U.S. patent application number 14/143653 was filed with the patent office on 2014-04-24 for paint swatch test device and method.
This patent application is currently assigned to TRUE HUE, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is TRUE HUE, LLC. Invention is credited to ROBERT F. GOLOWNIA, JAMIE B. PELTZ.
Application Number | 20140113256 14/143653 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45555207 |
Filed Date | 2014-04-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140113256 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
PELTZ; JAMIE B. ; et
al. |
April 24, 2014 |
PAINT SWATCH TEST DEVICE AND METHOD
Abstract
A paint swatch test device includes a transparent or translucent
substrate, such as a sheet of polymeric material, and a plurality
of different primer coating patches on the substrate. The patches
preferably form a grayscale series of neutral white and gray primer
patches having stepwise increments in light reflectance values. The
patches can also be provided on an opaque substrate. The color
suitability and/or hiding power of a topcoat paint desired to be
applied to a surface to be painted can be determined by coating the
topcoat paint on at least a portion of a surface of the transparent
or translucent substrate, providing a grayscale series of patches
between the paint coating and the surface to be painted, and
observing the appearance of the paint coating where patches are
beneath the coating and where patches are not beneath the
coating.
Inventors: |
PELTZ; JAMIE B.; (ORANGE
VILLAGE, OH) ; GOLOWNIA; ROBERT F.; (HUDSON,
OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
TRUE HUE, LLC |
Orange Village |
OH |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
TRUE HUE, LLC
Orange Village
OH
|
Family ID: |
45555207 |
Appl. No.: |
14/143653 |
Filed: |
December 30, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13191812 |
Jul 27, 2011 |
8646326 |
|
|
14143653 |
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61370644 |
Aug 4, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
434/98 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 428/1467 20150115;
G01J 3/52 20130101; B44D 3/003 20130101; Y10T 428/14 20150115; Y10T
428/1476 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
434/98 |
International
Class: |
G01J 3/52 20060101
G01J003/52 |
Claims
1. A paint swatch test device comprising a transparent or
translucent substrate and a plurality of different primer coating
patches located on or adjacent to the substrate, said plurality of
different primer coating patches being selected from the group
consisting of patches of white and gray primer coatings.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a sheet of
polymeric material.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is colorless or
substantially colorless.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is transparent.
5. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of primer coating
patches is of a size to cover at least 80% of a front or back
surface of said sheet.
6. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of primer coating
patches is of a size to cover no more than 50% of a front or back
surface of said sheet.
7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a layer of releasable
and repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive adjacent the
substrate.
8. The device of claim 7, the device having a removable carrier
sheet, wherein the layer of pressure sensitive adhesive is between
the substrate and the carrier sheet.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein one or more score lines are
provided in the substrate, which score lines define a central
portion of the substrate and a border of the substrate, the
plurality of patches being on the central portion, so that the
central portion can be painted and then effectively peeled away
from the border and from the carrier sheet.
10. The device of claim 8, wherein a first score line is provided
near a top of the carrier sheet and a second score line is provided
near a bottom of the carrier sheet, thereby defining a pair of
carrier sheet strips which can be removed to expose portions of the
pressure sensitive adhesive layer.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein said white and gray primer
coatings are substantially neutral white primer coatings and
substantially neutral gray primer coatings.
12. A paint swatch test device comprising a substrate and a
plurality of different primer coating patches printed or coated on
the substrate, said plurality of different primer coating patches
being selected from the group consisting of patches of white and
gray primer coatings, wherein the plurality of patches covers at
least 80% of a surface of said substrate.
13. The device of claim 12, wherein the substrate is opaque.
14-20. (canceled)
21. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different
primer coating patches is fixed on a second substrate which is
located adjacent to the transparent or translucent substrate.
22. The device of claim 21, wherein each of the primer coating
patches is printed or coated on the second substrate.
23. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different
primer coating patches is fixed on the transparent or translucent
substrate.
24. The device of claim 23, wherein each of the primer coating
patches is printed or coated on the transparent or translucent
substrate.
25. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of different
primer coating patches are provided on the carrier sheet.
26. The device of claim 8, wherein a score line is provided in the
carrier sheet.
27. A combination comprising a painted wall and a transparent or
translucent sheet, the sheet being located adjacent the wall, the
sheet being provided with a paint coating.
