- 1 5 ACCESSORY FOR USE WITH ADHESIVES
DESCRIPI ION
1() Technical Field
This invention relates to accessories for use with adhesives in particular adhesives (hereinafter called "glue sticks-) in the form of a rod of adhesive material housed within a tubular housing that at one end has a removable cap and at the other end has 15 a rotatable screw mechanism which, on rotation relative to the housing with the cap removed, expels the rod outwards of the housing's said one end. Usually, said screw mechanism comprises an axially recessed operating knob-but the present invention, in its broadest form, is not restricted to glue sticks incorporating that feature.
2() Background
Such glue sticks are increasingly popular as they are convenient to usethe user simply holds the housing in one hand, removes the cap with the other hand and lays the cap aside, and then rotates the screw mechanism at the other end to expel the adhesive rod projected outwards of said one end of the housing and be exposed for use 25 in applying adhesive to a surface by rubbing against it. After use, the reverse process is actioned and the cap replaced on said one end. All these actions require that the user uses both hands. Additionally, where repeated intermittent use is required, e.g. when adhering several sheets onto a substrate, the glue stick is usually left in open condition on the desk or other work surface where it can readily tumble and roll, become hidden 3() by other papers and/or become adhered to them or to the work surface.
! It is considered desirable to provide an accessory for use with glue sticks whereby the above-mentioned and/or other disadvantages or inconvenience may be overcome or be at least minimised.
5 Summary of the Invention
According to one aspect of this invention there is provided an accessory for use with a glue stick, said accessory comprising a base member provided with means drivingly to engage the said screw mechanism.
1() For use with a glue stick that has an axially recessed operating knob, the drive means preferably comprises a promontory to engage fittingly into the axial recess in the glue stick's operating knob.
Advantageously the promontory is provided with downwardly extending slots for 15 engagement by ribs provided in angularly spaced apart relation on the internal surface of the operating knob's axial recess. Typically, the operating knob is molded of plastics material and the said ribs are provided to permit the operating knob to be unscrewed from the mold in which it is produced.
2() Alternatively the drive means may comprise a recess shaped and dimensioned to engage the exterior of the glue stick's operating knob. That exterior may, for example, be fluted andlor provided with one or more flattened surfaces. In one envisaged arrangement, the drive means may comprise a recess provided with a somewhat knurled interior face that can engage and hold tightly the exterior surface of any one 25 of a plurality of differently formed operating knob exterior surfaces provided by different models (i.e. makes and/or versions) of glue stick.
It will be appreciated that by engaging the glue stick's operating knob with said drive means, the rod of adhesive material housed within the glue stick's tubular housing can 3() be driven outwards (i.e. expelled) of the housing's opposite end by the user, with one
( - 3
hand, simply resting that hand on the base member and rotating the tubular housing with the finger and thumb of that hand-the operating knob being held fast and immovable to the base member by the engaged operating knob and drive means. This contrasts with normal two-handed use of a glue stick in which the tubular housing is 5 held against rotation in one hand and the operating knob is rotated by the user's other hand. Preferably the base member is additionally provided with a recess to receive fittingly -and, with advantage, sealingly- the uncapped said one end of the glue stick.
Preferably the base member is additionally provided with a recess to accommodate the cap of the glue stick.
In one preferred embodiment the base member may be provided with first and second 15 resilient retainer means to retain the glue stick to the base member and with its axis generally parallel to the base member's upper and/or lower surface (i.e. to the plane of the work surface), the two retainer means being spaced apart longitudinally of the glue stick. The glue stick can then be stored flat on and with the accessory, and may also serve as a handle for the combination.
2() Each of the retainer means may comprise a pair of resilient fingers upstanding from the base member.
Preferably the base member is provided with a large receptacle, e.g. between the first 25 and second retainer means, to receive stationery items or a beverage container (when the glue stick is in use).
Advantageously a shallow depression is provided in the base member to support the ball of the user's hand whilst one-handedly rotating the housing of the glue stick to 30 expel the rod whilst the latter's recessed knob is rotated on said promontory.
