GB2403448A

GB2403448A - Multifunctional tool

Info

Publication number: GB2403448A
Application number: GB0315359A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Payne
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-07-01
Filing date: 2003-07-01
Publication date: 2005-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 2023-07-01
Also published as: GB2403448B; GB0315359D0

Abstract

A two-part multifunctional tool comprising a female member 1 which is adapted, in use, to demountably engage a complementary male member 11 in which the male member 11 includes a pair of key portions 12, 13 and the female member 1 includes a pair of locking portions 6,7 adapted, in use, to receive said key portions 12, 13 in locking engagement, together with means 4 to independently maintain said locking portions 6, 7 in said locking engagement and means 9, 10 to independently release said locking portions 6, 7 from said locking engagement. The means 4 to maintain the locking engagement may comprise a pair of springs, and the means 9,10 to release the locking engagement may comprise push-buttons. The tool may be a tool for decorating, with the female member 1 comprising a handle, and the male member 11 comprising a selected tool head.

Description

Multifunctional Tool This invention relates to a multifunctional tool, and

in particular, though not exclusively, to a tool for use in decorating.

Decorating, especially painting; can be slow and tedious, especially when using more than one colour in an area. When using more than one colour in an area the paint-brush must be cleaned during painting to remove the previous colour paint before a different colour can be applied using the same brush.

It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate the above disadvantage.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cheap, disposable, decorating tool.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a two part multi-functional tool comprising a female member which is adapted, in use, to demountably engage a complementary male member, in which the male member includes a pair of key portions and the female member includes a pair of locking portions adapted, in use, to receive said key portions in locking engagement, together with means to independently maintain said locking portions in said locking engagement and means to independently release said locking portions from said locking engagement.

Preferably, the key portions on the male member are asymmetrically disposed on either side of a main axis of the member. Suitably, the key portions are mirror-images of each other, so that the male member can be used in the manner of a "double-entry" key. I'

The locking portions on the female member are suitably of complementary configuration relative to the key portions on the male member. Preferably, the locking portions are disposed symmetrically on either side of a main axis of the female member.

Preferably, the means to maintain said locking portions in engagement with the key portions comprises at least one spring, especially a spring in compression. The spring may be, for example, a helical spring.

Alternatively, the spring may be a leaf spring.

The locking portions may be substantially circular, trapezoidal, quadrilateral (e.g. rectangular) or triangular in section.

The locking portions are preferably in pivotal engagement with a body of the female member.

The body of the female member may comprise one or more guides adapted, in use, to securely retain said locking portion in position.

The tool is preferably manufactured from a plastics material. The plastics material is preferably a mouldable plastics material. The plastics material may be reinforced with glass fibres or carbon fibres.

The tool, when made from a plastics material, may conveniently be manufactured by injection moulding.

Alternatively, the tool may be manufactured from a metal, for example, stainless steel or aluminium.

The tool, if manufactured from a metal, is conveniently manufactured by a die casting process. !

The male member preferably has a portion adapted, in use, to function as a tool.

The female member is preferably adapted, in use, to be ergonomically shaped.

The tool may be selected from the group consisting of a paintbrush, a roller, a putty knife, a scraper, an extension arm (optionally comprising one or more telescoping portions) and an articulated joint. It will be appreciated that the aforementioned list is not exhaustive and many other tool types could be accommodated by the invention.

The female member may comprise a further compression spring, located coaxially with a longitudinal axis of the male member, to facilitate the disengagement of the male member from the female member.

The invention will now be described, merely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which: Figure 1 shows a female member of a multi-functional tool in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 to 4 show the engagement and disengagement of male and female members of the multi-functional tool; Figure 5 is an end elevation of the female member of Figure 1 along axis AA.

Figure 6 to 16 show replaceable/interchangeable male members with tool portions. Al /

In the drawings, like numerals denote like parts.

Referring to Figure 1, a female member 1 of a multifunctional tool is shown. The female member 1 comprises locking portions 6, 7 which, in use, receive the key portions (not shown) on the male member.

