GB2047844A

GB2047844A - Roller-type coating device

Info

Publication number: GB2047844A
Application number: GB7914065A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Bissell Inc
Current assignee: Bissell Inc
Priority date: 1979-04-23
Filing date: 1979-04-23
Publication date: 1980-12-03
Also published as: ZA802283B; DE3015247A1; FR2454845A1

Abstract

A hand-held paint roller comprises a rigid inner sleeve 26 glued to a foam body 28 whose surface is flocked with nylon 30. The sleeve is mounted for rotation about an end stop 20 and a retainer 22 at respective ends of the sleeve 26. The axially outer portions of the end stop 20 and retainer 22 do not extend, or at least not substantially extend, radially beyond the outer diameter of the sleeve, in order to avoid the forming of visible lines on the painted surface when the roller body 28 is fully compressed. The retainer 22 extends beyond the end of the rod 10 and is divided into two legs 42, 44, one of which carries a radially extending lip 48 which acts as an end stop for the sleeve 26 but can be pressed radially inwards to permit the roller member 24 to be withdrawn over the retainer. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Roller-type coating device - This invention relates to a roller-type coating device, and particularly to a paint roller.

In the design of paint rollers it is required to provide for easy removal of the roller member for cleaning or replacement. Typically, this has been achieved by means of a large washer or flange held on by a threaded member.

We have found that not only is the roller very difficult to remove without the user becoming well covered with paint from the roller surface, but also that in use of the roller the washer(s) at one or both ends of the sleeve tend to cause noticeable lines on the surface being painted, despite the fact that the washers are surrounded with a still quite substantial thickness of roller. It would appear that in use of the roller a surprising degree of compression in fact takes place in the roller body.

The invention is defined in the appended claims, to which reference should now be made.

The invention will be described in more detail by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a general view of a paint roller embodying the invention with the roller member and its mountings being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a side view of the roller retainer; and Fig. 3 is an end view of the retainer taken on the arrow lli in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the paint roller illustrated consists generally of a rod 10 having a first straight portion 12 on which a handle 14 is mounted, a second straight portion 16 in the same plane as the first and perpendicular to it, and a crank portion 18 joining the ends of the said first and second portions. The said second straight portion 16 carries an end stop 20 at the end nearer the crank portion and a retainer 22 at the free end of the rod, both of these being of plastics material such as polypropylene.

In a manner which will be described in more detail below, a roller member 24 is mounted at its respective ends for rotation on the end stop 20 and the retainer 22. The roller member is about 175 mm (about 7 inches) long and about 65 mm (about 2.5 inches) in diameter. The roller member has a relatively rigid cardboard or extruded plastics innertube or sleeve 26, a much softer body 28 glued around the sleeve made of plastics foam such as polyurethane foam, and a nylon flocked surface 30 on the outer surface of the body and constituting the paintapplying surface. The body and sleeve are, of course, cylindrical and rotate easily on the end stop 29 and retainer 22. The body 28 is slightly longer than the sleeve 26 so as to extend over the end stop 20 and retainer 22.The outer diameter of the sleeve is about 16 mm (about W8 inch) and the thickness of the foam 28 is thus about 40 mm (about 11/2 inches).

The end stop 20 is of generally cylindrical shape. It is fitted over the rod 10 and restrained from movement outwardly of the roller member by small detents or ears (not shown) on the rod which may conveniently be formed on the rod by stamping. The outer end ofthe end stop has a small recess 32 which covers the detents. The outer surface of the end stop has an axially inner portion 34 which conforms to the inner diameter of the sleeve and an axially outer portion 36 which is of larger diameter than the inner portion so as to restrain the roller member againstfurther movement overthe end stop by engagement with the sleeve 26.

In accordance with one aspect of this invention, this outer portion 36 has a diameter which is not substantially greater than the diameter of the roller sleeve 26. The diameter of the outer portion 36 is such that this portion does not form visible lines on the painted surface when the device is being used and when the foam body 28 ofthe roller is fully compressed. For a hand-held paint roller of normal dimensions, the portion 36 should not extend more than 1/i, inch (about 1.5 mm) beyond the outer diame terofthesleeve26. In the presentexamplethis represents about one-twentyfifth, of the thickness of the foam 28.

