U.S. patent application number 13/792725 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-11 for drywall sander.
This patent application is currently assigned to HMB PRODUCTS, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is HMB PRODUCTS, LLC. Invention is credited to James L. Hurt, James R. Momper.
Application Number | 20140256237 13/792725 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51488377 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140256237 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Momper; James R. ; et
al. |
September 11, 2014 |
Drywall Sander
Abstract
A sanding tool including a blade and a handle, the blade having
first and second opposing faces. An attachment layer removably
secures to the sanding tool at the opposing faces, thereby to
provide opposing abrasive layers on opposing sides of the blade.
The shape of the blade, with a wider yet thinner top end, and a
reduced thickness from a bottom side thereof to a top edge thereof,
reduces hand strain when sanding drywall, and also helps to assure
uniform sanding and avoidance of hand injury when sanding corners,
in a cost-effective manner.
Inventors: |
Momper; James R.;
(Cincinnati, OH) ; Hurt; James L.; (Batavia,
OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HMB PRODUCTS, LLC |
Cincinnati |
OH |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
HMB PRODUCTS, LLC
Cincinnati
OH
|
Family ID: |
51488377 |
Appl. No.: |
13/792725 |
Filed: |
March 11, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
451/490 ;
451/531; 451/557 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B24D 15/04 20130101;
B24D 15/023 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
451/490 ;
451/557; 451/531 |
International
Class: |
B24D 15/02 20060101
B24D015/02; B24D 11/00 20060101 B24D011/00 |
Claims
1. A drywall sander comprising: a substantially rigid blade having
a first face and a second face, a top edge, and a bottom side; a
substantially elongated handle extending from the bottom side of
the blade; and an abrasive layer, wherein the abrasive layer covers
a first portion on the first face of the blade, extends over the
top edge, and covers a second portion on the second face of the
blade.
2. The drywall sander of claim 1 further comprising: a
substantially thin backing layer, wherein the backing layer is
positioned between the blade and the abrasive layer on both the
first face and the second face of the blade.
3. The drywall sander of claim 1, wherein the width of the blade
decreases from the top edge to the bottom side.
4. The drywall sander of claim 1, wherein the abrasive layer is
sandpaper.
5. The drywall sander of claim 2, wherein the backing layer further
comprises a buffer layer of foam.
6. The drywall sander of claim 2, wherein the blade decreases in
thickness from the bottom side to the top edge.
7. An attachment for a drywall sander comprising: an abrasive
layer; a backing layer supporting the abrasive layer; a
substantially central fold, wherein the fold establishes a first
fold side and a second fold side; and an attachment associated with
the backing layer, whereby the attachment may be positioned on a
substantially flat and substantially rigid surface having a first
face, a second face, and a top edge such that the first fold side
is positioned over a first portion of the first face of the
surface, the second fold side is positioned over a second portion
of the second face of the surface, and the fold is positioned
substantially over the top edge of the surface, and wherein the
attachment is positioned such that the backing layer may be
releasably attached to the first and second faces so as to
substantially expose the abrasive layer in opposite directions.
8. The drywall sander attachment of claim 7, wherein the abrasive
layer and the backing layer comprise sandpaper.
9. The drywall sander attachment of claim 7, wherein the backing
layer comprises a layer of foam.
10. The drywall sander attachment of claim 9 wherein the blade
decreases in thickness from the bottom side to the top edge.
11. The drywall sander attachment of claim 10 wherein, on each side
thereof, the shape of the abrasive layer is specific to a
designated region of the blade.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a drywall sander, and more
particularly to a hand-held manually-operated drywall sander that
can be used advantageously for sanding dry wall and other
surfaces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Abrasive sheets, such as conventional sandpaper, are
commonly used to hand sand or finish a work surface. In hand
sanding, a user holds the sandpaper directly in his or her hand to
move the sandpaper across the work surface. Sanding by hand can be
an arduous task. To facilitate the hand sanding process it has been
common to hold the sandpaper on a sanding block. For example, U.S.
Pat. No. 5,168,672 discloses a sanding block with a handle and a
base to which an abrasive paper sheet may be attached. This type of
sanding block and other known sanding blocks suffer from one or
more drawbacks.
[0003] For example, tensioning the sandpaper is a desirable feature
of sanding blocks, but it is often difficult to load the sandpaper
and get it tight. If the sandpaper is not tight, it may wrinkle,
and the wrinkles may snag on the work surface and cause the
abrasive media to tear or the work surface to be damaged or sanded
unevenly. Further, users may experience difficulty in installing
sandpaper on a sanding block, as some sanding blocks require both
ends of the abrasive sheet to be installed on the sanding block
simultaneously. Sanding blocks also tend to be difficult and/or
expensive to manufacture.
