Patent Publication Number: US-2012043240-A1

Title: Storage Apparatus for Paint Roller

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date of and priority to: U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/375,022 entitled “Storage Apparatus for Paint Roller” and filed Aug. 18, 2010, Confirmation No. 7554; said provisional application being incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of Use 
     The present invention relates generally to a storage apparatus for paint rollers. 
     When utilizing a roller to apply paint, it has been necessary to clean the roller cover when the painting operation is to be interrupted for a substantial period of time, e.g., from the end of one working day to the start of the next working day. If the roller cover is not cleaned, paint on the roller cover will harden which often necessitates the disposal of the roller cover when the painting operation is to resume. Even though a roller cover is cleaned after use, it is often very difficult to remove all the paint from the roller cover, and that remaining paint will harden and make the roller cover difficult to use when the painting operation resumes. Therefore, there exists a need for a paint roller storage system that will permit storage of the paint roller while wet paint is still on the roller. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     In one embodiment of the present disclosure there is described a paint roller storage system comprising: a receptacle for receiving a paint roller cover having a roller diameter, the receptacle comprising a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end, an internal cylindrical space having sidewalls defining a cylindrical inner diameter between the top end and bottom end, the inner diameter being at least the same or greater than the roller diameter, a floor at the bottom end enclosing the cylindrical sidewalls, and an open mouth at the top end; and a cap capable of attaching over the mouth end of the cylinder when the paint roller is received within the receptacle. The mouth of the cylindrical space may further comprise a flared section, the flared section having a narrow end that joins with the cylinder upper end and has substantially the same diameter as the cylinder diameter, and a wider section extending axially above the narrow section to create a flared mouth opening having a larger diameter than the cylinder diameter; and wherein the cap is capable of attaching over the flared mouth opening. The mouth of the cylindrical space may further comprise a paint collection reservoir. In one embodiment, the outside surface of the receptacle is substantially cylindrical. 
     Another embodiment pertains to a paint roller storage system comprising: a receptacle for receiving a paint roller cover having a roller diameter, the receptacle comprising: a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end, an internal cylindrical space having sidewalls defining a cylindrical inner diameter between the top end and bottom end, the inner diameter being at least the same or greater than the roller diameter, a floor at the bottom end enclosing the cylindrical sidewalls, an open mouth at the top end; and a flared section having a narrow end that joins with the cylinder upper end and has substantially the same diameter as the cylinder diameter, and a wider section extending axially above the narrow section to create a flared mouth opening having a larger diameter than the cylinder diameter. This embodiment may further comprise a cap having an outer diameter capable of attaching over the flared mouth opening when the paint roller is received within the receptacle. 
     The cap may further comprise a slot extending from the cap outer diameter to the center of the cap, the slot being of a width to accommodate the width of a paint roller handle that may be attached to the paint roller cover to permit storage of the paint roller cover while still attached to the paint roller handle. In another embodiment, the cap may also further comprise a slit or fenestration extending from the cap outer diameter to the center of the cap, the slit or fenestration capable of being spread apart to accommodate the width of a paint roller handle that may be attached to the paint roller cover to permit storage of the paint roller cover while still attached to the paint roller handle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention. These drawings, together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1A  depicts a cross sectional plan view of an exemplary paint roller storage apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure showing the paint roller cover being partially within the storage apparatus. 
         FIG. 1B  depicts a cross sectional plan view of an exemplary paint roller storage apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure showing the paint roller cover stored within the storage apparatus. 
         FIG. 2A  depicts a top view of an exemplary paint roller storage apparatus cap of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2B  depicts a top view of another exemplary paint roller storage apparatus cap of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a top view of an exemplary paint roller storage apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure showing the paint roller cover stored within the storage apparatus. 
     
    
    
