WO2010100641A1

WO2010100641A1 - Multi-purpose lid assembly interfaceable with a paint spray gun

Info

Publication number: WO2010100641A1
Application number: PCT/IL2010/000168
Authority: WO
Inventors: Avichen Levi; Erez Nisim Levi
Original assignee: Avichen Levi; Erez Nisim Levi
Priority date: 2009-03-02
Filing date: 2010-03-01
Publication date: 2010-09-10
Also published as: IL197356A0

Abstract

A lid assembly (24) is interfaceable with a single paint spray gun in both a gravity feed mode and in a siphon feed mode. The lid assembly of a paint reservoir has first (62) and second (64) outwardly protruding σonduits spaced by at least 90 degrees, so that in a siphon fed mode paint will be discharged from the first conduit (62) and atmospheric air will be admitted via the second conduit (64) and in a gravity fed mode when said reservoir is inverted paint will be discharged from the second conduit and atmospheric air will be admitted via the first conduit.. In addition to the lid assembly, spray paint apparatus includes a replaceable reservoir containing a selected color of paint.

Description

MULTI-PURPOSE LID ASSEMBLY INTERFACEABLE WITH A PAINT

SPRAY GUN

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of paint spray guns. More particularly, the invention relates to a lid assembly of a paint reservoir that is suitable for both siphon fed paint and gravity fed paint.

Background of the Invention

Numerous siphon fed paint spray guns are known in the prior art, including US 2,057,434, US 4,174,070, US 4,388,997, US 4,501,500, US 4,730,753, and US 5,307,994. Paint is siphoned through a tube from a reservoir into a relatively high-pressure air stream passing through the gun for discharge in a spray exiting the gun. Due to the high-pressure air stream, a relatively large quantity of paint can be used. Different colors or types of paint can be contained in different reservoirs. As paint is drawn from the reservoir, atmospheric air is admitted into the reservoir by a vent to fill the space previously occupied by the paint, to prevent the generation of a vacuum therein which would counteract the siphoning action. As the vent hole is relatively small, it has a tendency to clog when the spray gun is tilted when spraying paint onto hard to reach regions and the vent hole is located below the paint surface. Many of these prior art devices employ a relatively expensive check valve to inhibit paint flow through the vent hole when the spray gun is tilted; however, clogging of the vent hole is nevertheless noticeable, resulting in a discontinuous spray and a non-uniform application of paint on the desired surface.

At times, it is desired to spray paint at a low pressure, for directing paint onto small surfaces, e.g. fingernails and small plastic parts, for painting narrow streaks or stripes, or for spraying viscous materials. A gravity fed spray gun, whereby paint is fed by gravity and atmospheric pressure into the gun, is used for such applications. US 3,236,459, US 4,364,521, and US 5,727,736 for example disclose gravity fed spray guns. In order to prevent the dripping of paint from the reservoir upon replacement, for example to change colors, the reservoir is generally integrally connected to the spray gun. The interior of the spray gun and reservoir therefore have to be thoroughly cleaned by a time consuming and cumbersome operation prior to replacing the type of paint used. Other disadvantages of gravity fed spray guns are that the amount of paint that can be stored in the reservoir is considerably less than what can be stored in a reservoir for siphon fed paint spray guns and that the location of the reservoir usually interferes with the field of vision of the user.

US 6,189,809 discloses a multi-feed spray gun that includes an upper passageway for receiving gravity fed paint from an upper paint cup and a lower passageway for receiving suction fed paint from a lower paint cup. Although this spray gun can operate in both a gravity fed mode and a suction fed mode, the aforementioned disadvantages concerning operation in each of these modes are still relevant. Furthermore, the spray gun has to be modified so that it can operate alternatively in a gravity fed mode and in a suction fed mode.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lid assembly of a paint reservoir that is suitable for discharging therefrom both siphon fed paint and gravity fed paint.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a lid assembly that can interface with a conventional unmodified spray gun.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a lid assembly with a vent hole that will not clog when used in a siphon fed mode. It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a lid assembly that facilitates replacement of a paint reservoir during a gravity fed mode without resulting in the dripping of paint.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a multi-purpose lid assembly interfaceable with a paint spray gun, comprising first and second mounts for first and second conduits, respectively, and a top surface extending between said first and second mounts, said first and second mounts being configured such that said first and second conduits, when received in a corresponding mount, protrude outwardly from said first and second mounts, respectively, and are in fluid communication with the interior of a paint reservoir covered by said top surface, wherein said first and second conduits are angularly spaced by at least 90 degrees, so that in a siphon fed mode paint will be discharged from said first conduit and atmospheric air will be admitted via said second conduit and in a gravity fed mode when said reservoir is inverted paint will be discharged from said second conduit and atmospheric air will be admitted via said first conduit.

