Abstract:
A paint roller holder includes a body having an opening for receiving a paint-carrying surface of a paint roller. A closure seals the paint-carrying surface of the paint roller within the body and prevents hardening of paint on the paint-carrying surface of the paint roller.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The invention relates to a paint roller holder.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Typical paint rollers have a frame with a crank-shaped handle and a sleeve with a paint-carrying surface of absorbent material used to carry paint from a tray to a surface to be painted. When painting is finished before a period of non-use of the roller, such as at the end of the work day, the sleeve must be thoroughly cleaned of all paint before putting the paint roller away. Otherwise, the paint will harden on the sleeve, rendering the sleeve useless for further painting. If the painter intends to continue painting with the same paint after the period of non-use, such as during the next day, time spent in cleaning of the sleeve represents a costly loss of productivity.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a paint roller holder, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and which permits a painter to put a roller away for the evening or other period during which the roller will not be used, after not cleaning the roller, and yet permit the roller to be used again after the period of non-use is over.  
         [0006]     With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a paint roller holder. The paint roller holder comprises a body having an opening for receiving a paint-carrying surface of a paint roller. A closure for sealing the paint-carrying surface of the paint roller within said body prevents hardening of paint on the paint-carrying surface of the paint roller. The preferred shape for the body is cylindrical, since the sleeve of the roller is cylindrical.  
         [0007]     In accordance with another feature of the invention, the closure is a lid removably covering and sealing an open end of said body. Any number of closures may be used, as long as they prevent the roller from drying out.  
         [0008]     In accordance with an a further feature of the invention, there is provided a stand for maintaining said body in a non-horizontal, in particular inclined position. The body has a recess formed therein, and said stand has a member to be inserted in said recess. The stand is a bipod having two legs, and said member is a crosspiece interconnecting said legs. A non-horizontal position permits paint to run off the sleeve toward the bottom of the cylindrical body.  
         [0009]     In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the body has a slot formed therein at said opening allowing a handle of the paint roller to pass through said slot and out of said body with said closure sealing the paint-carrying surface of the paint roller within said body. A seal is disposed in said slot and contacts the handle of the paint roller. In this way, it is possible to only enclose the sleeve with the body, not the entire roller.  
         [0010]     In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, there is provided an extension tab connected to said body for supporting said body. The extension tab has a slot formed therein for hanging on a strap or a hook. This permits a painter to hang the paint roller holder on a rack with a strap or a hook in a workshop or a truck.  
         [0011]     In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the body has a region for receiving indicia. This will permit a retailer or paint or roller manufacturer to add their name or other indicia to the paint roller holder and will also permit the painter to indicate the brand, type and color of the paint or the name of the job, to the paint roller holder.  
         [0012]     Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.  
         [0013]     Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a paint roller holder, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.  
         [0014]     The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic, side-elevational view of a paint roller holder according to the invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a front-elevational view of the paint roller holder shown in  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a front-elevational view of a stand for the paint roller holder. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to  FIG. 1  thereof, there is seen a paint roller holder having a generally cylindrical body  1  which has one open end  1 ′. The open end, shown at the upper right of the figure, has a raised lip and is closed by a reusable lid or cover  2 . Broken lines may be seen within the cover indicating the top of the open end  1 ′ of the body  1 . However, threads may be provided by which the lid is screwed onto the body. A snap-on lid, a hinged lid or any other suitable air-tight and liquid-tight closure may be used. The body  1  also has an offset  5  near the open end  1 ′ for ease of gripping for removal of the lid.  
         [0019]     A slot or cutout  3  provided at the open end  1 ′ of the body  1  is substantially U-shaped and is filled by a handle seal  4  which is a U-shaped piece of rubber in the illustrated embodiment. However, any other suitable air-tight and liquid-tight seal may be used. An extension tab  6  is attached to the body  1  toward the open end  1 ′ thereof. The extension tab  6  has a slot  7  formed therein for a strap or a hook to facilitate hanging of the paint roller holder for storage. The body also has a recess  8  formed therein for application of a retailer&#39;s name and/or paint specification. Below the recess  8  is an area  8 ′ for indicating the paint applicator type. Ribs  9  are formed in the outer surface of the body to prevent slipping when grabbing the body  1 . Only one rib  9  is shown in  FIG. 1  so as not to obscure other features of the device, but it is understood that ribs may be placed all around the body, if desired, as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0020]     A paint roller  10  has been inserted inside the body  1  for storage. The paint roller  10  has a frame including a crank-shaped handle  11 . The handle  11  passes through the seal  4  and supports an insert  12  which in turn supports a core of a sleeve  13 . The sleeve has a paint-carrying surface of absorbent material used to carry paint from a non-illustrated tray to a surface to be painted. The paint roller is placed in the body  1  of the holder while still wet and carrying some paint, as indicated by a level  14  of paint which has settled within the body  1 . The lid  2  prevents hardening of paint on the paint-carrying surface of the paint roller  10 , even though the handle  11  remains outside the body.  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  shows that a recess or slot  15  is cut into the body  1 . The recess  15  has a curved shape due to the curved shape of the cylindrical body  1  in which it is formed. The recess is slightly upwardly angled toward the open end  1 ′ of the body  1 . A bipod stand  16  shown in  FIG. 3  has two legs  17  and a member in the form of a crosspiece  18  connected therebetween. The crosspiece  18  is curved for insertion into the curved recess  15 . The crosspiece  18  has outer dimensions corresponding almost exactly to those of the recess  15  so that the crosspiece may be pushed into the recess and be retained tightly therein. It is understood that the stand  16  need not hold the body  1  in the position shown in  FIG. 1 . Instead, the recess  15  and the stand  16  may be lower down on the body  1 , that is further away from the open end  1 ′, so that the body is in a more vertical position. Two stands  16  each engaged in a respective slot  15  on opposite sides of the body may also be used so the body is completely vertical.  
         [0022]     The body  1 , lid  2 , extension tab  6  and stand  16  are preferably formed of plastic material. However, any other at least somewhat rigid material, such as metal or cardboard, could also be used.