WET PALETTE FOR WATER-BASED PAINT

Abstract

A wet palette for water-based paint that includes a flat container having a peripheral rim and which, in its operational state, contains water. A retaining structure for the water, preferably a sponge or a foam, is placed in the flat container and arranged to become impregnated and moisten by contact and absorption of the water contained in the flat container. A sheet of paper permeable to the water is positioned on the retaining structure, and, in its operational state, is in contact with water-based paint applied to an upper side of the sheet of paper. The sheet of paper is a sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper, which is wet-strengthened (REH), namely a sheet of machine-finished coated (MFC) paper or a sheet of cast-coated paper, the coated upper side of which is exploited, in its operational state, as a support for the application of the water-based paint.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A wet palette for water-based paint including: a flat container having a peripheral rim and which, in its operational state, contains water; a retaining structure for the water which is placed in the flat container and arranged to become impregnated and moisten by contact and absorption of the water contained in the flat container; and a sheet of paper permeable to the water, positioned on the retaining structure, and which, in its operational state, is in contact with water-based paint applied to an upper side of the sheet of paper, wherein the sheet of paper is a sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper, which is wet-strengthened, a coated upper side of which is exploited, in its operational state, as a support for the application of the water-based paint, and wherein the sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper is a sheet of machine-finished coated (MFC) paper or a sheet of cast-coated paper.

17. The wet palette according to claim 16, wherein the sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper has a grammage defined according to ISO standard 536 which is comprised between 30 g/m.sup.2 and 100 g/m.sup.2.

18. The wet palette according to claim 17, wherein the sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper has a grammage defined according to ISO standard 536 which is comprised between 50 g/m.sup.2 and 100 g/m.sup.2.

19. The wet palette according to claim 16, wherein the sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper is a sheet of wood-free paper.

20. The wet palette according to claim 16, wherein the sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper has a COBB60 absorption index measured according to ISO standard 535 on a lower side of the sheet of paper which is between 10 g/m.sup.2 and 25 g/m.sup.2, as well as a dry tensile strength measured according to ISO standard 1924-2 which is between 50 N/15 mm and 100 N/15 mm.

21. The wet palette according to claim 16, wherein the retaining structure (2) is a foam or a sponge.

22. The wet palette according to claim 21, wherein the retaining structure is a smooth foam or sponge.

23. The wet palette according to claim 21, wherein the retaining structure is a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) foam or a polyurethane foam.

24. The wet palette according to claim 16, further comprising a lid arranged to be placed on the flat container and enclose the retaining structure as well as the sheet of paper to preserve the paint between various painting sessions.

25. A method of using a sheet of paper as moistening support of a wet palette for water-based paint, wherein the sheet of paper is a sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper, which is wet-strengthened (REH), a coated upper side of which is exploited, in its operational state, as a support for the application of the water-based paint, and wherein the sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper is a sheet of machine-finished coated (MFC) paper or a sheet of cast-coated paper.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper has a grammage defined according to the ISO standard 536 which is comprised between 30 g/m.sup.2 and 100 g/m.sup.2.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the sheet of one-side coated (C1 S) paper has a grammage defined according to the ISO standard 536 which is comprised between 50 g/m.sup.2 and 100 g/m.sup.2.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the sheet of one-side coated (C1 S) paper is a sheet of wood-free paper.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein the sheet of one-side coated (C1 S) paper has a COBB60 absorption index measured according to ISO standard 535 on the side of its lower side which is between 10 g/m.sup.2 and 25 g/m.sup.2, as well as a dry tensile strength measured according to ISO standard 1924-2 which is between 50 N/15 mm and 100 N/15 mm.