As referred to herein, the configuration of the lid assembly, particularly terms such as "upwardly", "downwardly", "underside", and "top", is described with respect to an upright disposition, i.e. when the lid assembly is located above the wall or walls of the paint reservoir.

The first and second conduits are preferably angularly spaced by an angle ranging from 120 to 210 degrees. In one aspect, the first and second conduits are releasably attached to the lid assembly.

In one aspect, at least one of the first and second conduits are fixedly attached to, or integral with, the lid assembly.

In one embodiment, the lid assembly comprises a cap that is releasably securable to the paint reservoir.

In one embodiment, the cap has a cylindrical wall and a top surface that is inclined with respect to said cylindrical wall, the second conduit protruding downwardly from an upper end of said top surface. The second conduit may be received in a downwardly slanting protrusion extending radially outwardly from the cylindrical wall and the first conduit may protrude upwardly from a lower end of the top surface.

In one embodiment, the cap has a cylindrical wall and a top surface that is substantially perpendicular to said cylindrical wall. An appendage is attached to, or integral with, the cap, the first and second conduits being associated with said appendage in such a way so as to provide the angular spacing therebetween.

In one aspect, the appendage has a first surface abutting the top surface of the cap and a second surface inclined with respect to said first surface, two legs of a U-shaped tube being received in apertures formed in said first and second surfaces, respectively, one leg of said tube constituting the second conduit. In one aspect, the second conduit is disposed at an angular distance of less than 90 degrees, e.g. approximately 50 degrees, from the cylindrical wall of the cap.

In one aspect, the diameter of the first and second conduits is substantially equal.

In one aspect, the lid assembly further comprises a ventable occluding element which is secured to the first conduit. The occluding element has a conduit receiving portion, an air inlet portion abutting said conduit receiving portion, and a closed bottom end below said conduit receiving and air inlet portions for collecting residual paint remaining after the siphon fed mode, atmospheric being admitted to the interior of the reservoir during the gravity fed mode via the air inlet portion and the first conduit. The occluding element is secured to a proximal end of the first conduit, to a distal end of the first conduit, or a first occluding element is secured to the proximal end of the first conduit and a second occluding element is secured to a distal end of the first conduit.

In one embodiment, the first and second mounts are integrally formed with the paint reservoir.

The present invention is also directed to a spray paint apparatus comprising the lid assembly, a replaceable reservoir containing a selected color of paint and having a planar bottom surface and a cylindrical wall, and a single spray gun interfaceable with said lid assembly in both a siphon fed mode and a gravity fed mode.

In one aspect, one or more magnetic elements are attached to the bottom surface of the reservoir. In one aspect, the spray paint apparatus further comprises a plug element for occluding one or both of the first and second conduits upon completion of a painting operation

The present invention is also directed to a paint spraying method, comprising the steps of providing a lid assembly of a paint reservoir with first and second outwardly protruding conduits, interfacing said first conduit with a spray gun, performing a siphon fed painting operation, detaching said first conduit from said spray gun, inverting said paint reservoir, interfacing said second conduit with said spray gun, and performing a gravity fed painting operation.

The method may further comprise the steps of detaching the second conduit from the spray gun following the gravity fed painting operation, inverting the paint reservoir, interfacing the first conduit with the spray gun, and performing an additional siphon fed painting operation.

In one aspect, the method further comprises the step of attaching a ventable occluding element to the first conduit.

In one aspect, the method further comprises the step of occluding one or both of the first and second conduits with a corresponding plug element upon completion of a painting operation.

In one aspect, a first reservoir containing paint of a first color is replaced by a second reservoir in order to perform a gravity fed painting operation with a paint of a second color.

