NZ545823A - Device for applying paint - Google Patents

Abstract

A device with an application surface defined by outer portions of porous material adapted to hold and dispense a product (e.g. paint) onto a substrate during compression. Grooves are provided between adjacent portions for holding additional product for simultaneous application to a substrate and for receiving further product from the portions during compression. The porous material has a cell size of at least in the order of 3 ppi.

Description

P:\OPER\DH\DEVICE FOR APPLYING PAINT complete (NZ).doc-10/03/06 12:21 PM 5v5-?22. - la - DEVICE FOR APPLYING PAINT Field This invention relates to the field of painting devices, particularly paint rollers.

Background It is known to provide grooves in paint rollers for the purpose of allowing the roller to 10 conform to a particular surface to be painted or for the purpose of providing a specific pattern on a flat surface.

US 4,573,233, for example, discloses a roller for painting a chain-link fence. The roller is divided into cylindrical sections with a seam between each section leading into an undercut 15 portion. The roller material in the undercut portion is suitable for holding paint for application to respective parallel wires of the fence while the external surface of the sections apply paint to the transverse wires, as the roller is rolled in a direction of the parallel wires. The external surface and the undercut portion thereby separately apply paint to each of the crossed transverse and parallel wires.

US 4,257,140 shows an example of a painting device, in the form of a paint roller, which is modified for use with thickened paint. The external surface of the roller is provided with a cord arranged over the surface in a tortuous manner so as to effectively define receptacles or grooves between adjacent strands of the cord. Paint held within the grooves may then 25 be rolled onto a surface in a particular pattern, with various sections of the pattern being delineated by the relief effect produced by the cord separating the grooves.

Object The present invention seeks to provide an alternative form of device for applying paint and the like.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 21 MAR 2006 RIOIIVED PAOPERVDHMZTWW spa2 doc-20/06/2<X)7 9 .16 AM Summarv In accordance with the invention, there is provided a device with an application surface defined by outer portions of porous material adapted to hold and dispense a product onto a 5 substrate during compression, wherein grooves are provided between adjacent portions for holding additional product for simultaneous application to the substrate and for receiving further product from the portions during compression and wherein the porous material has a cell size of at least in the order of 3ppi.

Preferably, the device is a paint roller sleeve.

Preferably, the grooves extend circumferentially and radially of the sleeve.

Preferably, the sleeve has a substantially rigid core layer.

Preferably, the sleeve includes a base layer of the same porous material and the outer portions are unitary with the base layer.

Preferably, the outer portions have an axial length in the order of 26mm and the grooves 20 have an axial length in the order of 6mm. Preferably, the length dimension of the sleeve is in the order of 230mm, with an outer diameter in the order of 70mm and a groove depth in the order of 10mm.

In yet another aspect, there is provided a method of application including applying a 25 product to a substrate with a device, as described above, so as to achieve an application intellectual property office of n.z.

JUN 2007 RECEIVED P:\OPER\DH\DEVICE FOR APPLYING PAINT complete (NZ).doc-l0/03/06 12:21 PM -3 rate in the order of 1.0 to 1.61/m .

In a further aspect, there is provided a method of application including applying a product to a substrate with a device, as described above, to provide a high texture finish. 5 Preferably, the method includes smoothing the finish with a trowel/float.

Brief Description The invention is described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the 10 accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a device for applying paint; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic partial cross-sectional view of the device; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the device; Figure 4 illustrates product being loaded onto the device; Figure 5 also illustrates loading of product onto the device; and Figure 6 illustrates use of the device.

Detailed Description • 20 Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, a device 1 is shown in the form of a paint roller sleeve 2 which has a substantially rigid core layer 3 and an outer layer 4 that includes a base layer 5 which defines a maximum depth of grooves 6 which are provided between outer portions 7 of the outer layer 4.

The outer portions 7 and base layer 5 may be formed separately but are preferably unitary in structure and made from porous material 8 with a relatively open cell structure and large cell size, such as 3ppi (pores per inch), in order to carry a suitably viscous product.

By way of example only, a preferred form of the sleeve has a length dimension "L" in the order of 230mm with a core layer inner diameter "d" of 38.2mm. The outer layer 4 then P:\0PER\DH\DEV1CE FOR APPLYING PAINT complete (NZ).doc-lG/03/06 12:21 PM has an outer diameter "D" of about 70mm and an annular radial dimension "r" of 16mm, with grooves 6 having an axial length '71 "of about 6mm, between outer portions with axial length "12" of 26mm. The grooves 6 are themselves preferably in the order of 10mm in depth.

