Abstract:
A paint roller frame which securely retains a paint roller cover thereon during painting and which permits the roller cover to be easily removed therefrom is disclosed. The paint roller frame includes a cage assembly comprising a cage body and oppositely disposed end caps having bores therein permitting the passage of the paint roller frame therethrough. The inboard end cap includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart longitudinally extending ribs which securely engage the inner surface of the paint roller cover during the painting process and which permit the easy removal of the roller cover therefrom when painting has been completed or when the roller cover needs replacement.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application(s) Ser. No(s). 60/072,713, filed on Jan. 13, 1998. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates, in general, to a paint roller frame having a cage assembly attached thereto and, more particularly, to a paint roller frame and cage assembly which securely retains a paint roller cover thereon during painting and which permits the paint roller cover to be easily removed therefrom after usage or for replacement purposes. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     There are numerous types of paint roller frames and cage assemblies that permit the removal of the roller cover therefrom for replacement purposes. Such removal and/or replacement entails varying degrees of difficulty since if it is relatively easy to remove the roller cover from the cage assembly, the roller cover is usually not positively retained in place on the cage assembly and thus can move longitudinally relative thereto during painting. Conversely, if the roller cover is securely retained on the cage assembly, it is relatively difficult to remove it therefrom for replacement purposes or at the time painting has been completed. Such is the case with the paint roller frame disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,648 (Graves) wherein the paint roller cover is retained on the cage assembly by a Belleville type washer having a plurality of radially extending prongs which grip the inner surface of the roller cover. Since the prongs become embedded in the inner surface of the roller cover, it is extremely difficult to remove the roller cover from the cage assembly in this case. 
     Another inherent disadvantage of most paint roller frames is that the cage assemblies used to support the roller cover include areas where paint may become entrapped, thus making the cage assemblies difficult to clean. Also, some cage assemblies do not provide uniform support for the roller cover permitting the roller cover to develop flat spots or become out of round making the roller cover less effective in spreading paint. 
     Because of the foregoing inherent disadvantages associated with presently available paint roller frames, it has become desirable to develop a paint roller frame which positively retains the roller cover thereon during painting while allowing the roller cover to be quickly and easily removed therefrom for replacement purposes or when painting has been completed. Furthermore, the resulting paint roller frame should be easy to clean and should provide substantial uniform support to the surface of the roller cover. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention solves the problems associated with the prior art paint roller frames and other problems by providing a paint roller frame having a cage assembly which positively retains the roller cover thereon during painting and still permits the roller cover to be easily removed therefrom when desired. The cage assembly includes a cage body comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart, longitudinally extending roller cover support bars joined together by a plurality of arcuate ribs interposed between the support bars. An outboard end cap is received over the outboard end of the cage body while an inboard end cap is received over the inboard end thereof. A centrally located bore is provided in the hub portions of each of the aforementioned end caps permitting the shaft portion of the paint roller frame to be received therethrough allowing rotation of the cage assembly about the shaft of the paint roller frame. The inboard end cap has a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart longitudinally extending ribs which grippingly engage the inner surface of the inboard end of the roller cover to securely retain the roller cover on the cage assembly. When painting has been completed or when it is desired to replace the roller cover, the paint roller frame with the roller cover thereon can be oriented vertically with the outboard end cap being located lower than the inboard end cap and by rapping the inboard side of the paint roller frame against a solid surface, the weight of the paint roller cover, with the paint retained therein, causes the roller cover to become disengaged from the longitudinally extending ribs on the inboard end cap resulting in the roller cover dropping from the cage assembly. 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a paint roller frame which securely retains the roller cover thereon during painting and still permits the roller cover to be quickly and easily removed therefrom for replacement purposes or after painting has been completed. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a paint roller frame having a structure which permits paint to easily drain therefrom and which minimizes the amount of paint entrapped therein. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a paint roller frame which provides substantial uniform support for the paint roller cover over the length thereof. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the paint roller frame and cage assembly of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the paint roller frame and cage assembly of the present invention with a roller cover received thereon. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the inboard end cap of the cage assembly taken across section-indicating lines  3 — 3  in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 3A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the inboard end cap shown in FIG.  3  and illustrates a longitudinally extending rib thereon. 
     FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken across section-indicating lines  3 B— 3 B in FIG.  3 A. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cage assembly taken across section-indicating lines  4 — 4  in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the outboard end cap of the cage assembly taken across section-indicating lines  5 — 5  in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the paint roller frame and cage assembly taken across section-indicating lines  6 — 6  in FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings where the illustrations are for the purpose of describing the preferred embodiment of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention described herein, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paint roller frame  10  with a cage assembly, shown generally by the numeral  12 , attached thereto. The frame  10  is formed from heavy gauge wire or rod that is bent so as to provide a handle portion  14  at one end thereof and the shaft portion  16  at the other end thereof for rotatably supporting the cage assembly  12  thereon. Typically, a hand grip (not shown), which may be made of plastic or wood, is attached to the end of the handle portion  14  to assist in gripping the paint roller frame  10  with one hand. A threaded socket (not shown) may be provided in the outer end of the hand grip to permit attachment of an extension pole, if desired. 
     The cage assembly for the present invention can be any structure that can support a roller cover thereon. For illustration purposes only, as shown in FIG. 2, the cage assembly  12  may be molded of a nylon material, such as Delrin or the like, and includes a substantially rigid one-piece cage body  18  having a substantially circular cross-section and comprised of a plurality of circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extending roller cover support bars  20  joined together at a plurality of axially spaced-apart locations by arcuate ribs  22  interposed between the support bars  20 . The support bars  20  are substantially straight and of uniform height over their entire length, the height of the ribs  22  corresponding to the height of the support bars  20 , and the ribs  22  are joined to the bars  20  forming axially spaced annular rings  24  each having an outer diameter that is slightly less than the inner diameter of a paint roller cover resulting in the outer diameter of the cage body  18  being slightly less than the inner diameter of the paint roller cover to be received thereon. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, the cage body  18  has an axial opening  26  therethrough to receive the shaft portion  16  of the frame  10 . The outboard end of the cage body  18  is provided with a longitudinally extending circumferential surface  28  terminating in a chamfered surface  30 . A circumferential groove  32  is provided in the longitudinally extending circumferential surface  28 . The inboard end of the cage body  20  is similarly provided with a longitudinally extending circumferential surface  34  terminating in a chamfered surface  36 . As in the case of the outboard end of the cage body  18 , a circumferential groove  38  is also provided in the longitudinally extending circumferential surface  34 . 
     An end cap  50 , which may also be molded of a nylon material, such as Delrin or the like, and having a substantially circular cross-section with an outer diameter approximating the inner diameter of the paint roller cover to be received thereon, is provided to cover the outboard end of the cage body  18 . The end cap  50  has an annular recess  52  formed therein. The diameter of circumferential surface  54  defining annular recess  52  approximates the outer diameter of the longitudinally extending circumferential surface  28  on cage body  18 . An inwardly directed circumferential lip  56 , having a configuration complementary to circumferential groove  32  in the longitudinally extending circumferential surface  28  on cage body  18 , is provided on the circumferential surface  54  of end cap  50 . The inner diameter of the inwardly directed circumferential lip  56  approximates the root diameter of circumferential groove  32 . A centrally located bore  58  is provided in hub portion  60  of end cap  50  and terminates in a blind bore  62  on the outboard side of end cap  50 . End cap  50  is received over the longitudinally extending circumferential surface  28  on cage body  18  permitting the longitudinally extending circumferential surface  28  to be received in annular recess  52  in end cap  50  and allowing inwardly directed circumferential lip  56  to be received in circumferential groove  32  on the longitudinally extending circumferential surface  28 . In this manner, end cap  50  is lockingly engaged with longitudinally extending circumferential surface  28  on cage body  18 . Chamfered surface  30  on the end of longitudinally extending surface  28  on cage body  18  acts as a pilot surface for the receipt of end cap  50  thereon. The shaft portion  16  of the frame  10  is received through bore  58  in hub portion  60  of end cap  50  so that its end is positioned in blind bore  62 . A cap nut  64  is received on the end of shaft portion  16  of frame  10  and is positioned within blind bore  62  and abuts the surface  66  which defines the bottom of blind bore  62 . A cap (not shown) may be provided to cover the opening to blind bore  62 . 