In one aspect, the Ud assembly is releasably secured to the paint reservoir. Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a prior art siphon fed spraying operation;

Fig. 2 is schematic view of a prior art gravity fed spraying operation;

Fig. 3 is a schematic front view of a lid assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention when positioned in a siphon fed mode;

Fig. 4 is a schematic front view of the lid assembly of Fig. 3 when positioned in a gravity fed mode;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a lid assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section view of the lid assembly of Fig. 5, cut about plane A-A;

Fig. 7 is a front view of a paint reservoir to which is secured a lid assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a vertical cross section view of the lid assembly of Fig. 7, cut about plane B-B;

Fig. 9 is a front view of the lid assembly of Fig. 7 when positioned in a gravity feed mode;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a ventable occluding element and a portion of a conduit received therein;

Fig. 11 is a schematic view of the lid assembly of Fig. 7 when interfacing with a spray gun during a gravity fed spray painting operation;

Fig. 12 is a schematic front view of another embodiment of a lid assembly;

Fig. 13 is a schematic front view of a paint reservoir provided with an integral lid assembly;

Fig. 14 is a schematic front view of another embodiment of a paint reservoir provided with an integral lid assembly; Fig. 15 is a schematic front view of an inverted lid assembly of Fig. 7, showing the occluding element of Fig. 10 secured to the distal end of the first conduit; and

Fig. 16 is a schematic front view of an inverted lid assembly of Fig. 7, showing the occluding element of Fig. 10 secured to both the distal end and proximal end of the first conduit.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

The present invention is a novel lid assembly that is interfaceable with a paint spray gun in both a gravity feed mode and in a siphon feed mode. Heretofore, a plurality of gravity fed spray guns, each of which being fed from a corresponding reservoir containing differently colored paint, have been employed during a painting operation. By using the lid assembly of the present invention, a single gravity fed spray gun may be advantageously fed from a plurality of paint reservoirs, to increase the speed and simplicity of a multicolored spray painting operation.

In order to appreciate the utility of the present invention, reference is first made to Fig. 1, which schematically illustrates a siphon fed spray gun. A "spray gun" is generally meant to be an airbrush, but it may also refer to any other device that can propel a spray of paint. Spray gun 10 has an elongated body 5 with a forwardly positioned nozzle 3. A post 7 extending downwardly and substantially perpendicularly from body 5 is coupled with air hose 9 in communication with a compressor. A passageway 11 through which compressed air is flowable extends within body 5 from post 7 to nozzle 3. Siphon line 13 extends obliquely and downwardly from passageway 11, so that conduit 17 extending through paint reservoir 18 and lid 24 can be received within siphon line 13. Trigger 6 extending upwardly from body 5 and connected to a mechanism retained within rearwardly disposed housing 8 controls the flow rate of air within passageway 11. As trigger 6 is depressed, compressed air is admitted to passageway 11, causing paint 19 to be drawn to the passageway through conduit 17 and siphon line 13 by the venturi effect. Atmospheric air is admitted to reservoir 18 via vent hole 21 formed within lid 24, to prevent the pressure within the reservoir from being subatmospheric. The compressed air atomizes the drawn paint so that spray 1 is discharged from nozzle 3.

Although being suitable for interfacing with a siphon fed spray gun, lid 24 is not suitable for interfacing with a gravity fed spray gun. If conduit 17 were separated from siphon line 13 and then reservoir 18 were then inverted, paint would then drip from conduit 17 and vent hole 21, thereby soiling the surroundings. Vent hole 21 would then clog after paint has passed therethrough, thereby generating a vacuum within reservoir 18 and resulting in a discontinuous spray during a subsequent painting operation.