28. The combination of claim 27, further comprising a plurality of
different primer coating patches located between the painted wall
and the paint coating, the plurality of different primer coating
patches being selected from the group consisting of patches of
white and gray primer coatings.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This relates to the color swatches that are used to visually
judge the ability of a paint to meet the color requirements of the
user, specifically to paint swatch test devices which are
especially well suited for the user to conveniently produce test
swatches using topcoat paints, stains or other surface coatings
chosen by the user which enable the user to visually evaluate, in
addition to color, the hiding power of the chosen topcoat paint
when the paint is used alone and when it is used in conjunction
with neutral white and neutral gray primers having various degrees
of light reflectance.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Mass-produced paint color swatches, also known as color
chips or color cards, which are commonly supplied by paint
manufacturers, are widely used to visually judge the suitability of
paint colors being considered for painting projects involving
walls, ceilings, floors, fences, cabinets, etc. The number of
different colors represented by mass-produced paint color swatches
is limited to a group of colors chosen by the paint manufacturer to
balance the manufacturer's need to have an economical and
manageable inventory of paint color swatches against the user's
desire to have the widest variety of color swatches from which to
choose a color that meets each user's unique decorating needs.
Mass-produced paint color swatches are generally made using
fast-drying lacquers or inks which are designed to be applied to
opaque color swatch substrates, usually heavy white paper or
cardstock, using high speed coating or printing machinery. Except
for color, such lacquers and inks are compositionally and
functionally very different from the commercially available paints
which are used to decorate and protect the surfaces found in the
everyday environment (walls, ceilings, floors, shelves, cabinets,
doors, etc.). Mass-produced paint color swatches enable the user to
review and choose colors which are available from a specific group
of paint products which are formulated to deliver the mass-produced
swatch colors when colored with color pigment concentrates known
commercially as tinters or colorants. In other words, mass-produced
swatches are ordinarily not designed or intended to be used to
judge the ability of any paint characteristic, other than color, to
meet user needs. Notably, ordinary mass-produced paint color
swatches are not designed or intended to be used to judge the very
important characteristic of hiding power of the actual paints used
for coating painting project surfaces (walls, ceilings, floors,
shelves, cabinets, doors, etc.). "Hiding power" is commonly defined
as a measure of the ability of a paint, stain or other surface
coating to visually obscure a substrate surface exhibiting one or
more contrasting colors. A paint having high hiding power can be
used to reliably obscure substrate colors ranging from pure white
to pure black and all colors and shades commonly included in the
gamut of colors commercially available in the form of a paint,
stain or other surface coating. Paints having high hiding power
require thinner and/or fewer coats to obscure a substrate having
one or more contrasting colors. Using thinner and/or fewer coats of
topcoat paint yields material and time savings which advantageously
reduces the cost and the time required to complete a painting
project.
[0003] Paints containing sufficient amounts of inorganic or mineral
pigments like titanium dioxide, iron oxide and carbon black are
known to have high hiding power because of their ability to scatter
and/or absorb light of many visible wavelengths. Conversely, it is
well known by those skilled in the art that paints colored
primarily with organic pigments having a high level of color
purity, saturation or chroma do not scatter light efficiently and
consequently tend to be semitransparent, have poor hiding power and
generally require the application of multiple coats to obscure a
substrate surface color or colors. Because the poor hiding power
associated with high chroma paints is commonly not recognized by
the general public including the ordinary paint user, the color
achieved on the user's painting project surface (walls, ceilings,
floors, shelves, cabinets, doors, etc.) often does not match the
color exhibited by the mass-produced swatch because the original
color of the project's surface partially shows through one or more
coats of a characteristically low hiding power high chroma paint.
