A spraying gun, a container and liquid receptacle to be fixed to a spraying gun.

The subject of the invention is a spray gun, in particular a spray gun which utilizes containers, in particular disposable containers and containers that can act as liners.

Disposable containers are used in many different areas. For example, many goods are packaged in disposable containers (e.g. bags) either before or after purchase. When the disposable container is a plastic bag, it is often reused by the buyer as a disposable insert for another container, for example a waste bin. In some cases, disposable liners are made specifically for use in other reusable containers. In such cases, the insert may be intended to assist in removing the contents of the container (as in the case of an insert in a waste bin) to protect the container or its contents, or to facilitate or even eliminate cleaning of the container.

The use of an insert in a container in which a substance such as glue, paint or gypsum is mixed or contained for use may be particularly advantageous in facilitating the cleaning of the container after use and protecting the substance in that container from contamination by residues of other substances. Containers in which, for example, paints are mixed or contained for use must be clean to ensure that the color or quality of the paint is not

190 184 is changed by traces of other substances. This is particularly important, as explained above, when the vehicle is being repainted or the paint is to be matched to the existing one to avoid contamination problems when mixing paints, often disposable wax paper cups are used in paint shops as mixing containers, especially when needed there is only a small amount of paint. An alternative approach, proposed in US Pat. No. 4,383,635, involves the use of a disposable container which, when used, is located in a reusable container constituting a frame.

In the field of spray guns, it has been proposed for various reasons that a disposable liner should be used in a gun container (see US 3,211,244, 3,255,972, 4,151,929, 4,951,875 and 5,143,294 and EP-A-0678334). Spray guns (e.g. paints, horticultural chemicals, etc.) are generally known and usually comprise a reservoir in which the dispensed liquid is contained, and a spray nozzle through which the liquid is dispensed under pressure with control by the trigger mechanism. The liquid can be fed from the tank by gravity and / or can be entrained in a stream of fluid under pressure, for example air or water, which is fed to the gun from an external source.

When you want to change the liquid in the spray gun tank, you usually need to clean the gun very carefully to ensure that there is no trace of old liquid in the gun that could contaminate the new liquid. This is especially true for spray guns, because any traces of an old batch of paint remaining in the gun can change the color of the new batch of paint to such an extent that the new batch of paint will not be usable. This can cause problems especially in paint shops, where the paint applied to the car often has to exactly match the existing paint. Alternatively, if paint residue may have dried out in the gun, it may peel off and contaminate a new batch of paint. However, cleaning spray guns is relatively complicated and time consuming. In addition, in the case of spray guns, the cleaning operation requires the use of relatively large amounts of solvents, which, due to environmental protection, require careful handling and disposal. This in turn can significantly increase the cost of the varnishing operation. It has already been proposed, for example in the above-mentioned EP-A0678334, that the use of a disposable liner in a paint spray gun tank can simplify cleaning of the gun and reduce the amount of solvent needed.

A spray gun containing a fluid tank with a removable foldable insert that folds while the fluid is pulled out of the inside of the cartridge while the gun is operating and a spray nozzle for dispensing fluid from the inside of the cartridge, characterized by that the fluid has a shape that matches the inside of the tank and it adheres exactly to me.

It is preferred that the spray gun includes a removable filter for filtering fluid flowing from the interior of the spray nozzle located in the reservoir. The pistol further includes a removable cover that is located in the tank opening and which secures the insert to the tank at the periphery of the opening, the filter being removed from the tank together with the cover. The lid has a fluid outlet from the insert to the spray nozzle, in addition the lid is connected to the insert through spikes or by snap fastening or by a press fit, allowing the insert to be removed from the reservoir together with the lid. The insert is thermoformed / vacuum formed of thermoplastic material and has a rigid base and side walls that are thin compared to the base and can be folded and a flat outwardly projecting rim that is shaped to sit on the edge of the opening in the tank. The rim of the insert is stiffer than its side walls and may also be thicker than the side walls. The insert with stretched and straightened side walls has stiffness that allows it to stand without support on the base.

A gravity fed spray gun containing a fluid tank having a removable cap located in the tank opening and a spray nozzle for extracting fluid drawn from the interior of the tank through the outlet in the cover, characterized by the fact that the tank is removable from the gun and contains means for self-contained to allow fluid to enter the reservoir through the opening, whereas for the purposes of utilization, the walls of the tank are made as collapsible.

It is preferred that a closed vent in the form of an opening is made at the end of the reservoir away from the lid, the reservoir being made of plastic and having a removable filter for filtering the fluid passing from the interior of the reservoir to the spray nozzle. The filter is located inside the tank and is removed from the tank together with the lid.

A spray gun comprising a fluid reservoir and a spray nozzle for supplying fluid from within the reservoir is characterized in that the reservoir comprises a self-supporting container that is removed from the spray gun, the container walls being folded for disposal.

It is preferred that the container has a removable lid in which a fluid outlet from the interior of the tank to the spray nozzle is made. A removable filter is placed in the tank to filter the fluid passing from the inside of the tank to the spray nozzle, the filter being removed from the container together with the lid. A closed vent is located at the end of the container away from the lid, the container being made of plastic.

The container intended to be attached to the spray gun to create, without the presence of any other container, a fluid reservoir of this gun is characterized in that it has the form of a sealed cartridge containing fluid inside, the outlet end of the cartridge being intended to be opened or pierced before the cartridge is attached to spray gun.

