CA1050929A - Paint roller pan - Google Patents

Abstract

PAINT ROLLER PAN
Abstract A paint roller pan having two separate paint reservoirs integrally formed within the structure. One of the reservoirs is for receipt of a typical paint roller while the second reservoir is for receipt of a typical paint brush which is used to do touch-up work in conjunction with the use of the paint roller. The paint reservoir used for the paint brush also acts as a leg to support one end of the paint roller pan in order to maintain a portion of the bottom surface of the paint reservoir used for the paint roller at an inclined orientation with respect to a horizontal or flat surface.

Description

13 ¦ Back~round of the Invention 14 ¦ When using a typical paint roller to apply paint to a surface, a paint roller pan is used to hold a supply of paint 16 for application by the paint roller, since the paint roller is 17 normally of too great a width to be dipped into a paint can.
18 Also, there is the need to roll the paint roller on some type 19 of surface in order to evenLy distribute the paint on the roller surface for more uniform application to a wall or work surface.
21 A paint raller normally can apply paint more quickly to 22 a surface because of its greater width as compared to most 23 ~brushes. However, when painting a room containing a number of 24 ~walls and a ceiling, the paint roller is too large and awkward ~; 25~1 ~to~apply the paint~in borderline areas adjacent corners and

2~ window or doar~frames. These areas require touch-up work to be 27 performed using a typical brush which allows for the application 28 of paint in~the~more difficult areas.
~i~ When using a brush for touch-up work, the painter must either dip the brush lnto the paint supply withi.n the can or ., ~ ~5 ~ 9 1 ¦ into the same paint reservoir in the paint roller pan used by 2 ¦ the paint roller. Many times the painter is up on a ladder or ¦ in an awkward position which makes it undesirable to have 4 ¦ both the paint can and a paint roller pan in the same work 5 ¦ area. Therefore, many painters utilize the flat reservoir of 6 ¦ paint in the paint pan for the paint suppLy to be used on a 7 ¦ brush. This poses somewhat of a problem, since the paint in 8 ¦ the paint pan is of shallow depth, requiring the painter to 9 ¦ incline the paint brush in order to place enough paint on his 10 ¦ brush. Also, when using the reservoir which is designed for use 1~ ¦ by the paint roller, it is necessary to move the paint roller 12 ¦ which is usually resting temporarily in that area.
13 ¦ Once the use of the paint brush has been completed the 14 ¦ painter is faced with the problem of where to temporarily store 15 ¦ the paint brush while he again returns to use of the paint roller.
16 ¦ Summary of the Invention 17 The paint roller pan invention as disclosed herein includes 18 a separate paint receptacLe or reservoir for the paint roller 19 and the paint brush. The receptacle for the paint brush also acts as a leg to maintain a portion of the bottom surface of the 21 pan at an incline angle with a horizontal or flat surface.
22 The inclusion of a separate paint reservoir for use by a 23 paint brush allows a painter a more convenient arrangement to 24 utilize both the paint roller and the paint brush in conjunction 2~ with a single unit for containing the paint necessary to perform 26 the work. When the painter has completed the use of the paint 27 brush temporarily, he can place the paint brush in the same 28 reservoir which holds the paint for the paint brush, alleviating 29 the problem of where to place the paint brush when the painter is 31 utilizing the paint roller. The paint brush reservoir acts as a leg to support one end of the pan, so that part of the bottom portion of the pan is at an incline for use hy the paint roller to evenly spread the paint on the roller surface.
In accordance with one broad aspect, the inventiOn relates to a paint roller pan comprising: a bottom section having an inclined area; an end wall extending up from the lower end of said bottom sec~ion; a pair of side walls extending up from the respec~ive sides of said bottom section, said end wall and said pair of side walls in conjunction with said bottom section forming a paint receptacle which is relatively deep at one end and relatively shallow at the other end and is of sufficient width for receiving a typical paint roller and of sufficient length to permit the roller to be rolled a substantial distance along the inclined area of the bottom section; and a leg integrally connected to said bottom section at the shallow end and extending generally parallel to said end wall, said leg maintaining said bottom section inclined relative to the flat support surface on which the pan '.
rests, said leg being holLow with an opening forming a paint brush reservoir for receiving a typical paint brush used to do touch-up work in conjunction with the use of said paint roller, ~aid paint brush reservoir being substantially smaller than said paint roller xeservoir, allowing said inclined surface to extend along substantially the entire length of said pan.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention relates to a disposable pain~ roller tray comprising: a bottom section having a general inclined surface; a pair of side walls extending up from said bottom section, said side walls being of greater height adjacent one end vf said bottom section; a pair of end walls extending up from opposite ends of said bottom section~ said pair of side walls with said bottom sect:ion and said end walls forming a recepta~le having a relatively deep ~s~
portion at said one end and a relatively shallow portion a~ the other end for paint to receive a roller; and at least one leg formed in the other end of said bottom section, said leg being hollow and open at its upper end forming a paint well for receipt of a paint brush, said leg maintaining said bottom section '~
inclined with respect to a horizontal, sai~ paint well having a width in a direction parallel to said side walls large enough to recei~e said paint brush while being small enough to keep said paint brush from fallin~ onto said inclined surface or out of said tray. '' . . , :,.,: :
Bri~f Descriptioh of t~e DraW-ings Figure 1 is a perspective view o:E the invention; and Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 :in Figure 1. ' . Detailed Description of the Invent'ion , ~ .
Figure } shows the paint roller pan 10 with a bottom ~ .

section or portion 12 having at one end 14 an end wall 16.
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',~ Connecting with the bottom section 12 and the end wall 16 are two side walls 18 and 20. Located adjacent the other end 22 , ' ' of the bottom section 12 is a leg member 24 which is hollow .'' and has an opening 26 at its upper end to establish a reservoir :' .,.
', or receptacle 28. . ,,~ ' ' As shown more clearly in Figure 2, adjacent the one : '.
end 14 at the bottom section 12 is a fla~ section 30 where mos~ . .. .
of the paint for a paint roller is placed. Extending up from the flat section 30 is an inclined surface 32 of the bottom ~ .- -.
section 12 which slopes upward to a position adjacent upper edge 34 of the side walls 18 and 20. Located on the inclined surface , 32 are a seriss of ribs 36 which are used to more evenly spread .,~ 30 the paint over ~he surface of the paint roller and to strengthen : , the surface 32.
; Formed within the other end 22 of the bottom surface 12 ,.