The show-through of the original surface color visually alters or
adulterates the topcoat paint's color to the point where the
topcoat paint's color appears to be noticeably different from that
color expected on the basis of viewing the corresponding
mass-produced paint color swatch which is necessarily designed to
represent the topcoat paint's color when no show-through of various
unknown substrate colors occurs.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,007 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,515 teach
the use of high hiding power neutral white and gray primer coatings
over a colored surface prior to topcoating with a low hiding power
high chroma paint to eliminate or significantly reduce visual
show-through of the original surface color. These patents further
teach that the most effective shade of gray chosen for the primer
to be used with a specific topcoat color is determined by
mathematically comparing spectral reflectance curves for a specific
topcoat color with the curves for a series of high hiding power
white and gray primers having a range of light reflectance or
CIELab lightness/darkness levels. Spectral reflectance curves are
measured using sophisticated laboratory spectrophotometer
instruments like those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,515. Access
to such spectrophotometers and the mathematical knowledge required
to use spectral reflectance curves to identify the most effective
shade of white or gray primer to prevent substrate color
show-through are well beyond the capabilities of the ordinary paint
user. Additionally, it is counterintuitive to most paint users that
the use of a neutral white or gray primer could effectively improve
the hiding power of a high chroma topcoat. The ordinary paint user
generally assumes that it would be impossible for a "colorless"
neutral white or neutral gray primer to improve the hiding power of
a vividly colored, high chroma topcoat; vivid colors and neutral
colors intuitively seem to be totally incompatible. As a
consequence, most ordinary paint users are reluctant to use a white
or gray primer under a high chroma topcoat because they are often
unaware of the poor hiding power associated with high chroma
topcoats and have an intuitive bias against the concept of
employing a neutral white or neutral gray color to improve the
perceived hiding power of a high chroma topcoat paint.
[0005] Thus several advantages of one or more aspects are to
provide an easy-to-use device which allows the user to prepare
paint color test swatches which provide the user with direct
visually perceived color and hiding power information which is
beyond the scope of the commonly available mass-produced paint
color swatches known as paint "color chips" or "color cards".
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A paint swatch test device comprising a transparent or
translucent substrate and a plurality of different primer coating
patches on the substrate, said plurality of different primer
coating patches being selected from the group consisting of patches
of white and gray primer coatings. Methods for determining the
color suitability and/or hiding power of a topcoat paint desired to
be applied to a preselected surface are also provided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a top or plan view of a paint swatch test device
according to the invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line
2-2 of FIG. 1, but without cross-hatching. This Figure and
subsequent Figures are not to scale (thicknesses are generally
exaggerated) and do not have full cross-hatching, so the invention
can be more easily seen and understood.
[0009] FIG. 3 is like FIG. 2 with a repositionable pressure
sensitive adhesive layer 16 and a carrier sheet 18.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view like FIG. 2, but with
primer patches on the bottom surface of the device; layers 16 and
18 can be provided on the bottom of FIG. 4 with patch 14 between
layer 16 and substrate 12.
[0011] FIG. 5 is like FIG. 2 with test paint applied to the entire
top surface of the device which rests on a work surface.
[0012] FIG. 6 is like FIG. 5 but shows the painted device
positioned over a painting project surface (wall, shelf, floor,
door, table, etc.).
[0013] FIG. 7 is like FIG. 6 but with portions of the topcoated,
non-primed area of the paint swatch test device physically
separated or cut away from the device and repositioned over areas
of the remaining portion of the topcoated paint swatch test
device.
[0014] FIG. 8 is a top view of a paint swatch test device which is
a stand-alone series of four primer patches on a substrate.
[0015] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of
FIG. 8.
[0016] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of a paint swatch
test device without primer patches that has had the entire top
surface coated with a test paint.
[0017] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the topcoated
device of FIG. 10 showing the stand-alone primer patch series of
FIG. 9 positioned between the bottom surface of the clear swatch
substrate of FIG. 10 and a painting project surface.
[0018] FIG. 12 is a top view of the device of FIG. 3 showing a
separate outer border area.
[0019] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 13-13 of
FIG. 12, but without full cross-hatching.
[0020] FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the device of FIG. 3 showing
strips of the release liner or carrier sheet 18 separatable from
the central portion of the carrier sheet.
[0021] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 15-15 of
FIG. 14, but without full cross-hatching.
[0022] FIG. 16 is like FIG. 15 with the carrier sheet strips
removed and the remaining portion of the device placed over a work
surface.
[0023] In the drawings, the following reference numerals are used.
[0024] 12 swatch substrate or substrate [0025] 12CA portion of the
swatch substrate which has been separated or physically cut away
after being coated with test paint [0026] 14 primer coating patches
or primer patches [0027] 16 releasable, repositionable pressure
sensitive adhesive layer [0028] 18 release liner or removable paper
carrier sheet or carrier sheet [0029] 20 coating of test paint or
topcoat paint applied to top surface of the paint swatch test
device including primer patches; the topcoat [0030] 20CA physically
separated or cut-away portion of the test paint coating adhering to
the cut-away portion of the swatch substrate 12CA [0031] 22
painting project surface (wall, ceiling, floor, door, table,
cabinet, fence, etc.) [0032] 24 stand-alone-grayscale substrate
[0033] 26 swatch substrate border [0034] 28 central portion of the
swatch substrate surrounded by the swatch substrate border [0035]
30 score line separating the swatch substrate border from central
portion of the swatch substrate [0036] 32 swatch substrate carrier
sheet strips [0037] 34 score line separating the swatch substrate
carrier sheet strips from the central portion of the swatch carrier
sheet [0038] 36 central portion of the swatch substrate carrier
sheet [0039] 38 work surface (tabletop, workbench, countertop,
etc.)