When the sleeve 2 is loaded with product 9, the cell structure of the outer layer 4 is filled so that the outer portions 7 define respective application surfaces 10 for dispensing the product 9 onto a substrate 11, in a direction indicated by arrow "A", upon compression of the material 8. The sleeve 2 also has an advantage of holding additional product 9 in each 10 of the grooves 6, for simultaneous application to the substrate, in a direction indicated by arrow "B".

The device 1 operates such that as the material 8 compresses against the substrate 11, during application, product 9 is squeezed from the application surfaces 10 onto the 15 substrate 11 as well as being distributed transversely through the material under pressure, in a direction indicated by arrows "C". Accordingly, additional product is fed into the grooves during compression of the outer portions 7 to assist in relatively uniform application of the product along the length "L" of the roller sleeve 2.

If the grooves 6 were not available for movement of the product 9 upon compression of the outer portions 7, the cells of the porous material 8 would be more prone to "blinding" which occurs when product 9 blocks the individual cells and prevents sufficient flow of the product 9 through the material 8, with compression of the sleeve 2 during application of the product 9 to the substrate 11.

Compression nominally occurs to approximately the depth of the grooves 6, relative to the pressure applied by the sleeve 2. As a function of emptying the sleeve 2, more pressure and hence greater compression will squeeze more material out of the roller sleeve. However, it is recommended not to completely empty the roller sleeve such that product 30 applied in vertical strips varies from heavy to light but to keep an adequate pressure in order to apply an even strip.

P:\OPER\DH\DEVICE FOR APPLYING PAINT complete (NZ).doc-10/03/06 12:21 PM The grooves 6 are preferably arranged to extend circumferentially and radially of the sleeve 2, as opposed to being spirally wound along the length of the sleeve 2 since otherwise opposed edges of the grooves 6 tend to cut the product 9 as the sleeve is 5 compressed, which results in product falling from the sleeve during application.

Referring now to Figures 3 to 6, the sleeve 2 is shown in use with a paint roller 20. Figure 3 illustrates product 9 being loaded into the sleeve 2 by partially immersing the roller 20 into wet product 9 (approx. 1/3 to 1/2 the diameter of the roller sleeve 2) and, as shown in 10 Figure 4, rolling the sleeve 2 across the surface of the wet product 9. The filled roller holds approximately 500 mis. Product 9 is held within the cell structure of the material 8, within the groove 6 profile and around the roller sleeve 2 circumference relative to rheology of the product 9. Product 9 is then transferred to the substrate 11, in the form of wall surface 21 by rolling the filled roller sleeve 2 vertically upwards whilst applying 15 increasing pressure against the surface 21. Initially, excess product 9 held around the roller sleeve circumference is transferred. As a function of increasing pressure the cell structure of the material 8 is compressed "squeezing" out product 9 held within the material 8 and groove profile 9. As mentioned above, conventional ungrooved rollers may also transfer product to a surface directly from cell structure by compression but the 20 potential for "blinding" of the cell structure is increased. The radial groove design allows for flow of product both directly out of the cell structure of the material 8 on to the wall surface 21 and additionally into the groove 6 capacity and then onto the wall surface 21, without restriction from the cell structure, to thereby reduce the likelihood of "blinding".

Fvirther, the application rate that may be achieved using the above-described roller sleeve 2 is higher than a roller which is not provided with grooves. Application rate per roller revolution is relative to the holding capacity of the foam/fabric material, the pressure applied through a roller revolution, the releasing characteristics of the foam/fabric material and the wet product composition itself. Ignoring the effects of wet material product, as the 30 cell size of a material 8 increases, the holding capacity of the roller increases as does the textural profile of the resultant product finish transferred to the surface 21. Simplistically P:\OPER\DH\DEVICE FOR APPLYING PAINT complete (NZ).doc-10/03/06 12:21 PM the pattern left behind by the roller is higher and hence more product is delivered to the surface. Accounting for specific product composition requirements demanding a higher quantity of larger aggregate materials (than conventional roller applied texture products), the radial grooves increase both the holding and delivery capacity of the roller 20 and 5 reduce the compression force required to deliver a full roller load.

