Not Applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention relates generally to painting and, more particularly to devices for painting structures having uneven surfaces.
As is known in the art, painting relatively large structures, such as a house, is a significant undertaking. Many houses are covered with clapboard type shingles. As is well known, clapboards are relatively long pieces of wood having a generally triangular cross-section that are secured to an exterior of the structure in an overlapping arrangement.
The present invention provides a multi-surface roller that is well suited to paint uneven surfaces, such as clapboard shingled structures. With this arrangement, the efficiency of the painting process is significantly enhanced. While the invention is primarily shown and described in conjunction with painting clapboard shingles, it is understood that the invention is applicable to painting a wide range of non-smooth surfaces.
In one aspect of the invention, a paint roller includes a first generally cylindrical surface to apply paint having a first circumference and a second generally cylindrical surface to apply paint, where the first circumference is greater than the second circumference. The roller further includes a third surface that transitions the first surface to the second surface.
In one particular embodiment, the first surface can apply paint to a sloped surface of a first clapboard shingle and the second surface can apply paint to a second clapboard shingle. The third surface is effective to apply paint to an underside of the second clapboard shingle.
The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In general, as shown in
In one particular embodiment, a nap of the roller surface between the first and second points 102, 104 is relatively short to minimize “catching” of the nap on the edge of a clapboard as the roller is moved horizontally. In an exemplary embodiment, the third surface 106 has some desired rigidity under the nap to help prevent non-horizontal movement of the roller. That is, without some rigidity under the third surface 106 there may be a tendency for a user to move the roller over clapboards in a non-horizontal direction instead of the desired horizontal movement along and parallel to the clapboards.
As shown in
In one particular embodiment shown in
In the applying paint to the under surface of a clapboard surface, the second surface 104 may be helpful in guiding a painter along horizontally but optional. The first and third surfaces 102, 106 are effective to apply paint to the sloped and under surfaces of the clapboard shingles.
With this arrangement, a painter can paint horizontally along the length of a clapboard shingle covering the sloped surface along with the under surface of the clapboard above. This particular structure eliminates or reduces efforts to specifically paint the under surfaces of the clapboard shingles, which saves a significant time and effort in comparison with conventional rollers.
As shown in
It is understood that the particular angles of the roller surfaces with respect to a longitudinal axis 250 of roller can vary. In addition, it should be understood that angles are approximate in view of the “give” provided by the roller surface.
An exemplary range for the angle of roller surfaces adapted to paint the sloped surface of a clapboard shingle or other such structure, such as the angle 252 of surface 202, can vary from about −20 degrees to about 50 degrees. An exemplary range for the angle of roller surfaces adapted to paint the under surface of a clapboard shingle or other structure, such as the angle 254 of surface 210, can vary from about plus/minus 45 degrees with respect to perpendicular to the axis 250. In one embodiment, this angle ranges from about plus to minus ten degrees to effectively paint the clapboard under surface.
It is understood that the surface contours and dimensions of the roller can be selected to complement a particular surface. While the invention is primarily shown and described in conjunction with painting clapboard surfaces, it is understood that the invention is applicable to a wide variety of uneven surfaces.
In one embodiment, the distance between surfaces to paint the sloped clapboard surfaces can range from about 0.25 inch to about 1.0 inch. It is understood however that other dimensions are possible for optimal application of paint to a surface having particular geometries.
The roller can be fabricated from a variety of materials and techniques well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. In general, the roller includes an outer surface that can be provided by conventional materials used for rollers. The material should be absorbent to hold paint from a reservoir that is then applied to the target surface. Under the outer roller material can be disposed a semi-rigid material, secured to a generally rigid material that can be cylindrically shaped. A variety of suitable semi-rigid materials will be readily known by one of ordinary skill in the art. A handle can be removably attached to the rigid cylinder in a manner well known in the art. The particular structure and layering of materials can be readily selected by one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the desired roller surface contour and dimensions.
The outer surface material 308 can be secured to the first semi-rigid material 318 at locations generally corresponding to a length of the second surface 304, which has a smaller circumference than the first surface 302. A second semi-rigid material 320 can be secured to a portion of the first semi-rigid material 318 along a length generally corresponding to the first surface 302, which has a greater circumference than the second surface 304.
One skilled in the art will appreciate further features and advantages of the invention based on the above-described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described, except as indicated by the appended claims. All publications and references cited herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.