U.S. patent application number 10/115495 was filed with the patent office on 2003-10-09 for paint roller case.
Invention is credited to Myers, Kenneth W..
Application Number | 20030188980 10/115495 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 28673781 |
Filed Date | 2003-10-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030188980 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Myers, Kenneth W. |
October 9, 2003 |
Paint roller case
Abstract
The present invention involves a molded plastic housing with an
integral plastic hinge that opens to receive a wet paint roller
cover and roller handle assembly. The present invention provides a
hole to allow the paint roller handle shaft to protrude out of the
housing. The present invention provides a relatively airtight
housing by means of molded overlapping ridges.
Inventors: |
Myers, Kenneth W.; (Ballwin,
MO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Henry W. Cummings
3313 W. Adams St.
St. Charles
MO
63301
US
|
Family ID: |
28673781 |
Appl. No.: |
10/115495 |
Filed: |
April 4, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/361 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B44D 3/125 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/361 |
International
Class: |
B65D 083/10 |
Claims
VII. What is claimed is:
1. A paint roller case comprising: a top, a bottom, at least one
hinge, at least two latches, a top opening in said top; a bottom
opening in said bottom; said top opening and said bottom opening
being aligned in closed position.
2. A paint roller case according to claim 1 wherein said top,
conforms to the shape of a standard paint roller cover.
3. A paint roller case according to claim 2 wherein said bottom
conforms to the shape of a standard paint roller cover.
4. A paint roller case according to claim 1 wherein said hinge
which is an integral part of the said top and said bottom.
5. A paint roller case according to claim 4 wherein said hinge has
sufficient flexibility to allow said top and said bottom to open
and close.
6. A paint roller case according to claim 5 wherein said hinge is
sufficiently sturdy to keep said top and said bottom together.
7. A paint roller case according to claim 1 including at least
latches which maintain said case in the closed position.
8. A paint roller case according to claim 7 wherein said latches
form an interference fit with respect to each other to maintain
closure.
9. A paint roller case according to claim 7 wherein said latches
may be used to pry open the said top and said bottom.
10. A paint roller case according to claim 1 wherein said top
opening and said bottom opening permit the shaft portion of a
standard paint roller to protrude through said top and bottom.
11. A paint roller case according to claim 6 wherein said top is
made of a molded translucent plastic material.
12. A paint roller case according to claim 11 wherein said bottom
is made of molded translucent plastic material.
Description
I FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to an apparatus for storing a paint
roller cover and handle assembly to keep the paint fresh and thus
avoid cleaning the roller cover between painting sessions.
II BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The most common method of painting objects such as the walls
and ceilings of a house or other structure is by using a paint
roller. Roller covers must be cleaned after each use because dried
paint would render a roller cover useless. If the roller will be
used again in a fairly short amount of time, a method of storing
the paint-filled roller would free the user from the time-consuming
and messy process of cleaning it between uses.
[0003] The present invention provides a simple, inexpensive, and
compact means of storing a paint-filled roller whereby the paint
will remain fresh and uncured. Prior attempts have been made to
achieve this objective. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,853
discloses a roller cover storing method. This invention uses a
closeable tube to store the roller cover only. Since the roller
cover must be removed from the roller, this invention also includes
a metal tool with semicircular cutouts for removing the cover.
Anyone skilled in the art will recognize that this operation can be
messy. Furthermore, the separate tool adds to the expense and
complexity of the invention, not to mention providing a separate
piece which may become lost.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,926, U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,164, and U.S.
Pat. 4,651,379 all disclose a roller tray with cover. This
invention is intended to store the used paint roller, a used brush,
and a quantity of paint. To achieve all this it must necessarily be
large, relatively expensive, and more difficult to manufacture than
the present invention.
III SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a means to
store a used paint roller between painting sessions without the
need to clean the roller.
[0006] Another object of the present invention is to store the
paint roller cover and handle assembly without having to separate
them.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to keep paint on
the wet paint roller cover from drying during a period of
non-use.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to be
inexpensive.
[0009] Another object of the present invention is to be simple to
use and clean.
[0010] Other objects will be apparent from the following
Descriptions and Drawings.
B. SUMMARY
[0011] The present invention involves a molded plastic housing with
an integral plastic hinge that opens to receive a wet paint roller
cover and roller handle assembly. The present invention provides a
hole to allow the paint roller handle shaft to protrude out of the
housing. The present invention provides a relatively airtight
housing by means of molded overlapping ridges.
IV. THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of all elements of the present
invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a front view of the present invention in the
closed position.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a top view of the present invention in the opened
position.
[0015] FIG. 4 is an end view of the present invention in the closed
position.
[0016] FIG. 5 is an end view of the present invention in the opened
position.
V. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] In accordance with the present invention, FIG. 1 shows a
perspective view of the paint roller case 10, and paint roller
assembly 100.
[0018] Paint roller assembly 100 comprises roller handle 120,
roller shaft 130, roller 140 and roller cover 110. Roller cover 110
is shown inside case bottom 30. Roller shaft 130 protrudes through
a hole 64 in case bottom 30. Hole 65 in case top 20 corresponds to
the hole 64 in case bottom 30, providing clearance for roller shaft
130.
[0019] FIG. 2 shows paint roller case 10 in the closed position.
Case bottom 30 is slightly overlapped at 80 by case top 20. This
provides for a substantially airtight condition. Case top 20 and
case bottom 30 are maintained in the closed position by friction
interaction between top latch 40 and bottom latch 50.
[0020] FIG. 3 shows paint roller case 10 in the opened position.
Case top 20 is slightly longer than case bottom 30, creating
overlap 80. This provides the substantially airtight condition.
Plastic hinge 60 is integrally molded into paint roller case 10,
and keeps case top 20 and case bottom 30 together.
[0021] FIG. 4 shows an end view of paint roller case 10 in the
closed position. Hole 65 in case top end 25 and hole 64 case bottom
end 35 are clearly shown. Note that top latch 40 and bottom latch
50 are in a coplanar position when paint roller case 10 is
closed.
[0022] FIG. 5 shows an end view of paint roller case 10 in the
opened position. Ridges 70 overlap when case top 20 and case bottom
30 are closed and latched together by means of top latch 40 and
bottom latch 50.
[0023] In use, a paint loaded paint roller 140 and cover 110 are
placed in case bottom 30. Case top 20 hinges closed by means of
plastic hinge 60. Top latch 40 makes contact with bottom latch 50.
They are held together by friction, preventing the accidental
opening of paint roller case 10. Ridges 70 provide a relatively
airtight seal.
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