- 4 According to another aspect of this invention there is provided, in combination, a glue stick and, for use therewith, an accessory according to said one aspect of this invention. 5 Brief Description of the Drawings
By way of example embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a plan view of an accessory according to one embodiment of this invention providing inter alla an operating stand for a glue stick, 10 Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of Fig 1, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig 1 showing a glue stick in each of three possible positions on the accessory, Figure 4 is a partly broken away side view of a capped glue stick, Figure 5 is an underneath plan view of a glue stick taken in the direction of arro 15 V of Fig 4, and Figure 6 is a perspective view of an accessory according to another embodiment of this invention showing it providing an operating stand for a glue stick.
Detailed Description of Example(s) of the Invention
20 The accessory 10 illustrated of Figs l to 3 is for use with a glue stick 20 (see Figs 4 and 5) and is primarily to serve as a temporary "parking" location for the glue stick 20 whilst the latter is in intermittent use, and also to facilitate its use by a user one handedly, i.e. by one hand only.
25 The glue stick 20 takes the form of a rod 22 of adhesive material housed within a tubular housing 24. One end 24_ of housing 24 is of slightly reduced outer diameter and has a removable cap 25 thereon that substantially seals the housing in a generally air-tight manner by engaging an annular sealing ring 23. The other end 24_ of housing 24 has a rotatable screw mechanism 26 which, on rotation relative to the housing 24, 3() expels the rod 22 to project outwards of the housing's said one end 24a. The screw
f - 5 mechanism 26 comprises an operating knob 28 having a generally cylindrical recess 30 in the form of a blind bore directed axially from end 24_, the wall 32 of this an axially recessed knob 28 having a knurled exterior 36 and having ribs 33 provided in angularly spaced apart relation on its internal (otherwise cylindrical) surface-see 5 Figure 4.
The "parking" accessory 10 comprises a base member 12 provided with means 16 to be drivingly engaged by the screw mechanism 26 of the glue stick 20. This drive means 16 comprises a promontory 15 to engage fittingly into the axial recess 30 in the 10 glue stick's operating knob 28, the promontory 15 being provided with downwardly extending slots 13 for keyed engagement (in a somewhat capstan-like manner) by the ribs 33 of recess 30.
The base member 12 is provided with a cylindrical recess 14 to receive fittingly and 1 5 sealingly the uncapped end 24_ of the glue stick. To this end the diameter of recess 14 matches the internal diameter of the cap 25, such that the cylindrical wall of this recess 14 can be sealingly engaged by the sealing ring 23 of the glue stick's tubular housing 24.
20 The base member 12 of this embodiment is provided with a cylindrical recess 18, having a diameter somewhat larger than that of recess 14, to accommodate the cap 25 of the glue stick 20.
Advantageously, a shallow depression 11 is provided in the base member 12 to support 25 the ball of the user's hand whilst the user one-handedly manipulates the glue stick 20.
MODUS OPERANDI
(1) The capped glue stick 20 is "parked", cap downwards, in the recess 18 and the cap 25 is then removed one-handedly from off the glue stick 20 by using the wall 30 of recess 18 to engage frictionally the cap 25 on the glue stick 20 as the user effects
- 6 a one-handed sideways leveraging movement to prise the cap 25 from off the glue stick's tubular housing 24. The cap 25 is leD within the recess 18 as the glue stick 20 is pulled free.
(2) The uncapped glue stick is then inverted and the rotatable screw 5 mechanism 26 at the housing end 24b is mounted onto the promontory 15 with the ribs 33 (Fig 4) fitting in a keying manner into the promontory's slots 13 (Figs 2 and 3).
(3) rl'o adjust the extent of projection of adhesive rod 22 from out of end 24a of the upstanding tubular housing 24, the user rests the wrist of one hand on 10 the shallow depression 11 in the base member 12, grips the tubular body 24 between forefinger and thumb of that same hand, and progressively moves the glue stick's body 24 arcuately with respect to screw mechanism 26 until sufficient of the adhesive rod 22 projects out of housing end 24a.
(4) Jo apply adhesive to the surface of a substrate, e.g. a picture, 15 photograph or even a large three-dimensional object, the surface is passed rubbingly over the projecting upper end of the adhesive rod 22. As and when more adhesive is needed to project from out of the tubular housing 24 operation (3) is repeated. ( 5) Whenever both hands are needed for the work being performed' the glue 20 stick 20 is either left on the promontory I 5 or is removed from off it, inverted and placed, end 24a downwards, into recess 14 such that the cylindrical wall of this recess 14 is sealingly engaged by the sealing ring 23 of the glue stick's tubular housing 24 (see Fig 3). The fit is tight enough to act as a permanent airtight seal - rendering the cap 25 unnecessary for this purpose.