To enable drip free gravity fed painting operations, a prior art gravity fed spray gun 30 shown in Fig. 2 is generally provided with a built in paint reservoir 48. Reservoir 48 upwardly extends from body 35 of spray gun 30 between trigger 36 and nozzle 33. Underside portion 49 of reservoir 48 is considerably narrower than its upper cylindrical wall 51, so that the flow of paint contained within the reservoir can be controlled and directed to a lower tube 53 in fluid communication with air passageway 31 extending within body 35 from post 37 to nozzle 33. Tube 53 is generally oblique to passageway 31, and has substantially the same diameter as, or less than, the diameter of air passageway 31. Trigger 36 may be double acting such that downward movement thereof controls the flow rate of air within hose 9 and rearward movement thereof controls the flow rate of paint through tube 53, to achieve a predetermined spray dispersion. Several disadvantages are associated with such a paint reservoir 48. Since reservoir 48 is integral with spray gun 30, a time consuming cleaning operation of passageway 31 and of reservoir 48 is required prior to feeding a differently colored paint. Secondly, a plurality of replaceable funnel shaped reservoirs each of which containing a different colored paint cannot be readily stored. Even if the bottom of such a reservoir were planar, the reservoir would not be stable when stored due to the greater dimension of upper wall 51 with respect to underside portion 49. Thirdly, reservoir 48 has a limited volume so that the interference thereof with the field of view of a user will be minimized.

Figs. 3 and 4 schematically illustrate the method of the present invention by which one paint reservoir may be used for both siphon fed and gravity fed paint operations. A lid assembly 60 secured to cylindrical paint reservoir 68 comprises a first conduit 62 and a second conduit 64 that protrude therefrom. First conduit 62 and second conduit 64 are spaced by an angular distance A to allow paint to be discharged from first conduit 62 during a siphon feed mode and to be discharged from second conduit 64 during a gravity feed mode. Angular distance A is greater than 90 degrees, and preferably ranges from 120 to 210 degrees. As outer wall 63 of lid assembly 60 is substantially concentric to outer wall 67 of reservoir 68, second conduit 64 is disposed at an angular distance of B from wall 63 of less than 90 degrees, and preferably approximately equal to 50 degrees.

In Fig. 3, reservoir 68 is disposed in an upright position whereby paint 69 covers its planar underside 65. When first conduit 62 is received in siphon line 13 of spray gun 10 and high pressure air flows through passageway 11 (Fig. 1), paint 69 is drawn through first conduit 62 and is discharged from spray gun 10 as a spray. Second conduit 64 functions as the vent as atmospheric air is introduced to the interior of reservoir 68 via second conduit 64 while paint 69 is being siphoned through first conduit 62.

First conduit 62 may comprise a distal portion 62a, i.e. located in a direction towards the reservoir interior, substantially parallel to longitudinal axis 71 of reservoir 68 and a proximal portion 62b, i.e. located in a direction away from the reservoir interior, connected to, and inclined with respect to, distal portion 62a. Inlet 61 of distal portion 62a is slightly spaced from reservoir underside 65 to allow paint 69 to be introduced into first conduit 62. Proximal portion 62b is spaced from distal portion 62a by angular distance C of less than 45 degrees, e.g. ranging from 10 to 40 degrees.

When it is desired to perform a low pressure spray painting operation, reservoir 68 may be inverted as shown in Fig. 4 whereby free surface 74 of paint 69 is below inlet 61 of first conduit 62 and paint 69 falls to cover lid assembly 60. Paint 69 will therefore be discharged from second conduit 64, and not from first conduit 62, as a result of the release of its potential energy. Atmospheric air is now introduced to the interior of reservoir 68 via first conduit 62. Spray gun 10 of Fig. 1 may therefore be used to generate the spray when second conduit 64 is coupled to line 13 and low pressure air flows through passageway 11 since paint 69 is discharged from lid assembly 60 to the spray gun as a result of the release of potential energy, and not by means of a siphoning effect. The paint remaining in reservoir 68 will be siphoned by the low pressure air.

As reservoir 68 has a planar underside 65 and a cylindrical wall, it may be stably stored. Thus a plurality of reservoirs, each of which containing a differently colored paint and to each of which is secured a corresponding lid assembly, can be stored, so that during a multi-colored painting operation, the reservoirs can be replaced. Reservoir 68 may be made of any desired material, and it, as well as lid assembly 60, may be economically produced by injection molding or extrusion. When reservoir 68 is made of polypropylene, for example, it will be resistant to such solvents such as a paint thinner used in conjunction with paint compounds. One or more magnetic elements may be attached to underside 65 of reservoir 68, so that reservoir 68 may be magnetically coupled to a metallic surface, thereby prevented the reservoir from being vibrated during a siphon feed mode.

