EP2452828A1

EP2452828A1 - Tray assembly for painting roller

Info

Publication number: EP2452828A1
Application number: EP11188698A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giacomo Massimi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Massimi Giacomo
Priority date: 2010-11-16
Filing date: 2011-11-10
Publication date: 2012-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 2031-11-10
Also published as: EP2452828B1; ITMI20102126A1; IT1402761B1

Abstract

A description is given of a tray assembly (100) for painting roller (60, 60') comprising a tray (10) including a paint containing portion (11) and a paint delivery reservoir (30) rising from the tray, which has, at a side surface thereof (34), turned, in use, towards the paint containing portion (11) of the tray (10), a window (35) and openinglclosing means (40) of the window (35) which can be operated by the painting roller (60, 60') and are suitable for placing the paint delivery reservoir (30) in fluid communication with the tray (10), so as to deliver therein controlled quantities of paint.

Description

The present invention relates, in general, to the field of devices for applying paint of whatsoever kind on a vertical or horizontal surface. More particularly, the object of the invention is a tray assembly for painting roller provided with a reservoir able to deliver controlled quantities of paint of whatsoever kind inside the tray.
Among the various jobs in the home painting the walls of the house is one of the most irksome in that, in addition to involving a considerable waste of time, it creates soiling and untidiness in the home.
To facilitate the operation of painting the use of a painting roller is known which allows, advantageously, the application on a wall of a layer of paint of whatsoever kind which is substantially uniform and in relatively short times, even by an inexpert user.
A painting roller comprises a support frame provided with grip and a cylindrical roller, typically made in absorbent material, such as for example fabric or sponge, carried by the support frame and rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the grip.
The painting roller is usually used by immersing it in a receptacle containing the paint of whatsoever kind, making it pass over a net in metallic or plastic material to eliminate the surplus paint and making it slide over the surface to be painted until the paint carried by it is used up. Once the paint has been used up, the roller is once again immersed in the receptacle.
Such a use of the roller entails a waste of energy and of time in that the roller has first to be immersed in the receptacle and subsequently made to pass over the net to squeeze it in order to eliminate the surplus paint.
Trays are also known that are specially configured for use with a painting roller, which trays comprise an area for containing paint of whatsoever kind, wherein the roller is made to slide so that it is coated with paint, flanked by an area having smaller depth which provides a surface, preferably sloped, whereon the roller is squeezed.
These known trays for painting roller also have some disadvantages.
The paint containing area has, in fact, limited capacity so that, once emptied, it will have to be filled again by the user with paint contained in a standard drum, for example 5 litres, commonly available commercially.
In the phase of transferring paint from the drum to the tray splashes are easily generated, with consequent contamination, with the paint, of the surrounding environment, more particularly if the drum is tilted too rapidly or if it is held at an excessive height in relation to the tray. Moreover the operation of filling of the tray must be repeated several times during the operation of painting, with consequent prolonging of the times of painting.
The main object of the present invention is, therefore, that of eliminating, or at least reducing, the aforesaid disadvantages of the trays for painting roller known to the state of the art, providing a tray assembly for painting roller provided with a reservoir able to deliver controlled quantities of paint inside the tray. In this way the user no longer has to perform repeated operations of transfer of the paint from the drum of paint to the tray, which operations, in addition to soiling the surrounding environment, considerably prolong the times of painting.
Another object of the present invention is that of providing a tray assembly for painting roller of simple use, also by an inexpert user, and which can be obtained at competitive manufacturing costs.
These and other objects, which will be made clearer herein below, are achieved in accordance with the invention with the features listed in the annexed independent claim 1.
Further advantageous features of the invention form the object of the dependent claims.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a tray assembly for painting roller is therefore provided, comprising:

a tray including a paint containing portion; and
a paint delivery reservoir rising from the tray which has, at a side surface thereof turned, in use, towards the paint containing portion of the tray, a window and means of opening/closing the window which can be operated by the painting roller and are suitable for placing the paint delivery reservoir in fluid communication with the tray, so as to deliver therein controlled quantities of paint.

The features of the invention will be made clearer by the following detailed description referred to one of its embodiments purely by way of a non-limiting example, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view and with blown-up parts of a tray assembly for painting roller according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the tray assembly of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a sectioned view taken along trace III-III of Figure 2;
Figures 4 and 5 are views, similar to those of Figures 1 and 2, with the addition of a painting roller of the type provided with anti-drip cover;
Figures 6a and 6b are sectioned views which illustrate the functioning of the tray assembly of the invention, in the case wherein the painting roller is used with anti-drip cover of Figures 4 and 5; and
Figures 7a and 7b are sectioned views similar to those of Figures 6a and 6b, which illustrate the functioning of the tray assembly of the invention, in the case wherein a roller is used without anti-drip cover.

