Encapsulating Method and Device for Hollow Roller Cover

Abstract

This relates to an encapsulating method and a cylindrical sleeve device for storing a hollow roller cover particularly when the material of the cover is covered with material in an unset condition. This encapsulating method comprises using the hollow interior cylindrical portion of a hollow roller cover, an oversized plastic bag, inserting the excess plastic bag into one end of the hollow roller cover, then inserting the inner reduced diameter cylindrical sleeve devise which encloses the hollow roller cover by wedging the excess of plastic of the oversized plastic bag between the inner hollow roller cover and the outer sides of the cylindrical sleeve devise, hermetically sealing the hollow roller cover creating an air tight enclosure to form an unconventional cylindrical container allowing for temporarily storing and re-use of the roller cover.

Claims

1. An encapsulating method comprising: a.) a hollow roller cover having identical proximal and distal ends; b.) covering the hollow roller cover including the proximal end with an oversized plastic bag; c.) inserting the excess plastic bag into the inner distal end of the roller cover; and then d.) inserting and press fitting a cylindrical sleeve devise into the distal end of the inner hollow roller cover; which e.) encapsulates the hollow roller cover by wedging the plastic between the inner hollow roller cover and the outer cylindrical sleeve devise, thereby hermetically sealing the hallow roller cover creating an air tight enclosure to form an unconventional cylindrical container allowing for temporarily storing and re-use of a hollow roller cover.

2. An encapsulating method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: a hollow roller cover having identical interior proximal and distal ends, with an outer nap material and an inner rigid core.

3. An encapsulating method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising of a standard 4 sided plastic bag closed at 3 sides, with and opening on one side and generally made with a polyethylene type plastic.

4. An encapsulating method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the oversized plastic bag is placed over the hollow roller cover or by placing the hollow roller cover inside the oversized plastic bag, covering the hollow roller cover, including the proximal end.

5. An encapsulating method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the upper, open portion of the oversized plastic bag is taller than the hollow roller cover at the distal end.

6. An encapsulating method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the excess of the oversized plastic bag is pushed and/or folded into the interior cylindrical core portion of the distal end of the hollow roller cover.

7. An encapsulating method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a cylindrical sleeve devise is inserted into the interior cylindrical core portion of the distal end of the hollow roller cover.

8. An encapsulating method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sealing method comprises of inserting and press fitting the reduced diameter cylindrical sleeve devise into the interior cylindrical portion of the distal end of the hollow roller cover after the oversized bag is pushed into the hollow interior cylindrical portion of the distal end of the roller cover, forming a hermetic seal around the entire hollow roller cover when the reduced diameter cylindrical sleeve devise is inserted or press fit.

9. An encapsulating method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a hollow roller cover is sealed air-tight when the three airtight sealing components, said interior cylindrical core portion of the distal end of the hollow roller cover, oversized plastic bag and cylindrical sleeve devise are combined, forming a hermetic and air-tight seal between the three airtight sealing components.

10. An encapsulating method in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the encapsulating method surrounds the hollow roller cover on all sides with the oversized plastic bag and when the inventive cylindrical sleeve devise is inserted, it hermetically seals the hollow roller cover, encapsulates and forms an enclosure for temporarily storing and maintaining a wet hollow roller cover in a useful condition for a limited period of time up to several months.

11. A cylindrical sleeve devise, comprising: a tubular cylindrical sleeve having opened or closed proximal and distal ends, and a constant cross section along its entire length from proximal end to distal end, with at least one end having an outer end diameter that is less than the inner diameter as compared to the inner diameter cylindrical hollow roller cover at its proximal and distal ends, and being dimensioned to conform closely to industry standard hollow roller covers.

12. The cylindrical sleeve devise of claim 11, wherein said tubular cylindrical sleeve devise is of at least one piece, having opened or closed ends, and constructed of rubber, plastic, resins, metals or wood materials or any combination thereof.

13. The cylindrical sleeve devise of claim 11, having proximal and distal ends, with at least one outer end diameter that is less than the inner diameter of a hollow roller cover at its proximal and distal ends,

14. The cylindrical sleeve device of claim 11, having an elongated shape and varying in length.

15. The cylindrical sleeve devise of claim 11, is hollow, solidly filled or partially filled.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF DRAWINGS

[0046] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the inventions. These drawings, together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the method and device inventions.