The retainer 22, best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, is likewise of generally cylindrical shape and is mounted on the free end of the rod 10 within the roller member 24. The retainer is pushed onto the rod and is held there by fish-hook like barbs (not shown) on the rod. It should be noted that the rod terminates within the roller member and is received in a bore 38 in the retainer 22. The retainer extends beyond the end of the rod up to and just beyond the end of the sleeve 26 of the roller member when the latter is properly seated on the end stop 20. This extending portion 40 of the retainer 22 is split into two diametricallyopposed legs 42 and 44 as by a slot 46.

The outer periphery of the whole of the length of the retainer 22 conforms to the inner diameter of the roller sleeve 26, except that one only of the diametrically-opposed legs 42 and 44, shown as the leg 42, carries a lip 48. This lip or nib is of similar radial extent to that of the larger-diameter portion 36 of the end stop 20, that is to say it is not substantially greater than that of the sleeve 26.

At least the leg 42 is sufficiently resilient to be bendable by hand pressure. The dimensions ofthe lip 48 are also so chosen that if the legs 42 and 44 are held by the hand and the leg 42 is bent inwards against its own resilience until it abuts the leg 44, then the lip 48 is removed from the path of the sleeve 26 and the whole roller member 24 can be withdrawn overthe retainer 22. We have found that the use of a lip or nib on one leg only enables the roller to be removed much more easily than if two lips were used, while still retaining the roller member securing when in the unstressed condition.

1. A roller-type coating device, having a roller member and mounting means on which the roller member is mounted for rotation about its axis, the The drawing(s) originally filed was/were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Roller-type coating device - This invention relates to a roller-type coating device, and particularly to a paint roller. In the design of paint rollers it is required to provide for easy removal of the roller member for cleaning or replacement. Typically, this has been achieved by means of a large washer or flange held on by a threaded member. We have found that not only is the roller very difficult to remove without the user becoming well covered with paint from the roller surface, but also that in use of the roller the washer(s) at one or both ends of the sleeve tend to cause noticeable lines on the surface being painted, despite the fact that the washers are surrounded with a still quite substantial thickness of roller. It would appear that in use of the roller a surprising degree of compression in fact takes place in the roller body. The invention is defined in the appended claims, to which reference should now be made. The invention will be described in more detail by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a general view of a paint roller embodying the invention with the roller member and its mountings being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a side view of the roller retainer; and Fig. 3 is an end view of the retainer taken on the arrow lli in Fig. 1. Referring now to the drawings, the paint roller illustrated consists generally of a rod 10 having a first straight portion 12 on which a handle 14 is mounted, a second straight portion 16 in the same plane as the first and perpendicular to it, and a crank portion 18 joining the ends of the said first and second portions. The said second straight portion 16 carries an end stop 20 at the end nearer the crank portion and a retainer 22 at the free end of the rod, both of these being of plastics material such as polypropylene. In a manner which will be described in more detail below, a roller member 24 is mounted at its respective ends for rotation on the end stop 20 and the retainer 22. The roller member is about 175 mm (about 7 inches) long and about 65 mm (about 2.5 inches) in diameter. The roller member has a relatively rigid cardboard or extruded plastics innertube or sleeve 26, a much softer body 28 glued around the sleeve made of plastics foam such as polyurethane foam, and a nylon flocked surface 30 on the outer surface of the body and constituting the paintapplying surface. The body and sleeve are, of course, cylindrical and rotate easily on the end stop 29 and retainer 22. The body 28 is slightly longer than the sleeve 26 so as to extend over the end stop 20 and retainer 22.The outer diameter of the sleeve is about 16 mm (about W8 inch) and the thickness of the foam 28 is thus about 40 mm (about 11/2 inches). The end stop 20 is of generally cylindrical shape. It is fitted over the rod 10 and restrained from movement outwardly of the roller member by small detents or ears (not shown) on the rod which may conveniently be formed on the rod by stamping. The outer end ofthe end stop has a small recess 32 which covers the detents. The outer surface of the end stop has an axially inner portion 34 which conforms to the inner diameter of the sleeve and an axially outer portion 36 which is of larger diameter than the inner portion so as to restrain the roller member againstfurther movement overthe end stop by engagement with the sleeve 26. In accordance with one aspect of this invention, this outer portion 36 has a diameter which is not substantially greater than the diameter of the roller sleeve 26. The diameter of the outer portion 36 is such that this portion does not form visible lines on the painted surface when the device is being used and when the foam body 28 ofthe roller is fully compressed. For a hand-held paint roller of normal dimensions, the portion 36 should not extend more than 1/i, inch (about 1.5 mm) beyond the outer diame terofthesleeve26. In the presentexamplethis represents about one-twentyfifth, of the thickness of the foam 28. The retainer 22, best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, is likewise of generally cylindrical shape and is mounted on the free end of the rod 10 within the roller member 24. The retainer is pushed onto the rod and is held there by fish-hook like barbs (not shown) on the rod. It should be noted that the rod terminates within the roller member and is received in a bore 38 in the retainer 22. The retainer extends beyond the end of the rod up to and just beyond the end of the sleeve 26 of the roller member when the latter is properly seated on the end stop 20. This extending portion 40 of the retainer 22 is split into two diametricallyopposed legs 42 and 44 as by a slot 46. The outer periphery of the whole of the length of the retainer 22 conforms to the inner diameter of the roller sleeve 26, except that one only of the diametrically-opposed legs 42 and 44, shown as the leg 42, carries a lip 48. This lip or nib is of similar radial extent to that of the larger-diameter portion 36 of the end stop 20, that is to say it is not substantially greater than that of the sleeve 26. At least the leg 42 is sufficiently resilient to be bendable by hand pressure. The dimensions ofthe lip 48 are also so chosen that if the legs 42 and 44 are held by the hand and the leg 42 is bent inwards against its own resilience until it abuts the leg 44, then the lip 48 is removed from the path of the sleeve 26 and the whole roller member 24 can be withdrawn overthe retainer 22. We have found that the use of a lip or nib on one leg only enables the roller to be removed much more easily than if two lips were used, while still retaining the roller member securing when in the unstressed condition. CLAIMS

