PAINT-DISPENSING DEVICE, IN PARTICULAR FOR PAINTING GAPS BETWEEN TILES

Abstract: A paint-dispensing device, in particular for painting gaps between tiles, comprises a main body (2) exhibiting one end portion (3) adapted to be engaged with a paint-container (5) at a feed hole (6) of said container and a second end portion (7) opposed to the first end portion (3) and provided with an outlet hole (8), a communication chamber (9) formed at the inside of the main body (2) and adapted to establish a communication between said feed hole (6) and outlet hole (8), and paint-transferring means (10) for transferring paint to the outside of the main body (2), that is from the communication chamber (9) through the outlet hole (8), in a measured quantity, onto a stripe of a given width which needs to be painted.

Description: The present invention relates to a paint-dispensing device adapted in particular to paint gaps between tiles, comprising: a main body exhibiting one end portion suitable for engagement with a paint container at a feed hole of the container itself and a second end portion opposite the first one and provided with an outlet hole; a communication chamber formed within said main body and adapted to communicate said feed hole to said outlet hole; a roller element provided with a support pivot and adapted to transfer paint to the outside of said main body, that is from said communication chamber through said outlet hole, according to a measured quantity, onto a stripe of predetermined width to be painted; said second end portion having symmetric wing-shaped guide elements, provided with housings to rotatably engage the roller element. It is known that gaps or narrow stripes which exist for example between lining tiles used in the building field are currently painted in order to bring said stripes back to an aesthetically acceptable, usually white, colour, because they are easily subject to blackening or at all events they get soiled by dust, smoke and the like. Such painting is usually carried out having recourse to common brushes of small sizes. The use of brushes for this type of operations has however some important limits and drawbacks. Actually, not only the painting operation is long and delicate taking into account the fact that it must be very accurate as it involves the painting of stripes which are only a few millimetres width, but often it also gives rise to imprecisions, irregularities and smudges interesting the adjacent tiles. In addition it is known that using brushes needs a certain skill because for example it is not always easy to exactly and regularly measure the amount of paint to apply to a very narrow stripe and therefore not only aesthetical results are very often unsatisfactory but there is also an important waste of paint. It is also known from doc. US-A-2582861 a paint striper comprising a head engaged to a collapsible paint container. The head is formed by a pair of holding jaws provided with through holes into which the end portions of a small shaft having a striping wheel are engaged. The two holding jaws are coupled together by a clamping member to define a tubular passage for the paint to be dispensed. Under this situation, the technical task underlying the present invention is to provide a paint-dispensing device, in particular for painting gaps between tiles, capable of substantially obviating the above drawbacks. Within the scope of this technical task it is an important object of the invention to provide a paint-dispensing device allowing the quick painting of gaps or narrow stripes in a precise manner and without smudges on the adjoining areas. Another important object of the invention is to provide a paint-dispensing device enabling the paint to be applied in a measured and uniform amount onto said gaps or narrow stripes. A still further object of the invention is to provide a paint-dispensing device having simple structure, reduced costs and easy servicing. The technical task mentioned above, the objects hereinbefore specified and still further objects are substantially achieved by a paint-dispensing device, in particular for painting gaps between tiles, characterized in that said wing-shaped guide elements present access slits to the housings defining a snap detacheable engagement for the support pivot in said housings. Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred embodiment of a paint-dispensing device in particular for painting gaps between tiles in accordance with the invention, given hereinafter by way of non limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: fig. 1 is an elevational side view partly in section of a dispensing device according to the invention, applied to a paint container; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in Fig. 1. Referring to the drawings, the paint-dispensing device, in particular for painting gaps between tiles according to the invention, has been generally identified by reference numeral 1. It comprises a main body 2 exhibiting one end portion 3 provided with screw engagement means 4 adapted to detachably associate said main body 2 with a paint-container 5, at a feed hole 6 formed in said container 5. On its side opposite the first end portion 3, the main body 2 exhibits a second end portion 7 provided with an outlet hole 8. Formed in the main body 2 is a communication chamber 9 through which the feed hole 6 is in communication with the outlet hole 8. Provision is also made for paint-transferring means 10 designed to transfer the paint held in the communication chamber 9 to the outside of the main body 2 through the outlet hole 8. Said transferring means 10 comprises a roller element 11 partially matching the shape of the edges of the outlet hole 8 and disposed inside the latter so that it substantially forms a closure for said hole. The roller element 11 is rotatably engaged to the second end portion 7 by a support pivot 12 with which it is integral, in the region of housings 13 formed in said end portion 7 and into which the support pivot 12 can be detachably introduced in an operating position adapted to keep the roller element 11 in contact with the edges of the outlet hole 8. Also formed in the second end portion 7 are symmetric and partially elastic wing-shaped guide elements 14 between which said support pivot 12 is forced so that it may reach its operating position at the inside of the housings 13 or removed therefrom. In addition, the roller element 11 partially projects from the second end portion 7 so that it can be moved in rotation when it is rolled on a stripe to be painted. Finally the peripheral surface of the roller element 11 exhibits a number of grooves 15 or knurls oriented parallelly to the axis of pivot 12 and it is whithin these grooves that the paint coming from the communication chamber 9 and transferred to the outside is stored so that it can be applied by contact to the stripe or gap to be painted. Operation of the paint-dispensing device according to the invention described above mainly as regards structure, is as follows. After connecting the device 1 to a paint container 5 through the screw engagement means 4, the roller element 11 is rolled on the gap or stripe to be painted. Due to the rotation of said roller element 11 paint is transferred from the communication chamber 9 to the outside according to a measured and uniform amount because at each passage the amount of paint which is stored in each groove 15 is always constant as it is levelled by the edges of the outlet hole 8 against which said grooves 15 are rubbed. Paint is therefore distributed in a regular and constant manner on a stripe the edges of which strictly correspond to the width of the roller element 11. At the end of the painting operation, the roller element 11 can be easily removed from its housings 13 in order to facilitate its cleaning before a next use thereof. It will be appreciated that the particular embodiment shown has further specific advantages concerning the details thereof which are apparent from the description and drawings.