[0004] With respect to sanding dry wall, sanding blocks reveal
additional shortcomings. In particular, sanding blocks present
difficulties when sanding corners and other areas where two or more
panels of dry wall meet. In trying to reach tight spots with a
sanding block, users may have to repeatedly reposition themselves
and/or readjust their grip on the sanding block. Constant
repositioning by the user and constant reconfiguring of the sanding
tool can lead to decreased efficiency and uneven sanding. Further,
sanding block users are subjected to contact between their fingers
and the sidewalls, which may result in injury or cause a user to go
to great pains to avoid such contact, which again may result in
uneven sanding.
[0005] Some sanding devices in the prior art have offered solutions
to one or more of these concerns. For example, some devices have
included a hand grip with a sanding tool. Other sanding tools have
been created with elongated constructions such that corners are
more easily reached. However, while these devices may address one
or more of the above-described concerns, such devices fail to
address all of these concerns.
[0006] It is an object of this invention to simultaneously address
all of the above-described concerns, namely to increase sanding
efficiency, to minimize sanding injury and/or user fatigue, to more
readily sand access corners, and to assure consistent and high
quality sanding, and to do so at relatively low expense.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Generally, the present invention achieves the above-stated
objects with a drywall sander, i.e., a sanding tool, having a
substantially rigid blade with a first face and a second face, a
top edge, and a bottom side, and a substantially elongated handle
extending from the bottom side. The sanding tool includes an
abrasive layer which covers a first portion on the first face of
the blade, extends over the top edge, and covers a second portion
on the second face of the blade. The sanding tool may include a
substantially thin backing layer that is positioned between the
blade and the abrasive layer. The backing layer may include or
actually may be a buffer layer. According to an aspect of the
invention, the rigid blade has a non-uniform thickness, being
thicker near the handle and thinner near the edge, so as to have a
triangular shape when viewed from the side.
[0008] According to one aspect of the invention, the abrasive layer
removably attaches to the drywall sander on the first and second
faces, and has a substantially central fold, and serves as part of
a sanding attachment. In the most simple and straightforward
understanding of the invention, the sanding attachment comprises
sandpaper, with the backing layer being the paper backing of the
sandpaper and the abrasive layer being the abrasive front surface
of the sandpaper. Preferably, the sanding attachment attaches to
the blade by any structural manner which permits ready attachment
and detachment, such as being hoop and loop fasteners (i.e., Velcro
fastener), secured to the first and second faces and to the
backside of the backing layer, i.e., the back of the sandpaper.
[0009] Thus, the sanding attachment is positioned over the rigid
blade so as to extend over the top edge and to cover some or all of
the first and second faces. Then the attachment is attached to the
first and second surfaces with the abrasive layer exposed on
opposite sides of the blade.
[0010] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention
include a method for using the sanding tool described above.
[0011] These and other features of the invention will be more
readily understood in view of the following drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drywall sander according
to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the drywall sander
shown in FIG. 1.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the attachment shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0015] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of another preferred embodiment of
the drywall sander of this invention.
[0016] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the drywall sander shown in FIG.
4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] The following list identifies the associated elements of
FIGS. 1-3. The present application incorporates by references, in
its entirety, previously filed (and now expired) U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/357,279, filed Jun. 22, 2010. In that
prior provisional, the invention generally refers to a sanding
tool. To some extent, that description is carried over here, but
this device is also referred to herein as a drywall scraper, or a
drywall sander. Such terms are generally deemed equivalent in this
context of this specification.
[0018] 10 sanding tool
[0019] 15 attachment
[0020] 20 blade
[0021] 21 first face
[0022] 23 top edge
[0023] 24 bottom side
[0024] 25 elongated handle
[0025] 30 abrasive layer
[0026] 35 backing layer
[0027] 40 central fold
[0028] 41 first fold side
[0029] 42 second fold side
[0030] 25 adhesive
[0031] More specifically, FIG. 1 shows a drywall sander, or a
sanding tool 10, according to a first preferred embodiment of the
invention. The sanding tool 10 has a substantially rigid blade 20
with a first face 21, a second face, a top edge 23, and a bottom
side 24. In the exemplary first preferred embodiment shown in FIG.
1, the first face 21 of the blade 20 and the second face of the
blade 20 are substantially identical. The sanding tool 10 also has
a substantially elongated handle 25 extending from the bottom side
24 of the blade 20.
[0032] The sanding tool 10 further includes an abrasive layer 30.
The abrasive layer 30 covers a first portion on the first face of
the blade 20, extends over the top edge 23, and covers a second
portion on the second face of the blade 20. Thus, the abrasive
layer 30 is exposed on opposing sides of the sanding tool 10. As
shown in FIG. 1, the sanding tool 10 includes a substantially thin
backing layer 35 which is positioned between the blade and the
abrasive layer. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
as shown in FIG. 1, the abrasive layer 30 covers a substantial
portion, but not the entire backing layer 35. In one variation of
the invention, the backing layer 35 may be a buffer layer of foam.