     Similarly, an end cap  70 , which may also be formed of Delrin or the like and having a substantially circular cross-section, is provided to cover the inboard end of the cage body  18 . The end cap  70  has an annular recess  72  therein. The diameter of circumferential surface  74  defining annular recess  72  approximates the outer diameter of the longitudinally extending circumferential surface  34  on cage body  18 . An inwardly directed circumferential lip  76 , having a configuration complementary to circumferential groove  38  in the longitudinally extending surface  34  on cage body  18 , is provided on circumferential surface  74  of end cap  70 . The inner diameter of inwardly directed lip  76  approximates the root diameter of the circumferential groove  38 . A bore  78  is provided in hub portion  80  of end cap  70 . End cap  70  is received over the longitudinally extending circumferential surface  34  on cage body  18  permitting the longitudinally extending circumferential surface  34  to be received within annular recess  72  in end cap  70  and allowing inwardly directed circumferential lip  76  to be received in circumferential groove  38  on longitudinally extending circumferential surface  34 . In this manner, end cap  70  is lockingly engaged with longitudinally extending circumferential surface  34  on cage body  18 . Chamfered surface  36  on the end of longitudinally extending surface  34  on cage body  18  acts as a pilot surface for the receipt of end cap  70  thereon. The shaft portion  16  of the frame  10  is received through bore  78  in hub portion  80  and is staked outwardly thereof forming oppositely disposed ears  82 . A washer  84  is received over shaft portion  16  of frame  10  and is interposed between oppositely disposed ears  82  and end  86  of end cap  70 . 
     End  86  of inboard end cap  70  is provided with an outwardly directed circumferential flange  88 . As shown in FIG. 3, the outer surface of inboard end cap  70  is provided with four (4) circumferentially spaced-apart longitudinally extending ribs  90  which originate adjacent the inboard end of end cap  70  and terminate at the outwardly directed circumferential flange  88 . The diameter across oppositely positioned longitudinally extending ribs  90  is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the paint roller cover to be received thereon. The diameter across oppositely disposed longitudinally extending ribs  90  should be sufficient to tightly and frictionally engage the paint roller cover to be received thereon, yet allow an easy disengagement during the removal process. Typically, the diameter across oppositely disposed longitudinally extending ribs  90  is at least 0.020 inches greater than the inner diameter of the paint roller cover. 
     In order to install a paint roller cover  100  on paint roller frame  10 , the paint roller cover  100  is slidingly received over outboard end cap  50 , roller cover support bars  20 , and inboard end cap  70  until the end  102  of paint roller cover  100  abuts outwardly directed circumferential flange  88  on end cap  70 . When the paint roller cover  100  is so installed on paint roller frame  10 , the longitudinally extending ribs  90  on end cap  70  engage the inner surface of the paint roller cover  100  preventing the roller cover  100  from becoming disengaged from the frame  10 . When painting has been completed, the paint roller frame  10 , with the paint roller cover  100  thereon, is oriented vertically with outboard end cap  50  being positioned so as to be located lower than inboard end cap  70 . By rapping the inboard side of the shaft portion  16  of the paint roller frame against a solid surface, the weight of the paint roller cover  100 , with the paint retained therein, causes the roller cover  100  to become disengaged from the longitudinally extending ribs  90  and to drop from the roller frame  10 . Since the ribs  90  are oriented in the same direction as longitudinal axis of the roller cover  100 , and thus, in the direction of motion of the roller cover  100  during the removal process, the paint roller cover  100 , with the paint retained therein, can be easily removed from frame  10  for disposal purposes without the painter touching the roller cover  100 . 
     Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing. It should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have not been expressly set forth herein for the sake of conciseness and readability, but are properly within the scope of the following claims.