It is preferred that the cartridge is open when attached to the spray gun to create a fluid reservoir for that gun. The container further includes venting which, when open, allows fluid to flow from the container. Inside the container is placed an outer cover in which the fluid insert is embedded.

The fluid reservoir intended to be attached to the spray gun, having a removable cover that is located in the opening in the reservoir and in which the fluid outlet for the reservoir is made, the fluid outlet being shaped for attachment to the spray gun, characterized by the end of the reservoir removable vent is located away from the lid.

The container according to the invention is cheap enough to be disposable, has the possibility of folding when it is necessary to discard it and provides relatively easy handling and filling during use. The invention particularly relates to such a container that is suitable for use as an insert in another container. The invention also simplifies cleaning of spray guns and similar devices and allows to reduce the time and costs associated with such an operation.

The term thermoforming / vacuum forming as used herein means a process in which a sheet of material is heated to a softened state and formed in this softened state to the desired shape determined by the mold. This includes the case in which the air pressure difference is used to assist in giving the material the desired shape, and especially includes the case in which a vacuum is created on one side of the material to assist in giving the desired shape (an operation also known simply as vacuum forming).

The term collapsible, as used herein in reference to the side walls of the container / liner according to the invention, means that the side walls can be deformed so that when applying moderate pressure (e.g. hand pressure) the container rim can be pushed towards the base of the container without breaking the walls the side

The term paint is used herein to include all forms of paint-like coating materials that can be applied to a surface by means of a spray gun, whether or not they are to stain the surface. The term includes, for example, primers, base coats, varnishes and similar materials.

The subject of the invention is illustrated in the embodiment in the drawing, in which pos 1 is a perspective view of a known spray gun in a partially disassembled state so that it can be filled with paint, Fig. 2 shows the parts of the

190 Fig. 3 - a container according to the invention intended for Fig. 3 - the paint container of Fig. 2 assembled with an adapter for connecting the container with a spray gun, Fig. 4 longitudinal section through the paint container and the adapter of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 - the paint tank of Fig. 4 attached to the spray gun, Fig. 6 - the paint tank of Fig. 4 in use on the spray gun, Fig. 7 - the components of the paint tank of Fig. 4 removed after use, Fig. 8 - it is similar to Fig. 2, but shows the modified form of the paint tank, Fig. 9 - longitudinal section through the alternative form of the cover for the paint tanks of Figs. 2-4 and 8, Fig. 10 - is similar to Fig. 2, but shows another modified form of the paint container, Fig. 11 - part of the longitudinal section through the paint container of Fig. 10, Fig. 12 - a spray gun according to the invention, similar to the gun of Fig. 1, but with an alternative form of the paint container, FIG. 13 - the gun of Fig. 12 with a modified form of the paint tank, Fig. 14 - modification of the gun tank of Fig. 13, Fig. 15 - is a view similar to Fig. 3 of an alternative form of the paint tank, Figs. 16 and 17 show modified forms of the part component of Fig. 15, Fig. 18 - illustrates the use of the paint container holder of Fig. 15, Fig. 19 - is a perspective view of the insert / container according to the invention, Fig. twenty - is a similar view, but showing the insert / container in the assembly process for disposal, Figs. 21 (a) to (c) - is a schematic illustration of the method for producing the paint tank insert of Figs. 2-4 and 10, Fig. 22 - illustrates a modification of the method of Fig. 21, Fig. 23 - a paint mixing jug, and Fig. 24 - an insert according to the invention for use with the jug of Fig. 23.

Pos 1 presents a typical known spray gun 1 with gravity feed. Dog foot 1 includes a body 2, a handle 3 that extends downwards from the rear end of the body and a spray nozzle 4 at the front end of the body. This gun is manually operated with the trigger 5, which is pivotally mounted on the sides of the gun. The paint tank 6, which contains the paint (or similar material) to be ejected by the gun, is located at the top of the body 2 and is connected to an internal (invisible) compressed air channel, which channel runs through the gun from the connector 7 at the lower handle 3 to nozzle 4. When in use, connector 7 is attached to a compressed air source (not shown) so that when the user presses the trigger 5, compressed air is supplied through the gun to nozzle 4 and entrains and sprays the paint supplied by gravity from the tank 6. Then the paint flows out through the nozzle 4 together with compressed air as a spray stream.

The paint that is contained in tank 6 is often mixed by hand (for which you need a separate tank, e.g. a jug) and poured into this tank. To ensure that there are no undesirable particles in the paint that would degrade the appearance of the painted surface, the paint is usually poured into tank 6 through a filter. Pos. 1 shows the cap 8 of the tank 6 removed for this purpose and the conical filter 9 just before being placed on the open end of the tank. The filter 9 is shown as a known type of disposable cone filter with solid walls and a mesh filter portion 10 at the tip of the cone. When the tank 6 is filled with paint, the filter 9 is removed and discarded, and the tank cover 8 is fitted. If the filter 9 is a reusable filter, then like the gun, it should be cleaned thoroughly before using it with another liquid (e.g. a paint of a different color or a liquid having a different chemical composition).

Figure 2 shows the components of an alternative form of the paint tank 11 that can be used on the gun 1 of Figure 1 (or any similar gun) instead of the tank 6. The alternative form of the paint tank 11 is shown in the assembled state in figure 3 and (in cross section) on fig. 4.

