Grease gun sleeve that captures drool and prevents contamination

Abstract

A grease gun sleeve that comprises of an elongated semicircular body that has a first and second end, the first end has a flattened neck and the second a semicircular neck. A nylon or polyester stretchable material covers the elongated semicircular body to form a tube sleeve. The tube sleeve forms a first and a second end. The tube sleeve has closing means sewn, heat pressed or molded on the ends. In preferred embodiments, the closing means will be an elastic or rubber band that is placed adjacent to the ends. The grease gun sleeve has two pull tabs attached to the ends of the tube sleeve that allow the grease gun sleeve to be manipulated when placed on the hose of a grease gun. The grease gun sleeve is used by first placing the semicircular neck end over the nozzle and hose of a grease gun, then sliding the grease gun sleeve on the hose in a first direction so that the sleeve is fully mounted on the hose, this is the uncovered position, then skidding the grease gun sleeve in a second direction until the flattened neck is past the nozzle so that the closing means rests within the groove of the present invention, the covered position.

Claims

1. A grease gun sleeve that is used to seal an end of a grease nozzle hose, the grease gun sleeve comprises: an elongated semicircular body that has a first end and a second end, the first end has a flattened neck and the second end has a semicircular neck; a stretchable material attaches to the elongated semicircular body and forms a tube sleeve, the tube sleeve has a first end and a second end, the tube sleeve extending and covering a length of the semicircular body from the flattened neck to the semicircular neck; a pair of elastic closing means that are fixedly attached and are adjacent to the ends of the tube sleeve; and a pair of pull tabs that are fixedly attached to the ends of the tube sleeve.

2. The grease gun sleeve of claim 1, wherein the flattened neck defines a groove in which one of the elastic closing means rests when the grease gun sleeve is not fully placed over a hose of a grease gun.

3. The grease gun sleeve of claim 2, wherein the closing means is a rubber band.

4. The grease gun sleeve of claim 2, wherein the stretchable material is nylon.

5. The grease gun sleeve of claim 2, wherein the stretchable material is a polymer.

6. A method of using the grease gun sleeve of claim 1, the method comprising: providing a grease gun sleeve; providing a grease gun that has a hose and a nozzle; placing a semicircular neck end of the grease gun sleeve over the nozzle and hose of the grease gun; sliding the grease gun sleeve on the hose in a first direction so that the sleeve is fully mounted on the hose to form an uncovered position; and then, sliding the grease gun sleeve in a second direction until the flattened neck is past the nozzle so that the closing means rests within the groove of the present invention to form a covered position.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and drawings where:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an elongated semicircular body of a grease gun sleeve of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the grease gun sleeve of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 a side view of the present invention mounted on a nozzle and hose (cut away from the grease gun) of a grease gun in the open position;

(5) FIG. 4 is a side view of the present invention mounted on a nozzle and hose (cut away from the grease gun) of a grease gun in the closed position; and

(6) FIG. 5 is a side view of the present invention mounted on a nozzle and hose of a grease gun in the open position.

DESCRIPTION

(7) As seen in FIGS. 1-5, the present invention is a grease gun sleeve 100 that is used to seal the end of a grease nozzle hose. The grease gun sleeve 100 comprises an elongated semicircular body 10 that has a first end 10A and second end 10B, the first end has a flattened neck 10A and the second a semicircular neck 10B. The elongated semicircular body 10 is fixedly covered by a nylon or polyester stretchable material 20 to form a tube sleeve 25. The tube sleeve 25 has a first 25A and a second end 25B. The tube sleeve 25 has closing means 27 sewn, heat pressed or molded adjacent to the ends 25A-25B of the tube sleeve 25. In preferred embodiments, the closing means will be an elastic or rubber band 27 that will be placed on the ends.

(8) In an embodiment of the present invention, the flattened neck 10A will define a groove 12 in which the closing means 27 will rest when the grease gun sleeve 100 is not fully placed over the hose of a grease gun service nozzle.

(9) In another preferred embodiment, there are two pull tabs 30 attached to the ends of the tube sleeve 25A-25B that allow the grease gun sleeve to be manipulated when placed on the hose.

(10) The present invention is used as follows: 1. Providing a grease gun sleeve as defined above; 2. Providing a grease gun that has a hose and a nozzle; 3. Placing the semicircular neck end of the grease gun sleeve over the nozzle and hose of the grease gun; 4. Sliding the grease gun sleeve on the hose in a first direction so that the sleeve is fully mounted on the hose, this is the uncovered position; 5. and then, sliding the grease gun sleeve in a second direction until the flattened neck is past the nozzle so that the closing means rests within the groove of the present invention, the covered position. In use, the user may manipulate the sleeve to rest adjacent to the length of the hose that connects to the grease gun.

(11) In the aviation industry, proper use of a hose requires the hose to be wiped down after each use.

(12) An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a grease gun sleeve that captures grease drool.

(13) Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a grease gun sleeve that prevents contamination of the contents within a grease gun.

(14) Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a grease gun sleeve that promotes safety in airline maintenance shops.

(15) Still another advantage of the present invention is that it provides technicians with a grease gun sleeve that encourages the proper sealing of grease guns after their use.

(16) While the inventor's above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope, but rather as an exemplification of several preferred embodiments thereof. Accordingly, the scope should not be determined by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.