MX2007006182A

MX2007006182A - Paint applicator system.

Info

Publication number: MX2007006182A
Application number: MX2007006182A
Authority: MX
Inventors: David Karroll
Original assignee: Quic Key Painter Ltd
Priority date: 2004-11-24
Filing date: 2005-11-23
Publication date: 2007-10-11
Also published as: EP1827713A4; IL183333A0; WO2006056067A1; AU2005309286B2; BRPI0516908A; NZ555957A; AU2005309286A1; EP1827713A1

Abstract

A paint applicator system includes a paint roller having a pivotally adjustable handle and a paint roller sleeve which includes an inner tube, an outer pile surface, an end cap and a circular disk shaped shield disposed between the end cap and the inner tube.

Description

PAINT APPLICATION SYSTEM TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a system for the application of paint which includes an adjustable paint applicator and a roller guard.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Painting the houses can include both new buildings and repainting of existing houses. The painting of the new construction is usually done by professionals who are experts in the painting technique and are generally those who are looking for tools, products and application methods to provide a high quality paint job without the slightest effort. Occasionally, homeowners will attempt to paint their own homes. Generally, the owner will try to do the repainting work, although many people will hire experts for these jobs. Many owners who have tried to do this work on their own value the skill, the tools and the time it takes to do it properly.

The rollers are well known and allow a relatively fast covering on large surfaces. Extendable handles are also known to reach roofs and high areas. In some cases, these handles may be adjusted by means of a pivot as shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,273,192 and No. 5,207,755. Interior surfaces in a house or commercial facilities are usually painted using the combination of a roller and a brush. Brush painting is applied on nearby edges or surfaces that should not be painted as around thresholds, windows and ceilings. These surfaces are usually covered with tape to avoid contact with the paint. "Painting finely" around surfaces with a brush is a time-consuming and laborious task. Also, after use, the felt near the ends of the roll tends to come out of it. As a result, it is difficult to paint without adding unwanted paint on a surface such as an internal corner or an adjacent finish or in moldings. Several devices have been proposed to make this task easier. They have always been used to keep straight edges in combination with a brush which provides some benefit. Some edge guards in combination with rollers are also known as seen in U.S. Patent No. 5,444,891. These fenders are not as effective as one would expect. If the roller is placed very close to the fender, the paint will accumulate along the edge guard and can probably get out of the edges or the surface that should not be painted. Or, if the trimmer roll is set aside, a uniformly painted surface could not be obtained. In addition, these devices can not be used along uneven surfaces such as textured ceilings or other uneven surfaces. • Therefore, a paint application system that reduces the difficulties of the prior art is needed in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a paint application system comprising a cylinder with a distal end, which comprises a roller, comprising a hollow cylindrical tube having a surface for applying paint and a longitudinal axis, also a proximal end comprising a handle, said system comprises one or more elements selected from the group consisting of: (a) an articulated joint disposed between the distal end and the proximal end of the cylinder, this articulated joint comprises: i. a first disc circumscribing a plurality of openings along the periphery, ii. a second disc circumscribing a single opening wherein the first and second discs are concentrically aligned and can rotate fixed where the opening of the second disc can be aligned with one of the openings of the first disc when the second disc rotates in relation to the first disc and ii. a fixing pin mounted on an elastic element, which is mounted on the first or second disc wherein said pin passes through the opening of the second disc and one of the openings of the first disc, and wherein said pin can also be removed from the openings by bending the elastic member, and ( b) a final plug that is on the roller, which comprises a flat circular protector, substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube and is coupled to one end of the tube. In one embodiment, the invention comprises a paint application system comprising a cylinder having a distal end with a roller, and a proximal end comprising a handle, said system comprising an articulated joint between the distal end and the proximal end of the cylinder. , said articulated joint comprises: i. a first disc defining a plurality of openings along the periphery, i. a second disc circumscribing a single opening wherein the first and second discs are concentrically aligned and can rotate fixedly where the opening of the second disc can be aligned with any of the openings of the first disc as the second disc rotates in relation to the first disc, Y Ii. a fixing pin mounted on an elastic element, which is mounted on the first and second discs, wherein said pin passes through the opening of the second disc and one of the openings of the first disc, wherein said pin can be removed from the apertures bend the elastic element. In another embodiment, the invention comprises a paint application system comprising a roller comprising a hollow cylindrical tube, which has a paint application surface and a longitudinal axis, and a final plug on the roller, said final plug comprises a flat circular shield, which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube and is coupled to one end of the tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Now, the invention will be described with an exemplary embodiment according to the schematic simplified drawings and not to the accompanying scale. In the drawings: Figure 1 is an illustration of one embodiment of an articulated joint of this invention. Figure 2 is a detailed view of an embodiment of the articulated joint. Figure 3A is a cross-sectional view of the articulated joint.

Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view of two discs in which a disc is slightly concave. Figure 4 is a drawing of a roller of this invention. Figure 5 is a detailed view of a final plug. Figure 6 is a view of an alternative embodiment of a final plug.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a new paint applicator. In describing this invention, all terms not defined herein have their common meanings known in the art. The apparatus shown in the figures contains a paint applicator (10), which includes a roller (12), a cylinder (14), which has an articulated joint (16) and an elongated handle (18). The handle may be extensible or retractable to vary its length, as is known in the art. As shown in Figure 1, the roller (12) has a roller support (20) where a roller sleeve (22) slides as is known in the art. The cover (22) carries a textured outer surface, which contains the paint and applies it, again as is known in the art. In one embodiment, the surface is a cloth of approximately between .635 cm and approximately 2.54 cm. The small cloth rollers are suitable for smooth surfaces such as a dry wall, while the more Thick ones are useful for thick textured surfaces such as brick or concrete surfaces. The cylinder (14) and the articulated joint includes a first disc (30) and a second disc (32), which are aligned and joined at their centers by a rivet or a similar screw, which cause these two discs to rotate in relationship to themselves. The first disc is rigidly attached to the distal portion (14A) of the cylinder, while the second disc is rigidly attached to the proximal portion (14B) of the cylinder. The first disk circumscribes a plurality of holes (34) along the periphery of the disk. The second disc circumscribes a single opening (36), which can be aligned with any of the holes of the first disc when rotating the second disc in relation to the first. In a preferred embodiment, one or both discs may be slightly concave on the side facing the other disc as shown in Figure 3B. Therefore, before they are united, the two discs are in contact with their periphery, but between the centers of these there is a small space. When the two discs are joined at their center, a force is created that decentrates the two discs together, which helps the stability of the articulated joint and adds some friction to the movement between the two. The discs (30) can be designed with any suitable rigid and hard material, such as metal or plastic materials as are known in the art.

The fixing pin (38) passes through the disc openings (34), 36), which ensure the articulated joint in a specific position. Preferably, the diameter of the fixing pin exactly matches the size of the openings so that there is a bit of play in the articulated joint. The fixing pin is on an elastic strip (40), which is preferably a thin flat piece of elastic metal mounted on a second disk at one end, as shown in Figures 2, 3A and 3B. A user can then fold the strip (40) so that the fixing pin can be removed from the openings, allowing adjustment of the articulated joint. Once the desired position is achieved and the opening of the first disc and that of the second disc are aligned, the strip can be removed so that the fixation pin is inserted into the openings. Preferably, a portion of the strip extends beyond the diameter of the discs, which makes easy the operation of the strip by means of a convenient movement of the thumb. Alternatively or additionally, the locking pin may have a raised head, which allows the user to grasp the locking pin and pull it out of the openings. The strip (40) is preferably formed of a thin strip of elastic steel. In an alternative embodiment, the strip (40) may be formed of a plastic strip attached to a metal strip. As those skilled in the art will see, if the first disc (30) circumscribes 7 holes (34) along a 90 ° arc of the periphery of the disc, the articulated joint (16) can fit any of the seven positions. In the central position, the cylinder can be straight as if it were monolithic. Then, the articulated joint (16) can be adjusted in such a way that the distal portion (14A) of the cylinder is bent upwards at 45 ° from the proximal portion (14B) of the cylinder. An additional movement scale and a more specific fit of the articulated joint can be achieved by providing more openings (34) along the larger arc segment. The roller sleeve (22) described and drawn here has a surface for applying paint comprising a felt surface (50) as is known in the art. The roller sleeve (22) comprises an inner tube (52), which is adapted to slide in the wire box (20) of the roller in a conventional manner. The cover comprises a final cap (54), which serves to prevent paint from entering the inner tube (52) and, in this invention, to stop the protector (56). The protector comprises a thin circular disc (56), which is centered with the longitudinal axis of the roller sheath. The protector functions as a guide edge when painted against edges to prevent the felt (50) from contacting the edge and applying unwanted paint. The end cap (50) can be broken in two inside the inner tube (52) in a manner similar to that described in Canadian Patent Number 2,003,105, or otherwise it can be attached to the inner tube so that the protector (56) it stops between the final plug (54) and the inner tube (52). In a preferred embodiment, the protector (56) comprises a thin plastic material, less than about 0.5 mm and more preferably less than about 0.1 mm. A thin shield can somehow be flexible, but it must be stiff enough to act as an effective paint protector in the operation. The material used is a transparent film, such as those used in the angled projectors and is a suitable material. Other elastic or flexible materials such as rubber or metal can also be used. The diameter of the protector (56) must be smaller than the decompressed diameter of the felt paint applicator surface (50). In use, the paint-applying surface 50 will be slightly compressed and it is not desired that the edge of the protector 56 have direct contact with the painted surface with much force. It is preferable that the diameter of the protector matches the compressed diameter of the felt as it is used, the protector hardly touches the painted surface or approaches, but does not touch the surface. Since the protector (56) is formed of a circular disc of a thin flexible material, it will take a slightly conical or convex shape when pressed by means of the end cap towards the slightly beveled opening of the inner tube (14) as shown in Figure 5. Also, the protector can "flip" and take a concave shape as shown by the dotted lines of Figure 5. It is preferred that the felt (50) is not cylindrical toward the end of the roller, but is beveled to below the final plug as shown in Figure 4 and Figure 6. Alternatively or additionally, the felt may finish slightly before the protector and the final plug, leaving a space approximately one millimeter or less between the edge of the felt and the protector. The sheath (52) of this invention can be easily adapted to the cable box with or without a final plug. In an alternate embodiment, a circular foam disk (58) may be provided adjacent to the protector (56) on its inner side. The foam disc (58) serves to absorb excess paint going to the protector (56), as well as to apply paint while the roller is being used. Foam can generally be used on foam paint rollers or foam paint brushes. In one embodiment, the foam disc (58) should be approximately between 1.5mm to 2mm thick and have a diameter that is substantially equal to that of the protector (56). The density of the foam and the thickness of the disc 58 can vary according to the viscosity of the paint and other variables known to those skilled in the art. As seen in Figure 6, in a preferred embodiment, the foam disk (58) is compressed in the middle when the final plug is inserted (54); therefore, the foam disk (58) will take a slightly conical or convex shape similar to that of the protector (56). As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various modifications, adaptations and variations of the foregoing specific description may be made without departing from the purpose herein mentioned. The features and elements of the described invention can be combined in a manner different from the combinations described herein without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A paint application system comprising a cylinder, which has a distal end and a roller comprising a hollow cylindrical tube with a surface for applying paint and a longitudinal axis, and a proximal end comprising a handle, said system comprising one or more elements selected from the group consisting of: (a) an articulated joint placed between the distal end and the proximal end of the cylinder, said articulated joint comprising: i. a first disc circumscribing a plurality of openings along the periphery, ii. a second disc circumscribing a single opening where the first and second discs are concentrically aligned and rotatably together where the opening of the second disc can be aligned with any of the openings of the first disc as the second disc rotates relative to the first disc, and iii . a fixing pin mounted on an elastic element, which is mounted to the first and second discs where said pin passes through the opening of the second disc into one of the openings of the first disc, wherein said pin can be removed from the openings by bending the disc. elastic element and (b) a final plug placed on the roller, said final plug comprises a flat circular protector substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube and engages one end of the tube.