Fig. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a lid assembly, which is generally indicated by numeral 80. Lid assembly 80 comprises a cap 81 having a top surface 82 which is substantially perpendicular to cylindrical wall 84. An appendage 85, which is made of any suitable material such as plastic, metal and wood, is attached to by any suitable attachment method such as bonding or fusion, or formed integrally with, cap 81. Appendage 85 has a first surface 86 which abuts, and is substantially parallel to, top surface 82 of cap 81, and a second surface 87, which extends obliquely from first surface 86 and radially outwardly from wall 84 of cap 81. First conduit 92 extends obliquely from surface 86 approximately near the center of cap top surface 82. Apertures 76 and 77 are formed in first surface 86 and second surface 87 of appendage 85, respectively, to accommodate the placement therein of the two legs, respectively, of U-shaped tube 91. One of these legs is second conduit 94 of lid assembly 80.

As shown in Fig. 6, cap top surface 82 is formed with two apertures 97 and 98. First conduit 92 extends through aperture 97, and leg 93 of the U-shaped tube significantly shorter than leg 94 extends through aperture 98 into the interior 83 of the cap. An additional conduit (not shown) adapted to extend within the interior of the paint reservoir may be received within first conduit 92. Appendage second surface 87 is configured, when second conduit 94 is received in aperture 77, so that first conduit 92 and second conduit 95 are separated by an angular distance of approximately 180 degrees. The cap is adapted to be releasably secured to the paint reservoir by means of threading 79 formed in the inner face of wall 84.

Fig. 7 illustrates another embodiment of a lid assembly generally indicated by numeral 100 as it is secured to a paint reservoir 118. In this embodiment, lid assembly 100 is a unitary member which is configured with a top surface 102 that is inclined with respect to cylindrical wall 104, in order to effectively direct paint to second conduit 114 during a gravity feed mode.

As also shown in Fig. 8, the lower end of top surface 102 is provided with an upwardly extending projection 106, e.g. domed or trapezoidal. A through hole 107, in the wall of which is received by a friction fit first conduit 112, is formed in projection 106. Proximal end 112b of the first conduit is adapted to protrude from projection 106 and distal end 112a thereof is adapted to extend within the interior of reservoir 118 to a location which is adjacent to planar underside 115. From upper end 108 of top surface 102 extends a downwardly slanting protrusion 113, which is disposed radially outwardly from cylindrical wall 104. A through hole 117 is formed in projection 113, so that second conduit 114 will be received in the wall of hole 117 by a friction fit and be in communication with interior 109 of Ud assembly 100.

When reservoir 118 is inverted, as shown in Fig. 9, prior to initiating a gravity fed painting operation, paint 69 is admitted into interior 109 of lid assembly 100 and is urged towards surface 102. The paint is then discharged from the outlet of second conduit 114 located above surface 102 after having releasing its potential energy. Air is admitted to the interior of reservoir 118 via first conduit 112. The diameter of first conduit 112 and second conduit 114 may be substantially equal so that the influx of air will be substantially equal to the efflux of paint. As the diameter of first conduit 112 and second conduit 114 is relatively big, blockage of the conduits is substantially non-existent. If for some reason first conduit 112 and second conduit 114 become blocked, they may be easily cleaned.

At times, residual paint remains on first conduit 112. To prevent the soiling of the surroundings resulting from the dripping of paint from first conduit 112 when the reservoir is inverted prior to initiating a gravity fed painting operation, a ventable occluding element 125 shown in Fig. 10 may be used.

Occluding element 125 has a circular portion 127 subtending an angle of approximately 270 degrees, a semicircular portion 129 the radius of which is less than the radius of circular portion 127, and a closed and curved bottom end 131 below portions 127 and 129. Semicircular portion 129 abuts circular portion 127 such that the open unbounded region of portions 127 and 129 face each other. Circular portion 127 is adapted to receive therein the proximal end 132 of first conduit 112 by a frictional fit. Accordingly, bottom end 131 of occluding element 125 is adapted to collect the residual paint remaining on first conduit 112 after the paint reservoir is inverted, following a siphon fed painting operation. Atmospheric air is admitted to the paint reservoir via semicircular portion 129 and first conduit 112, to compensate for the discharged paint.

The ventable occluding element may be dimensioned and configured in other ways, e.g. by a W-like configuration, insofar that it has a conduit receiving portion and an air inlet portion.

