1. A paint gun cleaning apparatus in combination with a paint gun comprising:
a paint gun;
a drum that defines an aperture for insertion of at least a discharge end of said paint gun;
a fin assembly inside said drum for directing material discharged from said paint gun away from said discharge end;
a source of suction that creates a negative pressure within said drum for drawing material discharged from said paint gun within said drum away from the discharge end; and
wherein said fin assembly includes a plurality of fins affixed together by a collar.
2. The paint gun cleaning apparatus and paint gun of claim 1, further including a second source of suction, that creates a negative pressure within said drum by removing air therein, for drawing material discharged from said paint gun away from said discharge end.
3. The paint gun cleaning apparatus and paint gun of claim 1, wherein said drum includes an inner structure surrounded by an outer skin, and wherein the inner structure supports said fin assembly.
4. The paint gun cleaning apparatus and paint gun of claim 1, wherein said drum further includes a beveled flange surrounding the aperture defined by the drum.
5. A paint gun cleaning apparatus in combination with a paint gun comprising:
a paint gun;
a drum that defines an aperture for insertion of at least a discharge end of said paint gun;
a fin assembly inside said drum for directing material discharged from said paint gun away from said discharge end;
a source of suction that creates a negative pressure within said drum for drawing material discharged from said paint gun within said drum away from the discharge end; and
further including a splash cone as a part of said fin assembly, said splash cone for directing discharge from said paint gun toward fins of said fin assembly.
6. A paint gun cleaning apparatus in combination with a paint gun comprising:
a paint gun;
a drum that defines an aperture for insertion of at least a discharge end of said paint gun;
a fin assembly inside said drum for directing material discharged from said paint gun away from said discharge end;
a source of suction that creates a negative pressure within said drum for drawing material discharged from said paint gun within said drum away from the discharge end,
wherein said drum includes an inner structure surrounded by an outer skin,
wherein the inner structure supports said fin assembly, and
wherein said inner structure includes a removable cover and said outer skin includes a removable lid.
7. The paint gun cleaning apparatus and paint gun of claim 6, wherein said inner structure includes a plurality of slots for engaging said fin assembly.
8. A paint gun cleaning apparatus in combination with a paint gun comprising:
a paint gun;
a drum that defines an aperture for insertion of at least a discharge end of said paint gun;
a fin assembly inside said drum for directing material discharged from said paint gun away from said discharge end;
a source of suction that creates a negative pressure within said drum for drawing material discharged from said paint gun within said drum away from the discharge end; and
wherein said fin assembly includes a plurality of fins and each fin is bent along a vertical axis that is parallel to the length of the drum.
9. A paint gun cleaning apparatus comprising:
a drum having an inner structure surrounded by an outer skin that defines an aperture within a top surface of said drum;
a fin assembly configured inside said drum and supported by the inner structure;
a source of suction in fluid communication with said drum, whereby said source of suction creates a pressure gradient from a top to a bottom of said drum; and
a splash cone as a part of said fin assembly, said splash cone for directing discharge from said paint gun toward fins of said fin assembly.
10. A method of maintaining a paint gun in a clean state during paint color changeovers comprising the steps of:
providing a paint gun cleaning apparatus, said apparatus including:
a drum that defines said an aperture for insertion of at least a discharge end of a paint gun;
a fin assembly inside said drum for directing material discharged from said paint gun away from said discharge end, wherein said fin assembly extends along the length of the drum and includes a plurality of fins affixed together by a collar;
a source of suction that creates a negative pressure within said drum for drawing material discharged from said paint gun within said drum away from said discharge end;
placing at least said discharge end of said paint gun within said aperture defined by said paint gun cleaning apparatus;
applying a suction force to said paint gun cleaning apparatus to keep paint and solvent overspray from contacting said paint gun.
11. The method of maintaining a paint gun of claim 10, further including a step of applying a second suction force to said paint gun cleaning apparatus.
12. The method of maintaining a paint gun of claim 10, further including a step of directing paint discharged from said paint gun against said fins.
13. The method of maintaining a paint gun of claim 10, further including a step of interrupting circular motion of a paint and solvent mixture discharged from said paint gun discharge end with said fin assembly.
14. A paint gun cleaning apparatus comprising:
a drum that defines an aperture within a top surface of said drum;
a fin assembly configured inside said drum, wherein said fin assembly extends along the length of the drum and includes a plurality of fins affixed together by a collar;
a first source of suction in fluid communication with said drum, whereby said first source of suction creates a negative pressure within said drum that draws air from outside of said drum into said aperture and across said fin assembly from a top to a bottom of said drum, also drawing any paint therein downwards;
and further including a second source of suction in fluid communication with said drum that creates a negative pressure within said drum by removing air from the drum.