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is a reservoir or paint well 28 which establishes the leg 24.
The depth 40 of the paint well 28 is sufficient to hold the paint brush 38 in a position similar to that shown in Figure 2.
This prevents the paint brush from falling out of the roller pan. In addition, the depth 40 of the paint well 28 allows for the holding of a sufficient amount of painlt, so that when the paint brush 38 is introduced to the paint, a sufficient portion :
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10509~9 1 of the bristles 42 is covered with pain'c easily for application to a work surface. On the other hand, when the well 28 is full

3 a typical brush in the well will not be submerged abo~e the bristles.
With respect to Figure 1, the end wall 16 and the side walls 6 18 and 20 ~orm in conjunction with the flat surface 30 and the 7 inclined surface 32 a reservoir 44 which receives paint ~or use 8 by the paint roller 46.
Turning to the operational use of the paint roller pan 10, lO when a supply of paint is placed within the reservoir 44, the ll paint roller 46 is dipped into the reservoir 44 to receive the 12 necessary amount of paint. Then the roller is rolled bacl~ and 13 forth on the inclined surface 32 over the protruding ribs 36 to l~ allow a more even distribution of the paint over the roller surface 15 When painting with the roller is temporarily completed on the work 16 surface, the roller is again placed in the roller pan 10 as l~ shown in Figure 1. From the above discussion it is to be noted 18 that it is necessary to maintain the inclined sur~ace 32 at some 19 incline to the horizontal or flat surface 48 in order to contain 20 the pai~lt supply within the reservoir 44. The surface 32 is 21 inclined to keep a certain amount of the surface 32 free of the 22 supply of paint, so that the roller may be rolled along that 23 surface on the ribs 36 to more e~7enly spread the paint on the 24 roller.
Having placed a paint supply in the reservoir 28, a painter 26 can dip the brush 38 into the paint reservoir 28 to receive a 27 sufficient amount of paint on the bristles 42 in order to perform 28 the work necessary in the areas where the paint roller was unable 29 to apply the paint. A~ter the touch~up work has been completed 30 with the brush 38, the brush 38 can be again inserted within the .~ .
~ -4-, ; , ~ ; ' ~ ' ' ' " ~ ' :L ¦ reservoir 28 for temporary storage to prevent the brush from 2 ¦ accidentally getting paint on undesirable areasO The reservoir 3 ¦ 28 also acts ais the leg 24 which maintains the inclined surface at ¦

4 ¦ an incline with respect to the horizontal surface 48, so that

5 ¦ the functions of the inclined surface as discussed above are

6 ¦ fulfilled.

7 ¦ It is envisioned that this paint roller pan design will be

8 ¦ made or formed, for example by vacuum forming, from a thin ¦ plastic material for use either as a self sufficient paint roller 10 I pan or as a liner to be used in a more sturdy frame. When used 11 ¦ as a liner or as a separate pan itself, the pan can be made 12 ¦ disposable in order to alleviate the operator of the need for 13 ¦ cleaning. The forming process will make the pan from a single 14 ¦ sheet of plastic material with the reservoir 44 and the paint 15 ¦ well 28 being integrally formed therein.

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Claims (2)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. Claim 1. A paint roller pan comprising:
   a bottom section having an inclined area;
   an end wall extending up from the lower end of said bottom section;
   a pair of side walls extending up from the respective sides of said bottom section, said end wall and said pair of side walls in conjunction with said bottom section forming a paint receptacle which is relatively deep at one end and relatively shallow at the other end and is of sufficient width for re-ceiving a typical paint roller and of sufficient length to permit the roller to be rolled a substantial distance along the inclined area of the bottom section;
   and a leg integrally connected to said bottom section at the shallow end and extending generally parallel to said end wall, said leg maintaining said bottom section inclined relative to the flat support surface on which the pan rests, said leg being hollow with an opening forming a paint brush reservoir for receiving a typical paint brush used to do touch-up work in conjunction with the use of said paint roller, said paint brush reservoir being substantially smaller than said paint roller reservoir, allowing said inclined surface to extend along substantially the entire length of said pan.
2. Claim 2. A disposable paint roller tray comprising:
   a bottom section having a general inclined surface;
   a pair of side walls extending up from said bottom section, said side walls being of greater height adjacent one end of said bottom section;
   a pair of end walls extending up from opposite ends of said bottom section, said pair of side walls with said bottom section and said end walls forming a receptacle having a relatively deep portion at said one end and a relatively shallow portion at the other end for paint to receive a roller; and at least one leg formed in the other end of said bottom section, said leg being hollow and open at its upper end forming a paint well for receipt of a paint brush, said leg maintaining said bottom section inclined with respect to a horizontal, said paint well having a width in a direction parallel to said side walls large enough to receive said paint brush while being small enough to keep said paint brush from falling onto said inclined surface or out of said tray.