Abstract:
A paint roller bumper apparatus for a paint roller device having a curved rod is disclosed. The bumper apparatus includes an end cap for engaging a ceiling and a stem having the end cap on a first end a weighted bottom at a second end for keeping the bumper substantially perpendicular to the ceiling and substantially parallel to a wall. The bumper is rotationally attached to the rod using an arbor insertable into a receiving tube of a clip that can be fixedly attached to the rod.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/156,847 filed on May 4, 2015 which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates generally to paint rollers, and more particularly to free-rotating a bumper device for paint rollers to prevent a roller from contacting a ceiling while preventing same from bumping a wall. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
         [0004]    Paint rollers with removable covers are well known in the art. Generally, a roller cover is installed on a roller support such that the roller cover can be removed from the roller support for discarding or cleaning after use. Paint rollers with roller frame mechanisms designed to releasably retain a roller cover on the roller support are known. Roller frames and support assemblies of this type utilize a plurality of small, resilient metal fingers that are deflected radially inward as a roller cover is installed. The metal fingers press outward against the inner surface of the roller cover, thus holding the cover in place during use. The roller cover can be removed from the support assembly by grasping it and pulling it axially off of the support assembly. Alternatively, the roller cover may be removed from the support assembly by striking roller frame on a solid object, causing the roller cover to slide off of the support assembly. 
         [0005]    Conventional paint rollers are problematic in that no protection or guidance is offered that prevents a user from applying paint to adjacent walls or ceilings. There are a few such known paint roller bumpers developed to mitigate inadvertent painting of a ceiling, but not in the form of the present inventive apparatus 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,789 to Zilinski discloses use of a paint roller bumper attached a fixed, upward portion of a rod of a paint roller device. This invention discloses that the fixed angle may be 30 to 45 degrees of set from the rod. The disclosure also teaches using clips, connected to the main bumper body and adapted to attach the bumper to an upward portion of a rod of a paint roller device so as to establish a fixed angle between the upper section of the main bumper body and the upward portion of the rod of preferably at least 45 degrees. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,332,988; and 8,615,839 to Sweeney discloses a use of a removeable bumper that can be affixed to a rod of a paint roller device so as to stop movement of the paint roller before impacting a ceiling. The bumper is attached to the rod using a mounting clamp located on the paint roller frame and configured to releasably receive and position the guide arm such that the guide arm extends past the roller cover in a fixed direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the roller cover. 
         [0008]    While the aforementioned prior art does describe bumpers for rollers, these bumpers are fixed to the rods at a particular angle and not rotatably attached to the upward section of a rod of the paint roller. Hence, the known bumpers are disadvantaged in that they obstruct use of the painting roller at particular angles on a wall as the bumper will impact the wall at certain angles. Accordingly, there is a need for a bumper that is rotatably attached allowing a user to paint a wall at varying angles while preventing the roller from striking the ceiling above. 
         [0009]    SUMMARY 
         [0010]    A paint roller bumper apparatus for a paint roller device having a curved rod is disclosed. The bumper apparatus includes an end cap for engaging a ceiling and a stem having the end cap on a first end a weighted bottom at a second end for keeping the bumper substantially perpendicular to the ceiling and substantially parallel to a wall. The bumper is rotationally attached to the rod using an arbor insertable into a receiving tube of a clip that can be fixedly attached to the rod. 
         [0011]    Certain embodiments of the invention include a feature of allowing a user to refresh the paint without needing to remove the bumper. 
         [0012]    This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    One or more embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  shows a top front perspective view of the bumper apparatus and an exemplary paint roller device, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  shows a bottom front perspective view of the bumper apparatus and a paint roller device, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  shows a front view of the bumper apparatus and a paint roller device, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the bumper apparatus and the paint roller device as seen from the right side of  FIG. 3 , in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a top view bumper apparatus and a paint roller device, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7, and 8  show various views of a clip, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  show the bumper apparatus without the clip, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  shows a series of frames illustrating the bumper apparatus in use in conjunction with a roller on a wall in various proximities to a ceiling, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0022]      FIG. 11A  is a side view of the bumper apparatus, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0023]      FIG. 11B  is a side view of the bumper apparatus rotated 90-degrees with respect to  FIG. 11A , in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0024]      FIG. 11C  is a cross-sectional view of the bumper apparatus taken along line B-B of  FIG. 11B , in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0025]      FIG. 11D  is a cross-sectional view of the bumper apparatus taken along line A-A OF  FIG. 11A , in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0026]      FIG. 12  is an exploded view of the bumper apparatus, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0027]      FIG. 13A  is a side view of the bumper apparatus having an embodiment of the clip module, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0028]      FIG. 13B  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 13A  rotated 180-degrees illustrating the embodiment of the clip module with a cap removed, in accordance with the present disclosure; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 13C  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 13A  rotated 180-degrees illustrating the embodiment of the clip module with a cap threaded on, in accordance with the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]    Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, where like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed invention. 
