Patent ID: 8806696

Claim:
A combination paint roller and paint roller cleaner, comprising; a paint roller having a handle, a sleeve, and a frame extending between said roller handle and said roller sleeve, said roller frame having a select diameter, said roller sleeve having a core with a select external diameter and a matt coupled to said core and having a select external diameter, and a paint roller cleaner having a handle portion having a longitudinal axis, a rod portion having a longitudinal axis that is coaxial with that of the longitudinal axis of the handle portion, and a sleeve engaging portion extending from said rod portion opposite said handle portion, said sleeve engaging portion defining a substantially circular internal opening forming a helical loop having a select internal diameter greater than said select external diameter of said roller core but less than said select external diameter of said roller matt, said loop having an entry gap, said entry gap having a size greater than said select diameter of said roller frame, said loop having an end portion that is at a level lower than a beginning portion of said loop within respect to a length of said roller frame so that said loop entirely encircles said circumference of said sleeve and said gap is provided between said distance between said level of said beginning portion of said loop and said end portion of said loop to permit said roller frame to fit within said gap, said sleeve engaging portion being disposed in a plane whereby passing the paint roller sleeve through the paint roller cleaner internal opening compresses the roller matt thereby squeezing the paint from the paint roller sleeve, the longitudinal axis of the handle portion and of the longitudinal axis of the rod portion are disposed at an acute angle to the plane of the sleeve engaging portion, said rod's angled disposition in relation to said sleeve compresses said sleeve to squeeze paint out of said sleeve without tearing said sleeve during compression and keeps the paint from collecting on a user's hand while cleaning.