Claims: A paint-dispensing device (1), in particular for painting gaps between tiles, comprising: a main body (2) exhibiting one end portion (3) suitable for engagement with a paint container (5) at a feed hole (6) of the container itself and a second end portion (7) opposite the first one and provided with an outlet hole (8), a communication chamber (9) formed within said main body (2) and adapted to communicate said feed hole (6) to said outlet hole (8), a roller element (11) provided with a support pivot (12) and adapted to transfer paint to the outside of said main body (2), that is from said communication chamber (9) through said outlet hole (8), according to a measured quantity, onto a stripe of predetermined width to be painted, said second end portion (7) having symmetric wing-shaped guide elements (14), provided with housings (13) to rotatably engage the roller element (11), characterized in that said wing-shaped guide elements (14) present access slits to the housings (13) defining a snap detacheable engagement for the support pivot (12) in said housings (13). A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said roller element (11) partially projects from said second end portion (7) so that it is adapted to be driven in rotation by its rolling on said stripe to be painted, said roller element (11) partially matching the shape of the edges of the outlet hole (8) and being partially located therein so that it substantially defines a closure for the hole itself, the peripheral surface of said roller element being designed to transfer paint from said communication chamber (9) onto said stripe during the rotation of the roller element (11). A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the peripheral surface of said roller element (11) exhibits a plurality of grooves (15) oriented parallelly to the axis of rotation of the roller element (11) itself. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first end portion (3) comprises screw engagement means (4) adapted to enable said main body (2) to be detachably associated with said paint container (5).

Inventors: ALBIERI, ROBERTO
Applicants: ULTRAVELOX DI ALBIERI LUIGI & C. S.N.C.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B05C17
IPC codes: B05C17, B44D3