The paint tank 11 includes an open container 12 of a size comparable to a conventional paint spray gun hand tank with an air opening IlA in its base and equipped with a disposable insert 13. The insert 13 has a shape that matches (and fits tightly) with the interior of the container 12, and has a narrow rim 14 at the upper end that sits against the upper edge of the container. The container 12 also has a disposable lid 15, which fits snugly into the open end of the insert 13. The lid 15 has a central opening 16 (Fig. 4) from which an outlet 17 extends at its end in the form of a connecting tube, the outer extension 18 forming one

190 184 part of the bayonet connection. The opening 16 is covered by a filter 19 in the form of a filtering mesh that can be snap-fit ​​into the opening or it can also be an integral part of the lid 15. The lid 15 is held in place on the container 12 by an annular collar 20 which is screwed onto the container on top of the lid.

The paint tank 11 is attached to the spray gun 1 by the use of an adapter 21, which is shown separated from the paint tank in Fig. 3 and (in cross-section) in Fig. 4. This adapter 21 is a tubular part which at one end 22 is shaped internally with a second bayonet coupling for attaching to the outlet 17 of the paint container 11. At the other end 23, the adapter has a shape that matches the standard attachment of the spray gun paint tank (usually a thread).

The insert 13 of the paint container 11, as already mentioned, corresponds in shape to the shape of the interior of the container 12 and has a narrow rim 14 at the open end which is seated on the upper edge of the container. As described below, the insert is self-supporting but is also prone to folding and preferably has a relatively rigid base 13A and relatively thin side walls 13B, so that when folded it has a longitudinal direction because the side walls rather than the base are folded. In addition, the insert 13 has no folds, corrugations, seams, joints or knots as well as any grooves at the internal connection of the side walls 13B with the base 13A. An insert of this type will then be described in more detail on the basis of Figs. 19 and 20. The heat-forming process by which such an insert can be produced is also described below.

The container 12 of the paint container 11 is made of plastic, e.g. polyethylene or polypropylene, and may be translucent (as shown in Figure 2) or opaque and may have any suitable dimensions. 250, 500 or 800 ml containers can usually be used with the spray gun, although other sizes can also be used if required. The cover 15 is also made of plastic, e.g. made of polyethylene or polypropylene, and can be injection molded. The cover may be translucent or opaque and may be colored. Flange 20 may be a plastic-molded part or may also be made of metal (e.g. aluminum). Adapter 21 may be made of metal, e.g. anodized aluminum.

To use the paint tank 11, the adapter 21 is attached (at end 23) to the spray gun and is left in this position. Then, after removing the paint container 11, as shown in Fig. 2, the insert 13 is pressed into the container 12. Then paint is poured into the container, the lid 15 is pressed into place and the collar 20 is tightened to hold the lid. The upper part of the insert 13 is then gripped between the lid 15 and the container 12, and the periphery 14 of the insert is gripped between the upper edge of the container and the flange 20, as shown in Fig. 4. Preferably, the lid 15 has on its surface spikes (invisible) to hold the upper part insert. Then the spray gun 1 is inverted to its normal operating position so that the end of the outlet 17 can be attached to the adapter 21, as shown in Fig. 5, after which the gun can return to its normal position (shown in Fig. 6) and is ready for use in the usual way. After the paint has been removed from the inside of the liner 13, the sides of this liner fold due to the reduced pressure inside the liner. The insert base, which is stiffer, retains its shape so that the insert tends to fold rather longitudinally rather than laterally, which reduces the possibility of closing the paint pocket in the insert.

The user can choose to remove air from the inside of the liner 13 before operating the spray gun 1, although this is not critical. However, this increases the angle range at which the gun will operate satisfactorily, since there is no risk of air entering the gun from the paint tank 11. To remove air from the inside of the insert 13, the trigger 5 of the gun must be pressed while the gun is still in the position shown in Fig. 5.

After use, when the gun is to be cleaned, it can be turned over again and the trigger 5 must be pressed for a short time, so that the paint contained inside the gun can flow back into the insert in the tank 11. Then the tank 11 detaches from the gun by disconnecting the connecting tube, constituting the outlet 17, from the adapter 21 (which remains on the gun). The collar 20 is removed from the container 12, and then the lid 15 is removed, taking away

190 184 with the combined insert 13 as shown in Fig. 7. The lid (together with the filter 19) and the insert are thrown away, and the container 12 and the collar 20 remain clean and ready for reuse with a fresh insert and a lid. You only need to clean the gun itself, which significantly reduces the amount of solvent used. The risk of spillage of unused paint from the reservoir 11 is also significantly reduced, since the insert 13 is removed and discarded together with the lid 15. Also, because the liner is thrown away in a folded state, the amount of space needed to collect used liners is reduced.

Since the liner 13, as described above, fits perfectly into the interior of the container 12 and has a smooth inner surface, it is possible to mix paint in the container 12 instead of in a separate container. In this way, cleaning of the separate mixing container can be eliminated to achieve a further reduction in the amount of solvent consumed. This possibility does not occur when using a powered gravity gun with a conventional paint tank 6 (pos. 1) because the tank is open at both ends. The possibility of piercing or damage to the insert 13 by the mixing tool is minimized, firstly due to the exact matching of the insert to the inside of the tank 11, and secondly due to the self-supporting nature of the insert (described below), which means that the insert is less likely to move around the inside of the container during stirring. To facilitate the use of the container 12 as a mixing container, the side walls of the container may have markings (Figures 2 and 3) enabling the volume of the container content to be determined. The overall shape of the container 12, and in particular the fact that it has a flat bottom and is stable in the orientation shown in Fig. 2, makes it particularly suitable for use in mixing, as well as the fact that it is translucent as already described. However, if the container 12 is opaque, then it can be made with slots in the side walls through which the insert 13 can be observed, so that the spray gun user can determine at any time the amount of paint in the container 11.