In its simplest foam, the attachment 15 is an appropriately sized
piece of sandpaper, with a paper backing layer 35 and an abrasive
front surface 30, and structure for securing the paper backing 35
to the opposing faces of the blade 20.
[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the top edge 23 is wider than the bottom
side 24. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the
blade width decreases from the top edge 23 to the bottom side 24.
Further, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and
as shown in FIG. 1, the abrasive layer 30 and the backing layer 35
are cut to maintain substantially the same widths as portions of
the blade 20 which they cover.
[0034] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, angles created by the top edge 23
of the blade 20 and sides of the blade 20, and mirrored by the
abrasive layer 30 (and also the backing layer 35, if included), are
acute angles. The acute angles, combined with a relative flatness
of the sanding tool, allows for efficient sanding in corners. In
particular, the acute angles of the sanding tool 10 allow for
increased access into corners and other tight areas. Further, such
exemplary embodiments allow a user to more easily avoid hand
contact between the sanding tool 10 and nearby walls during
sanding. This advantage is not lost when the second preferred
embodiment is used, with the blade 120 of non-uniform thickness,
which decreases from the bottom side 24 to the top edge 23.
[0035] As noted above, in a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the abrasive layer 30 and the backing layer 35 are
achieved via conventional sandpaper, as an attachment 15 to the
tool. FIGS. 2 and 3 show more details of the attachment 15 for the
sanding tool 10, with FIG. 2 showing an exploded perspective view
of the attachment 15 as it circumscribes the hand tool 10 and
particularly the blade 20, and FIG. 3 showing the attachment 15 by
itself.
[0036] According to one variation of the present invention, the
backing layer may include, or may be a buffer layer of foam. In the
embodiment which uses the buffer layer, the sanding tool allows a
user to more easily control a force applied to an area to be
sanded. In particular, by absorbing some of the force a user
applies to the sanding tool 10, the buffer layer provides
flexibility in a range of forces a user can apply to the sanding
tool 10.
[0037] The attachment 15 includes a substantially central fold 40
which establishes a first fold side 41 and a second fold side 42.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the abrasive
layer 30 is applied to the backing layer 35 after the central fold
40 is established in the backing layer 35, so that the abrasive
layer 30 will be less susceptible to cracking.
[0038] The attachment 15 is positioned on the substantially flat
and substantially rigid first face 21, second face, and a top edge
23 of the blade 20. More specifically, the first fold side 41 is
positioned over a first portion of the first face 21, the second
fold side 42 is positioned over a second portion of the second
face, and the fold 40 is positioned substantially over the top edge
23. The attachment 15 is positioned such that the backing layer is
releasably attached to the blade 20 by an attaching structure which
may be selected from the following group: adhesives 45, hooks and
fasteners, snaps, buckles, and hooks. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,
once the attachment 15 is mounted, the abrasive layer is
substantially exposed on opposite sides of the blade 20 to which it
is attached. The attachment 15 and its corresponding abrasive
layers can thereafter be removed from the blade 20 and replaced
with a new abrasive layer, at a user's preference. This will
typically occur due to wear.
[0039] The present invention also relates to a method for using a
sanding tool, and also the method of preparing a sanding tool for
use, in the manner described herein. More specifically, the method
for using a sanding tool comprises the steps of applying the
abrasive layer of the sanding tool to an area designated for
sanding. Because the abrasive layer is exposed on opposing sides of
the blade 20 of the sanding tool 10, the user may use either side
of the device. With the ability to use either side, a user can
avoid the need for constant repositioning while sanding, and thus
can be more efficient. Similarly, the shape of the handle 25, 125
(i.e., preferably rounded, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) and the shape
of the blade 20, 120 help to reduce injury and user fatigue, while
also providing access to corners, all of which help to assure
consistent and high quality sanding. Moreover, the device 10, 110
is relatively inexpensive.
[0040] FIGS. 4 and 5 show another preferred embodiment of the
invention, which for the most part uses the same reference numbers
as FIGS. 1-3, but with the number "1" appended at the first end, to
indicate the numbers between 100 and 200. More specifically, the
drywall sander 110 of FIGS. 4 and 5 includes a rounded handle 125
and an arcuately shaped blade 120 (when viewed in a first
direction). The thickness of the blade 120 (when considered in a
second direction, perpendicular to the first) increases from a top
edge 123 to a bottom side 124. As shown in FIG. 5, the blade 120
appears triangular in side view. This variation in the thickness of
the blade 120 facilitates sanding in certain circumstances, because
the user has more leverage.
[0041] FIG. 4 shows a darkened zone 126 which designates a portion
of the surface to which an attaching structure 115 may be attached,
such as by using a hook and loop attaching structure. With this
arrangement, the removable attachment 115, in this case sandpaper,
can be specifically shaped to cover specifically desired shapes of
the opposing sides of the scraper 120.
[0042] While this invention has been described in conjunction with
the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that a
number of alternatives, modifications and variations will be
apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred
embodiments of the invention as set forth above are intended to be
illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *