GB2447463A - Paint roller charging device - Google Patents

Abstract

A charging paint roller device 1 is disclosed wherein the device has a profiled or bevel-edged embossed textured charging area 7 for charging of the roller. The base and lower sides of the device have a series of shaped fins 10,11 for stirring and mixing paint and the top and upper sides have shaped slots and depressions 2,5 for supporting paint rollers and brushes. The device may also include a cut out 4 to enable single-handed carrying of the device.

Description

I

Roller Charging Device This invention relates to a paint roller charging device.

Paint rollers are used by professional painters & DIV enthusiasts alike for the application of water or oil-based paints onto surfaces of differing substrates. The purpose of the paint roller is to be charged with a desirable amount of paint from a paint storage vessel, for instance, a paint tray and thereafter to evenly coat the aforementioned surface by rolling the paint roller over it.

However, using a paint tray presents difficulties. There is little room in a tray to enable, safely and without mess, speedy charging of the paint roller due to the low walls and shallow reservoir. This lack of room also means that the tray has to be frequently refilled when, for instance painting a typical room, a large paint tray holding an average of two litres of paint. Another difficulty lies in thinning, mixing and stirring of the paint, this is because the natural tendency when stirring any liquid is to follow the shape of the vessel holding the liquid and stirring in a rectangular shaped vessel, such as a paint tray, causes the stirring tool to knock on the internal corners and therein lies a probability to splash the paint over the low walls of the paint tray.

Furthermore the tray, along with paint, paint brush and paint roller, does not lend itself to being carried up steps, scaffolding or ladders without risk of spillage and also compromises the safety of the user when climbing steps, scaffolding, ladders and such like.

Due to their wide footprint and low profile trays are also prone to being accidentally kicked over, stepped in or on whilst on a floor or scaffold and being knocked off when balanced on step ladders.

To overcome these difficulties the present invention provides a rectangular shaped device, whose charging area has a sand paper type texture or emboss, and is for use in conjunction with, for instance, a cylindrical ten litre capacity vessel whose paint capacity could safely be, typically but not exclusively, six litres.

The device has means of safely resting a charged paint roller and charged paint brush and also a holding/carrying means, such that when in use, the user can with one hand carry the paint, vessel, device, paint roller and paint brush, safely and without mess, on steps, scaffolding and ladders and from one working area to another.

The device also has a plurality of integral stirring means, plus, the higher walls and the cylindrical shape of the vessel and the rectangular shape of the device in conjunction with the stirring means lend themselves to speedier, cleaner and more thorough stirring! mixing of the paint.

The device and vessel top edges when using a I Olt vessel are, typically but not exclusively, approximately 45cm and 25cm, respectively, high from the floor or any working platform when in use and also the extra weight of the same alleviates the occurrence of accidental kicking over, stepping in or on or knocking off or over of the device and vessel.

The angle of the device in the container when in use, is such that it allows, safely and without mess, speedier charging of the paint roller.

This device relates to working with a standard 1 alt container and could be scaled down for a smaller container.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig 1. Shows in perspective the charging device I in a 1 Olt container 13.

Fig 2. Shows the device I in the charging position with roller and brush in their respective holding means 2, 5.

Fig 3. Shows the device 1 and roller in a lOlt container 13 in the charging position.

Referring to the drawing figj.

Shows a frontal view of the device 1.

The device 1 has a suitable thickness or depth 12 of typically, but not exclusively, 12mm.

The upper front of the device 1 has a carrying means 4 in the form of a cut out whose length is typically, but not exclusively, 15% of the devices width, centred between and lower than the roller holding means2, of a width that is typically, but not exclusively, 35mm.

The device 1 has a specific length that is determined by where the handle 14 of the vessel 13 meets the carrying means 4 of the device when the vessel handle is raised to a carrying position height.

The width of the device 1 is typically, but not exclusively, 10% smaller than the maximum diameter of the vessel 13. This width determines the working angle or attitude of the device within the vessel and allows circumferential turning of the device when raised, the bottom edge of the device having a plurality of fins 10 which, along with diagonally opposite inset fins 11 on the lower bottom sides, consists of edges and faces that may be shaped in a manner, such as a propeller type taper, which allows effective stirring/mixing of the paint by using the holding means 4 and turning the device circumferentially clockwise and counter clockwise and thus agitate the paint in an organised and thorough way.

The top front centre edge of the device I has a strategically placed small depression 3 where the users thumb locates when carrying the device in conjunction with the vessel handle 14 and the carrying means 4.

To allow for both right-handed and left-handed users, or indeed two-person use the device I has two paint brush holding means 5 and two paint roller holding means 2.

Referring to the drawing Fig 2.

Shows the device with the brush and roller in their holding means.

The top edge of the device 1 has two strategically located diagonally opposite U-shaped roller holding means 2 that are typically, but not exclusively, 20% to 25% the width of the device in from each side edge and whose shape allows the bar of the roller frame 15 to locate, leaving the roller to rest on the depression 8 of the top profile 7 and the charging area 9 of the device and in doing so allows excess paint to drip or run off the roller sleeve 16 onto the device and thus into the vessel.

The top upper sides of the device have two diagonally opposite specifically shaped paint brush holding means 5 whose width typically, but not exclusively, matches the tapered waist of a paint brush handle thus allowing the waist of a paint brush handle 17 to slide across and down locating in the base of it's means and thus safely hold a charged paint brush at an angle of typically, but not exclusively, between 450 to 80 to the plane of the device depending on the paint brush size, thus allowing excess paint from the charged paint brush to drip back onto the device and thus into the vessel.

Referring to the drawing Fig 3.

Shows the device 1 at it's working angle in a I Olt vessel 13 with a paint roller on the charging area 9.

The device I has a charging area 9 covering typically but not exclusively 80% of the whole from the base upwards and whose said area has side profiles, such as bevel edges 6 and a top profiled or bevel edge 7 to form boundaries for the linear movement of the paint roller, guiding excess paint back into the vessel 13 when charging is taking place and also giving added strength to the said device and whose thickness or depth at the profiles is typically, but not exclusively, 30mm and whose finish has an embossed type texture so allowing better traction when charging of the roller is taking place.

The angle of the device I in the vessel 13, when in use, is such that it sits firmly with the stirring fins 10 resting against the bottom inside edge and the back of the device resting on the opposite top inside edge of the vessel, which allows, safely and without mess, speedier charging of the paint roller.

The device material could be typically, but not exclusively a flexible break-resistant plastic or structural foamed urethane/ rigid polyurethane foam.

Claims (6)

Claims.
1. Claim 1. A paint roller charging device in the form of a rectangular shaped plate with a charging area and including a means for stirring paint when thinning or mixing and supporting paint rollers and paint brushes and a means for single-handed carrying of the device, paint roller, paint brush, paint and suitable paint containment vessel.
2. Claim 2. A paint roller-charging device as described in claim I wherein the profiled or bevel edges are used for guiding the linear movement of the roller and guiding excess paint back into the paint containment vessel.
3. Claim 3. A paint roller charging device as described in claim 1 wherein a plurality of shaped stirring fins are on the base and lower sides.
4. Claim 4. A paint roller charging device as described in claim I wherein strategically placed and specifically shaped slots and depressions are used as means for holding rollers and brushes.
5. Claim 5. A paint roller charging device as claimed in any preceding claims wherein strategically placed carrying and holding and stirring means are contained therein.
6. Claim 6. A paint roller charging device as claimed in any preceding daims wherein the charging area has an embossed type of textured finish.