[0040] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE
INVENTION As used herein, clear means transparent. With reference
to FIG. 1, there is shown a paint swatch test device comprising a
transparent or translucent substrate 12 and a plurality of
different primer coating patches 14 on or coated on the substrate
12. Four different patches are shown; preferably there are, or are
at least, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 patches, all different from
each other. Each patch is of a white or gray primer coating,
preferably a neutral or substantially neutral white primer coating
and preferably a neutral or substantially neutral gray primer
coating. Each patch is preferably opaque. Substrate 12 is
preferably a sheet of polymeric material or film, less preferably
paper, waxed paper, or other transparent or translucent material.
Substrate 12 is preferably colorless or substantially colorless and
is preferably sufficiently transparent or translucent so that
enough color can be seen through the substrate to permit a user to
effectively practice the invention described herein. The plurality
of different primer coating patches 14 can cover the entire front
or back surface of the substrate, as shown in FIGS. 8-9, or can
cover no more than 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70,
80 or 90, percent of the front or back surface of the substrate or
can cover at least 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 85, 90, 95, 97, 98 or 99
percent of the front or back surface of the substrate.
[0041] FIG. 1 is a top view of a paint swatch test device showing a
grayscale series of four adjacent high hiding power primer patches
or primer coating patches 14 each having a different light/darkness
CIELab Value ranging from neutral white to a dark neutral gray
located at the upper end of said device. The primer patch 14 series
has the appearance of a four step grayscale having stepwise
increments of light reflectance levels or values. FIG. 2 is a
cross-sectional side view of the device of FIG. 1 showing the
leftmost primer patch applied to the top surface of the swatch
substrate 12 which consists of a transparent or translucent thin
sheet of paint-receptive material which forms the base of the paint
swatch test device. FIG. 4 is the same as FIG. 2 except the primer
patches 14 are applied to the underside of swatch substrate 12.
FIG. 3 is like FIG. 2 showing the leftmost primer patch 14 applied
to the top surface of swatch substrate 12. As shown in FIG. 3,
substrate 12 is preferably attached to a removable supporting
carrier sheet or release liner 18 (of, for example, paper, heavy
paper, polymeric film, or other release liner material as known in
the art) by an intermediate layer of releasable and repositionable
pressure sensitive adhesive 16, which is preferably transparent,
translucent, and/or colorless, and which is permanently adhered to
substrate 12. Preferred releaseable, repositionable pressure
sensitive adhesives are as are known in the art. Adhesive layer 16
permits the substrate 12 to be repeatedly repositioned over and
temporarily adhered to different areas of the painting project
surface.
[0042] In accordance with the configuration shown in FIG. 3,
substrate 12 is a plastic or polymeric sheet or film consisting of
a twelve inch by 24 inch, 0.0035 inch thick clear and colorless
flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film which is coated on the
bottom surface with a layer of releaseable, repositionable pressure
sensitive adhesive 16 which provides temporary attachment to a
polycoated paper carrier sheet or release liner 18 which enhances
physical robustness of substrate 12 during manufacturing, shipping
and test paint application. The top surface of the PVC sheet swatch
substrate 12 is very finely textured which promotes wetting and
adhesion of paints applied to this surface. This texture imparts a
frosty or translucent appearance to swatch substrate 12 which blurs
the visual perception of details on surfaces over which swatch
substrate 12 is positioned but does not materially alter the visual
color appearance of said surface and consequently such a finely
textured clear plastic sheet is considered here to be translucent.
