Quick release paint roller

A quick-release paint roller having a roller cover that can be removed from a frame without requiring the user to apply a force directly to the roller cover. The frame includes a pair of arms having base portions received in a hand grip. The arms diverge outwardly to form a Y-shaped frame, wherein distal ends of the arms have mounting cones configured to receive opposing ends of the tube-shaped roller cover in a rotatable manner with respect to the frame. The paint roller has a roller capture mechanism that pivots the arms between a roller-capture position in which the roller cover is captured between the arms and a roller-release position in which the roller cover is decoupled from the arms. A roller-release button is configured to actuate the capture mechanism to pivot the arms between their roller-capture positions and their roller-release positions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to a roller assembly for use in applying a coating to a surface, and more particularly, to a paint roller assembly.

2. Description of Related Art

It is known to use paint roller assemblies having a hand grip16with a roller support and a rotatable roller cover to apply paint to a wall. Normally, the roller cover is removably mounted on the roller support so that the roller cover can be detached from the support after use and cleaned or replaced as desired. Additionally, the useful life of the roller cover is often quite limited when compared to that of the hand grip16and roller support. As such, the roller cover is usually removed from the hand grip16after each use.

Typically, roller covers are frictionally secured to the roller support. One disadvantage associated with this type of roller assembly is that in order to remove the roller cover from the roller support, it is usually necessary to grasp the outer surface of the roller cover and slide it off of the roller support. As the roller cover being removed is normally covered with wet paint, the process of removing the roller cover from the roller assembly can be messy and often leads to paint getting on the hands and clothes of the person removing the roller cover. If one waits until the paint on the roller cover dries before removing the cover, the paint between the roller cover and the roller support dries and seals the roller cover to the roller support. Thus, in order to remove the roller cover from the paint roller assembly it is sometimes necessary to break the dried paint away from the end caps of the roller support, thereby allowing the roller cover to be removed from the roller assembly. Alternatively, it may be necessary to slice, or cut the roller cover along a length thereof, allowing the roller cover to be peeled away from the roller assembly.

Based on the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a paint roller assembly with a roller cover that can be removed quickly and easily without having to grasp or touch the paint-covered roller cover.

SUMMARY OF INVENTIVE FEATURES

One aspect of the invention is directed to a quick-release paint roller that permits a roller cover to be removed from the frame without requiring the user to apply a manual force directly to the roller cover. The paint roller includes a roller frame that receives the tube-shaped roller cover. The frame has a pair of arms with base portions received in a hand grip. The arms diverge outwardly to form a Y-shaped frame, wherein distal ends of the arms have mounting cones configured to receive opposing ends of the tube-shaped roller cover in a rotatable manner with respect to the frame. The paint roller has a roller capture mechanism that pivots the arms between a roller-capture position in which the roller cover is captured between the arms and a roller-release position in which the roller cover is decoupled from the arms. A roller-release button is configured to actuate the capture mechanism to pivot the arms between their roller-capture positions and their roller-release positions.

In one embodiment, the capture mechanism has a pivoting first link and a pivoting second link. The roller release button is connected to the second link. The first and second links are positioned in an overlapping manner and are connected with a connecting rod such that pivoting the second link with the roller-release button also causes the first link to pivot. A spring biases the arms to a roller-capture position in which base portions of the arms separate. Pivoting the links to a roller release position forces the base portion of the arms to move together against the biasing force of the spring, thereby releasing the roller cover.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Referring now toFIG. 1, the invention is directed to a paint roller tool generally designated by the reference number10for use in applying paint or other product to a work surface. The paint roller10includes a frame12and a roller cover14rotatably coupled thereto. The frame12has a hand grip16useful for griping the paint roller10and a pair of arms18that diverge outwardly from one another such that the frame12has a generally Y-shape for rotatably receiving the ends of the roller cover14. By generally Y-shaped it is meant that the frame12has a base portion19that is received in the hand grip16and two spaced apart arms18that capture the ends of the roller cover14and one skilled in the art will understand that this is not to be construed narrowly as a single specific shape.