The locking portions 6, 7 are maintained in engagement with their complementary key portions by means of two compression springs 4, 5.

The locking portions 6, 7 are released from engagement with the respective key portions by means of push-buttons 9, 10 located on the locking portions 6, 7.

A further compression spring 8 is provided to facilitate the removal of the male member from the female member 1.

Referring to Figure 2, the male member 11 is inserted into a cavity 3 in the female member 1. This is facilitated by a groove (not shown) on the male member 11 which locates and receives a tongue 14 of complementary configuration located on the female member 1 (see Figure 1).

Referring to Figure 3 when the male member 11 is fully inserted into the female member 1 the locking portions 6, 7 are in Remountable engagement with the key portions 12, 13. The key portions 12, 13 are maintained in a locked state by means of two compression springs 4, 5 (only one of which 4 is shown).

Referring to Figure 4, in order to disengage the male 11 and female 1 members, both push-buttons 9, 10 must be depressed inwardly of the female member 1. The locking members 6, 7 are laterally displaced Outwardly of the main axis AA of the female member 1. This disengages the complementary locking portions 6, 7 and the key portions 12, 13 and allows the compression spring 8 to eject the male member 11 from the body of the female member 1.

Figure 5 shows the cavity 3 of the female member 1 along the axis AA.

Figures 6 to 16 show different tool portions located on the male member 11 and interchangeable with the female member (not shown).

Figure 10 shows an extension arm which may have one or more telescopic portions.

Figure 11 shows an articulated joint attachment.

Figure 13 shows a fork.

Figure 14 shows a trowel.

Figure 15 shows an embodiment of the present invention as a paintbrush for hobby painting and the like.

Figure 1 6a shows a male member 11, in section, having a recessed, peripheral, groove 30 to prevent paint from dripping on a user.

Figure 16b shows a male member 11 having a frusto-pyramidal attachment 40 adapted, in use, to prevent spillage of paint on to a user.

Claims

1. A two part multifunctional tool comprising a female member which is adapted, in use, to demountably engage a complementary male member, in which the male member includes a pair of key portions and the female member includes a pair of locking portions adapted, in use, to receive said key portions in locking engagement, together with means to independently maintain said locking portions in said locking engagement and means to independently release said locking portions from said locking engagement.

2. A tool as claimed in Claim 1, in which the key portions on the male member are symmetrically disposed on either side of a main axis of the member.

3. A tool as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the key portions are mirror images of each other, so that the male member can be used in the manner of a 'double entry' key.

4. A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the locking portions on the female member are of complementary configuration relative to the key portions on the male member.

5. A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the locking portions are disposed symmetrically on either side of a main axis of the female member.

6. A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the means to maintain said locking portions and in engagement with the key portions comprises at least one spring.

7. A tool as claimed in Claim 6, in which the spring is in compression.

8. A tool as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7, in which the spring is a helical spring.

9. A tool as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7, in which the spring is a leaf spring.

10. A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the locking portions are substantially circular, trapezoidal, quadrilateral, or triangular in section.

11. A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the locking portions are in pivotal engagement with the body of the female member.

12. A tool as claimed in Claim 11, in which the body of the female member comprises one or more guides adapted, in use, to securely retain said locking portions in position.

13. A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which said tool is manufactured from a plastics material.

14. A tool as claimed in Claim 13, in which the plastics material is a mouldable plastics material.

15. A tool as claimed in any one of claims 13 or 14, in which the plastics material is reinforced with glass fibres or carbon fibres.

16. A tool as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, in which said tool is manufactured from a metal.

17. A tool as claimed in Claim 16, in which the metal is stainless steel or aluminium.

18. A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the male member has a portion adapted, in use, to function as a tool.

19. A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the female member is adapted, in use, to be ergonomically shaped.

20. A tool as claimed in Claim 18, in which said tool is selected from the group consisting of a paintbrush, a roller, a putty knife, a scraper, an extension arm and an articulated joint.

21. A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the female member comprises a further compression spring located co-axially with a longitudinal axis of the male member, to facilitate the disengagement of the male from the female member.

22. A tool substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.