When the paint is mixed in the container 12, insertion of the filter 19 in the form of a filter screen into the container lid 15 prevents unwanted paint particles from entering the interior of the spray gun. The filter 19 can, however, be omitted if the paint is textured or if it is mixed in a separate container and strained when transferred to lined container 12, or if the presence of impurities in the paint is invalid.

Although the flange 20 of the paint container 11 is described above as a separate element, it can be connected to the cover 15, in which case it is also disposable. As a further alternative, the cover 15 (with outlet 17 in the form of a connecting tube and filter 19) can be made as an integral part of the insert 13, to which it can be attached via an articulated joint 26, as shown in Fig. 8. In this case, the lid does not need to fit inside the throat of the liner to ensure that the lid and liner are removed from the container after use. However, this will still be necessary if the lid is to remain in place after use. Still another alternative is that the collar 20 can be replaced with a band attached around the top of the tank 11 to hold the lid 15 and the liner 13 in place. This band can be attached to the tank 11 and can for example be made of rubber or be part of a metal clamping device of the type used for fixing the covers of jars and bottles.

If a stronger coupling is needed between the lid. Of Figs. 2-4 and the insert 13, the lid may snap into the insert instead of the interference fit shown. The insert may, for example, be made with an inner circumferential rib positioned to enter a corresponding groove on the adjacent surface of the lid.

Still another alternative is that the press-on cover 15 can be replaced by a cover 27 of the shape shown in Fig. 9. The cover 27 is also press-fit inside the insert, but has a substantially conical shape, and at its upper end 28 its shape matches the shape of the end of the connecting tube constituting the outlet 17 of Figs. 2-4, so that it will enter the same adapter 21. The cover 27 has an outwardly projecting rim 29 that will be mounted on top of the rim 14 of the insert, and a shaped portion 29A that engages with the inner surface of the insert. The shape of this shaped part 29A allows the lid 27 to be pushed into the insert throat, and furthermore has a recess 29B into which the edge of the insert can enter, so that the position of the lid is securely mouth 188

Ione The shape of the shaped part shown in Fig. 9 is not, however, and alternatives including e.g. spikes can be used, as described above with respect to the lid 15 of Fig. 4. The lid 27 is kept in place on the container by a screw-on collar similar to collar 20, which will be seated on top of the rim 29 of the lid. The cover 27 may comprise a filter similar to the filter 19 of Figs. 2-5. Alternatively, in each case the filter may have a substantially cylindrical shape so that it can be inserted into the tubular portion of the lid from an end remote from the bayonet coupling. In this case, the inner shape of the tubular portion of the lid should ensure that the filter remains in place when the spray gun is used.

The components of the alternative form of the paint container 30 are shown in Fig. 10. The reservoir 30, like the reservoir 11 of Fig. 2, comprises a container 12 and an insert 13. However, in this case the filter 19 of the reservoir 11 is made as a separate element 31 with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the container 12 and having a peripheral seal 32. Furthermore, the lid 15 and the tank flange 20 of Fig. 2 they are replaced by a substantially conical lid 33 which is screwed onto the container and which at its upper end has a tubular extension 34 in the shape similar to the connecting tube constituting the outlet 17 of Fig. 3, so that it falls into the same adapter 21. The reservoir 30 is mounted by pressing the insert 13 into the container 12 and then, after the paint has been introduced into the container, placing the filter 31 on top of the container and fixing it in place by screwing the lid 33. The rim 14 of the insert 13 and the filter gasket 31 are then gripped between the lid 33 and the container 12, as shown in Fig. 11, thereby avoiding paint leakage from the reservoir 30 at this point when the reservoir is already mounted on the spray gun and is inverted to use.

The adapter 21 can be dispensed with when making the ends of the pipe parts 17, 34 of the caps of the containers 11, 30 with thread, so that they can enter directly into the standard attachment of the paint tank on the spray gun 1.

Figure 12 shows an alternative spray gun in which the standard paint tank 6 of the spray gun 1 (see Fig. 1) is retained and is equipped with an insert 35 that fits inside the tank and preferably extends into connection with the gun body 2 to form with a liquid seal, e.g. by using a flexible O-ring (not shown) between the gun and the liner. In this case, the insert 35 does not fold after removing paint from the inside of the tank and can be made of a more rigid material to help position it inside the tank 6. After the insert 35 has been positioned, it is held in place by a cover 8 that is screwed onto the protruding outwardly rim 36 at the open end of the insert. Tank 6 of Fig. 12 it is additionally equipped with a filter 37, which is substantially conical in shape and is made entirely of mesh material, and in use is located inside the insert 35. The filter 37, like the insert 35, has an outwardly extending rim 38 which lies on top of the rim 36 inserts and is similarly held in place by the lid 8 of the tank 6.

The tank 6 of Fig. 12, unlike the tank 11 of Fig. 3, is intended to be filled with paint when attached to the spray gun 1. After placing the insert 35 and filter 37, paint is poured into the tank and a cover is fitted. There is no risk of the filter detaching during this operation, and because the filter is made entirely of mesh material, the user can always see the paint level when pouring paint into the tank. The Gun 1 is then ready for use. All paint dispensed by the gun passes through the filter 37 and there is no need to filter the paint when it is poured into the tank 6. After use, the cap 8 is unscrewed so that the filter 37 and the insert 35 can be removed. The insert 35 is thrown away and the filter 37 is also thrown away or cleans depending on whether it is a disposable filter or not. The use of the liner 35 again reduces the amount of solvent needed to clean the gun, with further reduction being possible by using a disposable filter 37.

The filter 37 may have any suitable shape and may, for example, have grooved sides to increase the effective filter surface area.

190 184

In the modified embodiment shown in Fig. 13, the insert 35 and the filter 37 are combined to form one unit 39. In this case, the filter is ejected together with the insert.

In each of the solutions shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the insert 35 and filter 37 can be removed from the tank 7 together with the lid 8. In this case, it is possible to replace the conventional lid 8 of the tank 6 by a disposable lid, such as the lid 8, the insert 35 and filter 37 can be disposed of together.

The disposable assembly 39 of Fig. 13 can be modified to replace the paint container 6 in the spray gun 1 instead of being attached inside the paint container. In this case, the assembly 39 can be provided as a sealed cartridge 50 already filled with paint, as shown in Fig. 14. From the outside, the cartridge 50 is similar to a paint container 6 and can be connected to the gun 1 in the same way. Because it is sealed, the outlet end 51 of this cartridge needs to be pierced and venting is applied, e.g., at the other end of the cartridge constituting the base 52 so that paint can flow into the gun. The outlet end 51 of the cartridge 50 may e.g. be pierced by the user before attaching the cartridge (outlet end up) to the gun (inverted). Alternatively, the gun 1 can be modified so that the outlet end 51 is pierced automatically when the cartridge 50 is attached to the gun. Venting at the base 52 of the cartridge 50 may be formed after attaching the cartridge to the gun by piercing this end of the cartridge either manually or by, for example, attaching a separate cap 53 that is constructed to pierce the cartridge when it is in place. Alternatively, the vent, which simply needs to be opened when the gun is ready for use, can be prefabricated in the cartridge.

After use, the cartridge 50 is detached from the gun and discarded. Since the cartridge 50 contains a filter, it is not necessary for the supplier to filter the paint before entering the cartridge. However, if the paint is pre-filtered, then the filter in the cartridge 50 can be omitted.

Figure 15 shows an alternative form of the paint container 40 for the spray gun 1, which is completely disposable. The paint container 40 is essentially similar to the container 30 shown in Fig. 10 except that the container 12 is replaced by the disposable container 41, described below, and the liner 13 is omitted.

The container 41 of Fig. 15 can be any conventional disposable container suitable for paint and for attachment to the paint tank lid 42. The container 41 may for example be made of thin plastic, preferably translucent (as shown), so that the content of the container is visible, and preferably has marks 43 on the side walls to allow the volume of the contents of the container to be determined. An air opening 44 is provided in the base of the container with an element closing the opening when needed. This element can be in the form of an adhesive tape (not shown) which is torn off to open the opening 44 and can be glued back to close the opening when needed. Alternatively, a two-position closure or a simple manually operated valve mechanism can be used. The container 41 has, at its open end, an external thread for attaching the cap 42, which is essentially similar to the cap 33 of Fig. 10 and is similarly shaped at its upper end 42A for attachment to the spray gun (if necessary with a suitable adapter) . The lid 42 can be made of the same material as the container 41 and, as shown, can also be translucent. The filter 45 in the form of a flat screen, which is also disposable, extends at the inlet of the container 41. This filter 45 can be a separate element held at its circumference between the lid 42 and the container 41, or it can be made integrally with the lid.

To use the tank 40, the lid 42 and filter screen 45 are removed from the container 41, which is then filled with paint (careful to keep the air opening 44 in the base of the container closed). It is not necessary to filter the paint when pouring into the container 41 and, as described above, it is possible to mix the paint in the container, thus avoiding the need for a separate container for this purpose. The lid 42 and filter 45 are then put back on the container 41, the lid 42 being attached to the (inverted) spray gun 1, which is then rotated to its normal position and the air hole 44 in the base of the container is opened. Pisto190 184 spray 1 can now be used in the normal way. After spraying, the air opening 44 closes again, the tank 40 detaches from the gun 1 and can be discarded, and only the gun remains for cleaning. Before disconnecting tank 40, spray gun 1 can be turned over again and trigger gun 5 be depressed so that excess paint remaining in the gun can flow back into the tank. In any case, if enough paint remains in tank 40, the tank can be resealed (instead of being thrown away) and reused.

Preferably, the container container 41 is made such that it can fold after use. In some cases, the cover 42 can also be folded. Alternatively, the cover 42 can be reusable and is cleaned with the gun. With this type of solution, it is possible to provide the disposable container 41 as a refill already filled with paint and sealed with a cover that is simply removed before attaching the container to the lid 42. The filter screen 45 can be either a disposable element or a reusable element. Alternatively, the container 41 together with the lid 42 can be supplied as a cartridge sealed by a removable lid at the top end 42A of the lid, which can be removed prior to attaching the cartridge to the gun. In this form, the cartridge is similar to the cartridge 50 of Figure 14.

By appropriately selecting the dimensions of the lid 42 and the paint container 40, it is possible to use one lid 42 with containers 41 of different sizes. The user always selects the container 41 which contains the most suitable amount of paint. It may also be desirable to have a set of 45 filters with different mesh sizes, so that the user can choose the mesh size that is best suited to the type of paint used. It is also important that the filter screen 45 has the shape and / or location shown in Figure 15. It may have, for example , a conical shape as shown in Figure 16 and / or may be located in the outlet of the lid 42 as shown in figure 17. Alternatively, the filter 45 may be omitted if the paint is filtered before entering the container 41, or if the presence of impurities in the paint is invalid.

The cover 42 need not necessarily have the exact shape shown in Fig. 15 and may for example be replaced by a press-on cover in connection with the screw-on flange as shown in Fig. 2.

When the container 41 (with or without a lid 42) is provided as a paint containing cartridge (or other coating material), in some cases it may be desirable for the varnish / coating material to be contained in a sealed, foldable liner in that cartridge. For example, this may be desirable if the varnish / coating material is to be insulated e.g. from air or light until it is sprayed onto the coated surface. The air opening 44 in the container 41 can then be open all the time, or it can be omitted if the container 41 itself is not gas tight.

Depending on the shape of the container 41, it may be desirable to use a handle in which the container can be placed to ensure that it will not tip over. The corresponding handle shown in Fig. 18 includes a container part which has a shape similar to container 41, but is slightly larger and has an enlarged base 52. The container 41 is placed in the container part to ensure its vertical position during filling and / or attachment to spray gun 1.

Although the above description applies to a spray gun, it should be understood that it also applies to other types of spray gun, including e.g. guns that are attached to water hoses (instead of pneumatic hoses) to spray substances such as horticultural chemicals. This description also applies to guns powered by suction, i.e. guns in which the liquid outlet from the tank is located at the top of the tank when the gun is used and the liquid is drawn from the tank through the supply tube by the action of compressed air or other compressed fluid flowing through the gun . In this case, when the liner is provided for the reservoir, the design of the liner and / or supply tube should be such that the liner can fold up without blocking the supply tube. For example, a short supply tube may be used, provided that all air is removed from the liner before using the gun. Alternatively, a flexible supply tube can be used, which will fold together with the insert. one can

190 184 also alternatively use a changed insert that does not have a rigid base, so the insert folds differently than the insert 13 of Fig. 2. Because the suction-powered gun tank is not inverted during use, as in the case of a gravity fed gun, it is possible to skip air hole in the tank provided that the connection between the tank and the gun allows air to enter the space between the tank and the insert.

Returning now to the paint container 11 of Figure 2, the insert 13 will now be described in more detail together with the method by which it can be manufactured. The insert shown separately in Figs. 19 and 20 is preferably transparent and is thermoformed from a single piece of plastic, preferably polyethylene or polypropylene. The shape of this insert is dictated by the inner shape of the container 12. The relatively rigid base 13A is U-shaped, and the liner 13, like the inside of the container 12, is substantially cylindrical, but narrows slightly So inside from the inlet So of the base 13A. The edge portion 14, like the base, is also relatively rigid, but the side walls 13B are flexible and, as already described, can be made to fold. The insert 13, however, is able to stand unsupported on the base 13A with the side walls 13B stretched and vertical, as shown in Fig. 19. The insert 13 folds, the relatively rigid base 13A maintains its shape, but moves in the direction So of the insert rim 14 as a consequence of the folding of the side walls 13B, as shown in Fig. 20. The side walls 13B fold in a manner similar to a plastic bag artificial without interruption (e.g., by splitting, tearing or cracking).

In one embodiment, the insert has a height of about 110 mm, a diameter at its base 13A about 78 mm and a diameter at its inlet (without rim 14) about 86 mm. The base has a thickness of about 400 IU, the rim 14 m thick about 900 pm, with side walls 13B my thickness about 150 pm. In another embodiment, the insert has the same height and diameters at its base and at the inlet, but the base is about 300 pm thick, the edge portion is about 200 pm thick, and the side walls 13B have a thickness in the range 50-250 pm.

The method of producing the inlay shown in Fig. 19 will be described below with reference to Fig. 21 ac.

A sheet of low density polyethylene (LDPE) with dimensions of 250 x 225 mm and a thickness of 0.5 mm was clamped at the perimeter in the frame 61 of the vacuum forming machine. LDPE material is commercially available, e.g. from Plastech Extrusions LtS. from WiSnes, Cheshire, England, and the vacuum machine was model "FLB 725" from CR Clarke and Company Limited of Ammanford, Carmarthekshlre, Wales. It should be noted, however, that any suitable plastic material can be used and that this method can be carried out with any suitable thermoset / vacuum molding machine.

After the sheet 60 was placed, the set of heaters 62 of the vacuum forming machine So was moved over this sheet (as shown in Fig. 2a) and the sheet was heated to a soft, susceptible vacuum forming state. FaUt that the sheet has reached the right temperature can be seen by changing its appearance from milky to transparent.

The set of heaters 62 was then removed and the forming plate 63 was moved upwards from the bottom of sheet 60, bringing the mold 64 into contact with the sheet to deform the sheet upwards. At this time, the machine's vacuum pump was turned on to remove air from under sheet 60. The upward movement of the forming plate 63 continued and the plate reached the upper turning point of its movement, where it held the sheet 60 tightly against the frame 61 (Fig. 2lb). The mold 64 has a shape corresponding to the inner shape of the container 12 of the paint container 11 in the spray gun.