15. The paint gun cleaning apparatus of claim 14, wherein each fin is bent along a vertical axis.
16. The paint gun cleaning apparatus of claim 14, wherein said fins are angled fins.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A device comprising:
a base providing an upwardly-directed cavity having a mouth at an upper end thereof and configured to receive a portion of a child and to hold water; and
a lid movably coupled to the base and movable into a tub position and a stool position, the lid extending angularly upward and away from the cavity to provide a back rest when in the tub position and the lid being disposed at least partially over the mouth and providing a substantially horizontal top surface when in the stool position;
wherein the base and lid provide a bathtub capable of holding a portion of a child therein and water for bathing the child when the lid is in the tub position and provide a step stool adapted to support the weight of a person standing on the substantially horizontal surface when in the stool position.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the base is configured to fit in a sink basin.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the lid is pivotally and slidably attached to the base near the mouth.
4. The device of claim 1 further comprising a tray slidably coupled to a front end of the base near the mouth, the tray being slidable between a tray tub position and a tray stool position, the tray extending substantially horizontally away from the mouth when in the tray tub position and being disposed at least partially over the cavity in the tray stool position.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein the tray is adapted to receive a portion of the lid when the lid and the tray are in their respective stool positions.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein the lid is slidable relative to the base and wherein the tray includes a plurality of bosses and the lid provides a plurality of recesses adapted to receive the bosses when the tray is in its stool position and the lid is moved into its stool position, thereby inhibiting sliding movement of the lid relative to the base.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein the lid is adapted to be slidably received by the base in the cavity when the lid is in its tub position.
8. The device of claim 6 wherein the lid is adapted to interfere with the bosses if the lid is moved from toward its stool position and the tray is displaced from the tray stool position.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein the lid includes a high-friction top surface when the lid is in its stool position.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein the high-friction surface includes a plurality of ridges providing open-ended recesses between the ridges.
11. A combination bathtub and step stool comprising:
a base adapted to mounted to a sink basin, the base providing a cavity adapted to receive an infant and to retain water;
a back rest slidably and pivotally coupled to the base, the back rest adapted to have a lower portion thereof be slidably received within the cavity along an angled back wall of the cavity and to have an upper portion thereof extend angularly away from the cavity in a back rest tub position, the back rest being further adapted to be moved to a back rest stool position extending substantially horizontally over at least a portion of the cavity; and
a tray slidably coupled to the base between a tray tub position and a tray stool position, the tray being adapted to receive a portion of the back rest when the back rest is pivoted to a back rest stool position and the tray is in a tray stool position;
wherein the cavity is substantially covered and a top surface is provided for a person to stand thereon when the back rest and tray are in the back rest stool position and the tray stool position, respectively.
12. The combination of claim 11 wherein a top surface of the back rest is substantially planar with a top of the tray when the back rest and tray are in the back rest stool position and the tray stool position, respectively.
13. The combination of claim 11 wherein the back rest is slidable between the back rest tub position and a pivoting position, and is pivotable between the pivoting position and the back rest stool position.
14. A foldable bathtub and step stool combination comprising:
a base including a plurality of legs and providing an infant-receiving cavity and a-drain opening in a bottom of the cavity, at least the plurality of legs being sized and disposed to fit within a sink basin, the infant-receiving cavity configured to receive a portion of an infant and to hold water when the drain opening is plugged, the base being configured to support the weight of a person;
a back rest pivotally and slidably attached to a top back end of the base into a back rest tub position and a back rest stool position, the back rest being disposed partially in and extending out of the infant-receiving cavity of the base and providing a surface adapted to receive an upper portion of an infant when in the back rest tub position, the back rest being disposed over the infant-receiving cavity and providing a substantially horizontal surface adapted to support the weight of the person when in the back rest stool position, the back rest including a plurality of recesses;
a tray slidably coupled to a front top end of the base between a tray tub position and a tray stool position, the tray receiving a portion of the back rest when the back rest and the tray are in their respective stool positions, the tray extending laterally away from the top of the base when the tray is in the tray tub position, the tray including a plurality of bosses adapted and disposed to be received by the back rest recesses when the tray is in the tray stool position and the back rest is moved into the back rest stool position, thereby inhibiting sliding movement of the back rest relative to the base.