Fig. 11 illustrates a gravity fed painting operation that is performed while lid assembly 100 interfaces with spray gun 10. Air 135 is admitted to the interior of reservoir 118 via occluding element 125 while paint 69 is discharged to siphon line 13 via second conduit 114. In a first step, paint is discharged to line 13 by a release of its potential energy following inversion of reservoir 118. In a second step, trigger 6 is actuated to deliver low pressure compressed air through passageway 11, so that the paint will be atomized and spray 137 will be generated. As lid assembly 100 interfaces with line 13 located below spray gun 10, rather than with a tube located above the air passageway of a prior art gravity fed spray gun, the paint reservoir does not interfere with the field of vision of a user during a paint operation.

In Fig. 15, occluding element 125 is secured to the distal end 133 of first conduit 112. When reservoir 118 is inverted for use in the gravity fed mode and paint 69 is urged towards lid assembly 100 and then into second conduit 114, a temporary vacuum is generated in reservoir interior 119. This vacuum prevents any residual paint that remains within first conduit 112 from dripping outwardly. After atmospheric air 135 is admitted to first conduit 112, the residual paint is driven through occluding element 125 into reservoir interior 119. Occluding element 125 advantageously prevents concentrated portions of the paint to be admitted to the first conduit in the siphon fed mode.

As an additional precaution against the dripping of paint, as shown in Fig. 16, a first occluding element 125A may be secured to the distal end 133 of first conduit 112 within the reservoir interior and a second occluding element 125B may be secured to the proximal end 132 of first conduit 112 outwardly from lid assembly 100.

Referring to Fig. 12, a plug element may be used to completely occlude the first and second conduits during interludes of a painting operation, to prevent the influx of atmospheric air which would cause paint contained within a reservoir to dry. As shown, cylindrical plug elements 147a and 147b may be introduced in the interior of first conduit 142 and second conduit 144, respectively, of Hd assembly 140 when a paint reservoir is not in use. Each plug element may be provided with a corresponding head element 148 for contacting the proximal edge 151 of the corresponding conduit when the plug element is fully inserted within the interior of the conduit. By employing plug elements 147a and 147b, the paint reservoir may be shook to properly mix the paint prior to a painting operation without risk of paint leakage from the conduits.

As shown in Fig. 13, the apparatus of the present invention may include a paint reservoir 160 that is provided with an integral lid assembly. Reservoir 160 has a graspable upper cylindrical wall 164 that has a smaller diameter than lower cylindrical wall 162. Top surface 167 of reservoir 160 is inclined with respect to upper wall 164, and is formed with an upwardly extending projection 166, through which first conduit 172 passes, at the lower end of surface 167. A downwardly slanting protrusion 168 which is disposed radially outwardly from upper wall 164 extends from the upper end of top surface 172. Second conduit 174 is received in a hole formed in protrusion 168, and is in communication with interior 169 of reservoir 160.

Reservoir 160 may be provided with a lower closure 175, e.g. cylindrically configured, which may be releasably engaged with lower wall 162 by means of threading 173. Paint may be added to, or removed from, interior 169 of reservoir 160 after plug elements 147a and 147b (Fig. 12) are placed in occluding relation with conduits 172 and 174, respectively, reservoir 160 is inverted, and closure 175 is separated from lower wall 162. Reservoir 160 may also be used for a multi-colored painting operation by cleaning interior 169 and then adding a different colored paint.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 14, a reservoir 180 may be provided with an integral Ud assembly having integral protrusions 166 and 168 for the insertion therein of the first and second conduits, respectively, and with an integral planar underside 182. Additional paint may be injected via one of the conduits. While some embodiments of the invention have been described by way of illustration, it will be apparent that the invention can be carried out with many modifications, variations and adaptations, and with the use of numerous equivalents or alternative solutions that are within the scope of persons skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-purpose lid assembly interfaceable with a paint spray gun, comprising first and second mounts for first and second conduits, respectively, and a top surface extending between said first and second mounts, said first and second mounts being configured such that said first and second conduits, when received in a corresponding mount, protrude outwardly from said first and second mounts, respectively, and are in fluid communication with the interior of a paint reservoir covered by said top surface, wherein said first and second conduits are angularly spaced by at least 90 degrees, so that in a siphon fed mode paint will be discharged from said first conduit and atmospheric air will be admitted via said second conduit and in a gravity fed mode when said reservoir is inverted paint will be discharged from said second conduit and atmospheric air will be admitted via said first conduit.