         [0031]    The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as exclusive, preferred or advantageous over other aspects. 
         [0032]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein the depictions are for the purpose of illustrating certain exemplary embodiments only and not for the purpose of limiting the same,  FIGS. 1-5  show a bumper apparatus  10  for spatial control of an exemplary paint roller  2 . The paint roller includes a handle  3  and a curved rod which includes a lower portion  5  which generally coaxial, traveling away from and in the same direction as the handle  3  is pointed. The curved rod further includes a middle portion  7  which generally turns at a right angle away from the lower portion  5 , an upward portion  9  which generally turns at a right angle in the opposite direction away from the middle portion  7  and runs in the same plane as the lower portion  5  but aside and away from it, followed by top portion  11  which is at right angles to the upward portion  9 . The top portion  11  extends through a roller  13  which may include a spindle and a hard cylinder under the nap. The bumper  10  may be formed of any suitable material including plastic, polymers or metal. 
         [0033]    Generally, the paint roller  2  to which the bumper  10  is attached has a plastic or wooden handle  3  and extends from the handle  3  in the same direction and plane as the handle  3  itself is a rod which may be flat or circular but typically extends so as to form a series of right angles. In the exemplary roller  2 , the rod extends first from the handle  3  in the same direction and plane and then to the right or left at right angles from the lower portion to form a middle portion, and then at right angles in the opposite direction to form an upward section which generally runs parallel to the ends of the roller  2 , and finally is curved again at a right angle so as to itself be the main arbor or spindle receiver for a roller. 
         [0034]    The bumper  10  can be attached to the rod at the upward portion  9 . The upward portion  9  is preferably a portion of the rod which runs parallel to the end of the roller and at a right angle to the portion of the rod which contains the roller  13 . (For simplicity herein, the word “roller” is used to mean the wire-spindle which is attached to the rod, as well as the cylinder as well as a nap which is attached to the cylinder in the exemplary embodiments.) The bumper  10  extends beyond a mounted roller on a paint roller  2 , in embodiments without a rotational stop as described herein below. The bumper  10  is attached the curved rod preferably at the upward portion  9  via a clip module  20 . The clip module  20  is removeably attached to the upward portion  9 , in one embodiment. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7, and 8  show various views of the clip module  20 . As  FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7, and 8  show, the clip module  20  includes a coupling members  22  and  24  for engaging the upward portion  9  of the rod. The members  22  and  24  are preferably formed of resilient material so that the members  22  and  24  are pliant for engagement of the rod at the upward portion  9 . In this way, the inner surfaces of the members  22  and  24  are mated to a surface of the upward portion  9  of the rod by virtue of the material properties, the distance between the inner surfaces of the members  22  and  24 , and the diameter of the rod at the upward portion  9 . The clip module  20  includes a hollow cylindrical-shaped opening  26  for receiving a pin or arbor  36  of the bumper  10 . 
         [0036]      FIGS. 9A and 9B  show the bumper apparatus  10  without the clip module  20 . The bumper  10  includes a weighted bottom  30 , a stem  32 , a cap  34 , and a arbor  36 . The weighted bottom  30 , stem  32 , cap  34 , and arbor  36  may be integrally formed or coupled together. In one embodiment, the cap  34 , stem  32 , and arbor  36  are integrally formed while the weighted bottom is coupled to the stem  32 . In one embodiment, the arbor  36  includes a resilient end  38  configured to snap and hold the arbor  36  in the opening  26  of the clip module  20 . The end  38  is preferably integrally formed of the arbor  36 . In one embodiment, a pliability of the end  38  is derived from a space  39  cut into an end portion of the arbor  36 . In one embodiment, the end  38  has a diameter greater than the diameter of the arbor  36 . 