Translucency may also be imparted by the inclusion of colorless
particulate pigments such as crystalline or amorphous silica into
the plastic sheet material itself. Part No. 3-5424-10004 (FRCLR
VINYL 48*64 90) available from Ritrama, Inc., 800 Kasota Ave,
Minneapolis, Minn. 55414 is an example of a commercially available
plastic sheet 12--adhesive 16--polycoated paper carrier sheet 18
combination which meets these specifications and is suitable. About
two inches from the upper edge of substrate 12 is a series of
adjacent white and gray primer patches 14 measuring 2 inches by 2.8
inches. The white patch 14 was made by applying Glidden Gripper
White Primer No. GL3210-1200 made by ICI Paints, Strongsville, Ohio
44136 using a 0.5 inch diameter aluminum rod with 0.0035 inch thick
shims between the rod and PVC sheet swatch substrate 12 surface to
manually spread a quantity of primer sufficient to cover the 2 inch
by 2.8 inch primer patch 14 area. Paper masking tape was used to
prevent excess primer from covering other parts of the plastic
sheet 12. Once the wet primer paint was spread out into the
appropriate area, the paper masking tape was removed leaving well
defined rectangular areas covered by primer patches 14. The darkest
gray primer patch 14 was made using the same procedure as for white
primer patch 14 but used Glidden Gripper Grey Primer No. GL3250
made by ICI Paints, Strongsville, Ohio 44136. Remaining primer
patches 14 were also made using the same procedure as for white
primer patch 14 but used mixtures of the Glidden Gripper Grey
Primer and the Glidden Gripper White Primer in the weight ratios of
1:2 and 2:1 respectively to provide intermediate shades of gray.
Each of the four primer patches had different light reflectance
values estimated, in CIELab lightness/darkness Value terminology,
to be L*=95, 80, 67 and 55. Estimates were made by visual
comparison of dried primer patches 14 to the neutral color patches
on a GretagMacbeth ColorChecker color rendition chart supplied by
GretagMacbeth, New Windsor, N.Y. 12553. Primer patches 14 are of
sufficient hiding power to visually obscure both pure white and
black painted surfaces. Other numbers of primer patches can be
used, such as 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc. with a series of
different light reflectance values.
[0043] In operation, the paint swatch test device is placed on a
firm work surface 38 like a tabletop, workbench or countertop (FIG.
5) and secured at the corners and/or edges, if desired, with
masking tape or the like. The work surface may be protected from
excess test paint with newspaper or other disposable material.
Alternatively, the paint swatch test device may be temporarily
attached to a wall or other upright work surface 38 with clear
cellophane tape, masking tape, pins, clips, etc. The paint chosen
for evaluation is applied using any suitable paint application tool
including brushes, paint rollers, paint pads, sponges, sprayers,
etc. and preferably in a manner (tool type, tool speed, pressure,
number of strokes per unit area, etc.) which is like that which
will be used to paint project surface 22, which is a pre-selected
surface. Paint is applied to completely and uniformly coat the
paint swatch test device surface in accordance with the paint
manufacturer's instructions; alternatively only portions of the
substrate 12 and patches 14 may be painted.
[0044] After allowing the paint to dry for a period of time
recommended by the paint manufacturer, additional coats of paint
may be applied to all or portions of the device (allowing
sufficient drying time between coats) if desired to allow the user
to judge the effect of multiple coats on the perceived color and
hiding power of the paint being evaluated.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 6, once the painted paint swatch test
device has dried in accordance with the paint manufacture's
recommendations, it is positioned onto painting project surface 22
(wall, ceiling, floor, fence, door, table, etc.) and held in place,
if desired, with adhesive tape, pins, etc. or by adhesive layer 16,
for viewing by the user. Because a clear or translucent and
colorless swatch substrate 12 is used to fabricate the device, test
paint topcoats of low hiding power will allow the color of painting
project surface 22 to show through test topcoat 20 and, if painting
project surface 22 color is different than that of test paint
topcoat 20, it will alter the visually perceived color of test
paint topcoat 20, i.e. the color of painting project surface 22
will not have been completely obscured. This closely simulates the
visual outcome of applying topcoat paint 20 directly to painting
project surface 22; low hiding topcoat paints allow the color of
project painting surface 22 to show through and alter the visually
perceived color of topcoat paint 20.