     It will be appreciated that the foregoing drawings illustrate only certain embodiments of the invention and that numerous other variations may be created within the scope of the described invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
     The above general description and the following detailed description are merely illustrative of the subject invention and additional modes, advantages and particulars of this invention will be readily suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     In accordance with the present invention, storage apparatus  10  is provided in which the roller cover  21  of paint roller  20  may be stored while wet paint (not shown) is still on the roller cover and without removing the roller cover from the remainder of the roller apparatus (roller cover mount frame  25 , handle  22 ). With reference to  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  3 , storage apparatus  10  in accordance with the present invention comprises a cylindrical receptacle  11  section which may be fabricated from plastic or metal and which is flared at its top as illustrated in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  3 . The roller cover  21  may be received in the flared top portion  12  of the cylindrical receptacle  11 , since the diameter  12   c  of the flared top portion  12  at its mouth or opening  12   a  is greater than the outside diameter  21   g  of roller cover  21 . The diameter  11   c  of cylindrical receptacle  11  below the flared top portion  12  is slightly less than the outside diameter  21   g  of roller cover  21 , which causes the paint (not shown) on roller cover  21  to be directed toward the top of cylindrical receptacle  11 , when the roller cover  21  is pushed into and fully inserted into the cylindrical receptacle  11 . That paint may then be poured back into the paint can of origin. 
     As will be understood, a typical paint roller  20  comprises a handle section  22  rotatably attached to a roller cover mount frame  25 . A paint roller cover  21  (typically of a cylindrical structure), is typically mounted on the roller cover mount frame  25  by inserting the mount frame  25  into the internal diameter of the roller cover  21 . A typical roller cover  21  thereby comprises the following basic structure: a cylindrical tube section  21  having a roller cover top edge  21   a,  roller cover bottom edge  21   b,  and a length  21   h  defined as the distance between the roller cover top and bottom edges  21   a,    21   b.  The roller cover has an outer edge/surface  21   c  (defining roller cover outer diameter  21   g ) and an inner edge  21   d  (defining roller cover inner diameter  21   f ). The distance between the roller cover inner and outer edges is generally defined as the nap  21   e  of the roller—the soft part of the roller that receives paint on its outer edge/surface  21   c  and then contacts the surface to be painted to spread out the paint onto the surface. 
     The storage apparatus  10  is generally cylindrical in one embodiment, comprising a cylindrical receptacle section  11  for receiving the roller cover. The outer surface of the storage apparatus  10  is preferably cylindrical, but can be other shapes as well, such as, for example, square or rectangular. The cylindrical receptacle section has cylinder side walls  11   a  (defining cylinder diameter  11   c ), a cylinder floor  11   b  and an overall cylinder section height  11   d.  In a preferred embodiment, the cylinder diameter  11   c  is slightly larger than the roller inner diameter to permit compression of the nap  21   e  when the roller  21  is received into the cylinder section  11 . In another embodiment, the cylinder diameter is approximately the same as the roller cover outer diameter  21   g.    
     At the top of the cylinder receptacle section is preferably a flared section  12 . At the lower edge  12   b  of the flared section  12 , the diameter of the flared section is about equal with the diameter  11   c  of the cylinder section  11 . At the top end or mouth  12   a  of the flared section  12 , the flare diameter  12   c  is greater than the cylinder diameter  11   c.  The overall height of the flared section  12  defines a headspace  14  or paint collection reservoir. In one embodiment, the headspace  14  is sized to permit collection of paint that is extruded or squeezed off of the roller cover  21  as the roller cover  21  enters the cylinder section  11 . Although the flared section is shown as a generally frusto-conical shape, which can help guide the roller cover into the receptacle section  11 , other configurations could be employed at the top end of the cylindrical section  11 , such as another ring-shaped cylindrical section (not shown) with larger diameter than the cylindrical section  11  thereby creating a paint collection reservoir. 
     The top edge of the flared section  12  may also comprise a lip  13 . The lip  13  may be configured to mate with caps  23   a,    23   b,  such as in a frictional, snug, or snap-on fit relationship. 
     The storage apparatus  10  has an overall height  10   a.  The height  10   a  is designed to accommodate the desired roller length  21   h.  In one embodiment, the apparatus height is equal to the roller length  21   h.  In another embodiment, the apparatus height is equal to or greater than the roller length  21   h.  In yet another embodiment, the cylinder section height  11   d  is equal to the length  21   h  of the roller cover  21 . In another embodiment, the cylinder section height  11   d  is greater than or equal to the length  21   h  of the roller  21 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B,  2 A and  2 B, storage apparatus  10  in accordance with the present invention further comprises cap  23   a.  Once the roller cover  21  is fully inserted in cylindrical receptacle  11 , handle  22  may be inserted through slot  24   a  of cap  23   a,  and cap  23   a  may then be attached to the top of cylindrical receptacle/storage apparatus  10 . If the roller  20  is not to be used for a period of time for a day or more, the portion of slot  24   a  between handle  22  and the edge of cap  23   a  may be covered with a piece of tape or other suitable closure device. Referring now to  FIG. 2A , there is illustrated another embodiment wherein the cap  23   b  has a fenestration or slit  24   b  which permits the cap  23   b  to be placed around the outer diameter of handle  22  and to then permit a substantially closed cap  23   b  to seal off the top of the storage apparatus  10 . 
     This specification is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the manner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herein shown and described are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments. As already stated, various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of components or adjustments made in the steps of the method without departing from the scope of this invention. For example, equivalent elements may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention. Further modifications and alternative embodiments of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this specification.