In the drawings listed above identical or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a tray assembly for painting roller according to the present invention is illustrated in them, denoted in general by reference numeral 100.
The tray assembly 100 comprises a tray 10 and a delivery reservoir 30 rising from the tray 10 and having the function of delivering controlled quantities of paint in the tray 10.
More particularly the tray 10 comprises a paint containing portion 11 and a portion 12, extending at the rear from the portion 11 and acting as support for the paint delivery reservoir 30.
The paint containing portion 11 comprises a bottom surface 13, wherefrom a front wall 14, a rear wall 15 and side walls 16 rise, the latter extending, preferably, for the whole length of the tray 10. The side walls 16 preferably have respective edge portions 17 so that the front wall 14 and the rear wall 15 are lowered in relation to the side walls 16.
Preferably, and as shown in greater detail in Figure 3, the bottom surface 13 has a portion 13a slightly sloped upwards in proximity of the front wall 14.
The support portion 12, on the tray 10, of the paint delivery reservoir 30 extends from the paint containing portion 11 starting from its rear surface 15 and comprises a recess 18, which can be seen more clearly in Figure 3.
The recess 18 preferably has a width equal to the distance between the edge portions 17 of the side walls 16 of the tray 10 and is intended to hold, slotted and non-removably, a complementary portion 31 projecting below from the paint delivery reservoir 30. Naturally other methods of coupling between tray 10 and paint delivery reservoir 30 can be foreseen, or the tray 10 and the paint delivery reservoir 30 can be integral.
Preferably, on the bottom surface 13 of the paint containing portion 11 of the tray 10, at the junction area between each side wall 16 and the rear wall 15, respective ramp raised parts 19 are formed, whose function will be made clearer herein below in the present description. Moreover, at the ramp raised parts 19, each side wall 16 has a sloped section 20 having a slope equal to that of the ramp raised parts 19.
Preferably, from the front wall 14 of the paint containing portion 11 of the tray 10 at least one tooth 21 projects upwards, preferably a central tooth, more preferably a pair of end teeth 21 arranged on an opposite band in relation to the longitudinal axis of the tray 10, whose function will be described herein below with reference to Figures 6a and 6b.
The paint delivery reservoir 30, preferably parallelepiped in shape, has a capacity considerably greater than that of the tray 10, equal for example to 5 litres which, as mentioned previously, is the standard capacity of a drum of paint commonly available on the market. More particularly, the paint delivery reservoir 30 has a bottom surface 32 and side surfaces 34 rising from the bottom surface 32.
Preferably, at the bottom surface 32, the projecting portion 31 is formed, complementary to the recess 18 present in the portion 12 of the tray 10. This projecting portion 31 is intended, in use, to be housed in the recess 18, so as to allow a slotted and non-removable coupling between the tray 10 and the paint delivery reservoir 30.
The paint delivery reservoir 30 preferably has an upper perimeter edge 33 having the function of facilitating gripping of the reservoir 30 by a user in order to couple/uncouple it to/from the tray 10.
The side wall 34 of the paint delivery reservoir 30, turned, during use, towards the interior of the tray 10, is provided with a lower window 35 and carries means of opening/closing 40 this window 35. The window 35 preferably has a width substantially equal to the distance between the ramp raised parts 19.
The opening/closing means 40 comprise an arm 42, which carries below shutoff means 44 of the window 35.
The arm 42 is hinged to the delivery reservoir 30 so as to be able to rotate in relation thereto between an open position of the window 35 and a closed position of the window 35.
More particularly, in the open position of the window 35, the shutoff means 44 release the window 35, placing the paint delivery reservoir 30 in fluid connection with the tray 10, with consequent controlled flow of paint from the delivery reservoir 30 to the paint containing portion 11 of the tray 10. In the closed position of the window 35, the shutoff means 44 close the window 35 tightly, interrupting the supply of paint from the delivery reservoir 30 to the tray 10.
The arm 42 preferably comprises a rectilinear section 41 and a sloped section 43. At the junction area between the rectilinear section 41 and the sloped section 43 fork means 45 extend from the arm for pivoting of the arm 42 to the paint delivery reservoir 30 by means of a pin 46 carried by a U-shaped plate member 36 fixed to the paint delivery reservoir 30. The arm 42 is, therefore, pivoted to the paint delivery reservoir 30 and appropriately distanced therefrom.
From the lower end of the rectilinear section 41 of the arm 42 facing wings 47 extend for connection of the shutoff means 44. The shutoff means are preferably made up of a plate 44 having slightly greater dimensions than those of the window and suitable for tightly closing the window 35 from the inside of the delivery reservoir 30. To this end the facing wings 47 are tapered so as to be able to slide inside the window 35 during the phase of operation of the opening/closing means 40.
The opening/closing means 40 comprise, moreover, elastic return means 48, for example a helicoidal spring, having one end restrained to the free end of the arm 42 and the other end connected to the paint delivery reservoir 30, preferably at its upper perimeter edge 33.
Advantageously the tray assembly 100 comprises a supplementary reservoir 50, suitable for being stacked on the paint delivery reservoir 30, so as to increase the capacity thereof. More particularly the supplementary reservoir 50 comprises a bottom surface 52 and side walls 54.
As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, at the bottom surface 52 an opening 51 is formed for placing the supplementary reservoir 50 in fluid communication with the paint delivery reservoir 30, once stacked.