roller member comprising a relatively rigid central sleeve, and a relatively soft roller body around the sleeve, the outer surface of which constitutes the coating surface of the device, and the mounting means comprising two mounting members at respective ends of the sleeve on an axially inner portion of each of which the sleeve is rotatably mounted and the axially outer portion of each of which is at least partially of greater diameter than the inner portion to provide an end stop for the sleeve, and wherein the said outer portions do not extend radially beyond the outer diameter of the sleeve, or at least not sufficiently for the said outer portions to form visible lines on the coated surface in use of the coating device when the roller body is fully compressed.

2. A roller-type coating device, having a roller member and mounting means on which the roller member is mounted for rotation about its axis, the roller member comprising a relatively rigid central sleeve, and a relatively soft roller body around the sleeve, the outer surface of which constitutes the coating surface of the device, and the mounting means comprising two mounting members at respective ends of the sleeve on an axially inner portion of each of which the sleeve is rotatably mounted and the axially outer portion of each of which is at least partially of greater diameter than the inner portion to provide an end stop for the sleeve, and wherein the said outer portions do not extend radially more than one-sixteenth of an inch (about 1.5 mm) beyond the outer diameter of the sleeve.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one of the mounting members is formed of a resilient material and is mounted on and a part of which extends axially beyond an end of a rod on which the mounting members are mounted, the said parts being divided into two legs and this mounting member lying within a diameter not greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve except that one only of the legs carries a radially-extending lip which acts as an end stop for the sleeve but which on radial depression of the leg towards the other can permit the rollermemberto be withdrawn overthe mounting member.

4. A roller-type coating device, having a roller member and mounting means by which the roller member is mounted for rotation about its axis on a central rod, the roller member comprising a relatively rigid central sleeve, and a coating surface around the sleeve, and the mounting means comprising two mounting members on the rod at respective ends of the sleeve and on which the sleeve is rotatably mounted, wherein one of the mounting members is formed of a resilient material and is mounted on and a part of which extends axially beyond an end of the rod, the said part being divided into two legs, and this mounting member lying within a diameter not greater than the inner diame ter of the sleeve except that one only of the legs carries a radially-extending lip which acts as an end stop for the sleeve but which on radial depression of the leg towards the other can permit the roller memberto be withdrawn overthe mounting member.

5. A coating device according to any preceding claim, including a handle whereby the device may be used as a hand-held device.

6. A roller-type coating device, substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 15.4.80.

New or amended claims:- CLAIM 3 ",the said parts.. ." amended to read ",the said part...".