For general reference, industry standard is to measure the amount of material transferred to a known area via difference by volume, ie 1. Determine the surface area of given application area in square metres (Al) 2. Measure the starting material volume in litres (VI) 3. Complete the application area and determine the end material volume in litres (V2) 4. Determine the application rate (R) in litres per square metre using the following formula: R=(V1-V2)/A1 Note: This method is considered suitable for areas greater than 10m2 where losses from material held within the roller sleeve is negligible. Consideration must be given to any losses, drops or spills and the process repeated if losses are experienced.

Available non-grooved foam texture rollers nominally apply 0.5 - 1.0 litres per square metre relative to specific wet product composition. Using the roller 20, however, application rates of, for example, 1.0 to 1.6 litres per square metre have been achieved.

The overall application rate and finished texture of the product 8 applied using the above-25 described roller 20 will, of course, depend on the composition of the product itself. However, one suitable product is identified below.

Product Name: Dulux Full Cover Texture Dulux Product Code (Line Shade) 19585684 Material Description: P:\0PER\DH\DEVICE FOR APPLYING PAINT complete (NZ).doc-10/03/06 12:21 PM Acrylic Render Finish supplied as a premixed, granular compound ready for application to suitably prepared masonry surfaces using a specially designed Full Cover Roller.

Material Composition: Proprietary formulation including Acrylic co-polymer binders, selected fine and aggregated mineral fillers, thickeners, defoamers, biocides.

Of course, the textured profile created is a function of application procedure and may vary 10 according to the required finishing technique. The development objective of the roller 20 was to deliver an appropriate quantity of product, having a composition/higher aggregate loading and rheology that allows for levelling with a trowel-float. As such the decorative effect of the roller is not necessarily all that critical. The product need only be applied at a uniform rate across the surface 21 such that it can be further processed by plastic float to 15 fill and spread across the surface evenly. The roller principle however could create potentially viable textural effects with suitable application technique, if required.

It has also been found that a roller sleeve formed without the grooves but with the same porous material, having a cell size in the order of 3 ppi, performs well in applying product 20 with suitable rheology to create a high texture finish. Similar, although slightly reduced, application rates have also been realised. As such, use of a grooved or ungrooved roller, formed with the same porous material 8, enables application of products containing higher aggregate loading than may have been conventionally roller applied. More specifically, products which may have previously been applied with a trowel only, such as applied by 25 professional Tenderers, may now be conveniently applied using a roller with a similar finish, if required, through subsequent smoothing of the resultant high-build texture with a plastic float/trowel.

It should be appreciated that many modifications and variations may be made to the above-30 described device and the product applied thereby. For example, the outer layer 4 of the device 1, instead of being in a cylindrical form may instead be substantially planar.

P:\0PER\DH\DEV1CE FOR APPLYING PAINT complete (NZ).doc-!0/03/06 12:21 PM Further, the device need not necessarily be limited to application of paint and may instead be used to apply any other product with suitable rheology such as adhesive for bricks, or the like.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, words such as "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

P.\OPER\DHM 2719040 Spa2 doc-20/06/2007 9.36 AM -9 THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A device with an application surface defined by outer portions of porous material adapted to hold and dispense a product onto a substrate during compression, wherein 5 grooves are provided between adjacent portions for holding additional product for simultaneous application to the substrate and for receiving further product from the portions during compression and wherein the porous material has a cell size of at least in the order of 3ppi. 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is a paint roller sleeve. 3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the grooves extend circumferentially and radially of the sleeve. 4. A device as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the sleeve has a substantially rigid core layer.

. A device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the sleeve includes a base layer of the same porous material and the outer portions are unitary with the base layer. 6. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outer portions have an axial length in the order of 26mm and the grooves have an axial length in the order of 6mm. 7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the length dimension of the sleeve is in the order of 230mm, with an outer diameter in the order of 70mm and a groove depth in the order of 10mm. 8. A method of application including applying a product to a substrate with a device as

Claims (2)

30 claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, so as to achieve an application rate in the order of

1.0 to 1.6 1/m2.

intellectual property office of n.z.

2 5 JUN 2007 RFCEIVED

PAOPERVDhfl 12719040 Spa2 doc-20/0fi/2(K)7 9.36 AM

- 10-

9. A method of application including applying a product to a substrate with a device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, to provide a high texture finish.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 or 9, including smoothing the finish with a trowel/float.

11. A device substantially as described with reference to the drawings and/or Examples.

12. A method substantially as described with reference to the drawings and/or Examples.

END OF CLAIMS

intellectual property office of n.z.

2 5 JUN 2007 RECEIVED