30. The method according to claim 25, wherein the water-based paint is acrylic paint, gouache, or watercolor.

31. A method of implementing a wet palette for water-based paint, comprising the following steps: pouring water into a flat container having a peripheral rim then placing a retaining structure for the water in the flat container, or vice versa, the retaining structure becoming impregnated and moistening by the contact and absorption of the water contained in the flat container; placing a sheet of paper permeable to the water on the retaining structure, the sheet of paper being a sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper, which is wet-strengthened, namely a sheet of machine-finished coated (MFC) paper or a sheet of cast-coated paper, a coated upper side of which is exploited as a support for the application of water-based paint; and applying the water-based paint on the coated upper side of the sheet of paper.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, which are presented solely by way of non-limiting examples and are illustrated by the appended drawings where the FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a wet palette according to the present invention.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0033] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the wet palette includes a flat container 1 having a peripheral rim which, in its operational state, contains water 4. A retaining structure 2 for the water 4, preferably a flat sponge or foam, is placed in the flat container 1 to become impregnated and moisten by contact and absorption of the water 4 contained in the flat container 1. A sheet of paper 3 permeable to water is positioned on the retaining structure 2. In the operational state of the palette, the sheet of paper 3 is in contact with a water-based paint 5, for example an acrylic paint, which is applied to the upper side of the sheet of paper 3. One will therefore understand that the sheet of paper 3 acts here as moistening support making it possible to maintain the paint 5 in a moist state, while avoiding direct contamination by the paint 5 of the retaining structure 2.

[0034] According to the invention, the sheet of paper 3 is a sheet of one-side coated paper, or C1S paper, which is wet-strengthened (REH), whose coated upper side is exploited, in its operational state, as a support for the application of the water-based paint 5. As already mentioned, this particular type of paper is known and available on the market, however for a completely different application, namely the labeling of glass containers or metal, especially glass bottles. The use of such wet-strengthened, one-side coated (C1S) paper as moistening support for a wet palette has not, to the Applicant's knowledge, been previously described or suggested in the state of the art.

[0035] In the illustrated example, it will be understood that the retaining structure 2 is saturated with water 4 by capillarity, and that the water passes through the sheet of paper 3 and hydrates the paint 5, here of the acrylic type. The paint is therefore kept wet in the open sky during the painting session, which allows it to be used for more than a few hours.

[0036] The use, according to the invention, of a sheet of wet-strengthened (REH), one-side coated (C1S) paper as moistening support for the wet palette offers the advantage that the sheet of paper 3 has a coating, on its upper side, intended to receive the water-based paint 5 and whose water permeability is comparatively less than the water permeability of the base of the sheet of paper 3 which is positioned in contact with the retaining structure 2. In addition, the coating offers a good degree of impermeability to the pigments contained in the water-based paint 5. This therefore results in a directional structure which ensures, on the one hand, good wetting of the paint 5 and prevents, on the other hand, the penetration of the pigments contained in the paint 5 into the sheet of paper 3, thus preventing the soiling of this sheet of paper 3 and of the retaining structure 2 lying underneath.

[0037] It turns out that the wet-strengthened (REH), one-side coated (C1S) paper is particularly suitable insofar as it also makes it possible to carry out a possible cleaning of the upper side of the sheet of paper 3 at the end of the painting session, and therefore reuse of the sheet of paper 3, increasing the life of the sheet of paper 3 accordingly.

[0038] Preferably, the sheet of paper 3 is provided with such a permeability of the coating making it possible to work with paints 5 with very fine particles and pigments. In this context, the coating may in particular have a microporous structure which makes it possible to limit the absorption of the paint 5 and of the pigments in the paper, while allowing moisture to pass.

[0039] Ideally, the sheet of paper 3 has a wet opacity (measured according to ISO standard 2471) that is greater than 80% so that moisture does not negatively affect the visual appearance of the sheet of paper 3.

[0040] The retaining structure 2 can advantageously be a smooth foam or a smooth sponge, in particular a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) foam or a polyurethane foam, limiting the development of molds. An antifungal treatment of the sheet of paper 3 is in this respect also possible, even advisable.

[0041] The retaining structure 2 and the sheet of paper 3 preferably have identical shapes. In particular, the retaining structure 2 and the sheet of paper 3 can advantageously be embossed so as to create hydrating basins arranged to receive a paint 5, in particular liquid.