The supplementary reservoir 50 preferably also has an upper perimeter edge 53 having the function of facilitating the gripping of the supplementary reservoir 50 by the user. It is possible to provide different methods of superimposition of the two reservoirs, delivery 30 and supplementary 50. For example the supplementary reservoir 50 may have such dimensions as to allow the partial insertion thereof in the delivery reservoir 30, or slotting means (not shown) may be provided at its lower surface 52, suitable for co-operating with complementary means which may be provided on the upper perimeter edge 33 of the paint delivery reservoir 30.
In any case the coupling between the supplementary reservoir 50 and the paint delivery reservoir 30 takes place in a liquid-tight manner.
Referring to Figures 4 and 5, they illustrate the tray assembly 100 of the invention, with the addition of a painting roller.
The painting roller, denoted, in general, by reference numeral 60, is of the type provided with tilting anti-drip cover and described in the Italian patent application MI2010A001611 , in the name of the Applicant of this application, incorporated in full here by reference.
More particularly the painting roller 60 comprises a support frame 61 provided with grip 62, a cylindrical roller 63 (see Figures 6a and 6b) in absorbent material connected rotatably to the support frame 61 and a tilting anti-drip cover 64, suitable for partially screening the cylindrical roller 63.
The tilting anti-drip cover 64 comprises, in its turn, a shell 65, preferably semicylindrical, closed laterally by a pair of side panels 66. Naturally the anti-drip cover can be fixed instead of tilting.
The roller 60 preferably has, at the longitudinal edges of the shell 65, at least one wheel 67, preferably in plastic material, mounted rotatably on a respective fork means 68.
Referring now to Figures 6a to 7b, a description will be given of the functioning of the tray assembly for painting roller 100 of the invention. In Figures 6a and 6b the painting roller 60 is used with the tilting anti-drip cover 64 described previously with reference to Figures 4 and 5, while in Figures 7a and 7b a painting roller 60' is used without this cover, which comprises, therefore, a support frame 61' provided with grip 62' and a cylindrical roller 63' in absorbent material connected rotatably to the support frame 61'.
To fill the tray 10 with paint the user makes the roller 60, 60' slide on the bottom surface 13 of the tray 10 in the direction of approach to the delivery reservoir 30 (arrow F1, Figures 6a and 7a). During this phase of sliding the ends 61a (Figures 4 and 5) of the support frame 61, 61' whereon the cylindrical roller 63, 63' is mounted rotatably rest, preferably, on the side walls 16 of the tray 10.
When the roller 60, 60' arrives in proximity to the paint delivery reservoir 30, the anti-drip cover 64 (Figure 6a)/the cylindrical roller 63' (Figure 7a) comes into contact with the means 40 for opening/closing the window 35, more particularly with the rectilinear portion 41 of the arm 42.
In this position the roller 63, 63' rests on the ramp raised parts 19 and, correspondingly, the ends of the support frame 61, 61' of the roller are positioned on the sloping sections 20 of the side surfaces 16 of the tray 10.
Therefore, at the window 35 of the paint delivery reservoir 30, between the roller 63, 63' and the bottom surface 13 of the tray 10, a space is advantageously created, suitable for facilitating the entrance, in the tray 10, of the paint.
By exerting on the opening/closing means 40 a pressure sufficient for overcoming the elastic force of the spring 47, the arm 42 rotates clockwise (arrow F2, Figures 6a and 7a) around the pivoting pin 46 and the spring 48 elongates. Correspondingly the plate 44 detaches from the window 35, moving inside the paint delivery reservoir 30 and placing the latter in fluid communication with the tray 10 (arrow F, Figures 6a and 7a).
While the anti-drip cover 64/the cylindrical roller 63' exerts a thrust against the arm 42, there is a passage of paint from the delivery reservoir 30 to the tray 10. As a result the user has, advantageously, the possibility of feeding into the tray 10 a controlled quantity of paint.
Once the required quantity of paint has been loaded into the tray 10, the roller 60, 60' detaches from the arm 42, which, due to the action of elastic return of the spring 48, rotates anticlockwise (arrow F3, Figures 6b and 7b), until the plate 44 moves to abut against the side wall 34 of the paint delivery reservoir 30, closing the opening 35 tightly. The flow of paint from the delivery reservoir 30 to the tray 10 is therefore shut off. Subsequently the roller 60, 60' is made to slide backwards (arrow F4, Figures 6b and 7b), thus coating itself with paint.
Referring in particular to Figure 6b, when the roller 60 arrives in proximity to the front wall 14 of the tray 10, the anti-drip cover 64 hits against the teeth 21, so as to position immediately below the cylindrical roller 63, preventing the fall of drips of paint of whatsoever kind in the passage of the painting roller 60 from the tray assembly 100 to the surface to be painted.
From what is disclosed above, it is easily understood how, by associating with the tray the delivery reservoir described above, repeated operations of transfer of paint from a drum of paint into the tray are advantageously avoided, with consequent elimination of soiling in the surrounding environment and reduction in the times of painting. It is in fact sufficient for the user to fill the paint delivery reservoir once and operate, by means of the roller, the opening/closing means whenever the tray is emptied of paint, so as to allow the supply in the tray of the quantity of paint required.
Numerous detail variations and changes can be made to the embodiments of the invention described above, within the reach of a person skilled in the art and in any case coming within the scope of the invention expressed by the annexed claims.

