrip portion 44 and a thinned medial portion that works with the enlarged retention portion 78 for locking the blade 54 within the slot 74.

In one preferred form of the present invention, the blade 54 and the handgrip portion 44 have a length along the central axis 60 of between about 200 and about 450 mm, and more preferably about 456 mm. The blade 54 extends a height or distance, as measured straight in FIG. 5 from the distal end 52 of the handgrip portion 44, of between about 10 and about 30 mm, and more preferably a height of about 20 mm. The blade has a thickness or width of between about 4 mm and about 7 mm, and tapers down to a minimal thickness of about 0.2 mm at the end 80. The blade 54 is substantially more flexible compared to the relatively rigid, inflexible handgrip portion 44. The blade 54 is preferably formed or molded from an elastomer such as silicone. The blade 54 is preferably sufficiently flexible to elastically deform to conform to a right angle corner with minimal force applied by the user. In one preferred form, the blade 54 has a hardness of about 75 on the Shore A scale. In a different form, the blade 54 has a hardness of between about 10-86 on the Shore 00 scale, more preferably about 45 on the Shore 00 scale. Preferably, the blade 54 has a modulus of elasticity of between about 0.0750-9.00 ksi, and more preferably about 2.42 ksi. The blade 54 will prevent any substantial amount of fluent substance (e.g., latex or oil-based commercially available paints) from flowing between the sides 56, 58 when a reasonable (i.e., low to medium) hand/push force is applied by a user with the blade 54 in contact with a surface. Other sufficiently flexible materials may be used.

It will be understood that the blade 54 may have a different shape for some applications. In some non-preferred forms (not illustrated), the blade may be less flexible, and which is configured to extend a shorter distance of about 14.5 mm from the handgrip portion 44. Furthermore, in an alternative embodiment of a paint shield 40 according to the present invention, screws are used to facilitate the removable retention of the blade 54 in slot 74 of the handgrip portion 44. Other means may be used to removably or irremovably secure the blade 54 with the handgrip portion 44, such as adhesives, welding, molding, crimping, etc. In some forms, the paint shield 40 may include an asymmetric blade 54, relative to the central axis 60 wherein the opposing sides 54 and 56 are not identical. The bottom side 54 may be substantially flat whereas the top side 56 may be is chamfered.

In use, the user may grasp the handgrip portion 44 of the paint shield 40 to elastically deform the flexible blade 54 against a surface, particularly a 90 degree corner or other tight space with limited accessibility, and then apply a fluent substance (e.g., paint) to the surface (e.g., drywall wall or ceiling) adjacent the top side 56 of the blade 54. The blade 54 seals against the wall with minimal force or pressure required of the user to prevent flow of the fluent substance from the top side 56 to the bottom side 58 of the blade 54.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concept of the present invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiment illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover, by the appended claims, all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.