It will be appreciated that the the above-described embodiment inter alla allows for one-handed adjustment of the glue stick 20, e.g whilst holding some work in progress with the other hand,
( - - avoids the need to put down the uncapped glue stick 20 on the desk or other work surface, allows for temporary (or even long-term) "parking" of the glue stick 20 in recess 14 that provides an air-tight "holster" for the uncapped glue stick 20, and 5 provides a safe place via recess 18 for the cap 25 such that it is readily available - i* when the work is concluded and the glue stick 20 is to be put away.
In one modification of the above-described embodiment, the base member 12 may be provided with first and second resilient retainer means 38 to retain frictionally the glue 10 stick 20 to the base member 12 in a substantially horizontal attitude, i.e. with its axis generally parallel to the base member's upper and/or lower surface (i.e. to the plane of the work surface). The two retainer means 38 are spaced apart such as to engage the tubular housing 24 adjacent its longitudinally spaced apart ends 24a and 24b. The glue stick 20 and accessory 10 can then be packaged and stored, as a combination, in a flat 15 condition and the glue stick 20 may also serve as a handle for the combination.
In one form of this modification, the retainer means 38 may be provided by the walls of channel-like extensions 42 to a large circular recess 40 in base member 12. The large recess 40 may be used to contain stationery items, e.g. paper clips, or may be 2() used (when the glue stick 20 does not extend across it) as a receptacle for a beverage cup. In another form of the said modification, each of the retainer means 38 may comprise a pair of resilient fingers upstanding from the base member 12.
Figure 6 illustrates some of these modifications together as well as another modification in which the drive means (that is to engage drivingly the glue stick's operating knob 28) is directed upwardly at an angle such as to incline the upstanding glue stick 20 upwardly and rearwardly towards a user's wrist. This upwards inclination 3() facilitates one-handed handling and driving operation of the glue stick 20 when
- 8 ? mounted on the drive means (that are permanently stationary)- and which are illustrated in Fig 6 as being outwrdly of the two recesses 14, 18 rather than between them as in the embodiment of Figs l to 3. Figure 6 also illustrates a further optional feature of providing the upper surface of the base member in the form of a wave. This 5 provides a tactile and visually pleasing aesthetic appearance, as well as an ergonomically advantageous arrangement.
In still another modification, the glue stick adjustment facility of promontory 15 and the two recesses 14,18 (providing respectively a glue stick sealing receptor and a cap 1() receptor) are provided in a sub-unit that is itself attached to a main base unit. Such an arrangement permits a single main base unit to be produced and serve to support any one of a plurality of sub-units that are produced to suit different sizes of glue stick and/or different arrangements of the ribs or fins 33 of the glue stick operating knob 28.
15 In yet other modifications, the promontory s replaced by a cavity or recess shaped and dimensioned to engage the exterior of the glue stick's operating knob. That exterior may, for example, be fluted and/or provided with one or more flattened surfaces. In one envisaged arrangement, the drive means may comprise a recess provided with a somewhat knurled interior face that can engage and hold tightly the exterior surface of 2() any one of a plurality of differently formed operating knob exterior surfaces provided by different models (i.e. makes andlor versions) of glue stick.
It will be appreciated with each of the above-mentioned embodiments of this invention, that by engaging the glue stick's operating knob with said drive means, the rod of 25 adhesive material housed within the glue stick's tubular housing can be driven outwards (i.e. expelled) of the housing's opposite end by the user, with one hand, simply resting that hand on the base member 12 and rotating the tubular housing with the finger and thumb of that hand-the operating knob being held fast and immovable to the base member by the engaged operating knob and drive means. This contrasts
( 9 with normal two-handed use of a glue stick 20 in which the tubular housing is held against rotation in one hand and the operating knob is rotated by the user's other hand.
Other modifications and embodiments of the invention, which will be readily apparent 5 to those skilled in this art, are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention, and the particular embodiment(s) hereinbefore described may be varied in construction and detail, e.g. interchanging (where appropriate or desired) different features of each, without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby sought.