Liquid reservoir, and kit, spray assembly and method using same

Abstract

Disposable reservoirs for use with spray apparatuses, reservoir-adapter kits, spray assemblies employing such reservoirs, and methods of use are disclosed.

1 . A reservoir-adapter kit for use with a spray apparatus, comprising:
 at least one adapter having a passageway therethrough, a reservoir coupling portion, and a spray apparatus coupling portion configured to be threadly coupled to the spray apparatus; and   at least one reservoir comprising:
 a body including a first portion having an outlet, a second portion having an inlet, and a passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet, the first portion having a threaded portion configured to be threadly coupled to the reservoir coupling portion of the at least one adapter so that the inlet of the at least one adapter is in fluid communication with the outlet of the body; and 
 a lid configured to be removeably attached to the second portion to cover the inlet. 
   
   
   
       2 . (canceled) 
   
   
       3 . The reservoir-adapter kit of  claim 1  wherein the threaded portion of the at least one reservoir comprises internal threads disposed within the passageway of the body. 
   
   
       4 . The reservoir-adapter kit of  claim 1  wherein the threaded portion of the at least one reservoir comprises external threads and internal threads disposed within the passageway of the body. 
   
   
       5 . The reservoir-adapter kit of  claim 1  wherein the threaded portion of the body comprises external threads integrally formed with the body. 
   
   
       6 . The reservoir-adapter kit of  claim 1  wherein the threaded portion of the body comprises internal threads disposed within the passageway of the body and integrally formed with the body. 
   
   
       7 . The reservoir-adapter kit of  claim 1  wherein the threaded portion of the body comprises external threads and internal threads disposed within the passageway of the body, the external and internal threads being integrally formed with the body. 
   
   
       8 . The reservoir-adapter kit of  claim 1  wherein the body comprises a main section that includes the inlet and a ring extending peripherally about the main section proximate the inlet. 
   
   
       9 . The reservoir-adapter kit of  claim 1  wherein the reservoir coupling portion of the at least one adapter comprises one of internal threads disposed within the passageway of the at least one adapter and external threads. 
   
   
       10 . The reservoir-adapter kit of  claim 1  wherein the spray apparatus coupling portion of the at least one adapter comprises one of internal threads disposed within the passageway of the at least one adapter and external threads. 
   
   
       11 . The reservoir-adapter kit of  claim 1  wherein the body and the lid comprise a polymeric material. 
   
   
       12 . A spray assembly, comprising:
 a reservoir comprising:
 a body including a first portion having an outlet and a threaded portion, a second portion having an inlet, and a passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet; and 
 a lid removably attached to the second portion to cover the inlet; and 
   a spray apparatus operable to spray fluid disposed within the reservoir, the spray apparatus including a threaded coupling member coupled to the reservoir so that the outlet of the reservoir fluidly communicates with the spray apparatus.   
   
   
       13 - 18 . (canceled) 
   
   
       19 . The spray assembly of  claim 12  wherein:
 the body comprises a main section that includes the inlet and a ring extending peripherally about the main section proximate the inlet; and   the lid is removably attached to the main section using an interference fit between the lid and the ring.   
   
   
       20 . The spray assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 an adapter having a passageway therethrough, a reservoir coupling portion, and a spray apparatus coupling portion, wherein the spray apparatus coupling portion is threadly coupled to the threaded coupling member of the spray apparatus and the reservoir coupling portion is threadly coupled to the threaded portion of the reservoir.   
   
   
       21 . The spray assembly of  claim 20  wherein the reservoir coupling portion of the adapter comprises one of internal threads disposed within the passageway of adapter and external threads. 
   
   
       22 . The spray assembly of  claim 20  wherein the spray apparatus coupling portion of the adapter comprises one of internal threads disposed within the passageway of the adapter that are threadly coupled to the threaded coupling member of the spray apparatus and external threads that are threadly coupled to the threaded coupling member of the spray apparatus. 
   
   
       23 . The spray assembly of  claim 12  wherein the reservoir comprises a polymeric material. 
   
   
       24 . The spray assembly of  claim 12  wherein the spray apparatus comprises a spray gun. 
   
   
       25 - 29 . (canceled) 
   
   
       30 . A reservoir for use with a spray apparatus, comprising:
 a reservoir comprising:
 a body including a first portion having an outlet and a threaded portion configured to be threadly coupled to a threaded coupling member of the spray apparatus, a second portion having an inlet, and a passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet; and 
 a lid removably attachable to the second portion to cover the inlet. 
   
   
   
       31 - 37 . (canceled) 
   
   
       38 . The reservoir-adapter kit of  claim 1  wherein the body of the at least one reservoir includes a main section having an inner diameter that continuously decreases away from the inlet. 
   
   
       39 . (canceled) 
   
   
       40 . The reservoir of  claim 30  wherein the body of the reservoir includes a main section having an inner diameter that continuously decreases away from the inlet. 
   
   
       41 . The reservoir of  claim 40 , wherein the reservoir is a first reservoir nested within a stack of a reservoirs. 
   
   
       42 . A method of using a spray apparatus, comprising:
 providing a plurality of reservoirs nested within one another to form a stack, each reservoir comprising:
 a body including a first portion having an outlet and a threaded portion, a second portion having an inlet, and a passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet, the passageway having an inner diameter that continuously decreases away from the inlet; 
   removing a first reservoir from the stack;   coupling the first reservoir and a threaded coupling portion of a spray apparatus to one another;   filling the first reservoir with paint;   spraying the liquid onto a surface using the spray apparatus;   after spraying, decoupling the first reservoir from the spray apparatus; and   disposing of the first reservoir.   
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42 :
 further comprising coupling an adapter to the first reservoir; and   wherein the act of coupling the first reservoir and a threaded coupling portion of the spray apparatus to each other comprises coupling the adapter to the threaded coupling portion of the spray apparatus.