2. - The paint application system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the elastic element is flat and extends both beyond the first disk and the second.

3. The paint application system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the elastic element comprises a strip of metal.

4. The paint application system according to claim 3, further characterized in that the elastic element comprises a strip of metal attached to a strip of plastic,

5. The paint application system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the fixing pin comprises a gripping head, which leaves the elastic element.

6. The paint application system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the protector comprises a flexible plastic material no thicker than about 0.5 mm.

7. The paint application system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the protector has a smaller diameter than the uncompressed diameter of the tube and of the paint-applying surface.

8. The paint application system according to any preceding claim further characterized in that the protector is concavely curved.

9. - The paint application system according to claim 8, further characterized in that the protector can change from concave to curved convex curve.

10. The paint application system according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises a porous flexible disk placed next to the protector.

11. The paint application system according to claim 10, further characterized in that the disk has a diameter substantially equal to that of the protector.

12. The paint application system according to claim 10, further characterized in that the disc comprises a foam disk, which has a thickness of less than about 5 mm.

13. The paint application system according to claim 12, further characterized in that the foam disk has a thickness of about 1.5 mm to about 2 mm.

14. The paint application system according to claim 10, further characterized in that the disc and the protector are bent out of the paint-applying surface.

15. A paint applicator comprising a cylinder, which has a distal end with means for applying paint and a proximal end comprising a handle, said cylinder comprising an articulated joint disposed between the distal and proximal ends, said articulated joint comprises: (a) a first disc circumscribing a plurality of openings along a periphery, (b) a second disk circumscribing a single opening wherein the first and second discs are concentrically aligned and rotate fixed where the opening of the second disc can be aligned with any of the openings of the first disc upon rotation the second disc in relation to the first disc; and (c) a fastening pin mounted on an elastic element, which is mounted on the first or on the second disc and extends beyond the periphery of the first and second discs in wherein said pin passes through the opening of the second disc through one of the openings of the first disc, and wherein said pin can be removed from the openings by bending the elastic element.

16. A roller comprising: (a) a hollow cylindrical tube having a paint-applying surface and a longitudinal axis; (b) a final plug comprising a flat circular shield, which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube and which engages one end of the tube.