         [0037]      FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C  show the bumper apparatus  10  in use in conjunction with a roller  2  on a wall  100  in various proximities to a ceiling  102  to illustrate the rotating property of the bumper  10 . As  FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C  show, the bumper apparatus  10  rotates independently of the roller  2  and the rod it is attached to. In this way, the apparatus  10  remains positioned to stop the roller from impacting the ceiling  102  while remaining away from the wall  100 . In operation, a user can utilize a roller from a bottom portion of the wall  100  to the ceiling  102 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 10A  shows a side view of the roller  2  and bumper in proximity to a ceiling  102 . The roller  2  is being applied against the wall  100 , applying paint. The paint roller  2  is at its near upper most possible position as the bumper  10  has almost come into contact with the ceiling  102 , preventing the roller  2  from contacting the ceiling  102  and thereby preventing any paint on the roller  2  from touching the ceiling  102 . 
         [0039]      FIG. 10B  shows the paint roller  2  applied in a mid-position along the wall  100 . As  FIG. 10B  shows, the bumper  10  has rotated with the change in angle of the rod and the handle  3 , thereby remaining away from a surface of the wall  100 .  FIG. 10C  shows the paint roller  2  applied in a bottom position along the wall  100 . As  FIG. 10C  shows, the bumper  10  has continued to rotation with the change in angle of the rod and the handle  3 , thereby remaining away from a surface of the wall  100 . 
         [0040]      FIGS. 11A and 11B  are side views of the bumper apparatus  10 .  FIG. 11B  is a side view of the bumper apparatus  10  or  FIG. 11A , rotated 90-degrees along a horizontal axis.  FIG. 11C  is a cross-sectional view of the bumper apparatus  10  taken along line B-B of  FIG. 11B . As  FIG. 11C  shows, the resilient end  38  of the arbor  36  is positioned within the clip module  20 . An end  21  of the clip module  20  includes an axially protruding stop  23  defined by the radial surfaces thereof. The stop  23  preferably protrudes so as to engage an axial recessed portion  37  of the arbor  36  so as to be flush with an interior surface thereof. The end  38  of the arbor  36  includes a top portion  40  and a bottom portion  42  separated by the space  39 . The top portion  40  and the bottom portion  42  have a rounded end. In one embodiment, the rounded end aids insertion of the arbor  36  passed the stop  23 , engaging the stop  23  with the recessed portion  37  thereby holding the arbor  36  rotatably within the clip module  20 .  FIG. 11C  further shows a mechanical fastener  31  inserted within a cavity  33  of the weighted bottom  30 . The mechanical fastener  31  is included to add weight to the bottom portion  30 . In one embodiment the weighted bottom  30  is formed of additional material comparted with a top portion of the stem  32  such that gravity aligns stem  32  vertically whereat the weighted bottom  30  is located in a bottom position. 
         [0041]      FIG. 11D  is a cross-sectional view of the bumper apparatus taken along line A-A. As  FIG. 11D  shows, a mechanical fastener  21  may be used to tighten the clip module  20  to a rod of a paint roller  2 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 12  is an exploded view of the bumper apparatus  10 . As  FIG. 12  further shows, the bumper apparatus  10  may be comprised of a main, integral portion having a stem  32  and a bottom portion  30  having a weighted insert such as the mechanical fastener  31  to which a cap  34  may be affixed or secured thereto. The bumper apparatus  10  further includes the clip module  20  rotatably securable over the arbor  36 . As described herein above, in various embodiments the mechanical fastener  21  may then be threaded or inserted through the clip module  20  for securing of the bumper apparatus  10  to the rod of the paint roller  2 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 13A-13C  illustrate the bumper apparatus  10  having an alternative embodiment of the clip module  20  that may be slid on the arbor  36  so that the clip module  20  may freely rotate around the arbor  36 . A cap  25  may be threaded onto the arbor  36  so that the clip module  20  may be held onto the arbor  36 . In one embodiment, the cap  25  may be used to hold the clip module  20  in a particular place, i.e., limit or stop the free rotation of the clip module  20 . Removal of the cap  25  allows easy removal of the clip module  20  from the arbor  36 . In use, one may simply remove the cap  25  from the arbor  36  to free the clip module  20 , and thereby the bumper apparatus  10  from any connecting rod of a paint roller. 
         [0044]    The disclosure has described certain preferred embodiments and modifications thereto. Further modifications and alterations may occur to others upon reading and understanding the specification. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.