In one embodiment, the hand grip16has a soft ergonomic grip overmold20to improve comfort while in use. Alternatively, other hand grips known in the art may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. Desirably, a telescoping handle (not shown) slides out of or can be attached to the hand grip16to add to the hand grip length for hard to reach areas. While materials for the frame12are not intended to be limiting, preferably the frame12is manufactured of a material such as aluminum or stainless tubing, fiberglass, or a synthetic polymeric material, such as nylon, polyethylene or other molded plastic for providing a light weight yet durable paint roller10.

The roller cover14is desirably a standard 9-inch (23 cm) roller cover that is commonly used with conventional paint rollers having an inner tube22with a 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) inside diameter and an outer circumferential surface material24for carrying paint or other material to be applied to the work surface. As is known, the surface material24is made of sponge, cotton, synthetic fibers, wool, or the like, and is highly capable of absorbing the paint or other liquid to be applied. However, the frame12may be sized so as to receive roller covers14with other widths, such as 3 inches, 6 inches, 7 inches, 12 inches, or 18 inches, and other diameters without departing from the scope of the invention.

Turning now to the exploded view ofFIG. 2, in one embodiment the roller cover14is removably mounted at distal ends30of the arms18of the frame12with a pair of roller cover mounting mechanisms32. Each roller cover mounting mechanism32has an end cap34with a stub axle36extending from an inward facing portion thereof. The stub axle36passes through an opening (not shown) in the arm18and is then inserted into a centrally disposed hole in a mounting cone38to rotatably attach the roller cover mounting mechanism32to the arm18. The mounting cone38is configured to be received in the inner tube22of the roller cover14. However, one skilled in the art will recognize that other means for rotatably connecting the mounting cones38to the arms18of the roller10may be incorporated using sound engineering judgment without departing from the scope of the invention.

Turning now to the enlarged view ofFIG. 3, as is known in the art the hand grip16is desirably formed from two half shells16A,16B that are joined together by any known means such as by welding, adhesive, fasteners, etc. According to the invention, the paint roller10has a “hands-free” quick-release capture mechanism40that quickly detaches the roller cover14from the frame12. In the illustrated embodiment, the capture mechanism40comprises a pivoting linkage system42situated between the half shells16A,16B and a roller-release button44, which, when actuated such as by sliding it along an opening46formed in the hand grip16, causes the pivoting linkage system42to cause the distal ends30of the arms18to pivot outwardly to automatically release the roller cover14and thereby at least partially decouple the roller cover14from the frame12. The pivoting linkage system42is desirably positioned between the half shells16A,16B of the hand grip16and is substantially contained within the joined half shells16A,16B with the exception of the roller-release button44and a connecting leg46to which the roller release button44is attached so that the pivoting linkage system42remains substantially free of paint during use.

Actuation of this quick-release capture mechanism40automatically releases roller cover14from the frame12thus eliminating the need for the user to handle the paint-saturated roller cover14when removing the roller cover14from the frame12. The terms “automatic”, “hands-free” and “quick-release” as used herein with respect to the capture mechanism40mean that the decoupling of the paint roller cover14from the frame12occurs without requiring the user to apply a manual force directly to the paint roller cover14. In other words, although a force is required to be applied to the capture mechanism40to initiate the decoupling process, the actual force decoupling the roller cover14from the frame12is provided by means other than manual force applied by the user to the roller cover14itself, as will be set forth more fully below.

The pivoting linkage system42includes a first link50having an outward hole52and an inward hole54and a second link60also having an outward hole62and an inward hole64. The links50,60are substantially similar except that the second link60is connected to the connecting leg46and roller release button44used to actuate the pivoting linkage system42. The first and second links50,60are positioned in an overlapping manner such that the inward holes54,64in the two links50,60align. A connecting rod70passes through the inward holes54,64of the two links50,60with an end of the connecting rod70protruding from the links50,60and being slideably positioned in a slot72formed in the hand grip16. Pivot axles74,76are received in respective outward holes52,62of the two links50,60with ends of the pivot axles74,76protruding from the links50,60and positioned in extensions78of the slot72formed in the hand grip16. The pivot axles74,76are constrained in the extensions78of the slot72such that each link50,60may pivot about its respective pivot axle72,74as the connecting rod70slides up or down in the slot72.