Operation of the vacuum pump continued with the forming plate sealed at frame 61, and the pressure difference created between the upper and Salt sides of sheet 60 caused that the sheet (which was already in contact with the top of the mold 64) moved to the bottom So of contact with the sides of the mold (Fig. 21c). The forming plate 63 was then moved away from the cooled sheet 60 leaving the formed part 65 having the desired shape in System 13 and without any folds, corrugations, seams, joints or protrusions, nor any grooves at the internal side wall connection 13B with base 13A.

190 184 of frame 61, sheet 60 was trimmed around the inlet of the formed portion 65 to form the rim 14 of the insert 13. The width of the rim 14 is determined by the place where the sheet 60 is trimmed at this stage and can be adjusted as needed.

In the process described above, a shaped part 65 (and therefore an insert 13) is obtained in which the part of the plastic sheet 60 that has been in contact with the sides of the mold 64 during the molding process is much thinner than the part that has been in contact with the top of the mold. This process differs from the conventional vacuum forming process, which seeks to eliminate as much as possible any differences in the thickness of the shaped part 65, and to this end, it includes the additional step of applying air pressure to the underside of the heated sheet 60 after step (a) of Fig. 21 to cause the sheet to take on the dome shape before the forming plate 63 provides a seal against the frame 61. The sheet thickness would then be relatively even when moving into contact with the mold 64 in step (c) of Fig. 21. In general, in the process shown in Fig. 21 for a given sheet size 60, the mold size 64, as found, affects the side thickness of the resulting insert 13 more than a foundation. In other words, if the dimensions of the mold 64 are increased, the thickness of the base of the resulting insert 13 will be approximately the same, but the sides of the insert will be much thinner. On the other hand, if the dimensions of the mold are reduced, then it can be concluded that the point at which longitudinal folds appear in the sides of the insert 13.

If further reduction of the thickness of sheet 60 is needed where it contacts the sides of the mold 64 in step (c) of Figure 21, sheet 60 can be placed between two thin metal plates 66 (Figure 22) when it is clamped in the frame 61 a forming machine, each metal plate 66 having an opening 67 in place of the mold 64 and having dimensions larger than the largest cross-section of the mold. The plates 66 are also clamped in the frame 61 and the process of Fig. 21 is then repeated. The plates 66 cause that only the central part of the sheet 60 is exposed directly to the heaters 62 and is pulled on the mold 64 when this mold is moved upwards (in this case through the holes 61 in the plates 66). In this way, less sheet 60 is used to shape the formed part 65, and the resulting insert 13 will have a slightly thinner base 13A and a rim 14, and much thinner side walls 13B. A comparable result can also be obtained by using only the upper plate 66 shown in Fig. 22.

In a modification of the process shown in Fig. 22, the plastic sheet 60 may have the shape of a circular disk of material clamped at its rim between two plates 66. Depending on the size of this disk, the clamped rim may then form the rim 14 of the insert 13 and there may be no excess material to trimming.

It has been found that the liner 13 produced by the process described in Figs. 21 and 22 will be assembled as described with reference to Fig. 20 when used in the tank 11 of the spray gun of Fig. 2. The liner 13 can also be folded manually by pushing base 13A of the insert towards the rim 14. It has been found that this liner can usually stand unsupported on its base 13A, and this feature, although not essential when using the liner in the spray gun tank 11, can be used for storage. The insert has no folds, corrugations, seams, joints or protrusions and no groove at the internal connection of the side walls 13B with the base 13A. Consequently, there are no internal places where material inside the insert could be caught. The base 13A of the liner will obviously take some place at the base of the container 12 of the spray gun tank 11, and marks have to be placed on the wall of the container 12.

Although the insert 13 of Fig. 19 has been described for use in particular in the paint container 11 of Fig. 2, the same or similar article may be used in other ways (with appropriate dimensional changes, if desired). For example, an article of the type shown in Fig. 19 can also be used as an insert in many forms of a container other than a spray gun tank. Often you need to use a container with a disposable insert. e.g. to keep the container clean to facilitate cleaning or to protect the container or its contents. An insert of the type shown in Fig. 19 can be used for each of these purposes and is particularly useful in containers in which the substances are

190 184 mixed together because there are no places inside the container where the material could be gripped and left without mixing.

An article of the type shown in Fig. 19 can, for example, be used as an insert in a container intended for mixing paint in an auto paint shop, in which case it will be an attractive alternative to disposable cups for drinks, which are often used for this purpose. Before painting the repaired part of the vehicle, the varnish must mix the batch of paint of the desired color, matching this color to the surrounding part of the car. The various components of this batch of paint should be accurately measured, either by volume or by weight, into a suitable container in which they are mixed thoroughly before use. If mixing is not sufficiently accurate or if the container is not absolutely clean, this may have a detrimental effect on the color / quality of this batch of paint (and consequently on the quality of the repair).

To enable convenient but effective paint mixing, an insert of the type shown in Fig. 19 can be used with the measuring vessel 70, as shown in Fig. 23. The measuring vessel 70 has the form of a jug with a spout 71 in a shaped rim 72 and a handle 73. This jug has 74 marks on the side walls to determine the volume of the jug content. Using the method already described with reference to Fig. 21, inserts of the type shown in Fig. 19 so that they fit exactly inside the jug 70, and when using such an insert, the various components of the paint lot can be combined and mixed in the jug 70 without actually coming into contact with the jug.