[0042] In contact with water, ordinary paper relaxes and warps. It becomes relatively brittle and crumbles over time. Small pieces of paper can end up in the paint. The sheet of paper 3 according to the invention makes it possible to avoid these drawbacks. A thin, uncoated sheet of paper would allow paint to penetrate, which would damage the retaining structure. According to the invention, the sheet 3 is made of a wet-strengthened (REH) paper in order to prevent the sheet of paper 3 from tearing and disintegrating in the water, which would render it unusable. This wet strength (REH) can be achieved during the manufacture of the paper by the incorporation of reinforcing fibers, for example synthetic, or by the addition of additives of the polyamide-amine-epichlorohydrin (PAE) type.

[0043] It is advantageous to use paper whose weight (defined according to ISO standard 536) is between 30 g/m.sup.2, or even 50 g/m.sup.2, and 100 g/m.sup.2, depending on the paint 5 used. The upper side of the sheet of paper 3 is moreover printable, which in particular allows the possible printing of guides or patterns.

[0044] According to a particularly preferred embodiment variant, the sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper has a COBB60 absorption index (measured according to ISO standard 535) on the side of its uncoated lower side which is between 10 g/m.sup.2 and 25 g/m.sup.2, as well as a dry tensile strength (measured according to ISO standard 1924-2) which is between 50 N/15 mm and 100 N/15 mm.

[0045] The sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper can more particularly be, in a first embodiment variant, a sheet of machine-finished coated paper, or MFC paper. An example of such a machine-finished coated paper is for example marketed by company Feldmuehle GmbH (www.feldmuegle-uetersen.com) under the designation SaxaSet? with a grammage of 70, 75 or 80 g/m.sup.2 (SaxaSet? being a registered trademark of Feldmuehle GmbH).

[0046] The sheet of one-side coated (C1S) paper can alternatively be, in a second embodiment variant, a sheet of cast-coated paper, or coated on chrome paper, namely a paper whose coating is carried out by means of a polished chrome-plated cylinder which gives the coating greater shine and a smooth surface. An example of such a cast-coated paper is for example marketed by Zanders Paper GmbH (www.zanders.com) under the designation Chromolux? 900 E with a grammage of 80 or 90 g/m.sup.2 (Chromolux? being a registered trademark of Zanders Paper GmbH). This paper also has the advantage of being a wood-free paper, with high whiteness and good gloss on the coating side (namely a whiteness of around 89% according to ISO standard 2469 and a gloss greater than 57% according to ISO standard 8254-2), and which does not yellow and offers good robustness in use.

[0047] The above examples of wet-strengthened (REH), one-side coated (C1S) papers are given for illustrative purposes and other papers of similar categories (machine-finished coated or cast-coated) could be used, in particular depending on the properties of the water-based paint 5 used.

[0048] If necessary, the underside of the sheet of paper 3 could be additionally treated or coated with a light coating in order to stabilize the sheet of paper (and avoid for example a rolling up on itself or a stretching of the sheet of paper 3, in particular because of a differentiated absorption between the lower and upper sides) and/or in order to adjust the level of water absorption of the sheet of paper 3.

[0049] Of course, the wet palette according to the invention can also comprise a lid or other similar element making it possible to enclose the paint 5 hermetically outside the periods of the painting sessions when the artist is not painting.

[0050] It will generally be understood that various modifications and/or improvements obvious to those skilled in the art can be made to the embodiments described in the present description without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

[0051] In particular, the sheet of paper 3 can optionally be treated or coated with a light coating on its underside in order to adjust, if necessary, the degree of water absorption of the sheet of paper 3 and therefore the degree of moisture of this sheet, without this affecting the properties of the coating applied to the upper side where the paint is applied.

[0052] Finally, although reference has been made to the use of an acrylic paint, the wet palette according to the invention can be used together with any other type of water-based paint, in particular but not exclusively gouache or watercolor.