Each arm18has bends80formed therein such that the base portion19of the frame12comprises individual base portions82of each arm18that are brought into the hand grip16. Thus, the base portion82of a first arm18is substantially adjacent to the base portion82of the opposing arm18. The outer end of each link50,60sits in a groove84formed in the base portion82of its respective arm18. Generally rounded channels86are also formed in the base portions82of the arms18to receive the pivoting axles74,76. A center boss88and two side bosses90are formed in the hand grip16in a generally triangular pattern. The base portion82of each arm18passes between the center boss88and a respective side boss90. A dimple92is formed in each arm18such that the two arms substantially encircle the center boss88when the base portions82of the arms18are brought substantially together.

A torsion spring94with protruding legs96is positioned on a post98formed in the hand grip16. The legs96of the spring94engage proximal ends100of the base portion82of the arms18and act to bias the base portion of the arms such that the proximal ends100are separated. This biasing force of the spring94and interaction of the arms18with the center boss88and side bosses90cause the distal ends30of the arms18to move together such that the roller cover14is captured between the arms and rotatably held on the frame12by the two roller mounting cones38such as for normal use when painting. Thus, the spring94biases the arms18to a roller-capture position (as illustrated inFIG. 4) such that the base portions82of the arms18separate at an angle α desirably between about 5 and about 20 degrees.

When it is desired to remove the roller cover14after use or install a new roller cover14on the frame12, the operator actuates the roller-release button44by moving it along the opening46in the hand grip16such that the leg46causes the second link60to pivot about its pivoting axle76. This causes the connecting rod70positioned in the inward hole64in the second link60to slide in the slot72toward the lower end of the slot. Sliding of the connecting rod70in the slot72causes the first link50to pivot about its pivot axle74. Pivoting of the links50,60forces the base portion82of the arms18to move together against the biasing force of the spring94, reducing the angle α separating the base portions82.

Movement of the base portions82of the arms18together causes the arms to pivot about the center boss88, thereby causing the distal ends30of the arms18to open or separate. Desirably, the arms18have a generally rectangular cross section with the broad face of the rectangular-shape in contact above the dimple92and in bend80as the arms18pivot. This causes the mounting cones38to be withdrawn from the inner tube22of the roller cover14, thereby releasing the roller cover14from the frame12. Therefore, sliding the roller-release button44automatically releases the roller cover14from the frame12. It is conceived that the roller cover14could stick to the mounting cones38on the arm18because of dried paint such that small taps on the roller cover14or frame12may be necessary to dislodge the roller cover. It is clear that this may be done without having to touch the roller cover14with ones hands and does not defeat the quick-release or hands free function of the capture mechanism40. The roller release button44is shown connected to the leg46to form a slide trigger that pivots the links50,60about the pivot axles74,76. However, one skilled in the art will understand that other mechanisms for pivoting the links50,60may be used using sound engineering judgment without departing from the scope of the invention.

In one embodiment, the roller cover14is received on the cones38by a slip fit so that the roller cover14can easily slide off the cones38when the pivoting linkage system42is pivoted to enhance the quick-release feature of the roller10. The roller cover14may freely spin on the cones38when the cones are in the roller-capture position such that the roller cover14still rotates with respect to the frame12in the case dried paint makes it difficult for the cones38to spin relative the frame12. Alternately, the roller cover14may be received on the cones38with a slight friction fit. The paint roller10is ready to use with the roller cover14and the mounting cones38rotating with respect to the frame12.

Importantly, it is desirable that the roller-release button44be a sufficient distance from the roller cover14to reduce the likelihood that the roller-release button44will become covered with paint. Paint rollers10are typically used by dipping the roller cover14into a tray filled with the paint to be applied to the work surface. As such, the distal ends30of the arms18also may also come in contact with and be covered by the paint from the tray. Thus, the roller-release button44is desirably on the hand grip16and offset from the axis of the roller cover14in a location that will not routinely come in contact with the paint.

While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments described above, it is evident that many alternatives, combinations, modifications and variations are apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of this invention, as set forth above are intended to be illustrative only, and not in a limiting sense. Various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.