2. The lid assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lid assembly comprises a cap that is releasably securable to the paint reservoir.

3. The bid assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second mounts are integrally formed with the paint reservoir.

4. The lid assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second conduits are releasably attached to the lid assembly.

5. The lid assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second conduits are fixedly attached to, or integral with, the lid assembly.

6. The lid assembly according to claim 2, wherein the cap has a cylindrical wall and a top surface that is inclined with respect to said cylindrical wall, the second conduit protruding downwardly from an upper end of said top surface.

7. The lid assembly according to claim 6, wherein the second conduit is received in a downwardly slanting protrusion extending radially outwardly from the cylindrical wall.

8. The lid assembly according to claim 6, wherein the first conduit protrudes upwardly from a lower end of the top surface.

9. The lid assembly according to claim 2, wherein the cap has a cylindrical wall and a top surface that is substantially perpendicular to said cylindrical wall.

10. The Ud assembly according to claim 9, wherein an appendage is attached to, or integral with, the cap, the first and second conduits being associated with said appendage in such a way so as to provide the angular spacing therebetween.

11. The lid assembly according to claim 10, wherein the appendage has a first surface abutting the top surface of the cap and a second surface inclined with respect to said first surface, two legs of a U-shaped tube being received in apertures formed in said first and second surfaces, respectively, one leg of said tube constituting the second conduit.

12. The lid assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second conduits are angularly spaced by an angle ranging from 120 to 210 degrees.

13. The lid assembly according to claim 6 or 9, wherein the second conduit is disposed at an angular distance of less than 90 degrees from the cylindrical wall of the cap.

14. The lid assembly according to claim 13, wherein the second conduit is disposed at an angular distance of approximately 50 degrees from the cylindrical wall of the cap.

15. The lid assembly according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the first and second conduits is substantially equal.

16. The lid assembly according to any of claims 1 to 15, further comprising a ventable occluding element which is securable to the first conduit.

17. The Ud assembly according to claim 16, wherein the occluding element has a conduit receiving portion, an air inlet portion abutting said conduit receiving portion, and a closed bottom end below said conduit receiving and air inlet portions for collecting residual paint remaining after the siphon fed mode, atmospheric being admitted to the interior of the reservoir during the gravity fed mode via the air inlet portion and the first conduit.

18. The lid assembly according to claim 16, wherein the occluding element is secured to a proximal end of the first conduit.

19. The lid assembly according to claim 16, wherein the occluding element is secured to a distal end of the first conduit.

20. The lid assembly according to claim 18, wherein a first occluding element is secured to the proximal end of the first conduit and a second occluding element is secured to a distal end of the first conduit.

21. Spray paint apparatus, comprising the lid assembly according to any of claims 1 to 20, a replaceable reservoir containing a selected color of paint and having a planar bottom surface and a cylindrical wall, and a single spray gun interfaceable with said lid assembly in both a siphon fed mode and a gravity fed mode.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein one or more magnetic elements are attached to the bottom surface of the reservoir.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a plug element for occluding one or both of the first and second conduits upon completion of a painting operation.

24. Paint spraying method, comprising the steps of providing a lid assembly of a paint reservoir with first and second outwardly protruding conduits, interfacing said first conduit with a spray gun, performing a siphon fed painting operation, detaching said first conduit from said spray gun, inverting said paint reservoir, interfacing said second conduit with said spray gun, and performing a gravity fed painting operation.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the lid assembly is releasably secured to the paint reservoir.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein a first reservoir containing paint of a first color is replaced by a second reservoir in order to perform a gravity fed painting operation with a paint of a second color.

27. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of attaching a ventable occluding element to the first conduit.

28. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the steps of detaching the second conduit from the spray gun following the gravity fed painting operation, inverting the paint reservoir, interfacing the first conduit with the spray gun, and performing an additional siphon fed painting operation.

29. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of occluding one or both of the first and second conduits with a corresponding plug element upon completion of a painting operation.