Field of the Invention

The invention relates to decoration rollers, and in particular, handheld rollers used for the application of paint, wallpaper paste and the like to surfaces.

Prior art and problems to be solved

The roller, whether it is for paint or for applying wallpaper paste, provides advantages of speed and ease of application to the user. Many types of rollers have been previously described. These rollers, whilst being highly effective, are often of little or no use when it comes to painting or applying wallpaper in an area of a given room which might be described as "hard to reach", in particular areas behind fixtures and fittings, appliances and furniture present a challenge to the decorator, a challenge which conventional rollers and brushes don't really meet. The use of conventional tools in such an area often leads to an untidy job being done, perhaps with damage to the item around which painting or the like is occurring, being sustained. Even if this is avoided, using these conventional tools for the task can be time consuming and tricky. Whilst it has been standard practice to paint such hard to reach surfaces with brushes, this has proved unsatisfactory because of the different surface finishes produced by brushes and paint roller applicators, and the slow and tedious process of painting such large surfaces with a brush,

There is therefore a real and long felt need amongst both amateur and professional decorators for a decoration roller which allows them easy access to these hard to reach places.

The invention detailed below attempts to provide solutions to these and other problems.

Summary of the invention.

In a broad independent aspect, the invention comprises a handheld decoration, roiier, comprising an elongate rod of a single piece construction, said rod having a near end and a far end, wherein the near end comprises a handle, and in use, the far end provides the mount for a roller, said rod having a first Z- bend portion at or adjacent the near end, and a subsequent shaft, said shaft comprising the majority of the length of the rod, with said shaft running along the notional Y-axis and the roller, being perpendicular to the shaft, running along the notional X-axis and wherein the oblique portion of the first Z-bend portion is orientated between the Y and Z-axes, so that the portions of the elongate rod connected to either end of the 2-bend occupy parallel axes, but are not co-axial, the roiier being mounted rotatably on the far end of the rod, said far end of the rod being elongate and running along an axis which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the handle, said far end of the rod being separated from the shaft by a further Z- bend portion.

The provision of a Z- bend portion is particularly advantageous, because it addresses directly the problem of painting behind radiators; radiators are usually positioned beneath window sills or shelves, and the incorporation of the Z- bend portion allows for the roller to be positioned behind the radiator, and to be held in a substantially parallel orientation in relation to the back of the radiator, allowing for swift and accurate painting.

By providing this portion, the user is also able to hold the handle of the roller In a comfortable manner. By running first Z~bend portion between the axis of the handle and the axis of the shaft This preferred embodiment specifically addresses the issue of painting behind a radiator., providing a bend which subsequently straightens out, in order to take into account the presence of a window sill or the thickness of a radiator.

The angling of the first Z~bend portion is between the Y and Z-axes is most useful In allowing the user to hold the paint roller parallel to a wail and a radiator, with the bend neatly avoiding the body of the radiator and the window sill during painting.

The second Z- bend allows for the positioning of the roller so that its mid-point is arrayed substantially symmetrically about the mid-point of the axis of the shaft, ¥/hich allows the user to paint with it in a relatively balanced manner. in a first subsidiary aspect, the oblique portion of the first Z-bend portion is orientated at approximately 45 degrees to the Z-axis.

This has proven to be the best angle for user comfort - but a range of angles between 20 degrees and 75 degrees from the Y axis are all possible. in a second subsidiary aspect, the axis of handle is displaced from, but parallel to the axis of the shaft.

The invention also comprises a handheld decoration roller substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in any appropriate combination of the accompanying text and/ or figures 1-3.

Brief description of the figures

Figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention

Figure 2 is a plan view of a second preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2a is a side view of a second preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure 3 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention showing a preferred set of dimensions for the invention.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a still further embodiment of the invention, with a telescopic rod

Figure 5 is a plan view of a still further embodiment of the invention with a hinged rod. Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the device 10 comprises two principal parts namely a cylindrical roller 12 and an elongate rod 14. The cylindrical roller 12 is illustrated to show the item as it would be used, but the invention could be supplied as a handle only. The roller 12 lies on an axis substantially perpendicular to the rod 14. The majority of the length of the rod 14 is comprised of a straight shaft 16; the shaft 6 may not always be straight, and may in some embodiments be curved, in particular slightly curved or continuously curved.

The connection between roller 12 and rod 14 is a rotatable connection. In this embodiment of the invention the roller 12 is held into its position on the rod 14 by nuts 18, 20. Other attachment means known to the skilled man may be utilised.

As well as shaft 16 the rod 14 has a number of notable features. At the far end 22 of rod 14 there is substantially U-shaped portion 24. Substantially U-shaped portion 24 comprises a first length 28, a second length 30 and a third length 32. Second length 30 runs along a substantially parallel plain to the near end 34 of the decorating roller 10.

Third length 32 occupies a plane orientated at an approximately 45-degree angle to the plane of the shaft 16, This combination of lengths 28, 30, 32 has been found to comprise a substantially u-shaped portion 24 well suited for holding cylindrical roller 12.

Third length 32 joins shaft 16. A further obliquely angled portion 36 joins shaft 16 to far end 34. Further obliquely angled portion 36 allows the user to hold the device 10 in such a way that the roller 12 may be held in a perpendicular orientation to the floor, the bend being of great, help in avoiding the window sill and/or radiator itself when painting. The near end 34 terminates in a handle 26.

Figures 2 and 2a show the most preferred embodiment of the decoration roller 100. Assuming the shaft 102 occupies the Y - axis, the diagrams illustrate the manner in which the Z bend 104 closest to the roller 106 is orientated at approximately 45 degrees towards the X-axis, whilst the Z-bend 108 closest the handle 110 operates at approximately 45 degrees towards the Z-axis. Although in the diagrams, it is the case that the rod 14 appears to change its orientation sharply, in reality, transitions in the direction of the rod are smoothly curved.

Figure 3 features a preferred set of dimensions for the device 10.

Figure 4 shows a device 60 with a telescopic rod 62. Here the telescopic rod 62 runs from the shaft 64 to the far end 66 wherein the handle 68 is mounted. The telescopic rod 62 comprises a first portion 70 and a second portion 72, said first portion 70 being of a lesser diameter than the second portion 72 and being so arranged that it can fit within the said second portion 72 means of telescoping the portions. Different configurations comprising a telescope feature will be known to the skilled man.

Figure 5 shows a decoration roller 80 with a rod 82 comprising a shaft 84 connected at either end by an oblique portion 86. The nature of connections is in each case via a hinge 88. Each hinge is reieasabiy lockable and in preferred embodiments the or each hinge will be a releasabie ratchet mechanism. Hinges may be placed along different parts of the rod 82, and the reasonable man is encouraged to experiment with the positioning of those hinges 88 along with their positioning instead of or in tandem with the telescopic portions described at Figure 4.

The invention can be embodied as the handle only, or as the handle with the roller.