The insert 75 suitable for use in the jug 70 is shown in Fig. 24. The insert 75 has a shape compatible with the inside of the jug 70 and is generally similar to the insert 13 shown in Fig. 19 except that the thicker, outwardly extending portion is omitted the rims 14 of this insert, and the side walls 76 of the insert 75 include a shaped rim 77 corresponding to the rim 72 and the spout 71 of the jug. Since the insert 75 fits exactly into the interior of the jug 70, the possibility that the insert will be pierced by the mixing tool when mixing paint in the jug is minimized. In addition, because there are no places inside the insert where the material could be gripped, there is no obstacle to the effective mixing of all the material measured into the jug. When the paint is mixed and transferred from the 70 carafe (e.g. to the paint container in the spray gun), the liner 75 is removed, preferably folded as shown in Fig. 20, and discarded, and the jug 70 remains clean and ready for next use.

Since the base 78 of the insert 75 will take up some space at the bottom of the jug 70, the marks 74 on the side walls of the jug may need to be positioned taking into account this fact. Depending on the shape of the jug 70, it may also be desirable to use an extension of the top of the insert 75 that can be folded back over the jug edge 72. Alternatively or additionally, it may be desirable to seal the liner 75 relative to the carafe 70 during use, e.g. by using some form of shaping the insert and the jug so that they can be snapped together at the rims 77, 72.

Although it is desirable that the liner 75 of the carafe 70 folds so that it takes up less space after use, this is not absolutely essential. In addition, because the shape of the liner 75 is determined by the shape of the interior of the container 70 in which the liner is to be used, there may be cases in which the liner is unable to stand without support outside the container.

An article of the type shown in Fig. 19 can furthermore alternatively be used simply as a container, in which case the advantage is that although the walls 13B are flexible in terms of flexibility with a plastic bag, the container will stand upright without support during filling as well as later . The container can have any suitable dimensions and can be used to contain many different types of objects, including e.g. with powders and liquids, or simply as an alternative to plastic or paper bags given to sellers by customers. In any case, the container has the advantage of not having any internal places where the material in the container could be caught. Depending on the contents of the container, it may be desirable to close the container inlet and in that case some suitable form of closure may be envisaged. Such a closure may, for example, be in the form of an inner zebra on the inside of the container around one half of the inlet and an analogous groove also on the inside of the container around the other half of the inlet, in which the zebra groove can be pressed in to close the container. The flexibility of the container walls 13B further allows the walls to be clamped around the contents, thereby reducing the air space inside the container, if desired.

After use, when the container has to be discarded, the side walls 13B can be folded by hand by pressing the rim 14 towards the base, so that the container (now in the form shown in Fig. 20) takes up less space for disposal. As already mentioned, the side walls 13B fold in a similar manner to a plastic bag without damage (e.g., separation, tearing or cracking).

It should be noted that there are many other possible uses for products of the type shown in Fig. 19. An insert of this type can, for example, be used simply as a waste container liner, where its advantage is a better fit inside the tank than conventional bag liners, and it is then easier to handle when removing it from the container because it will stand upright on the base 13A. Similar inserts can also be used in buckets or other containers for materials that harden relatively quickly (e.g. glue, wax or plaster). In some cases, material such as gypsum is currently sold together with a mixing bucket, and then the package contains a supply of inserts. Under certain circumstances it might be appropriate to have multiple liners stacked one inside the other in the container, so that when one liner is removed, the next liner is ready in place. In addition, since the socket is to contain an insert, it is not essential that the container walls be solid. For example, the container may be in the form of a grid structure including an insert.

Typically, in a product of the type shown in Fig. 19, the base 13A is usually at least 25 µm thick, and more often at least 100 µm. The side walls 13B are thin compared to the base 13 A to such an extent that they can fold as described to facilitate the ejection of the insert / container. Usually, the thickness of the side walls 13B is less than half the thickness of the base 13A, and may be less than 1/5 of the thickness of the base. Depending on the material used and the intended use of the insert / container, the side walls 13A will usually be thinner than 250 pm.

In some applications of the product shown in Fig. 19, the rim 14 may not be relevant and may be omitted (similar to the insert of Fig. 24). If the edging 14 is not needed, the sheet 60 of Fig. 21 (c) will obviously be cut off just at the inlet of the molded part 65. It has been found that the self-supporting nature of the insert / container can be preserved even if the edging 14 is omitted.

It should also be noted that the container / liner base 13A of the type shown in Fig. 19 need not be circular, but may have a different shape, e.g. rectangular or triangular. In the case of a container insert, its shape may be dictated by the shape of the container, especially if the insert is to fit inside the container. In some cases, the base does not have to be rigid.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the process illustrated in Figs. 21 and 22 is not limited to the production of liners for use in paint tanks in spray guns and may be adapted for the production of liners / containers for other purposes. It should be noted that this process requires the mold 64 to have a slightly tapering shape with the largest cross-section at the bottom end (as shown in Figures 21 and 22) to allow the sheet 60 to be removed after the molding operation. When this process is used to produce an insert that is to fit inside the container, it in turn requires that the container interior has a similar tapering shape. The insert / container may be formed of any thermoplastic material suitable for forming a thin layer that is impermeable to the materials it is intended to contain. In some cases it may be desirable to use a laminate material. In some applications, such as food packaging, plastics with low gas permeability may be preferred. However, in most cases, polyolefins such as polyethylene or polypropylene are preferred because they are relatively inexpensive, easily thermoformable and inert to most aqueous and organic fluids.

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