Claims

A tray assembly (100) for a painting roller (60, 60'), characterised in that it comprises:
- a tray (10) including a paint containing portion (11); and

- a paint delivery reservoir (30) rising from said tray (10), which has, at a side surface thereof (34), turned, in use, towards the paint containing portion (11) of the tray (10), a window (35) and opening/closing means (40) of said window (35) which can be operated by the painting roller (60, 60') and are suitable for placing said paint delivery reservoir (30) in fluid communication with said tray (10), thereby delivering therein controlled quantities of paint.
A tray assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterised in that said opening/closing means (40) of said window (35) comprise an arm (42), which carries in the lower portion thereof shutoff means (44) of the window (35), said arm (42) having means (47) of pivoting to said paint delivery reservoir (30) so as to be able to rotate in respect thereof between an open position of the window (35), wherein a paint flow from the paint delivery reservoir (30) to the tray (10) is generated and a closed position of the window (35), wherein said paint flow is shut off.
A tray assembly (100) according to claim 2, characterised in that said shutoff means comprise a plate (44) carried by a pair of tapered opposite wings (47) extending from the lower end of said arm (42).
A tray assembly (100) according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that said opening/closing means (40) comprise elastic return means (48) having an end connected to the free end of said arm (42) and the other end connected to said paint delivery reservoir (30).
A tray assembly (100) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that said arm (42) comprises a rectilinear section (41) and a sloped section (43), said means of pivoting said arm (42) to said paint delivery reservoir (30) comprising fork means (47) extending from the arm (42) at the junction area between said rectilinear section (41) and said sloped section (43) and a pin (46) carried by a U-shaped plate member (36) fixed to the paint delivery reservoir (30), such that the arm (42) is pivoted to the paint delivery reservoir (30) and suitably spaced therefrom.
A tray assembly (100) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said paint containing portion (11) comprises a bottom surface (13), from which a front wall (14), a rear wall (15) and side walls (16) rise, the latter extending for the whole length of the tray (10).
A tray assembly (100) according to claim 6, characterised in that said tray (10) further comprises a portion (12) for supporting said paint delivery reservoir (30), which extends from said paint containing portion (11) starting from its rear wall (15) and is provided with a recess (18) suitable for housing a complementary portion (31) projecting from the bottom of said paint delivery reservoir (30).
A tray assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that said tray (10) and said paint delivery reservoir (30) are integral.
A tray assembly (100) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterised in that respective ramp raised parts (19) are provided on said bottom surface (13) of the paint containing portion (11) at the junction area between each side wall (16) and said rear wall (15).
A tray assembly (100) according to claim 9, characterised in that, at said ramp raised parts (19) each side wall (16) has a sloped section (20) having a slope equal to that of the ramp raised parts (19).
A tray assembly (100) according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterised in that at least one tooth (21) projects upward from said front wall (14).
A tray assembly (100) according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that it further comprises an auxiliary reservoir (50) comprising a bottom surface (52) provided with an opening (51), suitable for being liquid-tightly stacked on said paint delivery reservoir (30) to increase the delivery capacity thereof.