[0046] The user can also conveniently judge the improvement in
hiding expected from applying multiple layers of topcoat test paint
20 by simply using a scissors to separate or cut away a portion
12CA+20CA, for example a three by three inch square of the painted
device which is free of primer 14 and positioning one, two, three
or more cut-away portions 12CA+20CA over a primer-free area of the
remaining device which is already positioned over painting project
surface 22 (FIG. 7). Portions 12CA+20CA can be separated by other
means; for example, perforations or score lines or cut lines can be
provided so the portions can be torn away from the rest of the
substrate. The effect of additional layers of topcoat test paint 20
on the ability to hide or obscure the painting project surface 22
color can be visualized by layering on additional cut-away sections
of the topcoated primer-free device 12CA+20CA. The user can also
easily evaluate the effect of white and gray primers of different
light reflectance values on test paint 20 hiding power by simply
viewing those sections of the device where the primer patches 14
were located and/or by placing one, two, three or more portions
12CA+20CA thereover (see left side of FIG. 7). The user notes if
any primer patch 14 shade improves the visual color match between
the mass-produced paint color swatch and the perceived color of
test paint 20 applied over primer patch 14 area. Although generally
unexpected by the average paint user, vividly colored high chroma
paints will generally show a perceptible improvement in hiding
power and color fidelity when applied over a particular shade of
gray primer 14. The primer hiding improvement information thusly
obtained would be communicated to a paint department technician by
showing him or her the painted test swatch device who would then be
able to match the gray shade of the chosen primer patch 14 to any
of the numerous high hiding gray primers supplied by typical paint
manufactures.
[0047] FIG. 8 is a top view of a stand-alone series of four (but
any number can be used) high hiding power neutral white and neutral
gray primer patches 14 having different light/darkness CIELab
Values ranging from neutral white to dark neutral gray (as
described herein) adhering to a substrate or carrier sheet 24
(which can be the same as substrate 12 or can be made of any
material, such as opaque, substantially opaque, transparent or
translucent, preferably paper or plastic, such as described for
substrate 12 above) which is physically separate from swatch
substrate 12. Alternatively, the patches 14 of FIG. 8 can be
attached not to substrate 24 but to a release liner 18 by a
releasable, repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive layer 16 (in
this case, the patches 14 are on the release liner 18) so that the
patches of FIG. 8 can be repositionably attached to a surface 22 or
to the underside of the device of FIG. 10. FIG. 9 is a
cross-sectional view of the stand-alone primer patch series of FIG.
8 showing the four primer patches 14 adhering to carrier sheet 24.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of swatch substrate 12 of
FIG. 2 constructed without primer patches 14 which has had the
entire top surface coated with the test paint 20 under
evaluation.
[0048] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the combination of
the topcoated swatch substrate 12 of FIG. 10 with the stand-alone
primer patch series of FIG. 8 positioned between the bottom surface
of substrate 12 of FIG. 10 and painting project surface 22. Once
the topcoated device of FIG. 10 is positioned as in FIG. 11, the
user notes if the hiding power of test paint 20 positioned over one
of the primer patches 14 that make up the stand-alone series of
FIG. 8 is improved. If an improvement is noted, the information
thusly obtained can be communicated to a paint department
technician by showing him/her the painted test swatch device and
stand-alone primer patch 14 series of FIG. 8. The technician would
then be able to match the gray shade of the chosen primer patch 14
to any of the numerous high hiding white and gray primers supplied
by typical paint manufactures. The advantage of the stand-alone
primer patch 14 series of FIG. 8 is that the need to have a
grayscale primer patch 14 series on each paint swatch test device
(see FIG. 1) is eliminated which simplifies manufacturing and
reduces cost; a single stand-alone primer patch 14 series of FIG. 8
could be reused under numerous paint swatch test devices.
Additionally, one could use the stand-alone primer patch 14 series
of FIG. 8 to visually assess the potential for improving the
perceived hiding power of a test topcoat 20 by direct topcoat 20
application on the device of FIG. 8 without the need to apply
topcoat 20 to an entire paint swatch test device as in FIG. 1.
[0049] In another embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, swatch
substrate 12 and its layer of pressure sensitive adhesive 16 is
provided with a score line 30 in a rectangular pattern as shown
which is typically several inches less in length and width than are
the outside dimensions of the paint swatch test device thereby
creating a swatch substrate border 26 one or more inches wide which
surrounds a central portion 28 of swatch substrate 12. Score line
30 is a zone or line where the material of substrate 12 is
partially or completely cut through or provided with perforations
or weakened areas or fibers, etc. Other score lines as known in the
art can be used. Score line 30 physically separates the outer edges
of the central portion 28 of swatch substrate 12 from its outer
border 26. Score line 30 allows central portion 28 of swatch
substrate 12 to be removed by manually peeling it away from carrier
sheet 18 allowing it to be subsequently repositioned onto painting
project surface 22. Controlled depth cuts in such sheet
12--adhesive 16--polycoated paper carrier sheet 18 combination
materials are commonly accomplished using "cutting plotters" as are
available from Graphtec America, Inc. (www.graphtecamerica.com).
