AU2006100575B4

AU2006100575B4 - A support assembly

Info

Publication number: AU2006100575B4
Application number: AU2006100575A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Angelo De Cunto
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-05-08
Filing date: 2006-07-11
Publication date: 2011-06-16
Anticipated expiration: 2014-07-11
Also published as: AU2006100575A4

Description

Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL) Name of Applicant: Angelo De Cunto of 106 Woolton Avenue, Thornbury, Vic 3071, Australia Actual Inventor(s): Angelo DE CUNTO Address for Service: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia Innovation Patent specification for the invention entitled: "A support assembly" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: Q:\OPER\SASUUL-DEC 2006JULY\12798600 1921NNOV DOC -I /7/06 -1 A support assembly Field of the Invention This invention relates to a support assembly for a test card. More particularly, a 5 preferred form of the present invention relates to a support assembly for holding a test card to which a fluid can be applied; such a support assembly may have application for comparing paint colours when spray-painting, for example. The disclosure of the specification of Australian Provisional Application No. 0 2006902412, as originally filed in the name of the present applicant, is incorporated herein by reference. Background to the Invention The exterior surfaces of automobile bodies and the like are commonly required to be 5 painted or re-painted, such as during repairs when repairing or replacing parts or painting over scratches or chips. Spray painters normally attempt to match the colour of the proposed paint as closely as possible with the colour of the original body paint. This may be done before painting the body by first spraying the proposed paint onto a surface of a disposable test card or panel (commonly referred 20 to as a "spray chip"). Test cards are generally flat, relatively thin, flexible cards having a rectangular shaped surface to which the paint is applied that is analogous to the surface to be painted, and may be formed from cardboard or metal, such as steel or aluminium, for example. The colour of the painted test card is then compared against the original body paint colour. If the two colours are judged 25 sufficiently close, the painter can proceed with spray painting. Otherwise, a differently coloured proposed paint can be tested, usually on a fresh test card. If the test card is held by a free hand of an operator such as a painter while proposed paint is sprayed onto the card when testing colours, it has been found to be 30 practically impossible to avoid inadvertently spraying excess paint on the painter's hand. Alternatively, if the card is supported adjacent surrounding surfaces while the -2 proposed paint is sprayed, such as on top of a bench or against a wall, it has been found to be similarly hard to avoid excess paint being inadvertently sprayed on the surrounding surfaces. 5 Further, once painted, the test card cannot be easily and freely manoeuvred without the painter directly contacting the freshly painted surface thereof. This severely restricts the painter's ability to quickly compare the colour of the painted test card with the original colour of the body without compromising the integrity of the painted surface of the test card. 0 Summary of the Invention In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support assembly for a test card, the support assembly including: a supporting part arranged for releasably retaining a test card; and 5 a handle extending from the supporting part for holding the support assembly; wherein, when applying fluid to a surface of a test card retained by the supporting part, the support assembly is able to be held such that the supporting part is located spaced from surrounding surfaces to thereby avoid inadvertently applying the fluid to 20 the surrounding surfaces. In one practical use for the support assembly, the fluid may be a proposed paint, where the paint is able to be applied or sprayed onto the test card so that the colour of the proposed paint can be compared with the original colour of a surface of a body 25 or part to be painted. Preferably, the handle is arranged to be gripped by a hand of an operator at a location spaced from the supporting part so as to avoid the fluid being inadvertently applied to the hand of the operator when applying the fluid to the surface of the test 30 card.

-3 Preferably, the supporting part defines a card receiving face to which the test card is retained. The supporting part may be arranged to magnetically attract the test card to thereby 5 retain the test card. The support part may have a resilient part for resiliently retaining the test card. The resilient part may be manually actuable clip, for example. o Preferably, the supporting part and the handle are formed as an integral unit. Brief Description of the Drawings The present invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 5 Figure 1 is a plan view of a holder for a test card, the test card shown in dashed line; Figure 2 is an underside plan view of the holder shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the holder shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a cross-section of the holder taken along line A-A in Figure 1. 20 Detailed Description A support assembly in the form of a holder 10 for a flat, rectangular shaped test card 12 (shown in dashed lines) is shown in Figures 1 to 4. The holder 10 includes a supporting part 14 arranged to releasably retain the card 12 and a handle 16 25 extending from the supporting part 14 by which the holder 10 may be held. The supporting part 14 and the handle 16 may be formed as an integral unit and may be formed from any suitable material. For example, the holder 10 may be moulded from a plastic that is suitably resistant to the corrosive effects of paint thinners and 30 the like, and also the wear and tear of workshop environments. According to another example, the holder 10 may be manufactured from a metal such as a steel.