[0047] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal view of a hollow roller cover;

[0048] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal view of a hollow roller cover inside an oversized plastic bag and showing the oversized plastic bag opening;

[0049] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a the excess plastic of the oversized bag after it has been pushed into the hollow roller cover;

[0050] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a hollow roller cover, the oversized bag and the cylindrical sleeve devise when the method when completed;

[0051] FIG. 5 is an end view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3; depicting the air-tight seal when encapsulating method after completed;

[0052] FIG. 6 is a surface view of the encapsulating method when complete; and

[0053] FIG. 7 is a longitudinal view of the cylindrical sleeve devise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0054] Referring first to FIG. 1, a hollow roller cover is generally designated by reference numeral 1 and a nap material is shown at 2. The hollow roller cover 1 is essentially of conventional construction and comprises a rigid hollow cylindrical longitudinal core which is indicated at 3, and a nap 2 made of a material suitable for applying wet materials. Typically, rigid hollow cylindrical longitudinal core 3, shown here at its distal end, will be a plastic tube and the nap material 2 will be fuzzy like. Since roller covers come in different lengths, it is identified with numeral. The distal side of the hollow roller cover 1 is referenced with numeral 5.

[0055] Referring next to FIG. 2, which depicts the hollow roller cover in FIG. 1 at 1, placed into an oversized plastic bag 6, and showing the distal end 5 of the hollow roller cover at the opened side 7 of the oversized plastic bag 6. Also note that opposite the open side 7 of oversized plastic bag 6, as the hollow roller cover at the proximal end is covered by the oversized plastic bag's proximal end depicted as 8. Plastic bags are typically made of a polyethylene type plastic and are typically four sided consisting of two closed elongated sides 9, one proximal side 8 which is also a closed side, and the distal side 10 which is open and is indicated with numeral 10. The cylindrical core is indicated at 3, and the nap material 2, is also shown to be inside the oversized plastic bag 6.

[0056] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view indicating the oversized plastic bag 6, at its distal end 10, after it has been pushed or folded into the distal end of cylindrical core 3, and the plastic of the oversized bag 6 has covered, the hollow roller cover 1, which includes the nap material 2 and the cylindrical core 3. And because roller covers and cylindrical sleeve devise may come in different lengths, it is identified with numeral 4.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 4, which depicts a cross sectional view of a hollow roller cover 1 which includes the nap 2 and the cylindrical core 3, when the encapsulating method described herein is completed. The encapsulating method combines the hollow roller cover 1, the oversized plastic bag 6, then pushing the excess distal end 10 of the oversized plastic bag 6 into the exposed cylindrical core 2, and completing the encapsulating method by inserting the cylindrical sleeve devise 11, with its proximal or distal end having an outer end diameter that is less than the inner diameter as compared to the inner diameter cylindrical hollow roller cover 1 at its proximal and distal ends which then creates the air-tight seal and completes the encapsulating method described herein.

[0058] FIG. 5 is an end view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3; the hollow roller cover 1, which includes the nap material 2 and the cylindrical core 3, the distal end 10 of the oversized plastic bag 6, and the inserted cylindrical sleeve devise 11. The illustration depicts the oversized plastic bag 6 sandwiched between the cylindrical core 3 and the cylindrical sleeve devise 11. FIG. 5 also shows the encapsulating method in its completed stage with either the proximal or distal end of the cylindrical sleeve devise 11 having an outer end diameter that is less than the inner diameter as compared to the inner diameter cylindrical hollow roller cover at its proximal and distal ends 5, is inserted or press fit, also depicted in FIG. 4, which then creates the air-tight seal and completes the encapsulating method described herein.

[0059] FIG. 6 is longitudinal surface view of the encapsulating method when complete; note that the nap material 2 and the cylindrical core 3 are encapsulated by the oversized plastic bag 6, as the cylindrical sleeve devise 11 is wedged against the cylindrical core 3, completing the airtight seal. And because roller covers come in different lengths, it is identified with numeral 4.

[0060] FIG. 7 is a is a longitudinal view of a tubular cylindrical sleeve devise 11 having opened or closed proximal 12 and distal ends 13, and a constant cross section along its entire length from proximal end 12 to distal end 13, with at least one end having an outer end diameter 14 that is less than the inner diameter as compared to the inner diameter cylindrical hollow roller cover 1 cylindrical core 3 at its proximal and distal ends 5, and being dimensioned to conform closely to industry standard hollow roller covers 1. FIG. 7 also depicts a cylindrical sleeve devise 11 constructed of polyethylene plastic, metals, resins or wood materials, having and elongated shape 11 and varying in length shown as numeral 14. FIG. 7 also depicts a cylindrical sleeve devise 11 that is hollow, solidly filled or partially filled.

[0061] This specification is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the manner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herein shown and described are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments. As already stated, various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of components or adjustments made in the steps of the method without departing from the scope of this invention.

[0062] While the invention has been explained by a detailed description of certain specific embodiments, it is understood that various steps in the method, modifications and substitutions can be made in any of them within the scope of the appended claims which are intended also to include equivalents of such embodiments. For example, equivalent elements may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention. Further modifications and alternative embodiments of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this specification.