Paint or varnish feeder and painting device comprising said feeder

A paint or varnish feeder (2) for a roller painting device (1), which comprises at least one hollow manifold (7) with openings (8) to deliver and to distribute the paint or the varnish to the roller (5) of the painting device (1), is described. The feeder (2) has, on a flat face (14) destined to come into contact with the roller (5), a hollow surface (12), shaped as an arc of a circle, along the longitudinal axis of which there is a groove (13) connected to the at least one manifold (7) by at least one opening (8). The hollow surface (12) advantageously has a radius no smaller than that of the largest sized roller (5) with which the feeder (2) is destined to come into contact. There is further described a painting device (1) comprising said feeder (2).

The present invention refers to the field of roller devices for applying paint or varnish to a surface, particularly but not exclusively for painting walls both vertical and horizontal (floors or ceilings).

It is known to use—for example, to whitewash a wall—a roller which is used by dipping it into a recipient containing the paint, then by eliminating the excess paint with various expedients and finally by passing the roller over the wall several times until the paint it carries is used up, after which the roller is dipped into the recipient again.

The system used leaves much room for personal skill and experience, which means that a beginner will easily obtain poor or uneven results.

Furthermore, the amount of paint or of varnish distributed is not even with each brushstroke but it gradually decreases from the first stroke to the last one before the brush is dipped again.

In addition, the movements necessary to supply again the roller with paint lead to a waste of energy and of time.

To overcome these drawbacks there are known and available on the market painting devices comprising so-called “feeders” which, connected to a tank containing the paint or the varnish and placed in contact with the roller, pick up from the tank and supply to the roller the amount of paint or of varnish necessary each time, eliminating (or at least drastically reducing) and/or the risk that part of the paint or of the varnish may leak from the painting device dripping onto the user, the walls and/or the ground.

Operation of a feeder will not be described here because it is per se known.

It has nevertheless been noted that, at least in certain conditions of use (for example when painting a ceiling), the already known feeders are not able to avoid the paint dripping—or being able to drip—on the operator and/or on the ground.

Object of the present invention is a feeder for a roller painting device suitable to avoid this risk.

A feeder according to the present invention is disclosed in independent claim1; further characteristics of said feeder are disclosed in the dependent claims.

The present invention further includes a painting device provided with a feeder (or applicator) made according to the present invention.

The invention achieves the above object, in particular it allows a controlled delivery of paint or of varnish onto the roller of the painting device without the need to perform tiring and time-consuming movements; furthermore, it has been seen experimentally that it allows more even results to be achieved than those that can be achieved with traditional painting.

In the appended figures corresponding elements shall be identified by the same reference numerals.

FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, show a side view and a top view of a roller painting device indicated as a whole with reference numeral1and comprising a feeder2made according to the invention.

The painting device1comprises a handle3which carries a roller-type head4consisting of a roller5of conventional type—able to rotate on a supporting frame6integral with the handle3—and of the feeder2, comprising at least one hollow manifold7(FIGS. 3 and 4) that comprises one or more chambers with paint or varnish distribution openings8made in the flat face14destined to come into contact with the roller5and which is connected to the paint or varnish tank by flexible supply hoses9.

The hollow manifold7receives the paint or the varnish from the flexible supply hoses9and delivers it to the roller5through the openings8.

In the painting device shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the at least one chamber of the manifold7receives the paint or the varnish through a distributor10and the feeder2is carried by means11able to bring it into contact with the roller5—respectively away from the roller5—only on user's command; the distributor10and the means11will not be described herein because they are per se known and in any case outside the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 3is an axonometric view of the feeder2ofFIG. 1, which has on the flat face14destined to come into contact with the roller5a hollow surface12, shaped as an arc of a circle, along the axis of which a groove13connected to the at least one manifold7by at least one distribution opening8is present.

The hollow surface12allows the feeder2to “embrace” the roller5better than the feeders of the prior art, thus eliminating the risk of unwanted leakage of the varnish or of the paint.

In order to confer a greater elasticity of use on a feeder2made according to the invention, the hollow surface12advantageously has a radius not smaller than that of the largest sized roller5with which the feeder2is destined to come into contact.

The depth of the groove13is preferably about 3 mm and in any case comprised between about 2.5 mm and about 3.5 mm, whilst its width is about 0.6 mm and in any case comprised between about 0.5 mm and about 2 mm; the distribution openings8have a diameter of about 6 mm and in any case comprised between about 4 mm and about 8 mm.

FIG. 4is a side view of the feeder2ofFIG. 1sectioned along the plane IV-IV ofFIG. 3: inFIG. 4the manifold7, the hollow surface12and a paint or varnish distribution opening8can be seen, whilst the longitudinal groove13, corresponding to the area of the opening8immediately adjacent the hollow surface12, is not explicitly indicated.

Without departing from the scope of the invention, two or more feeders2supplied with different paints or varnishes can be applied to the same roller5.

The present invention further includes a painting device1, like that illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2, comprising a feeder2made according to the present invention.

Other possible variants with respect to what is described may occur to a person skilled in the art; however, said variants accessible to a person skilled in the art are understood as included in the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.