Cutting plotters are ordinarily used to cut letters, numbers,
logos, etc. from plastic film backed with pressure sensitive
adhesive which are used to fabricate signs, banners, etc. Other die
cutting methods known to those skilled in the art may be
employed.
[0050] During application of test paint 20, paint is applied to
overlap score line 30 but not to reach the outside edge of the
paint swatch test device. After the topcoat of test paint 20 has
dried, central portion 28 of paint swatch substrate 12 is manually
peeled away from carrier sheet 18 and positioned over painting
project surface 22 for viewing. The partially painted outer border
26 remains on carrier sheet 18 where it protected the work surface
from surplus test paint 20 during the application process. Coating
a portion of swatch substrate border 26 with test paint 20 ensures
that the edges of central portion 28 of the device are coated
uniformly while simultaneously protecting work surface 38 from
being soiled by excess paint 20.
[0051] FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the device of FIG. 3 which shows
strips 32 of the carrier sheet 18 created by score lines 34 through
the carrier sheet 18. In this embodiment, swatch substrate 12 (with
patches 14 coated thereon) and pressure sensitive adhesive layer 16
remain unscored along score lines 34. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional
side view of the device of FIG. 14. In use, carrier sheet strips 32
are removed to expose a portion of repositionable pressure
sensitive adhesive 16 which can then be used to anchor the device
to work surface 38. FIG. 16 is like FIG. 15 with the carrier sheet
strips 32 removed and the remaining portion of the device placed
over a work surface 38 allowing the exposed portion of adhesive 16
to contact work surface 38 and temporarily anchor the paint swatch
test device to work surface 38.
[0052] Alternate embodiments can make use of other thin transparent
or translucent and colorless substrate 12 materials in the
thickness range of about 0.001 to 0.012 or 0.02 inches with planar
dimensions ranging from about six by six inches to about 36 by 36
inches. Preferred dimensions are in the range of 0.002 to 0.006
inches in thickness with planar dimensions ranging from about 12 by
12 inches to 26 by 26 inches. Substrate 12 can be film or sheet,
flexible or bendable or stiff or rigid. The paint swatch test
device can be square, rectangular, round or other shape as desired.
Other shapes include decorative geometrical or functional shapes
such as alphanumeric characters. Other suitable plastic film or
sheet types include those which are receptive to paints, provide
good adhesion to the test paint, are not chemically or physically
attacked by the paint and are dimensionally stable. Appropriate
forms and grades of polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polyethylene,
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene are examples of
polymeric film or sheet materials which are suitable from
performance and cost perspectives. Furthermore, substrate 12 may be
coated with a transparent or translucent and/or colorless paint
primer or other coating to modify the adhesion, absorption or
texture properties of the surface of substrate 12 as desired. Other
embodiments can use any number of primer patches 14 having
different light reflectance values as measured by CIELab
lightness/darkness Values or other similar methodologies for
measuring and chararacterizing the light reflectance properties of
a surface. The CIELab lightness/darkness values of the primer patch
14 series can range from about L*=95 to L*=15, preferably L*=95,
90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, and/or
15. The shape of the primer patches may be square, rectangular,
circular or other shape as is desired. Likewise, the size of the
primer patches may vary as desired within the planar dimensions of
the paint swatch test device. Primer patches 14 may be deposited or
coated onto the top surface of substrate 12 using application
methods such as roll coating, rotogravure, screen printing,
lithography, or other processes know in the art. The same or
similar application and printing methods can be used to prepare the
stand-alone primer patch 14 series of FIG. 8. The primer coating of
patch 14 may consist of paint, ink, lacquer or other pigmented film
forming compositions compatible with the chosen application method
and which produce a paint-receptive and adherent coating on the
substrate 12 or on the carrier sheet 24 of FIG. 8 and that has the
desired CIELab lightness/darkness Values and has hiding power
sufficient to obscure painting project surface colors ranging from
pure white to pure black and all colors and shades commonly
included in the gamut of colors available in the form of commonly
available paints, stains or other surface coatings; this hiding
power may be referred to as high hiding power. Substrate 24 can
optionally be the same as substrate 12.
[0053] Although the above described embodiments of the invention
constitute the preferred embodiments, it should be understood that
modifications can be made thereto without departing from the scope
of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
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