-4 Alternatively, the supporting part 14 and handle 16 may be formed separately and then welded, glued, fastened or otherwise suitably secured to one another to form the holder 10. 5 The supporting part 14 defines a card-receiving face 18 to which the card 12 is retained, the preferably generally flat card-receiving face 18 being about the same shape and of slightly larger dimensions than the card 12. The supporting part 14 has a resilient part in the form of a manually actuable clip 20 that retains the card 12 to 0 the face 18 by resiliently clamping the card 12 between a card-engaging part of the clip 20 and the face 18. Any suitable clip or member for retaining the card 12 may be used. When the supporting part 14 is formed from plastic, for example, it may be convenient during moulding of the supporting part 14 to form the retaining part as a spring member for retaining the card 12. Further or alternatively, the receiving face 5 18 and the test card 12 may be magnetically attractive to one another, such that the card 12 is magnetically retained to the receiving face 18. For example, a surface of the card 12 may be formed with a magnetic surface to which the receiving face 18 or another metallic body is magnetically attracted. It will be understood, however, that the card 12 may be retained to the supporting part 14 in any suitable manner that 20 allows the card 12 to be selectively retained and released. The handle 16 extending from the supporting part 14 is an elongated shape to allow an operator to grip the handle 16 by hand at a location or region generally indicated by the reference numeral 22 that is spaced from the supporting part 14. 25 Alternatively, the handle 16 may be any other suitable shape for gripping by the operator. A hole 24 through the handle 16 allows the holder 10 to be hung from a hook or the like, such as for storage when the holder 10 is not being used or to allow a painted test card 12 to dry while still being supported by the holder 10. 30 To use the holder 10, an operator, such as a painter for example, first uses the clip 20 to retain the test card 12 to the face 18. The operator then grips the handle 16 at -5 the region 22 and holds the holder 10 so as to support the supporting part 14 and retained test card 12 away from surrounding surfaces, such as those of nearby benches and walls and the surfaces of other bodies or articles in the surrounding area that are not desired to be contacted with fluid to be applied to the card 12. 5 Fluid, such as paint for example, is then applied or sprayed onto a surface 26 of the card 12. The freshly painted test card 12 is then able to be easily and freely moved by the operator without directly touching it to a location adjacent a body or part to be spray 0 painted, such as a car body, for example. The operator can then compare the colour of the proposed paint applied to the surface 26 of the card 12 with the colour of the body or part to enable the operator to best match the two colours. After comparing the two colours, the clip 20 is able to be manually actuated to release the test card 12 for disposal, and, if desired, to retain a fresh card 12 to the face 18. 5 While the supporting part 14 of the holder 10 shown in Figures 1 to 4 defines a card receiving face 18, alternatively, the supporting part 14 may define a grill or prongs against which the test card 12 may lay, for example. Further alternatively, in the instance of test cards that are sufficiently rigid, the clip 20 by itself may provide 20 sufficient support for the card such that the supporting part 14 need not define a face 18 or other member for generally bearing across a surface of the card. Further still, while the holder 10 has been described for use to compare colours when spray painting, it is contemplated that the holder 10 may have application for 25 use for other fluids that can be applied to the test card 12 for the purposes of testing or comparison. The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing description are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no 30 intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the -6 features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognised that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow. The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived 5 from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.

Claims

1. A support assembly for a test card, the support assembly including: a supporting part arranged for releasably retaining a test card; and 5 a handle extending from the supporting part for holding the support assembly; wherein, when applying fluid to a surface of a test card retained by the supporting part, the support assembly is able to be held such that the supporting part is located spaced from surrounding surfaces to thereby avoid inadvertently applying the fluid to 0 the surrounding surfaces.

2. A support assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle is arranged to be gripped by a hand of an operator at a location spaced from the supporting part so as to avoid the fluid being inadvertently applied to the hand of the operator when 5 applying the fluid to the surface of the test card.

3. A support assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the supporting part defines a card receiving face to which the test card is retained. 20

4. A support assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the supporting part is arranged to magnetically attract the test card to thereby retain the test card.

5. A support assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the 25 support part has a resilient part for resiliently retaining the test card. DATED this 11th day of July 2006 DE CUNTO, Angelo By his Patent Attorneys: 30 DAVIES COLLISON CAVE